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Aim: COVID-19 is an epidemic communicable disease that has been declared as a pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Clinical studies have demonstrated that advanced age and comorbid conditions enhance the severity of the infection. The objective of this study was to examine the of effects of blood group types on risk of infection, disease severity, and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Material and Method: Included in this study were 1618 patients who had been diagnosed with PCR confirmed COVID-19 infection. The age, gender, blood type, disease severity, need for intensive care, and deaths of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. For the distribution of the blood types in a healthy population, statistics for the blood types of individuals in Ankara for 2020 were obtained from the Republic of Turkey Red Crescent Blood Services and used as a healthy control group for comparison with the data of the patients included in the study. Results: Among the COVID-19 patients, blood type A was the most common type at a rate of 46.2%. This was followed by blood type O at a rate of 28.4%. The least common blood type was found to be type AB at a rate of 9%. When compared to the healthy population, blood type A was determined to be statistically significantly more common in COVID-19 infection (p=0.07,). In contrast, blood type O was determined to be less common when compared to the healthy population (p

Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate proline metabolism in patients affected by COVID-19. Materials and Methods This case-control study consisted of 116 patients with COVID-19 and 46 healthy individuals. Tests related to proline metabolism (prolidase, proline, hydroxyproline, glutamic acid, manganese) and copper and zinc tests were analyzed. Results The levels of proline and hydroxyproline amino acids and the prolidase enzyme were found to be lower and glutamic acid was found to be higher in the COVID-19 group compared to the healthy group (P = .012, P < .001, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively). The copper/zinc ratio was higher in patients with COVID-19 than in healthy individuals (P < .001). Significant correlations were found between proline metabolism tests and inflammatory and hemostatic markers commonly used in COVID-19. Conclusion The proline metabolic pathway was affected in COVID-19. Relationships between proline pathway–related tests and inflammatory/hemostatic markers supported the roles of proline metabolism in proinflammatory and immune response processes.

In this study, we aimed to investigate whether degree of pneumonia and COVID-19 prognosis are associated with serum endocan levels at the early stage, when vascular damage has started. Patients between the ages of 18–85 years who were hospitalized and followed up with a diagnosis of COVID-19 were included in the study. A total of 80 patients were divided into 2 groups as mild/moderate pneumonia and severe pneumonia. Serum endocan levels were measured on the 8th day from the onset of symptoms in all patients. Of the 80 patients included in the study, 56.3% were female and 43.8% were male. There was no significant relationship between serum endocan levels and degree of pneumonia ( P = .220) and prognosis of the disease ( P = .761). The correlation analysis indicated a weak positive correlation between serum endocan levels and lactate level in venous blood gas (r = .270; P = .037). During the 28-day follow-up, the mortality rate was 3.75%. It was determined that the serum endocan levels was not associated with the degree of pneumonia and was not an early prognostic marker for COVID-19.

The clinical spectrum of autoimmune gastritis is silent in the early stages of the disease and no specific symptom is related to this entity. Although gastroscopic findings of this entity are well defined, data regarding colonoscopic findings are limited. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of colonoscopic findings and to explore factors that might affect these findings. This is a retrospective chart review of patients with autoimmune gastritis (n=240). Data regarding colonoscopic findings, serum gastrin and chromogranin A (CgA) levels and gastric histopathological results were extracted and compared with 550 patients positive for Helicobacter pylori and gastric atrophy. Control subjects had colonoscopy and gastroscopy with biopsies. Colorectal lesions were observed in 64 (26.6%) of patients with autoimmune gastritis and 36 (6.6%) patients had colorectal lesions in the control group (p

Aim: COVID-19 is a pandemic that causes high morbidity and mortality, especially in severe patients. In this study, we aimed to search and explain the relationship between biochemical markers, which are more common, easily available and applicable to diagnose and to stage the disease. Materials & methods: In this study, 609 patients were evaluated retrospectively. 11 biochemical parameters were included in analysis to explain the relationship with severity of disease. Results: Nearly, all the parameters that have been evaluated in this study were statistically valuable as a predictive parameter for severe disease. Areas under the curve of blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/albumin ratio (BAR), CALL score and lymphocyte/C-reactive protein ratio were 0.795, 0.778 and 0.770. The BUN/BAR and neutrophil/albumin ratios provide important prognostic information for decision-making in severe patients with COVID-19. Conclusion: High BUN/BAR and neutrophil/albumin ratios may be a better predictor of severity COVID-19 than other routinely used parameters in admission., Graphical abstract

Symptoms of patients with autoimmune gastritis are not specific, and some patients may present symptoms suggestive of delayed gastric emptying. This study aims to investigate whether any delay in gastric emptying of solid food exists in patients with autoimmune gastritis and, if so, to identify the factors that might affect delayed gastric emptying. A total of 165 patients (106 women) diagnosed as having autoimmune gastritis were analyzed by means of a gastric emptying test. All patients underwent a standardized scintigraphic gastric emptying study. Patients with delayed gastric emptying and normal gastric emptying tests were then compared by means of factors that might affect gastric emptying. Also 65 patients with functional dyspepsia who had a gastric emptying study constituted the control group. The median gastric emptying T ½ time was 127.43 min (min–max 50–953) for patients with AIG and 81 min (min–max 21–121.6) for functional dyspepsia patients (p

Background Hyponatremia is one of the most common electrolyte abnormalities seen in hospitalized patients. In cancer patients, it's generally related to syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion (SIADH). Case Report Here, we report a breast cancer patient with hyponatremia related to high dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole use for pneumonitis cariini pneumonia. Conclusion It is important to be aware that all hyponatremias are not related to SIADH in cancer patients. For proper treatment strategies, a proper differential diagnosis is needed.