The use of β-blockers in the treatment of patients with coronary heart disease is associated with a decrease in the frequency of angina pectoris and mortality of patients. Due to the severity of the disease and previous cardiovascular interventions, many patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) use dual antiplatelet therapy to achieve greater inhibition of platelet aggregation. The influence of β-blockers on platelet aggregation in patients using antiplatelet therapy is not well understood. To examine the effect of different β-blockers on platelet aggregation in patients on dual antiplatelet therapy. The study included 331 patients who were treated at the Department of Cardiology, Clinical Center Kragujevac during 2011. Patients were divided into 4 groups depending on the type of β-blockers that were used (bisoprolol, nebivolol, metoprolol, and carvedilol). Platelet aggregation was measured using the multiplate analyzer and expressed through the value of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) test (to assess the effect of clopidogrel), ASPI test (to assess the effect of acetyl salicylic acid), TRAP test (to assess baseline platelet aggregation), and the ratio of ADP/TRAP and ASPI/TRAP ASPI/TRAP (ASPI - aranchidonic acid induced aggregation, TRAP - thrombin receptor activating peptide) representing the degree of inhibition of platelet aggregation compared to the basal value. In consideration were taken the representation of demographic, clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and cardiovascular medications between the groups. Patients who used nebivolol had a significantly lower value of the ratio of ADP/TRAP (0.39 ± 0.30) compared to patients who used bisoprolol (0.48 ± 0.26; P = .038), and trend toward the lower values of ADP test (328.0 ± 197.3 vs 403.7 ± 213.2; P = .059), while there was no statistically significant difference in values of other laboratory parameters of platelet function between other groups. Patients with CAD on dual antiplatelet therapy who used nebivolol had significantly lower levels of residual ADP-induced platelet aggregation compared to baseline than patients who used bisoprolol.

Introduction: Internet use (IU) commonly refers to sedentary lifestyle and may be addictive, especially among children. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between IU and some aspects of child physical and psychosocial development.Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional survey by using a screen-time based sedentary behavior questionnaire and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)—among 836 primary school children in the Braničevo District. The children’s medical records were analysed for vision problems and spinal deformities. Their body weight (BW) and height (BH) were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as BW in kilograms divided by BH in meters squared (kg/m²).Results: The average age of respondents was 13.4 (SD 1.2) years. The mean duration of daily Internet use and sedentary behavior was 236 (SD 156) and 422 (SD 184) minutes, respectively. There was no significant correlation between daily IU and vision problems (near sightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, strabismus), and spinal deformities. However, daily Internet use is significantly associated with obesity (p < 0.001) and sedentary behavior (p = 0.01). There was significant correlation between emotional symptoms with total Internet usage time, and total sedentary score (p < 0.001 for both, r = 0.141 and r = 0.132, respectively). There was a positive correlation between the total sedentary score of children and hyperactivity/inattention (r = 0.167, p < 0.001), emotional symptoms (r = 0.132, p < 0.001), and conduct problems (r = 0.084, p < 0.01).Conclusion: In our study, children’s Internet use was associated with obesity, psychological disturbances and social maladjustment.

Bearing in mind that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is associated with a wide range of laboratory abnormalities, the aim of this study was to examine the importance of determining the parameters of oxidative stress and antioxidant protection as well as markers of inflammation and hemostasis in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The study population included 105 patients with severe COVID-19 and 65 healthy control subjects. The parameters of oxidative stress and the activity of enzymes of the antioxidant system were determined from the obtained samples using spectrophotometric methods. Standard laboratory methods were performed for the determination of the biochemical and hematological parameters. Patients with COVID-19 showed a significantly higher level of pro-oxidative parameters (hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and the index of lipid peroxidation in the form of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARSs)) and a significantly lower activity of the antioxidant system (catalase (CAT)). Patients with COVID-19 had significantly higher values of inflammation parameters (C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), ratio of the number of neutrophils to lymphocytes (NLR), and ratio of the number of platelets to lymphocytes (PLR)) and parameters of hemostasis (activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT), D-dimer, fibrinogen) than the control healthy subjects. In addition, changes in hemostatic parameters correlated positively with inflammatory markers in the group of patients with COVID-19. The early determination of hemostasis parameters and the parameters of inflammation can help in the prediction of poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients.

