Browsing by Author "Miličić, Biljana (6603829143)"

Denture stomatitis (DS) is a very common disease in wearers of removable complete and partial dentures with a worldwide prevalence in the range of 20–67%. Both industrially developed and impoverished nations are affected by the illness. DS is often associated with ill-fitting dentures or a fungal infection with Candida spp. Candida is normally found in the oral cavity microbiota, but it can be harmful to the health of elderly people with underlying diseases. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to offer the most recent information about the epidemiology, etiology, and global distribution of Candida species associated with DS through a systematic review. Several databases, including Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus, were used to conduct an extensive search of the literature published in the previous 20 years. The selection of studies was performed by two authors. The extracted data were as follows: author, year of publication, country, sample, frequency of DS, method of diagnosing stomatitis, species of Candida, risk factors, and etiology of the disease. The JBI Critical appraisal tools were used to assess the quality of the studies. Eventually, twenty-eight studies were included in the systematic review. Twenty-one studies investigated DS, while seven studies examined Candida colonization in patients using removable dentures. The results show that the main causes of DS include the type of dentures, continuous wearing of dentures, and the formation of a Candida biofilm, which is facilitated by poor dental hygiene. Additionally, previous studies have pinpointed the significance of the salivary flow, saliva composition, and salivary pH. The findings of the current review indicate that it is crucial to monitor denture wearers for the appearance of DS, especially the patients whose immunity has been impaired due to a systemic condition. Finally, frequent follow-ups should include a clinical examination and microbial swabs of the palatal mucosa and the mucosal surface of the denture. © 2024 by the authors.

Denture stomatitis (DS) is a very common disease in wearers of removable complete and partial dentures with a worldwide prevalence in the range of 20–67%. Both industrially developed and impoverished nations are affected by the illness. DS is often associated with ill-fitting dentures or a fungal infection with Candida spp. Candida is normally found in the oral cavity microbiota, but it can be harmful to the health of elderly people with underlying diseases. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to offer the most recent information about the epidemiology, etiology, and global distribution of Candida species associated with DS through a systematic review. Several databases, including Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus, were used to conduct an extensive search of the literature published in the previous 20 years. The selection of studies was performed by two authors. The extracted data were as follows: author, year of publication, country, sample, frequency of DS, method of diagnosing stomatitis, species of Candida, risk factors, and etiology of the disease. The JBI Critical appraisal tools were used to assess the quality of the studies. Eventually, twenty-eight studies were included in the systematic review. Twenty-one studies investigated DS, while seven studies examined Candida colonization in patients using removable dentures. The results show that the main causes of DS include the type of dentures, continuous wearing of dentures, and the formation of a Candida biofilm, which is facilitated by poor dental hygiene. Additionally, previous studies have pinpointed the significance of the salivary flow, saliva composition, and salivary pH. The findings of the current review indicate that it is crucial to monitor denture wearers for the appearance of DS, especially the patients whose immunity has been impaired due to a systemic condition. Finally, frequent follow-ups should include a clinical examination and microbial swabs of the palatal mucosa and the mucosal surface of the denture. © 2024 by the authors.

In polytrauma, injuries that may be surgically treated under regular circumstances due to a systemic inflammatory response become life- threatening. The inflammatory response involves a complex pattern of humoral and cellular responses and the expression of related factors is thought to be governed by genetic variations. This aim of this paper is to examine the influence of interleukin (IL) 6 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) -174C/G and -596G/A on the treatment outcome in severely injured patients. Forty-seven severely injured patients were included in this study. Patients were assigned an Injury Severity Score. Blood samples were drawn within 24 h after admission (designated day 1) and on subsequent days (24, 48, 72 hours and 7days) of hospitalization. The IL-6 levels were determined through ELISA technique. Polymorphisms were analyzed by a method of Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR). Among subjects with different outcomes, no statistically relevant difference was found with regards to the gene IL-6 SNP-174G/C polymorphism. More than a half of subjects who died had the SNP-174G/C polymorphism, while this polymorphism was represented in a slightly lower number in survivors. The incidence of subjects without polymorphism and those with heterozygous and homozygous gene IL-6 SNP-596G/A polymorphism did not present statistically significant variations between survivors and those who died. The levels of IL-6 over the observation period did not present any statistically relevant difference among subjects without the IL-6 SNP-174 or IL- 6 SNP -596 gene polymorphism and those who had either a heterozygous or a homozygous polymorphism. © 2014 Association of Basic Medical Sciences of FB&H. All rights reserved.

