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It has been shown that there is an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart failure and death in nephrotic syndrome. Left ventricle global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) is a more sensitive measure of assessing myocardial dysfunction and is more reproducible than left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF%). LVGLS can detectsubclinical deterioration in the left ventricle early. In this study, we aimed to investigate LVGLS in Primary Nephrotic Syndrome (PNS) patients with normal LVEF%. Patients with histopathologically confirmed PNS were evaluated for this prospective single-center study. Patients with similar age and gender characteristics without nephrotic syndrome were included as the control group. LVGLS measurements were performed by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography. A total of 171 patients, 57 with PNS and 114 in the control group, were included in the study. The mean age was 38±12 years in the study population, and 95(56%) of the patients were women. LVEF% was 60.2±4.2 in the PNS group and 61.1±3.2 in the control group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.111). LVGLS was found to be significantly lower in the PNS group (-19.3±2.3% vs.-20.8±1.5 %, p<0.001). A significant relationship was observed between PNS and LVGLS in the multivariable linear regression analysis (β= 4.428, CI 95% =0.57?1.48, p<0.001). A significant relationship was observed between PNS and LVGLS, and LVGLS was found to be lower in PNS patients. In patients with PNS, subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction may be detected in the early period by measuring LVGLS., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Introduction: Sepsis is an important cause of mortality and morbidity, and inflammatory response and oxidative stress play major roles underlying its pathophysiology. Here, we evaluated the effect of intraperitoneal etanercept administration on oxidative stress and inflammation indicators in the kidney and blood of experimental sepsis-induced rats., Methods: Twenty-eight adult Sprague Dawley rats were classified into Control (Group 1), Sepsis (Group 2), Sepsis+Cefazolin (Group 3), and Sepsis+Cefazolin+Etanercept (Group 4) groups. Kidney tissue and serum samples were obtained for biochemical and histopathological investigations and examined for the C reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels., Results: The levels of TNF-α, TREM, and MDA in serum and kidney samples were significantly higher in rats from sepsis group than in rats from control group (p < 0.05). Group 3 showed a significant reduction in serum levels of TNF-α, CRP, and TREM as compared with Group 2 (p < 0.05). Serum TNF-α, CRP, TREM, and MDA levels and kidney TNF-α and TREM levels were significantly lower in Group 4 than in Group 2 (p < 0.05). Serum TNF-α and TREM levels in Group 4 were significantly lower than those in Group 3, and histopathological scores were significantly lower in Group 3 and Group 4 than in Group 2 (p < 0.05). Histopathological scores of Group 4 were significantly lower than those of Group 3 (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Etanercept, a TNF-α inhibitor, may ameliorate sepsis-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and histopathological damage.

In the present study, coumarin and some coumarin derivatives (esculetin, scoparone, and 4-methylumbelliferone) were investigated for their lipid-lowering effect in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (150-200 g) were divided into six groups and each group comprised of five rats. Hepatic injury-dependent hyperlipidemia was induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 , 1.25 ml/kg). Coumarin and coumarin derivatives esculetin (35 mg/kg), scoparone (35 mg/kg), 4-methylumbelliferone (35 mg/kg), or coumarin (30 mg/kg) were administered to experimental groups at 12-h intervals. Animals received the derivatives esculetin, scoparone or 4-methylumbelliferone prior to the administration of a single toxic dose of CCl 4. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels significantly increased in CCl 4 -treated group ( p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, and p < 0.05, respectively), while levels of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) decreased ( p < 0.01). 4-Methylumbelliferone had no recovery effects on serum TC levels, however, significantly prevented CCl 4 -induced hyperlipidemia by reducing TG and VLDL-C levels ( p < 0.05 and p < 0.05, respectively). In addition, coumarin had no recovery effect on any of the serum lipid parameters against CCl 4 -induced hyperlipidemia. Among the coumarin derivatives only esculetin and scoparone significantly prevented serum HDL-C in CCl 4 -induced dyslipidemia. The results from this study indicate that the chemical structure of coumarins plays an important role on the regulation of serum lipid profiles.

