Background/Objectives: Erysipelas is an acute bacterial skin infection, particularly affecting the lower limbs, with a tendency to recur. Despite its clinical importance, data on demographic and epidemiological risk factors, as well as factors influencing hospitalization, remain limited. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients hospitalized with primary and recurrent erysipelas, focusing on risk factors contributing to disease onset, recurrence, and prolonged hospitalization. Methods: A retrospective single-center analysis was conducted on 239 patients hospitalized for erysipelas at the Department of Dermatology, Pediatric Dermatology, and Oncology at the Medical University of Lodz. Data collected included demographics, lesion location, laboratory markers, comorbidities, and hospitalization outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed to assess associations between risk factors, disease recurrence, and hospitalization duration. Results: The majority of erysipelas cases (85.4%) involved the lower limbs, with a higher prevalence in men. Upper extremities were mostly affected in women, especially those who had undergone breast cancer surgery. Recurrent erysipelas accounted for 75.7% of cases. Most patients (89.1%) had at least one comorbidity, with hypertension, diabetes type 2 (DM2), and obesity being the most common. Higher white blood cell (WBC) count, obesity, atrial fibrillation (AF), and the need for enoxaparin administration were independently associated with prolonged hospitalization. Dyslipidemia was significantly associated with erysipelas recurrence (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Both primary and recurrent erysipelas are associated with specific risk factors. Recurrent erysipelas may be linked to components of metabolic syndrome, particularly obesity and dyslipidemia, which emerged as a significant risk factor in this study. Hospitalization length may be prolonged by inflammation markers (WBC and CRP) and comorbidities such as AF, obesity, or the need for enoxaparin in patients with elevated thrombosis risk. Further multicenter studies with larger cohorts are needed to assess the impact of demographics, biomarkers, metabolic disorders, and treatment strategies on erysipelas recurrence and outcomes. Awareness of these risk factors is essential for effective prevention, management, and recurrence reduction.

Background/Objectives: Left ventricular hypertrophy is a significant independent risk factor for increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There are some reports indicating an association of rs1403543 (1675G>A) polymorphism in the AGTR2 gene, which encodes the type-2 angiotensin II receptor, with left ventricular hypertrophy or increased left ventricular mass (LVM) in adults. The aim of this study was to analyze the possible association of the AGTR2:rs1403543 polymorphism with LVM in full-term Polish healthy newborns. Methods: The study group comprised 207 consecutive, full-term, healthy newborns. LVM was assessed, on the 3rd day after birth, from the M-mode echocardiographic measurements of left ventricular dimensions using the Penn convention, with the Huwez et al.-modified equation mode. The AGTR2 polymorphism was identified by PCR-RFLP in genomic DNA extracted from cord blood leukocytes. Results: There were no significant differences in clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of male newborns in regard to the AGTR2:rs1403543 polymorphism. However, the LVM/body mass ratio in female newborns carrying at least one A allele (i.e., with genotype GA or AA) was significantly lower as compared to its value in reference (GG) homozygotes. In addition, in female newborns, the frequency of AGTR2 genotypes with at least one A allele was significantly higher in the lower tertile of LVM/body mass or LVM/body surface area (calculated using the Mosteller formula) ratios as compared with upper tertiles. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the AGTR2:rs1403543 polymorphism may be associated with the physiological variability of cardiac mass in female newborns.

Vaptans are non-peptide arginine vasopressin (AVP) receptor antagonists essential for modulating water homeostasis. This review evaluates their chemical evolution from peptide analogs to orally bioavailable molecules and summarizes the pharmacokinetic profiles of key agents, including tolvaptan, conivaptan, and mozavaptan. Significant emphasis is placed on the clinical role of tolvaptan as a disease-modifying therapy in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and its efficacy in syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). Furthermore, the impact of pharmacogenetic factors, especially CYP3A5 and SVEP1 polymorphisms, is explored as a potential source of inter-individual variability in treatment response. By integrating structural, metabolic, and genetic data, this article highlights the potential for personalized aquaretic therapy and identifies critical safety and monitoring protocols necessary for optimizing clinical outcomes.

Background: The correlation between renal volume (or mass) and nephron number in newborns allows the use of the total kidney volume (TKV) at birth as a surrogate for congenital nephron number. Previously, the wide variation in final nephron number (termed “nephron endowment”) has been attributed to polymorphisms of genes encoding proteins involved in glomerulogenesis, including key genetic variants in the renin–angiotensin system. However, there are no data concerning the role of polymorphism in the gene encoding type-2 angiotensin II receptor (AGTR2) in the modulation of nephron endowment in humans. Therefore, the aim of our study was to analyze the possible association between AGTR2:rs1403543 polymorphism and kidney volume in Polish full-term healthy newborns. Methods: The study group consisted of 208 healthy, Polish, full-term newborns born to healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies. The AGTR2:rs1403543 polymorphism was identified by PCR-RFLP in genomic DNA extracted from cord blood leukocytes. Kidney volume was measured sonographically. Total kidney volume was calculated as the sum of left and right kidneys, and normalized for body mass (BM), body length (BL), or body surface area (BSA). Results: There were no significant differences in TKV/BM, TKV/BL, or TKV/BSA between male and female newborns, as well as in regard to the AGTR2:rs1403543 polymorphism. Conclusions: The results suggest a lack of association between the AGTR2:rs1403543 polymorphism and physiological variability in kidney volume in full-term newborns.

Introduction: This prospective pilot study assessed the effectiveness of two new clinical tests (Szczecin 1 and Szczecin 2) by comparing them with the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Schaeffer’s tests for detecting the presence of the palmaris longus (PL) tendon, using ultrasonography as the reference method. Methods: A total of 370 wrists were assessed in 210 patients (107 male, 103 female) aged 18–86 years (median age: 54 years; IQR: 43 to 67), with a median body mass index of 27 kg/m² (IQR: 24 to 30). Four clinical tests were used: the Schaeffer’s, AIIMS, Szczecin 1 and Szczecin 2. Tendon visibility, the difficulty of distinguishing the PL from the flexor carpi radialis tendon, the number of attempts required for correct execution and the subjective ease of the test were analysed. The presence of the PL tendon was confirmed by ultrasonographic examination. Results: The sensitivity for the right hand was: Schaeffer’s, 71%; AIIMS, 63%; Szczecin 1, 87%; Szczecin 2, 89%. For the left hand it was: Schaeffer’s. 72%; AIIMS, 65%; Szczecin 1, 88%; Szczecin 2; 91%. Palmaris longus tendon absence in one or both hands was found in 13% of patients (or in 16% of all assessed hands). Conclusions: The two new tests showed higher sensitivity than the reference tests and may be more useful in daily clinical practice. Level of evidence: III.