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J Med Biochem 34: 245–251, 2015 News from the Society of Medical Biochemists of Serbia

XIX NATIONAL CONGRESS OF MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE

dr Sne`ana Jovi~i}

Society of Medical Biochemists of SerbiaLiaison Member of the IFCC eNewsletter Working Group

The National Congress of the Society of MedicalBiochemists of Serbia (SMBS) is a biannual meeting,organized this year on September 9–13, and it includ-ed the 10th EFLM Symposium for Balkan Region(September 11–12). The Congress was organized forthe 19th time by the Society of Medical Biochemists ofSerbia, Faculty of Pharmacy University of Belgrade,and Center for Medical Biochemistry Clinical Centerof Serbia, and under the auspices of the InternationalFederation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC), European Fe -deration of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Me di -cine (EFLM), and Balkan Cli nical Laboratory Fede -ration (BCLF), as well as the Ministry of Education,Science and Technological Development, and Mi nistryof Health of Republic of Serbia. During the OpeningCeremony dr Bernard Gouget addressed to the parti -cipants on behalf of the IFCC, and Professor GrazynaSypniewska on behalf of Professor Mauro Panthegini,EFLM President. Ope ning Ceremony was continuedwith the presentation of the SMBS’ Foundation »Ma -gistra Milica Marko vi}«. Milka Golubovi}, president ofthe Magistra Mi lica Fund together with Olga Ste fa -novi} graned to the Dr Ivan Sretenovi}, director ohHealth Department Barajevo one HematologicalAnalyzer for Clinician-Biochemical Laboratory andFund Diploma, as well as thanks certificate to VicorCompany. Bran ko Pav lo vi}, student of the Pharma -ceutical Faculty presented the activities of the Bel -grade Pharmacy Stu dent Organization.

Five Congress sessions were held, dedicated tothe most recent findings and the application of mod-els of management medical-biochemical laboratoriesfocused on the patient, improving patient outcomesthrough the use of biomarkers and clinically effectivestrategy utilization of laboratory tests. Opening lec-ture announced this program in the best possibleway, when professor Zbigniew Gaciong (Departmentof In ternal Medicine, Hypertension and Vascular

Di sea ses, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland)reviewed the concept of personalized health care andmodern laboratory technologies upon it is based.The first session was dealing with genetic and non-genetic risk factors and biomarkers of atherosclero-sis. Professor Darko ^erne (Department of ClinicalBio chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lju -bljana, Slo ve nia) opened the session with his talkabout cathepsin S and its association with a moreathe rogenic LDL subclass profile, suggesting a newmechanism of cat he psin S mediated atherogenesis.The following le ctures presented novel aspects ofatherosclerosis development and biomarkers,through results of the research group of the Depart -ment of Medical Bio chemistry of the Faculty of Phar -macy, University of Belgrade. Assistant professorJelena Veki} talked about significance of low-densityand high-density lipoprotein subfractions determina-tion in the assessment of cardiovascular disease riskfor the timely prevention of development and adverseoutcome of the disease. Results of the study of longi-tudinal changes in lipid profile parameters, oxidativestress status and markers of inflammation throughnormal pregnancy, presented by assistant professorAleksandra Stefa novi}, indicated that pregnancy ischaracterized by intense inflammatory process andimpaired lipid me tabolism. About the clinical signifi-cance of gene expres sion analysis in human blood,through the results of the study that examined theinfluence of physical activity on SOD isoenzymes’gene expression levels in athletes’ lymphocytes,talked assistant professor Ana Nini}. The session wasclosed with the way of economic evaluation of newbiomarkers, the cost-effectiveness analysis, con-structed to identify la bo ratory procedures or diagnos-tic markers of the greatest health care benefit withthe resources available, presented by the associateprofessor Nata{a Bogavac-Stanojevi}. The congress

246 News from the Society of Medical Biochemists of Serbia

Dr Bernard Gouget addresses the Congress participants onbehalf of the IFCC

Professor Grazyna Sypniewska addresses the Con gress par-ticipants on behalf of the EFLM

Presidents of Organising and Scientific Committe: Z. [umarac, N. Majki}-Singh, S. Ignjatovi}

Milka Golubovi} present the Fund Diploma to Olga Stefanovi} from Vicor Company

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Olga Stefanovi} present the award to dr Ivan Sretenovi}, director of the Barajevo Health Department

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Branko Pavlovi}, chair of TMB section of BelgradePharmacy Student Association addresses to the Congressparticipants

