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Background: Plants have long been recognized for their potential to influence neurological health, with both neuroprotective and neurotoxic properties. This review explores the dual nature of plant-derived compounds and their impact on the human brain., Discussion: Numerous studies have highlighted the neuroprotective effects of various phytoconstituents, such as those found in Ginkgo biloba , Centella asiatica , Panax ginseng , Withania somnifera , and Curcuma longa . The neuroprotective compounds have demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cognitive-enhancing properties, making them promising candidates for combating neurodegenerative diseases and improving brain function. Polyphenolic compounds, triterpenic acids, and specific phytocompounds like the ones from EGb 761 extract have shown interactions with key enzymes and receptors in the brain, leading to neuroprotective outcomes. However, this review also acknowledges the neurotoxic potential of certain plants, such as the Veratrum species, which contains steroidal alkaloids that can cause DNA damage and disrupt neurological function, or Atropa belladonna , which interfere with the normal functioning of the cholinergic system in the body, leading to a range of symptoms associated with anticholinergic toxicity., Conslusions: This review also emphasizes the need for further research to elucidate the complex mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective and neurotoxic effects of plant-derived compounds, as well as to identify novel phytoconstituents with therapeutic potential. Understanding the complex relationship between plants and the human brain is crucial for harnessing the benefits of neuroprotective compounds while mitigating the risks associated with neurotoxic substances. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the knowledge on the neurological properties of plants and highlights the importance of continued research in this field for the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting brain health and neurological disorders.

The most recent research conducted for the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics indicates that, depending on the stage of cervical cancer (CC), several therapies can provide similar overall survival and progression-free survival rates. To determine the hematologic toxicities during concurrent chemotherapy for cervical cancer, we evaluated these two therapies (cisplatin or carboplatin). Hematologic markers have been studied using statistical models and descriptive statistics. Artificial intelligence models were built using the treatment data and all the information gathered from each patient after one or more administrations to forecast the CC stage. The information was gathered from stage III cervical cancer patients and provided by Oncohelp Hospital from the West Region of Romania. Many traditional machine learning techniques, such as naïve Bayes (NB), random forest (RF), decision trees (DTs), and a trained transformer called TabPFN, were used in the current study to obtain the tabular data. The algorithms NB, RF, and DTs yielded the greatest classification score of 100% when it came to cervical cancer prediction. On the other hand, TabPFN demonstrated an accuracy of 88%. The effectiveness of the models was evaluated by computing the computational complexity of traditional machine learning methods. Early detection increases the likelihood of a good prognosis during the precancerous and malignant stages. Being aware of any indications and symptoms of cervical cancer can also help to prevent delays in diagnosis. These hematologic toxicities, which have been demonstrated to grow linearly with lowering hematologic markers below their normal expectations, would significantly impair patients' quality of life., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Ethics Committee of "Pius Brinzeu" Emergency County Clinical Hospital Timisoara issued approval No 285/18.03.2022. This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of "Pius Brinzeu" Emergency County Clinical Hospital Timisoara (No 285/18.03.2022). Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable. . Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Petre et al.)

