Specific Triggers of Migraine Headache in Adolescents

AIM: Purpose of the study was to recognize specific migraine triggers in adolescents.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Study was conducted on 20,917 adolescents in Serbia.RESULTS: Lack of sleep, passive tobacco smoking, alcohol intakes, and "not eating in time" are triggers that provoke migraine in adolescents.CONCLUSION: Avoiding migraine triggers in 68% of adolescents reduced drug therapy for 75%

Molecular Mechanisms of Possible Action of Phenolic Compounds in COVID-19 Protection and Prevention

The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 was caused by a pathogenic virus called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therapies against SARS-CoV-2 target the virus or human cells or the immune system. However, therapies based on specific antibodies, such as vaccines and monoclonal antibodies, may become inefficient enough when the virus changes its antigenicity due to mutations. Polyphenols are the major class of bioactive compounds in nature, exerting diverse health effects based on their direct antioxidant activity and their effects in the modulation of intracellular signaling. There are currently numerous clinical trials investigating the effects of polyphenols in prophylaxis and the treatment of COVID-19, from symptomatic, via moderate and severe COVID-19 treatment, to anti-fibrotic treatment in discharged COVID-19 patients. Antiviral activities of polyphenols and their impact on immune system modulation could serve as a solid basis for developing polyphenol-based natural approaches for preventing and treating COVID-19

Comparison among different precursor prostate-specific antigen isoform derivatives on prostate cancer prediction in patients with serum prostate-specific antigen bellow 10 ng/ml

© 2020, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved. Introduction/Objective The precursor prostate-specific antigen (proPSA) especially its isoform p2PSA is useful in the detection of prostate cancer (PCa). However, the prediction value of different p2PSA derivatives remains unclear. The aim of the study was to compare the performance of the p2PSA, percentage of p2PSA to free PSA (%p2PSA), prostate health index (Phi), and one prostate dimension-adjusted index, p2PSA density (p2PSAD), with each other for PCa prediction in patients with serum PSA 10 ng/ml or less. Methods This prospective study included patients who had undergone ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies and p2PSA testing. The data about patients’ clinicopathological characteristics were collected and %p2PSA, p2PSAD and Phi were calculated. Different aspect of predictive performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), the specificities at set sensitivities, and clinical utility using decision curve analyses (DCA). Results PCa was diagnosed in 23 (32.4%) out of 71 patients. Results of multivariate analysis showed that only the Phi and digital rectal examination were independent predictors of PCa. The AUC of p2PSA, %p2PSA, p2PSAD and Phi were 76.2%, 81.5%, 88.7%, 89.6%, respectively. At pre-specified sensitivity of 90% and 95%, Phi demonstrated a greater specificity than the other p2PSA derivatives. Phi and p2PSAD lead to the higher net benefit in DCA. Conclusion Compared with other p2PSA derivatives Phi is the most useful parameter for selection of the patients that do not need to be undergone to biopsy and thereby avoiding unnecessary procedures

Cross-linking of β-lactoglobulin enhances allergic sensitization through changes in cellular uptake and processing

Cross-linking of proteins has been exploited by the food industry to change food texture and functionality but the effects of these manipulations on food allergenicity still remain unclear. To model the safety assessment of these food biopolymers, we created cross-linked bovine β-lactoglobulin (CL-BLG) by laccase treatment. The purpose of the present study was to compare the immunogenicity and allergenicity of CL-BLG with native BLG in a mouse model of food allergy. First, BALB/c mice were intragastrically sensitized and orally challenged with BLG or CL-BLG and BLG-specific serum antibodies and splenic leukocyte cytokine production and cell proliferation were measured. Hereafter, epithelial protein uptake was monitored in vitro and in vivo and the effects of BLG cross-linking on interactions with dendritic cells were analyzed in vitro. Sensitization of mice with CL-BLG resulted in higher levels of IgE, IgG1, and IgG2a. In contrast, a subsequent oral challenge with CL-BLG resulted in lower mast cell degranulation. Cross-linking of BLG reduced its epithelial uptake but promoted sampling through Peyer's patches. Differences in endocytosis by dendritic cells (DCs) and in vitro endolysosomal processing were observed between BLG and CL-BLG. CL-BLG primed DCs induced higher Th2 response in vitro. Cross-linking of BLG increased its sensitizing capacity, implying that the assessment of highly polymerized food proteins is of clinical importance in food allergy. Moreover, manufacturers of foods or therapeutic proteins should pay considerate attention to the health risk of protein aggregation

