SUMMARY The role of T regulatory lymphocytes (Treg) particularly in cancer is well known. The goal of the present study was to determine the contribution of these lymphocytes in the regulation of anti-tumor immunity of CBA/HZgr mice against MC-2 fibrosarcoma (4th generation of methylcholanthrene induced tumor). The levels of T lymphocytes (CD4+, CD8+ and CD4+CD25+) were determined 8 and 20 days after tumor transplantation. Further, the role of CD4+CD25+ (Tregs) in tumor-host interaction was evaluated in vitro and in vivo by using specific monoclonal antibodies. We found that splenocytes of both control and Treg depleted tumor bearing mice strongly but differently inhibited growth of tumor cells in vitro. While splenocytes of untreated mice exhibited significant decrease of this activity (from 74.4% to 62.6% and 32.95%), the splenocytes of Treg depleted mice showed increase of this activity (from 79.5% to 84.3% and 86.2%) from day 6 to day 13 and day 21 after tumor grafting, respectively. Further, upon i.v. injecting specific monoclonal anti-Treg antibody tumor immediately prior to tumor cell intracutaneous transplantation, the tumor was rejected after initial growth. In treated mice, the incidence of Treg cells was very low initially, reaching normal values two weeks later. These animals were shown to be resistant to tumor transplantation four months later.

Background Health care professionals are exposed to the psychological and physiological effects of stress, which is a well-known risk factor for various mental and physical health problems. Objective The aims of this study were to assess the adherence of female health care workers to use a web-based tool for improving and modifying lifestyle and to identify the potential factors influencing their adherence. Methods A prospective, observational study was performed. A total of 80 female health care workers (physicians and gradated nurses) from 2 university medical centers and female members of a family medicine society participated. Participants completed a questionnaire that inquired about their basic demographic data and physical fitness. Physical fitness was assessed by the Rockport Fitness Walking Test. Adherence to a web-based application (24@life) was followed for 3 months and the number of log-ins into the application was counted. Results The study was conducted from March to October 2019. Significantly high workload has been detected in all groups (P<.05), except in the general practitioner with normal workload group. The graduated nurse working in the surgery room group showed chronic stress with elevated S-cortisol levels (>690 nmol/L); activated cellular immune system with elevated concentrations of lymphocytes (reference 1.1-2.5 × 109 cells/L), CD3 cells (reference 0.7-1.9 × 109 cells/L), CD8 cells (reference 0.2-0.7 × 109 cells/L), and HLA-DR/CD3 cells (reference 0.04-0.2 × 109 cells/L); and the worst quality of sleep (mean 2.8 [SD 1.2]). Only 32 of 80 participants (40%) were adherent to the web-based application. Participants most frequently viewed web pages on areas of physical activity (497 times) and nutrition (332 times). No factors or participant’s characteristics such as weight (odds ratio [OR] 1.026, 95% CI 0.977-1.078), BMI (OR 0.993, 95% CI 0.834-1.184), age (OR 0.970, 95% CI 0.910-1.034), or stress level (OR 0.997, 95% CI 0.995-1.000) were identified to affect the adherence rates. Conclusions Female health care workers exposed to high workload did not find the web-based application useful for improving and modifying their lifestyle. Therefore, other strategies that might help health care workers facing stress and improve their lifestyle should be identified.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of male body mass index (BMI) on the retrieval of sperm from azoospermic patients who were undergoing testicular sperm extraction (TESE). Material/Methods The study included retrospective data of male patients suffering from non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Age, BMI, testicular volumes, the serum concentration of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and prolactin were investigated and collected. Results A total of 75 azoospermic males were evaluated between 2014 and 2019, including 35 patients (46.7%) with positive sperm retrieval. The majority of patients (57.3%) had normal BMI (between 20 kg/m2 and 25 kg/m2) or first degree obesity (from 25 kg/m2 to 30 kg/m2). No statistically significant correlation between BMI and positive sperm retrieval or hormone levels (LH, FSH, SHBG, prolactin) were found. However, lower serum testosterone levels were observed in patients with higher BMI (P=0.035). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that none of the hormones could potentially predict the positive outcome of TESE. Conclusions The hormonal levels or patient’s BMI could not predict positive sperm retrieval outcome, however a negative correlation between serum testosterone and BMI levels was calculated implicating influence on fertility.