Objective: To assess the effect of surgical revascularisation on left ventricular (LV) systolic function in patients with viable and non-viable dysfunctional LV segments determined by low dose dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). Design: Prospective observational cohort study. Setting: Single tertiary care centre. Patients: Consecutive patients referred to surgical revascularisation (n=115). Interventions: DSE and surgical revascularisation. Main outcome measures: Functional recovery defined as increase in ejection fraction ≥5% 1 year after revascularisation in patients with and without viable myocardium (viability defined as improvement of contractility in ≥4 LV segments on DSE). Results: The mean age, ejection fraction and wall motion score index (WMSi) of patients were 59±9 years, 44±9% and 1.82±0.31, respectively. There was no difference between DSE positive and DSE negative patients for any of those parameters at baseline study (p>0.05 for all). After 12 months, the ejection fraction increased 11±1% in patients with viable myocardium vs 7±1% in patients without viable myocardium (p=0.002). Moreover, in patients with viable myocardium, the greatest increase of ejection fraction occurred 1 month after surgery (9±1%), whereas in those patients with negative DSE the ejection fraction increased more gradually (2±1% after 1 month, p=0.002 between groups for 1 month vs preoperative value), but still improved after 12 months follow-up (p<0.0001 in time for both groups). Conclusions: It appears that patients with LV dysfunction, but without viable myocardium, may also benefit from myocardial revascularisation. Functional recovery continuously occurs throughout the first year after surgical treatment.

The hyomental distance ratio (HMDR) is the ratio between the hyomental distance (HMD) (the distance between the hyoid bone and the tip of the chin) at the extreme of head extension (HMDe) and the one in the neutral position (HMDn). The objective of the study was to examine the predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity of HMDe, HMDn, and HMDR in predicting difficult endotracheal intubation (DI). A prospec-tive study included 262 patients that underwent elective surgical operations. The following parameters were observed as possible predictors of DI: HMDR, HMDe, HMDn, Mallampati score, and body mass index (BMI). The cut-off points for the DI predictors were HMDe <5.3 cm, HMDn ≤5.5 cm, and HMDR ≤1.2. The assessment that DI existed was made by the anesthesiologist while performing laryngoscopy by applying the Cormack-Lehane classification. DI was present in 13 patients (5%). No significant difference was observed in the frequency of DI with regard to the sex, age, and BMI of the patients. Our research indicated HMDR as the best predictor of DI with a sensitivity of 95.6% and specificity of 69.2%. HMDR can be used in the everyday work of anesthesiologists because HMDR values ≤1.2 may reliably predict DI. © 2016 ABMSFBIH.

