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

Intentional sun exposure in infancy in Sakarya, Turkey

PMID = 1688345

The association between diabetes mellitus and urinary incontinence in adult women.

Item does not contain fulltextINTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship of diabetes mellitus and urinary incontinence in adult women. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, comparative study with a case-control design. One thousand three hundred eighty-one women (aged 20-87 years) attending six Primary Healthcare Centers in Turkey were enrolled in this study, after giving their informed consent. Subjects were dichotomized into cases and controls according to presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and were matched for the confounding factors age, body mass index (BMI), and reproductive history. RESULTS: Nine hundred ten women were included: 273 diabetics and 637 non-diabetics. Diabetes was shown to be associated with a 2.5-fold risk increase for urinary incontinence (UI), and age and BMI were weakly associated with UI. UI was significantly more prevalent in diabetic women: 41% diabetic and 22.1% non-diabetic women reported UI (p < 0.001). Age, BMI, and DM were revealed as independent determinants of UI in adult women. Urge incontinence was more prevalent in non-diabetic women, whereas stress and mixed incontinence were more prevalent among diabetic women. CONCLUSIONS: DM is the most important independent determinant of UI