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Background and Aim. Differentiating iron deficiency anemia (IDA) from anemia of chronic disease (ACD) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents a clinical challenge. Hepcidin is a polypeptide synthetized in the liver, and iron levels or inflammation mostly regulate hepcidin production. Our aim was to determine serum hepcidin levels in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well to investigate whether hepcidin levels correlate with disease activity. Material and Methods. A case-control study was preformed among newly diagnosed IBD patients and same number age- and sex-matched healthy controls. All patients underwent a total ileocolonoscopy. Complete blood count was obtained in addition to inflammatory markers (CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate-ESR). Serum levels of hepcidin were determined with commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DRG Instruments Marburg, Germany). Serum iron, TIBC, and UIBC were assessed with an electrochemiluminesence immunoassay, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) was assessed using an immunoturbidimetric method. Mayo score and CDAI, respectively, were calculated for each patient. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software version 20.0 for Windows. Results. There was a high statistically significant difference between IBD patients and controls in levels of hepcidin ( P < 0.01 ). Namely, serum hepcidin levels were significantly higher in the control group. There was no statistically significant correlation of serum hepcidin with CRP, Mayo score, or CDAI, respectively ( P > 0.05 ). However, we have found a statistically significant negative correlation of sTfR and TIBC with hepcidin ( P < 0.01 ). Conclusion. Results of our study suggest that hepcidin is a reliable marker of IDA in patients with IBD, and it could be used in routine clinical practice when determining adequate therapy in these patients.

Populations of the most abundant alfalfa aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum and Therioaphis trifolii, have periodic fluctuations, and many factors affect their dynamics. In the present study, we examined the impact of daily air temperatures on the abundance of two alfalfa aphids in field conditions. The numbers of these two aphids on alfalfa were documented at two locations in a representative alfalfa growing area in Serbia during a three-year field study. Based on the records of aphid abundance and daily air temperatures during the whole study, it was found that a correlation between the sum of optimal daily air temperatures for aphid development, the sum of maximum daily air temperatures and the number of recorded aphid peaks was significant and can therefore be considered for the detection of suitable temperature conditions to increase aphid abundance. The study shows that the highest correlations were between a high density of A. pisum and the sum of optimal daily air temperatures for its development (Ck=0.569) and between a high density of T. trifolii and the sum of maximum daily air temperatures (Ck=0.595). The length of time required for the growth of populations of the two alfalfa aphids differed: 30 days for A. pisum and 5 days for T. trifolii. The association of temperature data to alfalfa aphid abundance enables a projection of their population behavior in changed future climate conditions. This study suggests increased population sizes of T. trifolii and decreased population sizes of A. pisum on alfalfa under the warmer conditions that are expected to prevail in the future.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is the most important forage legume and one of the most widely grown crops in Serbia. Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are one of the most significant groups of pests of that crop. Three aphid species, Acyrthosiphon pisum, Aphis craccivora and Therioaphis trifolii, are considered as important pests of alfalfa in Serbia. The most abundant of them, T. trifolii, is more adapted to warmer temperatures and it is the predominant aphid species during summer months, while A. pisum is prevalent during the spring period. In warmer climates, an increasing abundance of T. trifolii and decreasing populations of A. pisum have been observed in alfalfa in Serbia. On the other hand, A. craccivora is a minor pest of alfalfa, which rarely occurs in high numbers. The present paper synthesizes the existing knowledge about these three aphid pests of alfalfa, including their morphology, biology, seasonal dynamics, pest status and effects of temperature on their development.

Background/Aim. In recent years mental health of patients including those with chronic liver disease (CLD), has become interesting because its disturbance leads to reduced quality of life, that is associated with worsening of clinical outcome, reduced compliance and increased mortality. The aim of the study was to determinate the frequency and severity of depression and frequency of anxiety in patients with CLD and to assess the contribution of selected socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory risk factors for depression and anxiety. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, we used the Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) and Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HARS) in patients with CLD. Results. The study included 54 male and 43 female patients. Depression was present in 62.9%, and anxiety in 13.4% of the patients. A higher HDRS was noted in the patients older than 50 years (p = 0.022) and unemployed patients (p = 0.043). The patients with at least one episode of gastrointestinal bleeding had a significantly higher frequency of anxiety than those without bleeding (p = 0.018). A higher HARS score was present in the women (p = 0.011), unemployed patients (p = 0.008) and those with non-alcoholic liver disease (p = 0.007). There was a significant correlation between the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and the value of the HDRS score, and between serum potassium and sodium levels and HDRS score. Conclusion. Age and the mean corpuscular volume have significant influence on the HDRS score while unemployment, gastrointestinal bleeding, serum potassium and serum sodium have predictive value for HARS score.

