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OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) still continues to be a serious public health problem worldwide. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a marker of platelet function and activation. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between MPV in acute hepatitis A patients as compared to the control group and to assess MPV as an acute phase reactant in acute hepatitis A. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-six patients were enrolled in this study. The control group consisted of 41 healthy age- and sexmatched individuals. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), bilirubin, prothrombin time (PT), platelet count (PC), serum albumin (ALB), and mean platelet volume (MPV) levels were recorded. The diagnosis of HAV infection was based on anti-HAV Ig M positivity. RESULTS: The mean levels of MPV in the study group were significantly statistically lower than in the control group (p < 0.001). The MPV levels revealed no correlation with the ALT, AST, ALP, and GGT levels (p > 0.05), but the MPV levels correlated with the platelet counts (p < 0.05). A 9.75 fL [area under the curve (AUC: 0.756)] optimal cutoff level of MPV with a sensitivity of 69.7% and specificity of 68.3% was determined in the children with acute hepatitis A. CONCLUSIONS: MPV levels were significantly lower in the patients with acute hepatitis A as compared to the healthy control group. This study demonstrated that MPV may be a negative acute phase reactant for acute hepatitis A. Further studies will explain the role that MPV plays in inflammation and other viral infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Here we present the patients whose body mass index is in the normal range and who visited with the complaint of headache. The differences in lipid profile in this group compared to healthy children and the risk factors that may be associated with this were investigated., Materials and Methods: 195 patients who applied to the Pediatric Neurology outpatient clinic with headache complaints between April 2021 and October 2022 were retrospectively examined. 201 healthy children were included as the control group. The gender, age, headache type, lipid profile blood test after at least 8 h of fasting [total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglyceride (TG), and TG/HDL ratio], and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. Those patients who had a BMI range of 18.5-24.9 kg/m 2 were included in the study., Results: The study group had 195 patients; 118 girls (60.5%). The average age was 12,57 ± 3,48 years, and 114 patients (58.5%) had tension-type headaches and 81 (41.5%) had migraine-type headaches. There was no significant difference in age and gender between the two groups. Blood pressure, folate, and thyroid function tests were normal. In the lipid profile, a significant difference was observed between total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and TG in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). However, there was no difference in the TG/HDL ratio between those two groups. No significant statistical difference was observed in the lipid profile and other laboratory findings between headache types., Conclusion: In children presenting with headache complaints, which can be both worrying for families and cause significant loss of functionality, it is detectable (obviously) that headache is an important marker for dyslipidemia; even if BMI is in a normal range. The lipid profile should be seen both to control the complaint with an appropriate diet and to observe the risk of future atherosclerotic processes., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Belgian Neurological Society.)

Background: This study examines the frequency of problematic internet use and sleep problems in adolescents aged 14-18 years during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies the impact of factors such as sociodemographic characteristics, internet habits, changes in daily life, and perceived social support on these problems., Methods: This multicentre study was a questionnaire-based online survey study. The questionnaire included the Young Internet Addiction Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, as well as questions about demographic information, internet habits, and changes in daily life during pandemic. Several multivariate Backward logistic regression models were run to determine the variables that predicted problematic internet use and poor sleep quality., Results: It was determined that the frequency of problematic internet use was 15.5%, and the frequency of poor sleep quality was 47.8%. Poor sleep quality was found 2.5 times higher in problematic internet users. The perceived social support was found insufficient in adolescents with problematic internet use and poor sleep quality. Various factors such as the excessive use of internet and social media, low school success, lack of physical activity, lack of rules for internet use at home, and worsening of relationships with parents were found to be predictive factors for these problems., Conclusions: Problematic internet use during the pandemic is associated with worsening sleep quality in adolescents. It is important to create special interventions for problematic internet use and sleep problems that develop in adolescents as a result of restrictions during the pandemic., (© 2022 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.)

Brucellosis which is a zoonotic infection, is an important public health problem in Turkey and all over the world. The disease may involve many organs and systems. Since the symptoms of brucellosis are non-specific, difficulties in differential diagnosis and misdiagnosis are frequent. In this case report we present a case of brucellosis, misdiagnosed as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). A 13-year-old boy was referred from another medical center with preliminary diagnosis of CCHF and admitted to our clinic with fever and a history of presence of a tick on his back. His physical observation only included splenomegaly. The laboratory results on admission were anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevation of acute phase reactants and liver transaminase levels. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed splenomegaly. Since the patient had anemia, epistaxis, fever and thrombocytopenia, he was initially diagnosed as CCHF. Meantime serum sample of the patient had been sent to Refik Saydam National Public Health Agency for CCHF PCR test. The fever of the patient could not be controlled. His detailed medical history revealed stockbreeding and consumption of raw milk products. Patient's signs and symptoms were also compatible with brucellosis and standard tube agglutination test for brucellosis was positive at 1/1280 titer in serum. The patient was diagnosed as brucellosis and the treatment was started with combination of rifampicin (1 x 600 mg/day) and doxycycline (2 x 100 mg/day). Blood cultures yielded negative result. The PCR tests for CCHF was found also negative. His fever and other complaints improved with treatment which was completed in six weeks and the follow-up was without complications. Turkey is endemic both for brucellosis and CCHF. This case was reported to emphasize that the cases of brucellosis could mimic other diseases and brucellosis should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of CCHF.