Lucyna Konieczna | Medical University of Gdańsk (original) (raw)

Papers by Lucyna Konieczna

Research paper thumbnail of Micellar electrokinetic chromatography for the determination of cortisol in urine samples in view of biomedical studies

ELECTROPHORESIS, 2010

An MEKC method used for the determination of cortisol in urine was developed and elaborated. In t... more An MEKC method used for the determination of cortisol in urine was developed and elaborated. In turn, the measurements of urinary free cortisol provided the diagnostic information for excess adrenal production of cortisol. MEKC realized by the addition of anionic surfactant SDS to the buffer solution was demonstrated to be the appropriate mode for the separation of cortisol and dexamethasone was used as internal standard. A buffer solution composed of 10 mM sodium tetraborate and 50 mM SDS at pH 8.8 was used. The MEKC assay was evaluated by analyzing a series of urine samples containing cortisol in variable concentrations. The proposed method was validated for specificity, linearity, LODs and LOQs, precision and trueness. The LOQ for cortisol equaled 5 ng/mL. The method was selective and reliable for identification and can detect changes of endogenous levels of cortisol in urine under different stress situations.

Research paper thumbnail of Ekspozycja na dym tytoniowy a poziom 1-hydroksypirenu u osob palacych i niepalacych

Bromatologia i Chemia Toksykologiczna, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Development of a Reversed-Phase HPLC Method for Analysis of Fluocinolone Acetonide in Gel and Ointment

Acta Chromatographica, 2006

SUMMARY An accurate and precise HPLC assay has been established for simultaneous determination of... more SUMMARY An accurate and precise HPLC assay has been established for simultaneous determination of fluocinolone acetonide and additives in gel. Drugs were chromatographed on a C18 reversed-phase column with 55:45 (v/v) methanol–water as mobile phase and detection at 238 nm. Solution concentrations were measured on a weight basis to avoid the use of an internal standard. The method was statistically validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, and selectivity. Linearity for assay of fluocinolone acetonide, methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (nipagin M), and propyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (nipagin P) were confirmed over the ranges 0.5–30, 5–200, and 10–120 µg mL −1 , respectively. Because of the simplicity and accuracy of the method, it was used for routine analysis of fluocinolone acetonide in ointment. It does not require any specific sample preparation.

Research paper thumbnail of Development of the HPLC Method for Simultaneous Determination of Lidocaine Hydrochloride and Tribenoside Along with Their Impurities Supported by the QSRR Approach

Chromatographia, 2012

A new liquid chromatographic (LC) method for simultaneous determination of lidocaine hydrochlorid... more A new liquid chromatographic (LC) method for simultaneous determination of lidocaine hydrochloride (LH) and tribenoside (TR) along with their related compounds in pharmaceutical preparations is described. Satisfactory LC separation of all analytes after the liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) procedure with ethanol was performed on a C 18 column using a gradient elution of a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1 % orthophosphoric acid as the mobile phase. The procedure was validated according to the ICH guidelines. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 4.36 and 13.21 lg mL-1 for LH, 7.60 and 23.04 lg mL-1 for TR, and below 0.11 and 0.33 lg mL-1 for their impurities, respectively. Intra-and inter-day precision was below 1.97 %, whereas accuracy for all analytes ranged from 98.17 to 101.94 %. The proposed method was sensitive, robust, and specific allowing reliable simultaneous quantification of all mentioned compounds. Moreover, a comparative study of the RP-LC column classification based on the quantitative structure-retention relationships (QSRR) and column selectivity obtained in real pharmaceutical analysis was innovatively applied using factor analysis (FA). In the column performance test, the analysis of LH and TR in the presence of their impurities was carried out according to the developed method with the use of 12 RP-LC stationary phases previously tested under the QSRR conditions. The obtained results confirmed that the classes of the stationary phases selected in accordance with the QSRR models provided comparable separation for LH, TR, and their impurities. Hence, it was concluded that the proposed QSRR approach could be considered a supportive tool in the selection of the suitable column for the pharmaceutical analysis. Keywords Column Liquid chromatography Á Column classification Á Quantitative structure-retention relationships Á Factor analysis Á Lidocaine hydrochloride Á Tribenoside Á Impurities Published in the topical collection Chemometrics in Chromatography with guest editors B. Jančić-Stojanović and Y. Dotsikas.

