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Objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a medical condition defined by persistent airflow limitation and respiratory symptoms caused by airway and/or alveolar abnormalities. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is one of the cardiovascular comorbidities associated with COPD. We investigated the correlation of NLRC3 levels in patients with COPD with prognostic and surrogate parameters of PH on echocardiography and examined whether it could be used to predict PH in this patient population. Methods: A total of 80 patients diagnosed with COPD and 40 healthy volunteers as the control group were included in the study. The COPD group was further divided into two subgroups according to the systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) as follows: sPAP<35 mmHg and sPAP≥35 mmHg. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to determine the levels of NLRC3 in peripheral blood. Results: Patients with sPAP≥35 mmHg had a lower mean NLRC3 level than those with sPAP<35 mmHg (P=0.006). The NLRC3 levels showed a significant negative correlation with sPAP, tricuspid regurgitation velocity, right atrium, and pulmonary artery diameter. For NLRC3, the cut-off value was found to be 271,486 ng/L, with a sensitivity of 74%, and specificity of 63% in distinguishing patients with sPAP≥35 mmHg from all patients with sPAP<35 mmHg. Conclusion: Our study results suggest that NLRC3 levels measured from peripheral blood are predictive of PH in patients with COPD. Although the exact function of NLRC3 in the lungs, COPD, and PH have not been completely understood, we believe these findings will serve as a model for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methemoglobinemia is a serious hematological disease characterized by the incapability of sufficient oxygen delivery to tissues and cyanosis when iron within hemoglobin in ferrous form (Fe+2) is oxidized to ferric form (Fe+3). Methemoglobinemia may be congenital or acquired. While prilocaine-induced methemoglobinemia can be seen in newborns and early pediatric ages, it is a rare condition in adults. We aimed to investigate prilocaine-induced adult methemoglobinemia with four cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Asthma controller medications can be delivered via pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) or dry powder inhaler (DPI) devices. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of exacerbations and satisfaction rate with device use in asthmatics using pMDIs or DPIs. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted in adults who used pMDIs or DPIs with correct inhaler technique and good adherence for asthma treatment. Demographic and asthma-related characteristics of the subjects and data regarding device satisfaction were collected through a face-to-face interview in the outpatient clinic. Rates of pMDI and DPI users and the data were compared between the two groups. Results: The study included 338 patients (mean age: 48.6 ± 14.5 years, 253 [74.9%] women). Among participants, 96 (28.4%) were using pMDI and 242 (71.6%) were using DPI. The age of patients using pMDI were significantly lower compared with DPI users. No significant difference was observed in terms of device satisfaction and clinical outcomes of asthma between pMDI and DPI users with good inhaler technique and good adherence. Conclusion: More asthmatics use DPIs, however, pMDIs are used in younger asthmatic patients. No significant difference in terms of device satisfaction and clinical outcomes of asthma was observed between pMDI and DPI users.

Mean platelet volume (MPV) can provide important information about the course and prognosis of many diseases. MPV is an early indicator of platelet activation, which has an important role in the pathogenesis of thrombosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether MPV was a predictive marker for the development of thrombosis in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection. Fifty-seven patients whose courses were followed after the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection using a polymerase chain reaction test during the pandemic were included in the study. Our results demonstrated that there was a negative correlation between platelet count and MPV (r=0.470, p≤ 0.01), and there was a positive correlation between Platelet Distribution Width (PDW) and MPV (r=0,933, p≤ 0.01), but no significant correlation was found between the other variables and MPV.