Objective: The purpose of the present study is twofold: (a) to investigate the etiology of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) caused by obstetrical conditions and (b) to present parameters that can be used in predicting DIC-related mortality in obstetrical patients., Material and Method: Obstetrical patients who had a delivery at or were referred (after delivery) to Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic of Dicle University between July 2006 and December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Those patients diagnosed with DIC were included in the study., Results: Fifty-six obstetrical patients carrying the diagnosis of DIC were included in this study. The overall mortality rate was 25% among these patients. More specifically, the mortality rate was 10.7% among patients with a DIC score ≤5 and 40.7% among those with a DIC score > 5. Multiple logistic regression analysis resulted in the finding that international normalized ratio (INR) and urea were among those factors affecting mortality in obstetrical DIC [OR: 8.44 (CI: 1.9-36.8), OR: 1.05 (CI: 1.0-1.1), respectively]., Conclusion: DIC is a syndrome that might be caused by obstetrical conditions. It is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. In obstetrical DIC, urea is the most important factor affecting mortality. In addition, we are of the opinion that DIC score might guide mortality predictions as a determinant of prognosis.

Objectives: The goal of the study was to determine the effect of decreased preload on right ventricular systolic function, as measured by new and old echocardiographic parameters in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients., Study Design: A total of 30 CRF patients (mean age 48±15 years, 11 male and 19 female) undergoing hemodialysis were included in the study. Echocardiography was used to determine left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left atrial volume, right atrial area, right ventricular end-diastolic area, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, right ventricular fractional area change (RV FAC), right ventricular myocardial performance index (Tei index), right ventricular tissue Doppler S' (RV S') velocity, isovolumic myocardial acceleration (IVA), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricular outflow tract systolic excursion (RVOT SE) before and after hemodialysis., Results: The RV S' velocity and RVOT SE parameters, which are indicators of right ventricular systolic function, did not change significantly after hemodialysis (p=0.919, p=0.186). However, the RV FAC, Tei index, IVA and TAPSE values were significantly increased (p<0.001 for all). TAPSE was found to be the only parameter that had a positive correlation with the amount of fluid removed (p=0.041 and r=0.375)., Conclusion: Although RV S' velocity and RVOT SE, was found to be independent of preload, RV FAC, Tei index, IVA and TAPSE values were dependent on preload. In addition, TAPSE correlated with the amount of fluid removed.

Background and Objective: Fluid overload is a common and serious problem that leads to severe complications in dialysis patients. We aimed to compare hydration status as measured with bioimpedance analysis (BIA) method in hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, as well as investigating the association between blood pressure, left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and hydration status., Materials and Methods: We examined 43 HD and 33 PD patients. Blood pressure was recorded. In each group, echocardiographic examinations were performed on all patients. Hydration status was assessed using multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. Overhydration was defined as an overhydration (OH)/extracellular water (ECW) ratio of >0.15., Results: The OH/ECW ratio was significantly higher in PD patients compared to post-HD patients. Overhydration was statistically more frequent in PD than in post-HD patients (30.3% vs. 11.6%, P=0.043). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) in both post-HD and PD groups, and LVMI in the PD group were found to be significantly higher in overhydrated patients than non-overhydrated patients. In multiple linear regression analyses, increased OH/ECW ratio was independently associated with higher SBP and LVMI., Conclusions: Fluid overload may be an even more prevalent and serious problem in PD patients. Overhydration is closely associated with increased blood pressure and LVMI. OH/ECW ratio, a derived parameter of fluid load measured by BIA, was a significant and independent determinant of SBP and LVMI., (Copyright © 2014 Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.)

The common variable immunodeficiency disease (CVID) is the most common symptomatic primary antibody deficiency. It is the most frequently observed cause of panhypogammaglobulinemia in adults. Here, we present a case of systemic amyloidosis that developed secondary to the common variable immunodeficiency disease causing recurrent infections in a young female patient. A 24-year-old female patient, who was under treatment at the gynecology and obstetrics clinic for pelvic inflammatory disease, was referred to our clinic when she was observed to have swellings in her legs, hands, and face. She had proteinuria at a rate of 3.5 gr/day, and her serum albumin was 1.5 gr/dl. The levels of immunoglobulins are IgG: 138 mg/dl, IgA: 22,6 mg/dl, and IgM: 16,8 mg/dl. The renal USG revealed that the kidneys were observed to be enlarged. Since the patient had recurrent infections, hypogammaglobulinemia, nephrotic range proteinuria, and enlarged kidneys in the renal USG, she was thought to have type AA amyloidosis and therefore underwent a renal biopsy. The kidney biopsy revealed amyloid (+). So the patient was diagnosed with AA type of amyloidosis secondary to common variable immunodeficiency disease. A treatment regimen (an ACE inhibitor and a statin) with monthly administration of intravenous immunoglobulin was started.