Research paper thumbnail of Targeted MS-based proteomic quantitation of osteopontin in healthy and cancerous human breast tissues

Research paper thumbnail of Szybkie i jednoczesne oznaczanie 36 aminokwasów w nieinwazyjnych i inwazyjnych próbkach biologicznych otrzymanych od pacjentów bariatrycznych za pomocą chromatografii cieczowej sprzężonej ze spektrometrią mas

Research paper thumbnail of Is there any variability on the level of cortisol, corticosterone and cortisone in healthy volunteers in comparison to women and men with elevated cholesterol?

European Journal of Translational and Clinical Medicine, 2021

This is Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share... more This is Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

Research paper thumbnail of DeltaF508 CFTR Hetero- and Homozygous Paediatric Patients with Cystic Fibrosis Do Not Differ with Regard to Nutritional Status

Nutrients, 2021

The purpose of this study was to compare the nutritional status between deltaF508 CFTR hetero- an... more The purpose of this study was to compare the nutritional status between deltaF508 CFTR hetero- and homozygous paediatric patients with cystic fibrosis. We assessed the percentage profiles of fatty acids measured in erythrocyte membranes and the serum levels of vitamins A, D3, E and K1 in the studied groups. We also measured the weights and heights and calculated the body mass indexes (BMIs). The studied groups consisted of 34 heterozygous and 30 homozygous patients. No statistically significant differences were found in the serum vitamins or erythrocyte membrane fatty acid profiles between the hetero- and homozygous patient groups, except for heptadecanoic acid (p = 0.038). The mean percentiles of height, weight and BMI did not differ significantly between the two groups. The homozygous and heterozygous paediatric patients with cystic fibrosis were similar in terms of their nutritional statuses.

Research paper thumbnail of Vitamin D and anti-Müllerian hormone concentration in human follicular fluid individually aspirated from all patient follicles

Gynecological Endocrinology, 2021

OBJECTIVE The main aim of this prospective study was to investigate the relationship between intr... more OBJECTIVE The main aim of this prospective study was to investigate the relationship between intrafollicular vitamin D and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentration and its impact on oocyte quality and developmental competence. METHODS The analysis was performed on 208 follicular fluid (FF) samples obtained from 33 patients undergoing ovarian stimulation as part of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment that included intracytoplasmic sperm injection. RESULTS Our study shows that vitamin D concentration in FF varies according to the developmental stage of the oocyte and corelates with embryo development status on day 3, while AMH concentration in FF is not correlated with the developmental potential of an oocyte. We demonstrated that the levels of vitamin D and AMH were higher in FF than in serum. Moreover we showed that AMH and vitamin D levels were positively correlated in FF but not in serum. CONCLUSION FF-AMH levels do not appear to be a suitable as noninvasive test of the developmental potential of an oocyte, while FF-vitamin D level can be used to evaluate whether embryos obtained from particular oocytes have potential of reaching the third day of culture. However, our results encourage further research to be carried out on a larger number of patients and testing additional components found in FF such as androgens.

Research paper thumbnail of Plausible Role of Estrogens in Pathogenesis, Progression and Therapy of Lung Cancer

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021

Malignant neoplasms are among the most common diseases and are responsible for the majority of de... more Malignant neoplasms are among the most common diseases and are responsible for the majority of deaths in the developed world. In contrast to men, available data show a clear upward trend in the incidence of lung cancer in women, making it almost as prevalent as breast cancer. Women might be more susceptible to the carcinogenic effect of tobacco smoke than men. Furthermore, available data indicate a much more frequent mutation of the tumor suppressor gene-p53 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) female patients compared to males. Another important factor, however, might lie in the female sex hormones, whose mitogenic or carcinogenic effect is well known. Epidemiologic data show a correlation between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or oral contraceptives (OCs), and increased mortality rates due to the increased incidence of malignant tumors, including lung cancer. Interestingly, two types of estrogen receptors have been detected in lung cancer cells: ERα and ERβ. The presence of ER...

Research paper thumbnail of A Review of the Usefulness of Non-invasive Exhaled Breath Condensate pH Analysis for Diseases Diagnosis with Elements of Meta-analysis: An Update from 2012

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) sample analysis is an entirely non-invasive novel sample collecti... more Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) sample analysis is an entirely non-invasive novel sample collection method that is fast, easy to perform, and effort-appeared independent. EBC samples can be very useful in identifying the biomarkers of many diseases. This review provides an updated overview of EBC pH disturbances in different disorders as well as physiological levels among healthy individuals since 2012. Our meta-analysis addresses some of the key questions related to sample processing before pH measurement and discusses various methods of condensate standardization that can be employed prior to conducting a pH assay. Given the recent widespread interest in research into the use of EBC to identify biomarkers, it is necessary to establish a pathway leading from analytical methods for biomarker evaluation using EBC pH to clinical applications of this technology. This review fills a gap in the literature and attempts to connect theory to practical analytical approaches to analyzing EBC ...

