Background: Studies suggested irisin’s involvement in insulin sensitivity, conversion of white adipose tissue into brown which is more metabolically active. Studies have been shown negative correlation of irisin levels with presence of diabetes mellitus (DM). Association of irisin levels with body mass index (BMI) and lipid profile could be useful in monitoring metabolic disorders and potential complications in DM. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled patients which were divided in 3 groups based on diabetes status and BMI: participants without DM, patients with DM, and a normal BMI (<25 kg/m²) and patients with DM and an increased BMI (⩾25 kg/m²). Irisin levels were measured from blood samples and correlation was made with parameters of lipid profile. We wanted to find differences in irisin concentration in comparing groups and to examine the correlation of irisin and metabolic parameters. The relationships between irisin levels and metabolic parameters, including lipid profile and the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, were assessed using Pearson’s, and Spearman’s correlation analysis, depending on data distribution. Results: Irisin levels were significantly lower in patients with DM compared to non-diabetic individuals, regardless to BMI (patients without diabetes: median 25.47 ng/ml, IQR (22.27-27.54), with diabetes and BMI < 25 kg/m²: 22.16 ng/ml, IQR (19.29-23.76) and patients with diabetes and BMI ⩾ 25 kg/m²: mean ± SD (21.77 ± 5.72) ng/ml, P = .004). Additionally, we report a 1.15-fold decrease in irisin levels in group with diabetes, and BMI < 25 kg/m² compared to non-diabetic individuals and a 1.18-fold decrease in group with diabetes and BMI ⩾ 25 kg/m² compared to non-diabetic individuals. Additionally, lower irisin levels were correlated with higher triglycerides ( r = −.343, P = .024), lower HDL cholesterol ( r = .363, P = .017), and higher TyG index ( r = −.315, P = .04), indicating a potential link between irisin and metabolic dysregulation. No significant association was observed between irisin levels and BMI. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that irisin may serve as a biomarker for monitoring metabolic dysregulation in diabetes, particularly in relation to lipid metabolism and insulin resistance. Further research is needed to clarify its role in metabolic disease progression and potential therapeutic implications.

The treatment approach to RA has changed over time, but the main goal of treatment has remained the same, that is, achieving disease remission. Given the lack of RA disease activity tools and biomarkers that can reliably predict RA drug effectiveness not just on joints but also on extra-articular manifestations. The involvement of galectins, especially Galectin-1 (Gal1) in the regulation of immune regulation makes them potential good candidate non-specific biomarkers of autoimmune diseases like RA. Examining the possibility of applying Gal1 as a potential biomarker for evaluating the effectiveness of therapy. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to assess changes in serum Gal1 concentrations in patients with RA, compared with a healthy control group. The study included a total of 88 participants, consisting of 48 patients diagnosed with RA and 40 healthy voluntary blood donors. Patients were enrolled in the study based on a selective recruitment process, provided they met the criteria outlined in the Inclusion Criteria section. The diagnosis of RA was established by physicians in accordance with the ACR/EULAR2010 classification criteria. The collected samples were subjected to concentration determination using a commercial ELISA kit for human Gal1. The serum Gal1 concentration of the examined groups differed significantly ( P < 0.0001). There was a significant difference in serum concentration of Gal1 between first and second measurement (pre- and post-intervention) ( P = 0.015). The obtained values of post-intervention Gal1 did not show a positive correlation with the values of DAS28-ESR, HAQ-DI, and CDAI. The conducted study showed a pronounced statistical significance in the values of Gal1 concentrations in RA patients (in both time points) compared to the group of healthy subjects, suggesting that lower levels of this marker may be associated with the degree of inflammation characteristic of RA. No significant correlation was observed between Gal1 levels and clinical disease activity indices, limiting conclusions.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. The association of vitamin D deficiency, sun exposure, and higher incidence of multiple sclerosis has been known for long, and a number of studies have confirmed anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties of vitamin D. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is responsible for most of the biological effects of vitamin D, and four VDR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)have been identified as possible risk factors in several autoimmune diseases. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of VDR polymorphisms―BsmI (rs1544410) and FokI (rs2228570) in multiple sclerosis patients within the Serbian population. A total of 169 participants from southeastern Serbia were enrolled in our study, 80 of whom were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The PCR-RFLP method was used for FokI and BsmI VDR polymorphism screening. There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of FokI genotypes and alleles between MS patients and  control subjects (p = 0.006; p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in BsmI genotypes and alleles between MS patients and healthy subjects (p = 0.140; p = 0.153). Our case-control study showed that the distribution of FokI rs2228570 polymorphism was more prevalent in patients with multiple sclerosis in the Serbian population, while there was no statistically significant difference in the distribution of BsmI rs1544410 polymorphism between patients with multiple sclerosis and controls. 

Polypharmacy can increase the risk of side effects and cause adverse drug interactions with a significant impact on the course of the basic disease. The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of polypharmacy and examine its impact on the risk of drug-drug interactions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The research was conducted in the form of a retrospective cross-sectional study. The study included 131 patients diagnosed with RA, treated during 2019 and 2020. Demographic data and clinical characteristics of the subjects were collected from the medical documentation (presence of comorbidities, prescribed therapy and number of drugs). In the study, polypharmacy was defined as the use of more than five drugs, regardless of the length of therapy. The data analysis of the therapy used by patients showed that 84 subjects (64.12%) used 5 - 9 drugs, both for the treatment of primary and for the treatment of other present acute and chronic diseases. The analysis of the collected results identified potential interactions in 86 respondents (65.65%), while the total number of potential interactions was 164. The most common potential interactions were serious (73.78%). Analyzing the obtained results, it appears that aceclofenac is the drug that has the potential to enter into the largest number of interactions with the drugs used in the therapy of RA. Given the wide range of available drugs and therapeutic modalities used in the treatment of RA, it is necessary to choose the right combination of drugs in order to achieve the desired therapeutic outcomes and minimize potential drug-drug interactions.

Background/Objectives: Oral leukoplakia (OL) is a common oral potentially malignant disorder, but prediction of malignant progression remains challenging. This study investigated miR-21-5p and miR-21-3p expression in healthy oral mucosa, OL with epithelial dysplasia, and early oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), together with clinicopathological associations. Methods: Sixty participants were divided into three groups: exposure-free healthy controls (n = 20), histopathologically confirmed OL with epithelial dysplasia (n = 20), and early OSCC (pT1–2N0M0; n = 20). Expression was quantified by RT-qPCR and evaluated using exploratory correlation, regression, Welch’s ANOVA, and Games–Howell comparisons. Results: miR-21-5p differed significantly among groups (p < 0.001). Expression was lower in OL than in healthy controls and early OSCC (both p < 0.001), whereas early OSCC and controls did not differ (p = 0.997). miR-21-5p was inversely associated with dysplasia grade (Spearman’s ρ = −0.54, p = 0.013; unstandardized regression coefficient B = −0.646, p = 0.017). miR-21-3p was numerically higher in early OSCC, but its overall group difference was not significant (p = 0.051). Conclusions: The two mature miR-21 strands showed distinct, non-linear expression patterns across the three groups. These findings are preliminary and hypothesis-generating; the cross-sectional design does not establish predictive or prognostic value, and validation in larger longitudinal cohorts is required. The unexpected miR-21-5p pattern remains unexplained and requires independent validation.