Hemorrhagic stroke and atherogenic markers - is there any relation?

Background: The triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein (TG/HDL) ratio emerges as a promising marker for cardiovascular risk. However, the relationship between overall serum lipid levels and hemorrhagic stroke (HS) remains uncertain. Therefore, our study aims to explore the association between this novel index and mortality in HS patients.

The Role of Modifying Risk Factors as Well as Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference and Hip to Waist Ratio as Anthropometric Indicators and Parameters of Obesity in the Occurence of Stroke.

Background: Evaluated values of body mass index (BMI), waist circumeference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) increase the risk of stroke, but the extent to which this is mediated by hypertension, diabetes, lipid status, smoking and alcohol consumption is not fully understood.

Objective: The aim of this research is to examine the influence of modifying and non-modifying factors as well as obesity defined through BMI, WC and WHR on the occurrence of stroke.

Methods: A total of 440 subjects were included in the cohort divided in to two groups.

Gut Microbial Taxonomy and Its Role as a Biomarker in Aortic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Future Perspectives.

Evidence of the association between the gut microbiome and cardiovascular diseases has accumulated. An imbalance or dysbiosis of this system has been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular events, including aortic diseases. We aimed to elucidate the findings of the gut microbial taxonomy associated with aortic diseases and their subtypes.

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence for Microbiome Decision-Making: Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Background/objectives: The study of microbiome composition shows positive indications for application in the diagnosis and treatment of many conditions and diseases. One such condition is autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We aimed to analyze gut microbiome samples from children in Bosnia and Herzegovina to identify microbial differences between neurotypical children and those with ASD.

Epigenetics of cardiomyopathies: the next frontier.

Cardiomyopathies (CMP) are a diverse group of myocardial diseases that cause structural, functional, and pathological changes to the heart. Alterations at the molecular level associated with the clinical phenotype and progression of CMPs cannot be solely explained by the genetic mutations, even in inherited cardiomyopathies. Epigenetics and environmental factors are likely to significantly modify the clinical manifestations of CMPs, resulting in variable clinical expression and different age-related penetrance.

Flu seasons during the period 2018-2023 in Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina: possible impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the influenza A and B virus circulation.

Aim: During the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona-virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), many countries reported a significant decrease in the prevalence of influenza virus cases. The study aimed to characterize the flu seasons from 2018 to 2023 in Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), and to assess the possible impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the influenza A and B virus circulation.

Methods: The CDC Human Influenza Virus Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panels were used for the detection of influenza virus A and B, and subtyping of influenza virus A (H1pdm09 virus and H3).

Demographic, Clinical, and Surgical Risk Factors of Pars Plana Vitrectomy (PPV) for Neovascular Glaucoma (NVG) Development in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients.

Introduction: Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is a severe type characterized by forming new blood vessels on the iris and the anterior chamber angle, often resulting from ischemic retinal diseases. Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) is a standard surgical procedure for treating various retinal and vitreous conditions. Understanding the risk factors associated with NVG development following PPV is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

The Role of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in Assessing the Functional Level of Coronary Artery Lesions in Chronic Coronary Syndrome.

Chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) is a long-term manifestation of coronary artery disease, marked by stable but recurring chest pain and myocardial ischemia due to the gradual buildup of atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries. It is a metabolic disorder of coronary arteries characterized by oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and hyperlipidemia. The imbalance in oxidative-antioxidative status contributes to stable ischemic heart disease.

Global education - Impressive results of Ian Donald school.

The Ian Donald International School of Ultrasound bears testament to globalization in its most successful and worthwhile form. The school was founded in Dubrovnik in 1981. Since then, the growth has been meteoric and now consists of 126 branches throughout the world.

Reproductive characteristics and success rate of intracytoplasmic sperm microinjection in spinal cord injury infertile men: Retrospective cohort study.

Background: Thanks to modern methods of assisted reproduction (ART), parenthood has become an attainable goal for couples in which the male partner has experienced spinal cord injury (SCI).

