AbstractOnly a few studies reveal immunological changes in breast milk after the intake of probiotic and none focus on secretory IgA (sIgA). The aim our report was to investigate the levels of sIgA in human breast milk and stools before and after 4 weeks of probiotic intake in a patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) and a control. The study included 2 lactating women: 1 with UC and 1 control. Both received daily 3.75 billion viable Lactobacillus bulgaricus for 28 days. SIgA was measured in breast milk and stools before and after the probiotic intake. The concentration of sIgA in breast milk before the probiotic intake in UC was 408.5 vs 137.4 µg/ml in contol. Fecal sIgA in UC was 420 vs 274 µg/ml in control. After 28 days of probiotic intake there was a decrease in breast milk sIgA in UC but an increase in control — 266.7 vs 914 µg/ml respectively. There was an increase in fecal sIgA both in UC and control — 674.4 vs 1033 µg/ml. It is tempting to speculate that the different sIgA secretion towards the probiotic may be a result of an altered mucosal immune response in UC.

Seventy-six female patients with two or more recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL) during the 1st trimester were studied. Based on the results of the aCL and aB2GPI antibodies testing, patients were divided in two groups: 22 patients with RPL and elevated immunoglobulin (Ig) G/IgM aCL and/or aB2GPI [RPL + antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)] and 54 patients with RPL alone (without high antibodies). Immunoglobulin G aPS and IgG a-AnV in patients with RPL + APS were higher than in controls and IgG aPS were higher in RPL + APS than in RPL alone. Additionally IgG a-AnV and IgM aPE are higher in RPL alone than in controls. In 18/22 (81%) patients with RPL + APS and 29/54 (54%) patients with RPL alone, there were one or more positive antibodies: aPS, aPT, a-AnV or aPE. These results raise a question whether or not these antiphospholipid antibodies should be routinely tested in women with RPL and especially in the context of the so-called “seronegative APS”.

Thirteen taxa of the species group undescribed up to now in Bulgaria are described in this paper. They belong to 9 genera and 9 families of Archaeogastropoda and Mesogastropoda orders. The species were found in outcrops exposed along the right bank of Vit River to the west of the town of Pleven between the villages of Târnene and Bivolare. Only Late Moravian (foraminiferal zone Orbulina suturalis) and Wielichkian (foraminiferal zone Uvigerina) sediments of the Badenian regional stage are exposed in this area. Despite its diversity and facial characteristics, the gastropoda fauna is not stratigraphically tied and therefore does not appear as an indication for the Early Badenian age of these deposits. The similarity of most taxa with those from the Vienna Basin is an evidence of parallelism of their development.

A major feature of the atherosclerotic process is its systemic and progressive character. The plaque pathogenetic mechanisms, morphology, evolution, and predilection site (bifurcation zones) determine the frequent coincidence of carotid and coronary atherosclerosis in the same patient. The present overview chronologically traces the history, effectiveness, and benefit of surgical and continuously improving interventional carotid revascularization. It thereby analyzes the indications, results, and complications based on a number of randomized clinical trials, industry-sponsored registries, and large single-center series in the last 3 decades. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and percutaneous carotid angioplasty (CAS) have evolved from ‘dubious’ procedures to a modern strategy resulting in a significantly lower incidence of stroke and death compared to medical treatment only. Although almost every second patient with carotid stenosis and indications for CAS has coronary atherosclerosis, studies on therapeutic modeling in such a combination are few, showing controversial results. Having both CHD and CS doubles the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, HF, and death. An isolated revascularization approach compromises the results of therapeutic strategies and worsens patient survival. The high risk associated with coronary heart disease in CAS and CEA is a fact and minimization requires both an individualized and uniform stepwise revascularization strategy.

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