Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis: Rate, Clinical Outcomes and Patient Survival.

Peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis remains the major complication and primary challenge to the long-term success of peritoneal dialysis (PD). The study aimed to analyze the peritonitis rate, the cause, the outcomes, and the association of peritonitis with the survival of patients on peritoneal dialysis. Patient data were collected retrospectively from medical charts.

Common variants in breast cancer risk loci predispose to distinct tumor subtypes.

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple common breast cancer susceptibility variants. Many of these variants have differential associations by estrogen receptor (ER) status, but how these variants relate with other tumor features and intrinsic molecular subtypes is unclear.

Methods: Among 106,571 invasive breast cancer cases and 95,762 controls of European ancestry with data on 173 breast cancer variants identified in previous GWAS, we used novel two-stage polytomous logistic regression models to evaluate variants in relation to multiple tumor features (ER, progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and grade) adjusting for each other, and to intrinsic-like subtypes.

Functional annotation of the 2q35 breast cancer risk locus implicates a structural variant in influencing activity of a long-range enhancer element.

A combination of genetic and functional approaches has identified three independent breast cancer risk loci at 2q35. A recent fine-scale mapping analysis to refine these associations resulted in 1 (signal 1), 5 (signal 2), and 42 (signal 3) credible causal variants at these loci. We used publicly available in silico DNase I and ChIP-seq data with in vitro reporter gene and CRISPR assays to annotate signals 2 and 3.

Mediterranean Diet and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Perpetual Inspiration for the Scientific World. A Review.

For the past 80 years, the effect of the Mediterranean diet on overall health has been a constant topic of interest among medical and scientific researchers. Parallel with the persistent global rise of cases of type 2 diabetes, many studies conducted in the past 20 years have shown the benefits of the Mediterranean lifestyle for people with, or at risk of developing, type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, despite the large body of evidence, concerns exist amongst scientists regarding the reliability of the data related to this topic.

Single-center randomized trial comparing conventional chemoembolization versus doxorubicin-loaded polyethylene glycol microspheres for early- and intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

According to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is preferred treatment for stage B and in certain cases for stage A hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Conventional TACE (c-TACE) and drug-eluting microspheres TACE (DEM-TACE) are available intraarterial therapies. Screening of patients with cirrhosis is of great importance for early detection of malignant liver nodules.

A statistical primer on subgroup analyses.

Resources for clinical research are limited. With increasing demand for patient-centred care, which is growing into an integral component of modern medicine, studying outcomes of patients with specific clinical characteristics is becoming increasingly important. Given the high cost of clinical trials and the time it takes to complete an investigation, it has become compulsory for investigators to assess not only treatment effects between the main randomized groups but also to try to identify clinically relevant subgroups that may particularly benefit from specific treatments.

Symptomatic primary cardiac haemangioendothelioma during late pregnancy.

Primary cardiac haemangioendothelioma is an uncommon vascular neoplasm with an infiltrative growth pattern and malignant potential. The treatment of this tumour alone is challenging, but the symptomatic presentation during late pregnancy creates a complex clinical situation for both the mother and physician. To the best of our knowledge, <40 cases of primary cardiac haemangioendothelioma have been reported worldwide, but none of these were associated with pregnancy.

The Spectrum of Protein Truncating Variants in European Breast Cancer Cases.

Germline protein truncating variants (PTVs) in the gene have been associated with a 2-4-fold increased breast cancer risk in case-control studies conducted in different European populations. However, the distribution and the frequency of PTVs in Europe have never been investigated. In the present study, we collected the data of 114 European female breast cancer cases with PTVs ascertained in 20 centers from 13 European countries.

Fine-mapping of 150 breast cancer risk regions identifies 191 likely target genes.

Genome-wide association studies have identified breast cancer risk variants in over 150 genomic regions, but the mechanisms underlying risk remain largely unknown. These regions were explored by combining association analysis with in silico genomic feature annotations. We defined 205 independent risk-associated signals with the set of credible causal variants in each one.

How to prevent skin damage from air pollution. Part 1: Exposure assessment.

Both epidemiological and experimental studies have demonstrated the crucial connection between air pollution exposure and skin disorders. The exact mechanisms by which air pollutants mediate skin damage remain largely unknown. Therefore, it is very necessary to investigate the mechanism of air pollution-induced skin damage and explore some potential protective and therapeutic methods.

