The objective of this study was to confirm the effects of curcumin and to investigate the effects of its combination with a reduced dose of rosuvastatin in an adenine-induced model of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and associated dyslipidemia in rats. Renal function and morphology, as well as lipid status, were assessed using laboratory parameters and histopathological analysis. Male Wistar rats (n=36) randomly divided into six groups, were treated for 24 days: normal control (standard diet), CKD control (adenine diet, 0.75% w/w adenine-supplemented diet), curcumin (100 mg/kg/day + adenine diet), rosuvastatin minimal therapeutic dose (MTD) (5 mg/day + adenine diet), rosuvastatin reduced dose (RD, 25% of rosuvastatin MTD + adenine diet), and rosuvastatin RD + curcumin (25% of rosuvastatin MTD + curcumin 100 mg/kg/day + adenine diet) group. While rosuvastatin alone showed only antilipemic action, both curcumin alone and its combination with a reduced dose of rosuvastatin showed better renal protection with lower serum creatinine levels and milder renal morphological alterations, as well as better antilipemic action with lower levels of triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterols compared with the levels in CKD control rats. Treatment with curcumin alone also resulted in a significantly higher estimated glomerular filtration rate, lower uric acid levels, and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, while the combined therapy additionally resulted in higher serum albumin levels, lower total cholesterol, and both atherogenic and coronary risk indexes compared with CKD control rats. The results of this study confirmed the beneficial effects of curcumin alone and provided new evidence for the beneficial effects of its combination with a reduced dose of rosuvastatin in rats with CKD and associated dyslipidemia.

Objective. The aim of this study was to present data on the prevalence of seropositive children tested in the laboratory of the Eurofarm polyclinic in Sarajevo, from September 2020 to May 2021. Material and Methods. Peripheral blood samples were collected and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results. In the total of 762 tested children, 187 were positive (24.5%), based on cut-off value. Of all the positive cases 42.8% were female while 57.2% were male. There were 10.1% of positive children in the first age group (0-5 years), 44.4% in the second group (6-13 years), and 45.5% in the third group (14-18 years). There was no statistically significant difference in seroprevalence between age groups and gender. The lowest seroprevalence (3.6%) was observed in October 2020 after the first pandemic wave, and the highest seroprevalence (60.3%) was observed in April 2021, corresponding to the third pandemic wave. Conclusion. The results of our study showed that the seroprevalence in children was low, especially during the first year of the pandemic. In the second year of the pandemic, there was an evident statistically significant increase in the number of seropositive children. Similar data have been shown in studies for adults.

Introduction: Although evidence has demonstrated that SARS-COV-2 primarily affects the upper respiratory tract, other systems are also involved such as gastrointestinal and cardiovascular system. At present, there is insufficient data on cardiovascular and immunologic involvement in COVID-19 paediatric patients. Patients and Methods: This study evaluated 70 children previously healthy or with no pre-existing heart disease from Sarajevo with positive post-COVID history. Detailed cardiovascular examination was performed, with parameters of body weight, height, oxygen saturation, pulse, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG), 24hrs Holter ECG, echocardiography. Laboratory tests included values of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and SARS-COV-2 immunoglobulin G /IgG/ and immunoglobulin M /IgM/, CBC /complete blood count/, creatinine phosphokinase myofibrilae /CPKMB/, creatinine phosphokinase/CPK/, lactate dehydrogenase /LDH/, liver enzymes, D dimer, C reactive protein/CRP/ and urine. Results: Majority of children (64.3%) were asymptomatic. ECG was normal in relation to patients’ age, except in eight patients (intermittent palpitations on exertion): short PR interval, so in 24hrs ECG Holter there was no significant arrhythmias except incomplete right branch block / IRBB/ in 12%, monofocal ventricular ectopicextrasystole /VES/ in 15%. Echocardiogram was normal in all patients with normal ejection fraction of the left ventricle, no pericardial effusion, vegetations or thrombus was detected. Mean diameter of coronary arteries right /RCA/ and left /LCA/ ranged from 1.98 mm to LCA 2.09 mm except in one symptomatic patient a diameter of left coronary artery /LCA/ was enlarged up to 3.8 mm. The concentration levels of COVID-19 IgG showed a statistical significance when compared between younger and older age groups in examined children (p < 0.05;p = 0.043). Conclusion: Cardiovascular evaluation should always be an option in post-COVID patients. Immunological assessment is necessary in post-COVID patients in order to gain a further understanding of patient’s status. © 2022 Hrvatski Lijecnicki Zbor. All rights reserved.

Background Serostudies are important resources when following pandemics and predicting their further spread, as well as determining the length of protection against reinfection and vaccine development. The aim of this study was to update data on the prevalence of seropositive individuals in Canton Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) from September 2020 to May 2021. Methods Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were quantified using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results Compared to the period April–July 2020, when anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 3.77% of samples, one year later (May 2021) the estimated percentage within the same population of the urban Canton Sarajevo was 29.9% (5,406/18,066). Of all anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ig-positive individuals, 53.27% were men, and 69.00% were of 50 years of age or younger. Also, the current update found the individuals 50 years of age or younger to be more frequently anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ig positive compared to older individuals. On the other hand, higher median anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ig levels were found in individuals > 50 years old than in younger individuals, as well as in men compared to women. Seropositivity gradually increased from September 2020 to May 2021, with the lowest frequency of positive cases (3.5%) observed in September 2020, and the highest frequency (77.7%) in January 2021. Conclusion Our results provided important seroprevalence data that could help in planning restrictive local public health measures to protect the population of Sarajevo Canton, especially considering that at the time of the study the vaccines were virtually inaccessible to the general population not belonging to any of the high-priority groups for vaccination.

Introduction Serological detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific immunoglobulins G (IgG) and M (IgM) antibodies is becoming increasingly important in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We report the first results of COVID-19 serological testing in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 2841 samples collected and analysed in 2 medical institutions in Sarajevo. Antibody detection was performed using commercially available kits. Results In the first cohort, 43 IgM-positive/IgG-negative and 16 IgM-positive/IgG-positive individuals were detected, corresponding to 3.41% of participants having developed antibodies. In the second cohort, 4.28% participants were found to be IgM-negative/IgG-positive. Conclusions Our results suggest the need for population-wide serological surveying in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

BACKGROUND Metastasis-Associated in Colon Cancer-1(MACC1) was first identified as a transcriptional activator of the HGF/MET pathway. Deregulation of HGF/MET signaling is reported as a prognostic marker for tumorigenesis, early stage invasion, and metastasis which is associated with poor clinical outcome in breast cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the prognostic or predictive value of MACC1 expression in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed the MACC1 expression in 105 primary breast cancer samples by Western-Blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS A significant correlation of high MACC1 expression with shorter disease-free survival was found within the group of lymph-node-negative patients. Additionally, an association of high MACC1 expression and shorter disease-free survival was observed within estrogen receptor positive tumors and patients without adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION Our results support a biologic role and potentially open the perspective for the use of MACC1 as a prognostic marker for treatment decision in breast cancer patients.