Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego

Witamy w Repozytorium UR: cyfrowym archiwum dorobku naukowego i dydaktycznego Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego.

Serwis zapewnia otwarty dostęp do materiałów naukowych i akademickich. Proces archiwizacji publikacji jest realizowany samodzielnie przez pracowników i doktorantów UR.

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Najnowsze publikacje

  • Miniatura
    Item type: Pozycja ,
    Evaluation of serum and follicular fluid progranulin in relevance to BMI, oocyte, and embryo quality in Iraqi women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection
    (Rzeszów University Press, 2026-06) Al-Zori, Inaam Khazal S.; Abood, Muayad Sraibet; Mossa, Hayder A. L.
    Introduction and aim. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine-metabolic disease often associated with obesity, persistent low-grade inflammation, and suboptimal results of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The aim was to evaluate the relevance of serum and follicular progranulin (PGRN) levels in relation to intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes among normal and overweight/obese body mass index (BMI) women with PCOS. Material and methods. This prospective comparative study included women diagnosed with PCOS undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) between the first of October 2024 and the first of April 2025. Baseline serum markers were measured on cycle days 2‒3. Participants were categorized as having a normal BMI, group 1 (n=30), or being overweight/obese, group 2 (n=37). Fasting serum and follicular fluid progranulin (PGRN) levels were assessed on oocyte retrieval day. Results. Women with normal BMI were younger and had significantly lower BMI and shorter infertility duration compared with overweight/obese women (p≤0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between BMI groups in the number of retrieved oocytes, MII oocytes, fertilized oocytes, embryo grades, blastocysts, or biochemical pregnancy rate (p>0.05). Numerically, normal-BMI women showed slightly higher retrieved and MII oocyte counts, whereas overweight/obese women demonstrated higher numbers of fertilized oocytes, total embryos, grade I embryos, blastocysts, and biochemical pregnancy rates; however, these differences did not reach statistical significance. Serum and follicular fluid PGRN levels were comparable between groups (p>0.05), with only limited correlations observed between follicular fluid PGRN and total oocyte count. Conclusion. Serum and follicular fluid PGRN levels were comparable across BMI categories in women with PCOS undergoing ICSI. Although numerical variations in oocyte and embryo parameters were observed between BMI groups, most differences were not statistically significant. The findings suggest that follicular fluid PGRN may be associated with certain ovarian response parameters; however, its independent clinical relevance in predicting ART outcomes remains uncertain. Larger studies incorporating clinical pregnancy and live birth outcomes are required to clarify the potential role of follicular fluid PGRN in PCOS-related infertility.
  • Miniatura
    Item type: Pozycja ,
    Ultrasonographic features of pediatric umbilical hernias ‒ associations with age, sex, and hernial orifice width
    (Rzeszów University Press, 2026-06) Kawalec-Rutkowska, Agata Maria
    Introduction and aim. Given the limited data on standardized ultrasound evaluation of hernial defect morphology in pediatric umbilical hernias, this study aimed to evaluate the ultrasonographic features of primary umbilical hernias in pediatric patients, with a particular focus on the width of the hernial orifice, the contents of the hernial sac and their potential correlation with age and sex. Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of medical records of pediatric patients with primary umbilical hernia who presented to the pediatric surgery outpatient clinic and had ultrasonographic measurements performed using a standardized protocol between 01.01.2024 and 31.07.2025. Results. Analysis of ultrasound measurements of the width of the hernial orifice width demonstrated a significant association between the width of the hernial orifice and the contents of the hernial sac. Children with intestinal loops present in the hernial sac were significantly younger than those with preperitoneal fat (p=0.016), and the width of the hernial orifice was greater in cases containing intestinal loops (p=0.028). In particular, among children with a hernial orifice larger than 14 mm, intestinal loops were observed more frequently than among those with an orifice width of 14 mm or less (58.82% vs 15.38%; p=0.026). Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the umbilical orifice was wider in boys than in girls (mean±SD: 15.44±1.64mm vs. 13.08±2.43mm; p=0.043).There was a difference between the width of the hernial orifice in children under 1 year of age and older. Conclusion. Ultrasonographic evaluation of pediatric umbilical hernias provides clinically relevant information on the morphology of hernial defects. In particular, the width of the hernial orifice is associated with the presence of intestinal loops in the hernial sac, especially in younger children, with a threshold value of >14 mm identifying patients at higher likelihood of intestinal content. These findings suggest that ultrasonography may contribute to risk stratification and support clinical decision-making in the management and follow-up of pediatric umbilical hernias.
  • Miniatura
    Item type: Pozycja ,
    Association of vitamin D deficiency with inflammatory cytokines and disease severity in chronic heart failure
    (Rzeszów University Press, 2026-06) Almammadov, Fazil Choban
