Visfatin is not associated with inflammatory markers in patients on hemodialysis.

Background: Cardiovascular events are a major cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease. Endothelial dysfunction represents a key event in atherosclerosis development and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of different forms of cardiovascular disease, including chronic kidney disease. In recent years, visfatin, a ubiquitous adipokine, has been described as a potent marker of endothelial inflammation and dysfunction.

Heterogeneity of manufacturers' declarations for lipemia interference--an urgent call for standardization.

Introduction: Due to the budget limitations, laboratories mostly rely on the manufacturers' information about the influence of interfering substances on laboratory results. However, some manufacturers do not follow the recommended procedures for testing interferences (CLSI standard) and there is a great variability in the presentation of data regarding lipemia interference.

Materials And Methods: We aimed to verify the manufacturers' specifications for lipemia interference for clinical chemistry reagents provided by Beckman Coulter, Roche and Siemens.

Association of APOA5 -1131T>C polymorphism and serum lipid levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Significant abnormalities in lipid metabolism are frequently present in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Hypertriglyceridemia, a highly proatherogenic state, is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease. Genetic polymorphism APOA5 -1131T>C has been recognized as a significant contributor to hypertriglyceridemia in both healthy and diabetic populations.

Serological markers of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a heterogeneous group of chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract with two main distinguishable entities, Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). IBD-unclassified (IBD-U) is a diagnosis that covers the "grey" zone of diagnostic uncertainty between UC and CD. Current diagnosis of IBD relies on the clinical, endoscopic, radiological, histological and biochemical features, but this approach has shortcomings especially in cases of overlapping symptoms of CD and UC.

Visual evoked potentials in patients with pineal gland cyst.

Aims: The functional effect of the pineal gland cyst is difficult to evaluate with visual field examination. The aim of this study is to investigate the usefulness of visual evoked potentials (VEP) in patients with pineal gland cyst due to the possible compression on the visual pathway.

Subjects And Methods: Black-and-white pattern-reversal checkerboard VEP were recorded in 75 patients (50 females and 25 males, mean age 26.

ABCC8 polymorphisms are associated with triglyceride concentration in type 2 diabetics on sulfonylurea therapy.

Background: The failure of therapy with oral hypoglycemic drugs leads to not only poorly regulated glycemic status, but also dyslipidemia and increased body weight and body mass index (BMI). Sulfonylureas act as insulin secretagogues by binding to the sulfonylurea receptor (SUR-1) encoded by the gene ABCC8. The aim of this study was to explore whether there is an association of ABCC8 polymorphisms SUR1 exon 16 (-3C/T), SUR-1 exon 31 (Arg1273Arg), and SUR-1 exon 33 (S1369A) with lipid concentration and BMI in type 2 diabetics on sulfonylurea therapy.

Platelet satellitism in a trauma patient.

Platelet satellitism (PS) is a rare phenomenon observed in blood smears obtained from blood anticoagulated with EDTA. It is characterised by platelet rosetting around polymorphonuclear neutrophils and in rare cases around other blood cells. PS is a rare cause of pseudothrombocytopenia.

Clinical characteristics at presentation of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children younger than 15 years in Croatia.

The aim of the study was to determine the clinical and biochemical characteristics of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) at presentation in children younger than 15 years in Croatia during a 9-year period, with special attention to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) incidence. The registered data set comprised blood glucose, pH, serum bicarbonate levels, and clinical symptoms at disease manifestation. During the study period, 692 children were diagnosed with type 1 DM.

Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine in Croatia: regulation of the profession.

Heterogeneity exists across Europe in the definition of the profession of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine and also in academic background of specialists in this discipline. This article provides an overview of the standards of education and training of laboratory professionals and quality regulations in Croatia. Clinical chemistry in Croatia is almost exclusively practiced by medical biochemists.

Galectin-3 and CD44v6 as markers for preoperative diagnosis of thyroid cancer by RT-PCR.

