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Abstract: Background Inflammatory events in brain parenchyma and glial tissue are involved in epileptogenesis. Blood concentration of cytokines is shown to be elevated after tonic-clonic seizures. As a result of inflammation, blood-brain barrier leakage occurs. This can be documented by imaging techniques, such is dynamic susceptibility contrast enhanced (DSC) MRI perfusion. Our aim was to check for postictal brain inflammation by studying DSC MRI perfusion and plasma level of cytokines. We looked for correlations between number and type of introducing seizures, postictal plasma level of cytokines and parameters of DSC MRI perfusion. Furthermore, we looked for correlation of those parameters and course of the disease over one year follow up. Patients and methods We prospectively enrolled 30 patients, 8%24 hours after single or repeated tonic-clonic seizures. Results 25 of them had normal perfusion parameters, while 5 had hyperperfusion. Patients with hyperperfusion were tested again, 3 months later. Two of 5 had hyperperfusion also on control measurements. Number of index seizures negatively correlated with concentration of proinflammatory cytokines IL-10, IFN-[gamma] and TNF-[alpha] in a whole cohort. In patients with hyperperfusion, there were significantly lower concentrations of antiinflammatory cytokine IL-4 and higher concentrations of proinflammatory TNF-[alpha]. Conclusions Long lasting blood- brain barrier disruption may be crucial for epileptogenesis in selected patients.
Keywords: cytokines, blood-brain barrier, tonic-clonic seizures
Published in DiRROS: 03.06.2024; Views: 85; Downloads: 64
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Abstract: In March 2021, unusual plant stuning, collar, and wet root rot of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) during the rosette stage was observed in two commercial fields in Serbia (44°58'N, 20°32'E; 44°45'N, 20°43'E). Disease incidence in the fields (≈ 0.9 ha each) was approximately 15 and 20%, respectively. Initial above-ground symptoms were yellowing and wilting of leaves, while below-ground symptoms were collar, wet root rot, and lesions becoming necrotic. Eventually, whole plants wilted, collapsed, and died. A total of 35 symptomatic plants were collected from the fields, and diseased tissues were cut into small pieces, surface sterilized, and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Isolation resulted in 20 morphologically uniform monoconidial isolates. The isolates formed white to creamy colonies, gradually becoming salmon pink, slimy, or moist in appearance, with sparse aerial mycelia. Numerous hyphal coils with conidiophores and hyaline, smooth-surfaced, ellipsoid to ovoid, septate or aseptate conidia were formed (4.5 to 10.1×1.2 to 3.7 μm (n = 100)). To confirm the species identity, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the D1/D2 region of a selected representative isolate 13-3-c were amplified and sequenced by using primer pairs ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and N1/N2 (O’Donnell and Gray 1995), respectively. The sequences were deposited in GenBank (ITS: OR880564 and D1/D2: OR880567). Sequence analysis revealed 100% nucleotide identity with P. cucumerina isolates from different countries deposited in the NCBI GenBank, including isolate MH860704 (Vu et al. 2019) (ITS region) and isolate KY662256 (Su et al. 2017) (D1/D2 region). Neighbor-joining analysis was conducted based on the combined ITS and D1/D2 regions, and the tree was constructed with the substitution models (1,000 bootstrap). The combined phylogeny confirmed that the sequences shared a common clade with P. cucumerina. Hence, morphological, microscopic, and molecular characterization confirmed the pathogen as P. cucumerina (Palm et al., 1995; Carlucci et al., 2012). In a pathogenicity assay, 10 isolates were tested. Five 30-day-old lettuce plants (cv. Majska Kraljica) per isolate were root-dipped in the conidial suspensions (1×105 conidia/ml). The 10 inoculated plants were transplanted into 1 L pots containing sterile substrate (Floragard, Germany). Plants treated with sterile distilled water were used as controls. Plants were maintained in a greenhouse at 25 to 28°C under a 12-hour photoperiod (Cai et al., 2021). Four weeks after inoculation, stunting, chlorosis, and wilting of plants were observed, while collars and roots exhibited typical decaying symptoms. No symptoms were observed on the control plants. The pathogen was reisolated from symptomatic tissue as previously described. Koch's postulates were completed by confirming the identity of reisolates based on morphological features. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. cucumerina on lettuce or any other crop in Serbia. P. cucumerina is already known as a pathogen of lettuce and other hosts grown in many countries worldwide, as well as in some European countries (Belgium, England, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland) (Zhang et al. 2019). This emerging pathogen may cause significant economic losses in lettuce production in Serbia and in the entire Balkan region. Our results may help to develop effective management strategies based on accurate and timely identification and regular pathogen monitoring.