    Introduction and aim. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with impaired cardiovascular dysfunction and adverse outcomes in chronic heart failure (CHF); yet the connection between inflammatory and cardiac biomarkers in different disease severities remains incompletely understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of vitamin D and related biochemical parameters in the etiopathophysiology and severity of chronic heart failure. Material and methods. A total of 219 people diagnosed with chronic heart failure, aged 30 and 89 years, were enrolled and stratified according to the functional class (I–II, n=123; III–IV, n=96). An age and sex-matched control group of 51 apparently healthy individuals was included. Serum levels of vitamin D, natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-18 (IL-18) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), galectin-3 and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) were quantified using validated immunoassays. Comparisons between groups were performed using nonparametric statistical tests. Associations between variables were evaluated using Spearman’s correlation analysis. The diagnostic utility of the selected biomarkers for different levels of severity of CHF was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with CHF severity. Across increasing NYHA functional classes, serum levels of IL-6, IL-18, TNF-α, BNP, NT-proBNP, galectin-3, and FGF-23 differed significantly (p<0.001). Vitamin D concentrations were positively associated with left ventricular ejection fraction and inversely related to BNP, NT-proBNP, IL-6, IL-18, TNF-α, galectin-3, and FGF-23. ROC analysis indicated that IL-6 (AUC 0.799, sensitivity 75%, specificity 78%) and galectin-3 (AUC 0.791, sensitivity 72%, specificity 80%) were the most discriminative biomarkers in patients with CHF with vitamin D deficiency, supporting their clinical utility for risk stratification and disease monitoring. Conclusion. This study provides novel evidence by integrating inflammatory cytokines, galectin-3, FGF-23, and natriuretic peptides in patients with vitamin D-deficient CHF, identifying IL-6 and galectin-3 as the most discriminative biomarkers of disease severity in this clinical setting.
  • Miniatura
    Item type: Pozycja ,
    Chromium picolinate modulates nitric oxide pathways but enhances myocardial peroxynitrite formation in a rat heart during metabolic syndrome modeling
    (Rzeszów University Press, 2026-06) Akimov, Oleh; Mykytenko, Andrii; Kostenko, Vitalii
    Introduction and aim. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a global non-communicable health burden. Chromium picolinate (CRPIC) as modulator of p38 MAPK cascade may have a potential therapeutic effect on MetS. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effects of CRPIC administration on nitric oxide generation and myocardial levels of nitric oxide metabolites in rats under conditions of metabolic syndrome. Material and methods. The experiment was performed on 24 Wistar rats, which were randomly allocated into four groups (n=6 per group): Group I, the control group; Group II, the metabolic syndrome (MetS) group, in which MetS was induced by providing a 20% fructose solution as the sole source of drinking water for 60 days; Group III, the CRPIC-treated group, receiving CRPIC at a dose of 80 µg/kg; and Group IV, the CRPIC+MetS group, in which CRPIC administration was carried out under conditions of experimentally induced metabolic syndrome. The following biochemical parameters were evaluated: total nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, inducible NOS (iNOS) and constitutive NOS (cNOS) activities, arginase activity, nitrite reductase and nitrate reductase activities, as well as the concentrations of nitrites, peroxynitrites, nitrosothiols, and hydrogen sulfide. Results. Administration of CRPIC under MetS conditions resulted in a 38.2% reduction in NOS activity and a 40.2% decrease in iNOS activity, accompanied by a 48.9% increase in cNOS activity compared with the MetS group. CRPIC treatment also reduced arginase activity by 13.2%. While the activity of nitrate reductase remained unchanged, nitrite reductase activity decreased by 37.0%. Furthermore, CRPIC increased nitrite levels by 95.2% and peroxynitrite concentrations by 35.2%, while the content of nitrosothiols was reduced by 49.1%. H2S levels also decreased by 16.8%. Conclusion. Administration of CRPIC on the background of metabolic syndrome modeling alleviates enhanced nitric oxide production from the L-arginine-dependent and L-arginine-independent pathways, but increases peroxynitrite compared to the metabolic syndrome group.
  • Miniatura
    Item type: Pozycja ,
    Evaluating the roles of interleukin-17, C3, C4, antinuclear antibody, and antiphospholipid antibody in the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus
    (Rzeszów University Press, 2026-06) Khudhair, Hasan Abd Ali; Lafta, Sally Fadhel
    Introduction and aim. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by immune dysregulation, autoantibody (Abs) production, and complement (C) consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic relevance of antinuclear antibodies (ANA), interleukin (IL)-17A, complement components C3 and C4, and antiphospholipid (APL) Abs in patients to SLE compared with healthy individuals. This study provides an assessment of these biomarkers within a single cohort of an Iraqi population, addressing a regional knowledge gap. Material and methods. A prospective case–control study was conducted in Al-Nasiriyah, Iraq, from July 2024 to July 2025, including 110 patients with SLE and 70 apparently healthy individuals. Serum levels of ANA, IL-17A, complement C3, complement C4 and APL immunoglobulin (Ig) M and G were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and nephelometry. Statistical analyzes were included using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, and correlation analyses. Results. Patients with SLE showed significantly higher levels of ANA, IL-17A, and APL Abs, along with significantly lower levels of complement C3 and C4. ANA was positively correlated with IL-17A and APL Abs and negatively with complement components. There were also significant negative correlations of APL-IgM/IgG with C3 and C4, while IL-17A did not show a correlation with C3 or C4. Conclusion. These findings demonstrate coordinated immune activation and complement depletion in SLE and emphasize the value of combined biomarker evaluation within a context of a population of the Middle East specifically.