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Introduction: Any factor causing constriction of the neck may lead to an increase in intraocular pressure. A tight necktie may result in increasing intraocular pressure, which could lead to an erroneous diagnosis and treatment of ocular hypertension or even glaucoma. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of a tight necktie on intraocular pressure measurement using Goldmann applanation tonometry., Material and Methods: This study included forty eyes of 20 patients with primary open angle glaucoma and 20 healthy controls (all male). Intraocular pressure was measured without a necktie, 3 minutes after placing a tight necktie and 3 minutes after loosening it. Student's t-test was used to analyze the data between two groups. The intraocular pressure measurements were subjected to paired t-test. The va lue p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A possible correlation between the age of subjects and intraocular pressure values was analyzed using linear regression (Pearson)., Results: A statistically significant difference was found in intraocular pressure readings in all three measurements between two tested groups (p < 0.05). When analyzed within groups, statistical significance in intraocular pressure readings was found after loosening the necktie (< 0.05). No correlation between the age of subjects and increased intraocular pressure was found in either tested group of subjects after the necktie had been tightened (r2 = 0.006, p = 0.70 for primary open angle patients, r2 = 0.07, p = 0. 22 for healthy controls)., Conclusion: Wearing a tight necktie for a limited period of time during the day could be considered as a possible risk factor for glaucoma development.

Introduction: An altered perfusion of the optic nerve head has been proposed as a pathogenic factor in glaucoma., Objective: To evaluate changes of haemodynamic parameters in the retrobulbar arterial circulation after a decrease of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG)., Methods: Twenty-six patients were examined, 14 men and 12 women, 21 up to 50 years old and 5 below, all with previously diagnosed and treated POAG, and all examined at the Eye Clinic, Clinical Centre of Serbia. IOP was measured both with a Goldmann aplanation tonometer and dynamic contour tonometer. Central corneal thickness was measured with ultrasound pachymeter. Imaging of the retrobulbar arterial circulation by colour Doppler was performed at the Neurology Clinic, Clinical Centre of Serbia. It involved measuring of haemodynamic parameters of the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and posterior ciliary arteries. Peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV) were measured, and resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) were calculated., Results: Haemodynamic arterial parameters PSV and EDV in the ophthalmic and central retinal artery after decrease of IOP were lower, while RI and PI were higher. In the posterior ciliary arteries PSV, EDV and PI were lower, and RI was higher., Conclusion: Changes of the retrobulbar arterial circulation after elevated LOP in POAG patients are important for approach and treatment, while the role of vascular factors in the supplement of the optic disc neuroretinal rim could be a key for progression backlash of glaucoma and the radix of neuroprotection.

Torus palatinus (TP) and torus mandibularis (TM) are non-pathological outgrowths of unclear etiology that develop from the jaw bone. The purpose of the present study was to report on the prevalence, shape and location of TP and TM in the population of the Central Dalmatian region, Croatia. The study comprised of 1679 subjects, 985 females and 694 males, age range from 9 to 99 years who were examined by clinical examination and analysis of the plaster casts. Torus palatinus was found in 42.9% subjects and torus mandibularis in 12.6% of the subjects. Spindle-shaped torus palatinus was the most frequent type (45.6%). The most frequent type of torus mandibularis was bilateral solitary torus mandibularis (35.4%). Furthermore, torus palatinus was found in 40.1% of the total number of females and in 46.8% of the total number of males, indicating a significantly higher prevalence in the male population (p = 0.006). Torus mandibularis was found in 11.3% of the female population and in 14.6% of the male population, again indicating significantly higher prevalence in the male population (p = 0.046). The results of this study show significantly higher prevalence of torus palatinus and torus mandibularis in the male subjects. Furthermore, no differences in the prevalence of either TM or TP regarding age were found.

PATH (Performance Assessment Tool for Quality Improvement in Hospitals), a project of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Europe offers hospitals a comprehensive and standardized tool (a set of indicators) to evaluate their own performance and development of measures for quality improvement. PATH Program was launched in Croatia in 2008, and it was conducted in 2009 in hospitals that have voluntarily decided to be involved. Here we present the results of the first phase of pilot experience of establishing the program, based on data collected in 22 Croatian hospitals. Analysis of the first results indicated the existence of marked differences among the hospitals that have taken the example of the percentage of cesarean sections ranging from 1.1% to 21.4%. The mortality rate of myocardial infarction ranged from 1.9 to 21.4%, while the mortality of stroke ranged from 12.5 to 45.5%. The highest percentage of needle-stick injuries reported for physicians was 16.2% of entire hospital staff in one year, 6.1% for nurses and 4.6% for the supportive staff. The result suggests the existence of many problems and limitations in data collection at hospital level, limitations in their analysis and creates recommendations for quality improvements, which must be taken into account when hospitals are compared on the national or international level.

