Search

Hyperthyroidism is associated with increased bone turnover. Besides the hormones of calcium metabolism, locally produced factors are important in maintaining normal bone metabolism. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), in particular, has a major influence on bone turnover. In this study, serum IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels, as well as bone turnover markers and relationships between them, were investigated in hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. A total of 20 female patients with hyperthyroidism, 15 with subclinical hyperthyroidism, 16 with hypothyroidism, and 15 with subclinical hypothyroidism constituted the patient groups. In all, 15 age-matched healthy female volunteers were recruited as controls. When compared with controls, serum TNF-alpha levels showed no significant difference in any of the patient groups (P>.05). In the groups with hyperthyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism, IL-6 levels were significantly higher compared with control group values (P<.05). Hyperthyroid patients showed higher levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin, and a higher urinary deoxypyridinoline/creatinine ratio, compared with controls (P<.05). In subclinical hyperthyroidism, only ALP was found to be higher compared with control values. No significant correlations were made in any group between serum IL-6 or TNF-alpha level and bone turnover markers. Results suggest that serum IL-6 level and markers of bone turnover rate seem to be increased in hyperthyroidism. This finding may support the role of IL-6 in induction of bone turnover in hyperthyroid states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leptin is a 167 amino acid protein encoded by the obesity gene that is synthesized in adipose tissue and interacts with receptors in the hypothalamus linked to the regulation of appetite and metabolism. It is known to suppress appetite and increase energy expenditure. Cyproheptadine is a piperidine antihistamine that increases appetite through its antiserotonergic effect on 5-HT2 receptors in the brain. Although both leptin and cyproheptadine are effective in controlling appetite, their interaction has not been addressed in clinical studies. This study evaluated serum leptin concentrations in patients who received cyproheptadine to treat a variety of disorders. Sixteen patients aged 7 to 71 years (mean, 26.25 years) were given cyproheptadine 2 to 6 mg/day for a minimum of 7 days. Body weight was measured and blood samples were obtained at baseline and after 1 week of treatment. Serum leptin levels were determined by leptin radioimmunoassay. The mean body weight at baseline (52.59 kg) did not differ significantly from that at 1 week after treatment (52.84 kg; P > .05), but the mean leptin level after 1 week of treatment with cyproheptadine (3.14 ng/mL) was 14.2% higher than that at baseline (2.75 ng/mL; P < .05). This increase may suggest that both leptin and cyproheptadine may affect appetite via similar receptors and that cyproheptadine does not impair leptin activity through these receptors. Further study will be necessary to clarify this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives In the literature, there are limited number of studies investigating the relation between depression and inflammatory markers, including cytokines TNF alfa, and IL-6. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between TNF alfa, and IL-6 levels and depression, and anxiety levels in pregnant women. Methods The study group consisted of 145 pregnant women who were their first and singleton pregnancies during their 28–36 weeks of gestation without any chronic physical conditions. They fulfilled Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Their blood was taken after they completed the questionnaires and levels of TNF alfa, and IL-6 were examined. Results The mean age of the participants were 23.2 ± 4.5 years and mean gestation week was 32.9 ± 2.7. According to the EPDS score, we divided the group into 2, as probable depressive (≥ 12) and non-depressive (< 12). There were no difference between the two groups in terms of age, education, and gestational age. Women with depression had significantly higher TNF alfa, and IL-6 levels than non-depressive group. Conclusion Our findings support that depression in pregnant women may be related with inflammatory process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The current study was conducted to measure the prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality and identify predisposing factors of psychological distress among young adults during the pandemic., Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted. The target population consisted of students studying at an associate degree health services school at a university in Turkiye. Overall, 704 students were included in the sample. Multiple logistic regression was implemented to predict risk factors., Results: The prevalence of moderate to extremely severe stress, anxiety, and depression was found to be 39%, 48.4% and 47.6%, respectively. There was a strong positive association between stress and anxiety (r = 0.869, p < 