Evaluation of the effect of apixaban on the primary intact intervertebral disc cell cultures

Aim: Apixaban is a frequently preferred pharmacological agent in clinics to prevent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.Such new oral anticoagulants may cause hemorrhage’s in tissues and/or organs or may cause gastrointestinal symptoms withoutbleeding. It is also reported in the literature that it may lead to mental disorders, unwanted disorders in the urinary tract and skeletalmuscle system. However, when the literature is examined, there are no studies, which are of high-evidential value, evaluating theefficacy of apixaban on healthy, intact intervertebral disc tissue, and matrix-like structures. In this pharmaco-molecular study, itwas aimed to investigate the effects of a new oral anticoagulant agent containing the active ingredient apixaban on the intactintervertebral disc tissue cells, extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and to evaluate its positive and / or negative effects on geneexpressions of cartilage oligo matrix protein (COMP), chondroadherin (CHAD), and Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP)s.Material and Methods: The primary cell cultures were prepared from the intact tissues of the patients with the traumatic intervertebraldisc herniation. Apixaban was administered to the cultures and molecular analyses were performed for 21 days. The data obtainedfrom the apixaban-administered and non-apixaban-administered samples were evaluated statistically and the significance valuewas accepted as P <0.05.Results: The changes were observed in the cell proliferation and the expressions of the mentioned genes in the apixabanadministered group. The suppression of COMP value and the increase in MMP-13 value may be indicative of the development ofmatrix degeneration in the apixaban-administered group, compared to the non-drug-administered control group.Conclusion: The selectivity is one of the most important features of the drugs. However, it should not be forgotten that no drug willonly produce the desired effect

Systematic evaluation of desmopressin administered to patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in the light of the literature

AIM: To discuss the management of patients with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) developing after subarachnoid hemorrhage, in a comparative manner in the light of the literature.MATERIAL and METHODS: Without country or language restrictions, articles with high evidential value found in electronic databases were compared to our patients' data.RESULTS: After the literature review, three articles were included for systematic evaluation. Desmopressin was administered to the patients for the treatment of hyponatremia, volume contraction, and negative sodium balance caused by SIADH. However, it was not used for preventing re-bleeding.CONCLUSION: To prevent the development of this complication (SIADH), the use of desmopressin, an analogue of vasopressin, is important in routine clinical practice

Evaluation of Poisoning Cases Hospitalized to Intensive Care Unit

Aim: Acute poisoning is less frequent and important diagnosis in emergency departments (ED). Aim of the study is to evaluate demographic and clinical properties of the patients diagnosed with poisining in ED and then hospitalized in intensive care unit (ICU).  Material and Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with intoxication in ED and hospitalized to ICU between January 2009 and June 2015 were recorded according to the ED protocol book, forensic reports, were retrospectively scanned using the intensive care follow-up book and hospital software system. Data were recorded and statistics were made with SPSS 16.0.Results: A total of 70 patients were hospitalized to ICU and 74.3% of patients were women (n = 52). 85,8% (n=60) of patients were drug poisoning while the remaining 14.2% (n = 10) were alcohol, street drugs (bonzai, marijuana, ecstasia), mushroom, pesticide. 81.4% (n = 57) of the patients diagnosed within toxication for suicide, 8,6% (n = 6) for unintentional and 10% (n = 7) for pleasure. The rate of drug use in suicidal intoxications was 96.5% (n = 55) and the most (76%) (n = 42) and central nervous system (CNS) drugs were used. When the complaints of the patients were grouped, CNS related complaints were the most common (75.7%) and the gastrointestinal (GIS) complaints (24.3%) were the second.Conclusion: Significant proportion of the patients diagnosed with poisoning were drug intoxications. Large proportion of these drugs were included in the group of CNS medications, poisoning cases occurred in the female gender more and more for suicidal purposes

Evaluation of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a marker of inflammatory response in spondylodiscitis

Aim: Spondylodiscitis, if not diagnosed on time, can cause morbidity or mortality at high rates. This study was carried out with the aim of testing the hypothesis that “neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio can be used” especially in cases where it is difficult to diagnose spondylodiscitis. Material and Methods: This study involved 24 patients admitted to the State Hospital of Ministry of Health and Namik Kemal University for spondylodiscitis between January2014 and June2017. After excluding the cases that did not meet the inclusion criteria (n=6), the remaining cases (n=24) were referred to as the study group. A control group was created from healthy volunteers (n=24) who applied for routine physical checkups at the clinic between the same dates and who were similar in terms of age, sex, and body mass index to the study group. Hemogram parameters of the cases in both groups; white blood cell, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were statistically compared. Results: Patients in the spondylodiscitis group, compared to healthy volunteers had statistically significant neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio value. Conclusion: Especially in cases where the diagnosis of spondylodiscitis is not assured, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio parameter, which is less costly than other diagnostic methods and the analysis results of which can be obtained in a shorter time, may be used to support clinical diagnosis

Are intervertebral disc tissue cells damaged when attempting to prevent thrombus formation using dabigatran, a new oral anticoagulant?

