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A Ciesielska

Publications and source records attributed to A Ciesielska.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Estrogen and cytokines production - the possible cause of gender differences in neurological diseases.

Naturally occurring sexual dimorphism has been implicated in the risk, progression and recovery from numerous neurological disorders. These include head injury, multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Accumulating evidence suggests that observed differences between men and women could result from estrogen's wide range of effects within the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), with it's neuroprotective effect being one of the most important. It seems possible that neuroprotective activity of estrogen could be partially a result of it's anti-inflammatory action. It has been well established that inflammation plays an important role in the etiopathogenesis and manifestation of brain pathological changes. In this regard, an important role has been suggested for pro-inflammatory cytokines produced by activated glial cells, neurons and immune cells that invade brain tissue. Within the CNS, cytokines stimulate inflammatory processes that may impair blood-brain barrier permeability as well as promote apoptosis of neurons, oligodendrocytes and induce myelin damage. Given that estrogen may modulate cytokine expression, coupled with the fact that gender differences of cytokine production are apparent in animal models of PD and MS, suggests an important connection between hormonal-cytokine link in neurodegeneration. Indeed, while MS patients and mice subjected to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) display gender specific alterations of IFN-gamma and IL-12, variations of TNF and IL-6 were associated with PD. Also in case of more acute neurodegenerative conditions, such as stroke, the effect of IL-6 gene G-174C polymorphism was different in males and females. Given that our understanding of the role of estrogen on cytokine production and accompanying CNS pathological conditions is limited, the present reviews aims to present some of our recent findings in this area and further evaluate the evidence that may be relevant to the design of new hormonal anti-inflammatory treatment strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.

Animals↗

The Escherichia coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit and transcriptional activation by bacteriophage lambda CII protein.

Bacteriophage lambda is not able to lysogenise the Escherichia coli rpoA341 mutant. This mutation causes a single amino acid substitution Lys271Glu in the C-terminal domain of the RNA polymerase alpha subunit (alphaCTD). Our previous studies indicated that the impaired lysogenisation of the rpoA341 host is due to a defect in transcriptional activation by the phage CII protein and suggested a role for alphaCTD in this process. Here we used a series of truncation and point mutants in the rpoA gene placed on a plasmid to investigate the process of transcriptional activation by the cII gene product. Our results indicate that amino-acid residues 265, 268 and 271 in the a subunit may play an important role in the CII-mediated activation of the pE promoter (most probably residue 271) or may be involved in putative interactions between alphaCTD and an UP-like element near pE (most probably residues 265 and 268). Measurement of the activity of pE-lacZ, pI-lacZ and p(aQ)-lacZ fusions in the rpoA+ and rpoA341 hosts demonstrated that the mechanism of activation of these CII-dependent promoters may be in each case different.

Artificial Gene Fusion↗

[Iatrogenic injuries of the cardia antireflux system].

Among presented 18 patients with iatrogenic injury of the cardia antireflux system, 5 were females and 13 males aged 35-62 years of life. 13 cases were operated before for cardiospasmus, 5 had gastric resection B2 for duodenal ulcer. In consequence all the patients presented stricture of the thoracic lower and abdomen part of oesophagus. 16 patients required reoperations, 2 had dilatation. In 2 cases stricture were located in middle and lower part of oesophagus. In 4 cases in abdominal and supradiaphragmatic part of oesophagus, in 5 cases in abdominal part of oesophagus, and in 7 cases in the cardia. 11 patients required one corrective surgery, 4-two operations, and 1-three operations. As a final procedure: in 2 cases artificial oesophagus was formed with intestinal graft, in 8 cases the cicatrical part of the oesophagus was excised and replaced by a pedunculated graft by Merendino method, in 3 cases esophagogastric anastomosis were done using Heyrowsky method, in 2 cases bypass was made from pedunculated part of jejunum which connect the part of oesophagus above the narrowing with the prepyloric part of the stomach by the own method, in 1 case intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis was performed. The best results were obtained by oesophagogastric bypass.

Adult↗

[Algodystrophy--Sudeck syndrome].

Modern views are presented on the development of algodystrophy illustrated with own material with a detailed description of characteristic cases. In the whole material of 175 patients, four age groups, and two groups according to trauma site (hand and foot) were isolated. All patients were subjected to clinical, X-ray, and some to radioisotope examinations. Greatest number of cases of algodystrophy was found in the age group over 60 years which confirmed the observations of other authors. On the basis of the presented material the authors think that of greatest importance are early diagnosis, treatment with of greatest importance are early diagnosis, treatment with analgesics, blood flow improving drugs, and salmon calcitonin, and rehabilitation treatment. It seems also that treatment with magnetic field may be beneficial--however, too small material of patients makes general conclusions impossible.

Adult↗