101. Cold urticaria : what we know and what we do not knowNatalya Maltseva, Elena Borzova, Daria Fomina, Mojca Bizjak, Dorothea Terhorst, Mitja Košnik, Kanokvalai Kulthanan, Raisa Meshkova, Simon Francis Thomsen, Marcus Maurer, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: Cold urticaria (ColdU) is a common form of chronic inducible urticaria characterised by the development of wheals, angioedema or both in response to cold exposure. Recent research and guideline updates have advanced our understanding and management of ColdU. Today, its pathophysiology is thought to involve the cold-induced formation of autoallergens and IgE to these autoallergens, which provoke a release of proinflammatory mediators from skin mast cells. The classification of ColdU includes typical and atypical subtypes. We know that cold-induced wheals usually develop on rewarming and resolve within an hour and that anaphylaxis can occur. The diagnosis relies on the patient's history and cold stimulation testing. Additional diagnostic work-up, including a search for underlying infections, should only be done if indicated by the patient's history. The management of ColdU includes cold avoidance, the regular use of nonsedating antihistamines, and the off-label use of omalizumab. However, many questions regarding ColdU remain unanswered. Here, we review what is known about ColdU, and we present important unanswered questions on the epidemiology, underlying pathomechanisms, clinical heterogeneity and treatment outcomes. Our aim is to guide future efforts that will close these knowledge gaps and advance the management of ColdU.
Keywords: urticaria, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, cold-induced urticaria, familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome, cold stimulation testing, wheals, cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, cryoglobulins
Published in DiRROS: 14.12.2020; Views: 1310; Downloads: 374
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103. Razmejitev provenienčnih območij gozdnih drevesnih vrst v Sloveniji na osnovi ekoloških regijLado Kutnar, Mitja Zupančič, Dušan Robič, Nina Zupančič, Sašo Žitnik, Tone Kralj, Irena Tavčar, Mojca Dolinar, Ciril Zrnec, Hojka Kraigher, 2002, professional article Abstract: Zakon o gozdnem reprodukcijskem materialu, ki je bil sprejet junija 2002, v skladu z Direktivo EU o gozdnem reprodukcijskem materialu, zahteva določitev provenienčnih območij za pridobivanje in uporabo gozdnega reprodukcijskega materiala. V prispevku je predstavljen predlog oblikovanja ekoloških regij in podregij, ki so osnova za predlagano razmejitev provenienčnih območij. Meje ekoloških regij so lahko prehodne ali mozaično razporejene. Zaradi lažjega določanja provenienčnih območij na terenu in lažjega nadzora nad sadnjo oziroma setvijo so meje provenienčnih območij čimbolj prilagojene gospodarsko-ureditvenim in administrativnim mejam, ki so po možnosti označene na terenu. Predstavljene so osnove za oblikovanje in predlog razmejitve 7 provenienčnih območij, razdeljenih na štiri višinske pasove.
Keywords: ekološka regija, provenienčno območje, fitogeografska delitev, gozdni reprodukcijski material, uporaba, Slovenija
Published in DiRROS: 17.11.2020; Views: 1412; Downloads: 519
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105. Epitope mapping of major ragweed allergen Amb a 1Abida Zahirović, Borut Štrukelj, Peter Korošec, Mojca Lunder, 2019, original scientific article Abstract: Ragweed is a prominent cause of seasonal allergies. Thus far, information on IgE-binding sites of major allergen in ragweed pollen, Amb a 1, is very limited. A powerful experimental method to gain insights on the allergen epitopes is the selection of peptides from biological libraries that bind to anti-allergen antibodies. In this work, we aimed to map IgE epitopes of Amb a 1 using epitope-mimicking short peptides % mimotopes that were affinity-selected from phage-displayed random peptide libraries. The peptides weakly aligned with the Amb a 1 primary sequence, thus suggesting that the epitopes are conformational. When the peptides were mapped onto the surface of Amb a 1 homology model, the EpiSearch analysis predicted the location of four potential epitopic sites on surface patches centred at residues K104, S110, H214, and W312. The peptides matching to the predicted epitopes bound selectively to the IgE from pool of ragweed-allergic patients% sera and therefore represent mimetics of Amb a 1 IgE epitopes. The knowledge of IgE epitopes is a prerequisite for the rational design of molecular-based approaches to diagnosis and immunotherapy of allergic diseases.