0.001), stress and depression (r = 0.912, p < 0.001), and between anxiety and depression (r = 0.857, p < 0.001). A moderate positive relationship was found between sleep quality and stress (r = 0.484, p < 0.001), sleep quality and anxiety (r = 0.484, p < 0.001), and sleep quality and depression (r = 0.481, p < 0.001). Young adults with poor sleep quality, those who find safety measures for the pandemic outbreak insufficient, those who use alcohol, and those who feel despair were more likely to have stress, anxiety, and depression risk. Age and gender did not affect their stress, anxiety, or depression risk., Conclusions: Nearly half of the young adults experienced varying degrees of stress, anxiety, and depression, and most had poor sleep quality. The insufficiency of outbreak measures, poor sleep quality, using alcohol, and feelings of despair were mutual predictive factors of stress, anxiety, and depression., (© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: The research was conducted to measure the effect of health literacy-grounded web-based education program on health literacy, nutrition and exercise behaviours in adolescents., Background: The increasing prevalence of obesity in adolescents is explained by a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet. Health literacy is essential for adolescents to maintain their healthy behaviours., Methods: The research was conducted as a parallel group randomized controlled trial. The study was completed by 114 adolescents (experimental = 42, control = 72). The Personal Information Form, the Health Literacy Scale for School-Age Children and the Nutrition and Exercise Subscales were used to collect data. A web-based education program was implemented. Two-way mixed design ANOVA with Bonferroni test was used to examine the group, time and group * time interaction of the measurements., Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups regarding health literacy level, nutrition and exercise behaviours pre-test mean scores (p > 0.05). In the post-test, the mean scores of health literacy and nutrition behaviours in the experimental group were higher than the control group (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in exercise behaviours (p > 0.05). The power and effect size in mean scores changes for health literacy (99.8%, η 2  = 0.039) and nutrition (99.8%, η 2  = 0.039) were moderate., Conclusion: The study concluded that health literacy-grounded web-based education program increased the health literacy levels of adolescents and improved their nutritional behaviours; however, there was no sufficient change in exercise behaviours., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objective: It is well known that natural disasters such as earthquakes negatively affect physical and mental health by exposing people to excessive stress. The aim of this study was to investigate determinants of psychosocial health status among the pregnant and postpartum women who experienced earthquake in Türkiye., Methods: Pregnant and postpartum women ( n = 125) living in tent cities in the Kahramanmaraş region formed the study sample. Data were collected between February 20 and 26, 2023, through face-to-face interviews. The instruments used for data collection were the Introductory Form, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, the Traumatic Childbirth Perception Scale, and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-Short Scale., Results: A moderate positive relationship was found between stress and posttraumatic stress and traumatic childbirth perception in pregnant and postpartum women, and a high positive relationship was found between anxiety and depression. A high level of relationship was found between anxiety and stress and depression., Conclusions: It is seen that the psychosocial health of pregnant and postpartum women, who belong to the risk group in the earthquake zone, is at high risk. Psychological support is urgently needed to preserve and improve their psychosocial health.

Objective: The need for home care for elderly people with epilepsy is increasing. This study aims to determine the knowledge and attitudes of the students and examine the effect of the web-based epilepsy education program given to health students who will care for elderly individuals with epilepsy receiving home care., Methods: This quasi-experimental study with a control group pre-post-test research design was conducted with 112 students (intervention: 32/control: 80) studying in the Department of Health Care Services (home care, elderly care) in Turkey. The sociodemographic information form, Epilepsy Knowledge Scale, and Epilepsy Attitude Scale were used for data collection. Web-based training in three two-hour sessions focusing on the medical and social aspects of epilepsy was applied to the intervention group in this study., Results: It was found that the epilepsy knowledge scale score of the intervention group increased from 5.56 (±4.96) to 13.15 (±2.56), and the epilepsy attitude scale score increased from 54.12 (±9.73) to 62.31 (±7.07) after the training. After the training; there was a significant difference in all items except the 5th item in the knowledge