Background: The aim of the study was to address the working population with an occupational stress prevention program using mHealth solution and encourage healthy lifestyle choices.Methods: 16 participants were randomized from the corporate setting. A 24alife app with a good compliance program was selected. Test battery has been designed to test the physical readiness, psychological state of stress and to assess biological blood markers for stress. Participants were followed up after 30, 60 and 90 days, respectively, within the intervention period. Blood pressure and weight were tracked 3 times per month. At least once a week, but on average 6 times per month, participants also led the food diary. Univariate analysis compared the continuous variables by Student's t-test for the data that were normally distributed, or Wilcoxon rank sum test for abnormal distribution of variables.Results: Participants used the app with a compliance rate of 100%. The psychological evaluation revealed higher motivation for work, lower burnout scores and participants gave subjective responses of better general wellbeing. Some of the participants lost up to 4 kg of body mass. Physical readiness has significantly improved.Conclusions: Results of mHealth projects on corporate could include primary health care institutions and health ministry to extend the existing system to patients’ pockets where they can monitor their disease and increase the ability of self-care.

The aim of this study was to detect lower lip squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) that had metastasized to the lymph nodes and to evaluate if neck dissection was necessary for patients with T1 or T2-stage lip cancer after a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). The study was conducted as a prospective clinical study to detect occult neck metastases in patients with T1 or T2 stage SCC of the lower lip. Thirty-one patients were eligible and underwent echo-ultrasound, computer tomography, magnetic resonance and lymphoscintigraphy (LSG) as diagnostic procedures. LSG was performed on the same day as the surgical procedure, after intradermal injection of 37 Mbq Tc99m-Sn-colloid/mL at four peritumoral sites. In patients with positive LSG results, the sentinel lymph nodes were extracted surgically. The risk factors for cancer development were sun exposure and smoking. The highest accuracy for detecting lymph node enlargements was achieved with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; 80.7%). LSG showed excellent sensitivity (100%) and negative predictive value (NPV; 100%). Overall, occult metastases were diagnosed with an SLNB in eight (25.8%) patients. According to the results, with great caution, we suggest that an SLNB is reasonable to initiate only for patients with positive sentinel nodes by positive LSG, to be used as a lower morbidity approach for selected patients with T1 and T2 stage cancers.

Background White spot lesions (WSLs) are a common complication after orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the antimicrobial properties of selenium-containing vs. fluoride-containing orthodontic materials. Material/Methods Antibacterial efficacy of orthodontic materials (SeLECT Defense bonding agent, Adhesive agent, Band Cement, Transbond Plus SEP bonding agent, Transbond Plus Adhesive agent, Fuji I Band cement, Fuji Ortho LC Adhesive agent, Ortho Solo Bonding agent, Transbond XT bonding agent, and Transbond XT primer) was tested with the inhibition of 2 bacterial strains: S. mutans (ATCC 10449) and L. acidophilus (ATCC 4356). The antimicrobial efficacy of the materials was measured by agar diffusion test. The diameters of inhibition zones around each disk were measured in millimeters (mm). Results Materials containing selenium and fluoride showed significant differences from the negative control (both p<0.001). Orthodontic materials containing fluoride as a potential antimicrobial agent showed larger zones of inhibition in total (9.1±2.6 mm), the selenium group was the second-most effective (4.7±4.9 mm), and the group without any potential antimicrobial agent showed the least antimicrobial effect (0.9±1.0 mm). Materials from the group with no antibacterial agent were not significantly different from the negative control group (p>0.05). Conclusions Materials containing selenium carried the most significance when comparing microorganisms with the agent, since they were the only ones showing difference between the 2 microorganisms. They showed statistically significant difference in efficacy against S. mutans, and poor antimicrobial effect against L. acidophilus. These data suggest that orthodontic materials containing selenium might have the potential to prevent WSLs due to their antimicrobial properties.