Research paper thumbnail of Bioanalysis of a panel of neurotransmitters and their metabolites in plasma samples obtained from pediatric patients with neuroblastoma and Wilms' tumor

Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences, 2018

This paper details the quantitative analysis of neurotransmitters, including dopamine (DA), norep... more This paper details the quantitative analysis of neurotransmitters, including dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and serotonin (5-HT), along with their respective precursors and metabolites in children with solid tumors: Wilms' tumor (WT) and neuroblastoma (NB). A panel of neurotransmitters was determined with the use of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) technique combined with liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in plasma samples obtained from a group of pediatric subjects with solid tumors and a control group of healthy children. Next, statistical univariate analysis (t-test) and multivariate analysis (Principal Component Analysis) were performed using chromatographic data. The levels of tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp) (the precursors of analyzed neurotransmitters) as well as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) (a product of metabolism of DA) were significantly higher in the plasma samples obtained from pediatric patients w...

Research paper thumbnail of Bioanalysis of underivatized amino acids in non-invasive exhaled breath condensate samples using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

Journal of chromatography. A, Jan 23, 2018

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is receiving increased attention as a novel, entirely non-invasiv... more Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is receiving increased attention as a novel, entirely non-invasive technique for collecting biomarker samples. This increased attention is due to the fact that EBC is simple, effort independent, rapid, can be repeated frequently, and can be performed on young children and patients suffering from a variety of diseases. By having a subject breathe tidally through a cooling system for 15-20 min, a sufficient amount of condensate is collected for analysis of biomarkers in clinical studies. However, bioanalysis of EBC involves an unavoidable sample preparation step due to the low concentration of its components. Thus, there is a need for a new and more sensitive analytical method of assessing EBC samples. While researchers have considered analyses of single and small quantities of amino acids - for example, those connected with leukemia - no one has previously attempted to simultaneously analyze a panel of 23 amino acids. Moreover, the present study is wel...

Research paper thumbnail of New 3D-printed sorbent for extraction of steroids from human plasma preceding LC-MS analysis

Journal of chromatography. A, Jan 13, 2018

In recent years, there has been an increasing worldwide interest in the use of alternative sample... more In recent years, there has been an increasing worldwide interest in the use of alternative sample preparation methods that are proceeded by separation techniques. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a 3D printing technique that is based the consecutive layering of softened/melted thermoplastic materials. In this study, a group of natural steroids and sexual hormones - namely, aldosterone, cortisol, β-estradiol, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and synthetic methyltestosterone and betamethasone - were separated and determined using an optimized high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method in positive ionization mode. 3D-printed sorbents were selected as the pre-concentration technique because they are generally low cost, fast, and simple to make and automate. Furthermore, the use of 3D-printed sorbents helps to minimize potential errors due to their repeatability and reproducibility, and their ability to eliminate carry over by using one printed...

Research paper thumbnail of The LC–MS method for the simultaneous analysis of selected fat-soluble vitamins and their metabolites in serum samples obtained from pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis

Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2016

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common genetic diseases in children and affects mainly re... more Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common genetic diseases in children and affects mainly respiratory and digestive system functions. Despite the prolonged supplementation of vitamins, malnutrition manifested by poor growth and weight loss in children is a major complication in CF related to pancreatic insufficiency and difficulty in absorbing fat-soluble vitamins. In the present study, we have developed and validated a sensitive and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method for the simultaneous quantification of three fat-soluble vitamins (A, E and K1) and two vitamin D3 active metabolites: 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in serum samples obtained from pediatric patients with CF. In optimized conditions, the LC-MS method was highly sensitive and presented excellent linearity with a regression coefficient higher than 0.999. The accuracy was in the range of 87.55-95.58 % for all analytes. The precision of the method, expressed as% RSD, ranged from 1.36 % to 3.74 % as the intra-day variability and from 2.35 % to 7.98 % as the inter-day precision for all the studied compounds. Sample preparation included a protein precipitation step with the use of methanol followed by liquid-liquid extraction with n-hexane. The statistical analysis (t-test and principal component analysis (PCA)) of the obtained results revealed significant changes in the plasma level of the analyzed compounds, with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, vitamin E and K1 present at extremely low concentrations in patients with cystic fibrosis in comparison to healthy controls. The elaborated method reached the expectations for the fast and reliable assessment of fat-soluble vitamin status in children with cystic fibrosis in order to diagnose the disease and monitor the treatment process.

