Evaluation of the response given to the vitamin D treatment in patients with osteomalacia

Introduction: The current study aimed to examine the relationship between 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters and response to treatment in patients living in a Central Anatolian city of Turkey and diagnosed with osteomalacia.Methods: A total of 533 patients who live in the continental climate, older than 18 years old, and have 25(OH)D levels lower than 30 ng/ml were enrolled prospectively. Patients' age, body mass index (BMI), type of clothing, season in which they were diagnosed, type of treatment and duration were recorded. At the time of diagnosis, the patients were evaluated with clinical and laboratory parameters at 1st, 2nd, and 4th months.Results: Mean serum 25(OH)D level was 7.59±4.41 ng/mL at the time of diagnosis. 25(OH)D level was 24.42±14.77 ng/ml after treatment, with severe deficiency ( lt;10 ng/mL) in 74% of patients, deficiency ( lt;20 ng/mL) in 24.2%, insufficiency in 1.3% (20-29.99 ng/mL). 74.4% of the women had a closed clothing style. Vitamin D levels during diagnosis and at the end of treatment did not differ according to the BMI and the diagnosis period (p gt; 0.05). However, as BMI increased, the response given to the treatment decreased.Conclusions: The current study showed that vitamin D deficiency is common in study population. The current findings demonstrate that treatment and follow-up should be continued until achieving normal serum 25(OH)D levels, taking into account geographic and ethnical structures to bring vitamin D levels to adequate levels.Keywords: 25-hydroxytamin D; Osteomalacia; vitamin D deficienc

A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Gender-Bound Language Use in Turkish and English Plays: Implications for Foreign Language Education

The aim of the study is to investigate gender-bound language use in Turkish and English languages and to identify the differences and similarities across cultures and genders in the plays with family and social themes. Four English and five Turkish plays were chosen randomly for comparison. The number of words in the plays were taken into consideration for an accurate and balanced analysis. For this reason, the closeness of the number of words used by male and female characters in the plays were more important than the number of plays in total. The Turkish plays consisted of 6781 words and the English plays comprised 7091 words. Thus, in the plays considered as samples of language, a total of 13.872 words were studied with respect to the use of intensifiers, hedges and tag questions in two major groups: (1) cross gender & same culture, (2) same gender & cross culture, within the framework of Lakoff’s (1975) proposal concerning linguistic differences between males and females. A Pearson chi-square test was conducted on the quantitative data for all the analyses. The findings of the study showed that there were significant differences only in the use of hedges. No significant differences in the use of intensifiers and tag questions within the corpus under investigation were observed between the groups. This cross-cultural comparison on English and Turkish implies that Lakoff’s proposition regarding gender-bound language use needs further exploration. The study sheds light upon intercultural communication, and raises awareness and understanding of whether and how language use differs between different genders and cultures, which might be helpful for teachers and learners during the processes of teaching and learning English or Turkish as a foreign language. Furthermore, when the results of the study are considered from the point of intercultural communication, this investigation unveils the similarities and differences between English and Turkish languages in terms of use of intensifiers, hedges, and tag questions

The Comparison of the Immunologic Properties of Stem Cells Isolated from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth, Dental Pulp, and Dental Follicles

Aim. To compare the effects of various mesenchymal stem cells, those isolated from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs), dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), and dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs), on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Method. Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from three sources in the orofacial region. Characterization and PCR analyses were performed. Lymphocytes were isolated from healthy peripheral venous blood. Lymphocytes were cocultured with stem cells in the presence and absence of IFN-γ and stimulated with anti-CD2, anti-CD3, and anti-CD28 for 3 days. Then, lymphocyte proliferation, the number of CD4+FoxP3+ T regulatory cells, and the levels of Fas/Fas ligand, IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ in the culture supernatant were measured. Results. The DFSCs exhibited an enhanced differentiation capacity and an increased number of CD4+FoxP3+ T lymphocytes and suppressed the proliferation and apoptosis of PBMCs compared with SHEDs and DPSCs. The addition of IFN-γ augmented the proliferation of DFSCs. Furthermore, the DFSCs suppressed IL-4 and IFN-γ cytokine levels and enhanced IL-10 levels compared with the other cell sources. Conclusion. These results suggest that IFN-γ stimulates DFSCs by inducing an immunomodulatory effect on the PBMCs of healthy donors while suppressing apoptosis and proliferation and increasing the number of CD4+FoxP3+ cells

Subacute THYROiditis Related to SARS-CoV-2 VAccine and Covid-19 (THYROVAC Study): A Multicenter Nationwide Study.

Context The aims of the study are to compare characteristics of subacute thyroiditis (SAT) related to different etiologies, and to identify predictors of recurrence of SAT and incident hypothyroidism. Methods This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study included 53 endocrinology centers in Turkey. The study participants were divided into either COVID-19-related SAT (Cov-SAT), SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-related SAT (Vac-SAT), or control SAT (Cont-SAT) groups. Results Of the 811 patients, 258 (31.8%) were included in the Vac-SAT group, 98 (12.1%) in the Cov-SAT group, and 455 (56.1%) in the Cont-SAT group. No difference was found between the groups with regard to laboratory and imaging findings. SAT etiology was not an independent predictor of recurrence or hypothyroidism. In the entire cohort, steroid therapy requirement and younger age were statistically significant predictors for SAT recurrence. C-reactive protein measured during SAT onset, female sex, absence of antithyroid peroxidase (TPO) positivity, and absence of steroid therapy were statistically significant predictors of incident (early) hypothyroidism, irrespective of SAT etiology. On the other hand, probable predictors of established hypothyroidism differed from that of incident hypothyroidism. Conclusion Since there is no difference in terms of follow-up parameters and outcomes, COVID-19- and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-related SAT can be treated and followed up like classic SATs. Recurrence was determined by younger age and steroid therapy requirement. Steroid therapy independently predicts incident hypothyroidism that may sometimes be transient in overall SAT and is also associated with a lower risk of established hypothyroidism

Clinical and molecular evaluation of MEFV gene variants in the Turkish population: a study by the National Genetics Consortium

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a monogenic autoinflammatory disorder with recurrent fever, abdominal pain, serositis, articular manifestations, erysipelas-like erythema, and renal complications as its main features. Caused by the mutations in the MEditerranean FeVer (MEFV) gene, it mainly affects people of Mediterranean descent with a higher incidence in the Turkish, Jewish, Arabic, and Armenian populations. As our understanding of FMF improves, it becomes clearer that we are facing with a more complex picture of FMF with respect to its pathogenesis, penetrance, variant type (gain-of-function vs. loss-of-function), and inheritance. In this study, MEFV gene analysis results and clinical findings of 27,504 patients from 35 universities and institutions in Turkey and Northern Cyprus are combined in an effort to provide a better insight into the genotype-phenotype correlation and how a specific variant contributes to certain clinical findings in FMF patients. Our results may help better understand this complex disease and how the genotype may sometimes contribute to phenotype. Unlike many studies in the literature, our study investigated a broader symptomatic spectrum and the relationship between the genotype and phenotype data. In this sense, we aimed to guide all clinicians and academicians who work in this field to better establish a comprehensive data set for the patients. One of the biggest messages of our study is that lack of uniformity in some clinical and demographic data of participants may become an obstacle in approaching FMF patients and understanding this complex disease