Keywords: detection, identification, salat, plant diseases
Published in DiRROS: 17.05.2024; Views: 138; Downloads: 37
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Abstract: Regular physical activity and exercise are beneficial for both physical and mental health. However, in the elderly, the level of physical activity they partake in is consist-ently inadequate. Recognizing the need to enhance the participation of the elderly in organized physical exercise and understanding the factors which influence their deci-sion-making becomes pivotal. The purpose of this study was to develop a measurement instrument, specifically a scale, to identify these factors and evaluate its psychometric properties. First, the statements were formulated, which was followed by content as-sessment by a panel of experts. In the process of scale validation, its internal consist-ency, stability, correlations between the variables, and factor structure were also evalu-ated. The scale was tested on a sample of 1777 participants engaged in guided physical exercise at the School of Health Association (društvo Šola zdravja), all aged 60 years or more. Theexploratory factor analysis yielded a four-factor model with 27 state-ments which explained 42.9% of variability. The results indicated weak, but statistically significant correlations between the factors and an acceptable level of internal consist-ency and stability of the entire scale. This scale, developed to establish the factors that influence the decision-making of the elderly to take part in organized physical exercise, represents a valid and reliable measurement instrument, which can be beneficial in the planning and promotion of organized physical exercise programs for the elderly.
Keywords: physical exercise, quantitative methodology, elderly, social gerontology
Published in DiRROS: 16.04.2024; Views: 143; Downloads: 113
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Abstract: Introduction. Secondary lymphedema following cancer therapy is a frequent, often painful, quality of life disturbing condition, reducing the patients' mobility and predisposing them to complications, e.g. infections and malignancies. The critical aspect of lymphedema therapy is to start as soon aspossible to prevent the irreversible tissue damage. Patients and methods. Weperformed a retrospective study of patients with lymphedema, treated at the Department of Dermatovenereology, University Medical Center Ljubljana, from January 2002 to June 2010. The patientsć demographic and medical data were collected, including type of cancer, type and stage of lymphedema, and time tofirst therapy of lymphedema. The number of referred patients with lymphedema following the therapy of melanoma, breast cancer, and uterine/cervical cancer, was compared to the number of patients expected to experience lymphedema following cancer therapy, calculated from the incidence reported in the literature. Results. In the period of 8.5 years, 543 patients (432 females, 112 males) with lymphedema were treated. The results show that probably many Slovenian patients with secondary lymphedema following cancer therapy remain unrecognized and untreated or undertreated. In the majority of our patients, the management of lymphedema was delayedč on average, the patients first received therapy for lymphedema 3.6 years after the first signsof lymphedema. Conclusions. To avoid a delay in diagnosis and therapy, and the complications of lymphedema following cancer therapy, the physician should actively look for signs or symptoms of lymphedema during the follow-up period, and promptly manage or refer the patients developing problems.
Keywords: rak (medicina), zdravljenje, limfedem
Published in DiRROS: 18.03.2024; Views: 133; Downloads: 38
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Keywords: Hodgkinova bolezen, rak (medicina), klinična slika
Published in DiRROS: 15.01.2024; Views: 228; Downloads: 59
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