Prevalence of allergic rhinitis and risk factors in school children

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and the risk factors of allergic rhinitis in a particular area. Methods: The main study group consisted of all school children in Kemalpasa district aged 13-14 years. Children with current rhinitis based on responses given in ISAAC questionnaire survey were further evaluated for confirmation. Parents responded to a more detailed questionnaire about allergic diseases and risk factors. Then peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) was evaluated to objectively assess nasal patency. Skin-prick test was performed for ten common allergens. Results: The questionnaire was answered by 90.8% (1373) of children. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed AR was 11.1%. Current rhinitis was found to be 31.3%. Of this group, 55.0% were admitted for the parent questionnaire and tests. Precisely, 90.3% of children accepted PNIF evaluation, and %10.1 of them had a nasal obstruction. Skin-prick tests revealed allergy for at least 1 allergen in 16.6% of children. The present study showed that the children with maternal allergic rhinitis history had 2,18 fold, and the children with seasonal allergic rhinitis had 2,11 fold higher possibility of sensitization to an allergen. The probability of perennial allergic rhinitis was 3,1 fold higher in the children who had siblings with allergic rhinitis. Conclusion: We included all children in a specific age group living in an area in our survey. As well as we found the prevalence of current rhinitis with the ISAAC questionnaire; we also evaluated peak nasal inspiratory flow and used skin-prick tests that yielded objective results

Effects of Isotretinoin Treatment on Levels of Hormones Involved in the Etiopathogenesis of Acne

Objective: This study was performed to measure the effect of isotretinoin treatment on hormonal responses and insulin resistance in acne patients. Material and Methods: A total of 30 acne vulgaris patients and 30 control group volunteers were examined between February 2015 and June 2015. Firstly, the basal insulin resistance and endocrine hormone levels were measured in both groups. A daily dose of 120-150 mg/kg oral isotretinoin was administered to the patient group for three months. Following this, insulin resistance and endocrine hormone levels were re-evaluated in both groups. Results: Age, waist circumference, and body mass index were similar between the patient and control groups. Liver transaminase, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and total testosterone levels were different in the patient group compared to the control group (p<0.05). The levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), liver transaminase, LDL, and triglycerides increased after three months of isotretinoin administration (p<0.05). The changes in blood triglyceride levels were correlated with the changes in insulin growth factor-1, DHEA-S, total testosterone, progesterone, LDL, and estradiol levels (p<0.05). Conclusion: Isotretinoin might not affect pituitary gland hormones, adrenal hormones, and insulin resistance significantly. Increased blood triglyceride levels may be expected in patients whose testosterone and progesterone hormone levels are high

Obezite ve koroner arter hastalığında kalp viseral ve subkutan yağ dokusu adipokinlerinin regülasyonu bozulmuştur

İstanbul Bilim Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi.BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease is one of the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of mortality worldwide. A close association between obesity and increased cardiovascular diseases has been established by the epidemiological data, even though the molecular pathways underlying this close association still remain unclear. Cytokines (e.g. tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF- α), interleukin (IL)-6, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 ), chemokines (e.g. IL-8) and hormones (e.g leptin, adiponectin, resistin) secreted by the adipose tissues are the members of the adipokine family and they all mediate this association by regulating lipid accumulation, inflammation and atherogenesis. Pathogenic gene expression profile of adipokines have been demonstrated in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), omental adipose tissue (OAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) of CAD patients indicating the contribution of the local and systemic chronic infammation to the pathogenesis of CAD (1,2)

Presence of fatty-acid-binding protein 4 expression in human epicardial adipose tissue in metabolic syndrome

İstanbul Bilim Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi.Background: Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of different clinical manifestations that are risk factors for atherothrombotic cardiovascular disorders. Fatty-acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4/aP2), which is highly expressed in adipocytes, specifically exerts intracellular lipid trafficking. A high level of fatty-acid-binding protein 4 expression present in obese subjects has also been found in mice and humans, especially in macrophages at atherosclerotic lesions. An in vivo study demonstrated that the inhibitor of aP2 would be a new therapeutic agent for treating metabolic diseases in mice. We have investigated the mRNA expression of fatty-acid-binding protein 4 in human epicardial adipose and ascending aorta tissues of metabolic syndrome and nonmetabolic syndrome patients. Methods: Paired epicardial adipose and ascending aorta tissue samples were obtained from 10 metabolic syndrome patients and 4 nonmetabolic syndrome patients during coronary bypass grafting and aortic valve replacement therapy, respectively. Fatty-acid-binding protein 4 gene expression was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results and Conclusions: Fatty-acid-binding protein 4 expression of epicardial adipose tissue was significantly higher in metabolic syndrome patients than in nonmetabolic syndrome controls (Pb.05). In metabolic syndrome patients, fatty-acid-binding protein 4 expression in epicardial adipose tissue was 66 times higher than fatty-acid-binding protein 4 expression in ascending aorta tissue. The expression level of fatty-acid-binding protein 4 in epicardial adipose tissue was found to be significantly correlated with waist circumference in all subjects (r=.535, Pb.05). Our data showed for the first time that human epicardial adipose and ascending aorta tissues express fatty-acid-binding protein 4 and that its level of expression in epicardial adipose tissues of metabolic syndrome patients is elevated. Increased fatty-acid-binding protein 4 gene expression in epicardial adipose tissues of metabolic syndrome patients led us think that fatty-acid-binding protein 4 might be an important factor in metabolic syndrome.http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1054880708000343/1-s2.0-S1054880708000343-main.pdf?_tid=ede7ad9a-545c-11e4-9267-00000aab0f6b&acdnat=1413372063_d79f2de0b0fe81ba12e44f93bd231d3