Browsing by Author "Polovina, Snežana (35071643300)"

Background/Aims: Exaggerated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol responses to ghrelin in Cushing's disease (CD) have previously been reported, similarly to responses to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). We assessed the ability of ghrelin to enhance ACTH and cortisol responses when added to CRH stimulation in CD patients. Methods: In 21 CD patients (18 females, 3 males; age 49.8 ± 10.2 years; BMI 29.8 ± 0.8) and 8 healthy subjects (7 females, 1 male; age 40.6 ± 5.3 years; BMI 29.9 ± 1.2), we administered (1) ghrelin 100 μg i.v. bolus, (2) CRH 100 μg i.v. bolus, and (3) ghrelin + CRH combination. ACTH and cortisol were analyzed by commercially available kits from samples taken at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min. ACTH and cortisol responses were calculated as peak and area under the curve (AUC0-120 min). Results: ACTH and cortisol at baseline and stimulated with ghrelin and/or CRH (peak and AUC0-120 min) were significantly higher in CD patients compared to controls (p < 0.01). ACTH and cortisol responses to ghrelin or CRH were similar in CD patients. Combined ghrelin + CRH administration in CD patients produced the highest ACTH response (peak and AUC0-120 min) compared to ghrelin or CRH alone (p < 0.01). Cortisol responses after ghrelin + CRH were uncoupled with ACTH responses and similar to the response to ghrelin or CRH alone in both groups. ACTH and cortisol responses, during all three tests, were similar in CD patients with micro- or macroadenomas. Conclusion: Ghrelin administration causes exaggerated ACTH and cortisol responses in CD patients compared to healthy controls. In combination with CRH, it additionally enhances ACTH secretion without further additive effect on cortisol output. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Background/Aims: Exaggerated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol responses to ghrelin in Cushing's disease (CD) have previously been reported, similarly to responses to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). We assessed the ability of ghrelin to enhance ACTH and cortisol responses when added to CRH stimulation in CD patients. Methods: In 21 CD patients (18 females, 3 males; age 49.8 ± 10.2 years; BMI 29.8 ± 0.8) and 8 healthy subjects (7 females, 1 male; age 40.6 ± 5.3 years; BMI 29.9 ± 1.2), we administered (1) ghrelin 100 μg i.v. bolus, (2) CRH 100 μg i.v. bolus, and (3) ghrelin + CRH combination. ACTH and cortisol were analyzed by commercially available kits from samples taken at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min. ACTH and cortisol responses were calculated as peak and area under the curve (AUC0-120 min). Results: ACTH and cortisol at baseline and stimulated with ghrelin and/or CRH (peak and AUC0-120 min) were significantly higher in CD patients compared to controls (p < 0.01). ACTH and cortisol responses to ghrelin or CRH were similar in CD patients. Combined ghrelin + CRH administration in CD patients produced the highest ACTH response (peak and AUC0-120 min) compared to ghrelin or CRH alone (p < 0.01). Cortisol responses after ghrelin + CRH were uncoupled with ACTH responses and similar to the response to ghrelin or CRH alone in both groups. ACTH and cortisol responses, during all three tests, were similar in CD patients with micro- or macroadenomas. Conclusion: Ghrelin administration causes exaggerated ACTH and cortisol responses in CD patients compared to healthy controls. In combination with CRH, it additionally enhances ACTH secretion without further additive effect on cortisol output. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Introduction/Objective Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a developmental vascular proliferative disorder in premature children’s incompletely vascularized retina. Many factors slow down or prevent the normal development of retinal vascularization in premature babies. The aim of our study was to examine the risk factors in premature infants of gestational age (GA) of 25–36 weeks associated with the occurrence of severe ROP. Methods The study was cross-sectional. The research included patients monitored by a screening program for ROP, i.e. prematurely born children with a body weight mass (BMW) ≤ 2000 g, and/or GA of ≤ 36 weeks. Results Statistically significant differences were observed between the ROP and the control group in the mean values of GA, BWM at birth, Apgar score, and days of oxygen therapy. Also, frequencies of respiratory distress syndrome expression, broncho-pulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhages, and require-ment for mechanical ventilation were statistically significantly different between the two analyzed groups. Conclusion Our work confirmed that low GA and low BWM are already accepted risk factors for ROP. The presence of perinatal asphyxia, the length of oxygen administration and assisted ventilation are significantly associated with the appearance of active forms of retinopathy. Sepsis and anemia were shown to be significantly associated with more severe forms of retinopathy, while hyperbilirubinemia was approximately present in both examined groups. More severe forms of intraventricular hemorrhages and necrotic enterocolitis are significantly more common in children with active retinopathy. © 2024, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.

Background/Aim. Gastric contraction modulation (GCM) with the implanted DIAMOND device improves glycemic control and decreases weight. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the early efficacy of GCM using the DIAMOND (previously named TANTALUS) System in the improvement of glycemic control measured by changes in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). The effects of GCM on weight loss, body mass index (BMI), reduction of the waist circumference and metabolic parameters other than HbA1c were also evaluated. Methods. A total of 18 adult patients with type 2 diabetes were surgically treated at the Department for Minimally Invasive Upper Digestive Surgery, Clinic for Digestive Surgery in Belgrade, Serbia, using gastric pacemaker (DIAMOND System) from November 2014 to March 2016. Out of the total number of patients, 11 finished week 16 visit and were enroled in this prospective cohort study. Results. During the observed period, the average weight loss amounted to 8.05 kg (p < 0.05). The average difference between the baseline fasting glucose level and the level after 16 weeks period is 2.56 mmol/L. Similar findings were noted in fasting insulin levels, with an average decrease of 6.44 m/U/L after 16 weeks. The majority of patients experienced a decrease in HbA1c value: in 4 patients higher than 2%, and in 4 patients up to 2% (p < 0.05). Lower level of fasting insulin with simultaneous decrease in fasting glucose indicates improvement in insulin sensitivity on week 16 [homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA IR) average 5.25]. Conclusion. Gastric stimulation using the DIAMOND System for 16 weeks causes significant early improvement in glycemic control and insulin resistance. There is an additional positive effect on weight loss, body mass index (BMI) and reduction of the waist circumference as a main parameter of the metabolic syndrome. © 2018, Institut za Vojnomedicinske Naucne Informacije/Documentaciju. All rights reserved.

Introduction/Objective The development of acute insulin resistance after surgery intervention is associated with the type and magnitude of operation and tissue injury. The aim of our study was to compare insulin sensitivity assessed by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) before and after laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy during seven days follow-up. Methods In total, 92 patients were divided into two groups: laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Group 1) (n = 61) and open cholecystectomy (Group 2) (n = 31). Glucose, insulin and CRP levels were measured at day 0 and at postoperative days one, three and seven. Glucose, insulin and CRP were determined using commercial assay on Roche Cobas 6000 automated analyzer (Roche Diagnostics, Manheim, Germany). Results There was no statistical difference between studied groups concerning age (p = 0.626), body mass index (p = 0.548), glucose (p = 0.947), insulin (p = 0.212), HOMA-IR (p = 0.390) and CRP (p = 0.546) at day 0. At day one, higher values of CRP were found in group 2 compared with group 1 (p = 0.046). At day three, significantly higher values of glucose and HOMA-IR were found in group 2 compared with group 1 (p = 0.025, p = 0.036, respectively). Conclusion Increase in CRP precedes deterioration of insulin sensitivity measured by HOMA-IR after cholecystectomy. Impairment of insulin sensitivity was more pronounced at postoperative day three in group with open cholecystectomy. On the basis of our results, laparoscopic cholecystectomy induced less impairment in insulin sensitivity and lower inflammatory response. © 2023, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.

[No abstract available]

Background: The predictive value of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with cholecystitis has not been established. The aim of this study was to investigate preoperative NLR in patients with cholecystitis and to identify a relevant NLR value that discriminates between simple and severe cholecystitis. Methods: This study included 136 patients who under went laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to cholecystitis. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify the most useful NLR cut-off value in relation to the severity of cholecystitis. The patients were di vided into two groups according to the cut-off NLR value: high NLR group (≥4.18, n=23) and low NLR group (<4.18, n=113). Severe cholecystitis was defined as a state which includes inflammation, empyema, gangrene, perforation of gallbladder, adhesions or difficulty in dissecting Calot's triangle. Results: In the high NLR group, severe cholecystitis (p<0.0001) and higher C-reactive protein level (CRP) and white blood cells count (WBC) (p<0.0001) were significantly more frequent. There was no difference in homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) between both groups before the operation (p<0.634). The incidence of severe cholecystitis was 16.9%. The NLR of 4.18 could predict severe cholecystitis with 78.3% sensitivity and 74.3% specificity. Spearman's correlation revealed significant association between the preoperative NLR and HOMA-IR on day 1, (r=0.254, p=0.030) and between preoperative NLR and CRP on day 1 (ρ=0.355; p<0.0001). Conclusions: NLR ≥4.18 was significantly associated with severe cholecystitis. The preoperative NLR in patients under going cholecystectomy due to cholecystitis could be a useful surrogate marker of severe cholecystitis. © 2017 Dušan Micić et al.

Background: The predictive value of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with cholecystitis has not been established. The aim of this study was to investigate preoperative NLR in patients with cholecystitis and to identify a relevant NLR value that discriminates between simple and severe cholecystitis. Methods: This study included 136 patients who under went laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to cholecystitis. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify the most useful NLR cut-off value in relation to the severity of cholecystitis. The patients were di vided into two groups according to the cut-off NLR value: high NLR group (≥4.18, n=23) and low NLR group (<4.18, n=113). Severe cholecystitis was defined as a state which includes inflammation, empyema, gangrene, perforation of gallbladder, adhesions or difficulty in dissecting Calot's triangle. Results: In the high NLR group, severe cholecystitis (p<0.0001) and higher C-reactive protein level (CRP) and white blood cells count (WBC) (p<0.0001) were significantly more frequent. There was no difference in homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) between both groups before the operation (p<0.634). The incidence of severe cholecystitis was 16.9%. The NLR of 4.18 could predict severe cholecystitis with 78.3% sensitivity and 74.3% specificity. Spearman's correlation revealed significant association between the preoperative NLR and HOMA-IR on day 1, (r=0.254, p=0.030) and between preoperative NLR and CRP on day 1 (ρ=0.355; p<0.0001). Conclusions: NLR ≥4.18 was significantly associated with severe cholecystitis. The preoperative NLR in patients under going cholecystectomy due to cholecystitis could be a useful surrogate marker of severe cholecystitis. © 2017 Dušan Micić et al.

Introduction/Objective Diabetes mellitus and its chronic complications impair quality of life (QoL) when compared to the one of the general population. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of > 14 unhealthy days per month among the patients with diabetes in Serbia and to determine the association of the socio-demographic characteristics and health characteristics with the total of > 14 unhealthy days. Methods Serbian version of a generic self-administered questionnaire from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-HRQOL-4) was used for data collection in all three levels of care. Results The study involved 4898 patients with diabetes, 2283 (46.6%) men and 2611 (53.4%) women. Overall mean age was 57.3 ± 12.2 years with over one fifth (23.2 %) were younger than 50 years. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that age > 65 (OR:1.575, 95%CI 1.100–2.256), being a woman (OR: 1.287, 95% CI 1.042–1.588), lower education (OR: 1.383, 95%CI 1.091–1.754), felt depressed ≥ 14 days (OR: 3.689, 95% CI 2.221–6.128), felt anxious ≥ 14 days (OR: 1.749, 95% CI 1.113–2.749), poor sleep ≥ 14 days (OR:2.161, 95%CI 1.569–2.988), fair or poor self-rated health ≥ 14 days (OR: 4.322, 95%CI 3.474–5.376) were associated with unhealthy days ≥ 14 days. The strongest negative association was observed between limited physical activity ≥ 14 days and a decrease in the QoL of people with diabetes (OR: 22.176, 95%CI 10.971–44.824). Conclusion This study highlights association between impaired QoL in patients with diabetes and physical activity limitations. Limited physical activity is the factor with the greatest negative impact on the QoL particularly in older, less educated, and women with diabetes. © 2023, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.

Introduction. Juxtaglomerular cell tumor (JGCT) or reninoma is a very rare cause of curable hypertension among young people. The early diagnosis is the most important based on the clinical presentation, hormonal and radiological findings observed on computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The final confirmation of the JGCT is the lateralization of the plasma renin activity (PRA) during the selective renal venous sampling. Case report. This report presents a typical case of young women with JGCT which was manifested for the first time with severe hypertension during the pregnancy and was the reason of fetal death. After the miscarriage, the diagnosis of JGCT was made by the CT scanning and confirmed by the selective renal venous sampling. After the partial nephrectomy, the blood pressure and serum potassium normalized without the medications. Conclusion. Reninoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis as a cause of severe hypertension in pregnancy and also should be suspected in young hipertensives (especially females) with hypokalemia and secondary hyperaldosteronism after the exclusion of other causes particularly renal artery stenosis. A dynamic contrastenhanced CT, MRI and selective renal venous sampling are the most important tools in the diagnosis of JGCT. © 2017, Institut za Vojnomedicinske Naucne Informacije/Documentaciju. All Rights Reserved.

Cardiovascular and reproductive health of women have been going hand in hand since the dawn of time, however, their links have been poorly studied and once the basis of their connections started to be established in late 20th century, it depended on local regional abilities and the level of progressive thinking to afford comprehensive women’s care beyond the “bikini medicine”. Further research identified different associations rendering more conditions sex-specific and launching therefore a slow, yet initial turn around in clinical trials’ concept as the majority of global cardiovascular guidelines rely on the results of research conducted on a very modest percentage of women and even less on the women of color. Currently, the concept of women’s heart centers varies depending on the local demographics’ guided needs, available logistics driven by budgeting and societal support of a broad-minded thinking environment, free of bias for everyone: from young adults questioning their gender identity, via women of reproductive age both struggling to conceive or keep working part time when healthy and line of work permits it during pregnancy, up to aging and the elderly. Using “Investigate-Educate-Advocate-Legislate” as the four pillars of advancing cardiovascular care of women, we aimed to sum-marize standing of women’s health in Serbia, present ongoing projects and propose actionable solutions for the future. © 2021, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.