Purpose Elevated plasma concentration of retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) has recently emerged as a potential risk factor as a component of developing metabolic syndrome (MS). Therefore, this study aimed to analyse the relationship between components of MS and concentrations of plasma RBP4 in a population of subjects 65 years and older. Methods The study sample consisted of 3038 (1591 male) participants of the PolSenior study, aged 65 years and older. Serum lipid profile, concentrations of RBP4, glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein, IL-6, and activity of aminotransferases were measured. Nutritional status (BMI/waist circumference) and treatment with statins and fibrates were evaluated. Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), de Ritis ratio, and fatty liver index (FLI), as well as HOMA-IR were calculated. Results Our study revealed a strong relationship between components of MS and RBP4 in both sexes: plasma RBP4 levels were increased in men by at least 3×, and in women by at least 4×. Hypertriglyceridemia was most strongly associated with elevated plasma RBP4 levels. Multivariate, sex-adjusted regression analysis demonstrated that chronic kidney disease [OR 1.86 (95% CI 1.78–1.94)], hypertriglyceridemia [OR 1.52 (1.24–1.87)], hypertension [OR 1.15 (1.12–1.19)], low serum HDL cholesterol [OR 0.94 (0.92–0.97)], and age > 80 years [OR 0.86 (0.81–0.90)] were each independently associated with RBP4 concentration (all p < 0.001). Conclusions In Caucasians 65 years and older, RBP4 serum levels are associated with a number of components of MS, independent of sex and kidney function. Hypertriglyceridemia as a component of MS is most significantly related to RBP4 concentration.

Objective. Decreased synthesis of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) related to hyperinsulinemia is one of the disturbances characteristic of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Hyperinsulinemia is a compensatory mechanism for liver insulin resistance (IR); thus, SHBG may be considered as a surrogate marker of liver IR. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prediction of IR and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) based on SHBG levels in women with PCOS. Methods. This analysis included data retrieved from medical records of 854 patients with PCOS hospitalized in the Gynecological Endocrinology Clinic from 2012 to 2019. Data including anthropometric parameters, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and SHBG levels were analyzed. BMI and HOMA-IR were calculated with standard formulas. Results. IFG and IR assessed based on HOMA-IR values>2.0 were found in 19.5 and 47.8 of the study group, respectively. Empirical optimal cutoff values for SHBG levels were 41.5nmol/L typical for IR (AUC 0.711, sensitivity 61.1, specificity 71.6, positive predictive value (PPV) 70.7, and negative predictive value (NPV) 62.1). The probability of insulin resistance occurrence for SHBG concentration 26.1nmol/L (the lower normal range) was 61.6 (95 CI: 57.465.8). The SHBG concentration of 36.4nmol/L and 8.1nmol/L was related to a 10 and 20 probability of IFG, respectively. Conclusion. In conclusion, this is the first study estimating the probability of liver IR and IFG occurrence based on SHBG levels in women with PCOS. Despite the low sensitivity, SHBG level below 42nmol/L should cause closer monitoring for the fatty liver and prediabetes.

Background. The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of whole‐body cryotherapy (WBC) in rats on their antioxidant systems, lipid peroxidation products, and their total oxidative status at different exposure times and temperatures. Methods. Antioxidants in serum, plasma, liver, and erythrocytes were evaluated in two study groups following 1 min of exposure to −60°C and −90°C, for 5 and 10 consecutive days. Results. WBC increased the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase in the group subjected to 5 and 10 days exposure, −60°C. The glutathione S‐transferase activity increased in the groups subjected to 10 days WBC sessions. Total antioxidant capacity increased after 5 and 10 days of 1 min WBC, −60°C; a decrease was observed at −90°C. A decreased level of erythrocyte malondialdehyde concentration was observed at −60°C after 5 and 10 days of cryostimulation. An increased concentration was measured at −90°C after 10 days, and increase of erythrocyte malondialdehyde concentration after 5 days, −90°C. Conclusions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research showing the effect of WBC in rats at different exposure times and temperatures. The effect of cryotherapy on enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant systems was observed in the serum of animals exposed to a temperature of −60°C in comparison to control.

