The aim of the study was to analyze the thickness of individual retinal layers in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in comparison to the control group and in relation to markers of diabetes metabolic control. The study group consisted of 111 patients with an average of 6-years of T1D duration. The control group included 36 gender- and age-matched individuals. In all patients optical coherence tomography (OCT) study was performed using HD-OCT Cirrus 5000 with evaluation of optic nerve head (ONH) parameters, thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) with its quadrants, macular full-thickness parameters, ganglion cells with inner plexus layer (GCIPL) and choroidal thickness (CT). Lower disc area value was observed in the study group as compared to controls (p = 0.0215). Negative correlations were found both between age at examination and rim area (R = −0.28, p = 0.0007) and between superior RNFL thickness and duration of diabetes (R = −0.20, p = 0.0336). Positive correlation between center thickness and SD for average glycemia (R = 0.30, p = 0.0071) was noted. Temporal CT correlated positively with age at examination (R = 0.21, p = 0.0127). The selected parameters the HD-OCT study may in the future serve as potential markers of preclinical phase of DR in patients with T1D.

Background: Vitamins A, C and E are important parts of the antioxidant barrier. Polish data on antioxidant vitamins deficiency in the population are rare, especially among physically active people with metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum concentrations of...

Background/Objectives: Urolithiasis is a common disease in Western societies, affecting approximately 10% of the population, and more often men than women. The formation of renal calculi is a complex process, including various compounds and proteins. The aim of this study is to compare differences between the trace element concentrations in male and female renal calculi as well as differences between the trace element concentrations in different stone types. Material and Methods: Renal calculi specimens were obtained during elective nephrolithotripsy procedures. Crystallography of renal calculi was performed using X-ray diffraction; an elemental analysis was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Optical Emission Spectrometry. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the differences in the metal element concentration between men and women. The second part of the analysis measured the differences in the metal element concentration between stones containing calcium phosphate (CaP) and pure calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones. Results: The renal calculi (n = 20) obtained from the male patients had a lower potassium concentration than the calculi (n = 24) from the female patients: 393.4 vs. 792.3 mg/kg, p = 0.007. A comparison of the CaP calculi and CaOx calculi showed a higher zinc concentration (p < 0.001) and potassium concentration (p < 0.001) in the stones containing calcium phosphate. Conclusions: The renal calculi from females had a significantly higher potassium content than those from males. This difference was not correlated with hyperkalemia or the blood potassium levels, suggesting a sex-dependent role of uromodulin in stone formation. The stones containing calcium phosphate exhibited higher zinc and potassium concentrations compared to the pure calcium oxalate stones. The increased presence of zinc and potassium in urine may accelerate the formation of calcium phosphate calculi.

Background and Objective: Information about the type of kidney stones is important for informed therapeutic decisions and the prevention of urolithiasis. Urinary stones are heterogeneous, and their elemental composition and crystal structure vary between patients. The formation of urinary stone deposits depends, among other things, on physiological conditions, the concentration of promoters and inhibitors of crystallization, and proteins found in the urine. The aim of this study was to determine differences in urine osteopontin (OPN) levels between groups of different stone-formers. Methods: Urinary stone specimens (n = 44) were acquired during elective endoscopic procedures. Specimens were divided into subgroups by k-means cluster analysis depending on calcium and phosphorus concentrations. The concentration of urine OPN was determined and compared for each subgroup and the control group. Results: Cluster analysis divided the deposits into three clusters. Cluster 1 contained mainly calcium oxalate deposits; Cluster 2 contained uric acid deposits; Cluster 3 contained deposits with a high content of calcium phosphate. Urine OPN concentration in CaP stone-formers (5.77 ng/mL) differed significantly from those of controls (17.05 ng/mL, p = 0.013) and CaOx stone-formers (15.31 ng/mL, p = 0.048). Conclusions: The concentration of urine OPN varies depending on the elemental composition of renal calculi. The lowest concentration of OPN was determined in the group of patients with a high content of calcium phosphate in the deposits.

Background: Polish data on vitamin D deficiency in the population are incomplete. Vitamin D deficiency seems to be common, but there is a lack of studies concerning the concentration of 25(OH)D in people with high UV exposure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma concentration of 25(OH)D in people with and without metabolic syndrome (MS), working in agriculture, the prevalence of its deficiency in these workers, and the correlation between the plasma concentration of 25(OH)D and traditional biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases. Material and Methods: The study included 332 people working in agriculture in the Lodz voivodeship, including 231 people with MS and 101 healthy ones. The plasma concentration of 25(OH)D was assessed using the chemiluminescent immunoassay technology. The vitamin D intake was assessed using a 24-h recall questionnaire using Diet 5.0 software. Results: The mean plasma concentration of 25(OH)D was 13.64 +/- 8.01 ng/ml in MS workers, and it was significantly lower than in the healthy ones (26.61 +/- 10.12 ng/ml, p < 0.00001); the highest concentration of 25(OH)D was noted in summer months. Deficient plasma concentrations of 25(OH)D were found significantly more often in MS workers than in the controls (81.82% and 20.79%, respectively, p < 0.00001). No correlation was found between the plasma vitamin D concentration and its dietary intake. The plasma concentration of 25(OH)D correlated with age of the examined workers (r = -0.28, p = 0.023), high density lipoprotein concentration (r = 0.19, p = 0.036) and glucose concentration (Rho = -0.24, p = 0.02). A multivariate analysis of variance demonstrated that the body mass index affected significantly the mean value of the 25(OH)D concentration in MS workers. Conclusions: The concentration of vitamin D in the plasma of workers with MS was significantly lower than in the healthy controls despite the same high UV exposure; these workers also manifested significantly higher 25(OH)D deficiency than the control subjects. This study indicates the need for further research on the concentration of 25(OH)D in people with metabolic disorders regardless of UV exposure and vitamin D intake with a diet.