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OBJECTIVE To compare insulin infusion and heparin infusion, used to treat hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis in terms of efficacy. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Gastroenterology, Division of Internal Disease, Sivas Cumhuriyet University Hospital, Sivas, Turkey, from 1st January 2013 to 1st January 2020. METHODOLOGY Patients who presented with abdominal pain and were found to have edematous pancreatitis on computed tomography imaging were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-six patients with hypertriglyceridemia were included. Eighteen of the patients were given insulin infusion, while the other 18 were given heparin infusion therapy. The patients' gender, age, admission amylase values, AST, ALT, total cholesterol, glucose, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), CRP, leukocyte, pre-treatment and post-treatment first, second, and third-day triglyceride levels were recorded from the files. RESULTS The post-treatment third-day triglyceride levels of the insulin therapy group were statistically significantly lower compared to the heparin therapy group (432.5; 984, p

Amaç: Kronik hepatit C tanılı hastalarda doğrudan etkili antiviral ilaç tedavisi sonrasında nekroinflamasyonun bir göstergesi olan alfa fetoprotein değerinde meydana gelen değişimi saptamaktır.Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışmamızda Ocak 2015 ile Ocak 2020 tarihleri arasında Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Gastroenteroloji Bilim Dalı Polikliniğinde değerlendirilip kronik hepatit C tanısı ile direkt etkili antiviral tedavi başlanan 294 hastanın verileri retrospektif olarak incelenmiştir. Aldıkları direkt etkili antiviral tedavilerine göre; Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir ± Ribavirin tedavisi alan hastalar 1. grup (n=114), Paritaprevir + Ritonavir/Ombitasvir ± Dasabuvir ± Ribavirin tedavisi alan hastalar 2. grup (n=180) olarak iki ana grupta değerlendirilmiştir.Bulgular: Hastaların tedavi öncesindeki ortalama alfa fetoprotein değeri 8.25±10.82 ng/ml, tedavi bitimindeki ortalama alfa fetoprotein değeri ise 5.14±10.80 ng/ml olarak saptanmış ve bu değişim istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmuştur (p

Background/Aims: Altered anatomy is a challenge in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for patients with Billroth II anastomosis. In this study, we investigated the overall success and role of endoscopist experience. Methods: Data of patients who underwent ERCP between 2014 and 2018 after a previous Billroth II operation were retrieved retrospectively from 2 tertiary FRCP centers. The procedures were performed by 2 endoscopists with different levels of experience. Clinical success was defined as extraction of the stone, placement of a stent through a malignant stricture, and clinical and laboratory improvements in patients. Results: Seventy-five patients were included. The technical success rate was 83% for the experienced endoscopist and 75% for the inexperienced endoscopist (p=0.46). The mean (istandard deviation) procedure tune was 23.8 +/- 5.7 min for the experienced endoscopist and 40.684:6.07 min for the inexperienced endoscopist (p

Objectives: The mechanisms of acute liver failure resulting from epilepsy are poorly defined and appear to be multifactorial, including hypoxia and steatosis. The role of inflammation on liver damage after seizures is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between proinflammatory cytokines and liver damage after pentylenetetrazole-induced acute and chronic epilepsy models in rats.Materials and methods: Male Wistar albino adult rats (n = 18), weighing 220–240 g, were used in the experiment. The animals were divided into three groups: (1) Control Group (Control; n = 6); rats were treated with a single dose of saline intraperitoneally (i.p.), (2) Acute Epileptic Model Group (n = 6); rats were treated with a single dose of i.p. PTZ (45 mg/kg), (3) Chronic Epileptic Model Group (n = 6); rats were treated with repeated doses of i.p. PTZ (35 mg/kg) every other day for 15(fifteen) times.Result: There was a significant difference between the control and acute epileptic model in terms of serum AST, TNF-α, IL-1 β and IL-6 parameters (p