Background Despite excellent results of bariatric surgery in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and weight loss in human subjects, some patients do not obtain desired results. One of the reasons for this is that not all patients follow caloric intake recommendations. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of duodenojejunal omega switch (DJOS) surgery on body weight, glucose tolerance, and incretins in rats. Methods DJOS and SHAM surgery were performed on rats maintained for 8 weeks on high-fat diet (HF) and control diet (CD), respectively. After surgery, four groups were kept on the same diet as before the surgery, and four groups had a changed diet (CD vs. HF and HF vs. CD) for the next 8 weeks. Glucose tolerance, insulin tolerance, glucose-stimulated insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) secretion, food intake, and body weight were measured. Results A change of diet after surgery resulted in reduced glucose tolerance. Plasma insulin levels were lowered between DJOS and SHAM surgeries for the HF/HF and CD/HF groups. DJOS surgery did not reduce body weight in the studied groups, irrespective of diet. In the HF/HF group, ΔGLP-1 was lower for DJOS surgery in comparison with other groups. Differences of weight changes were observed for groups HF/HF and HF/CD. After DJOS surgery, ΔGIP was lower in the CD/HF group compared with HF/HF. Conclusions Our results show that applications of different types of diets, before and after surgery, is a sensitive method for studies of mechanism of glucose intolerance after DJOS surgery.

Objective. The aim of the study was to assess PTX3 levels in PCOS and non-PCOS women in relation to nutritional status and circulating markers of inflammation.Methods. The study enrolled 99 stable body mass PCOS women (17 normal weight, 21 overweight, and 61 obese) and 61 non-PCOS women (24 normal weight, 19 overweight, and 18 obese). Body composition was assessed by bioimpedance, and plasma levels of pentraxin 3 (PTX3), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) were measured. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was made.Results. Plasma PTX3, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels and HOMA-IR were higher in PCOS than in non-PCOS groupp<0.001. There were positive correlations between log₁₀(PTX3) and log₁₀(BMI), waist circumference and fat percentage, as well as log₁₀(HOMA-IR) and free androgen index but negative between log₁₀(estradiol) levels in PCOS. While in the non-PCOS group, the correlations between log₁₀(PTX3) and log₁₀(BMI), waist circumference and fat percentage, as well as log₁₀(HOMA-IR) were negative. The positive correlations between PTX3 and MPC-1 and log₁₀(IL-6) were shown in the PCOS group only. In multivariate regression analyses, variability in PTX3 levels in the PCOS group was proportional to log₁₀(BMI), waist circumference, and fat percentage, but inversely proportional to log₁₀(estradiol) levels. While in the non-PCOS group, PTX3 levels were inversely proportional to all anthropometric parameters.Conclusions. Our results show that the decrease in PTX3 levels observed in obese is distorted in PCOS by microinflammation, and possibly, dysfunction of stroma adipose tissue and liver steatosis is reflected by enhanced insulin resistance.

This study aimed to find the potential association betweenHSPA1Bpolymorphisms and risk of paranoid schizophrenia, clinical variables of the disease, and suicidal behavior. A total of 901 unrelated Polish subjects of Caucasian origin (377 schizophrenia patients and 524 controls) were recruited. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were genotyped using PCR–RFLP (rs539689, rs9281590) and TaqMan assays (rs263979, rs6547452). A strong tendency towards statistical significance (p = 0.051) was observed in rs539689 allele distribution between patients and controls in overall study subjects. After stratification according to gender, we found that rs539689 was significantly associated with schizophrenia in males, but not in females. The minor allele C had a protective effect in males [OR 0.73 (95% CI 0.61–0.88,p < 0.05)]. In addition, two SNPs (rs539689, rs9281590) were significantly associated with PANSS scores. Another important finding was a strong significant association between theHSPA1Brs539689 polymorphism and attempted suicide in schizophrenic patients. The C/C genotype and C allele were protective against suicidal behavior in entire sample (p < 0.001), in males (p < 001), and in females (p < 0.05), although associations were weaker than in males. Our findings support thatHSPA1Bgene may be involved in susceptibility to schizophrenia and clinical presentation of the disease in a sex-dependent manner, and may play a role in suicidal behavior in the Polish population of schizophrenic patients. Further independent analyses in different populations should be performed to clarify the role ofHSPA1Bin the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.