Hepatitis B virus infection and ABO/Rh blood groups

Background: Chronic HBV infection is a significant public health problem all around the world. It is not clear if ABO/Rh blood groups have a role in the development of chronic forms of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between chronic HBV infection and ABO/Rh blood groups.Methods: The study was designed as a retrospective study that included totaled 937 individuals: 453 patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis and 484 healthy individuals as the control group. HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) and blood groups results of patients between the years 2013-2015 were collected by reviewing the laboratory results. During these three years HBsAg was performed on the architect i2000sr (Abbott diagnostic, Illinois, USA) with ELISA and ABO/Rh blood groups were analyzed with gel centrifugation method (Grifols, Barcelona, Spain).Results: Blood group A Rh positive was higher than other blood types in the chronic hepatitis B group (44.3%) and in control group (41.9%), whereas blood types O, AB, and B were similar between cases with chronic hepatitis and controls (p>0.05). HBV infection was moderately less frequent in subjects with AB positive blood group (p=0.07). The prevalence of Rh positive was 89.1% in patients and 88.2% in the control group (p>0.05).Conclusions: This study showed that there was not an association between ABO/Rh blood groups and chronic HBV infection, but there is a need for different and more numerous case-control studies about this subject

Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy may affect fetal thymus development

Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the association of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) during pregnancy with thymus size in full-term fetuses. Material and methods: In this prospective study, we evaluated mid-pregnancy serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) concentrations. The fetal thymus size was measured by ultrasound in the third trimester. Neonatal 25(OH)D3 levels were evaluated by umbilical cord blood sampling. Correlation of maternal and neonatal vitamin D levels and association between thymus size and both, maternal and neonatal vitamin D concentrations were investigated. Results: Serum 25(OH) D3 concentrations were within the normal range in 48 (29.8%) mothers and 10 (13.1%) new­borns. A strong correlation between mid-pregnancy maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D3 concentration (r = 0.8, p < 0.001) was found. A significant linear correlation was observed between both, maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D3 concentrations and thymus perimeter length (r = 0.45, p = 0.04 and r = 0.43, p < 0.01, respectively). Both, maternal and fetal VDDs were associated with decreased thymus perimeter (p = 0.04, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy may be associated with smaller fetal thymus. Our data suggest that VDD in pregnancy may lead to systemic inflammatory response in the fetus

Femoral Neuropathy in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Femoral mononeuropathy (FMN) as an extraarticular finding of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a phenomenon which has not been reported previously. We report a 53-year-old female patient with RA, presenting FMN findings during the course of the disease. On examination, right quadriceps and iliopsoas muscles showed grade 3 weakness on the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. Sensory examination revealed sensory loss in the right medial leg and thigh. Patellar tendon reflex was absent in the right side. A diagnosis of a partial right femoral neuropathy was confirmed using nerve conduction study and electromyography. The probable mechanism of FMN was thought to be vasculitis

Effect of mode of delivery on neonatal oxidative stress and dynamic thiol–disulfide homeostasis

Objective To evaluate the effect of the mode of delivery on neonatal oxidative stress and dynamic thiol–disulfide homeostasis. Methods Sixty women who were followed up in the Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic were included in this prospective study. Cord blood samples were obtained from women who underwent cesarean section (CS) and vaginal delivery (VD). Total oxidant status and total antioxidant status levels were measured by spectrophotometry. The dynamic thiol–disulfide balance was determined by colorimetry. Results The total antioxidant status and oxidative stress index levels were higher and total oxidant status levels were lower in the VD group compared with the CS group. Native and total thiol levels were higher while disulfide levels were lower in the VD compared with the CS delivery group, while disulfide levels were higher in the CS group. Conclusion These results indicate that disulfide formation leads to decreased antioxidant capacity in women undergoing CS. Monitoring of dynamic thiol–disulfide levels may thus provide clinicians with important information on the oxidative stress status in newborns

Automated Auditory Brainstem Response: A Proposal for an Initial Test For Healthy Newborn Hearing Screening with a Focus on the Test Time

Objective: Some researchers recommend the use of Automated Auditory Brainstem Response as an initial screening test for healthy newborns due to its lower false-positive and referral rates, high specificity, and also its' ability to diagnose auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder combination with Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions test. On the other hand, the test time can be a disadvantage. With technological advancements, a new generation Automated Auditory Brainstem Response has been developed which is faster. The new design of the Automated Auditory Brainstem Response is designed with a coupler that does not contain disposable electrodes is available at an acceptable cost. The aim of this study was comparing the new generation's Automated Auditory Brainstem Response and Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions test by regarding to their test times. The results were then compared with those in previously published literature. Methods: Two hundred and sixty healthy infants were included in the study. The hearing screening of all infants was performed using Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions and Automated Auditory Brainstem Response test devices with new, improved technology. The Ero-ScanTM (Maico, Berlin, Germany) test system was used for the Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions, and the newly designed Maico MB11 BERAphone (Maico-Berlin, Germany) Auditory Brainstem Response screening device with three electrodes in one cap was used for the Automated Auditory Brainstem Response test. Results: Mean age of babies was 60.7+/-51.3 hours, and age range was 4hours-312hours. The test times for the Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions were 13.68+/-9.2s and 14.04+/-9.45, and for the Automated Auditory Brainstem Response, they were 39.15+/-22.2s and 45,25+/-23,9s for the right and left ears respectively. Conclusions: Although the Automated Auditory Brainstem Response test time is statistically longer than the Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions, the amount of time it takes has been significantly shortened by the new technology. This finding enhances the value of the new generation Automated Auditory Brainstem Response technology usage as an initial test for newborn hearing screening.Wo