Introduction: Cardiac tamponade (CT) is a life-threatening complication of radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The course and outcome of CT in low-to-medium volume electrophysiology centers are underreported. Methods: We analyzed the incidence, management and outcomes of CT in 1500 consecutive RFAs performed in our center during 2011–2016. Results: Of 1500 RFAs performed in 1352 patients (age 55 years, interquartile range: 41–63), 569 were left-sided procedures (n = 406 with transseptal access). Conventional RFA or irrigated RFA was performed in 40.9% and 59.1% of procedures, respectively. Ablation was performed mostly for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (25.4%), atrial fibrillation (AF; 18.5%), atrial flutter (18.4%), accessory pathway (16.5%) or idiopathic ventricular arrhythmia (VA; 12.3%), and rarely for structural VA (2.1%). CT occurred in 12 procedures (0.8%): 10 AF ablations, 1 idiopathic VA and 1 typical atrial flutter ablation. Factors significantly associated with CT were older age, pre-procedural oral anticoagulation, left-sided procedures, transseptal access, AF ablation, irrigated RFA and longer fluoroscopy time (on univariate analysis), and AF ablation (on multivariable analysis). The perforation site was located in the left atrium (n = 7), right atrium (n = 3), or in the left ventricle or coronary sinus (n = 1 each). Upon pericardiocentesis, two patients underwent urgent cardiac surgery because of continued bleeding. There was no fatal outcome. During the follow-up of 19 ± 14 months, eight patients were arrhythmia free. Conclusion: Incidence of RFA-related CT in our medium-volume center was low and significantly associated with AF ablation. The outcome of CT was mostly favorable after pericardiocentesis, but readily accessible cardiothoracic surgery back-up should be mandatory in RFA centers. © 2016, The Author(s).

Intraoperative hypertension (IOHTA) during neck surgery is undesirable because this type of surgery has a propensity to bleed profoundly even in normotensive anesthesia. The purpose of our study was to detect predictors of IOHTA in patients undergoing neck surgery. This single center retrospective study included 880 adult patients who underwent neck surgery under general anesthesia. The impact of gender, age, comorbidity, difficult tracheal intubation, anesthesia duration, and induced hypotension on IOHTA was studied. IOHTA was present in 57 (6.7%) patients. The highest incidence of IOHTA was recorded in patients with ASA 4 status and those with Cormack-Lehane grade 4,: (22.2% and 21.4%, respectively). Significantly more patients with hypertension, hyperlipoproteinemia and ventricular extrasystoles had IOHTA compared with patients without these comorbidities. Statistically significant predictors of IOHTA were age (OR 1.438; 95% CI 1.144-1.808; p=0.002), cardiac arrhythmia (OR 1.702; 95% CI 1.129-2.566; p=0.011), Cormack-Lehane grade (OR 1.407; 95% CI 1.054-1.878; p=0.020), and duration of anesthesia (OR 1.005; 95% CI 1.001-1.008; p=0.005). The risk of IOHTA occurrence was lower in patients with induced hypotension (OR 0.024; 95% CI 0.003-0.185; p=0.000). During neck surgery, special attention is needed in patients of older age, those with cardiac arrhythmia, difficult intubation, and longer anesthesia duration because they are at risk of IOHTA. © 2023, Dr. Mladen Stojanovic University Hospital. All rights reserved.

Introduction The role of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) is well documented in pathogenesis of chronic periodontitis (CP) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Considering short half-life of TNFα, tumor necrosis factor receptor-2 (TNFR2) is used as prosperous surrogate marker of TNFα activity. Objective The aim was to detect TNFR2 serum concentration and correlate it with periodontal destruction in patients with diagnosed T2D and nondiabetics. Methods The study included 85 patients divided into three groups: T2D + CP (group T2D, n = 34); nondiabetics + CP (Group PD, n = 27); and healthy controls (group HC, n = 24). T2D was diagnosed according to WHO criteria (2013) and periodontitis was diagnosed using International Workshop for a Classification of Periodontal Diseases and Conditions criteria (1999). TNFR2 level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results There was no difference in TNFR2 level among the groups (Kruskal–Wallis, p = 0.482). Significant correlation (Pearson’s correlation coefficient) was observed between clinical attachment loss (CAL) and TNFR2 concentration in PD group (rp = -0.460, p = 0.016). In T2D group, correlations were observed between TNFR2 concentration and CAL (rp = 0.363, p = 0.005) and periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) (rp = 0.345, p = 0.046) and periodontal epithelial surface area (PESA) (rp = 0.578, p = 0.000). Conclusion Higher concentration of TNFR2 was associated with higher CAL, PESA, and PISA scores in T2D group. Contrary to that, nondiabetics with higher values of CAL exhibited lower concentration of TNFR2, presenting potential protective effect on periodontal destruction. These results imply that diabetes may alter TNFR2 secretion originated from periodontium. © 2016. Srpski Arhiv za Celokupno Lekarstvo. All right reserved.