Introduction. Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. Although hepatic granulomas occur in 50-65% of patients with systemic sarcoidosis, isolated liver sarcoidosis is rare. Clinical presentation varies from asymptomatic to manifest. The diagnosis is based on a characteristic histopathological finding of liver biopsy. Case report. We reported a 69-year old man was admitted due to abdominal swelling and abdominal pain. Laboratory studies detected: cholestasis, pancytopenia and elevaton of angiotensin-converting enzyme. Abdominal imaging techniques showed liver cirrhosis, splenomegaly and ascites. The diagnosis of the hepatic sarcoidosis was confirmed by histopathological examination of liver biopsy. The patient was treated with corticosteroids. After 18 months the patient was without any subjective symptoms, and with biochemical and clinical improvement. Conclusion. Isolated hepatic sarcoidosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of asymptomatic or simptomatic patients with hepatosplenomegaly and changes in liver functional tests. Only the timely diagnosis and proper treatment can lead to subjective and objective improvement of patients.

Bacground/Aim. Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic, idiopathic, inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract. The aim of this study was to determine a possible correlation between the clinical parameters of the disease activity degree and the presence of extraintestinal manifestations with disease activity histopathological degree, in patients presented with CD and UC. Methods. This cross-sectional study included 134 patients (67 with CD and UC, respectively) treated at the Clinic of Gastroenterology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade. After clinical, laboratory, endoscopic, histopathologic and radiologic diagnostics, the patients were divided into two groups according to their histopathological activity. The group I comprised 79 patients whose values of five-grade histopathological activity were less than 5 (45 with CD and 34 with UC), while the group II consisted of 55 patients with the values higher than 5 (22 with CD and 33 with UC). The CD activity index (CDAI) and Truelove and Witts' scale of UC were used for clinical evaluation of the disease activity. Results. CD extraintestinal manifestations were present in 28.9% and 63.6% of the patients in the groups I and II, respectively (p < 0.05). Comparison of the mean CDAI values found a significant difference between these two patients groups (the group I: 190.0 ? 83.0, the group II: 263.4 ? 97.6; p < 0.05). No correlation of extraintestinal manifestations of the disease, Truelove and Witts' scale and histological activity was found in UC patients (p > 0.05). Conclusion. In the patients presented with CD, the extraintestinal manifestations with higher CDAI suggested a higher degree of histopathological activity. On the contrary, in the UC patients, Truelove and Witts' scale and extraintestinal manifestations were not valid predictors of the disease histopathological activity.

Population dynamics and flight activity of alfalfa aphids were documented at two locations in Serbia in 2011 and 2012. Additionally, the abundance of coccinellid predators was tested for correlation with aphid abundance. In order to verify the potential presence of the invasive Acyrthosiphon kondoi, aphids were collected from 44 alfalfa fields. Two sampling methods were used: stem samples and water traps. There were two seasonal peaks for aphids and coccinellids during both years, the end of May and the end of August. The most abundant aphid species was Therioaphis trifolii. Eight aphidophagous coccinellids were recorded. The invasive Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) was one of the three most abundant coccinellids. Pearson's product-moment correlation showed a significant correlation of coccinellid predators associated with aphids on alfalfa. Pearson's product-moment correlation between the number of aphids on alfalfa stem and in traps was found significant only for T trifolii, which was the most numerous species in the traps. More Aphis craccivora were collected with water traps as compared to alfalfa stems, whereas more Acyrthosiphon pisum specimens were collected from alfalfa stems than from traps. The invasive species A. kondoi was not recorded in Serbia during this study.