Representatives of the Fund »Magistra Milica Markovi}« during XIX Congress of Medical Biochemists of Serbia with dr IvanSretenovi} and members from Vicor Company (from left to right: M. Panjkovi}, Z. [umarac, M. Golubovi}, I. Sretenovi}, N.Majki}-Singh, Z. Vuji}, V. Mitrovi})

Professor Zbigniew Gaciong presented the OpeningLecture

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continued with the second session dedicated tomolecular basis and practical considerations of bio-markers of cardiovascular dise ase. Professor ZoranaVasiljevi} (Faculty of Medi cine, University of Belgrade)overviewed the significance of cardiac markers in car-diovascular disease guidelines and algorithms,emphasizing the indispensable place of cardiac tro-ponin, D-dimer and BNP and proBNP. The review ofthe evaluation process of new biomarkers fromresearch to routine clinical practice through theexample of some new circulating biomarkers of car-diovascular diseases – GDF-15, ST2 and galectin-3,was presented by professor Grazyna Syp niewska(Department of Laboratory Medicine, Colle giumMedicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz,Poland). Finally, dr Sanja Stankovi} (Cen ter for Me -dical Biochemistry, Clinical Center of Ser bia, Bel gra -de, Serbia) closed the session with the talk about thecurrent challenges and future research in the field ofgenetics and epigenetics of heart failure. The follow-ing session was dedicated to the orga ni zation of med-ical-biochemical laboratories. The cur rent issues inthis field were considered first through the lectureabout pits and pitfalls of manufacturer declarations,presented by dr Nora Nikola (University Departmentof Chemistry, Medical School University HospitalSestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Cro atia). The prob lem ofprevention occupational bloodborne infections inhealthcare workers and post-exposure prophylaxiswas discussed in the lecture of dr Zorica [umarac(Center for Medical Biochemistry, Cli nical Center ofSerbia, Belgrade, Serbia). Dr Mirjana Djeri} (ClinicalCenter of Vojvodina, Center for Laboratory Medicine,Medical Faculty Novi Sad, Serbia) reminded on theimportance of communication between clinicians andthe laboratory, and the team work as the basis for suc-cess. Finally, dr Velibor Cani} from the Serbian Cham -ber of Biochemists emphasized the im portance of theChamber in organizing laboratory ser vice. The fourthsession covered the role of biomarkers in the sepsisdiagnosis algorithm. The opening lecturer, professorMatej Podbregar (Clinical De part ment for InternalIntensive Care Medicine, Uni versity Medical CenterLjubljana, and Medical Faculty, Uni versity of Ljub lja -na, Slovenia) presented the basis of clinical approachto sepsis and septic shock. The talk about the role ofprocalcitonin and APACHE II score in early predictionof severity in acute abdominal conditions followed,presented by professor Nenad Ivan ~evi} (Center forEmergency Surgery, Clinical Center of Serbia, andMe dical Faculty, University of Belgrade, Serbia). Thesession was closed with the evaluation of diagnosticand prognostic value of biomarkers in the manage-ment of abdominal sepsis, by dr Tatjana Vod nik (Cen -ter for Medical Biochemistry, Clinical Center of Ser -bia, Bel grade, Serbia). The final, fifth session, of the

XIX National SMBS Congress was dedicated to themanagement of requests for laboratory investigationof thyroid function. Professor Milo{ @arkovi} (Schoolof Medicine, University of Belgrade, and Cli nic of En -docrinology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Bel grade, Ser -bia) opened the session with guidelines and algo-rithms of thyroid function investigation, with theemphasis on conditions when TSH determination isnot enough and circulating thyroid hormones need tobe measured. The issues connected with the ways,means and benefits of standardization and harmo-nization of endocrine assays were elaborated by pro-fessor Pierre Carayon (Aix-Marseille University, Fran -ce), and the talk about the importance of appropriateutilization of thyroid function tests in medical-bioche -mistry laboratory, concerning the overall test utiliza-tion control process, was presented by professor Svet -lana Ignjatovi} (Department of Medical Biochemistry,Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, and Cen -ter for Medical Biochemistry, Clinical Center of Ser -bia, Belgrade, Serbia). The session closed dr NedaMilinkovi} (Center for Medical Biochemistry, ClinicalCenter of Serbia, and Department of Medical Bio -chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Bel gra -de, Serbia) with the results of her indirect determina-tion of reference values for the parameters of thyroidstatus.