Research paper thumbnail of The Osteopontin Tissue Level as a Breast Cancer Biomarker in Females After Mastectomy Measured by the Capillary Gel Electrophoresis Technique

Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening, 2013

A new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker may be of value in the diagnostic panel, especially amo... more A new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker may be of value in the diagnostic panel, especially among cancer diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the osteopontin (OPN) level measurable in the tumour tissue in females with diagnosed breast cancer after mastectomy, and to confirm its suitability to serve as a prognostic biomarker of the cancer.The OPN tissue levels and the classical risk factors were determined in twelve females. Tissue samples were collected and analysed by the capillary gel electrophoresis technique after previous appropriate preparation of the samples. A comparison between the OPN average values in the tissue of healthy versus cancer patients after mastectomy was performed using statistical univariate tests (ANOVA, t-test) and multivariate analysis (principal component analysis, PCA). The results demonstrate that the median values of the OPN in the tumour centre cancer tissue (10.940 μg/g; within the range of 3.772-23.648) are significantly higher compared to healthy cells (5.173 μg/g; within the range of 0.838- 17.583). Moreover, the increased tissue OPN level was correlated with the cancer stage.In this study osteopontin is presented as a possible candidate for a breast cancer biomarker. Further research is needed to obtain information on cancer signalling by means of the OPN threshold, and indication of its advanced stage.

Research paper thumbnail of Rapid and sensitive RP-LC method with amperometric detection for pharmacokinetic assessment of propafenone in human serum of healthy volunteers

Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2010

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography method with amperometric detection has been developed... more A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography method with amperometric detection has been developed for the determination of propafenone in serum. Sample preparation based on single extraction with dichloromethane using bupivacaine hydrochloride as internal standard. The compounds were separated on C 18 reversed phase analytical column with the mobile phase composed of methanol-acetonitrile⎯10 mM K 2 HPO 4 (45 : 25 : 30, v/v/v). Analytes were detected electrochemically with the use of amperometric detector. The quantification limit for propafenone in serum was 10 ng/mL. Linearity of the method was con firmed in the range of 10-500 ng/mL with correlation coefficient of 0.9998. Inter day relative standard devi ations (RSD) ranged from 0.27 to 11.9% and intra day RSD equalled from 1.1 to 9.7%. The newly developed method was applied for the monitoring of the drug in blood levels with 18 healthy volunteers taking tablet with propafenone.

Research paper thumbnail of Rapid analysis of loratadine in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Acta Chromatographica, 2010

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone reduce platelet activation and reactivity in older men and women

Aging, Jan 2, 2018

The cardiovascular effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are generally attributed to th... more The cardiovascular effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are generally attributed to their modulatory action on lipid and glucose metabolism. However, no studies suggest that circulating androgen levels influence the activation and reactivity of blood platelets - one of the main components of the haemostasis system directly involved in atherosclerosis. The levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and oestradiol in plasma from men and women aged from 60 to 65 years were measured by LC-MS; the aim was to identify any potential relationships between sex steroid levels and the markers of platelet activation (surface membrane expression of GPII/IIIa complex and P-selectin) and platelet reactivity in response to arachidonate, collagen or ADP, monitored with whole blood aggregometry and flow cytometry. The results of the part of the study indicate that the concentrations of testosterone and its reduced form, dihydrotestosterone are significantly negatively associated with plat...

Research paper thumbnail of Amino acid profiles as potential biomarkers for pediatric cancers: a preliminary communication

Biomarkers in Medicine

Aim: Childhood cancer remains one of the main cause of death in the pediatric population. Amino a... more Aim: Childhood cancer remains one of the main cause of death in the pediatric population. Amino acids (AAs) level alterations in plasma are considered to play a role in carcinogenesis and further course of the disease. Methods: Seventy-seven children with cancer, including 47 with hematological and 30 with solid tumors were enrolled in this study and compared with healthy children. Twenty-two plasma-free AAs were determined by HPLC with fluorometric detection. Results: The results revealed significant decrease in glutamine levels for oncological patients and significant increase in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, serine, citrulline, alanine, GABA, tryptophan, methionine, valine, phenylalanine and isoleucine levels in cancer children versus control. Conclusion: Plasma-free AA profile as a biomarker, which combines metabolic and clinical data, as an innovative and interdisciplinary approach, may allow for faster detection of tumor occurrence, and in the future for monitoring...

