The Relationship Between Vitamin D Gene Polymorphisms and the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer in Patients with High Prostate-Specific Antigen Value

Objective: To investigate the effects of vitamin D levels and vitamin D receptor (VDR) BsmI, FokI, TaqI, and ApaI gene polymorphisms on prostate cancer (PCa)diagnosis in Turkish men with high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels during screening.Materials and Methods: Patients who were admitted to the outpatient clinic with elevated PSA levels and were scheduled for transrectal prostate biopsy wereincluded. Patients diagnosed with PCa were divided into two groups of either localized disease (low/intermediate/high risk) or metastatic disease for subgroupanalysis. The control group comprised patients whose biopsies revealed benign pathologies. Blood samples were collected from each patient after 12 hours offasting before the prostate biopsy. Vitamin D levels and VDR gene polymorphisms were determined by ECLIA method and restriction fragment length polymorphismanalysis, respectively.Results: A total of 77 patients (PCa, 39; benign, 38) were included in the study. The frequencies of BsmI, FokI, TaqI, and ApaI genotypes for PCa and benigngroups were evaluated. Vitamin D deficiency was detected in 88.6% and 94.9% of the benign and PCa groups, respectively (p=0.176). The FokI Ff and BsmI bbgenotypes, and FokI FF and BsmI Bb genotypes were found to be more common in the PCa and benign groups, respectively. ApaI Aa and TaqI Tt were found tobe more frequent in both groups. In patients with metastatic PCa; Bsml Bb genotype, Apal Aa genotype, and Taql Tt genotypes were found to be more common.Conclusion: Although Bsml Bb genotype, Apal Aa genotype, and Taql Tt genotypes were more commonly found in patients with metastatic PCa, further studieswith increased sample sizes are needed to support this relationship in the Turkish PCa population

Metastatic Basal Cell Carcinoma Accompanying Gorlin Syndrome

Gorlin-Goltz syndrome or basal cell nevus syndrome is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by skeletal anomalies, numerous cysts observed in the jaw, and multiple basal cell carcinoma of the skin, which may be accompanied by falx cerebri calcification. Basal cell carcinoma is the most commonly skin tumor with slow clinical course and low metastatic potential. Its concomitance with Gorlin syndrome, resulting from a mutation in a tumor suppressor gene, may substantially change morbidity and mortality. A 66-year-old male patient with a history of recurrent basal cell carcinoma was presented with exophthalmus in the left eye and the lesions localized in the left lateral orbita and left zygomatic area. His physical examination revealed hearing loss, gapped teeth, highly arched palate, and frontal prominence. Left orbital mass, cystic masses at frontal and ethmoidal sinuses, and multiple pulmonary nodules were detected at CT scans. Basal cell carcinoma was diagnosed from biopsy of ethmoid sinus. Based on the clinical and typical radiological characteristics (falx cerebri calcification, bifid costa, and odontogenic cysts), the patient was diagnosed with metastatic skin basal cell carcinoma accompanied by Gorlin syndrome. Our case is a basal cell carcinoma with aggressive course accompanying a rarely seen syndrome

TRİPLE NEGATİF MEME KANSERLİ HASTALARDA STAT-3, FOSFORİLE STAT-3, P38 MAP-KİNAZ VE FOSFORİLE P38 MAP-KİNAZ EKSPRESYONLARI VE BU EKSPRESYONLARIN PROGNOSTİK DEĞERİ

