Mirjana Cvetkovic

Pediatric non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a retrospective 14-year experience with Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM) protocols from a tertiary care hospital in Serbia.

Use of current intensive chemotherapy protocols in pediatric non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in high-income countries resulted in event-free survival (EFS) rates ranging from 80 to 90%. The results are inferior in less privileged countries with limited resources for medical care. There are no reports about comprehensive data analysis in pediatric NHL in Serbia. A retrospective study was carried out at University Childrens Hospital, Belgrade, in children aged less than 18 years diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma from 1997 to 2011. Fifty-seven children were eligible for analysis. Fourteen were diagnosed with lymphoblastic lymphoma, 38 with mature B-cell NHL (B-NHL), and 5 with anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. Mean age at diagnosis was 9.2 years, with male to female ratio 2.35:1. Children were treated according to Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM) protocols. With median follow-up of 59.3 months, 5-year probability of EFS was 84.1% for all patients, whereas overall survival was 93%. These results with BFM protocol administration, although inferior to leading international groups, reflect good treatment outcome in our patients. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this article presents the first results regarding treatment and survival of childhood NHL in Serbia.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura outcome in children: A ten-year clinical study

INTRODUCTION Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is the most common vasculitis of childhood. It is characterized by symptoms including nonthrombocytopenic purpura, abdominal pain, haematuria/proteinuria, and arthralgia/arthritis. The pleiomorphism of clinical signs in HSP could be confused with other conditions or other vasculitis forms. OBJECTIVE Evaluation of HSP clinical presentation, the onset and severity of renal manifestation in affected children and their outcome. METHODS A retrospective study of 49 patients diagnosed with HSP was conducted from September 1999 to September 2009. Children with severe renal manifestations (nephrotic range proteinuria, with or without nephrotic or nephritic syndrome) have undergone kidney biopsy. RESULTS Twenty-five patients developed renal manifestations after onset of the disease. In our study childs older age was a risk factor for association with HSP nephritis. Six of the patients required kidney biopsy. They were successfully treated with various immunosuppressive protocols, as well as three of nine patients with nephrotic range proteinuria. Two patients developed most severe form of HSP nephritis, nephrotic-nephritic syndrome with histology grade IIIb/IVb. During the study period (average followup 6 years), all patients had a normal global renal function with mild proteinuria in only two cases. The prognosis of renal involvement was better than reports from other patient series. CONCLUSION Long-term morbidity of HSP is predominantly attributed to renal involvement. During the study period, no patient had renal insufficiency or end stage renal disease after various combinations of immunosuppressive treatment. It is recommended that patients with HSP nephritis are followed for longer periods of time with a regular measurement of renal function and proteinuria.

Chemical secretion and morpho-histology of the pygidial glands in two Palaearctic predatory ground beetle species: Carabus ( Tomocarabus ) convexus and C . ( Procrustes ) coriaceus (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

ABSTRACT Although all ground beetles have pygidial glands homologous in structure and function, there are many differences among species, often significant, in terms of chemical composition of the secretion and morphology of the gland components. In this paper, two predatory ground beetle species of the genus Carabus, namely C. (Tomocarabus) convexus and C. (Procrustes) coriaceus, were subjected to chemical, morphological and histological study of their pygidial glands and the glands’ secretions. Altogether, three carboxylic acids were isolated, and the pygidial gland reservoir and other glandular parts are morphologically described in the study. We also tested whether there exist differences in chemical content of the secretion obtained by upsetting the beetles in a traditional way and that obtained directly from intact reservoirs. Detailed data on morphology of the pygidial glands of both species are presented, as well as updated information about the chemical components of the glandular secretions. Apart from tiglic and methacrylic acids, which are typical for Carabus pygidial secretions, we also found benzoic acid as a minor component of the secretion in both species. In addition, a chemotaxonomic overview of Carabus taxa is given in the paper.

Further Amphoricarpolides from the Surface Extracts of Amphoricarpos Complex from Montenegro

Analysis of composition of sesquiterpene lactone fraction of leaf cuticular neutral lipids of Amphoricarpos complex from two different localities in north Montenegro, i.e., canyon of river Tara (A. autariatus ssp. autariatus) and mountain Zeletin (A. autariatus ssp. bertisceus) afforded sesquiterpene lactones with guaianolide skeletons (17 compounds), so called amphoricarpolides, typical for this genus. Nine of them, 9–17, were new compounds, and their structures were elucidated by detailed analyses of IR, NMR, and MS data.