WOS: 000454450900005, Objectives: Most of the patients with hepatitis B e (HBe)-negative hepatitis B have persistently normal transaminases (PNALT) levels. Patients, who have higher fibrosis and necroinflammatory activity scores, are at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between active and inactive hepatitis in this group. Materials and Methods: Sixty-six treatment-naive, non-cirrotic, HBe antigen (HBeAg)-negative and a PNALT and a level of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level of >= 2000 IU/mL were included in this study. lshak's scoring system was used for histopathological evaluation. Chronic hepatitis was defined as a fibrosis score of higher than/equal to 2 and/or a histological activity index score of higher than 4. Results: The percentage of patients diagnosed with advanced fibrosis score and high necroinflammatory activity was 65% and 48%, respectively. Accordingly, 76% of patients were considered to have chronic hepatitis. Level of the HBV DNA was the most significant value for predicting chronic hepatitis. 94.1% of patients with a HBV DNA value over 20000 IU/mL had chronic hepatitis (p

Objective: Prevalence of lamivudine resistance in treatment-naive hepatitis B patients shows variation among populations. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of lamivudine resistance in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients followed in Turkish population. Method: The study comprised 71 chronic hepatitis B patients that have never received treatment for chronic hepatitis B infection before (treatment-naive). HBV DNA was detected quantitatively by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method in serum samples collected from the patients. Sequence analysis and reverse hybridization by string method were used to determine Lamivudine motif mutants. Liver biopsy was performed in all patients. Serum samples collected were used to determine HBeAg and anti-HBeAb levels. Results: Of the 71 patients participated in the study. Mutation was detected in a total of 8 patients and the prevalence was 11.3% (8/71). The prevalence of mutation was 8.3% (4/48) in HBeAg-negative patients and it was lower than HBeAg-positive patients, in whom the prevalence was 17% (4/23) (p=0.01). Comparing the patients with and without mutation in terms of demographic characteristics, ALT levels, HAI and fibrosis scores, no statistically significant difference was determined (p=0.29). Conclusions: In the present study, the prevalence of mutation was 11.3% in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B patients. Therefore, determining local prevalence for all populations and planning the treatment accordingly may prevent future complications and thereby enhance efficacy of treatment. Choosing drugs with low resistance profile and starting treatment considering this resistance.

Objective: In this study we aimed to investigate heart rate recovery (HRR) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Subjects and Methods: A total of 40 patients with IBD and 30 healthy controls were included in this study. A treadmill stress test was performed in all the patients to calculate the HRR index based on the age-specific maximum heart rate. The HRR indices were calculated as follows: HRR1, 2, 3, 4, 5 = heart rate at peak exercise - heart rate at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 min. The independent samples t test was used to compare HRR indices between the patient and control groups. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the association between the duration of IBD and the HRR indices. Multivariate regression analysis was carried out to identify predictors of impaired HRR in patients with IBD. Results: HRR indices at various time intervals were significantly lower in the patients with IBD than in the controls: HRR1 (1.18 ± 8 vs. 31 ± 7, p < 0.001), HRR2 (36 ± 12 vs. 51 ± 8, p < 0.001), HRR3 (46 ± 12 vs. 62 ± 11, p < 0.001), HRR4 (54 ± 7 vs. 65 ± 8, p < 0.001), and HRR5 (55 ± 13 vs. 71 ± 15, p < 0.001). Mean duration of IBD was 7.8 ± 3.6 years. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between disease duration and HRR at the first minute (r = -0.704, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that symptom duration (OR: 1.742, 95% CI: 1.148-2.636, p = 0.009) was an independent predictor of impaired HRR in patients with IBD. Conclusion: In this study, the data showed that the HRR was impaired in patients with IBDs. Hence, given the prognostic value of the test, patients with IBD should be monitored for future cardiovascular events.