The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI)-based dental applications into clinical practice could play a significant role in improving diagnostic accuracy and reforming dental care, but its implementation relies on the readiness of dentists, as well as the health system, to adopt it in everyday practice. A cross-sectional anonymous online survey was conducted among experienced dentists and final-year undergraduate students from the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Belgrade (n = 281) in order to investigate their current perspectives and readiness to accept AI into practice. Responders (n = 193) in the present survey, especially final-year undergraduates (n = 76), showed a lack of knowledge about AI (only 7.9% of them were familiar with AI use) and were skeptical (only 34% of them believed that AI should be used), and the underlying reasons, as shown by logistic regression analyses, were a lack of knowledge about the AI technology associated with a fear of being replaced by AI, as well as a lack of regulatory policy. Female dentists perceived ethical issues more significantly than men regarding AI implementation in the practice. The present results encourage an ethical debate on education/training and regulatory policies for AI as a prerequisite for regular AI use in dental practice. © 2023 by the authors.

The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI)-based dental applications into clinical practice could play a significant role in improving diagnostic accuracy and reforming dental care, but its implementation relies on the readiness of dentists, as well as the health system, to adopt it in everyday practice. A cross-sectional anonymous online survey was conducted among experienced dentists and final-year undergraduate students from the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Belgrade (n = 281) in order to investigate their current perspectives and readiness to accept AI into practice. Responders (n = 193) in the present survey, especially final-year undergraduates (n = 76), showed a lack of knowledge about AI (only 7.9% of them were familiar with AI use) and were skeptical (only 34% of them believed that AI should be used), and the underlying reasons, as shown by logistic regression analyses, were a lack of knowledge about the AI technology associated with a fear of being replaced by AI, as well as a lack of regulatory policy. Female dentists perceived ethical issues more significantly than men regarding AI implementation in the practice. The present results encourage an ethical debate on education/training and regulatory policies for AI as a prerequisite for regular AI use in dental practice. © 2023 by the authors.