Tectonic evolution of the Vršac Mts. (NE Serbia): Inferences from field kinematic and microstructural investigations

The Vršac Mts. in NE Serbia represent the key area to investigate structural relations between the Northern Serbo-Macedonian Subunit and Supragetic Unit of the Dacia Mega-Unit. The geodynamic events during the Variscan orogeny in the Late Paleozoic colligated the two units and led to their metamorphic differentiation. The Late Cretaceous extension exhumed the medium-grade Serbo-Macedonian metamorphic rocks and structurally juxtaposed them against the low-grade metamorphosed basement of the Supragetic Unit along an E-dipping shear zone, which outcrops in the crystalline basement of the Vršac Mts. The subsequent Oligocene–Miocene extension, which led to the formation of the Pannonian Basin, overprinted the effects of earlier tectonic phases to a large extent. Hence, large segments of the Northern Serbo-Macedonian Subunit and the Supragetic Unit, including their contact, were buried beneath the Neogene deposits of the southern part of Pannonian Basin. The tectonic uplift of the Vršac Mts. occurred in middle to late Miocene times along the SW-dipping normal faults that controlled deposition in the adjacent Zagajica Depression. The Miocene extension, triggered by the retreat of Carpathian slab, exhumed the crystalline basement of the mountains, and exposed the Late Cretaceous Serbo-Macedonian/Supragetic extensional contact

Tectonic evolution of the Vršac Mts. (NE Serbia): Inferences from field kinematic and microstructural investigations

The Vršac Mts. in NE Serbia represent the key area to investigate structural relations between the Northern Serbo-Macedonian Subunit and Supragetic Unit of the Dacia Mega-Unit. The geodynamic events during the Variscan orogeny in the Late Paleozoic colligated the two units and led to their metamorphic differentiation. The Late Cretaceous extension exhumed the medium-grade Serbo-Macedonian metamorphic rocks and structurally juxtaposed them against the low-grade metamorphosed basement of the Supragetic Unit along an E-dipping shear zone, which outcrops in the crystalline basement of the Vršac Mts. The subsequent Oligocene–Miocene extension, which led to the formation of the Pannonian Basin, overprinted the effects of earlier tectonic phases to a large extent. Hence, large segments of the Northern Serbo-Macedonian Subunit and the Supragetic Unit, including their contact, were buried beneath the Neogene deposits of the southern part of Pannonian Basin. The tectonic uplift of the Vršac Mts. occurred in middle to late Miocene times along the SW-dipping normal faults that controlled deposition in the adjacent Zagajica Depression. The Miocene extension, triggered by the retreat of Carpathian slab, exhumed the crystalline basement of the mountains, and exposed the Late Cretaceous Serbo-Macedonian/Supragetic extensional contact

THE ANATOMY OF RENAL ARTERIES IN ADULTS

Detailed extraparenhymal renal hilar dissection was performed on 110 fixed cadaveric kidneys (60 from male cadavers and 50 from female cadavers). We analyzed the number of renal arteries, angles between renal arteries and abdominal aorta, length and diameter of the renal arteries. Multiple renal arteries were pre-sent in 20.9% of cases, with a slightly higher incidence on the right side (21.8%: 20.0%). The angle between the aorta and the RRA varied from 30° to 100° with a mean of 64.1°, while the angle between the abdominal aorta and the LRA was 40° to 115°, with a mean of 67.3°. The external caliber of the RRA at the point of origin from the abdominal aorta was 5 mm to 9.1 mm, with a mean of 6.8 mm. The same caliber of the LRA was 3.7 to 9.6 mm with a mean of 7.0 mm. The average length of the renal artery from the point of origin from the abdominal aorta to the branch-ing point was 36.2 mm for the right renal artery and 30.7 mm for the left renal artery. The average length of the renal artery from the point of origin from the abdominal aorta to the renal hilum was 65.1 mm for the right one and 54.7 mm for the left one. Knowledge of the number of renal arteries, their mode of entry into the kidney, the angles they build with the abdominal aorta, their diameter and length has practical applications in interven-tional radiology and surgery of the kidney and its environment