The aim of the study was to determine the diagnostic value of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of galectin-3 and CD44v6 as markers for preoperative diagnosis of malignancy in lesions of the thyroid. RT-PCR analysis of galectin-3 and CD44v6 expression was performed on RNA isolated from fine-needle aspirates of thyroid lesions from 428 patients. The results were evaluated against the postoperative histopathological diagnosis or definitive cytological diagnosis in cases of nodular goiter and Hashimoto thyroiditis.

Outcome and efficacy of a transobturator polypropylene mesh kit in the treatment of anterior pelvic organ prolapse.

Objective: To report the efficacy and complications of anterior pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repair with mesh placed through the transobturator route (Perigee system; AMS, Minnetonka, MN, USA).

Methods: In total, 198 women with anterior POP grade II or higher according to the POP Quantification (POP-Q) system were treated with the Perigee procedure. The primary outcome was defined as anterior POP grade I or lower at 12 months' follow-up.

Interleukin 1β gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms and susceptibility to pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are rare neoplasms with not fully understood etiology. Interleukin 1β (IL1β) plays an important role in pancreatic pathology, especially carcinogenesis, but its role in pNET development remains unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between IL1β polymorphisms and susceptibility to pNETs.

Optically stimulated luminescence in vivo dosimetry for radiotherapy: physical characterization and clinical measurements in (60)Co beams.

A commercial optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry system was investigated for in vivo dosimetry in radiation therapy. Dosimetric characteristics of InLight dot dosimeters and a microStar reader (Landauer Inc.) were tested in (60)Co beams.

Role of cell adhesion molecules in acute ischemic stroke.

Background And Objectives: The expression of soluble adhesion molecules inter-cellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), besides activation of endothelial cells and transendothelial migration of leukocytes, play an important role in inflammation and progression of ischemic injury after acute stroke. The aim of this study was to determine serum levels of soluble ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in patients with acute ischemic stroke and controls and correlate them according to etiological subtypes (thromboembolic or lacunar stroke), stroke severity and disability after acute stroke.

Patients And Methods: Hospital-based prospective study of acute stroke patients hospitalized between December 2008 and September 2009 at the University Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice in Zagreb, Croatia.

Lack of prognostic significance of connexin-43 labeling in a series of 46 gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are mesenchymal tumors with variable malignant potential. Connexin-43 (Cx43) is the commonest gap-junction protein and has been frequently investigated in oncology. Our aim was to establish the immunohistochemical expression of Cx43 in relation to GIST location, size, Ki67 index, tumor grade and follow-up.

Interferon-γ release assay for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis in children younger than 5 years of age.

Background: There are limited data available on interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) performance in children up to 5 years of age, with documented exposure to active tuberculosis (TB). The aim of this study was to evaluate (1) the influence of infectivity of adult source cases on test results, (2) the impact of age, and (3) the level of agreement, between IGRA and tuberculin skin test (TST) results.

Methods: A total of 142 Bacille Calmette-Guerin-vaccinated children up to 5 years of age were investigated because of a history of exposure to active TB.

Raised electrical uterine activity and shortened cervical length could predict preterm delivery in a low-risk population.

Purpose: To compare diagnostic accuracy of sonographic cervical length (CL) measurement and uterine electric activity assessed by electromyography (EMG) in second trimester regarding prediction of preterm delivery (PTD).

Methods: Prospective study of 308 low-risk women. Shortened CL was defined as ≤25 mm (≤5th centile), while raised EMG activity was defined as the presence of ≥20 action potentials in 20 min of assessment (≥95th centile).

Successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A 28-year-old patient, medical nurse, in 10th week of her second pregnancy suffered ventricular fibrillation just after entering the waiting room of the emergency department. After she was successfully defibrillated, electrocardiography revealed a large acute anteroseptolateral ST elevation myocardial infarction. Urgent coronarography was done (premedication with 300 mg of aspirin and 600 mg of clopidogrel) with 90 min door-to-balloon time.

No effect of fluticasone propionate on linear growth in preschool children with asthma.

Background: Eighty percent of asthmatic children develop asthma symptoms by the age of 5 years. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), depending on dosage, may cause linear growth reduction and adrenal gland suppression. There are few studies about linear growth of preschool children with asthma.