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The aim of the study was to obtain information on parents' knowledge about mandatory and recommended vaccinations in Poland. Computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) method was used. The interviews were collected from parents who had children aged < or = 3 years. Two-stage sampling was used: first, a list of 3,000 households with children < or = 3 years was quota-selected from a consumer database collecting contact information from 95% mothers during deliveries; in the second stage, random digit dialling was used to attempt the interview with parents. The questionnaire applied was based on the survey developed by UK Department of Health. A total of 1045 interviews were collected, 960 from mothers, and 85 from fathers. The response rate was 77%. Mean age of parents was 28.9. Most parents (72%) had secondary or lower level of education. General practitioners (about 90% respondents) were found the most important, and the most reliable source of information for parents. Media (66%), including Internet (18%), were the second main source of theirs knowledge, but they were not considered as reliable source. Parental knowledge on obligatory vaccinations included in the childhood immunization schedule was found to be very low. Only 30% and 5% of respondents spontaneously recognized polio and Hib vaccines, respectively mandatory. The largest proportion of respondents indicated hepatitis B (46%) and tuberculosis (45%) as serious illness, and only 22% and 23% considered diphteria, and measles as serious diseases. Poor knowledge on childhood immunisations among Polish parents needs to be addressed by improvement of reliable information on vaccines and vaccine safety.

The aim of the study was to obtain information on parents' attitudes towards vaccinations included in the childhood immunisation schedule. Computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) method was used. The interviews were collected from parents who had children aged three years old. Two-stage sampling was used: firstly, a list of 3,000 households with children < 3 years old was quota-selected from a consumer database collecting contact information from 95% mothers during deliveries. Random digit dialling was used to attempt the interview with parents. The 40-item questionnaire was based on the questionnaire developed by UK Department of Health. Overall, the perception of routine, mandatory immunization of children was positive. Only 17 parents (1.6%) refused the vaccination which had been offered, and 398 parents (38.0%) paid for a vaccine recommended for their child. In general, parents believed that immunisations were important for protecting the society against infectious diseases, although they found some problems in the way vaccines were delivered. Approximately half of respondents thought that vaccination against many diseases was harmful. In terms of perception of the risk related to vaccines parents were less confident in the currently introduced vaccines and those which protect against diseases rarely seen in the population. Pneumococcal vaccine was considered as risky by 27 persons (2.6%), and polio vaccine by 17 (1.6%). Greater concern about the safety of vaccines was expressed by older parents, residents of towns and highly educated individuals. Systematic monitoring of parents' attitudes towards vaccination would help to address public health actions more adequately.

In Poland 100 measles cases were registered in 2008 (0.26 per 100,000 population). The most affected age group were children aged 0-4 years (incidence 1.24 per 100,000 population) and 5-year olds (0.86). 83 measles cases (83%) were hospitalized, no deaths were recorded. Poland participates in the WHO Measles Elimination Strategy. Presently, the most important is the maintenance of a sensitive and timely surveillance of measles and measles-compatible cases, with serologic testing of one suspect case per 100,000 population. The performance of the surveillance system was insufficient with only 177 measles-compatible cases reported in 2008 (46% of expected reports). Serologic confirmation of cases was also insufficient, with 89 cases (89%) confirmed by IgM ELISA test. These results indicate the need to maintain the high immunisation coverage and improve measles surveillance system.

Estivation enables land snails to survive a prolonged dryness but the return to active state imposes conditions of oxidative stress on internal organs due to a transient large increase in oxygen consumption, which augments mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, activities of antioxidant enzymes, concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) and TBARS as an index of lipid peroxidation, were evaluated in Helix pomatia snails (i) during summer activity, (ii) during estivation, which was induced experimentally, (iii) at the start of arousal from estivation, and (iv) being aroused for 24 h. Estivation induced significant decreases in activity of catalase in the kidney and hepatopancreas and glutathione peroxidase in the kidney. Activity of glutathione reductase was unaffected by estivation/arousal cycle. Summer-active and estivating snails maintained high activity of glutathione transferase. Concentration of GSH was organ-dependent and was positively affected by estivation. Lack of increase in TBARS concentration during estivation/arousal cycle suggests that antioxidant defence system of H. pomatia snails is highly efficacious. In conclusion, permanent maintenance of relatively high activities of the antioxidant enzymes and the high concentration of GSH in H. pomatia snails indicate that they have well-developed strategy of defence against oxidative injury.

