Organ transplantation and dialysis are the only effective ways of renal replacement therapy. Because of better quality and extended life expectancy of patients, transplantation is the preferred method of the end stage renal disease treatment. Many mediators are involved in rejection of the transplanted organ. The inflammatory process after organ transplantation is secondary to the ischemia and reperfusion. Cytokines and reactive oxygen species released during reperfusion can increase the expression of ICAM-1 adhesion molecules on the surface of endothelium. Cytokines stimulate also the leukocytes, which leads to increased expression of LFA-1 and VLA-4 on their surface. LFA-1 and VLA-4 molecules react with ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, present on the endothelial cells. Activated due to adhesion leukocytes secrete proteolytic enzymes and reactive oxygen species damaging the endothelium. Read full text »

Approximately 10% women are thought to be affected with endometriosis. An understanding of its pathogenesis seems to be rather poor, though the scale of the problem is large. Limited to conventional hormonal therapies and surgical intervention, women usually suffer from adverse effects that make the disease even more psychically and psychologically debilitating. Recent advances in the field of discovering endometriosis’ etiology lead to surprising findings. The underestimated potential of statins gives hope for their application in endometriosis treatment. New selective estrogen modulators might also come in handy. What is more, the greater insight into the role of stem cells in development of endometrial lesions may result in therapy targets that no one ever thought of. Read full text »

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. A brain scan identifies biochemical changes in the brains of normal people, who might be at risk for Alzheimer’s Disease. Results of new study have been published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Read full text »

Conventional approach to the therapy of osteoporosis has its drawbacks, hence various alternative substances are tested for their beneficial effects on bone metabolism. As soya isoflavons seem to lose their strong position in prevention of osteoporosis (1), the search for other plant-derived agents continues. Researchers from the Florida State University have been examining the healing potential of prunes for many years. They have just published their latest study (2), which suggests that enriching a diet with dried plums results in the increase of bone mineral density (BMD). Read full text »

A new study from researchers in Indiana reports that use of a retroflexion technique in the right side of the colon during colonoscopy is safe and results in the detection of additional adenomatous polyps in approximately four percent of patients. The results of study have been published in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). Read full text »

The success of the transplantation depends on many factors. These include, inter alia, the appropriate selection of donor age, compliance within HLA, degree of sensitization – anti-leucocyte antibodies level, primary disease causing the need of kidney replacement therapy, state of the other organs and coexisting diseases. No less important are the other donor-dependent factors, time of the cold ischemia, ischemia-reperfusion injury and a number of immunological and genetic factors. Read full text »

Wound healing is a process of invaluable importance to all living organisms. It guarantees survival despite mild injuries, providing a protective layer against the external environment. The process of wound healing is most often predictable and consists of four phases: hemostasis, inflammatory phase, proliferative phase and remodelling phase. Notwithstanding this the healing process may progress abnormally and lead to pathological scarring called keloids. Read full text »