AMAÇ: Triple negatif meme kanserleri biyolojik olarak diğer meme kanserlerinden farklılık göstermektedir. Bu tez çalışmamızda, meme kanserlerinde agresif seyirle ilişkili olabilecekleri düşünülen STAT-3, p38 MAPK ve EGFR ekspresyonlarının triple meme kanserlerindeki ekspresyon patternlerini ve bunun prognostik önemini araştırmayı amaçladık. HASTALAR VE METOD: Çalışmaya 56 triple negatif meme kanserli hasta alındı. Kontrol grubu olarak 20 Östrojen ve progesteron reseptörü pozitif, cerb B2 negatif ve 20 östrojen ve progesteron reseptörü negatif, cerbB2 pozitif meme kanserli hasta alındı. SONUÇLAR: Triple negatif hastaların 31‟inde (%55.4) sitoplazmik STAT-3 ekspresyonu gözlenirken, hiç bir hastada nükleer ekspresyon saptanmadı. Hastaların 14‟ünde (%25) fosforile stat-3 için sitoplazmik ekspresyon ve 10‟unda (%17.9) nükleer ekspresyon gözlendi. On üç hastada (%23.2) sitoplazmik, 9‟unda (%16.1) ise nükleer p38MAPK ekspresyonu gözlendi. Fosforile p38 MAPK ile nükleer tarzda boyanma izlenmezken, sitoplazmik ekspresyon hastaların 13‟ünde (%23.2) gözlendi. EGFR ekspresyonu hastaların 10‟unda (%17.9) saptandı. Triple negatif hastalar ile triple negatif olmayan hastalar karşılaştırıldğında, daha sık 78 sitoplazmik STAT-3 ve nükleer fosforile STAT-3 ekspresyonları gösterdikleri gözlendi. Bazal-benzeri tümörlerde bazal olmayan tümörlere göre sitoplazmik STAT-3 ve fosforile STAT-3‟ün nükleer ekspresyonu daha sıktı. Nod pozitif triple negatif hastalarda fosforile STAT-3 nükleer ekspresyonları daha fazlaydı. EGFR ekspresyonu ile sitoplazmik STAT-3 ekspresyonu ve sitoplazmik p38 MAPK ekspresyonları arasında korrelasyon saptandı. EGFR ekpsresyonu, azalmış hastalıksız sağkalım ile ilişkili iken, toplam sağkalımda fark yoktu. TARTIġMA: Tez çalışmamızda sitoplazmik STAT-3 ve fosforile STAT-3‟ün nükleer ekspresyonun triple negatif tümörlerde triple negatif olmayan tümörlere göre daha fazla olduğunu ve bu tümörlerde EGFR yolağının Stat-3 ve p38 MAPK yolaklarının ile yakın ilişki içinde olduklarını saptadık. Bu markırların prognostik öneminin tam olarak ortaya konulabilmesi için uzun dönem takip sonuçlarının beklenmesi gereklidir.AIM: Triple negative breast cancers behave diffrently from other breast cancers. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expressions and prognostic significance of STAT-3, p38 MAPK ve EGFR in triple negative breast cancers which may be related with agressive clinical behaviour. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty six triple negative breast cancer patients were taken into the study. Twenty ER/ PR positive, cerb B2 negative and 20 ER/PR negative, cerb B2 positive breast cancer patients were chosen as control group. RESULTS: In 31 of patients (55.4%) cytoplasmic STAT-3 expression was detected. Fourteen (%25) patients had cytoplasmic and 10 patients (17.9%) had nucleer phosphorylated STAT-3 expressions. In 13 patients (23.2%) cytoplasmic and in 9 patients (16.1%) nucleer p38 MAPK expressions were observed. Cytoplasmic fosforile p38 MAPK expression was present in 13 patients (23.2%) while no nucleer expression was detected. EGFR expression was observed in 10 patients (17.9%). Triple negative breast cencer patients had more commonly expressed cytoplasmic STAT-3 and nucleer phosphorylated STAT-3 compared to controls. Similarly, cytoplasmic STAT-3 and nucleer phosphorylated STAT-3 80 expressions had more commonly detected in basal like tumors. Nucleer phosphorylated STAT-3 expression was higher in node positive patients. EGFR expression was correlated with cytoplasmic STAT-3 and cytoplasmic p38 MAPK expressions. Patients with EGFR expression had shorter DFS times while there was no difference in overall survival. CONCLUSION: We found cytoplasmic STAT-3 and nucleer phosphorylated STAT-3 were more commonly expressed in triple negative tumors. EGFR cascade was found in a close relation with STAT-3 and p38 MAPK pathways in these tumors. However, longer follow-up periods are required to evaluate the exact impact on prognosis

The Association of Pain, Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep Patterns in Postoperative Turkish Patients

