Objective - Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of recurrent vertigo. Inflammation is a hypothetic etiological factor in BPPV. The aim of this study was to evaluate inflammatory biomarker levels in BPPV patients and compare these with the healthy subjects. Materials and methods - This prospective case-control study was conducted with 114 newly diagnosed BPPV patients and age- and sex- matched 83 healthy subjects. The laboratory investigations included serum hemogram, full biochemistry profiles, vitamin levels, thyroid hormone profiles, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte to HDL-cholesterol ratio (MHR) values were calculated and compared between the patients and healthy subjects. Results - The mean age was 39.1 ± 12.4 years for patients, and 37.0 ± 11.9 for controls. Vitamin B12, hematocrit (Hct), creatinine, urea, and fT4 values, lymphocyte, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin levels were significantly lower in BPPV patients (p ˂ 0.05), while HDL, SGOT, and ESR values were significantly higher. In the BPPV patients the mean NLR, PLR, and mean platelet volume (MPV) values were significantly higher than in the control subjects. Neutrophil, platelet, monocyte, MHR, and CRP values were similar in both groups (p ˃ 0.05). Conclusion - Our result suggests that NLR, PLR, MPV, ESR, and bilirubin levels should be taken into account as potential biomarkers of BPPV. As they are inexpensive parameters and widely available, they can be used in clinical practice for prediction of BPPV. However, further large-scale studies are required to confirm this relationship.

[In patients on dialysis, the results of studies examining the association of sleep disorders and inflammation are controversial. We assessed the association between inflammatory markers and different sleep disorders in a large sample of kidney transplant recipients. In the cross-sectional study 100 randomly selected kidney transplanted patients underwent one-night polysomnography [“SLeep disorders Evaluation in Patients after kidney Transplantation (SLEPT) Study”] to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and periodic limb movement is sleep (PLMS). Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used to assess the prevalence of insomnia. Socio-demographic information, data on medication, comorbidity and laboratory parameters were collected. Inflammatory markers such as Creactive protein (CRP), serum albumin, white blood cell count, interleukine-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were measured. The mean age was 51±13 years (43% female) and the prevalence of diabetes 19%. We found no significant difference in the levels of inflammatory markers between patients with OSA and PLMS versus (vs) patients without such disorders. Apnea-hypopnea index showed a significant association with white blood cell count (rho=0.23), and weak, non significant correlations with the other inflammatory markers (rho<|0.15|). PLM index showed weak, non significant correlations with all markers of inflammation (rho<|0.15|). The serum IL-6 level was significantly higher in patients with insomnia (AIS≥10) than in non-insomniacs [median (IQR): 3.2 (2.6-5.1) vs. 1.7 (1.2- 2.9) ng/l; p=0.009]. The levels of other inflammatory markers were similar between insomniacs and non-insomniacs. We did not find any association between the presence of objectively assessed sleep disorders and inflammatory markers in kidney transplant patients.]

[The role of vascular wall inflammation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is becoming increasingly clear. However, the causal relationship between the inflammation and the course of atherosclerosis, which begins in childhood and continues for life, is debated in the literature. The interpretation of the basic pathophysiologial essence of inflammation is also controversial. This paper summarizes the basics and various features of inflammation, the body's defensive and aversive reaction. The “acute phase reaction syndrome” is a general, immediate, non-specific defense reaction of the organism, which is strongly associated with the specific, adaptive immune response. There are inflammatory processes that are chronic from the start. When looking at the main types and functions of the arterial wall proteoglycans, it is clear that they, along with the lipoprotein receptors and HDL cholesterol, are closely connected to the process, course and characteristics of the inflammation. The arterial wall proteoglycans are definitely capable of directly and indirectly influencing the inflammatory process. The issue of a possible target of statin derivatives other than the inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis has not been resolved. Atherosclerosis may be considered a primarily chronic individual vasculitis syndrome that involves all layers of the blood vessels, and is determined by the risk factors and by the special structure of the arterial wall. The presence of inflammation is a prerequisite to the development and throughout the entire course of atherosclerosis.]

[The author presents a review about the fundamental principles of normal endothelial function and the main causes for the development of endothelial dysfunction. First of all, endothelial dysfunction results in structural alterations in the wall of the vessel - the „vascular remodelling” in hypertension - and that is the base of hypertensive microangiopathy and target organ damage. In patients with high blood pressure the reactivity of vessels is impaired by the endothelial dysfunction. The members of the main drug groups can influence the vasoactive factors produced in endothelium differently. This different effects of drugs create different clinical benefits. Especially, the ACE inhibitors, the calcium antagonists (mostly the new generation of dihydropyridines) have endothelial protective effects, but some β-blockers, α-1 adrenergic blockers and - in a totally different way of action - the statins are capable of influencing the endothelial dysfunction.]

[In chronic renal failure severe cardiovascular complications develop, which are the cause of death in 50% of the patients. According to recent results, behind the accelerated atherosclerosis, malnutrition and inflammation, developing in patients with chronic renal failure, play significant role. Malnutrition and inflammation show close relationship to the serum albumin level, which is an independent predictor of mortality. Authors studied the nutritional parameters of 94 chronically hemodialysis patients. Patients had been dialysed for more than three months, for 3×4-4.5 hours weekly. Among them 36% had diabetes. According to BMI (body mass index) 42.5% of the patients was normally nourished (20-24 kg/m2), 11.7% of them had malnutrition, 28.7% was overweight, and 17.1% was mildly or moderately obese. Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), calculated by dietician, revealed, that 47.9% of the patients has normal nutritional condition, all the others had some degree of malnutrition. Serum albumin level showed close correlation with the nutritional status, also with an inflammatory marker, the CRP. Only 63.8% of the patients had higher than 40g/l serum albumin. Those, who had higher than 10 mg/l CRP value, had significantly lower serum albumin (38.7±3.4 g/l), comparing to the albumin of the patients, whose CRP was below 10 mg/l (40.5±3.9 g/l, p=0.04). Comparing anthropometrical data, there was no significant difference between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Grouping patients by their ages, the malnutrition, defined by SGA scores and by serum albumin level, was significantly worse in patients older than 80 years, than in the younger than 50 years old subjects, which signals increased risk of mortality of the elderly patients. A case presentation demonstrates, that malnutrition can be diagnosed at early stage by appropriate nutritional assessment, and it can be corrected by timely and satisfactory energy- and nutrient-substitution, in severe cases by specially prepared nutritional supplements, and thereby the patient’s severe cardiovascular risk can be ameliorated. The successful treatment of hemodialysis patients requires change in medical practice, and close cooperation between physicians and dieticians.]