Sentinel lymph node biopsy may be used to support the decision to perform modified radical neck dissection in differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Background: The prognostic significance of lymph node metastases (LNM) in follicle cell-derived differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is still controversial. The management of cervical lymph nodes varies from "berry picking" to modified radical neck dissection (MRND). The incidence of LNM in papillary thyroid carcinoma varies from 27% to 80%.

[Residual renal function and nutritional status in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis].

Introduction: During the last years, an increasing number of patients with end-stage renal failure caused by various underlying diseases, all over the world, is treated by renal replacement therapy. NUTRITIONAL STATUS: Malnutrition is often found in patients affected by renal failure; it is caused by reduced intake of nutritional substances due to anorexia and dietary restrictions hormonal and metabolic disorders, comorbid conditions and loss of proteins, amino-acids, and vitamins during the dialysis procedure itself. Nutritional status significantly affects the outcome of patients on chronic dialysis treatment.

[Frequency and characteristics of hepatitis B infection in children with malignant diseases].

Introduction: Hepatitis B, a complication of blood transfusion or other means of transmission, occurs with variable frequency in children with malignant diseases.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of hepatitis B virus infection in children with malignant diseases, to investigate the clinical course of the illness, and to analyse the influence of hepatitis on cytotoxic treatment.

Method: The study included children diagnosed and treated for malignant diseases at the University Children's Hospital in Belgrade from 1997 to 2003.

[Resorption and tolerance of the high doses of ferrous sulfate and ferrous gluconate in the patients on peritoneal dialysis].

Background/aim: Iron supplementation plays a crucial role in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Oral iron substitution is more convenient than intravenous therapy in PD patients, but impaired absorption and adverse effects may be limiting factors for oral treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the absorption and side effects of high doses ferrous sulphate and ferrous gluconate in PD patients.

Psychological consequences of rape on women in 1991-1995 war in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Aim: To explore the short- and long-term psychological consequences of rape on women victims of rape during the 1992-1995 war against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Methods: The study included 68 women victims of rape and was conducted at the Medical Center for Human Rights, Zagreb, Croatia, from 1992 to 1995. Testimony method and a questionnaire were used to retrospectively obtain the description of rapes and symptoms women suffered immediately after rape and at the time of the study, ie, 11.

[Dynamic changes in calcium and phosphate plasma concentrations in the patients on peritoneal dialysis].

Background/aim: The disturbances of active forms of vitamin D synthesis and disturbances in calcium and posphate metabolism develop early in chronic renal failure, when creatinine clearance is about 30 ml/min. Chronic hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis only partially correct the biochemical enviroment of patients on chronic renal replacement therapy because of end-stage renal disease. These dialysis modalities can't signifficantly affect the endocrine disturbances of chronic renal failure and they have minimal modulatory effect.

High glucose protects single beating adult cardiomyocytes against hypoxia.

In the heart, the opening of sarcolemmal ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channels seems to be crucial for the cardiac protection against hypoxia/ischaemia. In the present study, we have exposed cardiomyocytes under hypoxia to high extracellular glucose (30 mM). Under these conditions, intracellular concentration of 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate has increased confirming stimulation of glycolysis.

Distinct effects of sucrose and trehalose on protein stability during supercritical fluid drying and freeze-drying.

Supercritical fluid (SCF) drying has been proposed as an alternative for freeze-drying to stabilize proteins. Here we studied the influence of sucrose and trehalose during SCF drying on the protein stability and the physical powder characteristics of lysozyme and myoglobin formulations. The results obtained with SCF drying were compared with the results after freeze-drying of the same solutions.

[Results of treatment of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with a modified BFM protocol].

Our study presents the results of ALL treatment from year 1995 to 2002 according to modified BFM protocol at the Department of Hematology of the University Children's Hospital, Belgrade. Modification was necessary due to inadequate drug and diagnostic reagent supply at that time and related mainly to reduced intensity of therapy and difference of definition of risk factors in relation to original BFM protocol. A total of 69 patients were treated, 36 girls (52.

Stabilization of proteins in dry powder formulations using supercritical fluid technology.

Therapeutic proteins have become essential in the treatment of many diseases. Their formulation in dry form is often required to improve their stability. Traditional freeze-drying or spray-drying processes are often harmful to labile proteins and could be replaced by supercritical fluid (SCF) drying to produce particles with defined physicochemical characteristics in a mild single step.

[Identification of sentinel lymph nodes in thyroid carcinoma].

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) was defined as the first lymph node that the tumor would drain to, within that tumors regional lymphatic basin. In 1998, Kelemen and coworkers have published the first results on SLN lymphonodectomy in thyroid carcinomas. Different methods have been used in a goal of lymphatic mapping (application of vital blue dye and/or radiocolloid).

[Principles of lymph node surgery in differentiated thyroid carcinoma].

Surgery is the initial therapy in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). The surgery is performed on organ of tumor origin and regional lymphatic basins. The aim of surgery in DTC is to eradicate all tumor foci, cure the most number of patients, reduce recurrence and mortality rate, and provide good quality of life.

[Functional reconstruction of the extremities in cases with definitive peripheral nerve lesions].

Deficit if the functional integrity of the limbs as a consequence of the definitive lesions of the peripheral nerves necessitates surgical treatment aimed at regaining of the optimal mobility and strength of the parts of the limbs or whole limbs. Our study was aimed at presenting our experience in functional reconstruction of the extremities, evaluation of significance of primary and delayed microsurgical reconstruction of the injured nerves with respect to further course of treatment and presenting innovative modifications of certain surgical techniques. The total of 101 surgical procedures were performed in 91 patients, out of which 76 were at the level of the shoulder, elbow and hand and 29 were on the feet.

