Dexketoprofen trometamol plus tramadol hydrochloride is a new oral combination of two analgesics, which have different mechanisms of action for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. Randomised, double-blind, parallel, placebo and active-controlled, single and multiple-dose study to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and safety of dexketoprofen/tramadol 25 mg/75 mg in comparison with the single agents (dexketoprofen 25 mg and tramadol 100 mg) in moderate to severe acute pain after abdominal hysterectomy. Patients received seven consecutive doses of study drug within a 3-day period, each dose separated by an 8-hour interval. A placebo arm was included during the single-dose phase to validate the pain model. Efficacy assessments included pain intensity, pain relief, patient global evaluation and use of rescue medication. The primary endpoint was the mean sum of pain intensity differences over the first 8 h (SPID8). The efficacy analysis included 606 patients, with a mean age of 48 years (range 25–73). The study results confirmed the superiority of the combination over the single agents in terms of the primary endpoint (p <0.001). Secondary endpoints were generally supportive of the superiority of the combination for both single and multiple doses. Most common adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were nausea (4.6 %) and vomiting (2.3 %). All other ADRs were experienced by less than 2 % of patients. The study results provided robust evidence of the superiority of dexketoprofen/tramadol 25 mg/75 mg over the single components in the management of moderate to severe acute pain, as confirmed by the single-dose efficacy, repeated-dose sustained effect and good safety profile observed. EU Clinical Trials Register (EudraCT number 2012-004545-32 , registered 04 October 2012); Clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT01904149 , registered 17 July 2013).

Introduction.Nowadays it is thought that the main cause of premature birth is subclinical infection. However, none of the currently used methods provide effective prevention to preterm labor. The aim of the study was to determine the concentration of selected chemokines in sera of patients with premature birth without clinical signs of infection (n=62), threatened preterm labor (n=47), and term births (n=28).Method.To assess the concentration of chemokines in the blood serum, we used a multiplex method, which allows the simultaneous determination of 40 chemokines per sample. The sets consist of the following chemokines: 6Ckine/CCL21, Axl, BTC, CCL28, CTACK/CCL27, CXCL16, ENA-78/CXCL5, Eotaxin-3/CCL26, GCP-2/CXC, GRO (GROα/CXCL1, GROβ/CXCL2 and GROγ/CXCL3), HCC-1/CCL14, HCC-4/CCL16, IL-9, IL-17F, IL18-BPa, IL-28A, IL-29, IL-31, IP-10/CXCL10, I-TAC/CXCL11, LIF, LIGHT/TNFSF14, Lymphotactin/XCL1, MCP-2/CCL8, MCP-3/CCL7, MCP-4/CCL13, MDC/CCL22, MIF, MIP-3α/CCL20, MIP-3-β/CCL19, MPIF-1/CCL23, NAP-2/CXCL7, MSPα, OPN, PARC/CCL18, PF4, SDF-1/CXCL12, TARC/CCL17, TECK/CCL25, and TSLP.Results.We showed possible implication of 4 chemokines, that is, HCC-4, I-TAC, MIP-3α, and TARC in women with symptoms of preterm delivery.Conclusion.On the basis of our findings, it seems that the chemokines may play role in the pathogenesis of preterm labor. Defining their potential as biochemical markers of preterm birth requires further investigation on larger group of patients.

The aim of the study was to analyse a panel of 11 sphingolipids in plasma and three blood fractions (platelet-poor plasma, platelets and red blood cells) of women with mild preeclampsia. We recruited 21 women between 25–40 weeks gestation with diagnosed mild preeclampsia to the study group and 36 healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies, who corresponded with the study group according to gestational age, to the control group. To assess the concentration of 11 sphingolipids in the blood plasma and blood fractions, we used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS/MS). We showed a significant increase in the concentration of eight sphingolipids in the plasma of women with preeclampsia in comparison to the control group: Sph (p = 0.0032), S1P (p = 0.0289), C20-Cer (p < 0.0001), C18-Cer (p < 0.0001), C16-Cer (p = 0.012), C18:1-Cer (p = 0.003), C22-Cer (p = 0.0071), and C24:1-Cer (p = 0.0085). We showed that selected sphingolipids, especially C20-Cer and C18-Cer, are totally new factors in the pathomechanism of PE and that these bioactive lipids may play an important role in apoptosis and autophagy.

Objective: The differential diagnosis between preterm and false labour remains one of the most challenging issues in perinatal medicine. Aim: To assess the prognostic importance of the selected biochemical markers in predicting preterm labour. Material and methods: 74 patients hospitalized due to threatening preterm labour. 51 women gave birth prematurely; the remaining 23 were diagnosed with false labour. We used ELISA arrays to study 13 proteins: IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, BDNF, L-Selectin, E-Selectin, ICAM-1, PECAM, VCAM-1, MIP-1 delta (MIP-1d) MIP-3β (MIP-3b), Eotaxin-1, Eotaxin-2, BLC. Results: An increased risk of preterm labour should be expected when the serum concentration for: IGFBP-1 > 158.83 pg/ml (sens. 0.608, sp. 0.609, p < 0.0001); MIP-1d < 27.66 pg/ml (sens. 0.627, sp. 0.627, p = 0.021); BDNF >36.54 pg/ml (sens. 0.630, sp. 0.647, p = 0.002); BLC >25.46 pg/ml (sens. 0.588, sp. 0.609, p < 0.001); Eotaxin-1 >1.16 pg/ml (sens. 0.633, sp. 0.652). Conclusion: There have been reported statistically significant differences in serum concentrations of selected proteins in women with preterm labour and false labour.

Laparoscopy as a diagnostic tool for patients with suspected endometriosis is associated with several potentially life-threatening complications. Therefore, it is imperative to identify reliable, non-invasive biomarkers of the disease. The aim of this study was to analyse the concentrations of fibronectin and type IV collagen in peritoneal fluid and plasma to assess their role as potential biomarkers in the diagnosis of endometriosis. Fibronectin and collagen IV protein levels were assessed by surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) biosensors with the usage of monoclonal antibodies. All patients enrolled in the study were referred for laparoscopy for the diagnosis of infertility or chronic pelvic pain (n = 84). The study group included patients with endometriosis confirmed during surgery (n = 49). The concentration of fibronectin in the plasma (329.3 ± 98.5 mg/L) and peritoneal fluid (26.8 ± 11.1 μg/L) in women with endometriosis was significantly higher than in the control group (251.2 ± 84.0 mg/L, 7.0 ± 5.9 μg/L). Fibronectin levels were independent of endometriosis stage (p = 0.874, p = 0.469). No significant differences were observed in collagen IV levels (p = 0.385, p = 0.465). The presence of elevated levels of fibronectin may indicate abnormalities in cell–ECM signalling during the course of endometriosis, and may be a potential biomarker for early detection.