Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in North-east Croatia.

Objective: The aim of this 5-year study was to determine the frequency and antibiotic susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-related infections at Osijek Clinical Hospital.

Materials And Methods: A total of 1987 staphylococci-infected clinical isolates were collected and analysed at the Microbiology Department of the Public Health Institute of Osijek-Baranja County.

Results: Between 2008 and 2012, the average rate of MRSA-related infections in staphylococci-infected patients was 27.

Single nucleotide polymorphism of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is associated with juvenile spondyloarthritis in Croatian population.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of toll-like and NOD-like receptors have been associated with altered receptor activity and modified production of proinflammatory cytokines leading to a number of diseases. Our aim was to determine whether SNP of TLR2 (Arg753Gln), TLR4 (Asp299Gly, Thr399Ile), and NLRP3 (Q705K) influence susceptibility to juvenile spondyloarthrtis (jSpA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). After the DNA extraction, 26 patients with jSpA, 11 with oligoarticular, polyarticular, or systemic JIA, and 40 healthy controls were genotyped for Arg753Gln, Asp299Gly, Thr399Ile, and Q705K SNP using real-time PCR-SNP analysis.

Polymorphisms of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in chronically infected hepatitis C patients from north-east Croatia.

Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is caused by an inadequate immune response. Experimental data suggest that the impaired activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 4 contributes to chronic infection. We assessed the distribution of three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TLR2 (Arg753Gln) and TLR4 (Asp299Gly/Thr399Ile) genes in individuals from north-east Croatia and their effect on the outcome of antiviral therapy.

Most common HCV genotypes in patients from north-eastern Croatia.

Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the HCV-RNA viral load, genotype distribution, risk factors and symptoms of HCVRNA positive viral load in HCV antibody-positive patients from north-eastern Croatia.

Materials And Methods: From January 2009 to December 2011, 203 HCV antibody- positive patients (130 men and 73 women; median age 44.5 years) were analyzed for HCV-RNA by the COBAS TaqMan HCV test and genotyped by the Linear Array HCV Genotyping test (both from Roche).

Prevalence and genotype distribution of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR HPV) in male genital samples of Osijek-Baranja County.

This is a first cross-sectional study on the prevalence and distribution of HPV infection in asymptomatic, heterosexual men from Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia. Between 2009 and 2011, 330 men tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were recruited. Their genital swabs were tested for high-risk HPV (HR HPV) infection by the AMPLICOR HPV test and further genotyped by the Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test (both by Roche).

Distribution of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes in Croatian women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)--a pilot study.

Genital infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR HPV) associates with increased risk of developing precancerous lesions, such as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The objective of this pilot study conducted in north-east Croatia was to determine the prevalence of HPV genital infection in women with abnormal cervical cytology and to determine its association with their age and HPV genotype(s). From March 2009 to December 2011, cervical swabs from 100 women were analysed for HR HPV infection (AMPLICOR HPV Test, Roche Diagnostics) and genotyped for high risk (HR), intermediate (IR) and low risk (LR) HPVs (Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test, Roche Diagnostics).

Distribution of Chlamydia trachomatis serotypes in clinical urogenital samples from north-eastern Croatia.

The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) urogenital infection and its serotype distribution from clinical samples in north-eastern Croatia. During a 3-year period, 2,379 urogenital samples were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (A group), while 4,846 genital swabs were analyzed by direct fluorescent antibody test (B group). 132 Ct positive specimens were genotyped by omp1 gene sequencing.