The aim of our study was to compare the degree of brain atrophy in centenarians and in seniors 70–99 years old. The study group consisted of 23 patients aged 100–106 years. The control group consisted of 90 patients, 30 in each age subgroup 90–99, 80–89, 70–79. In all the patients, the brain atrophy linear parameters were measured on computed tomography scans, in relation to both “subcortical atrophy”, evaluated as progressive widening of the ventricular system, and “cortical atrophy”, defined as widening of subarachnoid space. Secondary indices based on the parameters were calculated. Correlations between the above parameters/indices and age were tested. Significantly different values between the centenarians and the control group were found in the brain atrophy parameters: A, B, C, E, FI, ICR, ICL, SW, CFW, F/A ‘frontal horn index’, A/G ‘Evans index’, D/A ‘ventricular index’, H/E ‘cella media Schiersmann index’, A+B ‘Huckman number’. Correlations between parameter/index and age were found for: A, B, C, FI, ICR, ICL, SW, F/A ‘frontal horn index’, A/G ‘Evans index’, D/A ‘ventricular index’, H/E ‘cella media Schiersmann index’, A+B ‘Huckman number’. Brain atrophy associated with aging is a continuously advancing process, affecting centenarians even more than people before the “magic” threshold of 100 years.

Given its polygenic nature, there is a need for a personalized approach to schizophrenia. The aim of the study was to select laboratory biomarkers from blood, brain imaging, and clinical assessment, with an emphasis on patients’ self-report questionnaires. Metabolomics studies of serum samples from 51 patients and 45 healthy volunteers, based on the liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS), led to the identification of 3 biochemical indicators (cortisol, glutamate, lactate) of schizophrenia. These metabolites were sequentially correlated with laboratory tests results, imaging results, and clinical assessment outcomes, including patient self-report outcomes. The hierarchical cluster analysis on the principal components (HCPC) was performed to identify the most homogeneous clinical groups. Significant correlations were noted between blood lactates and 11 clinical and 10 neuroimaging parameters. The increase in lactate and cortisol were significantly associated with a decrease in immunological parameters, especially with the level of reactive lymphocytes. The strongest correlations with the level of blood lactate and cortisol were demonstrated by brain glutamate, N-acetylaspartate and the concentrations of glutamate and glutamine, creatine and phosphocreatine in the prefrontal cortex. Metabolomics studies and the search for associations with brain parameters and self-reported outcomes may provide new diagnostic evidence to specific schizophrenia phenotypes.

The aim of this study was to compare the results of automatic assessment of high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) by artificial intelligence (AI) in 150 patients from three subgroups: pneumonia in the course of COVID-19, bronchopneumonia and atypical pneumonia. The volume percentage of inflammation and the volume percentage of “ground glass” were significantly higher in the atypical (respectively, 11.04%, 8.61%) and the COVID-19 (12.41%, 10.41%) subgroups compared to the bronchopneumonia (5.12%, 3.42%) subgroup. The volume percentage of consolidation was significantly higher in the COVID-19 (2.95%) subgroup compared to the atypical (1.26%) subgroup. The percentage of “ground glass” in the volume of inflammation was significantly higher in the atypical (89.85%) subgroup compared to the COVID-19 (79.06%) subgroup, which in turn was significantly higher compared to the bronchopneumonia (68.26%) subgroup. HRCT chest images, analyzed automatically by artificial intelligence software, taking into account the structure including “ground glass” and consolidation, significantly differ in three subgroups: COVID-19 pneumonia, bronchopneumonia and atypical pneumonia. However, the partial overlap, particularly between COVID-19 pneumonia and atypical pneumonia, may limit the usefulness of automatic analysis in differentiating the etiology. In our future research, we plan to use artificial intelligence for objective assessment of the dynamics of pulmonary lesions during COVID-19 pneumonia.

Ionizing radiation generated during high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scanning may have an indirect effect on the mechanisms regulating the oxidative-antioxidant balance in the human body, which is one of the necessary factors ensuring the maintenance of its homeostasis. The aim of the study was to analyze the response of antioxidant systems through the determination of the antioxidant markers in the blood of patients exposed to oxidative stress resulting from the routine HRCT examination of the chest. Blood of 35 people aged 60.77 ± 10.81 taken before and at four time points after the examination constituted the test material. The determination of the total antioxidant capacity expressed as ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and ferric reducing antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid concentration (FRASC) were performed together with an examination of catalase activity and the concentration of the reduced glutathione. The organism’s response to ionizing radiation was associated with a significant decrease in the antioxidant markers’ levels at all time-points and showed a significant negative correlation depending on the radiation dose. Visible down-regulation of these markers is a response to increased oxidative stress. In light of the obtained results, the measurement of the selected markers of antioxidant defense may be a useful parameter of oxidative stress caused by ionizing radiation.

DOI: 10.20452/pamw.16332, Published online: August 26, 2022, Authors: Robert Chrzan, Wiktoria Wojciechowska, Michał Terlecki, Marek Klocek, Marek Rajzer, Tadeusz Popiela