Assessment of the diagnostic value of serum cathepsin S and its correlation with HDL subclasses in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Background: Recent findings point to the key role of cathepsin S (CTSS) in the survival of malignant cells, as well as the significance of the anti-apoptotic properties of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) that contribute to enhanced cell survival. The purpose of this study is to analyse CTSS as a potential biomarker in lymphoma. Also, in order to better understand the role of CTSS in the origin and development of lymphoma, its association with cystatin C (Cys C), lipids, and inflammatory markers was analysed.

The influence of various sample storage conditions and sample bacterial contamination on concentrations of routine biochemical parameters.

Background: The pre-analytical (PA) phase is the most vulnerable phase of the laboratory testing procedure, with critical procedures-collection, handling, sample transport, and time and temperature of sample storage. This study aimed to examine the stability of basic biochemical parameters depending on the samples' storage conditions and the number of freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs). In parallel, the presence of sample bacterial contamination during routine laboratory work was examined.

Circulating Fatty Acids Associate with Metabolic Changes in Adolescents Living with Obesity.

Fatty acids play a crucial role in obesity development and in the comorbidities of obesity in both adults and children. This study aimed to assess the impact of circulating fatty acids on biomarkers of metabolic health of adolescents living with obesity. Parameters such as blood lipids, redox status, and leukocyte telomere length (rLTL) were measured alongside the proportions of individual fatty acids.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of monoclonal antibodies in chronic inflammatory diseases: A snapshot of laboratories and applications across Europe.

The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) action ENOTTA (The European Network on Optimising Treatment with Therapeutic Antibodies in chronic inflammatory diseases) was launched in 2022. To pave the way for harmonization of analytical methods for quantitation of serum levels of therapeutic antibodies in research and clinical settings, ENOTTA recently performed an online survey mapping laboratories in the field. The survey, which contained 30 questions surrounding therapeutic drug monitoring of relevant drugs and anti-drug antibodies, was distributed via the ENOTTA and European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory networks.

Analysis of redox status and HDL subclasses in patients with lymphoma and the associations with FDG-PET/CT findings.

Newer research points to alterations in the plasma redox status and the HDL subclass distributions in cancer. We aimed to assess the redox status and the HDL subclass distributions, lipids, and inflammatory markers in lymphoma patients in order to determine whether they were correlated with changes in FDG-PET/CT scans. At the beginning of this study, redox status, HDL subclasses, lipids, and inflammation biomarkers were determined in 58 patients with lymphoma (Hodgkin lymphoma, n=11 and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, n=47), and these same measurements were reassessed during their ensuing treatment (in 25 patients).

Analysis of the Prognostic Potential of Schlafen 11, Programmed Death Ligand 1, and Redox Status in Colorectal Cancer Patients.

The Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) protein has recently emerged as pivotal in DNA damage conditions, with predictive potential for tumor response to cytotoxic chemotherapies. Recent discoveries also showed that the programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein can be found on malignant cells, providing an immune evasion mechanism exploited by different tumors. Additionally, excessive generation of free radicals, redox imbalance, and consequential DNA damage can affect intestinal cell homeostasis and lead to neoplastic transformation.

The predictive role of biochemical markers on outcomes of severe COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care unit.

Background: The pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome by coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a multi-system disease caused by a diffuse systemic process involving a complex interaction of the inflammatory, immunological and coagulative cascades. This study aims to identify the most effective biomarkers to predict poor outcome in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with severe COVID-19 disease.

Methods: A single-centre retrospective observational study enrolled 69 deceased and 20 recovered patients treated in the ICU of the General Hospital Gradiska in the period from March 1, 2021.

Redox Status and Telomere-Telomerase System Biomarkers in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Using a Principal Component Analysis: Is There a Link?

