Comparative analysis of plasma leptin levels in both genders of patients with essential hypertension and healthy subjects

While pathogenesis of hypertension is not clearly deciphered yet, increase in body, weight, most of the time, is associated, with hypertension. There are, reports indicating that leptin, product. of the Ob gene mainly synhesized in adipocytes, may have role(s) in hypertension, but contribution of the gender is rather contradictive. In the present study, plasma leptin levels in patients of both genders With hypertension and normotensive controls were measured and the relationship between plasma leptin levels and BMI were evaluated in both sexes. Total of 62 patients (31 M/31 F) diagnosed with essential hypertension who were not under any antihypertensive medication were admitted into the study. The control group wag composed of 56 (25 M/31 F) age-, BMI- and sex matched healthy normotensive volunteers. Plasma leptin levels were determined by a commercial ELISA kit. Plasma leptin and leptin/BMI levels (Mean+/-SEM) of women (n:62) were., significantly higher than men (n:56) (20.10+/-1.47 ng/ml versus 4.72+/-0.50 ng/ml; p<0.0001). Plasma leptin and leptin/BMI levels of patients of both genders with hypertension were significantly higher than in normotensive subjects (p<0.05). Leptin and leptin/BMI levels in obese hypertensives were higher than obese normotensives (p<0.05). Obese hypertensive women had higher leptin and leptin/BMI levels than obese normotensive women (p<0.05). In conclusion, these results support the hypothesis that a possible link exists between leptin and hypertension. Further studies are needed to clarify how increased levels of leptin affects the pathophysiology of hypertension

Acute hepatitis B virus infection in Turkey: epidemiology and genotype distribution

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in Turkey. Epidemiological and clinical data for 158 patients with acute HBV infection from 22 medical centres in the period February 2001 to February 2002 were collected prospectively. HBV genotyping was based on analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms and nested PCR. There were 59 female and 99 male patients, with a mean age of 34.2 +/- 15.6 years. The most common probable transmission route was blood contact in 63 (41.1%) cases, but was unknown in 78 (49.4%) cases. The mean alanine aminotransferase level was 1718 +/- 1089 IU/L. Four of the 158 patients (2.5%) died because of fulminant hepatitis. One year after discharge, 11 (10.6%) of 103 cases were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 80 (77.7%) were positive for anti-HBsAg. Genotype determination was unsuccessful in 11 cases because of a negative PCR; genotype D was found in the remaining 147 cases. The results suggested that acute HBV infection constitutes a significant health problem in Turkey and that genotype D is predominant