Neuronal injury results in increased mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) expression and is associated with increased neuronal survival, suggesting that enhancing MR signalling may have therapeutic implications. MR has a complex gene structure with at least three untranslated exons (alpha, beta, gamma) each with unique promoters and a common coding region. We examined whether distinct cellular stressors differentially regulate exon-specific MR transcripts. MRbeta transcript was specifically upregulated in rat primary cortical cultures undergoing hypothermic oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD/H) through activation of its own promoter. This effect was mediated in part by ERK signalling as blockade with PD98059 inhibited OGD/H-induced MRbeta promoter activity. A specific increase in MRbeta transcript expression was also found in vivo in hypothermic anoxic neonatal rat hippocampus. These results demonstrate a novel key role for the MRbeta transcript in response to injury and suggest that some of the known neuroprotective effects of hypothermia may be mediated through increased MR expression.

Brief periods of neonatal asphyxia are frequently observed. Within the CNS, the hippocampus is known to be particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of hypoxia/ischaemia. The hippocampus contains the highest concentration of both mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors and the balance between MR/GR activation influences cell birth and death. MR occupation appears to promote prosurvival actions, while GR overactivation favours neurodegeneration. It has been widely recognized that core body temperature is a critical determinant of the severity of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury; indeed, hyperthermia exacerbates the degree of damage. Therefore, the aim of the present investigation was to study the effect of elevated body temperature in newborn rats under control conditions or during neonatal exposure to a critical anoxia, on changes of MR and GR mRNA expression in the rat hippocampus. 2-day-old rats were exposed to anoxia in 100% nitrogen atmosphere. Rectal temperature was kept at 33 degrees C (typical for the rat neonates), or elevated to a level typical for febrile (39 degrees C) adults. Control rats were exposed to atmospheric air under the respective thermal conditions. The changes in MR and GR mRNA expression in hippocampus were examined 24h after exposure. Our data show that hyperthermia with or without added anoxia, causes induction of MR mRNA expression in neonatal rat hippocampus without any effect on GR mRNA expression. We suggest this elevation of MR plays an important role in modulating the survival of neurons in the injured hippocampus.

It has been investigated, based on a rat model of human exposure to cadmium (Cd), whether zinc (Zn) supplementation may prevent Cd-induced alterations in lipid metabolism. For this purpose, the concentrations of free fatty acids (FFA), phospholipids (PL), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TCh), and high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL and LDL, respectively) as well as the concentrations of chosen indices of lipid peroxidation such as lipid peroxides (LPO), F2-isoprostane (F2-IsoP) and oxidized LDL (oxLDL) were estimated in the serum of male Wistar rats administered Cd (5 or 50mg/l) or/and Zn (30 or 60mg/l) in drinking water for 6 months. The exposure to 5 and 50mg Cd/l resulted in marked alterations in the lipid status reflected in increased concentrations of FFA, TCh, LDL, LPO, F2-IsoP and oxLDL, and decreased concentrations of PL and HDL in the serum. The concentrations of LDL, LPO, F2-IsoP and oxLDL were more markedly enhanced at the higher Cd dosage. The supplementation with Zn during the exposure to 5 and 50mg Cd/l entirely prevented all the Cd-induced changes in the serum concentrations of the estimated lipid compounds and indices of lipid peroxidation, except for the F2-IsoP for which Zn provided only partial protection. Based on the results it can be concluded that Zn supplementation during exposure to Cd may have a protective effect on lipid metabolism consisting in its ability to prevent hyperlipidemia, including especially hypercholesterolemia, and to protect from lipid peroxidation. The findings seem to suggest that enhanced dietary Zn intake during Cd exposure, via preventing alterations in the body status of lipids may, at least partly, protect against some effects of Cd toxicity, including oxidative damage to the cellular membranes and atherogenic action. The paper is the first report suggesting protective impact of Zn against proatherogenic Cd action on experimental model of chronic moderate and relatively high human exposure to this toxic metal.

