Assessment of Salt, Potassium, and Iodine Intake in the Croatian Adult Population Using 24 h Urinary Collection: The EH-UH 2 Study.

Unlabelled: Cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in Croatia, are linked to the high prevalence of hypertension. Both are associated with high salt intake, which was determined almost two decades ago when Croatian Action on Salt and Health (CRASH) was launched. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate salt, potassium, and iodine intake using a single 24 h urine sample in a random sample of the adult Croatian population and to analyse trends in salt consumption after the CRASH was intensively started.

The band count imprecision - a Croatian multicentric pilot study.

Introduction: Due to high inter-observer variability the 2015 International Council for Standardization in Haematology (ICSH) recommendations state to count band neutrophils as segmented neutrophils in the white blood cell (WBC) differential. However, the inclusion of bands as a separate cell entity within the WBC differential is still widely used in hematology laboratories in Croatia. The aim of this multicentric study was to assess the degree of inter-observer variability in enumerating band neutrophils within the WBC differential among Croatian laboratories.

Croatian Action on Salt and Health (CRASH): On the Road to Success-Less Salt, More Health.

The World Health Organization recommends adjusting salt intake as a part of the nine global targets to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable chronic diseases as a priority and the most cost-effective intervention. In 2006, the main aim of the Croatian Action on Salt and Health was to decrease salt intake by 16% because of its critical intake and consequences on human health. We have organized educative activities to increase awareness on salt harmfulness, define food categories of prime interest, collaborate with industries and determine salt intake (24 h urine sodium excretion).

THE CONCENTRATION OF INTERLEUKIN 6 AND TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR ALPHA IN SALIVA AND BLOOD OF PATIENTS WITH INACTIVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND COEXISTING HASHIMOTO'S THYROIDITIS.

The concentration of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in the blood is higher in patients with active multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to those with inactive disease. The concentration of IL-6 and TNF-α in the blood is higher in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) compared to those with a healthy thyroid. The aim of the study was to assess whether serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels correlated with saliva in patients with inactive MS and whether there was a difference in these groups of patients depending of thyroid status.

THE PREVALENCE OF SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM IN THE POPULATION OF ELDERLY NURSING HOME RESIDENTS IN ZAGREB.

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction, positive thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and hypercholesterolemia in elderly and younger subjects, and the association of subclinical hypothyroidism with hypercholesterolemia. The study included 204 elderly (136 females and 68 males, age median 71, range 60-92 years), and 83 younger control subjects (63 females and 20 males, age median 45, range 19-55 years). Subjects with prior thyroid dysfunction were excluded.

Policies and practices in the field of laboratory hematology in Croatia - a current overview and call for improvement.

Objectives: In 2019 The Croatian Working Group for Laboratory Hematology, on behalf of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine, wanted to explore the background in field of laboratory hematology routine practice among Croatian laboratories in order to develop future strategies for producing national recommendations, if needed.

Methods: During April and May 2019, a comprehensive survey covering all main parts of the total testing process within the field of laboratory hematology among Croatian medical laboratories was conducted. The survey comprised 49 inquiries.

IODINE STATUS AND THYROID FUNCTION IN LACTATING WOMEN AND INFANTS - A SURVEY IN THE ZAGREB AREA, CROATIA.

Lactating women (LW) and infants have high dietary iodine requirements and are at risk of iodine deficiency. The aim of the study was to assess iodine status and thyroid function in LW and their breastfed infants in Zagreb, Croatia. The study included 133 LW and breastfed infant pairs.

THE ROLE OF SALIVARY AND SERUM CA125 AND ROUTINE BLOOD TESTS IN PATIENTS WITH OVARIAN MALIGNANCIES.

The use of routine blood tests has recently been shown to be promising in determining disease-free and overall survival in patients with various malignancies, and also in gynecologic malignancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether salivary and serum CA125 levels correlate and whether salivary and serum CA125, C-reactive protein and routine blood tests might serve as a prognostic factor in malignant ovarian tumors, and whether they might differentiate between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. A total of 98 women were included (48 with benign ovarian tumors and 50 with malignant ovarian tumors), in whom routine blood tests were made and salivary and serum CA125 levels were determined by use of ELISA.

Thyroglobulin Measurement in Needle Aspiration for Detection of Recurrences and Neck Metastases in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: Significance of Anti-Tg Antibodies.

