Vol. 9, No 1, 2002 pp. 26 - 30
UC 616.61-004
BALKAN ENDEMIC NEPHROPATHY IN SERBIA:
CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE RESEARCH
Zoran Radovanovic
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait
E-mail: zoran@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw
Summary. During the 90s, wars and economic hardship hampered most
attempts for serious research in Serbia, as well as in other BEN affected
countries. This relative lull in intensive research provided an opportunity
for identifying key problems and assessing priorities for future research.
The following issues were singled out as relevant from this point of view:
1. What is the trend of BEN? Did it disappear? 2. Is exposure to the agent(s)
still going on? 3. Which descriptive epidemiological features of BEN may
be considered established and how they should be interpreted? 4. What are
the most likely aetiological hypotheses to be pursued? 5. Assuring a proper
study design. 6. Avoiding "circular" research. 7. Conducting transregional
studies. 8. Ethical considerations. This first scientific meeting on BEN
after more than a decade is an important opportunity to agree on priorities,
establish interregional collaboration and proceed with research at an internationally
acceptable and competitive level.
Key words: Balkan endemic nephropathy, etiology, Serbia, epidemiology,
research