Keywords: allergens, ragweed allergy, Amb a 1, epitope mapping, phage display, mimotopes
Published in DiRROS: 09.11.2020; Views: 1292; Downloads: 897
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107. Prevalence of and factors associated with healthcare-associated infections in Slovenian acute care hospitals : results of the third national surveyIrena Klavs, Mojca Serdt, Aleš Korošec, Tatjana Lejko-Zupanc, Blaž Pečavar, 2019, original scientific article Abstract: Introduction. In the third Slovenian national healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) prevalence survey, conducted within the European point prevalence survey of HAIs and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals, we estimated the prevalence of all types of HAIs and identified factors associated with them. Methods. Patients were enrolled into a one-day cross-sectional study in November 2017. Descriptive analyses were performed to describe the characteristics of patients, their exposure to invasive procedures and the prevalence of different types of HAIs. Univariate and multivariate analyses of association of having at least one HAI with possible risk factors were performed to identify risk factors. Results. Among 5,743 patients, 4.4% had at least one HAI and an additional 2.2% were still treated for HAIs on the day of the survey, with a prevalence of HAIs of 6.6%. The prevalence of pneumoniae was the highest (1.8%), followed by surgical site infections (1.5%) and urinary tract infections (1.2%). Prevalence of blood stream infections was 0.3%. In intensive care units (ICUs), the prevalence of patients with at least one HAI was 30.6%. Factors associated with HAIs included central vascular catheter (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.1; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.1–5.4), peripheral vascular catheter (aOR 3.0; 95% CI: 2.3–3.9), urinary catheter (aOR 1.8; 95% CI: 1.4–2.3). Conclusions. The prevalence of HAIs in Slovenian acute care hospitals in 2017 was substantial, especially in ICUs. HAIs prevention and control is an important public health priority. National surveillance of HAIs in ICUs should be developed to support evidence-based prevention and control.
Keywords: healthcare-associated infections, prevalence, survey, risk factors, Slovenia
Published in DiRROS: 16.10.2020; Views: 2397; Downloads: 892
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108. The Chronic Urticaria Registry (CURE) : rationale, methods, and initial implementationKarsten Weller, Ana M. Giménez-Arnau, Clive Grattan, Riccardo Asero, Pascale Mathelier-Fusade, Mojca Bizjak, Michael Hanna, Marcus Maurer, 2020, short scientific article Abstract: Background: Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common disease, characterized by the recurrent appearance of wheals, angioedema, or both for more than 6 weeks. Its underlying biology is not well understood, and many patients do not obtain sufficient relief from recommended treatments. Patient registries are rapidly growing as a form of research, because they can provide powerful, data-driven insights about the epidemiology of diseases, real-world effectiveness of treatments, rare patient types, safety monitoring, healthcare costs, and opportunities for quality improvement of healthcare delivery. Objectives: The Chronic Urticaria Registry (CURE) has been designed to improve the scientific understanding, clinical treatment, and healthcare planning of chronic urticaria patients. This report describes the rationale, methods, and initial implementation of this registry. Methods: CURE is an ongoing, prospective, international, multicenter, observational, voluntary registry of patients with CU. Participation in CURE is open to any physician treating CU patients, regardless of location, medical specialty, or type of practice setting. CURE aims to collect data on all CU patients, with no intentional selection or exclusion criteria. It collects baseline and follow-up data on the patient's demographics, history, symptoms, trigger and risk factors, therapies, and healthcare utilization. Results: CURE is a landmark achievement of the global urticaria medical community. As of 26 February 2020, 39 centers around the world have joined the registry and 35 have entered baseline data on a total of 2946 patients. Publications of this data will be forthcoming soon. Conclusions: CURE is eagerly seeking the participation of more physicians and the support of more governmental, charitable, and commercial sponsors from around the world. Here, in this paper, we invite other physicians to join this unique project to improve the lives of patients with CU.
