Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with both benign lesions and with neoplastic diseases, such as oropharyngeal cancer. Due to the increasing occurrence of these neoplasms on a global scale, it seems important to estimate the risk factors in the population. So far, data on the presence of oral HPV in the European population are scarce. Oral HPV was detected in 53 out of 461 healthy subjects (11.5%) in south-eastern Poland. Among the most common oncogenic types, HPV 16 was reported in four subjects (0.87%) and HPV 18 in three subjects (0.65%). Another high-risk type, HPV 45, was detected in nine subjects (1.95%). Low risk types (HPV 6, 11, 54) were detected in 25 cases, which constituted 5.4% of all tested samples. In adults and children, statistically more HPV positive cases have been reported in males than in females. A positive relationship was demonstrated between age and the amount of positive oral HPV. The presence of HPV was statistically more frequent in the population living in urban rather than in rural areas in all studied age groups (p < 0.05).

Introduction and objective: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with cancers of the head and neck, including oropharyngeal cancer, which is increasing in incidence, and biomarker studies have potential in diagnostics and therapy. One of the most commonly deregulated microRNAs in cancers is...

Introduction and objective: Biomarkers are measurable biological indicators of many disease states. Particularly noteworthy are short nucleotide sequences involved in the regulation of many cellular processes. Their level in body fluids constitutes an important biological marker of serious...

Different levels of miR-625-5p, miR-31-5p and miR-5100 have been reported in many cancers. Viral infections have been linked to miRNA levels in tumors, including those in the head and neck, but a large proportion of studies only include infections with a single virus. The aim of the present study is to assess the level of miR-625-5p, 31-5p and 5100 in oropharyngeal cancer with single HPV and EBV infections and HPV/EBV co-infection. The study examined 128 oropharyngeal cancer patients infected with EBV and HPV alone or co-infected with both viruses. For the determination of miRNAs, the enzyme immunoassays was used. Both miR-625-5p and miR-31-5p were higher in the HPV/EBV co-infection than in the single infection HPV or EBV. However, in the case of miR-5100, the values in co-infection were lower than in a single EBV infection. The analysis of miRNAs in relation to the histological grade and tumor classification, nodes (TN) showed that in poorly differentiated tumors the level of the studied miRNAs was higher compared to well-differentiated lesions, and in cases with larger tumor sizes and lymph node involvement, the miRNA values were both higher in single infections and co-infections.

Plant extracts are increasingly being investigated due to their high content of pharmacologically active substances. The primary focus is placed on angiosperms, while pteridophytes are less popular, although their medicinal properties have been recognized for centuries. In this study, we uncover some biological properties of the extract from Dryopteris erythrosora (DEE), a fern traditionally used for liver treatment in Asia, which has not been widely explored in this context before. This study involved the determination of the total content of polyphenols and flavonoids as well as the evaluation of the antioxidant potential of DEE. Its antimicrobial activity was tested against selected bacteria. The MIC values ranged from 1.25 to 0.375 mg/mL. DEE showed no inhibitory effect against a representative fungus, Candida albicans. Additionally, this study demonstrated its excellent anticancer activity against AGS, MCF-7, and SW-480 cancer cells, with IC₅₀ values of 19.44, 76.90, and 24.97 μg/mL, respectively. A study on human herpesvirus type 1 (HHV-1) revealed that the DEE had no antiviral activity. The safety of DEE was confirmed with the use of sheep erythrocytes and VERO cells. Since D. erythrosora is a rich source of compounds with antibacterial and anticancer properties, it can complement the arsenal of natural therapeutics.

COVID-19 outbreak began in Wuhan, China, and has spread to other continents, including Europe, placing pressure on healthcare systems. Poland is one of the European countries with the highest number of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19-related deaths. The aim of this study was to analyze the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the population of south-eastern Poland. The correlation between viral infection and demographic data (gender, age, place of residence) and cancer was also investigated. A total of 44,801 samples were tested, of which 4862 cases were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infections. A total of 14,970 samples were tested in cancer patients. The RT-PCR method was used to detect viral nucleic acid. In this study, significantly, the highest rate of virus detection was among people living in Lublin and the lowest among people living in a small town (p < 0.0001). Moreover, there was no significant relationship between sex and the frequency of virus detection. The highest number of SARS-CoV-2 infections was observed in the age groups 10–19, 20–29, 30–39, and 90+ (p = 0.0001). In cancer patients, the percentage of positive cases was significantly lower than in the rest (p = 0.0001).