Jovana Pavlica

Dr. Jovana Pavlica

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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25 May 2026 in Cancers
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
BDBranko Dujovic
Branko Dujovic
APAleksandar Popović
Aleksandar Popović
AJAmina Jalovcic-Suljevic
Amina Jalovcic-Suljevic
BCBojana Cikota-Aleksić
Bojana Cikota-Aleksić
MBMirjana Balic
Mirjana Balic
LKLidija Kandolf
Lidija Kandolf
Background/Objectives: This study evaluates the prognostic value of baseline inflammatory biomarkers, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) in advanced cutaneous melanoma treated with first-line immunotherapy. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 162 patients with unresectable stage III/IV cutaneous melanoma treated with first-line pembrolizumab, nivolumab, or nivolumab plus ipilimumab. Biomarkers were calculated from complete blood counts obtained within 30 days before treatment start. Cut-offs were defined by ROC analysis. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression. Response was assessed by RECIST v1.1. Results: Higher baseline NLR, PLR, MLR, SII, and PIV were more common in patients with adverse baseline features, including liver metastases, elevated LDH, and poorer ECOG performance status. Patients with biomarker values below the cut-offs had significantly longer PFS and OS. In biomarker-specific multivariable models adjusted for selected clinical covariates, PIV retained the most consistent association with PFS and OS, while MLR was associated with PFS, and PLR with OS. Conclusions: Baseline inflammatory biomarkers from routine blood counts provide useful prognostic information in advanced melanoma treated with first-line ICIs. PIV showed the most consistent association with survival outcomes and may support initial risk stratification alongside LDH, ECOG, and metastasis pattern. However, prospective validation in independent cohorts is needed before routine clinical implementation.

23 April 2026 in Preprints.org
Verified
Preprint
Open access
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BDBranko Dujovic
Branko Dujovic
APAleksandar Popović
Aleksandar Popović
AJAmina Jalovcic-Suljevic
Amina Jalovcic-Suljevic
BCBojana Cikota-Aleksić
Bojana Cikota-Aleksić
MBMirjana Balic
Mirjana Balic
LKLidija Kandolf
Lidija Kandolf
Background/Objectives: This study evaluates the prognostic value of baseline inflam-matory biomarkers neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) in advanced cutaneous melanoma treated with first-line immunotherapy. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 162 patients with unresectable stage III/IV cutaneous melanoma treated with first-line pembrolizumab, nivolumab, or nivolumab plus ipilimumab. Biomarkers were calculated from complete blood counts obtained within 30 days before treatment start. Cut-offs were defined by ROC analysis. Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression. Response was assessed by RECIST v1.1. Results: Higher baseline NLR, PLR, MLR, SII and PIV were more common in patients with adverse baseline features, including liver metastases, elevated LDH and poorer ECOG performance status. Patients with biomarker values below the cut-offs had sig-nificantly longer PFS and OS. In multivariable models adjusted for clinical covariates, PIV remained independently associated with the duration of PFS and OS; MLR inde-pendently predicted PFS, while PLR independently predicted OS. Conclusions: Baseline inflammatory biomarkers from routine blood counts provide useful prognostic information in advanced melanoma treated with first-line ICIs. PIV showed the most consistent independent association with survival outcomes and may support initial risk stratification alongside LDH, ECOG and metastasis pattern. However, prospective validation in independent cohorts is needed before routine clinical implementation.

21 August 2026 in Cancers
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MĆMilica Ćućuz-Jokić
Milica Ćućuz-Jokić
BCBojana Cikota-Aleksić
Bojana Cikota-Aleksić
JPJovana Pavlica
Jovana Pavlica
BDBranko Dujovic
Branko Dujovic
ISIgor Salatic
Igor Salatic
LKLidija Kandolf
Lidija Kandolf
Background/Objectives: This study assessed the impact of variations in autophagy-related genes (ATG) on baseline characteristics of cutaneous melanoma, laboratory parameters (including inflammatory biomarkers), response to therapy, and survival in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) as first-line therapy. Methods: DNA was extracted from blood samples of 144 melanoma patients. Genotyping of ATG5 (rs2245214 and rs510432), ATG10 (rs1864183 and rs1864182), and ATG16L1 (rs2241880) was performed using an allelic discrimination method on the StepOnePlusTM Real-Time PCR System. Correlations with laboratory parameters, response to therapy, and survival were assessed only in the subgroup of patients who received ICIs in first-line treatment (n = 74). Statistical significance was calculated, and p values were adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini–Hochberg False Discovery Rate (FDR). Results: Considering baseline characteristics of 144 patients, ATG5 rs2245214 showed a trend with regression (p = 0.042) and lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.05), while ATG16L1 rs2241880 was associated with lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.056), with corrected FDR q value for all histopathological characteristics of 0.076. In patients who received ICIs in first-line, ATG5 rs2245214 genotypes were associated with LDH (p = 0.001, q = 0.004) and the number of metastatic sites (p < 0.001, q = 0.004). Also, ATG5 rs2245214 was associated with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p = 0.036, q = 0.045) systemic immune-inflammation (SII) index (p = 0.038, q = 0.048) and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) (p = 0.031,q = 0.041), while ATG10 rs1864183 was associated with PIV (p = 0.047, q = 0.047). The association of ATG genotypes with disease control rate (DCR) was demonstrated for ATG5 rs2245214 (p = 0.013, q = 0.029) and ATG16L1 rs2241880 (p = 0.032,q = 0.032). Progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly associated with ATG10 rs1864183 (p = 0.023, q = 0.046). The significance of the ATG10 rs1864183 C/T genotype as a prognostic marker for progression was confirmed in both univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses (p = 0.025, q = 0.028 and p = 0.022, respectively). Conclusions: This study shows that ATG5 rs2245214, ATG10 rs1864183, and ATG16L1 rs2241880 correlate with systemic inflammation, response to ICIs, and had a trend toward melanoma characteristics. However, these findings should be confirmed in larger patient cohorts.