During the XIX National Congress of SMBS, thespecial section was dedicated to student’s scientificresearches in the field of medical biochemistry andpharmaceutical science. The participants were stu-dents of medical biochemistry and pharmacy at theFaculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, with theirguests, medical biochemistry students from Facultiesof Pharmacy from Zagreb and Ljubljana. The pro-gram included nine oral presentation of students’projects and eleven poster presentations, which com-peted for the best poster award – the participation atthe upcoming EuroMedLab 2015 in Paris. Theauthors of the awarded poster are Marijana Jevti} andTanja Gligorov.

With over 250 participants from Serbia and Bal -kan and 17 international lecturers, this years Sympo -sium and Congress fulfilled the high expectations settraditionaly by the SBSS. This is thank to dedictedwork of the Symposium President – professor NadaMajki}-Singh, the President of the SMBS CongressScientific Committee – professor Svetlana Ignjatovi},and the President of the Organizing Committee – drZorica [umarac, President of the SMBS, as well as toall other members of the Organizing Committee. Afterleaving these two successful events behind us, withmany thanks to all the lecturers, we are looking for-ward to the 11th BCLF Symposium for Balkan Regionand the next years’ events dedicated to the celebra-tion of the 60th anniversary of the SMBS.

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Participants of the XIX Congress of Medical Biochemists of Serbia

Members of Organizing Committee of the XIX Congress of Medical Biochemists of Serbia with guests

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S. Ignjatovi}, N. Majki}-Singh, Z. [umarac and B. Pavlovi} with awarded students M. Jevti} and T. Gligorov

The lecturers and participants of the XIX Congress of Medical Biochemists of Serbia

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J Med Biochem 34: 252–256, 2015 News from the Society of Medical Biochemists of Serbia

10th EFLM SYMPOSIUM FOR BALKAN REGION

dr Sne`ana Jovi~i}

Society of Medical Biochemists of SerbiaLiaison Member of the IFCC eNewsletter Working Group

The end of summer and first days of autumnare traditional time for Belgrade meetings of medicalbiochemists of Serbia. This year, September 9–13were the days of the XIX National Congress ofMedical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine andof the 10th EFLM Symposium for Balkan Region. TheSociety of Medical Biochemists of Serbia and theEuro pean Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Labo -ratory Medicine (EFLM) together with Center forMedical Biochemistry Clinical Center of Serbia, andFaculty of Pharmacy University of Belgrade organizedin Belgrade (September 11–12, 2014) the 10th

EFLM Symposium for Balkan Region under the title»Paediatric Laboratory Medicine: Some Aspects ofObesity, Metabolic Syndrome, Neonatal Screening,Reference Intervals and Critical Values«. EFLMappoin ted Belgrade (Serbia) and the Society of Me -dical Biochemists of Serbia (SMBS) as the organizerof educational symposia for clinical chemists in theBalkan region and as a result of this decision ten sym-posia have been organized thus far very successfully.The 10th EFLM Symposium for Balkan Region isorga nized under the auspices of the InternationalFederation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC), Balkan Cli -nical Laboratory Federation (BCLF), as well as theMinistry of Education, Science and TechnologicalDevelopment, and Ministry of Health of Republic ofSerbia. The Scientific Committee members wereSym posium President Nada Majki}-Singh (Serbia),Edgard Delvin (Canada), Elizabeta Topi} (Croatia),Grazyna Sypnievska (Poland) and Svetlana Ignjatovi}(Serbia).

The Symposium lectures were presented throughthree sections: Pediatric Obesity – Insulin Resistance– Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD); Neo -natal Screening for Metabolic Disease (two parts);and Pediatric Reference Intervals and Critical Values.The lecturers were from Canada (2), Italy (2), Mace -donia (2), Serbia (5), UK (1), Hungary (1), Slovenia

(1), France (1) and Sweden (1). The papers of thepresented lectures were published in Journal of Me -dical Biochemistry 2015; 34: 1–150 (http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/jomb). The special thanks theorganizers owe to professor Edgard Delvin (MontrealChildren’s Hospital, McGill University, Montreal,Canada) who helped to design the program of thesymposium, and suggested the topics and lecturers.

