Introduction: Colorectal cancer is the third most common tumor which causes high percentage of mortality in the general population. Etiologic factors which cause this disease are various, while diagnostic methods involve very complex protocols from detection of tumor markers to a combination of endoscopic and imaging methods. Goal: To determine the number of patients suffering from colon cancer for a period of two years and with endoscopic methods to verify and localize the tumor and its spread. Histopathological determination of the tumor type. Determine the concentration of CEA and CA 19-9 in the serum. Depending on the tumor location asses its progression, severity and extent by radiological imaging methods. Material and Methods: The study was prospective and retrospective, performed at the Gastroenterohepatology Clinic of the Clinical Center of Sarajevo University. During the two-year follow-up, 91 patients were hospitalized underwent endoscopy, targeted biopsy and histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the colon in which a pathologist determined grade of the cancers. Samples were eosin stained and underwent pathological histological analyzes. All patients according to tumor localization underwent CT scan and MRI of the rectum and pelvis. Results: The most common location of the cancer regardless of sex was in the recto sigmoid colon. Prevalence of colorectal cancer spread to other organs was not related to location. No significant dependence of the localization of the tumor by gender was found (p-value = 0.313). Ca 19-9 had the highest value in localization of tumors in the rectum. There was no statistically significant difference in age between men and women. The largest number of patients has adenocarcinoma grade 2 and the localization at the rectum. Conclusion: The combination of laboratory parameters (CEA and CA 19-9) with endoscopic and radiological imaging methods is essential in diagnosis of colorectal cancer and assessment of the process progression. There is a need to impose additional diagnostic parameters to detect the disease at an earlier stage.

Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare but life-threatening disorder characterized by obstruction of the hepatic venous outflow. Treatment depends on underlying cause, extent of the obstruction and functional capacity of the liver. When all other therapy options are unsuccessful, liver transplant should be considered. Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a frequent event in patients with cirrhosis which can be treated with anticoagulants, but there are limited data regarding safety and efficacy of this approach.

The role of ferritin in fibrogenesis of liver parenchyma in patients with alcoholic liver disease has been investigated in previous studies. Ferritin was shown to be an indirect marker of ferum deposition in liver parenchyma in alcohol liver disease. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease as well as the influence of NO on iron (ferritin) metabolism in patients with alcoholic liver disease. Serum concentrations of NO and iron markers (iron, total iron binding capacity, ferritin) were measured in 30 male patients (aged 20-60 years) with alcoholic liver disease, as well as from a control group (30 male patients (aged 20-60 years) without liver disease). NO concentration was detected by measuring production of nitrates and nitrites using classical colorimetric Griess reactions. There was a statistically significant increase in serum NO concentration in patients with alcoholic liver disease compared to the control group (mean +/- SEM; 41,2 +/- 25,3 vs. 28,9 +/- 12,3 mmol/dm3, respectively; p<0,03). Similarly, serum iron levels (18,7 +/- 8,2 vs. 13,2 +/- 10,2 g/100 cm3, respectively; p<0,03) and serum total iron binding capacity (51,3 +/- 13,9 vs. 41,4 +/- 11,4 micromol/dm3, respectively; p<0,005) were also significantly higher in patients with alcoholic liver disease compared to control patients. The serum concentration of ferritin was 27% higher in patients with alcoholic liver disease than in the control group; however this was not statistically significant (283,2 +/- 291,0 vs. 222,9 +/- 252,0 g, respectively; p<0,4). There was no correlation between NO and ferritin in the investigated groups. These results suggest a possible role of NO and iron in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. NO and iron may be used as non-invasive predictors of liver damage. Also the role of iron in sera, and its deposition in liver parenchyma, could be used in clinical practice, especially in regards to assessing the fibrogenesis of liver parenchyma induced by ferritin.

The aim of the study was to verify the presence of mutated tumor suppresser gene p53 in intestinal mucosa with histologically confirmed premalignant lesions and gastric carcinoma, and assess its prognostic value. The paper presents prospective study that included 50 patients with gastric adeno-carcinoma of intestinal type that were treated at Gastroenterohepatology Clinic, and 50 patients with histologically confirmed chronic atrophic H. pylori positive gastritis. In the mucosa biopsy samples, we analyzed presence, frequency and severity of inflammatory-regenerative, metaplastic and dysplastic changes. We typed intestinal metaplasia immunohistochemically and confirmed the presence of p53 onco-protein in antigen positive gastric carcinoma cells, and evaluated its prognostic value. Our results suggest that H. pylori acts as an initiator of inflammatory processes in gastric mucosa, which are followed by emergence of precancerous lesions. p53 is expressed late in carcinogenesis (14%) and as such, may be considered as an indicator of transformation of premalignant into malignant lesion.

The aim of the study was to ascertain the existence of intestinal metaplasia in gastric mucosa of patients with gastric carcinoma coupled with H. pylori positive chronic atrophic gastritis and possible connection of IM with the development of gastric carcinoma. The paper presents prospective study that included 50 patients with gastric carcinoma and 50 patients with chronic atrophic H. pylori positive gastritis. All the patients were subjected to gastroscopy as well as biopsy targeted at antrum, lesser curvature and corpus and at the area 1-2 cm removed from tumor lesion. Biopsy samples were sliced by microtome and stained. We analyzed presence, frequency and severity of inflammatory-regenerative, metaplastic and dysplastic changes in the mucosa and evaluated their prognostic value. We typed IM immunohistochemically. This study confirmed responsibility of H. pylori for inflammatory events in gastric mucosa in patients with gastric carcinoma. According to our findings incomplete IM of types IIa and IIb as precancerous lesion is responsible for the development of gastric carcinoma and is associated with chronic atrophic gastritis grade I and II (92% of subjects, p=0.0097, h=1, p=0.01). Thus, the finding of incomplete intestinal metaplasia may be used as an indicator for early gastric carcinoma detection. Patients with patho-histologically verified incomplete intestinal metaplasia associated with active chronic atrophic gastritis of levels I and II represent risk group for the development of gastric carcinoma of intestinal type.

The aim of the study was to ascertain presence of Helicobacter pylori in gastric carcinoma as a responsible promoter of inflammatory-regenerative changes, which lead to pathological differentiation and transformation of normal epithelial cells into intestinal type and, in progression, cause epithelial dysplasia that develops into early gastric carcinoma. The paper presents prospective study that includes clinical, pathohistological and microbiological aspects of carcinogenesis initiation in gastric mucosa. The subjects are patients treated at Gastroenterohepatology Clinic divided into two groups. One group included 50 patients with gastric carcinoma while the control group included 50 patients with chronic atrophic H. pylori positive gastritis. All the patients were subjected to endoscopy as well as biopsy targeted at antrum, lesser curvature and corpus and at the region 1-2 cm removed from tumor lesion. We used HUT test to verify H. pylori presence in biopsy samples. We analyzed the samples for presence, frequency and severity of inflammatory-regenerative, metaplastic and dysplastic changes in gastric mucosa and evaluated their meaning for the prognosis. Our study confirmed Helicobaster pylori responsibility for inflammatory events in gastric mucosa in patients with gastric carcinoma. Slight and mild epithelial dysplasia with chronic atrophic gastritis grade I and II coupled with intestinal metaplasia may be considered an indicator for early detection of carcinoma. Such patients represent risk group for gastric carcinoma development.