Research paper thumbnail of Micellar electrokinetic chromatography for the determination of cortisol in urine samples in view of biomedical studies

ELECTROPHORESIS, 2010

An MEKC method used for the determination of cortisol in urine was developed and elaborated. In t... more An MEKC method used for the determination of cortisol in urine was developed and elaborated. In turn, the measurements of urinary free cortisol provided the diagnostic information for excess adrenal production of cortisol. MEKC realized by the addition of anionic surfactant SDS to the buffer solution was demonstrated to be the appropriate mode for the separation of cortisol and dexamethasone was used as internal standard. A buffer solution composed of 10 mM sodium tetraborate and 50 mM SDS at pH 8.8 was used. The MEKC assay was evaluated by analyzing a series of urine samples containing cortisol in variable concentrations. The proposed method was validated for specificity, linearity, LODs and LOQs, precision and trueness. The LOQ for cortisol equaled 5 ng/mL. The method was selective and reliable for identification and can detect changes of endogenous levels of cortisol in urine under different stress situations.

Research paper thumbnail of Ekspozycja na dym tytoniowy a poziom 1-hydroksypirenu u osob palacych i niepalacych

Bromatologia i Chemia Toksykologiczna, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Development of a Reversed-Phase HPLC Method for Analysis of Fluocinolone Acetonide in Gel and Ointment

Acta Chromatographica, 2006

SUMMARY An accurate and precise HPLC assay has been established for simultaneous determination of... more SUMMARY An accurate and precise HPLC assay has been established for simultaneous determination of fluocinolone acetonide and additives in gel. Drugs were chromatographed on a C18 reversed-phase column with 55:45 (v/v) methanol–water as mobile phase and detection at 238 nm. Solution concentrations were measured on a weight basis to avoid the use of an internal standard. The method was statistically validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, and selectivity. Linearity for assay of fluocinolone acetonide, methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (nipagin M), and propyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (nipagin P) were confirmed over the ranges 0.5–30, 5–200, and 10–120 µg mL −1 , respectively. Because of the simplicity and accuracy of the method, it was used for routine analysis of fluocinolone acetonide in ointment. It does not require any specific sample preparation.

Research paper thumbnail of Development of the HPLC Method for Simultaneous Determination of Lidocaine Hydrochloride and Tribenoside Along with Their Impurities Supported by the QSRR Approach

Chromatographia, 2012

A new liquid chromatographic (LC) method for simultaneous determination of lidocaine hydrochlorid... more A new liquid chromatographic (LC) method for simultaneous determination of lidocaine hydrochloride (LH) and tribenoside (TR) along with their related compounds in pharmaceutical preparations is described. Satisfactory LC separation of all analytes after the liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) procedure with ethanol was performed on a C 18 column using a gradient elution of a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1 % orthophosphoric acid as the mobile phase. The procedure was validated according to the ICH guidelines. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 4.36 and 13.21 lg mL-1 for LH, 7.60 and 23.04 lg mL-1 for TR, and below 0.11 and 0.33 lg mL-1 for their impurities, respectively. Intra-and inter-day precision was below 1.97 %, whereas accuracy for all analytes ranged from 98.17 to 101.94 %. The proposed method was sensitive, robust, and specific allowing reliable simultaneous quantification of all mentioned compounds. Moreover, a comparative study of the RP-LC column classification based on the quantitative structure-retention relationships (QSRR) and column selectivity obtained in real pharmaceutical analysis was innovatively applied using factor analysis (FA). In the column performance test, the analysis of LH and TR in the presence of their impurities was carried out according to the developed method with the use of 12 RP-LC stationary phases previously tested under the QSRR conditions. The obtained results confirmed that the classes of the stationary phases selected in accordance with the QSRR models provided comparable separation for LH, TR, and their impurities. Hence, it was concluded that the proposed QSRR approach could be considered a supportive tool in the selection of the suitable column for the pharmaceutical analysis. Keywords Column Liquid chromatography Á Column classification Á Quantitative structure-retention relationships Á Factor analysis Á Lidocaine hydrochloride Á Tribenoside Á Impurities Published in the topical collection Chemometrics in Chromatography with guest editors B. Jančić-Stojanović and Y. Dotsikas.