1 December 2024 in Serbian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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JPJovana Pavlica
Jovana Pavlica
ŽMŽeljko Mijušković
Željko Mijušković
LKLidija Kandolf
Lidija Kandolf
MDMiroslav Dinić
Miroslav Dinić
Sažetak: Uvod. Eritrodermijski pemfigus foliaceus predstavlja autoimunsko bulozno oboljenje uzrokovano autoantitelima na proteine dezmozoma. Oštećenje epidermalne barijere i imunosupresija su faktori rizika za razvoj eczema herpeticum. Prikaz slučaja. Žena, 70 godina, sa eritrodermijom kože i brojnim erozijama, ranije lečena od ekcema, a 2019. go-dine učinjena je histerektomija usled maligne neoplazme uterusa. Histopatološki nalaz biopsije kože leđa: hronični spongiotični dermatitis. Direktnim imunofluorescentnim pregledom uočeni su intraepidermalni, intercelularni depoziti IgG i C3. U krvi su detektovana pemfigusna antitela, eozinofilija i povišena koncentracija IgE. MSCT pretrage i tumorski markeri su bili uredni. Usled neefikasnosti terapije metilprednizolonom, ordinirana je pulsna kortikosteroidna terapija, nakon čega se uočava pojava vezikula i žućkastomrkih krusti na koži leve polovine lica. Klinički je dijagnostikovan eczema herpeticum i ordinirana parenteralna terapija aciklovir amp. (500 mg/8 h tokom 14 dana) i levofloksacin amp. (1 g tokom 10 dana) sa potpunom regresijom promena. Zaključak. Parenteralna i promptna terapija aciklovirom je osnova lečenja.

26 October 2026 in Pharmaceuticals
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
TSTijana Stanojković
Tijana Stanojković
MMMilijana Miljković
Milijana Miljković
JPJovana Pavlica
Jovana Pavlica
TRTatjana Radevic
Tatjana Radevic
LKLidija Kandolf
Lidija Kandolf
VDViktorija M Dragojevic-Simic
Viktorija M Dragojevic-Simic
Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are effective against melanoma, but are often limited by adverse events (AEs). We aimed to characterise the incidence, characteristics and predictors of AEs. Methods: This ambispective study included 141 patients with melanoma (165 ICI treatment episodes) treated between March 2017 and April 2026. Predictors of AE occurrence, seriousness and severity were analysed per treatment episode and per AE using generalised estimating equations. Results: We recorded 206 AEs in 95 patients (67.4%). At least one AE occurred in 59.8% of pembrolizumab, 59.5% of nivolumab and 81.0% of nivolumab/ipilimumab episodes. Most AEs were Grade 1–2 (88.3%); skin disorders were the most frequent (29.1%) and endocrine AEs had the lowest resolution rate (3.2%). Time to first AE was shortest with nivolumab/ipilimumab (p < 0.001). Per episode, nivolumab/ipilimumab was associated with more serious AEs than nivolumab (p = 0.042) and, borderline, than pembrolizumab (p = 0.051), and with Grade 3–4 AEs (p = 0.001); the lower odds of AE with monotherapy were not significant (p = 0.063, 0.242). Systemic treatment for unresectable disease was associated with AE occurrence (p = 0.029), serious (p = 0.009) and Grade 3–4 AEs (p = 0.016), and BRAF mutation with AE occurrence (p = 0.029). Conclusions: Patients receiving combination immunotherapy and those treated for unresectable disease may warrant closer monitoring.