Concomitant multiple anomalies of renal vessels and collecting system

© 2020 Via Medica Although anomalies of renal vessels and collecting system are relatively frequent, their concomitant occurrence is a rare event. During dissection of a 75-year-old male formalin-embalmed cadaver, we found multiple variations in the renal vessels and renal collecting system. Both kidneys were normal in size and anteriorly malrotated, with duplex collecting system and duplex ureter. One ureter drained the upper part of the kidney and the second ureter drained the lower part of the kidney. Superior and inferior collecting systems were separated by renal parenchyma. The right kidney had two renal arteries, the first renal artery (main renal artery) originating from the abdominal aorta, passing behind the inferior vena cava (IVC) and entering the kidney through the superior and inferior renal hilum. The second artery was the inferior polar artery. In addition, the right kidney had two renal veins as well. Three renal tributaries emerged from the upper and lower portion of the right renal hilum, and they joined to form the main renal vein which drained into the IVC. The lower renal vein was the inferior polar vein. The left kidney had four renal arteries (two hilar arteries and two polar arteries). The main left renal vein emerged from both superior and inferior left renal hilum, passed in front of the abdominal aorta and drained into the IVC. The left kidney also had the inferior polar vein which was divided behind the aorta (retro aortic vein) into two venous trunks. These venous trunks drained separately into posteromedial aspect of the IVC. Finally, the right testicular vein was formed by two tributaries and drained into the IVC, whereas the two left testicular veins drained separately into the left main renal vein

PROTOPLAST PATCH-CLAMPING USING AN UPRIGHT MICROSCOPE WITH A MOVABLE STAGE

Investigating membrane properties of plants is a challenging task, considering that success of experiments is highly dependent on the possibility to isolate metabolically active protoplasts that can withstand membrane current recordings. The aim of the present work is to obtain viable protoplasts derived from root cells of Pisum sativum that can be used for the whole-cell patch clamp. We designed the procedure of the pea protoplasts isolation that delivers stable protoplasts with preserved membrane integrity suitable for electrophysiological experiments. We applied a custom approach for patch-clamping protoplasts using a microscope with a movable microscope stage. We recorded prominent inward and prominent outward types of membrane current profiles of protoplasts. Obtained data indicate that optimized isolation protocol and custom system for patch clamping, can be applied to study membrane properties of root protoplasts.kategorija M3

Association between the SMN2 gene copy number and clinical characteristics of patients with spinal muscular atrophy with homozygous deletion of exon 7 of the SMN1 gene

Background/Aim. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by degeneration of alpha motor neurons in the spinal cord and the medulla oblongata, causing progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. The aim of this study was to determine association between the SMN2 gene copy number and disease phenotype in Serbian patients with SMA with homozygous deletion of exon 7 of the SMN1 gene. Methods. The patients were identified using regional Serbian hospital databases. Investigated clinical characteristics of the disease were: patients' gender, age at disease onset, achieved and current developmental milestones, disease duration, current age, and the presence of the spinal deformities and joint contractures. The number of SMN1 and SMN2 gene copies was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results. Among 43 identified patients, 37 (86.0\%) showed homozygous deletion of SMN1 exon 7. One (2.7\%) of 37 patients had SMA type I with 3 SMN2 copies, 11(29.7\%) patients had SMA type II with 3.1 +/- 0.7 copies, 17 (45.9\%) patients had SM\_A type III with 3.7 +/- 0.9 copies, while 8 (21.6\%) patients had SMA type IV with 4.2 +/- 0.9 copies. There was a progressive increase in the SMN2 gene copy number from type II towards type IV (p < 0.05). A higher SMN2 gene copy number was associated with better current motor performance (p < 0.05). Conclusion. In the Serbian patients with SMA, a higher SMN2 gene copy number correlated with less severe disease phenotype. A possible effect of other phenotype modifiers should not be neglected.Hungary-Serbia IPA Cross-Border Co-Operation Program: Research Cooperation to Improve Symptoms in Neurological Disorders, and Quality of Life of Patients {[}HU-SRB/0901/214/052