In this study we present the nested RT-PCR strategy designed for detection of TBEV RNA in ticks Ixodes ricinus. The presented nested RT-PCR method using 2 different primer pairs specific primers for NS5 gene provides specific TBEV cDNA detectable by electroforesis in agarose gel. Of the 177 polls of ticks investigated, TBEV RNA was detected in 14, which accounts for 7.9% of all pools. We confront the PCR results of tested ticks to routine surveillance data. The obtained results showed that the TBEV RNA is detectable in ticks collected in areas in Poland, which are defined as an non-endemic. The nested RT-PCR method can be used as a tool of epidemiological surveillance as well as for screening of occurrence of circulating TBEV.

In Poland 40 measles cases were registered in 2007 (0.1 per 100,000 population). The most affected age group were infants (incidence 1.32 per 100,000 population) and 6-year olds (0.81). 18 measles cases (45%) were hospitalized, no deaths were recorded. Poland participates in the WHO Measles Elimination Strategy. Presently, the most important is the maintenance of a sensitive and timely surveillance of measles and measles-compatible cases, with serologic testing of one suspect case per 100,000 population. The performance of the surveillance system was insufficient with only 152 measles-compatible cases reported in 2007 (38% of expected reports). Serologic confirmation of cases was also insufficient, with 29 cases (73%) confirmed by IgM ELISA test. These results indicate the need to maintain the high immunisation coverage and improve measles surveillance system.

In Poland, 22,891 cases of rubella were registered in 2007 (incidence 60.1 per 100,000 population), of which 152 (0.7%) cases were laboratory confirmed. No cases of congenital rubella syndrome were reported. The incidence in men (88.7) was 62.5% higher than in women (33.3). The highest incidence was observed in children aged 6 and 7 years (492.8 and 540.5, respectively). No rubella deaths were registered. An improvement in diagnostic certainty of reported cases is necessary to assess the impact of 2-dose immunization implemented in 2003 on rubella epidemiology in Poland.

The present study was aimed at estimate, based on the rat model of human moderate and relatively high chronic exposure to cadmium (Cd), whether zinc (Zn) supplementation may prevent Cd-induced weakening in the bone biomechanical properties. For this purpose, male Wistar rats were administered Cd (5 or 50 mg/l) or/and Zn (30 or 60 mg/l) in drinking water for 6 and 12 months. Bone mineral density (BMD) and biomechanical properties (yield load, ultimate load, post-yield load, displacement at yield and at ultimate, stiffness, work to fracture, yield stress, ultimate stress and Young modulus of elasticity) of the femoral distal end and femoral diaphysis were examined. Biomechanical properties of the distal femur were estimated in a compression test, whereas those of the femoral diaphysis -- in a three-point bending test. Exposure to Cd, in a dose and duration dependent manner, decreased the BMD and weakened the biomechanical properties of the femur at its distal end and diaphysis. Zn supplementation during Cd exposure partly, but importantly, prevented the weakening in the bone biomechanical properties. The favorable Zn influence seemed to result from an independent action of this bioelement and its interaction with Cd. However, Zn supply at the exposure to Cd had no statistically significant influence on the BMD at the distal end and diaphysis of the femur. The results of the present paper suggest that Zn supplementation during exposure to Cd may have a protective influence on the bone tissue biomechanical properties, and in this way it can, at least partly, decrease the risk of bone fractures. The findings seem to indicate that enhanced dietary Zn intake may be beneficial for the skeleton in subjects chronically exposed to Cd.

In Poland, 20,668 cases of rubella were registered in 2006 (incidence 54.2 per 100,000 population), of which 103 (0.5%) cases were laboratory confirmed, and 173 (0.8%) were confirmed based on the epidemiological link with laboratory confirmed cases. The remaining 98.7% were reported based on clinician's diagnosis. No cases of congenital rubella syndrome were reported. In 2006 a 1.6-fold increase in incidence was noted, compared to 2005. As in 2005 rubella incidence among residents of urban areas was lower, compared to residents of rural areas (43.6 and 71.0 respectively). The incidence in men (68.5) was 67% higher than in women (40.8). The highest incidence was observed in children aged 8 and 9 years (468.6 and 488.1, respectively). Approximately 0.37% of cases required hospital admission. No rubella deaths were registered. Only 276 cases (1.3%) were confirmed either serologically or by epidemiological link to a laboratory-confirmed case. An improvement in diagnostic certainty of reported is necessary to assess the impact of 2-dose immunization implemented in 2003 on rubella epidemiology in Poland.

Currently an ecologic study assessing the relationship between tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) with diverse environmental and social factors at the lowest administrative level is developed for Poland. Because the disease is affecting only part of the country, the authors will try to identify factors which could explain this uneven geographic distribution of the disease. To increase precision of the analysis we will utilize the highest possible resolution of the analysis, for which routinely collected data are available. Part of the data at the commune level will be obtained from the Polish communicable disease surveillance system and the Central Statistical Office, and part will be obtained using GIS tools from maps prepared by diverse institutions. The outcome studied will be TBE cases assigned to commune of residence or to place of exposure. The explanatory variables will be: land use categories (percent of commune area and their border length), meteorological variables (temperatures, rainfall), socio-economic status of communes (income per capita, unemployment rate), and Lyme borreliosis incidence (as a complex indicator of tick activity and human to tick exposure).

In 2006, 15,115 cases of mumps were reported in Poland. The incidence (39.6 per 100,000) was considerably lower compared to 2005 (188.5) and to the median incidence in 2000-2004 (104.6). The decrease of mumps incidence in 2006 is related to high coverage of routine two-dose immunisation against measles, mumps and rubella, maintained since its implementation in 2003. Children 5-9 year old were the most affected age group (incidence 328.7 per 100,000). Since the immunisation schedule during 2003-2006 involved administration of MMR doses at the ages of 2 and 10 years, a stable decrease of mumps incidence is expected after routine immunisation will cover the school age birth cohorts (6-14 year olds). Of 15,115 cases, 656 (4.3%) were hospitalized and no deaths attributed to mumps were reported.

The aim of the present study is to investigate, based on the rat model of moderate and relatively high human exposure to cadmium (Cd), whether zinc (Zn) supplementation may prevent Cd-induced disorders in bone metabolism. For this purpose, male Wistar rats received Cd (5 and 50mg/l) or/and Zn (30 and 60mg/l) in drinking water for 6 and 12 months. Bone densitometry and biochemical markers of bone turnover were used to assess the effects of Cd or/and Zn. Bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) were measured in the femur. Serum osteocalcin (OC) and alkaline phosphatase in trabecular (bT-ALP) and cortical (bC-ALP) bone were determined as bone formation markers, and carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX) in serum were measured as bone resorption marker. Serum concentration of calcium (Ca) and its renal handling, as well as Zn and Cd concentrations in the serum/blood, urine and femur were evaluated as well. The exposure to 5 and 50mg Cd/l (0.340+/-0.026 and 2.498+/-0.093mg Cd/kg body wt/24h, respectively), in a dose and duration dependent manner, affected bone turnover (inhibited bone formation and stimulated its resorption) and disturbed bone mineralization (decreased BMC, BMD and Zn concentration). Zn supply at the concentration of 30 and 60mg/l (1.904+/-0.123 and 3.699+/-0.213mg/kg body wt/24h, respectively) during Cd exposure influenced the Cd-induced disorders in bone metabolism. Zn administration to the Cd-exposed rats enhanced the bone ALP activity and prevented Cd-induced bone resorption, but had no statistically significant effect on BMC and BMD; however, mean values of the densitometric parameters in the rats receiving both Cd and Zn were higher than in those treated with Cd alone. Moreover, Zn supplementation at both levels of Cd exposure was found to prevent Cd accumulation in the femur and the Cd-induced decrease in bone Zn concentration. The results of the present study allow the conclusion that Zn supplementation during Cd exposure may partly protect from disorders in bone metabolism. The influence of Zn may be accompanied by its ability to prevent Cd-induced Zn deficiency and to decrease Cd accumulation in bone tissue. The findings seem to indicate that enhanced dietary intake of Zn in subjects chronically exposed to moderate and relatively high Cd levels may have a protective influence on the skeleton.

Terrestrial snails are often exposed to freezing. Therefore, we investigated seasonal shifts in hemolymph concentrations of cryoprotectants such as glycerol and glucose. We also investigated whether summer acclimation to cold and short-day photoperiod induced synthesis of cryoprotectants in Helix pomatia snails. Concentrations of the both cryoprotectants were elevated in winter and reduced in summer. These changes, however, were not correlated with shifts in liver glycogen content. Summer acclimation to cold (5 degrees C) and short-day photoperiod evoked a selective increase in glycerol concentration. In conclusion, glycerol may play a role in adaptation of the snails to winter cold and glucose is rather unlikely to provide the cryoprotection.

Perinatal asphyxia in mammals leads to iron accumulation in the brain, which results in delayed neurobehavioural disturbances, including impaired learning and abnormal alertness over their entire life span. The aim of this investigation was to verify our hypothesis that newborn rats, showing reduced normal body temperature, are protected against neurotoxicity of the asphyxia up to senescence. Alertness was studied in adult and old male Wistar rats after exposure to critical neonatal anoxia: (i) at physiological neonatal body temperature of 33 degrees C, (ii) at body temperature elevated to 37 degrees C, or (iii) at body temperature elevated to 39 degrees C (the thermal conditions remained unchanged both during anoxia and for 2 h postanoxia). To elucidate the effect of iron-dependent postanoxic oxidative damage to the brain, half of the group (iii) was injected with deferoxamine, a chelator of iron. Postanoxic behavioural disturbances were recorded in open-field, elevated plus-maze, and sudden silence tests when the rats reached the age of 12 and 24 months. Open-field stress-induced motor activity was reduced in rats subjected to neonatal anoxia under hyperthermic conditions. In contrast, these rats were hyperactive in the plus-maze test. Both the plus-maze and sudden silence tests show reduced alertness of these rats to external stimuli signalling potential dangers. The behavioural disturbances were prevented by body temperature of 33 degrees C and by administration of deferoxamine.

In asphyxiated newborns iron, released from heme and ferritin and deposited in the brain, contributes to neurodegeneration. Because hypothermia provides neuroprotection, newborn mammals, showing spontaneously reduced body temperature, might avoid the iron-mediated neurotoxicity. Therefore, we decided to study the effects of body temperature and chelation of iron with deferoxamine on iron accumulation in the brain of three weeks old rats exposed neonatally to a critical anoxia. At the age of two days, newborn rats were exposed to anoxia in 100% nitrogen atmosphere. Rectal temperature was kept at 33 degrees C (typical of the rat neonates), or elevated to a level typical of febrile (39 degrees C) adults. Control rats were exposed to atmospheric air in the respective thermal conditions. Half of the rats exposed to anoxia under hyperthermic conditions were injected with deferoxamine (DF), immediately after anoxia and 24 h later. Regional changes in cerebral iron deposition were examined in the frontal cortex, the hippocampus and the striatum, using iron histochemistry, when the rats reached the age of three weeks. Increased iron staining was found in neurons of each of the three cerebral regions in rats exposed to neonatal anoxia under hyperthermic conditions and the iron accumulation was prevented by postanoxic DF injection. In conclusion, febrile body temperature amplifies cerebral hyperferremia, which might induce neurodegenerative disturbances in the brain. On the other hand, a protection against the brain hyperferremia can be achieved by both the reduced physiological neonatal body temperature and by postasphyxic DF administration.

Alertness was studied in adult male Wistar rats after neonatal critical anoxia applied under three different thermal conditions: (i) at physiological neonatal body temperature of 33 degrees C, (ii) at body temperature elevated to 37 degrees C, and (iii) at body temperature elevated to 39 degrees C (both during anoxia and for 2 h postanoxia). To elucidate the effect of iron-dependent postanoxic oxidative damage to the brain, half of the group (iii) was injected with deferoxamine, a chelator of iron. Postanoxic behavioural disturbances were recorded in open-field, elevated plus-maze, and sudden silence tests when the rats reached the age of 4 month. Moreover, spontaneous motor activity of the rats was recorded radiotelemetrically in their home-cages. Both open-field stress-induced and spontaneous motor activity were reduced in rats subjected to neonatal anoxia under hyperthermic conditions. In contrast, these rats were hyperactive in the plus-maze test. Both the plus-maze and sudden silence tests revealed that these rats show reduced alertness to external stimuli signalling potential dangers. The behavioural disturbances were prevented by the body temperature of 33 degrees C and by postanoxic administration of deferoxamine. These data support the conclusion that permanent postanoxic behavioural disturbances are due to iron-dependent oxidative damage to the brain, which can be prevented by the reduced neonatal body temperature.

Newborn mammals, showing reduced normal body temperature, might be protected against iron-mediated, delayed neurotoxicity of perinatal asphyxia. Therefore, we investigated the effects of (1) neonatal body temperature and neonatal critical anoxia as well as (2) postanoxic chelation of iron with deferoxamine, on open-field stress-induced behaviour in juvenile rats. The third aim of this study was to compare (after the above-mentioned treatments) circadian changes in spontaneous motor activity and body temperature in juvenile rats permanently protected from any stress. Neonatal anoxia at body temperature adjusted (both during anoxia and 2 h reoxygenation) to a level typical of healthy (37 degrees C) or febrile (39 degrees C) adults led to the stress-induced hyperactivity in juvenile (5-45 days old) rats. Both normal neonatal body temperature of 33 degrees C and chelation of iron prevented the hyperactivity in rats. Neither neonatal body temperature nor neonatal anoxia affected spontaneous motor activity or body temperature of juvenile rats, recorded in their home-cages with implantable transmitters. Circadian rhythmicity was also undisturbed. Presented data support the hypothesis that physiologically reduced neonatal body temperature can provide a protection against iron-mediated postanoxic disturbances of behavioural stress responses in juvenile rats.

The dangerous for health nitrate and nitrite can penetrate with food human organism for this reason in study the influence of thermal processing and storage on the level of these compounds in the vegetables was determined. The content of nitrates and nitrites was determined in such vegetables as carrot, parsley-root, celery and potatoes growing by farmers in the Podlasie province. Nitrates and nitrites were assessed in fresh and boiled vegetables as well as in the stock and in carrot juice. These compounds were also determined after storage of vegetables at +4 degrees C for 2 weeks and at -15 degrees C for 1 and 3 months. Nitrates and nitrites concentrations were assayed colorimetrically by the Griess method modified to food investigation. Boiling reduced nitrate content in the vegetables. Considerable part (about 50%) of these compounds passed into stock during boiling. Storage of these vegetables at +4 degrees C resulted in slight lowering of nitrate content in carrot and parsley-root and marked elevation in celery. Cold storage of vegetables through 1 and 3 months had no important influence on nitrate content. Boiling decreased the content of nitrites similarly as nitrates. Storage of the vegetables at +4 degrees C through 2 weeks led to an increase in nitrite content in carrot and parsley-root while in celery the content of nitrites was reduced. Storage of vegetables at -15 degrees C resulted in lowering content of nitrite. The study revealed that the vegetable-roots (carrot, parsley and celery) and potatoes cultivated in the Podlasie province as well as in the other provinces were excessively contaminated by nitrates and nitrites. Moreover, it has been shown that thermal processing such as boiling considerably reduced the content of nitrates and nitrites in these vegetables while freezing changed mainly nitrite content.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been found to play an important role as a signal molecule in many parts of the organism. However, under certain conditions, like hypoxia or ischemia, it acts as a cytotoxic effector molecule. It appears paradoxical that NO on the one hand acts as a physiological intercellular messenger and on the other can have damaging effects to cells. To make things even more complicated cytoprotective properties of NO are also described. Whether NO is useful or harmful depends on the rate and location of its production.