In the present study, we examined redox status parameters in arterial and venous blood samples, its potential to predict the prognosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients assessed through its impact on the comprehensive grading SYNTAX score, and its clinical accuracy. Potential connections between common blood biomarkers, biomarkers of redox status, leukocyte telomere length, and telomerase enzyme activity in the acute myocardial infarction burden were assessed using principal component analysis (PCA). This study included 92 patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Pharmacotherapy literacy level and predictors of low literacy among diabetes mellitus type 2 patients in Serbia.

Background: Pharmacotherapy literacy (PTHL) is a specific ability to safely access, appraise and understand the available information concerning medication and to calculate and act accordingly. The concept of PTHL is mostly unknown for the majority of diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2) patients in Serbia. With diabetes being one of the major public health problems in Serbia with a prevalence of 9.

HDL Subclasses and the Distribution of Paraoxonase-1 Activity in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction.

The aim of this multicentric study was to assess the impacts of oxidative stress, inflammation, and the presence of small, dense, low-density lipoproteins (sdLDL) on the antioxidative function of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclasses and the distribution of paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity within HDL in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). In 69 STEMI patients and 67 healthy control subjects, the lipoproteins' subclasses were separated using polyacrylamide gradient (3-31%) gel electrophoresis. The relative proportion of sdLDL and each HDL subclass was evaluated by measuring the areas under the peaks of densitometric scans.

The Prospect of Genomic, Transcriptomic, Epigenetic and Metabolomic Biomarkers for The Personalized Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases.

Cardiometabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), are a great health concern. The strategies aimed to increase awareness and prevention, in conjunction with timely diagnosis and optimal management of these conditions, represent the main lines of action to improve life expectancy and quality. In recent years, the introduction of innovative therapies for the treatment of DM and CVD has provided new hope for high-risk patients.

Predictors of Inadequate Health Literacy among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Assessment with Different Self-Reported Instruments.

Introduction: Obtaining, understanding, interpreting, and acting on health information enables people with diabetes to engage and make health decisions in various contexts. Hence, inadequate health literacy (HL) could pose a problem in making self-care decisions and in self-management for diabetes. By applying multidimensional instruments to assess HL, it is possible to differentiate domains of functional, communicative, and critical HL.

SMART Pharmacists Serving the New Needs of the Post-COVID Patients, Leaving No-One Behind.

This study aims to demonstrate the improvements in clinical symptoms in patients with post-COVID syndrome after a community pharmacy-based intervention in Serbia. The Pharmaceutical Chamber of Serbia ("Chamber") invited pharmacists to deliver post-COVID patient care counselling, supported by the SMART Pharmacist Program, offering education and guidance. Present symptoms, duration and patient self-reported severity of symptoms on a scale of 1-5 on the first visit were recorded.

Association of Adiponectin Receptors with Metabolic and Immune Homeostasis Parameters in Colorectal Cancer: In Silico Analysis and Observational Findings.

Adiponectin (ADIPOQ) as both a regulator of metabolic homeostasis and a protein involved in immune response might be of particular interest to contemporary laboratory medicine, especially in terms of minimally invasive diagnostics. The diverse roles of ADIPOQ with regard to the immune and metabolic aspects of colorectal carcinogenesis have been proposed. However, the expression of its receptors ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 is scarcely explored in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Alteration in Redox Status and Lipoprotein Profile in COVID-19 Patients with Mild, Moderate, and Severe Pneumonia.

Background: Metabolic alterations, particularly disorders of lipoprotein metabolism in COVID-19, may affect the course and outcome of the disease. This study aims at evaluating the lipoprotein profile and redox status in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients with different pneumonia severity and their association with lethal outcomes.

Methods: The prospective cohort study was performed on 98 COVID-19 patients with mild, moderate, and severe pneumonia.

Treatment of vascular non-iatrogenic injuries of upper and lower extremities in tertiary vascular center.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine demographic and baseline characteristics of patients with vascular injuries of extremities and to define the most relevant factors which influenced an early outcome, as well as limb salvage after the management of vascular trauma.