Research paper thumbnail of Targeted MS-based proteomic quantitation of osteopontin in healthy and cancerous human breast tissues

Research paper thumbnail of Szybkie i jednoczesne oznaczanie 36 aminokwasów w nieinwazyjnych i inwazyjnych próbkach biologicznych otrzymanych od pacjentów bariatrycznych za pomocą chromatografii cieczowej sprzężonej ze spektrometrią mas

Research paper thumbnail of Is there any variability on the level of cortisol, corticosterone and cortisone in healthy volunteers in comparison to women and men with elevated cholesterol?

European Journal of Translational and Clinical Medicine, 2021

This is Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share... more This is Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

Research paper thumbnail of DeltaF508 CFTR Hetero- and Homozygous Paediatric Patients with Cystic Fibrosis Do Not Differ with Regard to Nutritional Status

Nutrients, 2021

The purpose of this study was to compare the nutritional status between deltaF508 CFTR hetero- an... more The purpose of this study was to compare the nutritional status between deltaF508 CFTR hetero- and homozygous paediatric patients with cystic fibrosis. We assessed the percentage profiles of fatty acids measured in erythrocyte membranes and the serum levels of vitamins A, D3, E and K1 in the studied groups. We also measured the weights and heights and calculated the body mass indexes (BMIs). The studied groups consisted of 34 heterozygous and 30 homozygous patients. No statistically significant differences were found in the serum vitamins or erythrocyte membrane fatty acid profiles between the hetero- and homozygous patient groups, except for heptadecanoic acid (p = 0.038). The mean percentiles of height, weight and BMI did not differ significantly between the two groups. The homozygous and heterozygous paediatric patients with cystic fibrosis were similar in terms of their nutritional statuses.

Research paper thumbnail of Vitamin D and anti-Müllerian hormone concentration in human follicular fluid individually aspirated from all patient follicles

Gynecological Endocrinology, 2021

OBJECTIVE The main aim of this prospective study was to investigate the relationship between intr... more OBJECTIVE The main aim of this prospective study was to investigate the relationship between intrafollicular vitamin D and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentration and its impact on oocyte quality and developmental competence. METHODS The analysis was performed on 208 follicular fluid (FF) samples obtained from 33 patients undergoing ovarian stimulation as part of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment that included intracytoplasmic sperm injection. RESULTS Our study shows that vitamin D concentration in FF varies according to the developmental stage of the oocyte and corelates with embryo development status on day 3, while AMH concentration in FF is not correlated with the developmental potential of an oocyte. We demonstrated that the levels of vitamin D and AMH were higher in FF than in serum. Moreover we showed that AMH and vitamin D levels were positively correlated in FF but not in serum. CONCLUSION FF-AMH levels do not appear to be a suitable as noninvasive test of the developmental potential of an oocyte, while FF-vitamin D level can be used to evaluate whether embryos obtained from particular oocytes have potential of reaching the third day of culture. However, our results encourage further research to be carried out on a larger number of patients and testing additional components found in FF such as androgens.

Research paper thumbnail of Plausible Role of Estrogens in Pathogenesis, Progression and Therapy of Lung Cancer

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021

Malignant neoplasms are among the most common diseases and are responsible for the majority of de... more Malignant neoplasms are among the most common diseases and are responsible for the majority of deaths in the developed world. In contrast to men, available data show a clear upward trend in the incidence of lung cancer in women, making it almost as prevalent as breast cancer. Women might be more susceptible to the carcinogenic effect of tobacco smoke than men. Furthermore, available data indicate a much more frequent mutation of the tumor suppressor gene-p53 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) female patients compared to males. Another important factor, however, might lie in the female sex hormones, whose mitogenic or carcinogenic effect is well known. Epidemiologic data show a correlation between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or oral contraceptives (OCs), and increased mortality rates due to the increased incidence of malignant tumors, including lung cancer. Interestingly, two types of estrogen receptors have been detected in lung cancer cells: ERα and ERβ. The presence of ER...

Research paper thumbnail of A Review of the Usefulness of Non-invasive Exhaled Breath Condensate pH Analysis for Diseases Diagnosis with Elements of Meta-analysis: An Update from 2012

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) sample analysis is an entirely non-invasive novel sample collecti... more Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) sample analysis is an entirely non-invasive novel sample collection method that is fast, easy to perform, and effort-appeared independent. EBC samples can be very useful in identifying the biomarkers of many diseases. This review provides an updated overview of EBC pH disturbances in different disorders as well as physiological levels among healthy individuals since 2012. Our meta-analysis addresses some of the key questions related to sample processing before pH measurement and discusses various methods of condensate standardization that can be employed prior to conducting a pH assay. Given the recent widespread interest in research into the use of EBC to identify biomarkers, it is necessary to establish a pathway leading from analytical methods for biomarker evaluation using EBC pH to clinical applications of this technology. This review fills a gap in the literature and attempts to connect theory to practical analytical approaches to analyzing EBC ...