Antibodies to phospholipids (aPL) have been shown to adversely affect trophoblast invasion in vivo and in vitro. HTR-8/SVneo cells derived from first trimester of pregnancy extravillous trophoblast were studied. Matrigel invasion assay, cytochemistry and cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) with aPL or normal IgG was used. Our data show that aPL at 100 microg/ml decrease invasiveness of HTR-8/SVneo cells to 60% of control (p<0.01), and this was also shown for primary cytotrophoblast (to 15.5% of control, p<0.001). aPL treatment caused a significant decrease in integrin alpha(1), alpha(5), and beta(1) proteins (86%, 84%, and 87%, respectively). We conclude that HTR-8/SVneo cell culture is a suitable model to study mechanisms of action of aPL on trophoblast, which in HTR-8/SVneo cells inhibit invasion by decreasing integrins alpha(5), alpha(1), and beta(1)., (2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The European catfish, Silurus glanis L., has become an important aqua cultural fish in Croatia, and it is cultivated extensively in ponds in polyculture with carps. The development of the digestive tract in S. glanis was studied with the aim of improving intensive fish production. Research was carried out on S. glanis larval stadium from 1- to 19-day post-hatching (DPH). The main histological methods used were: haematoxylin and eosin staining, periodic acid Schiff staining (PAS), Alcian blue (AB) and toluidin blue staining (TB). A yolk sac was present during the first 5 days (1-5-DPH). During the initial 3-DPH period, there was no trace PAS and AB activity in the digestive tract. Differentiation of the digestive tract began at 3- to 5-DPH. The oesophagus was positive for AB at 5-DPH, PAS and TB after 7-DPH. Differentiation of enterocytes began at 5-DPG and the intestines were complete at 11-DPH. Development of liver and pancreas was also studied. The analysis of data obtained in this study suggests that after 5-DPH catfish larvae have morphologically completed digestive tracts.

We report a case of cutaneous angiosarcoma in a 77-year-old female patient with systemic sclerosis. The tumor developed around a large telangiectasia in the left temporal region. Later on, extensive asymptomatic redness and edema with several nodules over the whole left side of the face developed. Since the conservative therapy failed to produce any improvement, a diagnostic skin biopsy was performed. The pathohistological diagnosis was moderately differentiated angiosarcoma. The patient was treated with a combination of chemotherapy and electron beam irradiation. Despite a notable cutaneous improvement, the control check-up revealed the presence of metastases of the lung and liver. This is the first report of cutaneous angiosarcoma occurring in sclerodermatous skin. The possible pathogenesis of this rare tumorogenic transformation of soft tissues is discussed.

Purpose: Galectin-3, an endogenous beta-galactoside- binding protein, has been implicated in the regulation of many physiological and pathological cellular processes through specific interactions with complementary ligands. The level of galectin-3 expression has been correlated with metastatic potential in many tumor types. The present study was designed to investigate possible correlation of the expression of galectin-3 with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), one of the putative galectin-3 ligands, in the transformed trophoblast of the gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTDs) compared to the invasive trophoblast (interstitial and endovascular) of the normal first trimester of pregnancy placenta., Materials and Methods: Double immunohistochemistry was used to examine paraffin sections of 9 specimens of normal placenta, 8 cases of invasive mole and 7 cases of choriocarcinoma. Immunoreactivity was scored semiquantitatively to include both the percent of trophoblast cells stained as well as the intensity of staining., Results: Data presented here demonstrate similar patterns of expression for galectin-3 and CEA in transformed GTDs trophoblastic cells, as well as in normal invasive trophoblast. Upregulation of galectin-3 in transformed GTDs trophoblast was followed by high levels of CEA expression in the same tissue specimen (significant differences at < 0.05, Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test)., Conclusion: These results may point to the CEA as one of the ligands for galectin-3 in transformed trophoblast, which merits further investigation.