Background: Acromegaly is a rare disorder caused by excessive growth hormone (GH) secreted from a pituitary tumor. High levels of GH and insulin growth factor-1 can lead to renal hypertrophy, as well as to diabetes mellitus and hypertension, which negatively impact kidney function. It is believed that high GH may also be involved in the onset of diabetic nephropathy, the main cause of end-stage kidney disease in developed countries., Material and Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 23 acromegalic patients and on a control group represented by 21 healthy subjects. The following parameters were determined for all the subjects: serum creatinine, serum urea, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), nephrin and kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1)., Results: Patients with acromegaly showed higher levels of UACR and lower levels of eGFR as compared to healthy subjects. No significant correlations were found between clinical or biochemical parameters associated with acromegaly and nephrin or KIM-1., Conclusions: There was no glomerular or proximal tubular damage at the time of the study, as proven by the normal levels of the biomarkers nephrin and KIM-1. Studies including more patients with uncontrolled disease are needed to clarify the utility of nephrin and KIM-1 for the detection of early kidney involvement in acromegalic patients.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of cancer death in women. Less than 1% of breast cancer cases are male breast cancers. Although there has been significant progress made in the management of breast cancer, due to its rarity among men, the question of whether men and women with breast cancer have the same treatment response and survival rate still needs to be answered. The primary goal of this study is to compare survival outcomes between male and female breast cancer patients., Material and Method: This cohort study represents a retrospective and anonymized data analysis of 2162 breast cancer cases (19 males and 2143 females), registered over a period of 12 years, from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2021, in the Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Diakoneo Diak Klinikum Schwäbisch Hall, Germany., Results: According to the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the estimated overall 3-year survival rate was 91.1% for women and 88.9% for men. The log-rank test of equality of survival distributions indicated a statistically significant difference in survival times between the two groups ( p = 0.009). In the subsequent age-matched Kaplan-Meier analysis, the p -value was below the significance threshold ( p = 0.068)., Conclusions: Male breast cancer is a rare disease that may show some particularities in terms of survival compared to female breast cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women, responsible for the highest number of cancer-related deaths worldwide. There is limited data available related to serum tumor markers in breast cancer and other blood parameters or other glandular laboratory parameters. This study aims to evaluate the correlation of tumor-specific markers for breast cancer with other blood parameters and how these correlations could impact clinical management., Material and Method: This retrospective study represents a data analysis from 1 January 2020 to 31 May 2023, in the County Hospital of Timisoara, Romania. We reviewed all the cases where, in the laboratory analyses, the serum tumor specific biomarkers for breast cancer were analyzed., Results: A statistical analysis was performed in order to identify a possible relationship between CA 15-3 and the various biomarkers and blood parameters included in the present study. Values were classified according to reference ranges. The tests revealed no statistically significant associations between CA 15-3 values and the levels of CA125 (χ 2 (1) = 1.852, p = 0.174), CEA (χ 2 (1) = 1.139, p = 0.286), AFP (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.341), fT4 (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.310), TSH (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.177), or PTH (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.650)., Conclusion: The findings indicate a lack of strong correlation between CA 15-3 and CA125, CEA, AFP, thyroid function markers, or PTH within this cohort.

Background: The bacterial membrane plays a critical role in the survival of bacteria and the effectiveness of antimicrobial peptides in protecting the host. The lipid constituents of the bacterial membrane are not evenly distributed, and they could be affected by clustering anionic lipids with cationic peptides with multiple positive charges. That could be harmful to bacteria because it prevents lipids from interacting with other molecular components of the cell membrane, disrupts existing natural domains, or creates phase boundary defects between the clustered lipids and the bulk of the membrane. This preliminary quantitative study is aimed at assembling a correlation between antibiotic resistance and bacterial lipid composition in E. coli , based on the function and arrangement of the bilipid coating of the bacterial cell, intimately associated with the path of antimicrobials through membranes., Methods: Fifteen multiresistant E. coli samples are collected from swine with enterocolitis tested for resistance levels using the disc diffusimetric method (Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion). Pathogen identification completed using the API 20E multitest system revealed the E. coli presence in 11 samples. In these samples, bacterial membrane detection of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) operating a 240 MS Ion Trap (Varian) GC/MS (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) was performed, using the MIDI Sherlock recognition software model., Results: Interpreting the descriptive statistical method, the correlation matrix, and regression curves and after ANOVA analysis, we ascertained that the studied E. coli population statistically confirmed different degrees of resistance in most of the samples analyzed in this test., Conclusions: In one case, the methyl-(Z)-11-tetradecenoate acid was observed to have a relationship with the susceptibility evaluation by using the disc diffusimetric method, which has revealed the lowest rate of antimicrobial resistance, so it has importance in further resistance evaluation studies., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Alexandru O. Doma et al.)

Limited data are available regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence in children. In this study, we assessed for the first time the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in children from Romania. Serum samples of 379 children were investigated for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies. Serologic tests were performed using Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 electrochemiluminiscence immunoassay that targets the nucleocapsid protein of the virus. The overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies was 46.70%. No significant difference was observed between seropositive and seronegative children according to age groups, gender, and area of residence. Our findings revealed a high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Romanian children at the end of the third COVID-19 pandemic wave. Results suggest that children, regardless of age, gender, or area of residence, are susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2. Seroprevalence in children was similar to the seroprevalence reported in the adult population from Western Romania during the same period of time, March to June 2021.

Background and Objectives: The extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection among a population may be assessed by the presence of serum SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, which indicates previous exposure. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the adult population from Western Romania. Materials and Methods: Samples of 2443 consecutive individuals, referred for routine laboratory investigations, were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using the Elecsys immunoassay that targets the nucleocapsid protein, for identifying the presence of the total antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Results: The overall SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was 45.60%. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was significantly higher in age group 30-49 years (53.94%) compared to age groups 50-69 years (43.53%) and 70-91 years (30.79%) ( p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). No significant difference in seroprevalence was observed between females (44.83%) and males (47.05%). Conclusions: Our data revealed a high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the adult population from Western Romania and indicate the rapid and significant spread of the virus. The estimated prevalence of 45.60% was 6 times higher than the rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in the study area. This indicates the magnitude of virus transmission in the community.