scale and the 14th item in the attitude scale (p < 0.05)., Significance: In the study; it has been found that the web-based epilepsy education program provided increases students' knowledge and develops positive attitudes. This study will provide evidence for strategies to be developed to improve the quality of care for elderly patients with epilepsy who are cared for at home., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: This study was conducted to examine the knowledge and attitudes that students in the field of healthcare services have about epilepsy., Method: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted with 312 students of the Department of Health Care Services (home patient and elderly care) in Turkey. The data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, the Epilepsy Knowledge Level Scale, and the Attitudes Towards Epilepsy Scale. Descriptive statistics, the Shapiro-Wilk test, the Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis H test and the Spearman correlation test were used to analyze the data. Significance was considered as p < 0.05., Results: Students in the field of healthcare services constituted the sample of the study, and more than half of the students (68.3%) were female. The mean scores obtained from the Epilepsy Knowledge Scale and the Epilepsy Attitude Scale were 8.38 ± 4.29 and 60.02 ± 7.28 respectively. A positive and significant relationship was found between the students' knowledge and attitude scores about epilepsy (p < 0.01). It was found that students' attitudes toward epilepsy positively increased as their knowledge increased. It was observed that female students who received education about epilepsy, witnessed seizures, and had relatives with epilepsy had more positive attitudes toward epilepsy., Conclusion: In this study, it was found that the student participants had a moderate level of knowledge about epilepsy and exhibited a positive attitude toward epilepsy. It was determined that the students' attitudes toward epilepsy positively increased as their level of knowledge about epilepsy increased., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to examine the fear of coronavirus and the health literacy levels of older adults during the pandemic. The sample consisted of 304 older adults from five family health centers in Turkey between April and May 2021. The data were collected using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and the Health Literacy Scale. The fear of COVID-19 was found to be higher in women, those with chronic diseases, and those who found the epidemic measures insufficient (p < 0.05). The health literacy level was found to be higher in those with high education level, those in the 65-74 age group, and those with not using regular medicine (p < 0.001). The health literacy of older adults was a slightly above moderate level and the fear of COVID-19 was at a moderate level. Health literacy levels of older adults may be increased with written, visual, and verbal health trainings., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The present study was conducted to investigate pesticide residues on peach and nectarine. For method verification, samples were spiked at 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 times of maximum residue limit (MRL) for each pesticide. The Quick-Easy-Cheap-Efficient-Rugged-Safe (QuEChERS)-liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry detection revealed that limit of quantifications (LOQs) of pesticides were below the MRL. The overall recovery was 113.51% with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 17.33% for peach and 113.61% with RSD of 11.44% for nectarine. These figures were within the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (SANTE) recovery limits (60-140%) and the values specified for the repeatability (RSD ≤ 20%). Samples were collected from 5 different stands at Çanakkale open markets for 12 weeks. None of the residues was not ≥ MRL in any samples. Maximum levels of 567.80 and 322.10 μg/kg boscalid were detected in peach and nectarine, respectively, corresponding approximately 1/10 and 1/15 of the MRL. Maximum levels for tebuconazole were about 1/12 and 1/10 of the MRL for peach (47.53 μg/kg) and nectarine (56.90 μg/kg), respectively. Chlorpyrifos residues of all samples were below LOQ. According to our findings and the World Health Organisation Guideline, chronic exposure levels of pesticides were low and there is no risk to human health in terms of 3 pesticides., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Although spontaneous and simultaneous bilateral hip fractures without trauma are seen rarely, epileptic seizures may lead to these fractures. We present an 82-year-old female patient with poor bone quality and a 20-year history of epilepsy. She had been using anticonvulsant drugs for almost 20 years. Following a convulsive epileptic attack, bilateral intertrochanteric femur fractures occurred (causing bilateral hip pain), which was diagnosed on the 12th day. An earlier pelvic anteroposterior roentgenogram would be helpful for early diagnosis. It should not be forgotten that bone fractures may be observed without trauma in epilepsy patients.