The first section of the symposium was dedi -cated to pediatric obesity, insulin resistance and non-alco holic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Professor Del -vin made the introduction, with the lecture about theprevalence, secular trends and consequences of obe-sity, where he also mentioned the fundamentals ofepidemiology and pathophysiology of NAFLD, andcovered the present biomarkers and the developmentof new ones. Professor Valerio Nobili (Bambino GesuChildren Hospital, Rome, Italy) continued with theepidemiology and natural history of NAFLD, elabo-rating on the complex interplay between genes andthe environment in NAFLD pathogenesis, and thepossibility of discovering the potential early predictorsand suitable noninvasive diagnostic tools based onthe pathogenetic mechanisms and histological pat-terns. Metabolic setup and risks in obese childrenwas discussed by professor Mirjana Ko~ova (Uni -versity Pediatric Clinic, Skopje, Republic of Mace -donia). Professor Ko~ova presented results of severalstudies in obese children of different ages performedin the Republic of Macedonia, which showed higherleptin and lower adiponectin levels in obese children,who also presented with a more atherogenic lipopro-tein profile, associated with increased insulin resist-ance, emphasizing the need for the onset of therapypreventing cardiovascular complications at a youngerage. Professor Vera Zdravkovi} closed the first sectionwith the talk about the importance of early diagnosisof prediabetes, as early complication of childhoodobesity, and non-invasive methods to perform it. The

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Members of the Organizing Committee with lecturers on the 10th EFLM Symposium (Belgrade, September 2014)

Chairmen of the 10th EFLM Symposium: N. Majki}-Singh and E. Delvin

Symposium lecturers from left to right: N. Majki}-Singh, Z. [umarac, M. ^vorkov-Dra`i} (sitting): I. Balogh, E. Delvin, R. Pollitt,A. Burlina (standing)

N. Majki}-Singh with Symposium lecturers: V. Anastasovska, B. Repi~, T. Milenkovi} and M. Kocova

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Sessions chair: Svetlana Ignjatovi} and Khasrow Adeli

N. Majki}-Singh with Symposium lecturers: J. Henny, P. Ridefelt, K. Adelli, E. Delvin

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second section was dedicated to the neonatal screen-ing for metabolic disorders. The opening lecture byprofessor Rodney Pollitt (Sheffield Children’s Hospital,UK) reviewed different viewpoints and internationalperspectives on newborn screening, which was anexcellent introduction for the issues in standardizationin neonatal screen ing programmes presented by pro-fessor Alberto Burlina (University of Padua, Italy).Professor István Balogh (Department of LaboratoryMedicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary) talkedabout the relevance of adding the detection of popu-lation-specific mutations to commercial allele specificCFTR gene mutation detection method in order toachieve the required sensitivity of molecular testing innewborn screening. The first part of the section wasclosed with Serbian experiences in screening in theprevention of Thalassemia syndromes, presented bydr Milica ^vorkov-Dra`i} (Society of Medical Bio -chemists of Serbia). The second part continued withthe presentation of results of the study of directmolecular diagnosis of CYP21A2 point mutations inMacedonian and Serbian patients with 21-hydroxy-lase deficiency by professor Violeta Anastasovska(Genetic Laboratory, Department of Endocrinologyand Genetics, University Children’s Clinic, Skopje, Re -public of Macedonia). Professor Barbka Repi~ Lam -pert (Unit for Special Laboratory Diagnostics, Uni -versity Children Hospital, University Medical CenterLjubljana, Slovenia) presented the selective screeningfor metabolic disorders in a Slovenian pediatric popu-lation. The section dedicated to newborn screen ingwas closed by dr Tatjana Milenkovi} (De partment ofEndocrinology, Mother and Child Health Care Insti -

tute of Serbia »Dr Vukan ^upi}«, Belgrade, Ser bia),who presented their 30 years experience with thescreening program for congenital hypothyroidism inCentral Serbia (1983–2014). The Symposium wasclo sed with current issues in paediatric reference in -tervals and critical values. Professor Joseph Henny(Versailles Saint Quentin University, Villejuif, France)introduced the concepts and complexity in establish-ing reference values in pediatrics. Afterwards, Pro fes -sor Khosrow Adeli (Clinical Biochemistry, The Hos -pital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Ca nada)discussed the concept and feasibility of common ref-erence intervals, as well as the CALIPER referenceinterval database. Finally, the section and the wholesymposium was concluded by professor Peter Ridefelt(Department of Medical Sciences, Clinicial Chemistry,Uppsala University, Sweden), who presented the re -sults of a population-based Swedish study whichobtain ed pediatric reference intervals, and em pha -sized the problem of lacking reference intervals forthe youngest age group, under six months of age.

The design of the program of this symposiumenabled the laboratory professionals in the Balkanregion and our country to learn about this very impor-tant area of laboratory medicine. The presence ofexcellent lecturers and professionals in this field givesvery high recognition and prestige to this Meeting,which will influence the development of clinical che -mistry and laboratory medicine in the Balkan region.We hope that the EFLM Symposium in Belgrade willcontinue its successful progress like in previous years,striving to focus on the new data in the field of labo-ratory medicine.