Introduction: Since the discovery of the hepatitis C virus, the etiology of chronic liver diseases has been revealed in great number of patients. However, the treatment of hepatitis C viral infection still hasn't been completely resolved. Antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of interferon, and antiviral effect on the nucleoside analogs were efficient only in small number of patients. Discovery of pegylated interferon brings progress in therapeutic success rates., Material and Methods: Combined therapy with peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) 180 mg once a week plus Ribavirin 800 mg a day during a 24-week period was conducted in 20 patients (13 were previously treated with standard antiviral therapy). The aim of this study was to determine the safety and the efficacy of therapy in our patients., Results and Discussion: Analysis of safety of the combined therapy was conduced in all 20 patients, and analysis of efficiency in 18 patients. Efficacy of the combined therapy was assessed regarding to biochemical response (normalization of aminotransferase activity at the end of therapy and at the end of 6-month follow-up) and virologic response (disappearance of RNA HCV in serum at the end of 6-month follow-up). 30% of treated patients experienced no troubles during treatment. Influenza-like symptoms, weight loss, depression, hair loss and reaction at the site of injection were mild and did not exclude patients from their usual activities in family, society and work place. Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia as well as elevated aminotransferase activity demanded periodical dose modification in 20% of patients. Unexpected unwanted effect emerged in one patient after cessation of therapy (pulmonary sarcoidosis). Good effects of combined therapy at the end of follow-up period showed biochemical and virologic response in 66% of patients., Conclusion: Combined therapy with Pegasys 180 mg/week and Ribavirin 80 mg/day is safe and well tolerated. Sustained biochemical and virologic response was achieved in 66% of patients.

The aim of this investigation was to determine the total concentrations of the insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) in the blood serum of patients with liver cirrhosis and to evaluate their association with the condition. Cirrhosis was alcohol induced (n=27), of viral origin (n=17) or due to combined or other causes (n=21) and was moderate or severe in similar numbers of cases (Child A: n=21; Child B: n=21; Child C: n=23). While serum levels of both peptides were lower in patients than in age-matched healthy subjects (n=81), there was considerable overlap into the lower normal range for IGF-I. Moreover, no correlation between disease severity (Child score) and serum IGF-I was observed. Since a total of 78% of the results for IGF-II were outside the normal range (95% confidence interval) and serum concentrations were correlated with Child score (P=0.007), it is suggested that serum IGF-II concentrations may reflect compromised hepatic function more closely than IGF-I.

In order to broaden the scope and increase the utility of differential scanning calorimetry, a theoretical model of calorimetric thermograms is presently proposed which facilitates their biophysical interpretation and accounts explicitly for their modifications induced by denaturing agents and/or pH. The model rests mainly on statistical-physical considerations, the denaturation-linked increase of the number of binding sites for denaturants (including H+) serving as the conceptual basis for thermogram modelling. Denaturants were envisioned as contributing indirectly to thermal denaturation by forming complexes preferentially with unfolded protein molecules, shifting thus the equilibrium towards the denatured phase. After postulating the probability of complex formation, mean numbers of the relevant molecular species were computed by ensemble averaging. Finally, an eight-parameter expression has been derived defining protein heat capacity as a function of both temperature and denaturant concentration (or pH), each of the eight parameters having a distinct biophysical meaning. The model has been tested by applying it to the prediction of the pH-dependence of thermograms. Four proteins have been considered (lysozyme, myoglobin, apomyoglobin, and ribonuclease A), each represented by a series of three to four published thermograms recorded under different pH conditions. Model equations, fitted simultaneously to all thermograms in a pH series, reproduced correctly experimental tracings. Parameter values obtained as best-fit requirements (particularly those representing the number of binding sites unmasked by denaturation and the free energy of ion binding) were in close agreement with empirical, mainly potentiometric, data from literature. The empirically established pH-independence of the total enthalpy of denaturation, the phenomenon of cold denaturation, the pH-dependence of the Gibbs free energy of denaturation, of the melting temperature and of the temperature of cold denaturation, were all correctly predicted by the model. Combined effects of multiple denaturants, including the effects of pH in the presence of denaturants other than protons, are also predictable by the model.

In persons with chronic active hepatitis (35) and chronic persistent hepatitis (23) the CH 50 values, Clq, Cls, C4, C3, C5, and C9 as well as Cl Inh and C3A levels have been determined. The concentration changes of complement (C) were not conditioned by the existence in serum HBs. The degree of changes in values of C in all patients is in determinate relation with the levels of bilirubin, transaminases and immunoglobulins (G, M, A). The degree of determinate changes of C depends on the severity of clinical picture. The degree of Cl Inh elevation is in correlation with intensity of complement activation. The noticed dissociated values of subcomplements Clq and Cls suggest the presence of immune complexes which could influence the HBsAg detection.