Nermina Babić

Correlation Between Change in Air Humidity and the Incidence of Stroke

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization estimates annually in the world die due to CVI every sixth women and 10th man. This paper is the research of the correlation between changes in relative air humidity and stroke (CVA) in the Sarajevo Canton. Included are patients who experienced an acute stroke in the Canton of Sarajevo and treated in the pre hospital phase by the staff of the Institute for Emergency Medicine. Days with stroke and those without cases of stroke were compared within three years and meteorological data for those days were obtained by the Weather Bureau of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Meteorological data include measurements of average humidity every day at 7, 14 and 21 o’clock in three years. Aim: To evaluate the significance of the influence of humidity on the incidence of CVI’s. Show the trend towards CVI in the reporting period and is it correlated with the trend of change in relative humidity in those days. Correlate the incidence of stroke as determined in relation to gender, age and selected climatic parameter. Material and Methods: This article presents a retrospective study. Subjects were patients of Emergency Medical Care Institute in Sarajevo, which in the period from 2004 to 2006 had a CVI. Included are patients who had a working diagnosis of stroke for the first time or as a repeated stroke. Analysis of cases of stroke was carried out by gender, age, days and seasons by descriptive-analytical epidemiological methods. Results: In total were registered 1930 patients during three years period. According to years of research in 2004–635, 2005-616 and 2006 – 679. It was found that when testing the null hypothesis about the effects of humidity in two months with a maximum stroke in the year and days without CVI and relative humidity only in 2005 had a statistically significant effect on the incidence of stroke, while during the other two years of the study there was no impacts. It turned out that the extreme values of relative humidity of the day whether there was a rapid increase or decrees in humidity increases the incidence of stroke in all three years of research. Conclusion: Patients gender had no effect on the incidence of CVI. Seasons had no effect on the incidence of CVI. Most CVI in all three years of research was in relation to the old age and occurred in the older age group 70-79 (41.35%), where it was shown that the age of the patient influences the incidence of CVI. Extremely low relative humidity and extremely high, influence on the increase in the number of CVI. Determined is a slight correlation between the average relative humidity and CVI in single day.

Elevated Serum Leptin Level Is Associated with Body Mass Index But Not with Serum C-reactive Protein and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Values in Hemodialysis Patients.

Objectives: Aim of the present study was to investigate serum concentration of leptin and its association with values of body mass index (BMI), C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 60 HD patients (34 male, 26 female) and 30 age- and sex-matched (4 males, 26 females) apparently healthy subjects. Serum leptin concentration was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum CRP concentration was measured by means of particle-enhanced immunonephelometry. ESR value was determined by Western Green method. BMI was calculated as weight (kg) divided by height squared (m2). Results: Results have shown that median serum leptin concentration (30.65 ng/mL; 12.48-86.40 ng/mL) was statistically significantly higher in HD patients compared to median serum leptin concentration (15.75 ng/mL; 9.15-30.65 ng/mL) in the control group of healthy subjects (p<0.05). Likewise, median serum CRP concentration (5.5 mg/L; 1.93-8.9 mg/L) and median ESR value (57.5 mm/h; 40.5-77.0 mm/h) were significantly higher in HD patients compared to median serum CRP concentration (0.8 mg/L; 0.38-1.43 mg/L) (p<0.001) and median ESR value (10.0 mm/h; 6.5-14.0 mm/h) (p<0.001) determined in the control group. Statistically significant positive correlation was found between BMI values and serum leptin concentration in HD patients (rho=0.434; p<0.001). Positive, although not significant, correlation was observed between serum CRP and leptin levels in HD patients (rho=0.171; p>0.05). Negative correlation between ESR values and serum leptin concentrations in HD patients was determined but it was not statistically significant (rho= -0.029; p>0.05). Conclusions: Increased serum concentration of leptin as pro-inflammatory cytokine as well as elevated serum values of CRP and ESR indicate presence of systemic micro inflammation in HD patients. Results of the present study point to possible use of serum leptin concentration as an indicator of nutritional status in HD patients based on observed significant positive correlation between serum leptin concentrations and BMI values. However, absence of significant association between serum leptin and CRP levels as well as between serum leptin concentrations and ESR values in HD patients requires further investigation and clarification.