[Treatment of postoperative pain in elderly oncology patients with intravenous administration of a 50% glucose solution].

Postoperative pain is the most important factor od so called "tumor-promotive effect of surgery" i.e. of endocrine-metabolic changes having the consequence drop in immune, antiinfective and antitumor defense.

Retroperitoneal kaposiform hemangioendothelioma with tufted angioma-like features in an infant with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome.

Kasabach-Merritt syndrome denotes profound thrombocytopenia and coagulopathy in an infant with a vascular tumor. A retroperitoneal vascular tumor with an unusual combination of histopathological features is reported, and compared with vascular lesions described in the reported cases of Kasabach-Merritt syndrome in the literature. A large retroperitoneal tumor that had expanded through the sigmoid mesocolon into the sigmoid colon wall was resected from an 8-month-old infant with fully developed Kasabach-Merritt syndrome.

Co-morbidity and kidney graft failure-two main causes of malnutrition in kidney transplant patients.

Background: Malnutrition is very frequent in chronic renal failure but, after successful kidney transplantation, body weight gain is common and is widely investigated, while malnutrition after transplantation is underestimated. In the present study, the prevalence of malnutrition in kidney transplant patients and the factors which might contribute to its development are analysed.

Method: In a population of 452 kidney transplant patients followed-up regularly at our department, body mass index (BMI) was determined.

[News in cardiopulmonary resuscitation in adults].

In the paper it is presented novelties in cardiopulmonary resuscitation of adults. It was indicated to importance of maintenance of cardiac output as main factor of successful resuscitation. In was pointed out defibrilation by automatic external defibrilators (AED), especially of biphasic type.

Use of high-dose cytarabine to enhance cisplatin cytotoxicity-effects on the response and overall survival rates of advanced head and neck cancer patients.

Unlabelled: It has been reported that cytarabine, acting by at least two different mechanisms, enhances the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin in in vitro systems. The aim of this open, prospective, randomised study was to estimate the eventual benefits from the inclusion of high-dose cytarabine in the cisplatin-5-fluorouracil (5-FU) regimen as first-line treatment of patients with advanced head and neck cancer. The study recruited successive patients with unresectable grade I/II head and neck cancer who were not suitable for irradiation treatment (T any N3 or T4 N2C), metastatic or previously irradiated.

[Peritoneal dialysis in the aged].

Introduction: Patients older than 65 years represent the group of patients affected by end-stage renal failure characterized by the most rapid growth. The prevalent causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the elderly are diabetes mellitus and nephrosclerosis due to long-term arterial hypertension. There are a number of physiologic changes which occur with aging that might have an impact on the choice of renal replacement modality for an elderly patient: clinical or subclinical diminished cardiovascular reserve due to atherosclerosis or impaired baroreceptor function, slow deterioration of pulmonary function, impaired immunity, increased susceptibility to infection, metabolic disturbances, bone loss from osteoporosis, altered metabolism of protein and a variety of drugs, high rate of malnutrition, tendency to carbohydrate intolerance.

Intensive-care management of a patient with HELLP syndrome--case report.

HELLP syndrome belongs to the group of pathological states known as pregnancy-induced hypertension or EPH gestosis. The basic criteria for establishing the diagnosis are as follows: H for hemolysis, EL for elevated liver enzymes and LP for low platelets. A pregnant woman, 38 years of age, multipara (V pregnancy, third delivery) has been admitted to the Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Novi Sad in 36-37 week gestation complaining of nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, general weakness, exhaustion as well as symptom of previously diagnosed preeclampsia.

The influence of surgery and anesthesia on lymphocyte functions in breast cancer patients: in vitro effects of indomethacin.

Surgical trauma and anesthesia may lead to the postoperative immunosuppression, the exact mechanism of which is still unresolved. Among various factors, the role of prostaglandine PGE2-mediated suppression was also proposed. We investigated the influence of surgery and two anesthetic regimes on lymphoproliferative response (LPR) to PHA and on NK cell activity (MTT) in breast cancer patients, as well as the effect of indomethacin, a PGE2 synthesis inhibitor, on these lymphocyte functions in vitro.

Gene delivery of Kir6.2/SUR2A in conjunction with pinacidil handles intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis under metabolic stress.

Metabolic injury is a complex process affecting various tissues, with intracellular Ca2+ loading recognized as a common precipitating event leading to cell death. We have recently observed that cells overexpressing recombinant ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel subunits may acquire resistance against metabolic stress. To examine whether, under metabolic challenge, intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis can be maintained by an activator of channel proteins, we delivered Kir6.

[Mechanisms in onset of postoperative immunodepression and its importance in the surgical treatment of cancer patients].

Postoperative immunodepression is inevitable transient path of operative trauma. Changes in the immunologic status are related to the duration of the anesthesia and surgery procedure. Mortality and morbidity and recurrence rate may be related with immunodepression.

[Urinary bladder dysfunction and vesicoureteral reflux in patients with enuresis].

We present preliminary results of prospective study on 38 children (aged 4-15 y.) with enuresis. The aim of the study was to document the association between bladder disfunction and urinary tract abnormalities.

[Intratracheal administration of adrenaline in the treatment of bronchospasm].

The paper deals with a female patient in whom during induction of anesthesia acute obstruction of the lower parts of the respiratory tract caused by bronchospasm appeared. The bronchospasm was successfully treated and almost immediately relieved by intratracheal administration of adrenaline solution of 0.5 mg in 1 ml.