Increased oxidative stress is a well-known phenomenon in dialysis patients. However, the contribution of hypertension to the oxidative stress in peritoneal dialysis patients has not yet been assessed. The present study aimed to investigate if hypertension had an additional effect on oxidative stress in peritoneal dialysis patients. A total of 50 patients treated with peritoneal dialysis were divided into two groups: The patients with mean of last three blood pressure results as 135/90 mmHg and above were considered hypertensive, the patients with lower blood pressure were considered normotensive. The control group included 25 healthy individuals. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels were measured in all groups. MDA level, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, was significantly higher in the hypertensive group compared to the control group, while the increase in the normotensive group was not significant. However, the difference between the hypertensive and normotensive groups was significant. The levels of AOPP, an indicator of protein oxidation level, and MPO, an indicator of neutrophil activation, were not different between the groups, while the activities of antioxidant CAT and GSH-Px decreased in both normotensive and hypertensive groups compared to the control group, and there was no significant difference between the patient groups. This study shows that both normotensive and hypertensive peritoneal dialysis patients have increased-oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant levels and hypertension might have an additional effect on oxidative stress by increasing MDA level in peritoneal dialysis patients., (Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Objective: We have investigated the effects of active and passive smoking on renal functions in terms of glomerular filtration rate, microalbuminuria, and β-2 microglobulin excretion., Design and Method: The volunteers included in this study were classified into three groups as active smokers (n = 24), passive smokers (n = 20), and controls (n = 20). Blood and urine samples were collected from all groups. Serum glucose, urea, creatinine, and cotinine levels in the collected blood samples were measured. Also, microalbumin, β-2 microglobulin, and creatinine levels were measured in the collected urine samples., Results: Serum cotinine levels were found to be higher in both passive and active smokers when compared with controls ( p < 0.01), whereas urinary microalbumin and creatinine levels were significantly higher in active smokers ( p < 0.01). The urinary microalbumin/creatinine ratio was significantly increased in both active and passive smokers compared with controls., Conclusion: The kidney and the glomerular functions may be affected even by passive smoking. In addition, increased microalbumin/creatinine ratio may be a sign of increased atherosclerosis risk in these persons.

Objectives: Thoracic pedicle screw fixation has many advantages over other methods of spinal fixation in treating various conditions. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of pedicle screw fixation in the thoracic spine., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 144 patients (65 males, 79 females; mean age 38 years; range 9 to 82 years) who underwent posterior thoracic pedicle screw instrumentation. A total of 827 thoracic pedicle screws were inserted to the thoracic spine (T1-12) by the same senior spine surgeon using the free-hand technique. Indications for thoracic spine surgery were deformities (n=47, 32.6%), metastatic or primary tumors (n=15, 10.4%), spinal infections (n=7, 4.9%), degenerative diseases (n=13, 9%), and spinal trauma (n=62, 43.1%). Screw containment was assessed by three independent reviewers on postoperative plain radiographs. In addition, thin-slice computed tomography scans were obtained in 21 suspected cases (29 screws)., Results: Screw containment was found in 94.3% (780 screws). Incorrect screw placement was found in 47 screws (5.7%), including 31 screws (3.8%) demonstrated by plain radiographs, and 16 screws (1.9%) demonstrated by thin-slice computed tomography scans. More than half of the faulty screws (n=24, 51.1%) were detected in scoliosis patients, especially on the concave side of the curvature (83.3%). The most frequent site of faulty screw placement was the T8 level (21.3%). No symptoms or complications occurred related to faulty screw placement., Conclusion: The high accuracy of thoracic pedicle screw placement (94.3%) using the free-hand technique suggests that pedicle screw fixation of the thoracic spine is safe, reliable, and useful in the treatment of all types of spinal diseases.

Introduction: Myringosclerosis, one of the most common complications of ventilation tube placement, is a kind of tympanosclerosis and is defined as subepithelial hyalinization of the tympanic membrane. There are two arguments in the development of myringosclerosis: inflammation triggering the development of myringosclerosis and free oxygen radicals released during inflammation causing myringosclerosis., Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore the effects on the development of myringosclerosis of mitomycin, which has anti-inflammatory effects, and trimetazidine, which is believed to inhibit free oxygen radicals when given systemically., Materials and Method: The study was carried out on rabbits. Animals were divided into five groups, with six rabbits in each group: three control groups (paracentesis only, paracentesis+tube placement, and no intervention), a trimetazidine group, and a mitomycin group. Mitomycin (0.4 mg/mL) and trimetazidine (20 mg/mL) were applied topically to the tympanic membrane, and the presence and degree of sclerosis were graded histopathologically after Masson's trichrome staining., Results: In the histopathologic examination, sclerosis that developed in the tympanic membranes of rabbits that had undergone paracentesis or paracentesis plus tube application or received trimetazidine was significantly more extensive than sclerosis in the membranes of unoperated animals and those that had been administered mitomycin., Conclusions: Paracentesis in rabbits, independent of tube placement, causes sclerosis of the tympanic membrane. Results show that topical use of mitomycin, due to its anti-inflammatory effect, had alleviating effects on myringosclerosis, whereas topical trimetazidine did not.

