[INTRODUCTION - Shift workers have an impaired circadian rhythm, which might have an adverse effect on their health. In order to assess cardiometabolic risk in shift workers, a cross-sectional study was performed among active workers (aged 25-66 years, with a minimal shift working experience of 5 years). METHODS - In total 481 workers (121 men, 360 women) registered by the occupational health service were enrolled in our study. Most participants worked in the light industry (58.2%) or in public service (23.9%). Following questionnaire-based data recording, anthropometric measurements and physical examination were performed and fasting venous blood sample was taken for measuring laboratory parameters. Data from shift workers (n=234, 54 men and 180 women, age: 43.9±8.1 years) were compared with those of day workers (n=247, 67 men and 180 women, age: 42.8±8.5 years). RESULTS - Compared with day workers, shift workers had bigger weight (76.6±16.1 vs 73.9±17.6 kg; p<0.05), higher BMI index (27.5±5.3 vs 26.0±4.9 kg/m2; p<0.01) and systolic blood pressure (123±19 vs 119±16 mmHg, p<0.01), and higher prevalence rate of diabetes (4.3 vs 1.2 %; p<0.05) and cardiovascular diseases (3.8 vs 0.8 %; p<0.05). In addition, the proportion of participants who performed regular physical activity was lower (20.6 vs 38.7 %; p<0.001) and that of current smokers were higher (35.0 % vs 19.5 %; p<0.001) in shift workers than in day workers. In laboratory findings, only one difference has been found: HDL-cholesterol level was lower among women (shift workers versus workers: 1.56±0.32 vs 1.68±0.36 mmol/l; p<0.01). CONCLUSION - Long-term shift work (day-night) results in a less healthy lifestyle and worse cardiometabolic risk factors compared with day work. Thus, our study highlights the importance of measures for preventing cardiovascular diseases in shift workers.]

[Aim - Despite of the continuing interest in actigraphy it has a relatively low impact on the everyday medical routine. Accordingly, we set out to review the current state and to recommend relevant further indications for its application, especially in neuropsychiatry. Method - We surveyed the areas of its use and then reviewed the literature, with special regard to its advantages and methodological limitations. Adding to the results we enlarged the results with our own personal experience. Results - The limitations of the method may be decreased by methodological manipulations (a simple rational data reduction is recommended). Actigraphy appears to be a useful tool in the diagnosis of illnesses, syndromes or disorders influencing the vigilance level, the motor performance or the energetic balance of the organism. We constructed a list of the most relevant fields of indication of actigraphy in diagnostics, illustrated by anecdotal actigraphic case records. Conclusion - Further methodological considerations are needed for the successful evaluation of accelerometry. Targeted basic epidemiological studies in the healthy population and in patient groups should solve various open questions in order to make full use of the advantages of actigraphy in the everyday clinical routine.]

Although vertigo is one of the most common complaints, intracranial malignant tumors rarely cause sudden asymmetry between the tone of the vestibular peripheries masquerading as a peripheral-like disorder. Here we report a case of simultaneous temporal bone infiltrating macro-metastasis and disseminated multi-organ micro-metastases presenting as acute unilateral vestibular syndrome, due to the reawakening of a primary gastric signet ring cell carcinoma. Purpose – Our objective was to identify those pathophysiological steps that may explain the complex process of tumor reawakening, dissemination. The possible causes of vestibular asymmetry were also traced. A 56-year-old male patient’s interdisciplinary medical data had been retrospectively analyzed. Original clinical and pathological results have been collected and thoroughly reevaluated, then new histological staining and immunohistochemistry methods have been added to the diagnostic pool. During the autopsy the cerebrum and cerebellum was edematous. The apex of the left petrous bone was infiltrated and destructed by a tumor mass of 2x2 cm in size. Histological reexamination of the original gastric resection specimen slides revealed focal submucosal tumorous infiltration with a vascular invasion. By immunohistochemistry mainly single infiltrating tumor cells were observed with Cytokeratin 7 and Vimentin positivity and partial loss of E-cadherin staining. The subsequent histological examination of necropsy tissue specimens confirmed the disseminated, multi-organ microscopic tumorous invasion. Discussion – It has been recently reported that the expression of Vimentin and the loss of E-cadherin is significantly associated with advanced stage, lymph node metastasis, vascular and neural invasion and undifferentiated type with p<0.05 significance. As our patient was middle aged and had no immune-deficiency, the promoting factor of the reawakening of the primary GC malignant disease after a 9-year-long period of dormancy remained undiscovered. The organ-specific tropism explained by the “seed and soil” theory was unexpected, due to rare occurrence of gastric cancer to metastasize in the meninges given that only a minority of these cells would be capable of crossing the blood brain barrier. Patients with past malignancies and new onset of neurological symptoms should alert the physician to central nervous system involvement, and the appropriate, targeted diagnostic and therapeutic work-up should be established immediately. Targeted staining with specific antibodies is recommended. Recent studies on cell lines indicate that metformin strongly inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells. Therefore, further studies need to be performed on cases positive for epithelial-mesenchymal transition.