Phenolic characterization and geographical classification of commercial extra virgin olive oils produced in Turkey

The aim of this research was to characterize the extra virgin olive oil samples from different locations in the Aegean coastal area of Turkey in terms of their phenolic compositions for two consecutive years to show the classification of oil samples with respect to harvest year and geography. Forty seven commercial olive oil samples were analyzed with HPLC-DAD, and 17 phenolic compounds were quantified. Hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, luteolin and apigenin were the characteristic phenols observed in all oil samples for two harvest years. Syringic acid, vanillin and m-coumaric acid were the phenolic compounds appeared in the olive oil depending on the harvest year. Partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of data revealed that oils from the north Aegean and south Aegean areas had different phenolic profiles. The phenolic compounds, which played significant roles in the discrimination of the olive oils, were tyrosol, oleuropein aglycon, cinnamic acid, apigenin and hydroxytyrosol to tyrosol ratio. The Aegean coastal region is the largest olive oil producer and exporter of Turkey. This study shows that the olive oils from different parts of the region have their own defining characteristics that can be used in the authentication studies and geographical labeling of Turkish olive oils. © AOCS 2011.Izmir Institute of Technology (IYTE2005-39

Spontaneous and Excellent Healing of Bilateral Brown Tumors in Mandible after Endocrinal Therapy and Subtotal Parathyroidectomy: Case Report with 4-Year Follow-Up

Primary hyperparathyroidism is an endocrine disorder occurring due to increased secretion of parathormone resulting in a complex of clinical, anatomical, and biochemical alterations. On the other hand, excision of a parathyroid adenoma can normalize the metabolic status. A 24-year-old man was referred to the hospital with bilateral swelling and spontaneous gingival bleeding from posterior of the mandible also with radiolucent well-demarcated lesions bilaterally in the mandibular third molar regions. After consultations, the patient was hospitalized in the endocrinology department where further tests were performed due to highly increased PTH level as 714 pg/ml. Bilateral brown tumors started to regress spontaneously, and no additional surgery was required after subtotal parathyroidectomy was performed. The presented case is the first patient whose bilateral brown tumors in the jaws spontaneously and totally healed after subtotal parathyroidectomy and endocrinal therapy who was strictly followed up for 4 years even though the lesions were associated with impacted third molars

Clinical characteristics, disease activity, functional status, and quality of life results of patients with psoriatic arthritis using biological and conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs

Objectives: This study aims to compare the clinical characteristics, disease activity, and quality of life (QoL) of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who use biological and conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in a nationwide cohort throughout Turkey. Patients and methods: A total of 961 patients (346 males, 615 females; mean age: 46.9±12.2 years; range, 18 to 81 years) with PsA according to the classification criteria for PsA were included in the study. The patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics, physical examination results, Disease Activity Score 28, Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Health Assessment Questionnaire, Psoriatic Arthritis Quality of Life (PsAQoL), and Short Form-36 scores were all recorded. Results: Of the patients, 23% underwent biological DMARD (bDMARD) monotherapy, 42% underwent conventional synthetic DMARD (csDMARD) monotherapy, 10% underwent a csDMARD combination therapy, and 10% underwent a combination bDMARD and csDMARD treatment. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS pain), patient global assessment, physician global assessment, and BASDAI scores were found to be lower among patients using combination treatment of csDMARD and bDMARD, while the swollen joint count was found to be lower among patients using bDMARD. The PsAQoL score was found to be the lowest among patients not using any medication and the highest among those using bDMARD. Conclusion: In our study, patients with PsA were successfully treated with both csDMARD and bDMARD monotherapy. When the biological treatments used for PsA were compared with csDMARD, it was found that biological treatments had a positive effect on both disease activity and the QoL. Combinations of csDMARDs and bDMARDs were preferred in cases in which the disease activity was still high or increased. Because of the highest efficacy of the combined treatment, we highly suggest increasing the number of patients on combined treatment

Enthesitis and its relationship with disease activity, functional status, and quality of life in psoriatic arthritis: A multi-center study