Research paper thumbnail of Bioanalysis of a panel of neurotransmitters and their metabolites in plasma samples obtained from pediatric patients with neuroblastoma and Wilms' tumor

Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences, 2018

This paper details the quantitative analysis of neurotransmitters, including dopamine (DA), norep... more This paper details the quantitative analysis of neurotransmitters, including dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and serotonin (5-HT), along with their respective precursors and metabolites in children with solid tumors: Wilms' tumor (WT) and neuroblastoma (NB). A panel of neurotransmitters was determined with the use of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) technique combined with liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in plasma samples obtained from a group of pediatric subjects with solid tumors and a control group of healthy children. Next, statistical univariate analysis (t-test) and multivariate analysis (Principal Component Analysis) were performed using chromatographic data. The levels of tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp) (the precursors of analyzed neurotransmitters) as well as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) (a product of metabolism of DA) were significantly higher in the plasma samples obtained from pediatric patients w...

Research paper thumbnail of Bioanalysis of underivatized amino acids in non-invasive exhaled breath condensate samples using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

Journal of chromatography. A, Jan 23, 2018

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is receiving increased attention as a novel, entirely non-invasiv... more Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is receiving increased attention as a novel, entirely non-invasive technique for collecting biomarker samples. This increased attention is due to the fact that EBC is simple, effort independent, rapid, can be repeated frequently, and can be performed on young children and patients suffering from a variety of diseases. By having a subject breathe tidally through a cooling system for 15-20 min, a sufficient amount of condensate is collected for analysis of biomarkers in clinical studies. However, bioanalysis of EBC involves an unavoidable sample preparation step due to the low concentration of its components. Thus, there is a need for a new and more sensitive analytical method of assessing EBC samples. While researchers have considered analyses of single and small quantities of amino acids - for example, those connected with leukemia - no one has previously attempted to simultaneously analyze a panel of 23 amino acids. Moreover, the present study is wel...

Research paper thumbnail of New 3D-printed sorbent for extraction of steroids from human plasma preceding LC-MS analysis

Journal of chromatography. A, Jan 13, 2018

In recent years, there has been an increasing worldwide interest in the use of alternative sample... more In recent years, there has been an increasing worldwide interest in the use of alternative sample preparation methods that are proceeded by separation techniques. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a 3D printing technique that is based the consecutive layering of softened/melted thermoplastic materials. In this study, a group of natural steroids and sexual hormones - namely, aldosterone, cortisol, β-estradiol, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and synthetic methyltestosterone and betamethasone - were separated and determined using an optimized high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method in positive ionization mode. 3D-printed sorbents were selected as the pre-concentration technique because they are generally low cost, fast, and simple to make and automate. Furthermore, the use of 3D-printed sorbents helps to minimize potential errors due to their repeatability and reproducibility, and their ability to eliminate carry over by using one printed...

Research paper thumbnail of The LC–MS method for the simultaneous analysis of selected fat-soluble vitamins and their metabolites in serum samples obtained from pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis

Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2016

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common genetic diseases in children and affects mainly re... more Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common genetic diseases in children and affects mainly respiratory and digestive system functions. Despite the prolonged supplementation of vitamins, malnutrition manifested by poor growth and weight loss in children is a major complication in CF related to pancreatic insufficiency and difficulty in absorbing fat-soluble vitamins. In the present study, we have developed and validated a sensitive and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method for the simultaneous quantification of three fat-soluble vitamins (A, E and K1) and two vitamin D3 active metabolites: 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in serum samples obtained from pediatric patients with CF. In optimized conditions, the LC-MS method was highly sensitive and presented excellent linearity with a regression coefficient higher than 0.999. The accuracy was in the range of 87.55-95.58 % for all analytes. The precision of the method, expressed as% RSD, ranged from 1.36 % to 3.74 % as the intra-day variability and from 2.35 % to 7.98 % as the inter-day precision for all the studied compounds. Sample preparation included a protein precipitation step with the use of methanol followed by liquid-liquid extraction with n-hexane. The statistical analysis (t-test and principal component analysis (PCA)) of the obtained results revealed significant changes in the plasma level of the analyzed compounds, with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, vitamin E and K1 present at extremely low concentrations in patients with cystic fibrosis in comparison to healthy controls. The elaborated method reached the expectations for the fast and reliable assessment of fat-soluble vitamin status in children with cystic fibrosis in order to diagnose the disease and monitor the treatment process.