Intraoperative bradycardia (IOB) is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias observed in clinical anaesthetic practice. Controlled hypotension, as a strategy of lowering patient’s blood pressure during anesthesia has been practiced for decades in head and neck surgery. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence and the risk factors for intraoperative bradycardia in maxillofacial, ear, nose and throat surgery, as well as to determine whether controlled hypotension affects the occurrence of IOB. The retrospective study included 2304 patients who underwent maxillofacial, ear, nose or throat surgery. We studied the influence of: sex, age, comorbidity, type of surgery, duration of anesthesia and controlled hypotension on the occurrence of IOB. IOB was registered in 473 patients (20.5%). Patients with controlled hypotension had IOB significantly more often than patients without controlled hypotension (33.9 vs 15.1%) (p = 0.000). The significant predictors of IOB were: age (OR = 1.158; 95% CI = 1.068–1.256; p = 0.000), sex (OR = 0.786; 95% CI = 0.623–0.993; p = 0.043), ischemic heart disease (OR = 2.016; 95% CI = 1.182–3.441; p = 0.010); ear surgery (OR = 1.593; 95% CI = 1.232–2.060; p = 0.000), anesthesia duration, (OR = 1.006; 95% CI = 1.004–1.007; p = 0.000) and controlled hypotension (OR = 2.204; 95% CI = 1.761–2.758; p = 0.000). IOB is common in maxillofacial, ear, nose and throat surgery, particularly in male, older age and patients with ishemic heart disease. The ear surgery, longer anesthesia duration and controlled hypotension raise the risk for occurrence of IOB. © 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Introduction/Objective Intraoperative variations in blood pressure and/or cardiac dysrhythmias (IOVBP/CD) represent one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in surgical patients. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence and risk factors for IOVBP/CD in thyroid surgery patients with comorbidities. Methods The study included 1,252 euthyroid patients with ASA 2 and ASA 3 status (American Society of Anesthesiologists – physical status classification) who underwent thyroid surgery. The following risk factors were examined: sex, age, body mass index (BMI), ASA status, admission diagnoses, type of operation, duration of surgery, time under general anesthesia, difficult intubation of trachea, and coexisting diseases – hypertension, cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmias, angina pectoris, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease. The following intraoperative events were recorded: hypertension, severe hypertension, hypotension, and cardiac arrhythmias. We used Pearson χ2 square test, univariate, and multivariate logistic regression for statistical analysis. Results The majority of patients were female (86.3%). In 903 (72.1%) patients IOVBP/CD were detected. The most common problem was intraoperative hypertension (61.4%). Eight risk factors for IOVBP/CD were registered by univariate analysis: advanced age, ASA 3 status, BMI > 25 kg/m², duration of surgery, time under general anesthesia, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy as a coexisting disease. The multivariate regression model identified three independent predictors for IOVBP/CD: age, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy. Conclusion IOVBP/CD are common in thyroid surgery. The most common is intraoperative hypertension. Older age, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy as a coexisting disease are independent risk factors for IOVBP/CD. © 2018, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine the survival probability of critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection who needed mechanical ventilation and to determine the efficacy of Tocilizumab use. Methodology: The study was designed as a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients older than 18 years, treated in an intensive care unit. The criteria for admission to the intensive care unit was severe respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. All patients received corticosteroid therapy (methylprednisolone 1-2 mg/kg). Tocilizumab was used at a dose of 8 mg/kg in patients with a severe form of the disease (onset, or developed ARDS), followed by cytokine storm (IL-6 ≥ 40 ng/L and CRP ≥ 50 mg/L). Results: 88 patients were included in the study. Intrahospital mortality was 48.86%. No statistically significant difference was observed between patients with and without tocilizumab therapy. In the group of patients in whom this therapy was applied, the values of intrahospital survival were 45.7%, while in the group without this therapy the probability of intrahospital survival was only 0.93%. The probability of survival in the group with noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) was 94.7%, while in the group with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) 0.78%. The duration of symptoms before hospitalization (RR-1.088 CI 1.025-1.155, p < 0.05), as well as the duration of IMV (RR-0.906 CI 0.841-0.976, p < 0.05), were shown to be an independent predictor of poor outcome. Conclusions: The mortality of patients with the most severe form of respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 infection remains high. Independent predictors of poor outcomes were needed for invasive mechanical ventilation and the duration of symptoms before hospitalization or late initiation of appropriate therapy. Copyright © 2022 Stojanović et al.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine the survival probability of critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection who needed mechanical ventilation and to determine the efficacy of Tocilizumab use. Methodology: The study was designed as a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients older than 18 years, treated in an intensive care unit. The criteria for admission to the intensive care unit was severe respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. All patients received corticosteroid therapy (methylprednisolone 1-2 mg/kg). Tocilizumab was used at a dose of 8 mg/kg in patients with a severe form of the disease (onset, or developed ARDS), followed by cytokine storm (IL-6 ≥ 40 ng/L and CRP ≥ 50 mg/L). Results: 88 patients were included in the study. Intrahospital mortality was 48.86%. No statistically significant difference was observed between patients with and without tocilizumab therapy. In the group of patients in whom this therapy was applied, the values of intrahospital survival were 45.7%, while in the group without this therapy the probability of intrahospital survival was only 0.93%. The probability of survival in the group with noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) was 94.7%, while in the group with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) 0.78%. The duration of symptoms before hospitalization (RR-1.088 CI 1.025-1.155, p < 0.05), as well as the duration of IMV (RR-0.906 CI 0.841-0.976, p < 0.05), were shown to be an independent predictor of poor outcome. Conclusions: The mortality of patients with the most severe form of respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 infection remains high. Independent predictors of poor outcomes were needed for invasive mechanical ventilation and the duration of symptoms before hospitalization or late initiation of appropriate therapy. Copyright © 2022 Stojanović et al.

