Vitiligo has been associated with the host's genetic profile, metabolic abnormality and immunostatus. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of vitiligo with autoimmune diseases for 31 out of 39 subjects with vitiligo and their first-degree relatives living in a small Caucasian inbred rural community. They were compared with healthy individuals. A 2.28% prevalence of vitiligo was calculated and the presence of consanguine marriages (72.3%) was noted for this community. Our results indicate an increased prevalence of thyroidopathies, diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis in families with vitiligo. We also show that the Apa-I polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor gene is associated with vitiligo. This is the first study of its kind performed in Romania suggesting that the vitamin D receptor gene might play a role in the aetiopathogenesis of skin depigmentation.

Hyperbaric oxygen enhanced the chemotherapeutic effect of doxorubicin both in cell culture and in the rat model. Aqueous oxygen infusion can be used to oxygenate mixed venous blood at levels similar to those obtained with the use of a hyperbaric chamber.

Biofouling occurs without exception in all water systems, with undesirable effects such as biocorrosion and deterioration of water quality. Drinking water associated biofilms represent a potential risk to human health by harbouring pathogenic or toxin-releasing microorganisms. This is the first study investigating the attached microbiota, with potential threat to human health, in a public water system in Romania. The presence and the seasonal variation of viable faecal indicators and opportunistic pathogens were investigated within naturally developed biofilms in a drinking water treatment plant. Bacterial frequencies were correlated with microbial loads in biofilms as well as with physical and chemical characteristics of biofilms and raw water. The biofilms assessed in the current study proved to be extremely active microbial consortia. High bacterial numbers were recovered by cultivation, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Aeromonas hydrophila, intestinal enterococci and Clostridium perfringens. There were no Legionella spp. detected in any biofilm sample. Emergence of opportunistic pathogens in biofilms was not significantly affected by the surface material, but by the treatment process. Implementation of a water safety plan encompassing measures to prevent microbial contamination and to control biofouling would be appropriate.

BackgroundPatients undergoing surgery for gastric cancer may be expected to develop a certain range of postoperative complications. This retrospective cohort study determined if gauging the serum value of total proteins and albumins before and especially after surgery can predict an undesired short term outcome in patients with gastric resections for cancer, as we have not found studies debating the link between low postoperative total proteins or albumins and early postoperative morbidity.MethodsA total of 195 patients with gastric cancer who had been subjected to gastric resection (83 patients) or total gastrectomy (111 patients), were subsequently arranged into study group pairs. In each of these group pairs, one group had a complication, while another was without said complication, or total vs. subtotal gastrectomy, etc. Each of these group pairs were compared between them in order to determine if total serum proteins and/or albumins, before and/or after surgery could predict the onset of certain complications or death. In the end, we performed ROC curves to determine the predictability value of variables for certain complications.Resultspreoperative serum albumin can predict an early onset of anastomotic leakage (p=0.02) as it can predict the occurrence of general complications (p=0.018) and surgical wound infections (p=0.029) as well as a higher risk of reoperation for the management of complications (p=0.028). Total serum protein may be tied to a higher surgical stress, like albumin, as it was significantly lower in patients undergoing total gastrectomy as compared to those subjected to subtotal gastrectomy (p=0.0001 total proteins, p=0.0001 albumins). Postoperative low total serum proteins and albumins translate in a risk of early postoperative death (p=0.031 total proteins, p=0.001 albumins).ConclusionWe demonstrated the fact that total serum proteins and serum albumins, checked both before and after surgery, are of great value in helping predict a series of postoperative complications in gastric cancer surgery and that they can also be used as surgical stress markers.

BackgroundLanguage and cultural differences could be a limiting factor for the international exchange of Virtual Patients (VPs), especially for small countries and languages of limited circulation. Our research evaluated whether it would be feasible to develop a VP based educational program in our Romanian institution, with cases in English and developed in a non-Romanian setting.MethodThe participants in the research comprised 4th year Romanian medical students from the Faculty of Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, with previous training exclusively in Romanian, good English proficiency and no experience with VPs. The students worked on eight VPs in two identical versions, Romanian and English. The first group (2010) of 136 students worked with four VPs developed in Cluj and the second group (2011) of 144 students with four VPs originally developed at an US University. Every student was randomly assigned two different VPs, one in Romanian and another in English. Student activity throughout the case, the diagnosis, therapeutic plan and diagnosis justification were recorded. We also compared student performance on the two VPs versions, Romanian and English and the student performance on the two sets of cases, originally developed in Romania, respectively USA.ResultsWe found no significant differences between the students’ performance on the Romanian vs. English version of VPs. Regarding the students’ performance on the two sets of cases, in those originally developed in Romania, respectively in the USA, we found a number of statistically significant differences in the students’ activity through the cases. There were no statistically significant differences in the students’ ability to reach the correct diagnosis and therapeutic plan.ConclusionThe development of our program with VPs in English would be feasible, cost-effective and in accordance with the globalization of medical education.