Table of Contents - Issue 3

Background and Design: Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory disease that occurs with polygenic and other triggering factors. The association of psoriasis, which is considered to be a systemic disease, with other diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, hepatosteatosis, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia has been shown. Materials and Methods: In this study, we compared the levels of fasting blood glucose, serum lipid (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride), basal insulin, insulin resistance and body mass index as well as cigarette and alcohol consumption in 50 adult patients with those in 50 age- and gender-matched non-psoriatic controls. Results: In our study, metabolic syndrome was present in 62% patients with psoriasis, compared with 24% of the controls (p<0,001). In psoriatic patients with metabolic syndrome PASI median value was 13,6, whereas patients without metabolic syndrome PASI median value was 11,2 and the difference was statistically significant (p<0,001). Conclusion: In our study, the frequency of metabolic syndrome and its components diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were found to be higher in patients with psoriasis compared to that in non-psoriatic controls

Voting as a Signaling Device

In this paper, citizens vote in order to influence the election outcome and in order to signal their unobserved characteristics to others. The model is one of rational voting and generates the following predictions: (i) The paradox of not voting does not arise, because the benefit of voting does not vanish with population size. (ii) Turnout in elections is positively related to the importance of social interactions. (iii) Voting may exhibit bandwagon effects and small changes in the electoral incentives may generate large changes in turnout due to signaling effects. (iv) Signaling incentives increase the sensitivity of turnout to voting incentives in communities with low opportunity cost of social interaction, while the opposite is true for communities with high cost of social interaction. Therefore, the model predicts less volatile turnout for the latter type of communities

An update: Leprosy: Review [Lepraya güncel yaklaşim]

Leprosy or Hansen's Disease which is caused by Mycobacterium leprae is a contagious and infectious disorder affects mostly skin and neural system. It's planned to eliminated by World Health Organization (WHO) but, it's still an overriding health problem. The causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae is an acid- fast bacillus and it's similar in many features with M. tuberculosis. Generally, bacillus infects the people who have a close relationship with patient by nasal secretions. The diagnosis is confirmed by demonstrating the bacillus. The specimens must be taken from the areas which have lower body temprature like lop ears, knee,elbow etc. There is an granulomatous inflammation and type 4 reaction with T cell intervention. There isn't toxic effect of bacillus on host, occurence of clinical findings depends on the patient's immunity. The recommended treatment options by WHO are dapsone, rifampicin, clofazimine, ofloxacin, minocycline. The other important point of disease is immunological reactions which occur after treatment. The immunization can be provided to tuberculoid leprae by vaccination but it's not successful for the lepromatous leprea so vaccination is not recommended for lepromatous leprae by WHO. Copyright © 2011 by Türkiye Klinikleri

Tinea corporis: Five-year retrospective evaluation [Tinea korporis: Beş yillik retrospektif degerlendirme]

Background and Design: Tinea corporis, a cutaneous infection of the glabrous skin, excluding palms-soles, nails and groins, is caused by dermatophytes.The distribution of agents varies depending on geographical and socio-economic factors. In this study, we aimed to analyze the agents seen in tinea corporis and their relationship with patient age, gender and lesion location. Materials and Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed mycological examination results of 62 patients (62.9% female, 37.1% male) who attended our dermatology outpatient clinic and were diagnosed with tinea corporis between January 2007 and December 2011. The results were compared in terms of patient age, sex and location of lesions for the statistical significance. Results: The average age of the patients was 40.5 years. Trichophyton rubrum was the most prevalent etiologic organism in both gender (56.5%), followed by Microsporum canis (35.5%), Trichophyton violaceum (4.8%) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (3.2%). The prevalence of Microsporum canis was 46.5% in women and 17.3% in men; the difference was attributed to the fact that women have more close contact with pets, which are an important source of contamination for The zoophilic dermatophyte Microsporum canis, than do men. Conclusion: In our study, the frequency and the species of tinea corporis were found to be similar to that in the literature. There was no statistically significant difference between the variables of agent species, localization, gender and age. However, epidemiological data can be important in the management of the disease in conditions that mycological culture cannot be considered

Viral exanthems in childhood: Review [Çocukluk Ça?i Viral Ekzantematöz Deri Hastaliklari]

Exanthematous diseases are generally seen among children. In the etiology viruses are more commonthan bacterias. Lesions can be macular, papular, maculopapular, vesicular and urticarial. Although the disease have generally self-limited nature, some early and late complications causing serious morbidity and mortality can develop. Contact to a patient with exanthem, history of exanthematous disease and immunization, features of prodromal period, origin and progress of the rash must be queried in the medical history. Physical examination has to focus on the morphology and distrubition of the lesions and the existence of the enantem. The patognomonic findings of the diseases help for the diagnosis. Additionally, the serologic and advanced tests are useful to verify the diagnosis. Accurate diagnosis is very important for assessment of the complications that can develop and also for the possibility of the fetal risk during the pregnancy. Drug reactions, other viral infections, inflammatory dermatosis, Kawasaki disease, erythema multiforme and papular urticaria can be considered in the differential diagnosis. The treatment is generally symptomatic. Antiviral medicine can be used for the immuncompromised patients and severe infection. In Turkey, the vaccines of the varicella, measles and rubella are involved in the immunisation schedule. The varicella zoster immune globulin can be applied to high-risk patients and pregnants in the first few days of the exposure. In this review addition to classical viral exanthems (varicella, rubeola, rubella, 5. disease, 6. disease), papular purpuric gloves and socks syndrome, Giannotti-Crosti syndrome, unilateral laterothoracic exanthem and hand foot and mouth disease will be mentioned. Copyright © 2014 by Türkiye Klinikler