Lactate levels are widely used as an indicator of outcome in critically ill patients. We investigated the prognostic value of postoperative lactate levels for postoperative complications (POCs), mortality and length of hospital stay after elective major abdominal surgery. A total of 195 patients were prospectively evaluated. Lactate levels were assessed on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) [L0], at 4 hours (L4), 12 hours (L12 ), and 24 hours (L24) after the operation. Demographic and perioperative clinical data were collected. Patients were monitored for complications until discharge or death. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the predictive value of lactate levels for postoperative outcomes. The best cut-off lactate values were calculated to differentiate between patients with and without complications, and outcomes in patients with lactate levels above and below the cut-off thresholds were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify variables associated with POCs and mortality. Seventy-six patients developed 184 complications (18 deaths), while 119 had no complications. Serum lactate levels were higher in patients with complications at all time points compared to those without complications (p < 0.001). L12 had the highest predictive value for complications (AUROC12 = 0.787; 95% CI: 0.719–0.854; p < 0.001) and mortality (AUROC12 = 0.872; 95% CI: 0.794–0.950; p < 0.001). The best L12 cut-off value for complications and mortality was 1.35 mmol/l and 1.85 mmol/l, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that L12 ≥ 1.35 mmol/l was an independent predictor of postoperative morbidity (OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.27–5.24, p = 0.001). L24 was predictive of POCs after major abdominal surgery. L12 had the best power to discriminate between patients with and without POCs and was associated with a longer hospital stay. © 2018 ABMSFBIH.

Background: Burn wound dressing and debridement are excruciatingly painful procedures that call for appropriate analgesia—typically multimodal. Better post-procedural pain management, less opioid use, and consequently fewer side effects, which could prolong recovery and increase morbidity, are all benefits of this type of analgesia. Intravenously administered ketamine can be effective as monotherapy or in combination with opioids, especially with procedural sedation such as in burn wound dressing. Methods: This observational study investigated the effect of ketamine administered in subanesthetic doses combined with opioids during burn wound dressing. The study was conducted from October 2018 to October 2021. A total of 165 patients met the inclusion criteria. A total of 82 patients were in the ketamine group, while 83 patients were dressed without ketamine. The main outcome was the effect of ketamine on intraprocedural opioid consumption. The secondary outcome included the effect of ketamine on postprocedural pain control. Results: Patients dressed with ketamine were significantly older (p = 0.001), while the mean doses of intraoperatively administered propofol and fentanyl were significantly lower than in patients dressed without ketamine (150 vs. 220 mg, p < 0.001; and 0.075 vs. 0.150 mg, p < 0.001; respectively). Conclusions: Ketamine was an independent predictor of lower intraoperative fentanyl consumption, according to the multivariate regression analysis (p = 0.015). Contrarily, both groups of patients required postoperative tramadol treatment, while intraoperative ketamine administration had no beneficial effects on postoperative pain management. © 2024 by the authors.

Introduction/Objective Pain is a disturbing experience associated with existing or potential tissue damage, with a sensory, emotional, cognitive, and social component. The aim of this study was to show the efficiency of regional anesthetic techniques in postoperative pain in children. Methods The retrospective cohort study was conducted on a group of 564 pediatric patients during the period from 2013 to 2016. Types of regional anesthesia were classified into the following six groups: caudal, epidural, spinal block, upper limb blocks, lower limb blocks, and truncal nerve block. From statistical methods, we used descriptive statistical methods of absolute and relative numbers, measurements of variability, central tendencies for numerical features, and methods of inferential statistics. We used the ?2 test for the attributive features of observations. Results In relation to the postoperative time when an analgesic was required, a statistically significant difference was observed in the age of children (p = 0.000), disease diagnosis (p = 0.000), type of block (p = 0.000), type of local anesthetic (p = 0.000), and type of anesthesia or sedation preoperatively (p = 0.005). Conclusion Postoperative analgesia was most needed by older children and children who were awake during surgery. Children with injuries and tumors need postoperative analgesia the earliest. The longest postoperative analgesia was recorded in patients who received caudal block. The longest postoperative analgesia can be seen in patients who received levobupivacaine, bupivacaine or levobupivacaine combined with lidocaine to perform the block. © 2019, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.