Objectives: Rhinolithiasis is the presence of mineralized and calcareous formations located in the nasal cavity. They have rare occurrence and can be easily confused with infection or obstruction of upper airways. If they are undetected for a long time, they may grow large enough to cause of nasal obstruction, mimicking sinusitis. Seven cases of rhinolithiasis were presented, and their diagnosis was made by rigid endoscopic nasal examination. Also computerized tomography scan was used to describe the size and site of the rhinoliths accurately. Our purpose was to determine the role of rigid nasal endoscopy in the diagnosis and the treatment of rhinolithiasis., Methods: In this study, seven cases of rhinolithiasis, who were diagnosed and treated by rigid nasal endoscopy were presented., Results: Between January 2000 and November 2004, seven cases (four males and three females; age ranged from 8 to 45 years) with rhinolithiasis were diagnosed. The most frequent symptoms were nasal obstruction with purulent rhinorhea, nasal and oral malodor. As complementary examinations, computerized tomography and simple X-ray of paranasal sinuses were used to locate and measure the dimension of calcareous mass, and to reveal possible invasion of the adjacent structures. The removal of rhinolithiasis was done with rigid nasal endoscopy under topical anesthesia in six cases and general anesthesia in one case., Conclusion: Rhinolithiasis is a rare condition but must always be suspected in patients with long standing nasal obstruction, nasal and oral malodor, purulent rhinorrhea and chronic headache.

Aim: This study has been carried out to see whether renal function is acutely altered in patients undergoing sevoflurane anaesthesia. For this purpose, the urinary levels of markers of renal tubular function, namely leucine amino peptidase (LAP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and beta-2 microglobulin (beta-2M), and urinary albumin as a predictor of renal glomerular function were measured before and after sevoflurane anaesthesia., Methods: This study was comprised of 20 patients (11 males and nine females) aged 18-55, who underwent various elective surgical procedures under general anaesthesia. Urine samples of all patients were collected before and 1, 2 and 8 h after the anaesthesia. The levels of LAP, GGT, beta-2M, and albumin were then expressed as factored by urinary creatinine. In all patients, the anaesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane (2% end-tidal) at a high flow-rate (6 L/min)., Results: Urinary beta-2M and LAP levels after anaesthesia were unchanged (P > 0.05). While urinary GGT and ALP levels were found elevated in the first hour, LDH levels were higher in the second hour (P < 0.05). They returned to normal levels in the later periods after the anaesthesia. Urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was significantly elevated in the second hour after the anaesthesia (P < 0.001). Although UAE was decreased in the eighth hour after the anaesthesia, it still remained higher than the pre-anaesthesia level (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: These results suggest that a 2% end-tidal concentration of sevoflurane at a high flow-rate (6 L/min) acutely alters renal glomerular function but does not have a significant acute effect on biochemical markers of renal tubular damage.

Water extract of Ballota glandulosissima Hub.-Mor & Patzak (Lamiaceae) (BG) was investigated for anti-inflammatory activity using the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema test and for hepatoprotective effect on carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Biochemical parameters of hepatic damage such as serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin concentrations were determined. CCl(4) (0.8 mL/kg i.p. for 7 days) treatment increased the serum AST, ALT, ALP and bilirubin levels significantly as compared to controls. Treatment of animals with BG (100 mg/kg, i.p.) +CCl(4) (0.8 mL/kg i.p.) for 7 days significantly ameliorated the levels of AST, ALT and ALP elevated by the CCl(4) treatment alone. The results of biochemical tests were also confirmed by histopathological examination. BG together with CCl(4) treatment decreased the balloning degeneration but did not produced apoptosis of hepatocytes, centrilobular and bridging necrosis observed in the CCl(4) treatment alone. BG, at 100 mg/kg per os, showed a significant reduction (34.22%) in rat paw oedema induced by carrageenan. The reference anti-inflammatory drugs etodolac (50 mg/kg, p.o.) and indomethacin (3 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the oedeme by 43.42 and 95.70%, respectively. The present study reveals that the water extract of Ballota glandulosissima possesses promising protective activity against CCl(4) induced hepatic damage and anti-inflammatory activity in rats.