Research paper thumbnail of The Osteopontin Tissue Level as a Breast Cancer Biomarker in Females After Mastectomy Measured by the Capillary Gel Electrophoresis Technique

Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening, 2013

A new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker may be of value in the diagnostic panel, especially amo... more A new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker may be of value in the diagnostic panel, especially among cancer diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the osteopontin (OPN) level measurable in the tumour tissue in females with diagnosed breast cancer after mastectomy, and to confirm its suitability to serve as a prognostic biomarker of the cancer.The OPN tissue levels and the classical risk factors were determined in twelve females. Tissue samples were collected and analysed by the capillary gel electrophoresis technique after previous appropriate preparation of the samples. A comparison between the OPN average values in the tissue of healthy versus cancer patients after mastectomy was performed using statistical univariate tests (ANOVA, t-test) and multivariate analysis (principal component analysis, PCA). The results demonstrate that the median values of the OPN in the tumour centre cancer tissue (10.940 μg/g; within the range of 3.772-23.648) are significantly higher compared to healthy cells (5.173 μg/g; within the range of 0.838- 17.583). Moreover, the increased tissue OPN level was correlated with the cancer stage.In this study osteopontin is presented as a possible candidate for a breast cancer biomarker. Further research is needed to obtain information on cancer signalling by means of the OPN threshold, and indication of its advanced stage.

Research paper thumbnail of Rapid and sensitive RP-LC method with amperometric detection for pharmacokinetic assessment of propafenone in human serum of healthy volunteers

Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2010

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography method with amperometric detection has been developed... more A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography method with amperometric detection has been developed for the determination of propafenone in serum. Sample preparation based on single extraction with dichloromethane using bupivacaine hydrochloride as internal standard. The compounds were separated on C 18 reversed phase analytical column with the mobile phase composed of methanol-acetonitrile⎯10 mM K 2 HPO 4 (45 : 25 : 30, v/v/v). Analytes were detected electrochemically with the use of amperometric detector. The quantification limit for propafenone in serum was 10 ng/mL. Linearity of the method was con firmed in the range of 10-500 ng/mL with correlation coefficient of 0.9998. Inter day relative standard devi ations (RSD) ranged from 0.27 to 11.9% and intra day RSD equalled from 1.1 to 9.7%. The newly developed method was applied for the monitoring of the drug in blood levels with 18 healthy volunteers taking tablet with propafenone.

Research paper thumbnail of Rapid analysis of loratadine in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Acta Chromatographica, 2010

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone reduce platelet activation and reactivity in older men and women

Aging, Jan 2, 2018

The cardiovascular effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are generally attributed to th... more The cardiovascular effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are generally attributed to their modulatory action on lipid and glucose metabolism. However, no studies suggest that circulating androgen levels influence the activation and reactivity of blood platelets - one of the main components of the haemostasis system directly involved in atherosclerosis. The levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and oestradiol in plasma from men and women aged from 60 to 65 years were measured by LC-MS; the aim was to identify any potential relationships between sex steroid levels and the markers of platelet activation (surface membrane expression of GPII/IIIa complex and P-selectin) and platelet reactivity in response to arachidonate, collagen or ADP, monitored with whole blood aggregometry and flow cytometry. The results of the part of the study indicate that the concentrations of testosterone and its reduced form, dihydrotestosterone are significantly negatively associated with plat...

Research paper thumbnail of Amino acid profiles as potential biomarkers for pediatric cancers: a preliminary communication

Biomarkers in Medicine

Aim: Childhood cancer remains one of the main cause of death in the pediatric population. Amino a... more Aim: Childhood cancer remains one of the main cause of death in the pediatric population. Amino acids (AAs) level alterations in plasma are considered to play a role in carcinogenesis and further course of the disease. Methods: Seventy-seven children with cancer, including 47 with hematological and 30 with solid tumors were enrolled in this study and compared with healthy children. Twenty-two plasma-free AAs were determined by HPLC with fluorometric detection. Results: The results revealed significant decrease in glutamine levels for oncological patients and significant increase in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, serine, citrulline, alanine, GABA, tryptophan, methionine, valine, phenylalanine and isoleucine levels in cancer children versus control. Conclusion: Plasma-free AA profile as a biomarker, which combines metabolic and clinical data, as an innovative and interdisciplinary approach, may allow for faster detection of tumor occurrence, and in the future for monitoring...