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Biomedical subjects

Darko Nozić

Publications and source records attributed to Darko Nozić.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Human ehrlichiosis].

BACKGROUND: Human ehrlichiosis is a newly recognized disease. It is a tick-borne disease caused by several bacterial species of the genhus Erlichia. These are small gram-negative pleomorphic cocci, that are obligatory intracellular bacteria. Tick Ixodes is the principle vector in Europe, and Amblyomma amenicanum in the United States. Bacterial organisms replicate in a tick, and are transmited from infected cells in a vector to the blood cells of animals or humans. Human ehrlichiosis is a name for a group of diseases caused by different species of Ehrlichia. One of them is the disease named human monocytic ehrlichiosis, caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and the other is a human granulocytic ehrlichiosis caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilia. CASE REPORT: We reported a 23-year-old patient admitted for the clinical treatment with the symptoms of high febrility (above 40 degrees C), headache, vomiting, general weakness and exhaustion, but without data on a tick bite. The patient was treated with trimetoprim-sulfamethoxazole for a week when Ehrlichia chaffeensis was confirmed by the immunofluoroscence test, and the therapy contimed with doxacyclin. CONCLUSION: Human ehrlichiosis is also present in our country, so this disease should be considered everyday, especially in infectology practice.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Successful lamivudine therapy for chronic hepatitis B in the family].

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus infection is a global public health problem since it is a leading cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. An optimal treatment is needed to reduce mortality. Current therapies for chronic hepatitis B include standard and pegilated interferon-alfa and nucleoside and nucleotide analogies, primarily lamivudine and adefovir. Each of the therapies, however has various limitations. CASE REPORT: In this paper we presented a father and his daughter with chronic hepatitis B, successfully treated with lamivudine. CONCLUSION: In the linked cases of chronic hepatitis B, the choice of antiviral medicine in some patients could also be made on the basis of its efficacy in the persons previously treated with it, even without determining virus genotype.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Significance of iron reduction for the therapy of chronic hepatitis C].

BACKGROUND: It has been established that many patients with chronic hepatitis C have elevated serum iron, feritin levels and iron deposites in the liver. Therefore, the liver damage due to hepatitis C virus may be aggravated with iron overload. In many studies higher levels of iron in the blood and the liver were connected with the decreased response to interferon-alfa therapy for chronic viral hepatitis C. Recent introduction of pegylated interferons plus ribavirin has improved the therapeutic response, so it is now possible to cure more than 50% of the patients. CASE REPORT: Three patients with chronic hepatitis C and iron overload were presented. Iron reduction therapy using phlebotomy or eritrocytapheresis with plasmapheresis was done at different times in regard to specific antiviral therapy or as a sole therapy. CONCLUSION: It has been shown that iron reduction, sole or combined with antiviral therapy, led to the deacreased aminotransferase serum activity and might have slown down the evolution of chronic hepatitis C viral infection.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Liver hydatid disease: morphological changes of protoscoleces after albendazole therapy.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative recurrence of the liver hydatid disease befalls approximately 10-30% of patients. Preoperative or postoperative therapy with albendazole in single therapeutic protocol (800 mg/d, within 28 days) indicated the need to evaluate the hydatid cyst liquid protoscoleces viability. Morphological changes of protoscoleces following the treatment with drugs are not well known. AIM: To estimate the viability of protoscoleces after preoperative or postoperative albendazole therapy, and their ability for cystic metamorphosis. METHODS: A prospective, randomized clinical trial included 30 patients with liver hydatid disease, treated with albendazole and surgically (I group), and 30 patients in the control group treated only surgically (II group). The concentration of albendazole and its active metabolite albendazole sulphoxide in the cysts contents were determined using HPLC. Estimation of protoscoleces viability was based on the established micromorphologic criteria, and compared between the patients treated with albendazole, and the patients treated only surgically. Biological assessment of the viability was performed on protoscoleces with uncertain signs of the disturbed viability (unchanged structure, evaginated, without movements) using intraperitoneal injection of 1 ml of protoscoleces prepared suspension to AO type of rats. RESULTS: The concentration of albendazole in cysts' contents ranged from 0 to 64.9 microg/ml, and of its active metabolite from 0.5 to 40.8 microg/ml. The presence of fully viabile protoscoleces in the albendazol treated patients was significantly lower than in the control group. A significant difference was noticed in the presence of disintegrated protoscoleces without movements in the albendazol treated group, compared to the control group. Biological assessment of the viability showed incapability of these protoscoleces for cystic metamorphoses. CONCLUSION: Low viability of parasites due to medicamentous therapy is very useful and important to surgeons, because the fertility of cysts is lower, and the risk of the disease recurrence is reduced.

Albendazole↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with PEG-interferon].

INTRODUCTION: Since the discovery of the hepatitis C virus, the etiology of chronic liver diseases has been revealed in great number of patients. However, the treatment of hepatitis C viral infection still hasn't been completely resolved. Antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of interferon, and antiviral effect on the nucleoside analogs were efficient only in small number of patients. Discovery of pegylated interferon brings progress in therapeutic success rates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Combined therapy with peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) 180 mg once a week plus Ribavirin 800 mg a day during a 24-week period was conducted in 20 patients (13 were previously treated with standard antiviral therapy). The aim of this study was to determine the safety and the efficacy of therapy in our patients. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Analysis of safety of the combined therapy was conduced in all 20 patients, and analysis of efficiency in 18 patients. Efficacy of the combined therapy was assessed regarding to biochemical response (normalization of aminotransferase activity at the end of therapy and at the end of 6-month follow-up) and virologic response (disappearance of RNA HCV in serum at the end of 6-month follow-up). 30% of treated patients experienced no troubles during treatment. Influenza-like symptoms, weight loss, depression, hair loss and reaction at the site of injection were mild and did not exclude patients from their usual activities in family, society and work place. Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia as well as elevated aminotransferase activity demanded periodical dose modification in 20% of patients. Unexpected unwanted effect emerged in one patient after cessation of therapy (pulmonary sarcoidosis). Good effects of combined therapy at the end of follow-up period showed biochemical and virologic response in 66% of patients. CONCLUSION: Combined therapy with Pegasys 180 mg/week and Ribavirin 80 mg/day is safe and well tolerated. Sustained biochemical and virologic response was achieved in 66% of patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Occurrence of autoimmune chronic hepatitis in siblings].

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic inflamatory disease of the liver of unknown etiology, characterized by the loss of tolerance against hepatic tissue, leading to the destruction of hepatic parenchyma. It predominantly affects females, and rarely occurs in the same family. CASE REPORT: In this paper we presented brother and sister with autoimmune hepatitis according to the criteria of the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group. CONCLUSION: Because of a possible genetic predisposition to autoimmune hepatitis, the occurrence of the disease in a family member suggested the need to examine other family members.

Adolescent↗