Browsing by Author "Krstić, Danijela (57199836500)"

Background: Febrile neutropenia (FN) poses a significant challenge in cancer treatment, with a high incidence among patients undergoing standard therapies. Predicting FN complications and outcomes remains crucial for improving patient management strategies. Biomarkers, including procalcitonin and albumin, have garnered attention for their potential prognostic value in FN. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study at a tertiary hospital, enrolling 185 adult cancer patients experiencing FN episodes. We assessed serum albumin levels and incorporated them into the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) risk index to enhance risk stratification. Results: Serum albumin levels displayed promising prognostic utility in febrile neutropenia (FN). They exhibited moderate specificity and sensitivity in predicting mortality during FN and 28-day mortality. Serum albumin levels were significantly associated with gastrointestinal infections, serving as an independent predictor. Integrating serum albumin into the MASCC risk index improved predictive accuracy for FN mortality by 50%, 28-day mortality by 66.67%, and respiratory tract infections by 62.50%, enhancing in this way risk stratification for FN-related complications. Conclusion: Serum albumin emerges as a promising biomarker for prognostication in FN, complementing existing risk assessment frameworks. Its incorporation into the MASCC risk index enhances predictive capabilities, aiding clinicians in identifying high-risk patients promptly. While albumin shows potential in predicting mortality and complications, further research is warranted to optimize sensitivity and specificity, ensuring its clinical utility. © The Author(s) 2024.

The C-reactive protein is generally considered a marker of inflammation, and it is widely used in clinical practice as a minimally invasive index of any ongoing inflammatory response. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation can be beneficial for human health, especially in the sense of its anti-inflammatory action. The aim of this meta-analysis was to, based on the currently available highest level of evidence (prospective, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled data), investigate the effect of ALA supplementation on CRP levels. Prospective, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trials were extracted after a systematic search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Scopus databases. A random effect model was used in this meta-analysis to investigate the influence of ALA on the blood CRP level. The subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to identify the source of heterogeneity. This meta-analysis provided evidence of the positive effect of ALA on the reduction of the blood CRP level. The subgroup analysis and meta-regression results indicated that ALA can reduce the CRP level when administrated at a 600 mg dose, and not in higher or lower doses. Also, a shorter duration of study positively correlates with the reduction of CRP after ALA supplementation. © The Author(s) 2022.

The C-reactive protein is generally considered a marker of inflammation, and it is widely used in clinical practice as a minimally invasive index of any ongoing inflammatory response. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation can be beneficial for human health, especially in the sense of its anti-inflammatory action. The aim of this meta-analysis was to, based on the currently available highest level of evidence (prospective, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled data), investigate the effect of ALA supplementation on CRP levels. Prospective, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trials were extracted after a systematic search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Scopus databases. A random effect model was used in this meta-analysis to investigate the influence of ALA on the blood CRP level. The subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to identify the source of heterogeneity. This meta-analysis provided evidence of the positive effect of ALA on the reduction of the blood CRP level. The subgroup analysis and meta-regression results indicated that ALA can reduce the CRP level when administrated at a 600 mg dose, and not in higher or lower doses. Also, a shorter duration of study positively correlates with the reduction of CRP after ALA supplementation. © The Author(s) 2022.

Background/Aim. Chronically induced hypermethioninemia leads to hyperhomocysteinemia which causes oxidative stress, atherogenesis, neurodegeneration and cancer. However, little is known about the acute and subchronic effects of DL-methionine (Met). The aim of study was to assess the effects of acutely and subchronically applied Met on oxidative stress parameters in rat plasma [enzymes: catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidise (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and index of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde (MDA)], and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in rat cardiac tissue. Methods. The enzymes activities, as well as MDA concentration were evaluated following acute (n = 8) and subchronic (n = 10) application of Met [i.p. 0.8 mmoL/kg body weight (b.w.) in a single dose in the acute overload or daily during three weeks in the subchronic overload]. The same was done in the control groups following application of physiological solution [i.p. 1 mL 0.9% NaCl (n = 8) in the acute overload and 0.1–0.2 mL 0.9% NaCl, daily during three weeks (n =10) in the subchronic overload]. Tested parameters were evaluated 60 minutes after application in acute experiments and after three weeks of treatment in subchronic experiments. Results. There were no difference in homocysteine values between the groups treated with Met for three weeks and the control group. Met administration significantly increased the activity of CAT and GPx after 1 h compared to the control group (p = 0.008 for both enzymes), whereas the activity of SOD and MDA concentrations were unchanged. Subchronically applied Met did not affect activity of antioxidant enzymes and MDA level. AChE activity did not show any change in rat cardiac tissue after 1 h, but it was significantly decreased after the subchronic treatment (p = 0.041). Conclusion. Results of present research indicate that Met differently affects estimated parameters during acute and subchronic application. In the acute treatment Met mobilizes the most part of antioxidant enzymes while during the subchronic treatment these changes seems to be lost. On the contrary, the acute Met overload was not sufficient to influence on the AChE activity, while longer duration of Met loading diminished function of the enzyme. These findings point out that methionine can interfere with antioxidant defense system and cholinergic control of the heart function. © 2020 Inst. Sci. inf., Univ. Defence in Belgrade. All rights reserved.