Objective: The aim of our study was to determine the success of the treatment of infertile patients with SCI with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of cryopreserved sperm obtained by the testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) procedure.

Methods: In this retrospective study 156 infertile couples were included, in which the male partner is primarily infertile due to azoospermia.

Measles outbreak in 2019: a warning for the post-COVID-19 pandemic period.

At the end of 2019 and the year before, there was a significant spread of measles in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region. Among the countries that reported, a measles outbreak was Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). To describe the measles outbreak in BiH (an entity of the Federation of BiH, FBiH) in 2019.

Left atrial stiffness is in correlation with left atrial reservoir strain in pediatric patients with mitral regurgitation.

Background: Left atrial stiffness index (LASI), defined as the ratio of early diastolic transmitral flow velocity/lateral mitral annulus myocardial velocity (E/e') to peak atrial strain, reflects reduced left atrial (LA) compliance and represents an emerging marker that can be used for noninvasive measurement of fibrosis of LA in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR).

Objective: To investigate the impact of chronic MR in children and adolescents on the remodeling and function of the LA, quantified through strain parameters and diastolic function.

Methods: The study included fifty patients (n= 50) diagnosed with primary and secondary chronic MR lasting at least 5 years.

Predominance of OXA-48 carbapenemase-producing strains in tertiary hospital in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Klebsiella pneumoniae, a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family, demonstrates an increasing trend of resistance to carbapenems and is a common cause of both hospital- and community-acquired infections. The current study provides insights into the genetic characterization of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) isolates circulating during 2022 in a Sarajevo tertiary hospital. Among the 87 CRKP strains analyzed, real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) results showed that 85 (97.

BBIBP-CorV vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 in patients aged 60 years and older during the Delta-dominant period in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a test-negative case-control study.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) accelerated in the second half of 2021, with greater vaccine availability. In this study, we estimated the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of complete primary series BBIBP-CorV vaccine against COVID-19 in patients aged 60 years and older, during the Delta-dominant period, using a test-negative case-control design. Surveillance sites were 11 primary health care centers (PHC) collecting patient data from October 1, 2021, to January 4, 2022, retrospectively according to a common protocol.

PPAR agonists as add-on treatment with metformin in management of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The combination of metformin and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) agonists offers a promising avenue for managing type 2 diabetes (T2D) through their potential complementary mechanisms of action. The results from randomized controlled trials (RCT) assessing the efficacy of PPAR agonists plus metformin versus metformin alone in T2D are inconsistent, which prompted the conduct of the systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE from inception (1966) to March 2023 to identify all RCTs comparing any PPAR agonists plus metformin versus metformin alone in T2D.

Evaluation of the Cartinorm Use in the Therapy of Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis is the most common rheumatic disease characterized by pain, structural changes and impairment of quality of life. This disease has a multifactorial etiopathogenesis, and the main role is attributed to mechanical factors. There is a primary and secondary form of osteoarthritis.

Mpox virus DNA detection in different clinical specimens: tertiary-level laboratory experience, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2022.

Mpox virus (MPXV) infection is difficult to distinguish from other (non-)infectious diseases. The etiology of rash can be differentiated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) on different types of samples. The study aims to provide experience with emerging MPXV diagnostics in a tertiary-level laboratory in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ongoing measles outbreak, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, December 2023 to February 2024.

We report on an ongoing measles outbreak in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with 141 cases notified between week 52 2023 and week 6 2024. Among those with known vaccination status, 97% were unvaccinated and the most affected group is children under the age of 5 years (n = 87) who were not vaccinated during the pandemic years. Sixty-eight cases were hospitalised, the most common complications were measles-related pneumonia and diarrhoea.

Exploratory genetic analysis in children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disorders using whole exome sequencing.

Developmental disorders (DDs), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), incorporate various conditions; once identified, further diagnostics are necessary to specify their type and severity. The aim of this exploratory study was to identify genetic variants that can help differentiate ASD early from other DDs. We selected 36 children (mean age 60.