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Aims: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between complete blood count parameters, liver histology and atherosclerosis parameters in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Method: We included the data of biopsy-proven 66 nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, 34 simple steatosis patients and 49 healthy controls to the study. Metabolic syndrome parameters data collected from all participants. Carotid intima media thickness, flow mediated dilatation, pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured for atherosclerosis. Results: There was no significant difference among groups in terms of red blood cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio parameters. Hemoglobin levels in control subjects were lower than NAFLD subgroups, but no significant difference was found between NAFLD subgroups. In correlation analysis, there was only positive association between hemoglobin and PWV. Conclusions: High hemoglobin concentration may represent an increased risk of the development of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis is a common cause of presinusoidal portal hypertension and often the two entities connote each other. Portal vein thrombosis is reported in patients with underlying cirrhosis by 25%. Other than cirrhotic patients; malignancies, myeloproliferative disorders, collagen tissue disorders, pancreatitis, and thrombophilias can cause portal vein thrombosis. Conditions predisposing to thrombosis are mostly acquired. Hereditary disorders predisposing to thrombosis like FV Leiden mutation, prothrombin gene mutation, MTHFR gene mutation, protein C, S, and antithrombin 3 deficiency diseases are more rare. Sometimes with an accompanying factor provoking thrombosis, these abnormalities are usually under the age of 50 and present with venous thrombosis. Here, we present a case of homozygous MTHFR gene mutation that comes with portal vein thrombosis, liver failure and ascites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood gas analyses are needed to reveal any kind of acid-base imbalance in some patients. Traditionally, arterial punctures are performed to obtain the blood samples for blood gas analyses. Arterial puncture is not a completely safe procedure. It may cause serious problems including arterial thrombosis, arteriovenous fistula, pseudoaneurysms and hematoma. In this retrospective reviewing, it was aimed to yield novel formulations to predict the blood pH only from CtCO2 and HCO3 values which can easily be measured in venous blood samples obtained for other diagnostic and follow-up purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CMV enterocolitis is a rare disease, especially seen in immunosuppressive patients. CMV infections are asymptomatic or present with nonspecific symptoms in people with normal immunity. But it may be responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised persons. CMV enterocolitis usually occurs in the ileum and right colon. Multipl mucosal ulcers seen in colonoscopy. In this article a CMV enteritis case in diagnosed Hodgkin's lymphoma in remission was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of biofeedback therapy on children with desmopressin-resistant primary monosymptomatic enuresis (MsE). Material and methods: The study comprised both retrospective and prospective sections. A total of 262 medical files of patients who were diagnosed as enuresis between November 2012 and January 2015 were retrospectively screened. Patients with neuropathic bladder, daytime voiding problems, anatomical pathology and enuresis-related diseases were excluded from the study. The demographic data and family characteristics of 29 children with desmopressin-resistantprimary MsE were recorded. After biofeedback treatment patients whose frequency of enuretic episodes decrease by more than 50% were included in the successful biofeedback treatment group (SBTG), while other patients were categorized in the unsuccessful biofeedback treatment group (USGBT). The outcomes of uroflowmetry, voided volume, postvoiding residue (PVR) and total bladder volume/age-adjusted normal bladder capacity (TBV/NBC) were recorded before and at the sixth month of the treatment. Results: The mean age of 29 patients included in the study was 9.14±3.07 (6-15) years. Of patients, 16 were male (55.2%) and 13 were female (44.8%). Before biofeedback treatment the frequency of enuresis was 25.1±5.76 days/month, while after treatment this was calculated as 8.52±10.07 days/month. After treatment 8 patients (28.6%) achieved complete dryness. Twenty patients (69%), benefited from biofeedback (SBTG), while there were 9 patients (31%) in the USBTG group. There was no significant difference between the SBTG and USBTG groups in terms of age, body mass index and sex. The average bladder capacity of the patients increased from 215 mL to 257 mL after biofeedback treatment (p<0.001). The TBV/NBC value before treatment was 0.66, while after treatment it was 0.77 (p<0.001). There was a