Anti-phospholipase A2 Receptor Antibody Measurement in Patients with Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy Diagnosed by Renal Biopsy

Objective: Our study is a cross-sectional study that aims to evaluate the presence and levels of anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibodies in healthy volunteers and idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) patients and to assess the relationship between these levels and clinical parameters. Methods: Serum anti-PLA2R antibody levels, complete blood count, urea, creatinine (Kre), total protein,albumin, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, total cholesterol, C-reactive protein (crp), sedimentation, proteinuria were measured from 71 IMN patients and 48 healthy volunteers. Results: Of the values compared between the two groups, the urea, creatinine, and modified diet renal disease (MDRD) were similar, total protein, albumin, LDL-cholesterol, TG, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and complete urinalysis protein values were statistically significantly high in the patient group, as expected in nephrotic syndrome (p\u3c0.01). The anti-PLA2Rantibody levels measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patient and control groups were found to be negative. The anti-PLA2R level was found to be 0.104 (0.093-0.129) ng/ml in the IMN group, while it was 0.141 (0.117-0.177) ng/ml in the control group (P=0,001). Although the P value was significant, the anti-PLA2R antibody level was found to be high in the control group and was outside the reference range of the kit. Conclusion: There is a need to conduct more sensitive studies with a higher number of patients in order to distinguish between primary and secondary nature and to investigate the presence of anti-PLA2R in IMNpatients, which constitute the majority of nephrotic syndromes in adults. Antibody titer levels were observed to be low and it was revealed that the measurement range of the antibody kit used in the study should be more sensitive

Cointegration and adjustment dynamics of REIT and stock markets during the global financial and European debt crises

This paper analyses the cointegration relationship between the REIT and stock markets of ten developed countries during the 2005-2013 period, which is characterised by the global financial and the European debt crises. Given the structural breaks in the data, the effect of these two crises is examined separately by dividing the sample period into four equal parts and by using M-TAR cointegration analysis. The results suggest that the cointegration between the stock and REIT markets was not a globally observed feature prior to the twin crises. The strong and globally valid cointegration observed after 2007 was due to the common negative response of both markets to the unexpected massive shocks. These shocks also led to bilateral causality and strong feedback effects between these two markets, thus strictly limiting the diversification benefits of the REIT market during the crisis period

THE EVALUATION OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS RELATED PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS

Hashimoto tiroiditi otoimmün tiroid hastalığıdır. Aterosklerozda arterlerin subintima tabakasında lipidler, karbonhidratlar, fibröz doku, kalsiyum gibi maddelerin lokal birikimlerinin oluşturduğu patolojik bir durum söz konusudur. Vasküler endotelyal büyüme faktör (VEGF) özellikle hipoksi varlığında seçici olarak endotel hücrelerinde mitojenik etki ile damar gelişimini uyararak yeni damar oluşumunda yaşamsal rol oynar. Biz bu çalışmamızda ötiroid hashimoto hastalarında serum VEGF düzeyi ile akım aracılı dilatasyon (flow-mediated dilation, FMD) ve karotis intima media kalınlığı (KİMK) ölçümü yaparak, otoimmünitenin tiroid hastalarında ateroskleroz ile ilişkisini ortaya koymayı amaçladık.Gaziantep Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dahiliye Kliniği’nde Hashimoto tiroiditi tanısı almış 40 hasta ile yaş ve cinsiyet uyumlu 40 sağlıklı gönüllü çalışmaya dahil edildi. Serum örneklerinde VEGF düzeyleri ELISA yöntemiyle ölçüldü. Hasta ve kontrol grubunda ultrason eşliğinde KİMK ve FMD değerlendirilerek mevcut sonuçlarla ilişkili olup olmadığı tespit edildi.Hasta ve kontrol grubunun demografik özellikleri benzerdi. Hasta ve kontrol grupları arasında FMD ve KIMK ölçümleri karşılaştırıldığında istatiksel olarak anlamlı fark saptandı (p=0,001; p=0,033). VEGF düzeyinin de hasta grubunda kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı olarak yüksek olduğu tespit edildi (p=0,024).Tüm bu sonuçlar tiroid hormon eksikliği olmadan da otoimmüniteye sekonder ateroskleroz gelişebileceğini ve hashimoto hastalarının erken dönem takiplerindenoninvaziv uygulanabilen FMD, KİMK ölçümlerinin ve VEGF düzeylerinin prediktif değerinin olabileceğini göstermektedir.Hashimoto thyroiditis is an autoimmune thyroid disease. Atherosclerosis is a pathological condition characterized by local accumulation of substances such as lipids, carbohydrates, fibrous tissue and calcium in the subintima layer of arteries. In this study, we aimed to reveal the relationship between autoimmunity and atherosclerosis by measuring serum VEGF levels, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thicknes (CIMT) in euthyroid patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis. Forty patients diagnosed with Hashimoto thyroiditis in the Internal Medicine Clinic of Gaziantep University Medical Faculty and 40 healthy volunteers matched for age and gender were included in the study. VEGF levels were measured by ELISA method in serum samples. CIMT and FMD were evaluated with ultrasound guidance in the patient and control groups and it was determined whether there was a association with the present results. The demographic characteristics of the patient and control groups were similar. There was a significant difference between the patients and healthy control group in terms of FMD and CIMC measurements (p =0.001; p = 0.033). It was also found that VEGF levels of patients were higher than those in the control group (p = 0.024). All these results show autoimmunity may lead atherosclerosis even without thyroid hormone deficiency and also noninvasive FMD, CIMT measurements and VEGF levels may have predictive value in the early follow-up of Hashimoto patients