Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research and publication expenses were supported in part by the Croatian Science Foundation and PLIVA Croatia Ltd. (project no. 04/30 'Research on the aetiology,... more
Research and publication expenses were supported in part by the Croatian Science Foundation and PLIVA Croatia Ltd. (project no. 04/30 'Research on the aetiology, epidemiology, diagnostics, and treatment of patients with prostatitis syndrome').
Research Interests:
We investigated the distribution of memory (CD45RO+) and naive (CD45RA+CD62L+) CD4+ T-cells as well as CD8+ T-cells and total T-cells in the CSF of children with aseptic meningitis following measles-mumps-rubella (MMW) vaccination and... more
We investigated the distribution of memory (CD45RO+) and naive (CD45RA+CD62L+) CD4+ T-cells as well as CD8+ T-cells and total T-cells in the CSF of children with aseptic meningitis following measles-mumps-rubella (MMW) vaccination and those with enteroviral meningitis. Flow cytometric analysis of CSF cells was performed in 12 children with MMR vaccine-associated meningitis and 11 children with enteroviral meningitis. Percentages of total T-cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells and monocytes in CSF of patients from the two groups were not significantly different. The majority of CD4+ T-cells in the CSF of both patient groups were of memory phenotype. Percentages of CSF naive CD4+ T-cells were increased in children with aseptic meningitis following MMR vaccination. Further studies focused on the more detailed immunophenotyping of CSF cells are needed to fully establish the usefulness of flow cytometry in the diagnostic workup of inflammatory CNS diseases in children.
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The aim of the study was to determine the presence of interleukin (IL)-12, IL-15, IL-18 and p40 subunit of IL-12/IL-23 in follicular fluid from spontaneous cycles and the relation between the concentration of selected cytokines and... more
The aim of the study was to determine the presence of interleukin (IL)-12, IL-15, IL-18 and p40 subunit of IL-12/IL-23 in follicular fluid from spontaneous cycles and the relation between the concentration of selected cytokines and IVF-embryo transfer outcome. IVF-embryo transfer and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA and MBL, Nagoya, Japan) were used. Follicular fluid of women included in the IVF-embryo transfer procedure contained common p40 subunit of IL-12/IL-23 (median 70.1 pg/ml), IL-15 (median 1.3 pg/ml) and IL-18 (median 38.2 pg/ml). There was a significant negative correlation between follicular fluid concentrations of IL-15 and IL-18 (R=-0.392, P=0.003). Significantly higher concentrations of common p40 subunit of IL-12/IL-23 (median 79.8 pg/ml) were found in the follicular fluid taken from follicles containing oocytes, when compared with those without an oocyte (median 44.5 pg/ml, P=0.006). Patients who achieved clinical pregnancy had significantly decreased concentration of IL-15 (median 0.8 pg/ml) compared with patients without successful IVF-embryo transfer outcome (median 1.4 pg/ml, P=0.047). Follicular fluid collected from spontaneous cycles contains detectable levels of p40 subunit of IL-12/IL-23, IL-15 and IL-18. Increased concentrations of p40 subunit of IL-12/IL-23 in follicles containing oocytes suggest an important role of this cytokine in reproduction. Possible negative value of IL-15 as a predictor of IVF-embryo transfer success remains to be determined.
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... Patients The present study included 30 married couples enrolled in a pro-gramme for assisted reproduction and 23 patients who presented for prenatal diagnosis at Sveti Duh Hospital ... Cytogenetic analysis showed normal karyotypes,... more
... Patients The present study included 30 married couples enrolled in a pro-gramme for assisted reproduction and 23 patients who presented for prenatal diagnosis at Sveti Duh Hospital ... Cytogenetic analysis showed normal karyotypes, nine female (46, XX) and six male (46, XY). ...
Research Interests: Endocrinology, Genetics, Andrology, Art, Fertility, and 23 moreCell Biology, Cryopreservation, Oogenesis, Embryo, Theriogenology, Biological Sciences, Spermatogenesis, Scientific, Educational, Reproduction and human fertility, Amniotic Fluid, Transgenesis, Cloning, Fertilization, Embryonic Development, Folliculogenesis, Biological activity, Embryogenesis, Follicular Fluid, Seminal Plasma, Gametogenesis, Fertilisation, and Embryo Development
A genotyping study of 285 Hybrid Capture 2 low-risk probe cocktail-positive specimens showed cross-reactivity with several untargeted human papillomavirus genotypes. Cross-reactivity was often clinically beneficial due to the detection of... more
A genotyping study of 285 Hybrid Capture 2 low-risk probe cocktail-positive specimens showed cross-reactivity with several untargeted human papillomavirus genotypes. Cross-reactivity was often clinically beneficial due to the detection of untargeted low-risk genotypes. A total of 8.4% of positive results, usually weak, were due to cross-reactivity with high-risk genotypes. Establishment of a gray zone is recommended.