Ionic liquids (ILs) exhibit cytotoxic effects on prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In this study, the antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of tetrahexylammonium bromide-based ILs were investigated. In order to evaluate the therapeutic potential of these ionic liquids, firstly microbiological assay using both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were conducted by employing Disk-Diffusion and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chlorine (TTC) methods to assess the antimicrobial effects. Likewise, the antitumor effects on 2D and 3D cell culture systems were assessed using the human colon cancer Caco-2 cell line and cytotoxic activity was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Alamar blue assays. Results obtained showed that [CH 3 (CH 2 ) 5 ] 4 N(Br) possesses an antibacterial potential, particularly in the case of two bacteria, S. aureus (Gram + ) and H. influenzae (Gram - ) . Preliminary screening of antiproliferative activity showed moderate activity, except for the concentration of 10 mM. Furthermore, regarding the effect of [CH 3 (CH 2 ) 5 ] 4 N(Br) on tumor cell aggregation, positive outcomes were noted. [CH 3 (CH 2 ) 5 ] 4 N(Br) presents promising and under-explored potential to improve antibacterial or anticancer therapies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Popescu et al.)

Cardiovascular disorders are leading mortality causes worldwide, often with a latent evolution. Vascular health depends on endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and the presence of atherosclerotic plaques. Preventive medicine deserves special attention, focusing on modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, including diet. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables has well-known health benefits, especially due to its polyphenolic components. Anthocyanins, water-soluble flavonoid species, responsible for the red-blue color in plants and commonly found in berries, exert favorable effects on the endothelial function, oxidative stress, inhibit COX-1, and COX-2 enzymes, exert antiatherogenic, antihypertensive, antiglycation, antithrombotic, and anti-inflammatory activity, ameliorate dyslipidemia and arterial stiffness. The present review aims to give a current overview of the mechanisms involved in the vascular protective effect of anthocyanins from the human diet, considering epidemiological data, in vitro and in vivo preclinical research, clinical observational, retrospective, intervention and randomized studies, dietary and biomarker studies, and discussing preventive benefits of anthocyanins and future research directions.

This study investigates for the first time the influence of four doses of rosuvastatin on total fatty acids (TFA) and free fatty acids (FFA) in human plasma and correlates their changes in concentration with changes in the concentration of other lipids involved in cholesterol homeostasis.This study was a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, crossover experiment. The study used a single group of 16 men and consisted of 5 treatment periods lasting 4 weeks each with placebo and 4 doses of rosuvastatin (5, 10, 20, and 40 mg). Each subject changed 5 medical treatments and received in each new treatment different tablets of rosuvastatin or placebo compared to those taken in previous treatments, in a random order. Between treatment periods there was a wash-out period of 2 weeks, without treatment.Changes in TFA and FFA were significant compared to placebo and between different doses of rosuvastatin. We found a continuous logarithmic decrease in levels of TFA, FFA, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, and apolipoprotein B-100, and a continuous increase in levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-1 by increases the dose of rosuvastatin. Analysis of the correlation of TFA and FFA with the main lipids and lipoproteins in cholesterol homeostasis indicated a linear regression with high correlation coefficients and all P-values were less than .05 level.The concentrations of TFA and FFA are significantly influenced by the dose of rosuvastatin. They are strongly correlated with those of other lipids and lipoproteins involved in cholesterol homeostasis. The mechanisms of cholesterol homeostasis regulation are involved in changing the concentrations of TFA and FFA.

Each fatty acid (FA) or class of FAs has a different behavior in the pathologies of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the concentration of each fatty acid in the fraction of free fatty acids (FFAs) and total lipids in human plasma after short-term therapy with rosuvastatin as a cholesterol-lowering statin drug. Six hypercholesterolemic men on a habitual diet were studied in a randomized, double-blind, and crossover process. They received 20 mg rosuvastatin or placebo in random order, each for 4 weeks and after 2 weeks of washout period, they received another medication (placebo or rosuvastatin) for another period of 4 weeks. Rosuvastatin treatment significantly decreased the absolute concentrations of saturated and monounsaturated FAs in the total FAs as well as in FFAs. Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with 20 and 22 carbon atoms in the molecule had no significant change in the fraction of FFAs. Rosuvastatin is directly involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and indirectly through cholesterol homeostasis in the biosynthesis of other plasma lipids. In conclusion, our findings show that rosuvastatin treatment leads to significant changes in the concentration of each fatty acid, except for long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in FFAs. Our observations indicate that cholesterol homeostasis through its regulatory mechanisms appears to be the main cause of changes in the concentration of each plasma fatty acid during rosuvastatin treatment. These changes can be a source of beneficial consequences, in addition to lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in cardiovascular diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Authors.)