Methods: This study used the database that included 395 patients with peripheral arterial injuries, who were treated in the tertiary vascular university center in the period between 2005-2020. Exclusion criteria were isolated thoracic, abdominal and neck injuries as well as iatrogenic injuries and injuries of intravenous addicts.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Functional, Communicative and Critical Health Literacy Instrument (FCCHL-SR) for Diabetic Patients in Serbia.

Thoroughly validated instruments can provide a more accurate and reliable picture of how the instrument works and of the level of health literacy in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The present work aimed at cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Functional, Communicative and Critical Health Literacy Instrument (FCCHL) in patients with T2DM in Serbia. After translation and back-translation, views from an expert group, one cognitive interview study ( = 10) and one survey study ( = 130) were conducted among samples of diabetic patients.

Indirect estimation of reference intervals for thyroid parameters using advia centaur XP analyzer.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the reference intervals (RIs) for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and FT3/FT4 ratio using indirect methods.

Methods: We analyzed 1256 results TSH, FT4 and FT3 collected from a laboratory information system between 2017 and 2021. All measurements were performed on a Siemens ADVIA Centaur XP analyzer using the chemiluminescent immunoassay.

Novel Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical-Based Approaches for Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention Targeting Atherogenic Small Dense LDL.

Compelling evidence supports the causative link between increased levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. For that reason, the principal aim of primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention is to reach and sustain recommended LDL-C goals. Although there is a considerable body of evidence that shows that lowering LDL-C levels is directly associated with CVD risk reduction, recent data shows that the majority of patients across Europe cannot achieve their LDL-C targets.

Effects of Apnea, Obesity, and Statin Therapy on Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin 9 Levels in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition closely related to obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to explore the possible relationship between OSA and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9).

Methods: Full-night polysomnography was performed on 150 participants who were divided into three groups: controls, OSA patients on statin therapy, and OSA patients not on statin therapy.

A Questionnaire for Rating Health-related Quality of Life.

Background: Translations of instruments for measuring quality of life developed in certain, mostly more developed, parts of the world usually do not cover regionally specific aspects of health-related quality of life, even after transcultural validation. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a reliable questionnaire in Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin languages suitable for measuring health-related quality of life in adults.

Methods: The study was of a cross-sectional type, assessing the reliability and validity of a newly developed questionnaire for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults residing in western Balkan states (WB-HRQoL).

Mucoadhesive buccal tablets with propranolol hydrochloride: Formulation development and in vivo performances in experimental essential hypertension.

The objective of this study was to formulate extended-release mucoadhesive buccal tablets of propranolol hydrochloride in order to provide a prolonged absorption of propranolol hydrochloride from the buccal mucosa and to reduce presystemic metabolism and thus provide a better therapeutic effect. Besides, the aim was to perform comparative in vivo pharmacokinetic and hemodynamic studies of the developed extended-release (ER) propranolol hydrochloride 10 mg mucoadhesive buccal tablets and commercial immediate-release (IR) propranolol hydrochloride 10 mg tablets in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Formulation with 15% polyethylene oxide showed the highest degree of propranolol hydrochloride permeation, satisfactory mucoadhesiveness, and extended-release of propranolol hydrochloride, thus it was selected for further in vivo study.

The Instruments Used to Assess Health Literacy and Pharmacotherapy Literacy of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Patients: A Scoping Review.

Patients with chronic diseases, like diabetes need to continuously perform tasks associated with self-management especially with medications they use. It is shown that the patients with diabetes with limited HL and PTHL cannot read medication labels correctly, may misuse their medications, spend much more on therapy and generally have difficulties in understanding printed care instructions and perceiving health advice and warnings. There has been an increasing demand for valid and reliable instruments for HL and PTHL assessment in this population.

Oxidative Stress in Patients before and after On-Pump and Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Relationship with Syntax Score.

Objective: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) represents the significant source of increased oxidative stress (OS). We aimed to follow the OS status parameters (i.e.

New Markers of Platelet Activation and Reactivity and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Objective: Recent studies have shown that the red cell distribution width- (RDW-) to-platelet (PLT) count ratio (i.e., RPR) and the mean platelet volume (MPV)/PLT ratio (i.