The worldwide incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) has increased in recent decades, likely due to frequent use of cervical ultrasonography (US) and US-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA)., US is performed during follow-up after thyroidectomy, and US-guided FNA with cytology is used if suspicious cervical lymph nodes (LN) or thyroid bed masses are detected. Knowing that serum anti-Tg antibodies (sTgAb) affect the use of serum Tg (sTg) as a tumor marker, the aim of our study was to assess the usefulness of Tg determination in needle aspirates (FNA-Tg) in presence of sTgAb.

Women in sports: the applicability of common national reference intervals for inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers (HemSter Study).

Introduction: Intensive physical activity causes functional and metabolic changes in the athlete's organism. The study aimed to verify the common national available reference intervals (RIs) for common inflammatory and screening coagulation tests in a population of healthy young female athletes.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and twenty-one female athletes (age range: 16-34), from various sports disciplines (water polo, handball, volleyball, football, basketball), were included in the study.

Salivary Hormones and Quality of Life in Female Postmenopausal Burning Mouth Patients-A Pilot Case-Control Study.

The objective of our study was to investigate salivary levels of estradiol, progesterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and quality of life, in female postmenopausal women with burning mouth syndrome. The study included new patients diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome and excluded local and systemic causes. Unstimulated saliva samples were taken in the morning from 9 AM and 11 AM and immediately frozen for hormone analysis.

Women in sports: The applicability of reference intervals for 6 commercially available testosterone immunoassays (HemSter Study).

Background: Testosterone levels in female athletes are increased due to their physical activity and correlate with their exercise volume. We therefore hypothesized that the reference intervals (RIs) derived from the general population are not applicable for female athletes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the given RIs for 6 commercially available testosterone immunoassays in a group of female athletes.

Knowledge and awareness of iodine intake - survey among Croatian women of reproductive age.

Introduction: Appropriate iodine intake is important for the entire population, especially in fertile women due to decisive role of thyroid hormones in normal foetal brain development. The aim of this study was to investigate knowledge on iodine role among Croatian women of reproductive age.

Materials And Methods: The survey was conducted among 378 women of reproductive age during May-September 2018.

Corrigendum to: Analytical evaluation of the new Seal Autoanalyzer 3 High Resolution for urinary iodine determination.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.11613/BM.2019.

Analytical evaluation of the new Seal Autoanalyzer 3 High Resolution for urinary iodine determination.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to evaluate the analytical performance of the new colorimetric, automatic analyser, Seal AutoAnalyzer 3 High Resolution (Seal AA3 HR) (Seal Analytical, Wisconsin, USA) for urinary iodine measurement.

Materials And Methods: This study included testing of several analytical features of the method involving: imprecision (within-run %CVr, between-run %CVb and total laboratory precision %CVl), measurement uncertainty, carryover, linearity and method comparison, with 70 urine samples including the measuring range (20 - 700 µg/L).

Results: Within-run, %CVb and %CVl of two control levels were 2.

Salivary Cortisol Levels in Patients with Oral Lichen Planus-A Pilot Case-Control Study.

It is known that cortisol level increases in stress situations. The aim of the study was to measure the levels of salivary cortisol in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and healthy controls. This was a case-control pilot study which included seven patients with reticular (non-symptomatic) OLP, eight patients with atrophic/erosive (symptomatic) OLP, and nine healthy controls.

The quality and scope of information provided by medical laboratories to patients before laboratory testing: Survey of the Working Group for Patient Preparation of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

Introduction: The aim of this work was to evaluate to what extent the scope and content of information provided to patients is standardized across medical biochemistry laboratories in Croatia.

Materials And Methods: Two on-line self-report surveys were sent out: Survey A regarding attitudes on importance of patient preparation and Survey B on the contents of patient preparation instructions.

Results: 13/118 laboratories (11%) do not provide written instructions to patients on how to prepare for laboratory testing, and 36 (40%) do not include information about water intake in their instructions.

Platelet satellitism in infectious disease?

Background: Platelet satellitism is a phenomenon of unknown etiology of aggregating platelets around polymorphonuclear neutrophils and other blood cells which causes pseudothrombocytopenia, visible by microscopic examination of blood smears. It has been observed so far in about a hundred cases in the world.

Case Subject And Methods: Our case involves a 73-year-old female patient with a urinary infection.