The rapid scientific interest in gut microbiota (GM) has coincided with a global increase in the prevalence of infectious and non-infectivous liver diseases. GM, which is also called “the new virtual metabolic organ”, makes axis with a number of extraintestinal organs, such as kidneys, brain, cardiovascular, and the bone system. The gut-liver axis has attracted greater attention in recent years. GM communication is bi-directional and involves endocrine and immunological mechanisms. In this way, gut-dysbiosis and composition of “ancient” microbiota could be linked to pathogenesis of numerous chronic liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis B (CHB), chronic hepatitis C (CHC), alcoholic liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), development of liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this paper, we discuss the current evidence supporting a GM role in the management of different chronic liver diseases and potential new therapeutic GM targets, like fecal transplantation, antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics. We conclude that population-level shifts in GM could play a regulatory role in the gut-liver axis and, consequently, etiopathogenesis of chronic liver diseases. This could have a positive impact on future therapeutic strategies.

No abstract

We present atypical course of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in 34-year man with Bruton agammaglobulinemia. The patient was successfully treated by a combination of available drugs, including convalescent plasma and interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor.

We report a case of blood-borne metastatic breast disease of small-cell lung cancer in a 44-year-old patient with no previous history of malignancy. The possibilities of MR in the early detection of breast metastases and their appearance on MR images are discussed. Metastases to the breast should be considered when MR mammography of the breast reveals multiple, bilateral, well-defined lesions with ring enhancement and wash-out pattern.

Karakachan sheep represents an endangered, indigenous sheep breed from Balkan Peninsula. There is relatively little information about the characteristics of this sheep breed in the veterinary scientific literature. The aim of this research was an examination of certain metabolic profile parameters of the Karakachan sheep blood serum, and variability of their concentrations in comparison to age and some other indigenous sheep breeds from Balkans. Examination was conducted on 14 clinically healthy sheep divided in two age groups. Blood samples were collected by puncture of v. jugularis and blood serum was separated after spontaneous coagulation. The concentrations of total protein, albumin, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, aspartate amino transferase (AST) and γglutamyl transferase (GGT) were determined. In relation to age of Karakachan sheep, statistically significant difference between the calculated mean values of examined parameters was not observed. A statistically significant difference was found between the mean concentrations of the studied parameters in Karakachan sheep and other breeds in total protein (Tsigai, Dubrovnik and Dalmatian sheep), albumin (Dalmatian), calcium and inorganic phosphorus (Tsigai, Dubrovnik) and AST's (Dalmatian, Karakachan sheep from Bulgaria).

This paper represents the first description of advanced aelurostrongylosis in the Eurasian badger (Меles meles, L. 1758) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is an autochthonous species of the country. An adult female badger was found dead on a road; the cause of death was trauma but the emphasis in the paper is on severe verminous pneumonia caused by metastrongylids from genus Aelurostrongylus spp. This parasitological and histopathological finding confirms the presence of Aelurostrongylus in mustelids in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkans.

The Balkans is endemic for nematodes of the genus Trichinella in both domestic and wild animals. The high prevalence of these zoonotic pathogens in animals linked with the food habits to consume raw meat and meat derived products resulted in a very high prevalence of trichinellosis in humans living in this European region. In spite of numerous epidemiological investigations carried out in this region, very few information is available on the Trichinella species circulating in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Trichinella spp. larvae were isolated from a domestic pig reared in a backyard and from a hunted wild boar whose meat had been the source of trichinellosis in one case. Both Trichinella pseudospiralis and T. spiralis have been identified in the domestic pig, whereas, T. britovi was detected in the wild boar. While, T. spiralis is the Trichinella species most frequently detected in domestic pigs, T. pseudospiralis has been previously documented in domestic pigs only three times in Russia, Slovakia and Croatia. The detection of T. britovi in the wild boar confirms that this nematode is the most frequent species circulating among wildlife of Europe.

No abstract