Materials and Methods: This study was performed in the Department Gastroenterology, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital between January 2011 and December 2014. 102 patients with celiac disease, 72 female (70.6%), were included in the study. All patients were screened for physical examination findings, laboratory tests, as well as endoscopic and duodenal biopsy results. Results:The mean age of the 102 patients was 37 years (6±14,8). The most common initial patient complaints were iron deficiency anemia (48%), diarrhea (40%), abdominal pain-bloating (42%), weight loss (%10) and dyspepsia (7%), respectively. We observed that the most common laboratory finding was iron deficiency anemia and 18% had abnormal liver function. The most common finding from patients’ upper endoscopy were duodenal edema, mosaic pattern, scalloping and reduction of duodenal pili, respectively. We detected lack of compliance to the gluten free diet in 60% of celiac disease patients. Conclusion: We found that application form of celiac disease has changed in Turkey as in other countries and an increased proportion of patients present with atypical symptoms. A diagnosis of celiac disease that presents with atypical symptoms should be made as early as possible to prevent complications and educate patients about compliance to a gluten free diet., Giriş ve Amaç:Çölyak hastalığı tanısı almış erişkin olgularımızın klinik bulgularının, laboratuvar verilerinin ve glutensiz diyete uyumlarının değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem:Bu çalışma, Kayseri Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, gastroenteroloji bölümünde, Ocak 2011-Aralık 2014 tarihleri arasındaki üç yıllık süreçte izlenen yaşları 18-70 yaş arasında deği-şen, 72’si kadın (%70,6), 102 çölyak hastasının başvuru şikayetleri, laboratuvar sonuçları, endoskopi bulguları ve duodenum biyopsisi sonuçları retrospektif olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular:Çalışmaya alınan 102 olgunun yaş ortalaması 37,6±14,8 idi. Olgularımızın başvuru şikayeti en sık demir eksikliği anemisi (%48), ishal (%40), karın ağrısı- şişkinlik (%42) iken bunu kilo alım yetersizliği/ kilo kaybı (%10) ve dispepsi (%7) izlemektedir. Olgularımızın klinik tiplemesinde 49’u (%48) klasik, 50’si (%49,1) atipik, 3’ü (%2,9) asemptomatik çölyak hastalığı alt sınıfındaydı. Laboratuvar bulguları içerisinde en sık demir eksikliği anemisi görülürken olguların %18,6’da karaciğer enzim yüksekliği izlenmiştir. Hastaların üst endoskopilerinde görülen en sık bulgular sırasıyla duodenal ödem, mozaik patern, taraklanma ve pililerde silinme idi. Hastaların %60’ının diyete uymadıkları tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç:Çölyak hastalığının başvuru şekillerinin diğer ülkelerde olduğu gibi Türkiye’de de değişik olduğu ve atipik bulgularla başvuran hasta oranının artmış olduğu saptanmıştır. Bu çalışmada çölyak hastalığına bağlı oluşabilecek komplikasyonların önlenmesi için atipik bulgularla gelen hastalara mümkün olduğunca erken tanının konulması ve diyete uyum konusunda hastaların bilinçlendirilmesi gerektiği vurgulanmıştır.

Background Iron-mediated cardiomyopathy is the main cause of death in thalassemia patients. Early detection of cardiac abnormalities is important as aggressive chelation therapy may improve prognosis in these patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate left ventricular (LV) functions by tissue velocity imaging (TVI) and strain imaging (SI) in thalassemia patients without overt heart failure. Methods At total of 32 patients with β-thalassemia major (mean age: 24.2±8.0 y, 22 male) and 25 healthy controls (mean age: 22.8±2.1 y, 20 male) were included. Conventional echocardiography, TVI, and SI were performed on all subjects. Tissue velocity imaging and SI measures included peak systolic, early and late diastolic myocardial velocities, peak systolic strain and strain rate, and early and late diastolic strain rate at the basal segments of the LV lateral and septal walls. Results There were no significant differences in LV ejection fraction and fractional shortening between the groups. However, systolic myocardial velocity of the lateral wall and systolic strain and strain rate of the septal and lateral walls were significantly lower in thalassemia patients. There was a significant negative correlation between LV mass index and systolic myocardial velocity of the lateral wall (r = − 0.29, P = .045) and septal systolic strain (r = − 0.45, P < .001). Conclusion Thalassemia patients have regional systolic dysfunction in the LV lateral and septal walls, even if they do not have overt heart failure. Strain imaging is helpful in early detection of LV systolic dysfunction in thalassemia patients. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

