Despite previous misperceptions that childhood tuberculosis (TB) is less relevant, since children tend to develop mild disease, contribute little to transmission and do not impact epidemic control, awareness is growing that TB is an important preventable cause of disease and death among children in TB endemic areas. At an operational level there remains an urgent need for feasible and implement...

Diaphanosoma macedonicum sp. nov. is described from material collected from the ancient Lakes Dojran and Prespa, located in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. It can be regarded as a member of the "D. mongolianum" species group. It is characterized by specific, but not readily visible features, such as the absence of a thorn near the posterior valve margins, as well as setules between se...

Identifying the earthworm material recently collected from different parts of Bulgaria (Rila Mountain, Danube plain, Thracian Lowland and Sub-Balkan valleys) resulted in twelve records of lumbricids, including two earthworm species discovered for the first time in the country. The occurrence of Cernosvitovia munteniana Zicsi & Pop, 1991 in Bulgaria and also on the territory of the Balkan Penins...

Background Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is an irreversible, chronic, tubulo-interstitial nephropathy of unknown origin, geographically confined to several rural regions of the Balkan Peninsula. The first "official" observation of a disease resembling BEN was made almost six decades ago in regions comprising the former Yugoslavia (Danilovic et al., 1957). Shortly thereafter, similar descript...

Introduction Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is a chronic irreversible interstitial sclerosis, for which over the last 25 years, chronic exposure to aristolochic acid from the contaminated cereal seeds has been considered the most likely cause. The aim of our research is to reevaluate trends of disease and to try to obtain new information about practical implementing of in-field screening of B...

Introduction The etiology of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) remains unknown despite numerous investigations carried out during the last 50 years. The pathophysiology of this disease remains unclear too, and there is no pathognomonic finding, which can confirm or discard the diagnosis of Balkan nephropathy in any particular patient. The widely accepted concept, however, is that Balkan nephropa...

Aristolochic acid is a natural product with possible implication in Balkan endemic nephropathy. A convenient fluorometric assay for the compound is described based on reduction to the lactam and measurement of the intensity of fluorescence. The limit of sensitivity was 0.05 mug/ml. A GLC assay is also described, based on flash methylation of aristolochic acid and its lactam using trimethylanili...

It has been 20 years since the first description of a rapidly progressive renal disease that is associated with the consumption of Chinese herbs containing aristolochic acid (AA) and is now termed aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). Recent data have shown that AA is also the primary causative agent in Balkan endemic nephropathy and associated urothelial cancer. Aristolochic acid nephropathy is...