Objective: Despite advances in the technology of dialysis, cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are on hemodialysis therapy are still very high. Recent clinical studies have demonstrated a significant correlation between leptin levels and hypertension, hyperlipidemia, perturbed fibrinolysis and chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of changes in serum leptin concentrations and relationship of leptin and traditional cardiovascular risk factors in patients with varying duration of hemodialysis therapy. Design and method: The cross sectional study included 60 patients with end stage renal disease, of both sexes, divided into two equal groups (n = 30) based on the duration of hemodialysis treatment: A group of subjects who are on hemodialysis therapy between three months and five years, and group of subjects who are on hemodialysis therapy five and more than five years. The control group (n = 30) consisted of apparently healthy subjects, with no subjective and objective indicators of chronic renal disease. The serum leptin concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Serum leptin levels in patients in Group under 5 years was significantly higher from leptin concentrations in serum of patients in Group eqally and more then 5 years and of serum leptin concentrations in the control group. Statistically significant positive correlation was found between serum leptin levels and body mass index (BMI) in subjects of Group eqally and more then 5 years and in the control group. There was no significant correlation between serum leptin levels and C – reactive protein (CRP) in any of the groups of patients. Results showed that the serum leptin value had a poor diagnostic accuracy in distinguish hemodialysis patients from healthy control, as well as, hemodialysis patients at different length of dialysis therapy. Conclusions: In this population of stable HD patients, obtained results do not support the hypothesis that serum leptin and relationship between leptin and traditional cardiovascular risk factors can be used as an independent marker to distinguish between hemodialysis patients than healthy subjects, nor in differentiating hemodialysis patients at different length of dialysis therapy.

Objectives: Aim of the present study was to investigate serum concentration of leptin and its association with values of body mass index (BMI), C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 60 HD patients (34 male, 26 female) and 30 age- and sex-matched (4 males, 26 females) apparently healthy subjects. Serum leptin concentration was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum CRP concentration was measured by means of particle-enhanced immunonephelometry. ESR value was determined by Western Green method. BMI was calculated as weight (kg) divided by height squared (m2). Results: Results have shown that median serum leptin concentration (30.65 ng/mL; 12.48-86.40 ng/mL) was statistically significantly higher in HD patients compared to median serum leptin concentration (15.75 ng/mL; 9.15-30.65 ng/mL) in the control group of healthy subjects (p<0.05). Likewise, median serum CRP concentration (5.5 mg/L; 1.93-8.9 mg/L) and median ESR value (57.5 mm/h; 40.5-77.0 mm/h) were significantly higher in HD patients compared to median serum CRP concentration (0.8 mg/L; 0.38-1.43 mg/L) (p<0.001) and median ESR value (10.0 mm/h; 6.5-14.0 mm/h) (p<0.001) determined in the control group. Statistically significant positive correlation was found between BMI values and serum leptin concentration in HD patients (rho=0.434; p<0.001). Positive, although not significant, correlation was observed between serum CRP and leptin levels in HD patients (rho=0.171; p>0.05). Negative correlation between ESR values and serum leptin concentrations in HD patients was determined but it was not statistically significant (rho= -0.029; p>0.05). Conclusions: Increased serum concentration of leptin as pro-inflammatory cytokine as well as elevated serum values of CRP and ESR indicate presence of systemic micro inflammation in HD patients. Results of the present study point to possible use of serum leptin concentration as an indicator of nutritional status in HD patients based on observed significant positive correlation between serum leptin concentrations and BMI values. However, absence of significant association between serum leptin and CRP levels as well as between serum leptin concentrations and ESR values in HD patients requires further investigation and clarification.

Introduction: There are wide variations in diet patterns among population subgroups. Macronutrients content analyses have become necessary in dietary assessment. The purpose of this study is to analyze dietary saturated fatty acids intake in students, detect differences between men and women, and compare with nourish status and nutrition recommendations.Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 60 graduate students was performed during the spring 2013, at the Sarajevo University. Food-frequency questionnaire was conducted during seven days. Body mass index was used to assess students' nourish status. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (version 13.0).Results: Mean age of males was 26.00±2.72, and of females was 27.01±3.93 years. The prevalence of overweight was more common among males compared to females (55.56% vs. 6.06%). Median of total fat average intake for men and women was 76.32(70.15;114.41) and 69.41(63.23;86.94) g/d, respectively. Median of saturated fatty acids average intake for men and women was 28.86(22.41;36.42) and 24.29(20.53;31.60) g/d, respectively. There was significant difference in average intake of total fat between genders (Mann-Whitney U test: p=0.04). Macronutrient data were related to requirement of reference person. Total fat intake was beyond recommended limits in 37.04% of males and 54.55% of females. Saturated fatty acids intake was beyond the upper limit in 55.56% of males and 51.52% of females.Conclusion: Diet pattern of the average student is not in accordance with the recommendations of saturated fatty acids contribution as a percentage of energy.