AIM: To investigate the effect of dabigatran, a new oral anticoagulant, on human primary cell cultures isolated from intact intervertebral disc tissue. MATERIAL and METHODS: Cell cultures were prepared from tissues obtained from six cases who had undergone surgery due to spinal trauma. Dabigatran, an active pharmacological agent, was applied to intact annulus fibrosus (AF)/nucleus pulposus (NP) primary cell cultures from the study group. After performing cell viability, toxicity, and proliferation tests on all cultures in the control and study groups, the surface morphologies of the samples were evaluated. Subsequently, chondroadherin (CHAD), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 and -19 expressions were measured via a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Data were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: In the proliferation assays performed on the 20th day of the study, cells in the dabigatran-supplemented group were reported to have lost 46.37% more viability than those in the control group. Expressions of all genes examined except MMP-13 were evaluated in the control group by time, but in contrast to the control group results, COMP and MMP-19 gene expressions decreased in the dabigatran-treated group. No CHAD or MMP-13 expression was noted in these cultures. CONCLUSION: The potential for a systemically applied drug to accumulate in tissue and negatively affect surrounding tissues and microstructures must be emphasized

Investigation of the effect of dipyrone on cells isolated from intervertebral disc tissue

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of dipyrone, an indispensable analgesic, anti-pyretic and anti-spasmodic used in emergency departments, on nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus cells in vitro. After surgical biopsy, primary cell cultures were prepared from intact intervertebral disc tissues. Dipyrone was administered to the cultures in the experimental groups except for the control group. The data obtained were statistically evaluated. The proliferation was identified to be suppressed via MTT analysis. The gene expression profile of the intervertebral disc cells in the dipyrone-treated groups was significantly changed. The expression of chondroadherin, cartilage oligo matrix protein, interleukin-1 beta and metalloproteinase (MMP)-19 genes were decreased, but MMP-13 and MMP-7 genes expressions were increased, as determined via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. AO/PI staining revealed that no apoptotic or other type of cell death was detectable after administration of dipyrone does not mean that the drug is innocuous. The occurrence of cellular senescence and/or the halt of cell proliferation may also be important mechanisms underlying the adverse inhibitory effects of dipyrone. Therefore, prior to administering dipyrone in clinical practice, all possible adverse effects of this drug should be considered

Investigation of the effect of dipyrone on cells isolated from intervertebral disc tissue

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of dipyrone, an indispensable analgesic, anti-pyretic and anti-spasmodic used in emergency departments, on nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus cells in vitro. After surgical biopsy, primary cell cultures were prepared from intact intervertebral disc tissues. Dipyrone was administered to the cultures in the experimental groups except for the control group. The data obtained were statistically evaluated. The proliferation was identified to be suppressed via MTT analysis. The gene expression profile of the intervertebral disc cells in the dipyrone-treated groups was significantly changed. The expression of chondroadherin, cartilage oligo matrix protein, interleukin-1 beta and metalloproteinase (MMP)-19 genes were decreased, but MMP-13 and MMP-7 genes expressions were increased, as determined via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. AO/PI staining revealed that no apoptotic or other type of cell death was detectable after administration of dipyrone does not mean that the drug is innocuous. The occurrence of cellular senescence and/or the halt of cell proliferation may also be important mechanisms underlying the adverse inhibitory effects of dipyrone. Therefore, prior to administering dipyrone in clinical practice, all possible adverse effects of this drug should be considered

Turkish Thoracic Society early career members task force group's virtual congress notes: European Respiratory Society International Congress 2020

In this article, Early Career Task Force Group members of the Turkish Thoracic Society summarize the European Respiratory Society 2020 virtual congress. Current developments in the field of respiratory diseases were compiled with the addition of sessions specific to coronavirus disease 2019 this year. Almost all of the congress sessions were examined, and the important and striking results of the congress were highlighted. Congress sessions were attended by expert researchers, and the prominent messages of each session were highlighted in short summaries. They were then grouped under relevant titles and ranked in order of meaning and relation. It was finalized by a team of researchersTurkish Thoracic Society (TTS