Several studies indicate the impact of antipsychotics like risperidone and paliperidone on oxidative stress parameters, yet data remain inconsistent. We investigated the link between these medications, hyperprolactinemia (HPRL), and oxidative stress. This study was conducted at the Psychiatry Clinic, University Clinical Center, Kragujevac, between November 2022 and August 2023. Inclusion criteria comprised diagnosed psychotic disorders from the ICD-10-based F20-F29 spectrum and clinical stability on risperidone/paliperidone for ≥12 weeks with no recent dose adjustments. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy, breastfeeding, relevant medical conditions, or co-therapy with prolactin-secreting drugs. Data encompassed drug choice, administration method, therapy duration, and daily dose. Prolactin (PRL) levels, oxidative stress parameters (TBARS, H₂O₂, O₂⁻, NO₂⁻), and antioxidant system (CAT, GSH, SOD) were assessed. Of 155 subjects, women exhibited significantly higher PRL levels (p < 0.001) and symptomatic HPRL (p < 0.001). Drug choice and regimen significantly influenced TBARS (p < 0.001), NO₂⁻ (p < 0.001), O₂⁻ (p = 0.002), CAT (p = 0.04), and GSH (p < 0.001) levels. NO₂⁻ levels were affected by drug dose (p = 0.038). TBARS (p < 0.001), O₂⁻ (p < 0.001), and SOD (p = 0.022) inversely correlated with PRL levels, suggesting PRL’s protective role against oxidative stress. The female sex association with higher PRL levels implies additional factors influencing PRL’s antioxidant role. Antipsychotic choice and dosage impact PRL and oxidative stress markers, necessitating further exploration.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavioral uptake and ability to diagnose pituitary adenoma (PA) using tumor-seeking radiopharmaceuticals, and to provide a semiquantitative analysis of tracer uptake in the pituitary region. The study included 33 (13 hormonally active and 20 nonfunctioning) patients with PA and 45 control participants without pituitary involvement. All patients (n=78) underwent single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging with technetium-99m-labeled EDDA-hydrazinonicotinyl-tyr3-octreotide (99mTc-HYNIC-TOC), 99mTc(V)-DMSA and technetium-99m-hexakis-2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (99mTc-MIBI). A semiquantitative analysis of abnormal uptake was carried out by drawing identical regions of interest over the pituitary area and the normal brain on one transverse section that shows the lesion most clearly. The pituitary uptake to normal brain uptake (P/B) ratio was calculated in all cases. The result of this study confirms that the SPECT semiquantitative method, with all three radiopharmaceuticals, showed statistically significant differences between the PA group and the controls. However, 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy could have the highest diagnostic yield because of the smallest overlap between the P/B ratios between adenoma versus nonadenoma participants (the receiver operating characteristic curve P/B ratio cut-off value was 13.08). In addition, only 99mTc-MIBI SPECT have the diagnostic potential to detect secreting PAs, with statistically significant differences between groups (P<0.001), with an receiver operating characteristic curve P/B ratio cut-off value of 16.72. A semiquantitative analysis of increased focal tracer uptake in the sellar area showed that 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC is a highly sensitive and reliable tumor-seeking agent for detecting PA, whereas 99mTc-MIBI SPECT is a highly sensitive and specific method in differentiating hormone-secreting pituitary tumor.

Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) are based on reactivity to thyroid self-antigens, resulting in varying degrees of persistent inflammation and glandular hyperplasia. The aim of this study was to investigate the interplay between angiogenesis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in patients with AITD. The study included patients with AITD, divided into a group with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) and a group with Graves’ disease (GD), as well as healthy controls. The results showed that subjects with GD had significantly higher concentrations of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) compared to those with HT and the healthy controls (p < 0.001). Inflammatory parameters (C-reactive protein (CRP), the systemic inflammatory immune response index (SII), and the CRP/albumin ratio (CRP/alb)) were higher in both AITD groups (p < 0.001). Oxidative stress parameters were more pronounced in AITD, while the activity of antioxidant enzymes was reduced. Ang-2 positively correlated with H₂O₂ (r = 0.394, p = 0.006) and NO (r = 0.519, p = 0.001) in HT, as well as with O₂⁻ (r = 0.232, p = 0.009) and TBARS (r = 0.190, p = 0.038) in GD, while in GD it showed a negative correlation with SOD (r = −0.426, p = 0.012) and CAT (r = −0.534, p = 0.008). Thus, angiogenesis, inflammation, and oxidative stress are interconnected processes in AITD, which may have significance for further understanding of the disease and the development of therapeutic approaches.