WOS: 000368273200010, PubMed ID: 26834793, Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a major disease that can cause significant mortality and morbidity. Chronic intermittent hypoxia is a potential causal factor in the progression from fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Objectives: This study evaluated the association between the degree of liver steatosis and severity of nocturnal hypoxia. Patients and Methods: In this study, between December 2011 and December 2013, patients with ultrasound-diagnosed NAFLD evaluated by standart polysomnography were subsequentally recorded. Patients with alcohol use, viral hepatitis and other chronic liver diseases were excluded. We analyzed polysomnographic parameters, steatosis level and severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in consideration of body mass index (BMI), biochemical tests and ultrasonographic liver data of 137 subjects. Patients with sleep apnea and AHI scores of

Background and Aims: Nasobiliary drainage is an established mode of treatment for acute suppurative cholangitis, bile leakage and biliary fistula. We retrospectively analyzed the safety and efficacy of nasobiliary drainage placement for biliary drainage in patients with acute cholangitis. Materials and Methods: Between January 2011 and December 2012, nasobiliary drainage was performed in 22 patients at Sisli Etfal Training and Education Hospital. The clinical characteristics, laboratory results, clinical outcomes, and complications were analyzed retrospectively. Results:Nasobiliary drainage was performed in 22 patients (11 female), and the mean age was 54,3±24,4 years (range, 12-84). Acute suppurative cholangitis (n=11), hydatid cyst with biliary communication (n=4), postoperative biliary leak (n=3), external biliary leakage (n=2), and hemobilia (n=2) were the main indications of nasobiliary drainage. The catheter was removed in 8,4±6,2 days, and time elapsed to normalization of total serum bilirubin levels was 4±0,6 days. There were no endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography -related complications. Although it is not a comfortable treatment modality, there were no instances of displacement or kinking of the nasobiliary drainage.Conclusions: Biliary drainage by nasobiliary drainage is a safe and effective treatment in patients with severe cholangitis, postoperative bile leakage and bile fistula.

Background: Liver biopsy, which is considered the best method for evaluating hepatic fibrosis, has important adverse events. Therefore, non-invasive tests have been developed to determine the degree of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Aim: To verify the usefulness of a new fibrosis index the globulin/platelet model in patients with chronic hepatitis B and to compare it with other noninvasive tests for predicting significant fibrosis. This study was the second to evaluate the globulin/platelet model in HBV patients. Methods: We retrospectively investigated 228 patients with chronic hepatitis B who performed liver biopsy from 2013 to 2014. The globulin/platelet model, APGA [AST/Platelet/Gammaglutamyl transpeptidase/Alfa-fetoprotein], FIB4, fibrosis index, cirrhosis discriminate score, and Fibro-quotient were calculated, and the diagnostic accuracies of all of the fibrosis indices were compared between the F0-2 (no-mild fibrosis) and F3-6 (significant fibrosis) groups. Results: All of the noninvasive markers were significantly correlated with the stage of liver fibrosis (p < 0,001). To predict significant fibrosis (F ≥ 3), the area under the curve (95% CI) was found to be greatest for APGA (0.83 [0.74-0.86]), followed by FIB-4 (0.75[0.69-0.80]), the globulin/platelet model (0.74 [0.68- 0.79]), fibrosis index (0.72 [0.6-0.78], cirrhosis discriminate score (0.71 [0.64-0.76]) and Fibro-quotient (0.62 [0.55-0.7]). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of APGA was significantly higher than that of the other noninvasive fibrosis markers (p < 0.05). Conclusions: While the APGA index was found to be the most valuable test for the prediction significant fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B, GP model was the thirth valuable test. Therefore, we recommended that APGA could be used instead of the GP model for prediction liver fibrosis.

