ABSTRACT
Background: Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, which can cause pelvic pain, infertility, and other symptoms. The disease may manifest as superficial peritoneal or deep-infiltrating endometriosis or as ovarian endometriomas. Although the mechanisms associated with the regulation and production of inflammatory mediators in endometriosis have been widely investigated, the precise mechanism responsible for inflammation-induced pain remains unclear, and the findings related to the cytokine expression profile and the location of cytokines in cells are contradictory. The intensity of pain experienced by endometriosis patients is not proportional to the degree and severity of their disease. Pain has a significant impact on women suffering from endometriosis. Methods: The following inclusion criteria to the study were: presence of endometriomas vs teratomas, negative pregnancy test result, no prior obstetric and infertility treatment, and good health condition with no diseases or coagulation disorders. Blood samples were collected from all patients. The serum levels of chemokines were determined by ELISA. The Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) questionnaire was made. Results: The median serum levels of chemokines: Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 (MCP-1) and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 3 (MCP-3) were statistically higher in the endometriomas group compared to the other two groups. In the NHP questionnaire the comparison of the subjective health dimensions in individual groups showed that the patients in the endometriomas group experienced a significantly higher intensity of "PAIN" compared to other groups. Correlation analysis between NHP dimensions and serum chemokine levels: spearman's rank correlation analysis indicated a statistically significant relationship between the "VITAL ENERGY" dimension and the level of MCP-2 (r = -0.295;p = 0.022), MCP-3 (r = 0.254;p = 0.050), and RANTES (r = -0.353;p = 0.006);between the "EMOTIONS" dimension and the level of MCP-3 (r = 0.262;p = 0.043);and between the "INCONVENIENCE IN DAILY LIFE" dimension and the level of Eotaxin-1 (r = -0.283;p = 0.028) and CCL13 (r = -0.287;p = 0.026). Conclusions: The chemokines serum levels (i.e., MCP-1 and MCP-3) and intensity of "PAIN" were statistically higher in the endometriomas compared to the teratomas group of women. Therefore, understanding their role in endometriosis-related pain could help in the development of novel, multidisciplinary treatments.
ABSTRACT
Vaccine hesitancy is a major threat to the success of COVID-19 vaccination programs. The present cross-sectional online survey of adult Poles (n = 1020) expressing a willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was conducted between February and March 2021 and aimed to assess (i) the general trust in different types of vaccines, (ii) the level of acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines already in use in Poland (BNT162b2 by BioNTech/Pfizer, mRNA-1273 by Moderna and AZD1222 by Oxford/AstraZeneca) as well as eight vaccines approved outside European Union (EU) or in advanced stages of clinical trials, (iii) level of fear of vaccination against COVID-19, and (iv) main sources of information on COVID-19 vaccination. Among all major vaccine technology, the highest level of trust was observed for the mRNA platform, with a considerable number of surveyed (>20%) not aware of the existence of vaccines produced using the traditional approach (inactivated and live attenuated vaccines). The age of participants was the main factor differentiating the level of trust in a particular vaccine type. Both BNT162b and mRNA-1273 received a high level of acceptance, contrary to AZD1222. From eight vaccines unauthorized in the EU at the moment of study, the CVnCoV (mRNA;CureVac) was met with the highest level of trust, followed by Ad26.COV2.S (vector;Janssen/Johnson&Johnson) and NVX-CoV2373 (protein;Novavax). Sputnik V (vector;Gamaleya Research Institute) was decidedly the least trusted vaccine. The median level of fear (measured by the 10-point Likert-type scale) in the studied group was 4.0, mostly related to the risk of serious allergic reactions, other severe adverse events and unknown long-term effects of vaccination. Female, individuals with a lower level of education and those not seeking any information on the COVID-19 vaccines revealed a higher fear of vaccination. Experts' materials were the major source of information on COVID-19 vaccines in the studied group. The study shows the level of trust in COVID-19 vaccines can vary much across the producers while the mRNA vaccines are received with a high level of acceptance. It also emphasizes the need for effective and continuous science communication when fighting the pandemic as it may be an ideal time to increase the general awareness of vaccines.
ABSTRACT
The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a severe respiratory disease caused by betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, in 2019 that further developed into a pandemic has received an unprecedented response from the scientific community and sparked a general research interest into the biology and ecology of Coronaviridae, a family of positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. Aquatic environments, lakes, rivers and ponds, are important habitats for bats and birds, which are hosts for various coronavirus species and strains and which shed viral particles in their feces. It is therefore of high interest to fully explore the role that aquatic environments may play in coronavirus spread, including cross-species transmissions. Besides the respiratory tract, coronaviruses pathogenic to humans can also infect the digestive system and be subsequently defecated. Considering this, it is pivotal to understand whether wastewater can play a role in their dissemination, particularly in areas with poor sanitation. This review provides an overview of the taxonomy, molecular biology, natural reservoirs and pathogenicity of coronaviruses;outlines their potential to survive in aquatic environments and wastewater;and demonstrates their association with aquatic biota, mainly waterfowl. It also calls for further, interdisciplinary research in the field of aquatic virology to explore the potential hotspots of coronaviruses in the aquatic environment and the routes through which they may enter it.