WOS: 000417369200005Objectives: Pain, stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders are common after surgery. Our study aims to investigate the association of pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in postoperative Turkish patients. Design: A descriptive and cross-sectional study Setting: Giresun Government Hospital, Clinics of Neuro-Surgery and General Surgery, Giresun, Turkey Subjects: The study consisted of 119 patients in the neurosurgery and general surgery clinic of the state hospital in Giresun, northern Turkey. Intervention: None Main outcome measures: The data were collected with the Patient Information Form, Sleep Survey, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Numerical Rating Scale. Results: The mean age of the patients was 59.13 years, with a standard deviation of 18.24 years. It was found that 31.1% of patients had higher anxiety scores (13.16 +/- 2.11), and 42.9% of patients had higher depression scores (11.72 +/- 3.19). The mean pain severity was found to be 6.82 +/- 3.95 following surgery. A positive correlation was also found between patients' sleep problems and both anxiety level (p < 0.01) and depression level (p < 0.05). There was a significantly negative correlation between sleep time in the hospital after surgery and the anxiety level of patients (p < 0.01). Conclusion: This study shows that a statistically significant correlation was found between patients' pain intensity, sleep pattern, and both anxiety level and depression level. Associations were also found between patients' sleep problems and both anxiety level and depression level. Further research is needed to investigate the evolution of this relationship

Posterior scleritis: Clinical and imaging features Posterior sklerit: Klinik ve görüntüleme özellikleri

Posterior scleritis is scleral inflammation beyond the equator. The most common presenting signs are pain and visual loss in any age group. These nonspecific complaints and a wide spectrum of clinic features may cause difficulties in diagnosis. Posterior scleritis is often idiopathic but can also be related to systemic diseases. In this report, three posterior scleritis cases diagnosed with fundus fluorescein angiography, optic coherence tomography and magnetic resonance imaging techniques are analyzed. Furthermore, the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to posterior scleritis is discussed

Assessment of platelet indices in patients with neurodegenerative diseases: Mean platelet volume was increased in patients with Parkinson's disease

Platelets induce chronic inflammation which is a key step in atherosclerosis and may be involved in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases (NDD). We aimed to measure the mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet count (PLC) in NDD patients. The present study was designed to investigate the platelet function by measuring MPV and PLC in NDD. A total of 182 outpatients with Alzheimer's (AD) or Parkinson's diseases (PD) were included. The control group consisted of 104 healthy subjects. Platelet count was similar between groups. MPV values of PD patients were higher than those of AD patients and controls (P<0.001). MPV correlated negatively with Heohn and Yahr scale (HYS) score (P<0.001). Increased MPV in patients with PD may point to a platelet dysfunction. High-grade inflammation presents with low levels of MPV as seen in PD patients with high HYS scores. © 2013 Abdulkadir Koçer et al

Metastatic Basal Cell Carcinoma Accompanying Gorlin Syndrome

Gorlin-Goltz syndrome or basal cell nevus syndrome is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by skeletal anomalies, numerous cysts observed in the jaw, and multiple basal cell carcinoma of the skin, which may be accompanied by falx cerebri calcification. Basal cell carcinoma is the most commonly skin tumor with slow clinical course and low metastatic potential. Its concomitance with Gorlin syndrome, resulting from a mutation in a tumor suppressor gene, may substantially change morbidity and mortality. A 66-year-old male patient with a history of recurrent basal cell carcinoma was presented with exophthalmus in the left eye and the lesions localized in the left lateral orbita and left zygomatic area. His physical examination revealed hearing loss, gapped teeth, highly arched palate, and frontal prominence. Left orbital mass, cystic masses at frontal and ethmoidal sinuses, and multiple pulmonary nodules were detected at CT scans. Basal cell carcinoma was diagnosed from biopsy of ethmoid sinus. Based on the clinical and typical radiological characteristics (falx cerebri calcification, bifid costa, and odontogenic cysts), the patient was diagnosed with metastatic skin basal cell carcinoma accompanied by Gorlin syndrome. Our case is a basal cell carcinoma with aggressive course accompanying a rarely seen syndrome