An analytical procedure for the rapid and selective derivatization of free fatty acids into methyl esters directly in plasma without transmethylation of lipid-bound fatty acids was developed for their analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The methyl esters of free fatty acids were obtained by reaction with methyl iodide in the solution of dipolar aprotic solvents and in the presence of solid bases. The mechanism of the methylation reaction with these reagents was investigated. Optimal conditions for the selective methylation of free fatty acids were established using different dipolar aprotic solvents and different solid bases. The possible transmethylation of covalently bonded fatty acids from plasma lipids has been investigated under different experimental conditions in order to be avoided. Total methylation of free fatty acids was achieved in 1 min at room temperature using methyl iodide and anhydrous potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate in dimethyl sulfoxide. Under these conditions, transmethylation of lipid-bound fatty acids was avoided. The methyl esters can be injected directly from the reaction solvents. A plasma volume of 50 μL was used without special purification. The detection limits were around 0.1 ng/μL. The proposed method avoids the drawbacks of the previous methods used for the one-step analysis of individual free fatty acids in human plasma., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This paper presents the case of a 58-year-old heavy smoker female who came to our clinic with acute pain, as well as mastication and feeding difficulties. The macroscopic examination revealed oral erosive lesions and ulcerations. The polymorphic aspect of the lesions required the differential diagnosis of oral erythroplakia or carcinoma, which were excluded by biopsy. At the same time, we assessed the expression of S100 protein, Ki67 and the cluster of differentiation (CD) 4, CD8 (T-cell) and CD20 (B-cell) immune cell markers by immunohistochemical analysis. As a result, after the clinical and pathological assessment, the diagnosis of oral lichen planus was established, and a therapy plan was conducted. We observed a favorable clinical evolution after the administration of corticosteroids and immunomodulatory agents.

Purpose: The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple predictor used in oncology and cardiology. We aimed to analyze the NLR profile of patients with diaphyseal fractures of the humerus, femur, and tibia., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, consecutive-case population-based study including 148 patients (41.9% men respectively 58.1% women) with humeral (23.0%), femoral (30.4%), and tibial (46.6%) diaphyseal fractures, admitted for surgical treatment in our level 1 trauma centre over two years., Results: The differences in NLR between the studied subgroups were not significant (p = 0.067), the highest value being observed in patients with femoral fracture (5.6) in contrast to patients with humeral fracture (4). In the global cohort, there was a significantly positive correlation between NLR and PLR (platelet to lymphocyte ratio; Spearman's r = 0.595; p < 0.001). The stratified subgroup analysis found significant association between NLR and duration of admission only for patients with femoral fracture (Spearman's r = - 0.308; p < 0.001). When compared with controls, all three fracture types had significantly higher neutrophil numbers and NLR and lower thrombocyte numbers., Conclusions: NLR are elevated in femur diaphyseal fractures compared with tibia and humerus, up to cut-off values with negative prediction of outcome in malignancy and cardiovascular patients. Increased NLR are predictive of longer hospital admissions for femur fractures.

Objective: To quantify performance in the preanalytical phase in a stat laboratory using quality indicators, and compare our results with those in the literature to improve laboratory services., Methods: We counted the test request forms, samples, and the types of preanalytical errors that occured in a stat laboratory between January 1 and December 31, 2011. We then compared the quality-indicator scores with the quality specifications mentioned in the literature., Results: During the 1-year period, a total of 168,728 samples and 88655 requests forms were received in stat laboratory. The total number of preanalytical errors was 1457, accounting for 0.8% of the total number of samples received in a year. Of the total preanalytical errors, 46.4% were hemolysed samples (biochemistry), 43.2% were clotted samples (hematology), 6.4% were samples lost-not received in the laboratory, 2.9% samples showed an inadequate sample-anticoagulant ratio, 0.7% were requests with errors in patient identification, 0.3% were samples collected in blood collection tubes with inappropriate anticoagulant and 0.1% were requests with errors--missing test requests., Conclusion: The preanalytical performance of a stat laboratory in our setting is favorable and complies with international quality specifications.

Echinococcosis or hydatid disease is a parasitic zoonosis acquired by humans through ingestion of viable helminthic eggs of Echinococcus sp. with their food. A hydatid cyst of the spleen is a rare condition, commonly reported in 0.5-8% of patients with echinococcosis. We aim to describe herein an interesting and rare case of splenic hydatid disease diagnosed in a 34-year-old female patient residing in a rural area from Romania, a country endemic for this disorder. The therapy consisted of total splenectomy, and the postsurgical evolution was favorable.

