BackgroundHuman anelloviruses (TTV, TTMDV and TTMV) are at high prevalence all across the globe, having also a controversial disease-inducing potential. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of anelloviral DNA in the Romanian human population and to investigate the association of infections with common pathologies in Romanian population.MethodsAfter informed consent, blood samples were collected from 2000 subjects represented by: clinically healthy individuals (n = 701) and a group of patients with pathologies linked to low grade inflammation or alteration of carbohydrate metabolism (n = 1299). All samples were analysed for the presence of TTV, TTMDV and TTMV DNA by hemi-nested PCR.ResultsThe prevalence of TTV, TTMDV and TTMV in the studied population was 68.2, 54.4%, respectively 40.1%, lower than the recent reports from other geographic regions. The three viral species were significantly more frequent in the group of patients compared to the healthy subjects and were associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The presence of anelloviral DNA was also associated with medical procedures (e.g. haemodialysis/transfusions, surgical procedures) and previous hepatitis A virus infection. Lifestyle choices related to alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity and living environment were not associated with differences in distribution of the three viruses.ConclusionFurther evidence is needed to establish a correlation between infection with human anelloviruses and a pathology or group of pathologies.

AbstractIn recent years there has been an increase in the incidence of acute pancreatitis worldwide. In spite of efforts to improve the treatment and care of patients with acute pancreatitis, to develop imaging investigations and interventional diagnostic and treatment techniques and to facilitate patients’ access to them, acute pancreatitis continues to be associated with significant mortality and morbidity, and the treatment of patients suffering from this disease entails significant costs for healthcare systems.Researchers are in a permanent quest to get to a global consensus for stratifying the severity of acute pancreatitis. We need this in order to offer the proper management for each patient diagnosed with this condition and to improve hospital and health system strategies.Over the years, it has been attempted to develop algorithms to support a swift assessment of patients with acute pancreatitis with a prediction of disease severity as close to reality as possible for optimal management. This has led to the development of classifications of severity and severity scores. These require a permanent updating to keep up with the technical and technological developments involved in investigating and treating the patient and encompassing the most recent studies.The goal of this paper is to go through these classifications and scores, emphasizing factors that should be taken into account, and reflecting upon their utility and upon the necessity of improving them.

Plant extracts with antimicrobial potential are an important research directive in the current medical world, aiming to isolate active components in order to develop new chemotherapeutic agents that can be used in the treatment of various infectious disease. In the present study we determined the content of polyphenol carboxylic acids and flavonoids for two vegetal extracts, by means of TLC, GC-MS and HPLC techniques. Antimicrobial activity was determined on five bacterial species by performing agar diffusion method, using discs impregnated with standard antimicrobial substances and tested plant extracts. Our results showed that the alcoholic extracts Tragoponis pratensis folium and Myrtilli fructus contain polyphenolic compounds and had antimicrobial effect on a wide range of microorganisms (gram positive and negative).

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