INTRODUCTION We started with Sarajevo Vascular Study (SVS) in 1994 with basic aim to evaluate arterial occlusive disease (AOD) of lower extremities and investigate possible effect of amelioration of risk factors to atherosclerosis regression. In 1996 we expanded SVS to polyvascular atherosclerotic disease, asymptomatic or symptomatic atherosclerotic disease on various vascular beds i.e. lower extremity arterial occlusive disease (AOD), cerebrovascular disease (CVD), coronary artery disease (CAD). We enrolled a total of 1680 pts. in the study but this number has changed depending on war migrations, comorbidity, or paramedical reasons. Follow-up of 10 yrs. had 645 pts, and follow-up of 8 yrs. had 1035 pts. METHOD We enrolled a total of 1680 pts, 954 pts with symptomatic disease, and 246 pts without atherosclerotic disease but with at least 3/8 multiple risk factors (MRF), and as controls 400 pts without vascular disease and less than 3 MRF. STUDY DESIGN one center, prospective, consecutive, with evaluation of epidemiological data--gender, age, comorbidity, antropometrical data, hemodynamic data--systolic and dystolic velocities, pulsatility and resistive indices, and morphologic data. Clinical variables--gender, age, hypertension, smoking, hyperlipoproteinemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity and fibrinogen. Score of MRF was calculated as x/8. RESULTS Out of total of 645 pts (10 yrs. follow-up) 399 pts (62%) had AOD, out of them single AOD had 295 pts (74%), and polyvascular disease 104 pts (26%). 63 (61%) pts of symptomatic group had combination of AOD + CAD, and 41 pts (39%) had AOD + CVD + CAD. In the pts with 8 yrs. follow-up (n-1035) AOD had 548 pts. (53%), single AOD had 334 pts (57%) and polyvascular had 122 pts (39%). Out of symptomatic pts. 71 (58.2%) had AOD + CAD, and 51 (41.8%) had AOD + CAD + CVD. Asymptomatic disease on the very entry period of the study was significant for both groups, p < 0.01. CONCLUSIONS (i) we found a significant number of asymptomatic atherosclerotic changes on other vascular beds, (ii) score of MRF has correlated with polyvascular disease and with overall outcome (iii) antropomethric, haemodynamic, and morphological parameters of human blood vessels have been measured and systematically documented in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the last twenty years, the European office of WHO with its expert groups designated CVD as a problem of top priority in European health policy. The documents of WHO related to CVD, and their directives to member countries, are illustrated in this paper. The authors emphasize that according to available data, CVDs are cause of 40% of total mortality among the European population above the age of 75. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, CVDs are the leading cause of mortality in the last few years. The difference in incidence and prevalence of CVD among European countries is emphasized in the paper. According to the available data of WHO, the greatest incidence and prevalence of these diseases is in East European and Central European countries and the lowest in Mediterranean countries, with the exception of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The evaluation of the present state of frequency of CVD in Europe and the projection of their trends in some countries until 2020 is given in the paper. An alternative projection of the trends of CVD in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including a variant of application of organized preventive programs, is presented in the paper. Illustrative examples of the effects of preventive programs in some European countries, and possibilities of their application in Bosnia and Herzegovina are presented in this paper. Cost analysis of the application of preventive programs and their effects on the reduction of number of people affected by CVD in the short period until 2010 and 2020 is also elaborated in this paper.

BACKGROUND It is well known that atherosclerosis as systemic disease have a significant correlation with score of multiple risk factors (MRF). Atherosclerosis as a multifocal disease, produces multisegmental stenotic changes of various arterial segments which arises simultaneously as a pre-existing asymptomatic disease. Aim of this study is to evaluate the presence of multifocal atherosclerotic disease among pts. with predominant arterial occlusive disease (AOD), and to correlate arterial hypertension as a major independent risk factor and multifocal atherosclerotic disease. METHODS We included 109 consecutive patients treated at our Institute in the period Dec 1999--Dec 2000, all with clear arterial occlusive disease (AOD). According to Fontaine clinical staging of their AOD, we made three groups--group FII, clinical stage Fontaine II 63 pts, group FIII, clinical stage Fontaine III 32 pts, and group FIV, clinical stage Fontaine IV 14 pts. We evaluated clinical variables: age, gender, arterial hypertension (HTA), tobacco, hyperlipidemia (HLP), obesity (BMI), diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease (CHD), and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). Score of MRF is calculated as x/9. Special focus has been made to pts. with positive HTA. All pts. were evaluated according to clinical evidence of CHD and CVD, respectively. RESULTS We had 109 pts, 89 males and 20 females, average age of 62 yrs, males 63 and females 60 yrs. In the FII group were 63 pts. with average MRF 4.27, in the FIII group 32 pts. with MRF 3.97, in the FIV group 14 pts. with MRF 3.93. Out of the total number of pts. 52 were hypertensive (47.7%), 41 males, and 11 females, with average age 64.8 yrs, males, and 61.8 yrs, females. Isolated systolic HTA had 33 pts. (63.5%), and 19 pts. (36.5%) systolic and diastolic HTA. In whole group (n-109), multifocal disease, AOD + CHD, had 22 (20.21%) pts. (MRF score 4.86), AOD + CVD had (5.5%) 6 pts. (MRF score 3.66) and AOD + CHD + CVD had 8 (7.33%) patients (MRF score 6.13). In hypertensive pts. multifocal atherosclerotic disease, AOD + CHD, had 12 pts. (23.1%), and AOD + CHD + CVD, 2 pts (7.6%). Among clinical variables, tobacco was of high risk, 97 pts. positive (89.9%), what is of high significance, p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS We have a clear connection of multifocal disease with elevated MRF score, especially clinical variables, smoking (p < 0.001) and arterial hypertension (p < 0.01). Multifocal atherosclerotic disease was present in 36 pts. (33.1%), and among hypertensive pts. multifocal atherosclerotic disease was present in 14 pts. (26.9%). There is a high positive correlation rank of multifocal disease, HTA and score of MRF, r = .70, and borderline correlation rank of multifocal disease and score of MRF, r = .40.