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Croatian Consensus Conferences on Viral Hepatitis took place in 2005 and 2009. Considering the numerous novel concepts on the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of viral hepatitis (chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 in particular) that... more
Croatian Consensus Conferences on Viral Hepatitis took place in 2005 and 2009. Considering the numerous novel concepts on the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of viral hepatitis (chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 in particular) that have emerged in the past four years, a new Croatian Consensus Conference on Viral Hepatitis was held in Zagreb on February 28, 2013. The abridged text of the Croatian Consensus Conference on Viral Hepatitis 2013 presents the new concepts on the epidemiology of viral hepatitis, serologic and molecular diagnosis of viral hepatitis, determination of the IL-28 gene promoter polymorphism, fibrosis grading, algorithm for patient diagnostic follow up, treatment of chronic hepatitis C (genotypes 1-6) and hepatitis B, treatment of special populations (children, dialysis patients, transplanted patients, individuals with HIV/HCV co-infection), and therapy side effects.
Research Interests: Adolescent, Humans, Child, Croatia, Young Adult, and 7 moreRisk factors, Aged, Middle Aged, Genotype, Adult, Age Factors, and Risk Factors
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We analyzed Gag-specific CD8+ T-cells in HIV-patients on long-term HAART and in untreated chronically-infected patients by using iTAg MHC class I tetramers (HLA-A*0201) specific for SLYNTVATL. Gag SLYNTVATL-specific CD8+ T-cells were... more
We analyzed Gag-specific CD8+ T-cells in HIV-patients on long-term HAART and in untreated chronically-infected patients by using iTAg MHC class I tetramers (HLA-A*0201) specific for SLYNTVATL. Gag SLYNTVATL-specific CD8+ T-cells were detectable in 18 of 26 treated patients (median 5.2 years of HAART) and in 10 of 14 untreated patients. Median percentage of Gag SLYNTVATL-specific CD8+ T-cells in treated patients was 0.10 (range 0.00-0.70%). Median number of Gag SLYNTVATL-specific CD8+ T-cells per 50,000 CD8+ T-cells was 56.0 cells (range 2.0-344.0 cells) and was not significantly different compared with untreated patients (p = 0.978). Numbers of Gag SLYNTVATL-specific CD8+ T-cells were inversely correlated with the duration of undetectable plasma viremia (p = 0.02, Rho = -0.430). Chronically-infected HIV-patients on HAART (for up to 7.7 years) maintained a stable subpopulation of Gag SLYNTVATL-specific CD8+ T-cells. This finding is relevant for the analysis of treatment-induced immune reconstitution and, possibly, for future therapeutic strategies in HIV-disease.
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Research Interests: Microbiology, Algorithms, Medical Microbiology, Uganda, Thailand, and 61 moreMidwifery, Risk Taking, Adolescent Health, Risk assessment, Adolescent, Hepatitis C, Chlamydia trachomatis, HIV, Vanuatu, Biological Sciences, Syphilis, Pregnancy, Hepatitis B, Humans, Mongolia, Reproductive health, Sicily, Young Adults, Prostitution, Female, Animals, Croatia, Sexually transmitted infections, Male, Sexual Behavior, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Trichomonas vaginalis, Young Adult, Data Collection, Commercial Sex Workers, Risk factors, Republic of Korea, Vagina, Aged, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Human immunodeficiency virus, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Theoretical Models, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Feces, World Health Organization, Age Factors, Risk Factors, Risk Assessment, Semen, SNOT LIKE VAGINAL DISCHARGE, Sensitivity and Specificity, Sexual Partners, Cross Sectional Studies, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Theoretical Model, Adolescent Behavior, Sexually Transmitted Disease, Syndrome, Unsafe Sex, Prenatal Care, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Marital Status
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Prometryne is a methylthio-s-triazine herbicide used to control annual broadleaf and grass weeds in many cultivated plants. Significant traces are documented in environment, mainly water, soil and plants used for human and domestic animal... more
Prometryne is a methylthio-s-triazine herbicide used to control annual broadleaf and grass weeds in many cultivated plants. Significant traces are documented in environment, mainly water, soil and plants used for human and domestic animal nutrition. Data on the toxic effects of prometryne and other methylthio-s-triazine have scorcely been published. The goal of this study was to investigate if prometryne, applied orally, could induce DNA damage in mouse leukocytes, in subchronical in vivo experimental design. Three different doses of prometryne were applied per os repeatedly every 48 hours. After the 7th dose (day 14) and the 14th dose (day 28) blood leucocytes were analyzed by alkaline Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis (Comet) assay. The results of three different comet parameters showed general increase in Olive tail moment, tail length and tail intensity values in treated groups of animals. The increase in measured values was almost proportional to the dose received and the time of exposure. We conclude that prometryne or its metabolic residues have the potential to induce processes that cause genotoxic effects on leukocytes on mice in in vivo repeated exposure.