Bilateral hemotympanum as a result of spontaneous epistaxis

Hemotympanum is a rare condition and usually depends on a secondary reason. Therefore, idiopathic hemotympanum is rarely seen in the literature. In this paper, we report a case of this problem

Increased oxidative stress associated with the severity of the liver disease in various forms of hepatitis B virus infection

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress can be defined as an increase in oxidants and/or a decrease in antioxidant capacity. There is limited information about the oxidative status in subjects with hepatitis B virus infection. We aimed to evaluate the oxidative status in patients with various clinical forms of chronic hepatitis B infection. METHODS: Seventy-six patients with hepatitis B virus infection, in whom 33 with chronic hepatitis, 31 inactive carriers and 12 with cirrhosis, and 16 healthy subjects were enrolled. Total antioxidant response and total peroxide level measurement, and calculation of oxidative stress index were performed in all participants. RESULTS: Total antioxidant response was significantly lower in cirrhotics than inactive HbsAg carriers and controls (p = 0.008 and p = 0.008, respectively). Total peroxide level and oxidative stress index was significantly higher in cirrhotic (p < 0.001, both) and chronic hepatitis B subjects (p < 0.001, both) than inactive HbsAg carriers and controls. Total antioxidant response was comparable in chronic hepatitis B subjects, inactive HbsAg carriers and controls (both, p > 0.05/6). Total peroxide level and oxidative stress index were also comparable in inactive HBsAg carriers and controls (both, p > 0.05/6). Serum alanine amino transferase level was positively correlated with total peroxide level and oxidative stress index only in chronic hepatitis B subjects (p = 0.002, r = 0.519 and p = 0.008, r = 0.453, respectively). CONCLUSION: Oxidative stress occurs secondarily to increased total lipid peroxidation and inadequate total antioxidant response and is related to severity of the disease and replication status of virus in hepatitis B infection

Oxidative stress in hepatitis C infected end-stage renal disease subjects

BACKGROUND: Both uremia and hepatitis C infection is associated with increased oxidative stress. In the present study, we aimed to find out whether hepatitis C infection has any impact on oxidative stress in hemodialysis subjects. METHODS: Sixteen hepatitis C (+) hemodialysis subjects, 24 hepatitis C negative hemodialysis subjects and 24 healthy subjects were included. Total antioxidant capacity, total peroxide level and oxidative stress index were determined in all subjects. RESULTS: Total antioxidant capacity was significantly higher in controls than hemodialysis subjects with or without hepatitis C infection (all p < 0.05/3), while total peroxide level and oxidative stress index were significantly lower (all p < 0.05/3). Hepatitis C (-) hemodialysis subjects had higher total antioxidant capacity compared to hepatitis C (+) hemodialysis subjects (all p < 0.05/3). Total peroxide level and oxidative stress index was comparable between hemodialysis subjects with or without hepatitis C infection (p > 0.05/3). CONCLUSION: Oxidative stress is increased in both hepatitis C (+) and hepatitis C (-) hemodialysis subjects. However, hepatitis C infection seems to not cause any additional increase in oxidative stress in hemodialysis subjects and it may be partly due to protective effect of dialysis treatment on hepatitis C infection

Increased Small Dense LDL and Decreased Paraoxonase Enzyme Activity Reveals Formation of an Atherogenic Risk in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Guinea Pigs

This study aimed to investigate LDL subfraction distribution as well as serum cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), and paraoxonase (PON1) activity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic guinea pigs. Materials/Methods. Guinea pigs were given a single intraperitoneal (ip) injection of streptozotocin (STZ) and animals having fasting blood glucose levels greater than 200 mg/dl, were considered diabetic. Protein levels of LCAT and CETP were determined via ELISA. Paraoxonase activity was measured kinetically by the formation of phenol while LDL subfraction analysis was done by disc polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results. Plasma glucose and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were significantly increased while total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were significantly decreased in diabetic guinea pigs compared to controls. LDL subfraction analysis revealed a significant decrease in nonatherogenic LDL-2 subfraction and a significant increase in atherogenic LDL-4 subfraction in diabetic guinea pigs compared to controls. Plasma CETP and PON1 levels were significantly decreased while LCAT showed no significant difference in diabetic guinea pigs compared to controls. Conclusion. Decreased non-atherogenic LDL-1, LDL-2 subfractions, increased small dense LDL-4 subfraction, and decreased PON1 activity, reveals formation of an atherogenic risk in diabetic guinea pigs. Decrease in CETP levels supports the observed increase in HDL cholesterol levels in diabetic guinea pigs

The effectiveness of exercise programmes after lumbar disc surgery: a randomized controlled study

Objective: To compare two different exercise programmes versus a control group, after lumbar disc surgery

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of oral tablet formulations prepared with ketoconazole and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin

WOS: 000275655800007PubMed ID: 20148713The objective of this study was to enhance the solubility, dissolution rate, and oral bioavailability of a very poorly water-soluble anti-fungal agent, ketoconazole (KET), by inclusion complexation with a highly-soluble cyclodextrin derivative, hydroxypropyl-beta cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD). Two groups of tablets containing KET alone and KET:HP-beta-CD (1:2) kneaded product (KP) including magnesium stearate and lactopress (anhydrous and spray-dried) as excipients were prepared by direct compression method. After the characterization studies, the in vitro dissolution studies of these tablets in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) were carried out. To evaluate the in vivo bioavailability, the tablets were administered orally to rabbits and drug levels in serum were determined by HPLC. Tablets containing the cyclodextrin complex showed a higher in vitro dissolution rate and bioavailability compared to the tablets containing KET alone.</.Pharmaceutical Technology Research Support of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Co., Istanbul, TurkeyThis study is supported by Pharmaceutical Technology Research Support of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Co., Istanbul, Turkey. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper