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Dermatophytosis in cattle is most often caused by infection with Trichophyton verrucosum (T. verrucosum), but also with Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes) and others, regardless of the geographical zone. The infection is transmitted through direct contact between animals as well as infected environmental elements. The human-to-human transmission of fungal infection is also possible.. This retrospective study was conducted based on a detailed analysis of the results of the mycological examination and medical documentation of 40 patients from Greater Poland, diagnosed with cattle-to-human dermatophytoses from March 2017 to November 2023. T. verrucosum accounted for 97.5% of infections and T. mentagrophytes for 2.5%; no other species of dermatophytes from cattle were found. Superficial skin mycosis in humans associated with cattle was more often diagnosed in small children and men directly engaged in cattle breeding. The dominant etiological factor of the superficial fungal skin infection was T. verrucosum, which mainly affected the scalp in children and upper limbs in adult men. In relation to the cattle population in Greater Poland, the number of cases of superficial skin mycoses among cattle breeders and their family members over the period of more than six and a half years of observation does not seem to be high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of natural killer (NK) cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathogenesis has been discussed but is not yet clearly understood. This current study aimed to evaluate the associations between immunophenotypes, degrees of maturity, and the expression level of functional receptors of NK cells in the lung environment present in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and an attempt was made to determine their relationship in the course and progression of COPD. A total of 15 COPD patients and 14 healthy smokers were included. The clinical parameters of COPD were evaluated. In both groups, NK cells using monoclonal antibodies directly conjugated with fluorochromes in flow cytometry were assessed in the peripheral blood. Additionally, NK cells using the same method were assessed in BALF in the COPD subgroup. The blood's NK cells differed from the estimated group's maturity and receptor expression. Functional receptors CD158b+, CD314+, and CD336+ expressed by NK cells were significantly interlinked with age, RV, TLC, 6MWT, smoking, and the number of exacerbations. These results confirm the essential role of NK cells in COPD pathogenesis. Additionally, the relationship between clinical parameters and NK cell expression may indicate its participation in the disease progression and exacerbation and allow for a better understanding of NK cell biology in COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is considered to be one of the major causes of resistant arterial hypertension (RAH). Apnea episodes cause hypoxia, which triggers the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. This leads to water retention and swelling in the neck region, exacerbating OSA symptoms. It is assumed that the use of eplerenone may reduce the swelling and thus alleviate the severity of OSA. OBJECTIVES    We aimed to prospectively assess the impact of eplerenone on the severity of OSA and arterial stiffness in patients with RAH. PATIENTS AND METHODS    The study included 31 patients with RAH and OSA. The exclusion criteria were as follows: secondary hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke 6 months prior to the study, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney failure, alcohol or drug addiction, and active cancer. In all patients, the following tests were performed: blood pressure (BP) measurement (traditionally and using ambulatory BP measuring [ABPM]), applanation tonometry, polysomnography, and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) calculation. The tests were done before and after 3 months of eplerenone therapy. Patients received 50 mg of oral eplerenone daily, along with other hypertensive drugs. RESULTS    The mean age of participants was 57.76 ±6.16 years. After 3 months of eplerenone therapy, we observed a significant reduction in the AHI, neck circumference, BP, aortic pulse wave, and arterial wall stiffness. There were significant correlations between the AHI and mean BP measured by ABPM and between the AHI and arterial stiffness parameters. CONCLUSIONS    Our results provide evidence for the clinical significance of eplerenone, not only as an antihypertensive medication but also as a drug that may reduce the severity of OSA and arterial stiffness in patients with RAH and OSA.