Background: Terminal ileum endoscopy and biopsy are the diagnostic tools of diseases attacking the ileum. However, abnormal histological findings can be found in endoscopically normal terminal ileum. Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the histopathological results of biopsies from endoscopically normal terminal ileum in order to determine pre-procedure clinical and laboratory factors predicting abnormal histopathological results, if any. Methods: A total of 297 patients who underwent colonoscopy and terminal ileum biopsy and had normal terminal ileum or a few aphthous ulcers in the terminal ileum together with completely normal colon mucosa were included in the study. The patients were grouped into two arms as normal cases and cases with aphthous ulcers. Histopathological and pre-procedural laboratory results of patients were analyzed according to their indications. Results : The terminal ileum was endoscopically normal in 200 patients, and 97 patients had aphthous ulcers. Chronic ileitis rate was present in 5.5% of those with endoscopically normal terminal ileum and in 39.2% of the patients with aphthous ulcers. In both groups, the highest rate of chronic ileitis was detected in the patients with known inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (15.4 and 50%, respectively), anemia (9.5 and 43.5%, respectively), and in the patients having chronic diarrhea together with abdominal pain (7.7 and 44.8%, respectively). We found that the sensitivity of mean platelet volume for predicting chronic ileitis was 87% and the specificity was 45% at a cut-off value lower than 9.35 fl. Conclusion: In anemia indication or chronic diarrhea together with abdominal pain, the frequency of aphthous ulcers detected by ileoscopy and the frequency of chronic ileitis detected histopathologically despite a normal-appearing ileum were elevated. Keywords: Terminal ileum; ileoscopy; chronic ileitis; inflammatory bowel disease (Published: 19 February 2014) Citation: Libyan J Med 2014, 9 : 23441 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ljm.v9.23441

A 25-year-old female patient with Crohn's disease had been using azathioprine and metronidazole for an extended period because of recurrent perianal and rectovaginal fistulae. Infliximab was added to the treatment regimen following postoperative recurrence of a rectovaginal fistula. Upon the development of severe neutropenia and thrombocytopenia after the third dose of infliximab, azathioprine and infliximab were stopped. Neutropenia work-up did not reveal any other cause. Neutropenia was ameliorated with use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Treatment was restarted with infliximab alone upon leakage from the rectovaginal fistula with no hematologic toxicity. This case was considered as a serious adverse effect of infliximab and azathioprine combination therapy.

The effect of sodium taurocholate (ST) on endotoxemia and intestinal anastomotic wound healing in obstructive jaundice was evaluated in a rat model. A total of 108 Wistar rats were divided into three main groups. Thus, 36 animals were given ileal anastomosis (IA) alone (IA group), 36 were given IA with bile duct ligation (BDL) (IA + BDL group), and 36 were given IA with BDL and oral sodium taurocholate (ST) (IA + BDL + ST group). These three main groups were then divided into three equal subgroups, A, B, and C, which were killed on postoperative days (POD) 3, 5, and 9, respectively. In the IA + BDL + ST group, ST was administrated perioperatively and ceased from POD 5 onwards. The anastomotic hydroxyproline level and bursting pressure were significantly lower in the IA + BDL animals compared with the others on POD 3, 5, and 9 (P < 0.008). Endotoxemia was prominent in the IA + BDL group from POD 3 (P = 0.011). After ST was stopped, 42% of the AI + BDL + ST animals developed endotoxemia by POD 9 (P = 0.008). Anastomotic wound healing was better in the IA + BDL + ST group (P < 0.01). These findings suggest that endotoxemia and its adverse effects on wound healing in obstructive jaundice can be prevented by the oral administration of ST.