Association of elevated IGFBP-1 with increased IGF-II concentration in patients with carcinoma of the liver.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are mitogens for numerous types of cells including cancer cells. The aim of this work was to analyze some of the components of the IGF system to assess which could be potential clinical biomarkers for monitoring patients diagnosed with liver cancer. Compared to healthy persons, patients with liver cancer had a lower concentration of IGF-I and a higher concentration of IGFBP-1, whereas the concentrations of IGF-II and IGFBP-3 remained unchanged. The IGF-I:IGFBP-3 ratio decreased in patients with cancer, while the IGF-II:IGFBP-1 ratio was not altered. Patients with primary carcinoma and those scheduled for surgery had lower IGF-I and higher IGF-II and IGFBP-1 concentrations than patients with secondary carcinoma and those not eligible for surgery. It may be postulated that a liver with primary cancer is induced to increase IGF-II and IGFBP-1 synthesis more than a liver involved in metastatic response. Similarly, in patients eligible for liver surgery an increase in IGF-II may reflect a gradual change in the concentration associated with a different stage of disease. As increased synthesis of certain IGFBPs is necessary to compensate decreased production of the others or increased IGF production, determination of serum IGF-II, IGFBP-1 and their ratio may aid in estimating the compensatory capacity of the liver affected by cancer.

[Characteristics of knowledge and attitude to drugs and drug addiction in a population of addicted and non-addicted adolescents]. / Neke karakteristike informisanosti i misljenja o drogama i narkomaniji u populaciji narkofilnih i nenarkofilnih adolescenata.

Governed by the idea of importance of the extent and character of being informed on drugs and narcomany the author of the study were reviewing a pattern sample of 50 drug-addicts while patients of the Centre for Treatment of Drug-Addiction with the Psychiatric Clinic of the Clinic Centre in Sarajevo. The control group was composed of fifty pupils of secondary schools (also-from district of Sarajevo) who were positively determined of never having had any experience of drugs. The results of the study evidently distinguish between the experimental and the control groups, both in respect of sources and way of informing as well in certain viewpoints and opinions in its prevention etc. The author think that the very existence of obtained discrepancies in the said aspects speaks enough for itself, binding upon us to take them into account in all subsequent preventional activities and plannings.

[Consequences of abuse of inhalants]. / Posljedice zloupotrebe inhalansa.

The work reviews large scale of serious somatic and psychic damages resultant from chronical, but also the acute, intoxication with various solvents. It gives the brief description of the most frequent somatic damages that have been already sorted as the specific and special entities, such as the Fankony's syndrome, "hufer's" neuropathy and further to the characteristic psyhoorganic syndrome or bone marrow aplasia. Regardless it is only a simple erytheme or a serious liver and kidney damage appearing as a result of the solvents abuse, it is constantly emphasized that out of all chemical solvents, the toluene has the most pathogenic effect. However, the most important part of the study reviews the detailed description of the sniffers' sudden death syndrome. That has not been even mentioned in our literature so far, but in practice we have also met often this tragic end of the younge solvents takers.

[Abuse of cannabis preparations]. / Zloupotreba preparata canabisa.

The author reviews the basic features, nature of action and the effects of the canabis drugs (hashish and marijuana) on human organism. The review starts with the well known fact that these kinds of drugs are the oldest ones and the most widely known to the civilization. It reviews in details very wide effects of the canabis drugs on the mental functions as well as the clinical expression of that action, where the basic mechanisms dominate: euphorogenic, sedative and psychodelic. With a detailed description of all psychopathological phenomena that appear in the chronic hashish and marijuana addicts, where the amotivation syndrome and flash back are particularly pointed out.

[Surgical treatment of uncontrolled hemorrhage in the retroperitoneum of the minor pelvis]. / Hirurski tretman nekontrolisanih krvarenja retroperitoneuma male karlice.

The purpose of our work is to point out some wellknown facts about the bleeding from presacral vessels, because of This bleeding may be very profuse and dangerous. It occurs as intraoperative complication in combined abdominoperineal resection of the rectum, as well as the avulse injuries of the retroperitoneal part of the rectum, which are usually combined with fractures of the sacral, coccigeal or other bones of the pelvis. We want to show here, that it is not recommended to spend a lot of time in trials to make haemostasis with the usual methods, it is better to pack the whole area with gauze, as the only way to control such bleedings.