Background. Psoriasis is a chronic, autoinflammatory disease characterized by activation and differentiation of naive T lymphocytes towards T helper CD4 + (including Th1 and Th17) and T cytotoxic CD8 + . Osteopontin (OPN), which plays an important role in both physiological processes and inflammatory, neoplastic and autoimmune diseases, is also considered in the context of psoriasis pathogenesis. Current data indicates that OPN is a multifunctional protein involved in the modulation of Th1 and Th17 cellular responses, in stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, and in the regulation of cellular apoptosis.Objectives. The assessment of OPN and interleukin 17 (IL-17) concentrations in the peripheral blood of psoriatic patients in comparison to healthy volunteers as well as the correlations of OPN and IL-17 with the severity of psoriasis.Material and methods. The study included 107 male psoriatic patients and 41 age-matched healthy men. The serum concentrations of IL-17 and OPN were examined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The skin change severity of psoriasis was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Body Surface Area (BSA), Physician Global Assessment (PGA), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI).Results. Psoriatic patients had significantly higher concentrations of OPN (31.65 ng/mL on average) than the healthy volunteers (11.42 ng/mL on average) (p < 0.001). Interleukin 17 was also higher in psoriatic patients (0.53 pg/mL on average) compared to healthy volunteers (0.09 pg/mL on average) (p < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between OPN and IL-17 concentrations in psoriatic patients and in healthy volunteers. Psoriasis severity correlated positively to IL-17 serum concentration, but not to OPN. Conclusions.Although the study did not show a relationship between OPN and IL-17 concentrations in psoriatic patients, it should be emphasized that serum concentrations were significantly higher in the patients with psoriasis compared to healthy volunteers.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation during pregnancy on postpartum bone tissue quality by assessing changes in trabecular and compact bone as well as in hyaline and epiphyseal cartilage. The experiment was carried out on adult 6-month-old female spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus) divided into three groups: pregnant control (PregCont), pregnant HMB-treated (supplemented with 0.02 g/kg b.w of HMB during the second trimester of pregnancy, PregHMB), and non-pregnant females (NonPreg). Cross-sectional area and cortical index of the femoral mid-shaft, stiffness, and Young modulus were significantly greater in the PregHMB group. Whole-bone mineral density was similar in all groups, and HMB supplementation increased trabecular number. Growth plate cartilage was the thinnest, while the articular cartilage was the thickest in the PregHMB group. HMB supplementation increased the content of proteoglycans in the articular cartilage and the percentage of immature collagen content in metaphyseal trabeculae and compact bone. In summary, dietary HMB supplementation during the second trimester of pregnancy intensifies bone metabolic processes and prevents bone loss during pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION.Staphylococcus aureus is a microorganism, which is able to colonize the human body without any pathogenic effect, but it also can cause life-threatening infections (opportunistic pathogen). Asymptomatic colonization with both methicillin resistant (MRSA) and methicillin susceptible (MSSA) S.aureus strains state is an important predisposing factor for infections. The risk of infection for carriers of MSSA is even three-times higher than for non-colonized people, and in the case of MRSA it is even four-times higher than in MSSA carriers. Carriers can be also a source of infection for other people, especially those belonging to high-risk groups. The drug of choice used for the local eradication of S.aureus is mupirocin (Mup). In recent years, the failure of decolonization therapy has been observed. The aim of the study was to assess and compare the level of colonization of S.aureus (MRSA or MSSA) among medical students and to evaluate the sensitivity of the strains to mupirocin. For MRSA/MupRSA isolates the molecular mechanism of resistance phenotype was determined. MATERIALS AND METHODS. 955 swabs from 2014-2016 from pre-clinical students of medicine of the Medical University of Warsaw. The strains were identified using Pastorex-Staph-Plus (BioRad) and/or the VITEK-MS system (Biomerieux), according to manufacturer's instructions. Susceptibility to methicillin and mupirocin was determined by disk diffusion and/or broth microdilution method, according to EUCAST. The presence of the mecA/mecC and mupA genes were detected with PCR technique. RESULTS. Asymptomatic colonization with S.aureus strains was found in 245/955 (25,7%) students, in particular years in the range of 21,7-29,9%. 243 isolates expressed the MSSA/MupSSA phenotype, one strain was resistant to mupirocin MSSA/MupRSA (genotype mecA/mecC-negative, mupA-positive) and one showed simultaneous resistance to methicillin and mupirocin (mecA/mupA-positive genotype). The level of MRSA and MupRSA colonization was 0,1% and 0,2%, respectively. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. The level of S.aureus colonization among surveyed students, didn't differ from the norm for a generally healthy population, but showed an upward trend. The carriage of S.aureus, especially of multi-resistant strains among medical students at the beginning of their clinical activities, consist of a real threat to patients and other people.

Public spirometry campaign does not seem to be an effective way of COPD screening. Smokers are reluctant to undergo complimentary spirometry even in the presence of pronounced respiratory symptoms. Our observations may be helpful in elaborating future screening programs for COPD.

Psoriasis (Ps) is an immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease that is widely associated with the clinical features of metabolic syndrome (MetS), including hypertension, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. Osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional protein involved in the modulation of inflammatory processes, may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and MetS. Therefore, the aim of the study was the assessment of the correlation between OPN concentration in the peripheral blood and the presence of MetS as well as its particular components in the Ps patients. The study comprised 107 male Ps patients (50 patients with MetS and 57 without MetS) and 38 healthy volunteers (HVs). The concentration of OPN in serum was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Fasting blood glucose and lipid profile components: total cholesterol (total CHOL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-CHOL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-CHOL), triglycerides (TG) were examined. Ps patients with MetS had significantly higher obesity, systolic blood pressure, TG, CHOL/HDL, LDL/HDL and TG/HDL ratios than Ps patients without MetS. OPN serum concentration was significantly higher in the Ps patients than in the HVs (p = 0.022) but not significantly different between the Ps patients with and without MetS (p = 0.275). OPN serum concentration in Ps patients correlated negatively with total CHOL (p = 0.004) and TG (p = 0.009). OPN is increased in Ps patients and may serve as a biomarker of some lipid abnormalities in them.