To evaluate the systemic immune-inflammation (SII) index in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) stratified by systemic inflammatory status. Seropositive patients with RA (n=58) were divided into two groups based on serum hs-C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels: RA patients with hs-CRP levels of at or 3 mg/L or above (high systemic inflammatory status; n=38) and RA patients with hs-CRP levels of less than 3 mg/L (low systemic inflammatory status; n=20). The control group comprised 31 healthy individuals. Blood samples were tested for the next parameters: leukocytes, neutrophilic granulocytes, lymphocytes, thrombocytes [platelet (PLT)], high-sensitivity hs-CRP, sed rate [erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)], neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR). The SII index was derived as Neu x PLT/Lym. In patients with RA, the SII index was elevated compared with that of healthy individuals and positively correlated with hs-CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, NLR, MLR, PLR, tender joint count, and swollen-to-tender joint count ratio. Patients with RA who had hs-CRP levels of 3 mg/L above exhibited a statistically significant increase in the SII compared with those with hs-CRP levels below 3 mg/L. Additionally, within the cohort of RA patients with hs-CRP levels at or above 3 mg/L, a positive correlation was found between the SII index and both NLR and PLR. The SII index was positively correlated with NLR, MLR, and PLR in RA patients with hs-CRP levels below 3 mg/L. The cut-off point of the SII index for distinguishing between RA cases with hs-CRP levels 3 mg/L and those with hs-CRP levels 3 mg/L or higher was ≥323.4, with a sensitivity of 77.6% and a specificity of 54.8%. The serum SII index can be a potentially useful marker for evaluating the inflammatory process and clinical progression of RA.

Different qualitative and quantitative changes in platelets are involved in the pathophysiological processes in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD): ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of the study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of Platelet mass Index (PMI) and other platelet parameters in assessment disease activity in patients with UC and CD. A cross-sectional, observational study consisted of 60 IBD patients (30 UC and 30 CD) and 30 healthy subjects (Control group). Patients were grouped according to disease activity into active and inactive (remission). Platelet count (PLC), Plateletcrit (PCT), Mean Platelet Volume (MPV), Platelet Distribution Width (PDW) and PMI were determined for all study participants. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and their corresponding areas under the curve (AUC) were used to determine diagnostic accuracy. Although PLC had the highest AUC (0.756) compared to PCT (AUC: 0.731), PDW (AUC: 0.722) and PMI (AUC: 0.724), they all had fair diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing active and inactive UC patients. Discriminatory accuracy of PLC was excellent (AUC: 0.909), PCT and PMI good to excellent (AUC: 0.809 and AUC: 0.893, respectively) and PDW fair (AUC: 0.789) in classifying CD patients as active and inactive. Platelet parameters are simple, routinely available biomarkers more useful for assessing disease activity for patients with CD than for patients with UC. Our results indicate, for the first time, that PMI may serve as a novel and simple marker in identifying whether IBD patients are in the active or inactive phase of the disease.

Objective: The association between the neck circumference (NC) and components of metabolic syndrome in different countries and ethnic groups has been insufficiently investigated. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of gender on NC values and to determine whether NC correlates with standard anthropometric measures and blood pressure values in Bosnian young adults. Materials and Methods: Study participants were recruited by the snowball method. The NC, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured by trained personnel. Differences between the means were assessed by a Student’s t-test. Coefficients of correlation were determined by Pearson’s test. Results: In young men (n=49), the value of NC was 37.71±1.79 cm, while in young women, (n=62) the value of NC was 32.23±1.83 cm (p

Aim: Metabolic syndrome is associated with serious conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular disorders. We aimed to study the effects of intermittent fasting on metabolic syndrome. Methods: Patients with metabolic syndrome were enrolled in the study. Before the intervention, anthropometric measurements (body weight, body mass index [BMI], waist and hip circumferences) and laboratory parameters (fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], fasting insulin) were recorded. All participants were instructed to fast for 14–16 hours per day for three months, consuming two meals during the remaining 8–10 hours. After three months, anthropometric measurements were taken again, and laboratory parameters were reassessed. Data collected before the intervention and at the third month of intermittent fasting were compared. Results: Twenty patients with metabolic syndrome completed the study protocol (7 men and 13 women). The mean age of the participants was 56±12 years. There was a statistically significant reduction in weight (from 94.4±16.7 kg to 89.1±15.9 kg), BMI (from 34.9±5.6 kg/m² to 33±5.5 kg/m²), waist circumference (from 113±13 cm to 105±11.3 cm), and hip circumference (from 118±11 cm to 113±10.4 cm) (p-values: <0.001, <0.001, <0.001, and 0.001, respectively). Moreover, fasting blood glucose (p=0.024), fasting insulin (p=0.001), and HbA1c (p=0.008) levels significantly decreased after three months of intermittent fasting. Conclusion: Intermittent fasting should be considered a nutritional strategy to reduce BMI, waist circumference, and body weight and to improve metabolic parameters.