Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a group of chronic, incurable diseases of the digestive tract, the etiology of which remains unclear to this day. IBD result in significant repercussions on the quality of patients’ life. There is a continuous increase in the incidence and prevalence of IBD worldwide, and it is becoming a significant public health burden. Pharmaceuticals commonly used in IBD management, for example, mesalamine, sulfasalazine, corticosteroids, and others, expose patients to diverse, potentially detrimental side effects and frequently do not provide sufficient disease control. The chronic inflammation underlies the etiology of IBD and closely associates with oxidative/nitrosative stress and a vast generation of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. Relative to this, several substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are now intensively researched as possible adjunctive or independent treatment options in IBD. Representatives of several different groups, including natural and chemical compounds will be characterized in this dissertation.

Introduction and objective. Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. In Poland, it is the second most common cancer, regardless of gender. The aim of study was to analyze the incidence of HPV and BKV in the tissue of colorectal cancer and to determine the relationship between the presence of these viruses and the development of this cancer. Materials and method. The experiments were conducted using 50 colorectal cancer tissues collected from histological sections. The clinical material was embedded in paraffin blocks. Next, DNA extraction was performed. Isolates of colorectal cancer tissue were tested for the presence of HPV DNA. BKV DNA was detected by PCR using specific primers and then differentiated from JCV by digestion with BamHI enzyme. Results. In clinical specimens taken from patients with colorectal cancer, HPV DNA was detected in 20% of cases. In 10% of cases the presence of HPV type 18 was confirmed, in the other 90% of the samples HPV type 16 was detected, while the presence of BKV was confirmed in 30% of cases. Coinfection with HPV and BKV was shown in 12% of patients. In one case, BK virus coexisted with HPV type 18, in the remaining 5 cases with HPV type 16. Conclusions. Developing colorectal cancer can show no symptoms, even for many years. This is why it is so important to become familiar with as many etiological factors as possible. The development of many human neoplasms is often initiated by exposure to infectious agents -such as bacterial or viral infections. Similar to the human papillomavirus, the BK virus was detected in clinical specimens. It seems that HPV and BKV infections can contribute to the neoplastic process, which requires detailed studies on a larger group of patients.

STRESZCZENIEWIEDZA PIELĘGNIAREK NA TEMAT CZERNIAKA I JEGO PROFILAKTYKI Wprowadzenie. Zachorowanie na czerniaka skóry, wzrasta w przeciągu ostatniej dekady w większości krajów świata. Dużą rolę we wczesnym rozpoznawaniu raka skóry jest prowadzenie działań profilaktycznych. Istotną rolę w tym procesie odgrywają pielęgniarki, i ich wiedza na temat czerniaka skóry. Cel pracy. Celem pracy było określenie poziomu wiedzy pielęgniarek na temat czerniaka złośliwego oraz wybranych zachowań zdrowotnych. Materiał i metody. Badania przeprowadzone zostały w Uniwersyteckim Szpitalu Dziecięcym w Krakowie w 2014 roku wśród 100 pielęgniarek/pielęgniarzy dobranych losowo, za pomocą autorskiego kwestionariusza ankiety. Wyniki. Spośród ankietowanych 79% osób wskazało czerniak jako najczęstszy nowotwór skóry. Ponad połowa badanych tj. 56% uważała czerniak skóry za nowotwór stanowiący zagrożenie dla życia. Badania wykazały, że prawidłowe nawyki żywieniowe, zachowania profilaktyczne i praktyki zdrowotne oraz pozytywne nastawienie psychiczne utrzymuje się wśród badanych na średnim poziomie.Wnioski. Poziom wiedzy pielęgniarek na temat profilaktyki czerniaka skóry jest przeciętny, wynosi 77%. Słowa kluczowe: czerniak skóry, profilaktyka, zachowania zdrowotne ABSTRACT KNOWLEDGE OF NURSES ABOUT THE MALIGNANT MELANOMA AND IT PREVENTIONIntroduction. The number of melanoma cancer cases has increased during the last decade in most countries around the world. Taking preventive measures plays a huge role in an early diagnosis of skin cancer. Nurses with knowledge about melanoma can prove to be very successful in fighting the disease. Aim. The aim of the study was to determine the level of nurses' knowledge about melanoma and health behaviors. Materials and methods. The research was conducted in University Children's Hospital in Kraków in 2014. Some 100 nurses, selected at random, filled out a questionnaire of the authors' own making. Results. Some 79% of the respondents pointed to melanoma skin cancer as the most common form of a tumor. More than a half of the respondents, namely 56% of them, believe that melanoma cancer is a life-threatening condition. Various research studies show that dietary habits, behaviors and preventive health practices, as well as a positive mental attitude, is maintained at the secondary level.Conclusions. The level of nurses' knowledge about the prevention of cutaneous melanoma is average, namely 77%.