Objective: Antioxidant enzymes status was investigated in children with acute otitis media (AOM) and acute tonsillitis. The aim was to determine the effect of oxidative damage due to free radicals on the antioxidant enzymes status in children with AOM and acute tonsillitis., Methods: We measured erythrocyte levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and activity of serum catalase, ceruloplasmin, albumin and total bilirubin in 23 children with AOM, 27 with acute tonsillitis and 17 control subjects., Results: There was statistically significant difference between the groups for all parameters. All antioxidant activities except for albumin level were increased in the studies groups. When the values of AOM and acute tonsillitis were compared, there was statistically significant difference between the groups for erythrocyte GPx., Conclusion: Our findings indicate that not only a few antioxidant enzymes but almost all antioxidant activities showed a significant enhancement in children with AOM and acute tonsillitis.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of unknown aetiology, and recognised as a multi-system vasculitis. It has been postulated that an imbalance of the oxidant and antioxidant systems related to the disease are important in its pathogenesis. Previous publications have reported increased levels of enzymatic antioxidant defence systems in patients with BD. The non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, including vitamin C and uric acid, were looked for in the present study. For this aim, the serum malondialdehyde (MDA), an end product of lipid peroxidation, and vitamin C and uric acid, as endogenous antioxidants, were determined in 20 patients with BD (11 in active and 9 in inactive periods) and 20 healthy subjects. The MDA level was significantly higher in both the active and inactive period patients compared with the control group (p < 0.001, p < 0.05, respectively). The MDA level was also significantly higher in the active period patients compared with the inactive period patients (p < 0.05). The vitamin C levels were significantly lower in both the active and inactive period patients compared with the control group (p < 0.001, p < 0.05, respectively). There was no significant difference in the vitamin C level between the active and inactive period patients (p > 0.05). There was also no significant difference in uric acid levels between the groups (p > 0.05). In the patients group, a negative correlation was found between the levels of serum MDA and vitamin C (r=-0.517; p < 0.05). Our results indicate that decreased vitamin C and increased MDA levels reflect the increased levels of oxidative stress in BD patients, and this situation may be important in relation with its pathogenesis.

In this study, we investigated the effects of erythropoietin (Epo), and pentoxifylline (Ptx) on the oxidant and antioxidant systems in the experimental short bowel syndrome. Spraque-Dawley rats were divided into four groups and all animals underwent 75% small bowel resection. Group E was treated with 500 IU kg(- 1) Epo subcutaneously (s.c.), group P with 50 mg kg(- 1) day(- 1) s.c. Ptx and group E+P with 500 IU kg(- 1) s.c. Epo plus 50 mg kg(- 1) day(- 1) s.c. Ptx for a period of 28 days. In group C, which is the control group, no drug treatment was given. At the end of 28 days the experimented rats were killed and ileum samples excised for biochemical and histopathological testing. Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels were determined in ileum homogenates. When compared to group C, the MDA and GSH-Px levels were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), but SOD activity was not changed (p > 0.05) in groups P and E+P, whereas both MDA and SOD and also GSH-Px activities were not changed significantly in group E (p > 0.05). The average villous length, crypt depth, muscular thickness and mucosal length were measured in all groups. The average crypt depth and mucosal length were statistically higher in the group P than group C (p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively). In addition, the crypt depth was statistically higher in both E and E+P groups as compared to group C (p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively). Therefore, our study indicates that Ptx may be more effective than Epo in reducing lipid peroxidation. Moreover, we considered that Ptx may give this protective effect by inhibiting the free oxygen radicals to a greater extent than developing the antioxidant capacity., (Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) results from food insufficiency as well as from poor social and economic conditions. Development of PEM is due to insufficient nutrition. Children with PEM lose their resistance to infections because of a disordered immune system. It has been reported that the changes occurring in mediators referred to as cytokines in the immune system may be indicators of the disorders associated with PEM., Aims: To determine the concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in children with PEM, and to find out whether there was an association with the clinical presentation of PEM., Methods: The levels of serum total protein, albumin, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 were measured in 25 patients with PEM and in 18 healthy children as a control group. PEM was divided into two groups as kwashiorkor and marasmus. The kwashiorkor group consisted of 15 children and the marasmus group consisted of 10 children., Results: Levels of serum total protein and albumin of the kwashiorkor group were significantly lower than both the marasmus group and controls (p < 0.05). In view of tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels, there was no difference between groups (p > 0.05). While levels of interleukin-6 in both the marasmus group and the kwashiorkor group were significantly higher compared with controls (p < 0.05), there was no significant difference between the groups of marasmus and kwashiorkor (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: It was observed that the inflammatory response had increased in children with malnutrition.

