Browsing by Author "Nikolic, Gorana (56888502300)"

The global outbreak of COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has prompted significant public health concerns. This study focuses on 442 chronic hemodialysis patients diagnosed with COVID-19, emphasizing the impact of vaccination status on clinical outcomes. The study investigates the correlation between vaccination status and laboratory findings, aiming to identify predictive factors for mortality. Results indicate that vaccination status plays a crucial role in outcomes. Full vaccination, evidenced by two or three doses, is associated with better outcomes, including reduced incidence of bilateral pneumonia and lower risks of complications such as hemorrhage and thrombosis. Laboratory analyses reveal significant differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients in parameters like C-reactive protein, ferritin, and white blood cell counts. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses identify several factors influencing mortality, including comorbidities, pneumonia development, and various inflammatory markers. In conclusion among hemodialysis patients affected by COVID-19 infection, vaccination with at least three doses emerges as a protective factor against fatal outcomes. Independent predictors of mortality are CRP levels upon admission, maximum CRP values during the illness and cardiovascular comorbidities. Noteworthy lymphocytopenia during infection exhibits a notable level of specificity and sensitivity in predicting mortality. © 2023 by the authors.

The global outbreak of COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has prompted significant public health concerns. This study focuses on 442 chronic hemodialysis patients diagnosed with COVID-19, emphasizing the impact of vaccination status on clinical outcomes. The study investigates the correlation between vaccination status and laboratory findings, aiming to identify predictive factors for mortality. Results indicate that vaccination status plays a crucial role in outcomes. Full vaccination, evidenced by two or three doses, is associated with better outcomes, including reduced incidence of bilateral pneumonia and lower risks of complications such as hemorrhage and thrombosis. Laboratory analyses reveal significant differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients in parameters like C-reactive protein, ferritin, and white blood cell counts. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses identify several factors influencing mortality, including comorbidities, pneumonia development, and various inflammatory markers. In conclusion among hemodialysis patients affected by COVID-19 infection, vaccination with at least three doses emerges as a protective factor against fatal outcomes. Independent predictors of mortality are CRP levels upon admission, maximum CRP values during the illness and cardiovascular comorbidities. Noteworthy lymphocytopenia during infection exhibits a notable level of specificity and sensitivity in predicting mortality. © 2023 by the authors.

Purpose: There is a need for identifying molecular prognostic biomarkers to better predict clinical outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study investigated the pattern of cyclin D1 and p57 expression in RCC patients and evaluated their relation with clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival (OS). Methods: Immunohistochemistry was applied to paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 74 RCC patients. Two cut-off groups were defined by the fraction of positive cells as fol-lows: ≤10% and >10% positive cells for cyclin D1, and ≤5% and >5% positive cells for p57. Results: Cyclin D1 expression in >10% of positive cells was observed mostly in the clear cell RCC, while p57 expression in ≤5% of positive cells was found in 86% of chromophobe RCC specimens. The higher expression of cyclin D1 and lower expression of p57 were more frequent in grade I-II tumors. OS was associated with unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics. However, cyclin D1/p57 expression did not influence the survival rates. Conclusion: Although cyclin D1 and p57 expression did not affect survival rates in RCC patients, proper validation and establishment of the qualitative cut-off point are needed for these tumors. © 2019 Zerbinis Publications. All Rights Reserved.

Purpose: There is a need for identifying molecular prognostic biomarkers to better predict clinical outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study investigated the pattern of cyclin D1 and p57 expression in RCC patients and evaluated their relation with clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival (OS). Methods: Immunohistochemistry was applied to paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 74 RCC patients. Two cut-off groups were defined by the fraction of positive cells as fol-lows: ≤10% and >10% positive cells for cyclin D1, and ≤5% and >5% positive cells for p57. Results: Cyclin D1 expression in >10% of positive cells was observed mostly in the clear cell RCC, while p57 expression in ≤5% of positive cells was found in 86% of chromophobe RCC specimens. The higher expression of cyclin D1 and lower expression of p57 were more frequent in grade I-II tumors. OS was associated with unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics. However, cyclin D1/p57 expression did not influence the survival rates. Conclusion: Although cyclin D1 and p57 expression did not affect survival rates in RCC patients, proper validation and establishment of the qualitative cut-off point are needed for these tumors. © 2019 Zerbinis Publications. All Rights Reserved.

Infertility is a major global health issue, affecting approximately 9% of couples worldwide. Its prevalence increased steadily over the preceding decades, paralleling environmental and lifestyle changes. One assisted reproductive technique to overcome infertility is in vitro fertilization (IVF). The IVF procedure consists of several stages, one of which is controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) via various protocols allowing follicular recruitment and maturation in preparation for oocyte retrieval. Follicular fluid (FF) is the microenvironment in which oocytes develop during folliculogenesis, and FF information could be used to assess follicle and oocyte development and maturation stages. Nitric oxide (NO) is a component of FF that is being studied as a predictive factor of follicle maturation and egg quality and as a potential indicator of the success of COS during the IVF process. The hypothesis was that COS affects NO levels in the serum; more specifically, that NO levels in serum after COS correlate with NO levels in FF, based on literature data on the influence of female reproductive hormones on NO metabolism and data on the change in the hormonal milieu affected by COS use. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that NO levels in serum and FF after COS were related to the number of high-quality female reproductive cells obtained during IVF. Assuming that NO levels in serum after COS correlate with NO levels in FF, the central hypothesis of this study is that serum NO levels after COS could be a valuable predictor of oocyte quality and the number of high-quality female reproductive cells achieved by COS. As a result of the hypothesis, measuring NO could be a novel way to improve the efficiency of IVF treatment. © 2023

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT) is a rare tumour with an intermediate biological behaviour. It usually occurs in children and adolescents, primarily in the abdomen or lungs. Histopathologically, IMT consists of spindle cells, i.e., myofibroblasts, and a variable inflammatory component. Localization in the urinary bladder is rare. We are presenting a rare case of IMT in the bladder in a middle-aged man treated by partial cystectomy. A 62-year-old man consulted a urologist because of haematuria and dysuric disturbances. A tumorous mass was detected by an ultrasound in the urinary bladder. CT urography described the tumorous mass at the dome of the urinary bladder measuring 2 × 5 cm. A smooth tumorous mass was cystoscopically observed at the dome of the urinary bladder. Transurethral resection of the bladder tumour was performed. Histopathological analysis of the specimen identified spindle cells with a mixed inflammatory infiltrate; immunohistochemical findings showed positivity for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), smooth muscle actin (SMA) and vimentin. A histopathological diagnosis of IMT was established. It was decided that the patient would undergo a partial cystectomy. A complete excision of the tumour from the dome of the urinary bladder with surrounding healthy tissue was performed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical findings of the sample confirmed the diagnosis of IMT, without the presence of the tumour at the surgical margins. The postoperative course went smoothly. IMT is a rare tumour in adults, especially localised in the urinary bladder. IMT of the urinary bladder is difficult to distinguish from urinary bladder malignancy both clinically and radiologically, as well as histopathologically. If the location and size of the tumour allow it, bladder-preserving surgeries such as partial cystectomy represent a reasonable modality of operative treatment. © 2023 by the authors.