statistically significant difference between the SBTG and USBTG groups in terms of presence of MsE in mother, and both parents (p=0.001, p=0.016, respectively). Conclusion: Biofeedback therapy is a safe, simple, and minimally invasive treatment modality in children with MsE resistant to desmopressin treatment. This treatment, which was found to increase total bladder capacity, may be recommended for children with MsE when conventional desmopressin treatment fails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor in response to the article "Epicardial adipose tissue is independently associated with increased left ventricular mass in untreated hypertensive patients: an observational study" by T. Erdoğan and colleagues in a 2013 issue and a response from the author are presented.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiac autonomic dysfunction (COD) is one of the important factors implicated in the pathogenesis of primary hypertension (HT). Heart rate variability (HRV) measurement has been used widely to determine the COD. We aimed to examine the HRV in primary hypertension and its relationships with end organ damage. MATERIAL and METHODS: Ninety adult patients and 28 healthy controls were included into the study. Heart rates (HRs) and HRV parameters were measured by monitoring with 24-hour Holter electrocardiographic records. Patients were assessed in terms of retinopathy, microalbuminuria and left ventricle hypertrophy. RESULTS: Primary hypertensive patients had significantly higher blood pressure (BP) values than those of the controls. Minimum HRs of all patients were significantly higher than controls, while HRV parameters showed significantly lower values in the patients compared to controls. The HRV parameters showed no significant correlations with retinopathy, left ventricle hypertrophy, microalbuminuria and cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSION: Lower HRV parameters in hypertensive patients probably suggests the presence of a COD. However, such a difference was not observed between the newly and previously diagnosed patients indicating that the HRV seems not to be influenced by antihypertensive treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (Aix), and central aortic pressure (CAP) are arterial stiffness markers of endothelial dysfunction (ED). We investigated the relationship between arterial stiffness parameters and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA; a marker of ED), in newly diagnosed patients with hypertension (n = 101; 61 females). These patients were investigated in accordance with the recommendations of hypertension guidelines. Arterial stiffness was measured, and serum ADMA and C-reactive protein (CRP; a marker of inflammation) levels were determined. In both women and men, there was no difference in terms of age, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, PWV, CAP and the levels of ADMA, while Aix and CRP levels were significantly higher in women (P = .004, P = .046, respectively). In the whole group, ADMA levels correlated with Aix (Pearson r = .237, P = .024). Our findings provide further evidence of a link between arterial stiffness and ED in newly diagnosed patients with hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between early stage hypertensive retinopathy (HTRP) and endothelial dysfunction (ED) in atherogenesis. MATERIAL and METHODS: A total of 99 subjects consisting of 73 patients diagnosed with Essential Hypertension (HT) and 26 healthy subjects were included to the study. Flow mediated dilatation (FMD) was performed to detect ED. Asymmetric dimethylarginine-ADMA was measured as a marker of ED and the hsCRP and sTWEAK levels were measured for microvascular inflammation. All patients were screened for retinopathy. RESULTS: The mean blood pressure of the hypertensive patients and the control subjects was 140.1±13.7/86.1±10.7 and 107.12±10.0/65.38±10.2 respectively. HTRP was positive in 60.3% (n=44) and negative in 39.7% (n=29) of the patients with hypertension. There was grade 1 retinopathy in 52.1% and grade 2 retinopathy in 8.2% of hypertensive patients. The hsCRP, sTWEAK and ADMA levels were significantly higher in hypertensive patients than in the control group (respectively, p=0,011, p=0,001, p=0,001). FMD levels were lower in the hypertensive group, as expected. FMD levels were lower in the retinopathy group when the hypertensive group with and without retinopathy and the control group compared. hsCRP, sTWEAK and ADMA levels were significantly higher in subjects with retinopathy. hsCRP, sTWEAK and ADMA levels were also significantly higher in subjects with retinopathy (p=0.039, p=0.001, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: ED is thought to play a role in HT etiology and is also important in the development of HT complications. It would be appropriate to evaluate hypertensive patients more carefully and perform the necessary laboratory tests to detect ED so that the proper treatment can be started (ACEI, exercise, lifestyle changes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]