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of factors in infertile male patients to retrieve sperm from their testicles before they undergo testicular sperm extraction (TESE). In total, 64 males were enrolled in this study. Infertility was identified as obstructive azoospermia (OA); non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA); Klinefelter syndrome (KS); and cryptozoospermia (Crypt). Age, body mass index and concomitant conditions were noted. Testicular volumes, serum levels of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), testosterone (T) and prolactin were investigated. Sperm retrieval after TESE was noted as positive or negative. Average age of the cases was 36.8 years. TESE success rate of testicular sperm retrieval rate was 50.0%. Majority of men (83.9%) had a 46, XY karyotype, minority had genetic anomalies, and 5 of were diagnosed with KS – all were TESE-negative. There was no statistical difference in age, testicular volume, presence of varicocele and microcalcifications or hormonal levels in the TESE-positive and negative groups. Smoking as an independent variable was the only risk factor statistically showing (OR = 0.269; p = 0.045) prediction of negative sperm retrieval after the TESE procedure. None of the parameters investigated herein predicted successful TESE outcomes. However, in cases with negative TESE only smoking was identified as a predictive factor for negative sperm retrieval and was established as a risk factor. Abbreviations: AZF: azoospermia factor; BMI: body mass index; Crypt: cryptozoospermia; FSH: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone; ICSI: intracytoplasmic sperm injection; IU: international unit; KS: Klinefelter syndrome; LH: Luteinizing Hormone; mL: milliliter; NOA: non-obstructive azoospermia; OA: obstructive azoospermia; T: testosterone; TESA: testicular sperm aspiration; TESE: testicular sperm extraction

SUMMARY This review article is focused on the impact of antioxidants and prooxidants on health with emphasis on the type of antioxidants that should be taken. Medical researchers suggest that diet may be the solution for the control of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular complications, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and different cancers. In this survey, we found scientific evidence that the use of antioxidants should be limited only to the cases where oxidative stress has been identified. This is often the case of specific population groups such as postmenopausal women, the elderly, infants, workers exposed to environmental pollutants, and the obese. Before starting any supplementation, it is necessary to measure oxidative stress and to identify and eliminate the possible sources of free radicals and thus increased oxidative stress.

SUMMARY This study aimed to investigate whether infertility and its treatment affect couple sexuality. A systematic literature review was performed, focusing on female and male sexual dysfunctions due to infertility. The method was descriptive, using a meta-synthesis of scientific research published between 2012 and 2017 in the English language. The search for suitable studies was carried out with the research databases Medline, CINAHL, PubMed and ScienceDirect using the following keywords: infertility, sexual dysfunctions, couple. It can be concluded that infertility negatively affects the sexuality of an infertile couple, which is further proven by a high percentage of sexual dysfunctions (43%-90% among women and 48%-58% among men). Couples report less satisfaction with sexuality. Since lower satisfaction and dysfunctions are closely connected with infertility and its treatment, couples might benefit from sexual therapy and support during the process of infertility treatment. Further research should focus on the evaluation of different psychological interventions that would address sexuality in couples when diagnosed and treated for infertility.

The aim of our study was to analyse the prevalence of salivary gland tumours through 5-years of follow-up. Study was designed as a retrospective analysis of patients, who underwent surgery of tumour removal in our centre between 2005 till 2017 and were followed up for 5 years. The demographic characteristics (age and gender) were obtained from 247 patient records. Pearson’s χ-square test and logistic regression were used to analyse the data, where p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Overall 247 cases were analysed and followed up for 5 years after surgical removal of tumours. Mean age of patients was 51.0±19.5 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.1:1. Female patients were statistically younger compared to male patients (p=0.017). The most common tumour was found at parotid gland in 154 (62.3%) cases. Adenoma pleomorphe was diagnosed in 125 (50.6%) cases. Superficial parotidectomy was performed in 44 (17.8%), and surgical extirpation in 143 (57.9%) cases. Recurrences of tumour occurred in 16 (6.5%) patients and metastases occurred in 6 (2.4%) patients. This was the first study of such kind from the region. Female show a bimodal age distribution and were more affected with adenoma pleomorphe than men. Relatively low recurrence rate was observed after at 5 years of follow-up. Risk factors for recurrence were positive on histological type of tumour and patients’s age. Clinical article (J Int Dent Med Res 2019; 12(3): 1035-1041)