We prospectively estimated the CRP and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) level in the blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with aim to find the difference between relapse and infection, especially because the high fever is the same clinical sign for both. After following this problem, considering the relation between SLE and infection, we have found that: When SLE is active disease, the infection is common complication, Immunosuppressive therapy, particularly with steroids, prepares the conditions for infection, Infection and SLE are going together, and here is believe that infection is making the worsening of basic disease, A lot of SLE syndromes are differentiated with difficulties from syndromes caused from infection (pneumonia, arthritis, serositis). During 2 (two) years follow up of 10 patients suffering from SLE and fulfilled ARA criteria, we found 5 relapses and 3 infections, and all of them were followed and analyzed. We used the additional criteria for the estimation of the disease activity every patient separately. The CRP blood level was measured every month. According to a lot of clinicians, normal values of CRP are 0-0.5 mg/dl (0-5 mg/L) and ESR between 12-20 mm. Levels over 15 mg/L (1.5 mg/dl) are found with 4 SLE patients (5 SLE relapses), and 2 patients with infections (3 cases of infection). The median value of CRP in the course of infection was more than 60 mg/L, in comparison with SLE relapse (16.5 mg/L). All patients with SLE relapse had increased ESR level, but CRP wasn't, while with infection ESR and CRP were regularly increased in all cases. Measuring CRP in SLE is helpful in differentiating between infection and relapse, only under one condition: that serositis previously wasn't present.

The use of the method of direct immunofluorescence (DIF) in the examination of the renal biopsy tissue, differentiation of various forms of glomerulonephritis, identification of immunopathogenetic mechanisms of the disease and mediators of immune reaction, are presented. In the study are described the characteristics findings of DIF in differentiation of morphologic groups of glomerulonephritis, made after light microscopy (LM). Here are presented the type and localisation of immune deposits within the kidney tissue (glomerules, blood vessels, tubules and interstitium). It was performed 52 renal biopsies in the period between 1997 and 2001 year, at the Institute of Nephrology in Sarajevo, than divided after DIF and LM in 11 different groups, with dominant membranous glomerulopathy (11 cases), diffuse mesangioproliferative with IgA nephropathy (9 cases) and minimal change glomerulonephritis (9 cases), between them. It was described the method of renal biopsy, the preservation and preparation of biopsy spacemen, and the act of fluorescence microscopy.

Today overweight is the biggest public health problem in the world. According to statistical data, its occurrence is the most frequent among the English 53%, than German 51%, USA 48%, Italian and Spanish 40%, in French 38%, Swedish 30% and Russian 34%. According to available data 0.3% of the BiH population is overweight. Overweight can be related to collection of fat depos--obesity, or enlarged muscle mass--muscle hypertrophy. Criteria for evaluating of overweight are BMI (Body Mass Index). Obesity is the remarkable risk factor for the human health and it performs the background for many diseases--cardiovascular, diabetes mellitus, respiratory diseases, malignant diseases of gastrointestinal tract, joint-bone system diseases etc. For the regulation of optimal body weight, energy balance between input of energy by the food and its consumption is needed.

BACKGROUND Recent vascular studies suggests that patients with arterial occlusive disease (AOD) and with elevated score of multiple risk factors (MRF), especially diabetes mellitus, have an increased prevalence of critical limb ischaemia, increased incidence of lower limb amputations, and an overall poor outcome of their AOD. The aim of this study is to evaluate an overall outcome of AOD, Fontaine stage III and IV, and to correlate their outcome with score of MRF. METHODS We enrolled a group of 136 patients (99 males and 37 females), with an average of 63.7 yrs and SD 12.2 all with AOD, Fontaine stage III and IV. We divided pts in three groups--pts on medicament treatment--MT group, pts for lower limb amputation--AMP group, and pts for vascular surgery. According to their clinical stage we had group in Fontaine stage III (n-48), and Fontaine IV (n-88). We followed 9 clinical variables: age, gender, tobacco, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, level of fibrinogen, coronary ischaemic disease and cerebrovascular disease. RESULTS In MT group we had n-91 (66.9%) with MRF score of 3.42. In Fontaine stage III we had 37 pts with MRF score of 3.89, and in Fontaine stage IV we had 54 pts with MRF score of 3.37. In AMP group we had n-23 pts (16.9%) with MRF score of 3.39, and all pts were in F IV stage. In VH group we had n-22 pts (16.1%) with MRF score of 3.1. In VH group 50% of pts were in F IV stage. In overall group (n-136) we had a significant number of Fontaine IV stage pts, p < 0.01. CONCLUSIONS We had a high risk group of patients, with mean MRF score of 3.42, 23 pts (16.9%) were referred for lower limb amputation, and 23 pts (16.9%) for vascular surgery. MRF score correlate with overall outcome of AOD, r = 0.72, p < 0.001.

The most common and dangerous operative complication after procedure hip joint replacement in orthopaedic surgery is plumonary embolysm. In our work we compare frequency of tromboembolic complications in group which was under suggested profilaxa and in other group with no such profilaxa. Importance of this work is not in a reducing of such complications but also in accepting of unique, wide excepted and scientific based protocol of postoperative tromboembolic profilaxa in ou country.