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Aim To assess serum levels and correlation between uric acid (UA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and apparently healthy individuals. Methods The cross-sectional study included 116 examinees of age 44 to 83 years, distributed in two groups: 80 ACS patients including 40 with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and 40 with unstable angina pectoris (UAP), and 36 apparently healthy (control group) individuals. Patients with ACS were hospitalized at the Cardiology Clinic, Clinical Centre Sarajevo in the period October- December 2012. Laboratory analyses were conducted by standard methods. The accepted statistical significance level was p<0.05. Results Serum levels of CRP and UA were higher in patients with ACS as compared to control group (p<0.01). The median serum UA was insignificantly lower, and CRP was significantly higher in patients with AMI compared to UAP (p=0.118 and p=0.001, respectively). CRP and UA correlated positively in both ACS and control groups (rho=0.246; p=0.028 and rho=0.374; p=0.027). A positive correlation between serum CRP and UA was noted in patients with AMI, but negative in patients with UAP (p>0.05). Conclusion The correlation between CRP and UA in the patients with ACS indicates the association of oxidative stress and inflammation intensity in damaged cardiomyocytes. Correlation between UA and CRP in apparently healthy individuals indicates a possible role of UA as a marker of low-grade inflammation and its potential in risk assessment in cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim In hemodialysis patients renal disease may cause an impairment of central and peripheral nervous system. In most cases of the peripheral nervous system polyneuropathy is reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the function of small A-delta nerve fibres, whose function is often overlooked. Methods The function of large diameter nerve fibers was performed by standard routine neurophysiological examination. Cutaneous silent period (CSP) was elicited by single electrical stimulations at the tip of digit II by the bipolar electrodes. The superficial electrodes were placed on the muscle belly of m. abductor pollicis brevis. The onset latency (L1) was recorded at the beginning of voluntary muscle activity suppression, the late latency (L2) at the start of new muscle activity. The difference between two latencies indicates the duration of CSP. Results The study included 38 consecutive patients (male/female - 21/17, median age 56.6±10.9 years) treated with hemodialysis (one month to 30 years) and 35 healthy subjects (male/female 23/17, age 47.4±10.1 years). The results of the conduction study demonstrated a significant prolongation of F-waves of the median and ulnar nerves, decreased motor and sensory velocities of both nervesin patients on hemodialysis (p<0.001). In patients with A-V fistulas a significant prolongation of the onset CSP latency L1 was obtained (p<0.001), whereas duration of CSP was not changed. Conclusion In hemodialysis patients the significant impairment of small nerve fibers was recorded. The evaluation of small nerve fibers contributes to the assessment of the whole peripheral nerve function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]