Correlation of Barometer Pressure and Incidence of Cerebrovascular Insult

Introduction: The intention of this work is to research whether the link between the barometer pressure and the cerebrovascular insult (CVI) exists. The stroke is the first cause of non-traumatic disability and third illness by mortality in the majority of available relevant literature. Goals: Goal of the sudy was to research all the cases of the patients who suffered from the acute stroke in the Canton of Sarajevo and those who were treated in the pre-hospital phase by Emergency Medical Institute staff and their working diagnosis was established as CVI ac. Material and methods: The criteria in the research were established for inclusion and exclusion of cases. The days with and without CVI cases were compared with the meteorological data obtained from the Hydro-meteorological Institute of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina . Since the approval was requested and obtained from the Hydro-meteorological Institute, all the meteorological data could be compared. The meteorological data comprise the barometer pressure measuring every day at 7 h, 14 h and 21 h. Results and discussion: In the retrospective study, there will be followed, during three years (2004, 2005 and 2006), the cases of the patients who suffered from the stroke, and, the emergency medical care was offered to them by the side of the Emergency Medical Institute of Canton of Sarajevo staff. All the cases in the Canton of Sarajevo were followed regardless of the place of incidence: whether the help was offered in Institute’s outpatient departments, patient’s flat or at public place. Due to the extensiveness of data (in the analysis comprising three years, there was the total of 1930 cases), the test of normal distribution was used. Since it was about the pre-hospital research, the acute stroke was looked at generally without division by types. The certain diagnostics by types can only be established in the hospital. Conclusion: The results in the research indicate that the extreme values of barometer pressure, regardless of their being increased ones or decreased ones, influence the increase of CVI incidence, while by comparing the average values in the days with CVI and without CVI, they did not have any influence on the CVI incidence.

ELEVATED SERUM C-REACTIVE PROTEIN LEVEL IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH SERUM NITRIC OXIDE IN PATIENTS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

BACKGROUND The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum nitric oxide (NO) and C reactive protein (CRP) concentration in veterans with and without PTSD. Furthermore, we aimed to assess whether there is a correlation between serum NO and CRP concentrations in tested groups. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Cross-sectional study included 90 male individuals, with and without experience of direct war combat, divided into three equal groups (n=30): group 1- included war veterans with PTSD, group 2 - included war veterans without PTSD, and control group - 30 apparently healthy volunteers, without experience of direct war combat. The diagnosis of PTSD was assessed according to the guidelines in the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). High-sensitivity CRP was determined by immunonephelometry. The serum NO level was determined by classic colorimetrical Griess reaction. RESULTS Serum CRP concentration in veterans with (3.54±1.19 mg/L) and without PTSD (3.24±2.04 mg/L), was significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to control group (1.26±1.06 mg/L). Serum NO concentration in veterans with (7.64±4.43 μmol/L) and without PTSD (7.12±2.60 μmol/L) was significantly lower (p<0.05) compared to control group (11.26±7.01 μmol/L). Statistically significant correlation between serum NO and CRP concentration was determined in veterans without PTSD (r=-0.473; p<0.01). No correlation was observed between serum NO and CRP concentration in veterans with PTSD (r=0.118; p=0.534) and in control group (r=-0.067; p=0.727). CONCLUSION The present study has showed significant increase of serum CRP and significant decrease of serum NO concentrations in veterans with and without PTSD. Furthermore, statistically significant negative correlation between serum NO and CRP concentration was determined only in veterans without PTSD. Obtained results indicate that the complex mechanism of the pathogenesis of PTSD requires further research.

Leptin is associated with disease activity but not with anthropometric indices in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Introduction Leptin is a cytokine-like hormone which has a complex role in inflammation. However, the importance of leptin in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is far from being fully elucidated. The aim of the study was to determine serum leptin levels in RA patients and to evaluate whether there is an association between disease activity, anthropometric indices and leptin levels. Material and methods This hypothesis-generating study included 55 RA patients and 25 matched healthy subjects. The serum leptin concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Median serum leptin level in RA patients of 27.4 ng/ml (14.5–54.9 ng/ml) was statistically significantly higher (p = 0.03) compared with the median leptin value of 16.3 ng/ml (9.6–38.8 ng/ml) determined in healthy controls. The serum leptin level in the high disease activity group was significantly higher (p < 0.0005) than that in the low disease activity group and in healthy controls. A significant difference (p = 0.001) in serum leptin level was also found when the high disease activity group was compared with the moderate disease activity group. In the RA group a statistically significant positive correlation (rho = 0.390; p = 0.003) was observed between serum leptin level and disease activity score (DAS28). Conclusions The present results show that serum leptin levels are increased and significantly associated with disease activity in patients with RA and may have a valuable role in the inflammatory reactions and pathogenesis of RA.

Life Satisfaction and Risk-taking Behavior in Secondary Schools Adolescents.

Introduction: Life satisfaction involves cognitive component that allows evaluation of the life and accomplishments of life, and emotional component that includes an evaluation of emotions and mood that followed these accomplishments. Goal: To examine the life satisfaction of young people who attend secondary school, examine the level of satisfaction with life according to sex, to academic achievement, the presence of siblings and to examine the relationship between levels of life satisfaction and risk-taking behaviors. Results and Discussion: The results showed that there was no relationship between life satisfaction and preferences of delinquency, as well as life satisfaction and achieved academic success. The results confirmed the relationship between life satisfaction and sex as well as the relationship between life satisfaction and the presence of siblings in the family.