Keywords: urticaria, registries
Published in DiRROS: 07.10.2020; Views: 1377; Downloads: 762
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109. Priporočila za obravnavo bolnikov s pljučnim rakomMartina Vrankar, Nina Boc, Izidor Kern, Aleš Rozman, Karmen Stanič, Tomaž Štupnik, Mojca Unk, Maja Ebert Moltara, Vesna Zadnik, Katja Adamič, Jernej Benedik, Marko Bitenc, Jasna But-Hadžić, Anton Crnjac, Eva Ćirić, Tanja Čufer, Goran Gačevski, Marta Globočnik Kukovica, Kristina Gornik-Kramberger, Maja Ivanetič Pantar, Staša Jelerčič, Veronika Kloboves-Prevodnik, Mile Kovačević, Luka Ležaič, Mateja Marc-Malovrh, Katja Mohorčič, Bogdan Vidmar, Dušanka Vidovič, Gregor Vlačić, Ana Lina Vodušek, Rok Zbačnik, Ivana Žagar, 2020, professional article Keywords: pljučni rak, priporočila
Published in DiRROS: 22.09.2020; Views: 1891; Downloads: 712
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110. Correlations between vitreous cytokine levels and inflammatory cells in fibrovascular membranes of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathyMojca Urbančič, Danijel Petrovič, Aleksandra Milutinović Živin, Peter Korošec, Matjaž Fležar, Mojca Globočnik Petrovič, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of cytokines in the vitreous, and their correlation with the density of inflammatory cells in fibrovascular membranes (FVMs) in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) to evaluate intraocular inflammatory conditions with regard to disease activity.Methods: Thirty-three patients (33 eyes) with PDR requiring vitreoretinal surgery because of FVMs and tractional detachment were enrolled in the study, and compared with 20 patients (20 eyes) with macular hole (MH; control group). All patients underwent complete ophthalmological examinations before surgery. The activity of the disease was noted in patients with PDR. Samples of vitreous and blood were taken, and cytokine (MCP-1, IL-8, IL-6, VEGF, IL-1%, TNF-%, MIP-1%, MIP-1%, IL-10, and IL-12) levels were measured using cytometric bead array (CBA). Samples of FVMs were analyzed with immunohistochemical methods for the presence of inflammatory cells (CD45+, CD14+, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+ cells), and the numerical areal density was calculated (NA). Spearman%s correlation was used to as-sess the association between variables. The Mann%Whitney test was used to assess the differences between independent groups. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for assessing differences between two related groups. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Patients with active PDR had statistically significantly higher levels of MCP-1 (p = 0.003), VEGF (p = 0.009), and IL-8 (p = 0.02) in the vitreous in comparison with those with inactive PDR. CD45+, CD14+, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+ cells were identified in FVMs for patients with PDR. Statistically significantly higher numerical areal density of T lymphocytes (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+) was demonstrated in patients with active PDR in comparison with patients with inactive PDR. Moderate to strong correlations were found between either MCP-1 or IL-8 in the vitreous, and the numerical areal density of cells (CD45+, CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+) in the FVMs, and weaker between either MCP-1 or IL-8 in the vitreous and the numerical areal density of CD14+ cells in the FVMs.Conclusions: The correlation of cytokine (MCP-1 and IL-8) vitreous levels with the density of inflammatory cells in FVMs, and differences in cytokine levels in the vitreous between patients with active and inactive PDR, and between the vitreous and serum in PDR indicate the importance of local intraocular inflammation in patients with PDR.
Keywords: diabetic retinopathy, fibrovascular membranes, inflammatory cells
Published in DiRROS: 09.09.2020; Views: 1473; Downloads: 699
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