A b s t r a c t:Within the project "Safety of traditional fermented sausages: Research on protective cultures and bacteriocins" the task of Work Package 5 (WP5) was pilot production of fermented sausages inoculated with pathogens using selected protective cultures or bacteriocins. Resulting from the previous work packages, three strains of Lactobacillus sakei (I151, I154 and I155) showed bacteriocin-based antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes only. Because of that, the Task 5.1. was slightly changed to production of fermented sausages inoculated with pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, together with the selected protective culture. These protective strains, as well as the strain of L. monocytogenes, were sent by the Italian partner and used for inoculation of sausages. For the purpose of this task, three batches of the indigenous sausages were prepared according to the recipes previously described in the 1st Annual Report. Within each batch, four groups of sausages were produced: a positive control group (sausages inoculated only with L. monocytogenes), and three groups of sausages inoculated with L. monocytogenes and one of the three protective strains of Lb. sakei (I151, I154 and I155). A slight advantage of the strain I151 over the other two was observed in antilisterial activity, which may suggest that the three investigated strains represented just three isolates of the same bacteria. This hypothesis was supported by the results of genetic investigation of bacteriocin determinants of the isolates carried out in WP3, where it was verified that all the Italian strains are subclones of the same population. Having in mind these results, it may be suggested to use only Lb. sakei I151 as a protective starter culture in further experimental investigation.

The present study examines long-term effects of occupational exposure to formaldehyde fumes on lung function. Forced spirometry and diffusing lung capacity were measured in 16 health-service professionals (8 medical doctors and 8 laboratory technicians) working at the pathoanatomic laboratory for at least 4 years with daily exposure 8 +/- 1 hours. Control group employed 16 males, which were matched by age and stature to members of the exposed group. Only non-smokers were included in the study. Spirometric parameters in study participants exposed to formaldehyde fumes compared to control group were not significantly different indicating absence of restrictive and/or obstructive deterioration of lung function in exposed group. The only parameter differing in two groups was blood volume of pulmonary capillaries (Vc') which was significantly larger in a group exposed to formaldehyde fumes. The possibility that the hyperemic lung reaction is the consequence of the exposure to formaldehyde fumes should be further explored.

The analysis of a cerebro-vascular insult hospitalized cases in the Clinical Hospital Mostar as a retrospective epidemiological study was done in the Clinical Hospital Mostar for the period from 1999 to 2003. The major source of data was medical documentation of this hospital (an institutional register), the only hospital for the treatments of 457,491 inhabitants who gravitate by a health insurance for the treatment in this hospital. The study included a total of 1,555 cerebro-vascular insult cases treated in the Clinical Hospital Mostar Among them 727 (46.8%) were male patients, while 828 (53.2%) cases were female. The majority of the cases were above 50 years of life. Majority of treated female patients were older than 61 (45.6% of all cases), as well as among male patients (31.3%). The least number of cases was under 41 years in both groups (1.2%). Prevalence of risk factors was 2,035 cases (74%). During the same period risk factors research for entire Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) was performed on the sample of 2,750 national insurance holders, out of which 852 gravitate for treatment in CB Mostar. Out of them 1.7% was found to suffer of cerebro vascular insult.

Genetic epidemiology studies of hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC) have shown a high prevalence of the C282Y mutation in individuals of the North Western European origin, whereas lower prevalence of HFE gene mutations was detected in the populations from southern European countries. However, no HFE mutation prevalence data have been provided for the population of Bosnia-Herzegovina so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the frequency of the C282Y and H63D HFE gene mutations in the population of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Among 200 analysed subjects 8 (4%) were C282Y heterozygotes; no C282Y homozygotes were found. The frequency of the H63D allele was 11.5%. There were 33 (16.5%) heterozygotes and 6 (3%) homozygotes for the H63D mutation. One (0.5%) compound heterozygote C282Y/H63D was identified. The observed C282Y and H63D allele frequency was 2.25% (95% confidence interval: 1.2-4.2) and 11.5% (95% confidence interval: 8.7-14.9), respectively. The prevalence of the C282Y and H63D mutations was estimated in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which fit well in the European northwest-to-southeast gradient of the C282Y mutation distribution. In addition, these results have an important implication for clinical evaluation of HHC in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

BackgroundDipyridamole and dobutamine stress echocardiography testing are most widely utilized, but their sensitivity remained suboptimal in comparison to routine exercise stress echocardiography. The aim of our study is to compare, head-to-head, exercise, dobutamine and dipyridamole stress echocardiography tests, performed with state-of-the-art protocols in a large scale prospective group of patients.MethodsDipyridamole-atropine (Dipatro: 0.84 mg/kg over 10 min i.v. dipyridamole with addition of up to 1 mg of atropine), dobutamine-atropine (Dobatro: up to 40 mcg/kg/min i.v. dobutamine with addition of up to 1 mg of atropine) and exercise (Ex, Bruce) were performed in 166 pts. Of them, 117 pts without resting wall motion abnormalities were enrolled in study (91 male; mean age 54 ± 10 years; previous non-transmural myocardial infarction in 32 pts, angina pectoris in 69 pts and atypical chest pain in 16 pts). Tests were performed in random sequence, in 3 different days, within 5 day period under identical therapy. All patients underwent coronary angiography.ResultsSignificant coronary artery disease (CAD; ≥50% diameter stenosis) was present in 69 pts (57 pts 1-vessel CAD, 12 multivessel CAD) and absent in 48 pts. Sensitivity (Sn) was 96%, 93% and 90%, whereas specificity (Sp) was 92%, 92% and 87% for Dobatro, Dipatro and Ex, respectively (p = ns). Concomitant beta blocker therapy did not influence peak rate-pressure product and Sn of Dobatro and Dipatro (p = ns).ConclusionWhen state-of-the-art protocols are used, dipyridamole and dobutamine stress echocardiography have comparable and high diagnostic accuracy, similar to maximal post-exercise treadmill stress echocardiography.