Circulating cytokines reflect mucosal inflammatory status in patients with Crohn's disease.

Background: There is a great need for a simple activity assessment tool that can reliably predict activity in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).

Aim: To investigate the relationship between serum cytokines and endoscopic activity of CD using Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (CDEIS) as a gold standard.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated 32 firmly established CD patients using ileocolonoscopy, CDEIS score, and Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) score.

Ulcerative colitis in the Tuzla region of Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1995 and 2006: epidemiological and clinical characteristics.

Background: Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is one of the Eastern European countries that lacks data on the epidemiology of ulcerative colitis (UC).

Aims: We aimed to assess the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of UC in Tuzla Canton of B&H during a 12-year period (1995-2006).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated hospital records of both UC inpatients and outpatients residing in Tuzla Canton of B&H (total of 496 280 inhabitants) between 1995 and 2006.

Simple uninvestigated dyspepsia: age threshold for early endoscopy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Objective: To establish an optimal age threshold for endoscopy referral in patients with simple uninvestigated dyspepsia in the setting of European developing country (Bosnia and Herzegovina) with low availability and high workload of endoscopy units.

Methods: We reviewed patient information on all upper endoscopies performed during a 6-year period (2000-2005). Different age thresholds were evaluated in terms of their predictive power for absence of malignancy.

Crohn's disease in Tuzla region of Bosnia and Herzegovina: a 12-year study (1995-2006).

Background: Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is one of the Eastern European countries with lacking data on Crohn's disease (CD) epidemiology.

Goal: We aimed to assess incidence of CD in Tuzla Canton of B&H during a 12-year period (1995-2006).

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated hospital records of both CD inpatients and outpatients residing in Tuzla Canton of B&H (total of 496,280 inhabitants) between 1995 and 2006.

Genetics, clinical manifestations and management of FAP and HNPCC.

Colorectal cancer occurs in the familial cancer syndromes in about 2 to 4 percent. The major genetic syndromes are Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). FAP is caused by germline mutation of APC gene, and HNPCC is caused by germline mutation in one of five MMR genes.

[Balloon dilatation in esophageal stenosis].

The most frequent causes of the stenosis are as follows: Schatzki rings, structures as the complications of GERB', postcorrosive and postoperative at nosis. The Balloon dilatation is one from the therapeutic procedures of stenosis of the esophagus. By the clinic research is included 12 patients with the stenoses of the esophagus of the various cause.