In this study, we studied serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, thyroid hormones (total thyroxine, free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone), parathyroid hormone, and osteocalcine levels in children with epilepsy who had been receiving long-term valproate (VPA) therapy in order to determine whether there was any effect of VPA therapy on these hormones. The study included 31 patients with epilepsy receiving VPA and 22 healthy age-matched controls. The age ranged from 15 months to 16 years and 18 months to 17 years in the study and control group, respectively. The duration of VPA use was between 12 months and 5 years (1.93 +/- 1.90 years). When comparing the results, we did not find any significant difference in any of the parameters, including serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcine, and thyroid and parathyroid hormone levels, between the study and control group. We suggest that VPA can safely be used with regard to thyroid and parathyroid dysfunction in childhood epilepsy.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1beta are pro-inflammatory cytokines, causing myocardial dysfunction and a negative inotropic effect. The drugs used to treat heart failure affect the production of cytokines. Digoxin, on which this study was focused, is one of the drugs for the treatment of heart failure., Aim: The present study was designed to examine the early effects of high doses of digoxin on the production of cytokines in healthy dogs., Methods: Digoxin was given parenterally to dogs at 0.15 mg/kg. IL-1beta and TNF-alpha production and levels of digoxin in the serum were measured 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h following administration of digoxin., Results: As the levels of serum digoxin taken at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h of administration were considered significantly high compared with preceding values (p < 0.001), no notable change in serum IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels was observed., Conclusions: These results suggest that high doses of digoxin do not cause a significant cytokine production in heart muscle in the early phase.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare serum levels of cytokeratin-18 of patients with bladder cancer with those of the healthy controls, and to investigate the relation between cytokeratin level and the tumor stage., Design and Methods: Serum cytokeratin-18 levels of 38 patients with bladder cancer and of 25 healthy people were determined. Tumor stage was T(1) in 12 patients, T(2) in 9 patients, T(3) in 10 patients and T(4) in 7 patients. The serum cytokeratin-18 levels in these cases were analyzed with respect to the stage of the tumor., Results: Cytokeratin-18 level in the patient group was found to be significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.010) when the groups were totally compared. However, when the levels in patients with different tumor stages were compared with that of the controls, the difference was not significant in patients with stage 1 and 2 tumors (p > 0.05). Regarding the cut off value as 4.0 ng/mL, sensitivity and specificity for serum cytokeratin-18 were found to be 53% and 72% respectively. When sensitivity was calculated with respect to tumor stages, it was 8% for T(1,) 33% for T(2,) 90% for T(3) and 100% for T(4.) On the other hand, considering higher stage (T(3) and T(4)) tumors only, the sensitivity was calculated as 94%, but the sensitivity for lower stage (T(1) and T(2)) tumors was 19%., Conclusions: It is clear that serum cytokeratin-18 level increases in patients with bladder cancer. However, it can only be useful as a tumor marker in the diagnosis of T(3) and higher staged tumors. This study indicated that cytokeratin-18 does not have any diagnostic value in lower stage bladder cancers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the change in lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities in healthy subjects and to evaluate the concentrations of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde, an end product of lipid peroxidation in exercise and smoking. Study included 257 appearently healthy individuals, 133 males and 124 females. In all subjects, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were analyzed as an indicator of the lipid peroxidation activities. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase activities were measured as an indicator of antioxidant activities. Oxidative stress was estimated by the method based on thiobarbituric acid reactivity. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were estimated on hemolysates by use of commercial available kits (Randox lab., Dublin, Ireland). For all groups serum lipid peroxidation and erythrocyte SOD and GSH-Px were obtained at the initial and the following periods. Serum MDA level was higher in the elderly than in the children and in the adults. MDA levels were higher in the smoking, acute exercise than their counterparts in the control groups. GSH-Px activity was significantly lower in the acute exercise group, and higher in the trained group than those as controls. SOD decreased in the elderly, smoking and acute exercise groups and increased in trained individuals. There was a significant increase in lipid peroxidation activity and a significant decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity in cases of acute exercise and smoking as well as the elderly.

