Etiological factors of bloodstream infections in oncological patients, who was hospitalized at the National Institute of Maria Sklodowska-Curie - National Research Institute in Warsaw in 2020-2022.

Aim of the study: The purpose of the study was the microbiological analysis of bloodstream infections in patients hospitalized at the National Institute of Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie - National Research Institute in the period from 01/01/2020 to 31/10/2022. Material and methods: In the period from 01/01/2020 to 31/10/2022, 18,420 blood cultures obtained from patients hospitalized at the NIO-PIB were analysed in the Department of Clinical Microbiology (total for the presence of bacteria and fungi). Culture for the presence of bacteria was carried out in the BactAlert automatic system by bioMerieux, and for fungi in the Bactec FX automatic system by Becton Dickinson. Results: 1,184 strains of bacteria and 32 strains of fungi considered to be the etiological factor of the infection were cultured from clinical samples. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 61.57%, while Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 32.26% of all isolated bacterial strains. The most frequently cultured strains were Escherichia coli - 13.77% (including 22.1% of ESBL strains), Klebsiella penumoniae - 4.6% (44.4% of ESBL strains, 1.85% of NDM strains), Enterobacter cloacae - 2 .7% (including 40.6% of multi-resistant strains: ESBL (15.6%) or with AmpC derepression (25%), among the non-fermenting bacilli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most frequently cultured - 4.18% (including 3.8% MBL) and Acinetobacter baumannii - 0.8% (including CRAB strains 50%, MBL 10%). Anaerobic microorganisms were responsible for 3.46% of blood infection cases. Yeast- like fungi were a factor in 2.7% of all fungemia cases. From blood samples taken Staphylococci were more frequently isolated directly from a vein or through a central venous catheter than aerobic Gram-negative bacilli (44.7% and 25.3% and 55.6% and 12.5%, respectively). The opposite situation occurred in the case of samples taken simultaneously directly from vein and through a central venous catheter, in which a higher share of aerobic Gram-negative bacilli (46.6%) than staphylococci (32.8%) in causing blood infections was observed. Conclusions: Gram-positive bacteria are the major contributors to bloodstream infections in cancer patients. There is a growing tendency to develop BSI caused by multi-resistant strains.

[The colonization of the digestive tract multidrug-resistant strains hospitalized patients in Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology].

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was a retrospective analysis of intestinal flora for the presence of multidrug-resistant strains, isolated from patients hospitalized in clinics Oncology Center from 01.01.2010 to 30.09.2015 r. METHODS: The multi-resistant strains were isolated from stool and rectal swabs. In order to increase the potential of multiple-resistant strains, the material was plated on the appropriate substrate. Determination of resistance mechanisms performed by general recommendations. RESULTS: Results of this study showed among isolated multiple-resistance strains a high proportion of Enterobacteriaceae strains producing ß-lactamase mainly ESBL. Klebsiella pneumoniae consist of 31.9% of isolated strains, E. coli 28.74% and Enterococcus faecium VER -21.15%. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to determine the microbiological status of hospitalized patients because colonized gastrointestinal tract multi-resistant strains may be one of the sources of serious infections.

beta-Carotene stimulates chemotaxis of human endothelial progenitor cells.

Angiogenesis is a crucial process in tissue remodeling during growth, both in the embryo and the adult. In our study we concentrated on the direct effect of beta-carotene on human umbilical cord originating from endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). beta-Carotene uptake by EPCs was measured using a HPLC method. The determination of cell surface antigens was performed by flow cytometry. The effect on cell proliferation was estimated by measuring bromo-deoxyuridine incorporation. The influence on the formation of a tubular-like structure was investigated in a 3D assay in matrigel. Quantitative gene expression was estimated using real-time PCR. We demonstrated that beta-carotene in the physiological range of concentrations found in human blood is a potent activator of EPC chemotaxis, which is accompanied by a change in the expression of genes mediating cell adhesion and homing, but does not activate the final markers of endothelial differentiation. This study points to the prochemotactic and homing activity of beta-carotene in undifferentiated endothelial cell progenitors for the first time, which may suggest a potential role of this carotenoid in progenitor cell therapy aimed at angiogenesis and tissue repair.

Epicutaneous immunization induces alphabeta T-cell receptor CD4 CD8 double-positive non-specific suppressor T cells that inhibit contact sensitivity via transforming growth factor-beta.

Since it was previously shown that protein antigens applied epicutaneously in mice induce allergic dermatitis mediated by production of T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines we postulated that this might induce suppression of Th1 immunity. Here we show that epicutaneous immunization of normal mice with a different protein antigen applied on the skin in the form of a patch induces a state of subsequent antigen-non-specific unresponsiveness caused by suppressor T cells (Ts) that inhibit sensitization and elicitation of effector T-cell responses. Suppression is transferable in vivo by alphabeta-T-cell receptor CD4(+) CD8(+) double positive lymphocytes harvested from lymphoid organs of skin patched animals and are not major histocompatibility complex-restricted nor antigen specific. Both CD25(+) and CD25(-) CD4(+) CD8(+) T cells are able to suppress adoptive transfer of Th1 effector cells mediating cutaneous contact sensitivity. In vivo treatment with monoclonal antibodies showed that the cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) are involved in the induction of the Ts cells. Additionally, using IL-10(-/-) mice we found that IL-10 is involved in skin induced tolerance. Further in vitro experiments showed that lymph node cells of skin tolerized mice non-specifically suppress [(3)H]thymidine incorporation by antigen-stimulated immune cells and this effect can be abolished by adding anti-TGF-beta, but not anti-IL-4 nor anti-IL-10 antibodies. These studies indicate the crucial role of TGF-beta in skin induced tolerance due to non-antigen-specific Ts cells and also show that IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-beta play an important role in the induction of epicutaneously induced Ts cell suppression.

Regulation of platelet adhesion by oxidized lipoproteins and oxidized phospholipids.

Activated platelets adhere to the endothelium and release vasoactive mediators which induce vasoconstriction and remodeling of the vessel wall. The influence of native and ex vivo oxidized lipoproteins enriched with oxidized 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (ox-PAPC), the major lipid responsible for the biological activity of minimally oxidized LDL (mm-LDL), on platelet adhesion, membrane receptor expression and aggregation was studied. Influence of native and oxidized lipoproteins (5-100 microg protein/ml); ox-PAPC (0.5-50 microg/ml); ADP (1-10 microM) as well as the specific phosphatase 1 and 2A inhibitor okadaic acid (3-10 microM) on platelet adhesion, receptor expression and aggregation was measured. Platelets adhered to all the classes of lipoproteins immobilized in plastic microtiter wells (native lipoproteins: HDL