Minimalistic Approach for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI): Open Vascular Vs. Fully Percutaneous Approach.

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease in elderly people. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a revolutionary treatment for elderly patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. The authors present the first experiences with transcatheter aortic valve implantation treatment in Macedonia and compare their findings in regard to differences between open vascular vs.

Quality of the Clinical Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare Assessment in a Tertiary Public Maternity Hospital in R. Macedonia.

Introduction: Maternal and neonatal infections can be prevented, but they are still common in low and middle-developed countries. There is a connection between childbirth on one hand and postpartum and newborn care on the other. Globally, several efforts are being made to improve quality of childbirth by providing initial assessment of procedures, risk prevention and continuous monitoring of childbirth process and possible complications.

Comorbidities as Risk Factors for Acute and Recurrent Erysipelas.

Background: Erysipelas is a common infectious skin disease. A typical feature of erysipelas, especially on the lower limbs, is the tendency to reoccur and the study aimed to define the comorbidities associated with it.

Aim: We aimed to investigate systemic and local comorbidities in patients diagnosed with erysipelas on the lower limbs.

Intrapartum Procedures for Prevention of Infections and Complications in Mothers During Childbirth.

Introduction: Multiple factors can cause infection and other pathological conditions in mothers during childbirth. These risk factors and diseases/complications can be prevented or timely detected through the implementation of special protocols/procedures. The aim of this paper is to identify the implementation of procedures/measures for the prevention and detection of infections and risk factors for morbidity and mortality in four hospitals in the Republic of Macedonia, before and during childbirth.

Primary Seminoma Localized in Mediastinum: Case Report.

Background: Primary mediastinal seminomas most commonly occur in young men, and they are localised in the anterior mediastinum.

Case Presentation: The presented study is a case report of a 34-year-old man suffering from a mediastinal tumour in size of 19 cm, with pleural and pericardial effusion. The patient complains of cough, difficulty breathing, weight loss, and pronounced tiredness.

The outcome of Pregnancy with Fetal Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor.

Background: Fetal intracranial tumours are very rare. The overall incidence is 0.34 per one thousand live birth newborns.

Treatment of a Patient with Merkel Cell Skin Carcinoma Using Radiation Therapy - A Case Report.

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, very aggressive tumour. The pathogenesis remains unclear, but UV radiation, immunosuppression, and the presence of Merkel cell polyomavirus in the tumour genome appear to have a key role. Merkel cell carcinoma is a highly aggressive tumour that often has a lethal end.

Comparison of Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Echocardiography in Determination of Left Ventricle Volumes and Ejection Fraction in Adult Population.

Introduction: Left ventricle (LV) volumes and ejection fraction (EF) determined with two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) and three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) show significant differences.The aim of this study is to determine the agreement of the measurements of LV volumes and EF with 2DE and 3DE in the general adult population, with preserved LV systolic function.

Material And Methods: In 52 subjects, older than 65 years, LV end-diastolic volume index (EDVi), end-systolic volume index (ESVi) and EF were measured with 2DE and 3DE according to the official recommendations, and reproducibility of both methods and their agreement were determined.

TIMP3 Promoter Methylation Represents an Epigenetic Marker of BRCA1ness Breast Cancer Tumours.

Tumours presenting BRCAness profile behave more aggressively and are more invasive as a consequence of their complex genetic and epigenetic alterations, caused by impaired fidelity of the DNA repair processes. Methylation of promoter CpG islands represents an alternative mechanism to inactivate DNA repair and tumour suppressor genes. In our study, we analyzed the frequency of methylation changes of 24 tumour suppressor genes and explored their association with BRCAness profile.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline variants in breast cancer patients from the Republic of Macedonia.

Purpose: We aimed to establish the spectrum of BRCA1/2 mutations among the breast cancer (BC) patients from the Republic of Macedonia.

Methods: We used targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS), Sanger DNA sequencing, and multiplex ligation probe amplification analysis (MLPA) to search for point mutations and deletions/duplications involving BRCA1 and BRCA2-coding regions.

Results: We have analyzed a total of 313 BC patients, enriched for family history of cancer, early age of onset and bilateral and/or triple negative (TN) BC.