Leptin is a recently found hormone regulating body weight. In human obesity, this weight-regulating hormone level is in a positive correlation with FMI (fat mass index) and BMI (body mass index). In this study, we aimed to investigate the relation between serum leptin levels and BMI, PF (percentage fat), LMI (lean mass ındex), FMI and some other parameters of patients with haematologic malignant diseases. Fourty-four patients with haematologic malignant diseases and 25 healthy control group were taken into the study. In the comparison, there were no significant difference between the PF and FMI values of both groups, while the mean BMI and LMI values of the control group were significantly higher than that of the patient group. There was a positive correlation between leptin levels and BMI and FMI among parameters studied in our control group, whereas we couldn't demostrate any such correlation in patient group. We estimate that the alteration may be due to disturbances in the feed back mechanism developing in patient with haematologic malignancy.

Cardiac troponin levels are regarded as the most specific of currently available biochemical markers of myocardial damage. Elevated levels of troponin have been previously reported in patients with left heart failure, reflecting small areas of undetected myocardial cell death. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in patients with left- and right-sided heart failure. Cardiac troponin I levels were studied with immunochemical methods in patients with right heart failure (n = 17) resulting from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic left heart failure (n = 23), and nonischemic left heart failure (n = 18) who were admitted to departments of cardiology and chest diseases. Also, cTnI levels were measured in 32 healthy subjects as control group. Protein markers of myocardial injury (cTnI and myoglobin) in patients with left and right heart failure were collected approximately 12 to 36 hours after onset of obvious symptoms. Serum creatine kinase MB band was determined on admission and thereafter twice a day during the first 3 days. Elevated levels of serum cTnI were found in patients with nonischemic (0.83 +/- 0.6 ng/mL, p<0.01) and ischemic left heart failure (0.9 +/- 0.5 ng/mL, p<0.01) when compared to healthy subjects, whereas serum cTnI levels in patients with right heart failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were not significantly different from those of control subjects (0.22 +/- 0.1 vs 0.16 +/- 0.1 ng/mL, p>0.05). In addition, creatine kinase MB band and myoglobin levels were not significantly different between patient and healthy groups. The mean of cTnI levels in ischemic and even nonischemic left heart failure were increased compared to the mean of values in healthy individuals but without significant creatine kinase MB band and myoglobin elevations. But cTnI levels were not increased in patients with right heart failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These data indicate that the cTnI levels are abnormal in left heart failure but not in cor pulmonale.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary treatment on serum and erythrocyte lipid peroxidation and erythrocyte antioxidative enzyme activity of patients with Type 2 diabetes., Design and Methods: A total of 30 patients with newly diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes were enrolled to the study. A total of 30 healthy subjects served as controls. Diabetic patients were given standard dietary treatment that was composed of 50% to 55% carbohydrate and 30% fat for 2 months. No diet was applied for controls. For both groups serum and erythrocyte lipid peroxidation and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were obtained at first and at the end of 2 months., Results: Diabetic patients had higher serum and erythrocyte lipid peroxidation than those of controls before dietary treatment(p < 0.05). However, there was no absolute differences in erythrocyte SOD and GSH-Px (p > 0.05). At the end of 2 months of dietary treatment, while diabetics had still higher glucose and erythrocyte lipid peroxidation than controls (p < 0.05), serum lipid peroxidation, erythrocyte SOD, and GSH-Px levels did not differ significantly from those of controls (p > 0.05). In diabetic patients, after 2 months of dietary treatment, whereas serum and erythrocyte lipid peroxidation decreased, erythrocyte SOD and GSH-Px activities showed significant increase (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Our results showed significant alteration in serum and erythrocyte lipid peroxidation and erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme status of patients with Type 2 diabetes by dietary treatment. However, whether such alterations have clinical importance for diabetic patients needs further investigation.