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis with distinct phenotypic subtypes. Enthesitis is assigned as a hallmark of the disease, given its significant relations to disease activity and quality of life. Our objective is to evaluate the prevalence of enthesitis and its association with some clinical parameters, particularly quality of life, using data from a national registry. Patients with PsA meeting ClASsification criteria for Psoriatic Arthritis (CASPAR) were enrolled by means of a multi-centre Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR) Network Project. The following information was recorded in web-based case report forms: demographic, clinical and radiographic data; physical examination findings, including tender and swollen joint counts (TJC and SJC); nail and skin involvement; Disease Activity Score-28 for Rheumatoid Arthritis with Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (DAS 28-ESR); Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI); Maastricht Ankylosing Spondylitis Enthesitis Score (MASES); Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI); Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index for the spine (BASRI-s); Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ); Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI); Health Assessment Questionnaire for the spondyloarthropathies (HAQ-s); Psoriatic arthritis quality of Life scale (PsAQoL); Short Form 36 (SF-36); Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS); Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F); and Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool (FiRST) scores. The patients were divided into two groups, namely with and without enthesitis, based on the triple Likert-type physician-reported statement of ‘active enthesitis’, ‘history of enthesitis’ or ‘none’ in the case report forms. Patients with active enthesitis were compared to others in terms of these clinical parameters. A total of 1130 patients were enrolled in this observational study. Of these patients, 251 (22.2%) had active enthesitis according to the clinical assessment. TJC, HAQ-s, BASDAI, FiRST and PsAQoL were significantly higher whereas the SF-36 scores were lower in patients with enthesitis (p < 0.05). Chronic back pain, dactylitis, and tenosynovitis were more frequent in the enthesopathy group (59.4%/39%, 13.1%/6.5% and 24.7%/3.4%, respectively). Significant positive correlations between the MASES score and the TJC, HAQ, DAS 28-ESR, BASDAI, FiRST and PsAQoL scores, and a negative correlation with the SF-36 score were found. When linear regression analysis was performed, the SF-36 MCS and PCS scores decreased by − 9.740 and − 11.795 units, and the FiRST scores increased by 1.223 units in patients with enthesitis. Enthesitis is an important involvement of PsA with significant relations to quality of life determined with PsAQoL and SF-36 scores. Our study found higher frequency of dactylitis and chronic back pain, and worse quality of life determined with SF-36 and PsAQoL scores in patients with enthesitis

The impact of fatigue on patients with psoriatic arthritis: A multi-center study of the TLAR-network

Fatigue is a substantial problem in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) that needs to be considered in the core set of domains. This study aimed to evaluate fatigue and its relationship with disease parameters, functional disability, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and correlation with disease activity as determined by various scales. A total of 1028 patients (677 females, 351 males) with PsA who met the CASPAR criteria were included [Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR) Network multicenter study]. The demographic features and clinical conditions of the patients were recorded. Correlations between fatigue score and clinical parameters were evaluated using the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA), Clinical DAPSA (cDAPSA), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), the Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool (FiRST), minimal disease activity (MDA), and very low disease activity (VLDA). Fatigue was assessed with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT-F) and a 10-point VAS (VAS-F). The mean age of the patients was 47 (SD: 12.2) years, and the mean disease duration was 6.4 (SD: 7.3) years. The mean VAS-F score was 5.1 (SD: 2.7), with fatigue being absent or mild, moderate, and severe in 12.8%, 24.6%, and 62.5% of the patients, respectively. Fatigue scores were significantly better in patients with DAS28 remission, DAPSA remission, cDAPSA remission, MDA, and VLDA (p < 0.001). Fatigue scores significantly increased with increasing disease activity levels on the DAS28, DAPSA, and cDAPSA (p < 0.001). VAS-F scores showed correlations with the scores of the BASDAI, BASFI, PsAQoL, HAD-A, FiRST, pain VAS, and PtGA. FiRST scores showed fibromyalgia in 255 (24.8%) patients. FACIT-F and VAS-F scores were significantly higher in patients with fibromyalgia (p < 0.001). In regression analysis, VLDA, BASDAI score, FiRST score, high education level, HAD-Anxiety, and BMI showed independent associations with fatigue. Our findings showed that fatigue was a common symptom in PsA and disease activity was the most substantial predictor, with fatigue being less in patients in remission, MDA, and VLDA. Other correlates of fatigue were female gender, educational level, anxiety, quality of life, function, pain, and fibromyalgia