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Unlabelled: Acquired protein S deficiency and lupus anticoagulant have been described in children with varicella who had purpura fulminans, disseminated intravascular coagulation or thrombosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the natural anticoagulants, hypercoagulability markers, other parameters of coagulation and fibrinolytic systems, and the presence of the lupus anticoagulant in otherwise healthy children with acute varicella infection. Blood samples were obtained from 17 children with varicella without thrombosis during acute varicella infection and 1 mo after onset. Coagulation tests included determinations of the prothrombin time, the activated partial thromboplastin time, the thrombin time, the thrombin antithrombin complex, the prothrombin fragment F 1 + 2, the tissue plasminogen activator, the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, protein C activity and free protein S antigen. Antiphospholipid antibodies were determined in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The mean free protein S concentration in the acute phase (0.63 +/- 0.16 U/ml) was significantly lower than that of the concentration determined 1 mo later (0.82 +/- 0.17 U/ml). The children with acquired free protein S deficiency also had a lupus anticoagulant. Elevated concentrations of the prothrombin fragment F 1 + 2, the thrombin antithrombin complex, D-Dimer, tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were detected in most of the children.Conclusion: There is a significantly increased prevalence of lupus anticoagulant, a significantly reduced plasma concentration of free protein S and elevations in coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters in otherwise healthy children with acute varicella infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Subthreshold depression is prevalent in general population and is associated with poorer quality of life, higher health care use and increased risk of mental disorders mainly depression. Objectives Testing predictive impact of subthreshold depression on emergence and persistence of subclinical psychotic experiences. Aims To assess association between subthreshold depression and persistence of subclinical psychotic experiences in a 6-year follow-up of a representative general population sample. Methods A longitudinal prospective cohort study (the TürkSch The Izmir Mental Health Survey for Gene–Environment in Psychoses) was conducted with a general population sample ( n = 4011) from Izmir, Turkey, who were 15–64 years of age at baseline. Sociodemographic factors, subthreshold depression (based on responses to systematic screening questions of the relevant questions with having less than five symptoms or having symptoms less than two weeks or having non-interfering impairment due to symptoms), and measures of psychopathology (subclinical psychotic experiences) were assessed across two waves (T 1 -2008 and T 2 -2014; n = 2192) using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results Prevalence estimates of subthreshold depression at T 1 and persisted psychotic experiences were 4.2% and 8.3%, respectively. Subthreshold depression at T 1 was associated with persistence (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 0.6–2.9) of psychotic experiences at T 2 . Conclusions Psychosis may be a poor outcome of subthreshold extended phenotypes in the general population with early expression of sets of symptoms blending from depressive, anxious and psychotic states. Assessing the early dynamics of symptoms that affect each other over time may facilitate the understanding of the dynamic circuit of early psychopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the extended psychosis phenotype which covers psychotic experiences, symptoms and disorders. Objectives The respective contributions of genetic and environmental factors over time remain largely unknown. Aims To describe the objectives and design of a multistage study. Methods The TürkSch (Izmir mental health survey for gene-environment interaction in psychoses) is a prospective-longitudinal study consisted of several data collection stages to screen extended psychosis phenotype in a general population sample, and to assess individual, familial, genetic and neighbourhood level variables. Results The study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychotic experiences and symptoms in Izmir-Turkey (stage I, cross-sectional; n : 4011), the socioeconomic deprivation and the social capital of neighbourhoods in a separate sample (stage II, cross-sectional; n : 5124) in 2008. A nested case-control study (stage III) recruited individuals with psychotic outcomes and healthy controls from stage I, and included blood sampling for gene-environment interaction and clinical reappraisal as well. After 6 years, follow-up study (stage IV) was set to assess the mental health outcomes with a focus on extended psychosis phenotype, environmental exposures of the eligiable sample ( n : 2192) from the stage I, and to collect blood samples for further genetic analysis. On both stages, Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used by clinically trained interviewers, and was able to provide broad assessment of psychotic experiences, experience-related disabilities, help-seeking and health care utilization. Conclusions The TürkSch has a unique study design and yields data of high quality in the Turkish population, with a specific focus on psychosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]