ABSTRACT Introduction: Helicobacter pylori infection results in chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, or gastric cancer; therefore, eradication of this bacterium is essential. The strategy for developing effective vaccines against H. pylori entails immunization of mice with a combination of classical and recombinant H. pylori antigens, but this has proven to be onerous in all cases. Areas covered: We have reviewed literature databases in PubMed and Scopus using the key words H. pylori, vaccine, and vaccination and have conducted a systematic review of published clinical trials and animal model studies on vaccines against H. pylori and have tried to summarize why the vaccines are not effective or only partially effective. Expert commentary: This is the perfect time to review vaccine development against H. pylori as, after several failed attempts, promising results were reported by Zeng et al. in 2015. Successful vaccine development requires knowledge of both the immune mechanisms active during natural infection by H. pylori, owing to the complicated host response against the pathogen, and the factors that allow the persistence of bacteria, such as genetic diversity of H. pylori. Moreover, various clinical trials are needed to prove vaccine efficacy.

Summary Background: There is still no reliable, specific biomarker for precision diagnosis and clinical monitoring of systemic lupus erythematosus. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of the determination of immunofenotypic profiles (T, B lymphocytes and NK cells) and serum cytokine concentrations (IL-17 and IFN-alpha) as potential biomarkers for this disease. Methods: The study included 55 patients with SLE and 25 healthy controls. The proportion of T, B, NK cells were assessed in peripheral blood using flow cytometric assays while the serum cytokine concentration (IL-17 and IFNalpha) was determined by ELISA test. Results: ROC curve analysis showed good accuracy to distinguish between patients and healthy individuals for activated T cells (AUC=0.798; p<0.001), Treg (AUC= 0.651; p=0.036), and memory B cells (AUC=0.285; p=0.002). We found statistically significant difference (p=0.036) in the levels of serum IL-17 between patients with SLE (IL-17=49.27 pg/mL) and controls (IL-17= 28.64 pg/mL). Conclusions: Significant increase in the relative number of Treg lymphocytes, and decrease in memory B cells, as well as decrease level of IL-17, in SLE patients may be implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease. These parameters, as biomarkers, could distinguish SLE patients and no-SLE patients. Monitoring subpopulations of immune cells in peripheral blood using flow cytometry provides insight into abnormal T and B cell function in SLE. Progress in understanding the immunity at SLE, results in concrete benefits for the SLE patients, which include new clinical management and therapeutic strategies.

SUMMARY – The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction in Slovenia. We aimed to explore the prevalence itself, comparison among demographic groups and potential correlations. Data were collected based on the validated standardized Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) (N=605). Most participants had sexual intercourse with one partner (n=523), and the majority of sexual relationships were heterosexual (n=584). University educated subjects had the highest claims of arousal, followed by those with master/doctoral degrees and college educated ones. The lowest level was expressed by subjects with elementary school. The youngest subjects (18-23 years) expressed the highest levels of desire and arousal, followed by the 24-29 age group. The 42-47 age group reported higher levels of lubrication and orgasm. The claim of satisfaction was highest in the 24-29 age group, while the pain was highest in the 42-47 age group. Strong correlation was found between the claims of desire and arousal (r=0.585), arousal and lubrication (r=0.879), lubrication and pain (r=0.856), orgasm and lubrication (r=0.856), satisfaction and orgasm (r=0.782), and pain and arousal (r=0.776) (p<0.001). We identified a 31% prevalence of female sexual dysfunction in Slovenia.