Objectives: 1) To select patients with Candida-related denture stomatitis (DS) and to study possible risk factors associated with DS, 2) to evaluate the severity of DS according to Newton's classification, and 3) to investigate the association between the presence of non-albicans Candida spp. (NAC) or mixed Candida spp. and the severity of DS. Study Design: Eighty-two patients with Candida-positive DS have undergone 1) filling in the interview questionnaire, 2) clinical examination, and 3) microbiologic examination. Results: A total of 113 Candida spp. isolates were obtained from Candida-positive DS patients: C. albicans (as a single species) in 47/82 (57%) patients (study group A [SG_A]) and NAC/mixed Candida spp. in 35/82 (43%) patients (SG_B). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that older age, longer age of the mandibular denture, and ex-smoker status were associated with SG_A. A multivariate model revealed no significant predictor of DS severity. Patients from SG_A were 3 times as likely to have DS type I, while patients from SG_B were 4.9 times as likely to have DS type III. Conclusions: Our results show the association between type III of DS (by Newton's classification) and the presence of NAC or mixed Candida spp. in denture wearers. © 2018 Elsevier Inc.

Objectives: 1) To select patients with Candida-related denture stomatitis (DS) and to study possible risk factors associated with DS, 2) to evaluate the severity of DS according to Newton's classification, and 3) to investigate the association between the presence of non-albicans Candida spp. (NAC) or mixed Candida spp. and the severity of DS. Study Design: Eighty-two patients with Candida-positive DS have undergone 1) filling in the interview questionnaire, 2) clinical examination, and 3) microbiologic examination. Results: A total of 113 Candida spp. isolates were obtained from Candida-positive DS patients: C. albicans (as a single species) in 47/82 (57%) patients (study group A [SG_A]) and NAC/mixed Candida spp. in 35/82 (43%) patients (SG_B). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that older age, longer age of the mandibular denture, and ex-smoker status were associated with SG_A. A multivariate model revealed no significant predictor of DS severity. Patients from SG_A were 3 times as likely to have DS type I, while patients from SG_B were 4.9 times as likely to have DS type III. Conclusions: Our results show the association between type III of DS (by Newton's classification) and the presence of NAC or mixed Candida spp. in denture wearers. © 2018 Elsevier Inc.

Backgrund/Aim. In recent decades noninvasive methods for the assessment and monitoring of liver fibrosis have been developed and evaluated in numerous chronic liver diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of noninvasive markers for fibrosis assessment transient elastography (TE) and biochemical markers using liver biopsy as reference in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Methods. One hundred and twenty-two patients underwent both liver biopsy and blood tests on the same day and TE in a month following the biopsy and the tests. Liver biopsies were reviewed by a single pathologist using the METAVIR scoring system for assessment of liver fibrosis. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), platelet ratio index (APRI), Forns scores, AST and alanine transaminase (ALT) ratio and TE were compared with liver fibrosis stage in order to determine the best noninvasive marker of liver fibrosis. Results. There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) for the APRI score, Forns index and TE according to stages of liver fibrosis. TE showed superior diagnostic performance when compared to other surrogate markers of liver fibrosis that were investigated. Optimal cut-off for TE were 4.25 and 5.9 kPa for diagnosing the presence of fibrosis and distinguishing mild/moderate and advanced stages of fibrosis respectively. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of TE were 0.963 and 0.865, respectively. Conclusion. Based on our investigation the APRI score, Forns index and TE adequately predict fibrosis stage in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, but the most sensitive and specific parameter appears to be TE. Using noninvasive markers and methods in the evaluation of patients in daily clinical practice may reduce, but not eliminate, the need for invasive diagnostic procedures. © 2018, Inst. Sci. inf., Univ. Defence in Belgrade. All rights reserved.