Oxidative Stress In Marasmic Children: Relationships With Leptin

Aim : We aimed to investigate the levels and relationships of an-tioxidants, lipid peroxidation and leptin altogether in marasmic malnutrition. Method : Thirty marasmic children (age 14.4±10.3 months) and 28 con-trol subjects were included. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, glutathione (GSH) level, and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and leptin levels were measured. Result: Malnourished children had significantly lower erythro-cyte SOD activity (1583±417 vs. 3403±1901 U/gHb, respectively, P< 0.001), CAT activity (1139±92 vs. 1663±302 k/gHb, p< 0.001), GSH level (25.9±5.4 vs. 48.1±17.0 μmol/gHb, p< 0.001) and leptin levels (3.6±1.1 vs. 11.8±4.5 ng/mL, respectively, p< 0.001), compared with control subjects. However mean MDA concentration of marasmic chil-dren (11.1±2.5 nmol/mL) was found to be significantly higher than that of the control subjects (6.6±3.9 nmol/mL) (p< 0.001). Significant negative correlations were detected between CAT and MDA (r=-0.476, P=0.009), between SOD and MDA (r=-0.534, p=0.004), and GSH and MDA (r=-0.439, p=0.015) in marasmic children. No significant correla-tion was found between leptin and oxidation markers (p>0.05). Conclusion: Marasmic children had increased lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant enzyme activities and leptin. Lack of associa-tions between leptin, anthropometric measurements and oxidative stress may be due to the excessive loss of adipose tissue and related very low levels of leptin in marasmic children

Cystic fibrosis of pancreas and nephrotic syndrome: a rare association

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease with autosomal recessive inheritance and is common in Caucasian people. The prevalence of this disease is between 1/2,000 and 1/3,500 live births, and the incidence varies between populations. Although the CF transmembrane conductance regulator gene is expressed in the kidneys, renal involvement is rare. With advances in the treatment of CF, life expectancy has increased, and some previously unobserved disease associations are now seen in patients with CF. It is important to follow patients with CF for possible abnormalities that may accompany CF. In this paper, we present two rare cases of CF accompanied by nephrotic syndrome

Effects of growing site parameters on vessel elements of Quercus ilex through Turkey and evaluating in respect of forestry

The purpose of the study is to find the effects of different growing site conditions on trees with the vessel features in the woods of Quercus ilex L. growing in different regions through Turkey, and to evaluate the results in respect of forestry. A total of 102 wood samples were collected from 102 sampling plots (as 20 m x 10 m plots) in 9 distribution areas in Turkey. Environmental, climate and stand data were obtained for each plot. Standard wood anatomical studies were performed. The results show that, while vessel element lengths are almost stable in all regions, the most changeable vessel element feature is the vessel frequency in different regions of Q. ilex. Hierarchical cluster analysis based on the mesomorphy and xeromorphy ratios revealed that a total of 15 sites fell into Group 1 (14.71%very humid), 39 sites (38.24%-humid) into Group 2 and 48 sites (47.06%-dry) into Group 3. The ratios of dry sites are 29.63% in Black sea region, 45.71% in Marmara region and 60% in Aegean region; Black Sea Region promotes more mesomorphic wood formation, those in the Aegean region force xeromorphic wood formation in general. The stands of Q. ilex mixed with Pinus brutia are drier and produce negative correlation with temperature and positive correlations with precipitation. Increasing tree cover, tree height and stem diameter promote wider vessel element diameters and lower number of vessels per square mm. In the individuals of Q. ilex growing on the mountain ridges of Mugla, Davutlar National Park and its around and on the shallow soils are the driest conditions, and safety is more prominent than efficiency in water transport. In the lower elevations and on the deep soils, efficiency in water transport becomes more prominent than safety. Due to its mesomorphic vessel features in lowland humid sites, Q. ilex may be planted in lowlands and humid sites through Turkey