The aim of this study is to evaluate epidemiological status of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Bosnia from 2003 through 2005. Incidence and prevalence rates of BEN, diabetes mellitus (DM) and RRT population and proportion of BEN RRT population in total RRT population were tracked in renal units covering the entire BEN endemic region in Bosnia. BEN incidence and prevalence rates were 52; 34;48 and 262; 265, 292, respectively. DM incidence and prevalence rates were 7; 13; 8 and 20; 28; 33, respectively. Total RRT population incidence and prevalence rates were 89; 82; 79 and 424; 436; 473, respectively. Proportions of incident BEN RRT population in incident total RRT population and proportions of incident BEN RRT population in incident total RRT population when incident diabetics were subtracted from incident total RRT population were 0.58; 0.41; 0.61, and 0.63; 0.49; 0.67; respectively. Proportions of prevalent BEN RRT population in prevalent total RRT population and proportions of prevalent BEN RRT population in prevalent total RRT population when prevalent diabetics were subtracted from prevalent total RRT population were 0.62; 0.61; 0.62, and 0.65; 0.65; 0.66, respectively. Trend of BEN RRT population was stable in Bosnia from 2003 through 2005.

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac hormone secreted predominantly from the ventricles. This hormone is produced as pre-prohormone BNP (pro BNP), than cleaved by corine to biologically active 32-aminoacid BNP and non-biologically active N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP). NTproBNP has been found to be a useful marker for the diagnosis of heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Recent studies showed that concentration of BNP and NTproBNP predict cardiovascular disease in apparently healthy individuals but their full screening characteristics are not firmly established. As NTproBNP serum concentration is altered by numerous factors there are also interindividual variations in NTproBNP values. There are no previous results for Bosnian population so the aim of this study was to asses normal range of NTproBNP serum concentrations in apparently healthy women using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (Elecsys, Roche Diagnostic). A group of 45, healthy females, aged 39.19 (+/-6.62), were enrolled in this study. Mean serum concentration of NTproBNP was 60.32 (+/-36.25) pg/ml, with the range of 112,60 pg/ml (minimum-maximum: 13.6-126.00 pg/ml). We conclude that NTproBNP serum concentration in apparently healthy Bosnian women was not different from the average values of NTproBNP obtained on Europen's population. Thus, we suggest that the NTproBNP serum upper cut off values measured by using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay "ECLIA" (Elecsys 2010, Roche Diagnostic) for Bosnian females, aged < or =50 years, should be 155 pg/ml as reported by Roche Diagnostic.

Due to the exposure to various potentially genotoxic xenobiotics, derived from recent war activities such as NATO air strikes with antitank ammunition containing depleted uranium, we have evaluated chromosome aberrations in 84 peripheral blood samples from three local populations. One population sample included 30 individuals who lived in the Sarajevo area during and after the war (exposed to potential genotoxins), second population was presented with 26 employees of the tank repair facility in Hadzići (target of NATO air strikes), and 28 inhabitants of Posusje (not exposed to war-related activities) were treated as sample of control population. The mean of chromosome aberration frequencies for the population from Hadzići was significantly higher than the frequencies for the two other populations. Point bi-serial coefficient analysis did not reveal any relationship between the frequencies of chromosome aberrations and smoking habits or gender. Results suggest that depleted uranium could be a risk factor for human health.

Dose-related adverse effects of medications are a major problem in modern medical practice. The "correct" dose, based on drug company guidelines in package inserts, may not be correct for many patients. Tablet splitting or dividing has been an accepted practice for many years as a means of obtaining the prescribed dose of medication. As model tablets for this investigation, two batches of lisinopril- hydrochlorothiazide scored tablets labeled to contain 20/12.5 mg were used. The aim of this study was to establish possible influence of tablet splitting on content uniformity of lisinopril/hydrochlorthiazide tablets. Determination of the content uniformity of lisinopril and hydrochlorthiazide in our batches, was carried out by HPLC method. The results of content uniformity studies for halves of tablets containing combination of lisinopril-hydrochlorthiazide (supposed to contain 50% of stated 20/12.5 mg in the whole tablet) were: 49.60 +/-3.29% and 49.29+/-0.60 % (lisinopril); 50.33+/-3.50% and 50.69+/-1.95% (hydrochlorthiazide) for batch I and II, respectively. We can conclude that the results obtained in this study support an option of tablet splitting, which is very important for obtaining the required dosage when a dosage form of the required strength is unavailable, and for better individualization of the therapy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant capacity (AC) in the lipophilic fraction of postmortem motorcortex (MC), nucleus caudatus (NC) and gyrus temporalis (GT) from controls (C) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The initial samples consisted of 50 human brain tissues of AD and C. AC of the different region of human brain were measured by using the fluorescent method of the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Peroxyl and hydroxyl radical generators were used in the analysis. All ORAC analysis were carried out on the Perkin-Elmer spectrofluorometer LS 55 with fluorescent filters, Ex: 485 nm; Em: 520 nm. Final results were calculated using the differences between area under the quenching curve of fluorescein (FL), blank and analyzed biological samples. AC against peroxyl radicals (ORAC-ROO degrees ) of lipophilic fraction in MC of AD was statistically significantly lower in comparison with MC of C (p < 0.008). No changes in the AC against hydroxyl radicals (ORAC- degrees OH) of lipophilic fraction of AD were found in comparison with C. Reduction of total protein in GT of AD (p < 0.03) was found. The results showed that in the MC of AD brain the balance between production of free radicals and the neutralization by a complex antioxidant system is disturbed. The manual fluorescent method for AC measurements proved to be sufficiently appropriate and sensitive for the AC measurements of lipophilic fraction of postmortem brain tissues from different patologic conditions.