Background: Sediment bacterial communities are key players in biogeochemical cycling of elements in the aquatic environment. Copper mining, smelting, and processing operations located in Bor area (Serbia) are major environmental hot spots in the lower Danube Basin and Western Balkans. In the present study, we evaluate the influence of trace element (TE) concentration in sediments and physico-chemical properties of water on sediment microbial communities in water streams adjacent to the Copper Smelter Complex Bor (RTB Bor, Serbia). The degree to which metabolic activities of bacterial biota inhabiting differently polluted sites is inhibited by inorganic pollution were compared using selected enzymatic bioindicators., Results: Cu, Zn, Pb, and As concentrations systematically exceeded the target values for metal loadings in aquatic sediments. Water electrical conductivity (WEC) followed the same pattern of spatial variation, irrespective of season. Interestingly, the most intense enzymatic activity occurred at the reference site although this site showed the greatest TE levels in aquatic sediments. Catalase activity (CA), potential dehydrogenase activity (PDA), actual dehydrogenase activity (ADA), urease activity (UA), and phosphatase activity (PA) in aquatic sediments displayed heterogeneous patterns of spatio-temporal variation. Inorganic pollution greatly affected CA, ADA, and PDA, but much less so UA and PA. Canonical correlation analysis showed that pH and WEC were the strongest determinants of enzymatic activity in bacterial biota, with the latter variable being reversely correlated with the enzymatic indicator of sediment quality (EISQ). The median values of EISQ increased with distance from the major sources of pollution. In addition, it was found that sites with different degrees of inorganic pollution can be appropriately classified by applying cluster analysis to EISQ, TE levels in sediments, and physico-chemical properties of water., Conclusions: Because EISQ can precisely identify changes in overall enzymatic activity of sediment bacterial communities, this enzymatic bioindicator has a great potential for biomonitoring the current status of inorganic pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

This study aims to compare the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory aspects of cystic echinococcosis (CE) in children with those of adults from western Romania, and to determine the specifics of this disease in the younger population. The medical records of the patients diagnosed with CE and hospitalized during 2004-2010 in four western Romanian counties were retrospectively investigated. Overall, 82 children (mean age, 10.8 years) and 369 adults (mean age, 48 years) were diagnosed with CE during the study period. The yearly detection rate was 3.1/100,000 children and 3.4/100,000 adults. The incidence rate registered a peak in children aged 5-14 years (4.4/100,000) and adults aged 60-69 years (5/100,000). Female to male ratio was 1.6:1 in pediatric cases and 1.2:1 in adults. CE was almost twice more frequent in rural areas (4.4/100,000 children and 4.9/100,000 adults) as compared to urban regions (2.3/100,000 children and 2.6/100,000 adults). Hepatic cysts were found more frequently than pulmonary cysts, at a ratio of 3.6:1 in children and 12.8:1 in adults. Most of the cases had no complications (91.5% of children and 87% of adults). Children had higher eosinophil count (7%) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (29.7 mm/h) as compared with adults (eosinophil count, 5.3%, p<0.001; ESR, 22.4 mm/h, p=0.001). The active transmission of the parasite in western Romania is demonstrated by the high incidence of CE in children. Long-term prevention of this disease may be reached through joined legislative efforts focused on the registration of dogs, home slaughter of sheep and swine, veterinary control in abattoirs, destruction of infected materials, and restriction of dogs' access to vegetable gardens and children's parks.

The purpose of this study is to bring new and important data regarding the epidemiology of ascariasis, enterobiasis and giardiasis in the Romanian largest county during a 14-year period. We have performed a retrospective collection and analysis of the available information provided by the general practitioners to the Statistics Department database of the Timis County Public Health Authority. The mean annual incidence of the studied parasitic diseases during 1993-2006 was the following: 194 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (range: 90-304) for ascariasis, 777 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (range: 417-1241) for enterobiasis and 1076 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (range: 93-1770) for giardiasis. Noteworthy is that Romania reported 90.8% of the total cases of giardiasis at the European Union's level during 2006-2008. The general trend of the incidences throughout the studied period was constant for ascariasis (R(2)=0.192, p=0.1), showed no statistically significant variation (R(2)=0.025, p=0.6) for enterobiasis and was upward for giardiasis (R(2)=0.6, p=0.001). Intestinal parasitoses represent an important public health concern in Romania due to the extremely high incidence rates reported. Special attention should be paid to the young population (0-14 years), where the negative disease consequences on children's health and their educational process may be traced for a long-term. Therefore, efficient educational programs and campaigns should be timely implemented., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)