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization estimates annually in the world die due to CVI every sixth women and 10th man. This paper is the research of the correlation between changes in relative air humidity and stroke (CVA) in the Sarajevo Canton. Included are patients who experienced an acute stroke in the Canton of Sarajevo and treated in the pre hospital phase by the staff of the Institute for Emergency Medicine. Days with stroke and those without cases of stroke were compared within three years and meteorological data for those days were obtained by the Weather Bureau of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Meteorological data include measurements of average humidity every day at 7, 14 and 21 o’clock in three years. Aim: To evaluate the significance of the influence of humidity on the incidence of CVI’s. Show the trend towards CVI in the reporting period and is it correlated with the trend of change in relative humidity in those days. Correlate the incidence of stroke as determined in relation to gender, age and selected climatic parameter. Material and Methods: This article presents a retrospective study. Subjects were patients of Emergency Medical Care Institute in Sarajevo, which in the period from 2004 to 2006 had a CVI. Included are patients who had a working diagnosis of stroke for the first time or as a repeated stroke. Analysis of cases of stroke was carried out by gender, age, days and seasons by descriptive-analytical epidemiological methods. Results: In total were registered 1930 patients during three years period. According to years of research in 2004–635, 2005-616 and 2006 – 679. It was found that when testing the null hypothesis about the effects of humidity in two months with a maximum stroke in the year and days without CVI and relative humidity only in 2005 had a statistically significant effect on the incidence of stroke, while during the other two years of the study there was no impacts. It turned out that the extreme values of relative humidity of the day whether there was a rapid increase or decrees in humidity increases the incidence of stroke in all three years of research. Conclusion: Patients gender had no effect on the incidence of CVI. Seasons had no effect on the incidence of CVI. Most CVI in all three years of research was in relation to the old age and occurred in the older age group 70-79 (41.35%), where it was shown that the age of the patient influences the incidence of CVI. Extremely low relative humidity and extremely high, influence on the increase in the number of CVI. Determined is a slight correlation between the average relative humidity and CVI in single day.

Background: Nitric Oxide (NO) participation is recognized in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease involving joints and other systems including salivary glands. The role of NO in pathogenesis of development of RA is still unknown. Aim & Objectives: We investigated NO concentration in saliva of 63 patients with RA and in 31 healthy control individuals. The aim of the study was also to investigate the correlation between saliva NO concentration and disease activity score (DAS28) in RA patients and to determine whether the statistically significant difference in saliva NO concentrations exists between RA patients with different stages of disease activity. Methods: Patients with RA in this cross;sectional study have been divided, based on the stage of disease activity evaluated by DAS28score, into three subgroups: low disease activity (n=19), moderate disease activity (n=19) and high disease activity (n=25). NO concentration was determined by measuring nitrite concentration by Griess reaction. Conversion of nitrate (NO ;3 ) to nitrite (NO ;2 ) was done with elementary zinc. Absorbance was measured at 546 nm with the use of spectrophotometer.

AIM To examine coagulation factor VIII activity in plasma, as a risk factor for thrombosis, in the patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Also, to assess its relationship with fibrinogen and fasting blood glucose concentrations and with body mass index. METHODS The plasma coagulation factor VIII activity, plasma levels of fibrinogen and blood glucose concentrations were measured in 30 patients with DM type 1, 30 patients with DM type 2 and in 30 healthy subjects. Body weight and body height were also measured and BMI was calculated. RESULTS The plasma factor VIII activity in patients with DM type 1 and patients with DM type 2 was significantly higher than the values measured in healthy subjects. There was no significant difference in the factor VIII activity between patients with DM type 1 and type 2. The concentrations of fibrinogen and blood glucose in both groups of patients were significantly higher than in the group of healthy subjects. Patients with DM type 2 had a significantly higher BMI compared to healthy subjects, as well as compared to patients with DM type 1. There was a significant positive correlation between plasma factor VIII activity and plasma level of fibrinogen and a significant negative correlation between factor VIII activity and BMI in patients with DM type 2. CONCLUSION Diabetic patients have the elevated plasma coagulation factor VIII activity and increased fibrinogen concentration thus an increased risk of thrombosis and vascular diseases.