We investigated serum concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) and measures of adiposity in 30 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (15 male, 15 female) and 30 age and sex-matched apparently healthy subjects. CRP concentration was determined by laser nephelometry (BN II Analyzer) and CardioPhase high-sensitivity CRP (DADE BEHRING) was used as reagent which consists of polystyrene particles coated with mouse monoclonal antibodies to CRP. Results have shown that serum CRP concentration in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was statistically significantly higher compared to control group of healthy subjects (p<0,05). Body mass index (BMI) correlated significantly with serum concentration of CRP in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (r=0.614; p<0.001). Statistically significant positive correlation was also found between waist to hip ratio and serum CRP concentration in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (r=0.426; p<0.05). Elevated serum CRP concentration in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is probably caused by the presence of chronic low-grade inflammation in these patients. It is possible that determined increase of CRP concentration reflects activation of innate immune system components in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Implications of established association between measures of adiposity and serum CRP level in type 2 diabetes mellitus remain unclear.

Twenty seven patients diagnosed as having systolic heart failure with Ejection Fraction (EF) of less than 40% by echocardiography were monitored over a period of 3 years. The monitored parameters included clinical symptoms, diastolic dysfunction, therapies and survival during three years of treatment. The results indicate a beneficial effect of treatment with high doses of ACE-inhibitors, spironolactone and beta-blockers in improving clinical symptoms and diastolic function. The survival rate was similar to that in the developed European countries.

Combination therapy consisting of biphasic insulin aspart 30 bid with metformin provide better glycaemic control in obese patients with diabetes mellitus type 2. In our study, patients who were treated with 2550 mg of metformin, administered in three daily doses had poor glycaemic control. Three months after switching from metformin therapy to treatment with biphasic insulin aspart 30 + metformin twice a day, glycaemic control improved with significant reduction in hemoglobin HbA1c, fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose levels. Biphasic insulin aspart 30 in combination with metformin administered twice a day may be recommended as a starting insulin treatment in obese diabetic persons whose glycaemic control remained poor while on oral metformin therapy alone.

Knowledge of spontaneous aberrations, namely, of their frequency in non-irradiated cells is of paramount importance not only in cytogenetic research, but also in contemporary animal production. The paper deals with research on spontaneously emerged chromosomal aberrations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes in the cattle of 'Busa' breed. To obtain metaphase chromosomes the conventional method of lymphocyte cultivation was used, albeit slightly modified and adapted to the examined animals and the laboratory conditions. The research findings indicate that a certain percent of spontaneously emerged chromosomal aberrations of chromatid type (gap and break) have been found in the peripheral blood lymphocytes in the cattle of 'Busa' breed.

Congenital anomalies of the central nervous system (CNS) are common. The prevalence of these anomalies shows considerable geographical variation and female predominance. The aim of this work was to obtain the frequency of different CNS congenital anomalies types and their sex distribution among cases hospitalized in a Department of Neurosurgery, University of Sarajevo Clinics Center, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the period January 2001 to December 2004. Retrospective study was carried out on the basis of the clinical records. Standard methods of descriptive statistics were performed for the data analysis. A total of 103 cases were surgically treated in the period from 2001 through 2004. Out of that number 56 (54.4%) were female patients, while 47 (46.6%) were male patients. Seven different CNS birth defect types were found in this investigation. These were: spina bifida (42 cases or 40.78%), congenital hydrocephalus (35 cases or 33.98%), arachnoid cyst (15 cases or 14.56%), Dandy-Walker syndrome (5 cases or 4.85%), dermoid cyst (4 cases or 3.88%), one of Arnold-Chiari syndrome (0.98%) and one of encephalocele (0.98%). According to this investigation, CNS congenital birth defects were slightly higher in females (54.4%). The most frequent types were spina bifida (40.78%) both in females (22.33%) and in males (18.45%), hydrocephalus (33.98%) and arachnoid cyst (14.56%). The anomalies of the other organ systems, associated with CNS anomalies obtained in this investigation, were pes equinovarus, cheiloschisis, cardiomegaly and palatoschisis. They were found in six cases (5.82%), equal in both sexes.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in gentamicin-induced acute tubular necrosis in rats using the iNOS inhibitor L-N6-(1-iminoethyl) lysine (L-NIL). Wistar rats, both sexes (n=18), were equally divided into three groups. Gentamicin group received intraperitoneally (i.p.) gentamicin in 0.9 % NaCl at a dose of 80 mg/kg/day for five consecutive days. L-NIL+gentamicin group received L-NIL at a dose of 3 mg/kg i.p. 36, 24 and 12 h before first dose of gentamicin. Control group received 0.9 % NaCl i.p. for five consecutive days at the equal volume as gentamicin group. Griess reaction was used for determination plasma level of NO. Semiquantitative histological analysis was used for the evaluation of kidney damage level. The plasma NO level and the level of kidney damage were statistically higher in gentamicin group in comparison to the control group (p=0.046). Application of L-NIL prior to gentamicin led to certain decrease in the plasma level of NO as well as in the level of kidney damage. Application of L-NIL, prior to gentamicin administration, did not provide complete protective effects of L-NIL on the kidney, which was demonstrated on kidney sections. The lack of anticipated protective effect of L-NIL on kidney tissue might be explained with the fact that we have used L-NIL prior but not during/after gentamicin administration. It would be necessary to examine the effects of L-NIL administration not only before, but as well during and possibly after the administration of gentamicin.