Clinical-epidemiological research of diseases of public health importance in Serbia

Four investigations will be conducted during the project life cycle 1. The investigation of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy (BEN) will be undertaken with the aim to find out: the true incidence and prevalence of BEN in several endemic foci in Serbia; presence or absence of markers of kidney disease in children from endemic families; sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of diagnostic markers for BEN; and factors associated with the disease progression and patient outcomes. 2. To evaluate the clinical and preventive effects of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in adult patients with rhinitis and/or intermittent asthma an open randomized clinical trial will be conducted. Patients will be evaluated at baseline 1-year period and then randomized to receive either standard drug therapy or drug therapy plus SLIT for the responsible allergen and reevaluated in the subsequent 3 years. 3. In order to assess health related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with skin disorders (such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, etc.) a cross-sectional studies will be conducted. The both generic and skin-specific linguistic validated instruments will be used. 4. The aim of the research related health inequalities is to analyze the association between demographic and socio-economic determinants and health inequalities. The study will be based on data from Serbian national health surveys (2000, 2006, and 2011), administrative data sources, and primary health care consumer’s data.