The Status of Antioxidants and Oxidative Damage in Patients with COVID-19

Purpose: COVID-19 is a viral disease that has recently caused a pandemic and significantly affects human health. In this study, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, total thiol, natural thiol, disulfide, oxidative DNA damage and malondialdehyde levels in COVID-19 were investigated. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five patients and 35 healthy volunteers were included in this study. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was made by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Serum glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, natural thiol, total thiol and disulphide levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine/10⁶ deoxyguanosine levels by high-pressure liquid chromatography measured. Results: While serum superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine/10⁶ deoxyguanosine, disulfide levels were higher in the COVID-19 patient group than in the healthy control group, glutathione, total thiol, natural thiol levels were lower. In addition, there was a negative correlation between 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine/10⁶ deoxyguanosine and glutathione, natural thiol and total thiol, and a positive correlation with disulfide. Conclusion: This study revealed that serum superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine/10⁶ deoxyguanosine, and disulfide levels increased and glutathione, thiol and natural thiol levels decreased in COVID-19 patients. These results revealed that there was a decrease in antioxidant marker levels and an increase in oxidative stress markers in COVID-19 patients

Relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and levels of vitamin D

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with pulmonary function deterioration. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship of serum vitamin D levels with pulmonary functions, disease severity and exacerbation frequency in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients. Methods: Seventy consecutive patients with COPD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage II-IV) who presented to our outpatient clinic and thirdty controls entered to the study. Diagnosis of COPD was confirmed according to clinical findings and pulmonary function test. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D levels were measured by immunofluorescence method. Levels <20 ng/mL defined deficiency. Associations between Vitamin D levels and sex, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking habit, comorbidities, exacerbation frequency were examined. Results: The mean age of patients was 60.7 years. The proportion of patients in stages 2 of GOLD was 40 %, in stages 3 was 30 % and stages 4was 30 %. There was no significant difference in serum levels of 25(OH)D between COPD patients and controls. Vitamin D level was 9.3 ±6.0 ng/mL in control group and 9.7± 8.5 ng/mL in GOLD stage 2, 9.6 ± 6.2 ng/mL in stage 3 and 5.1 ±2.4 ng/mL in stage 4. In stage 4, vitamin D levels was significantly lower statistically (p=0.03). Among the COPD patients, lower FEV1 was associated with lower levels of 25(OH)D (p= 0.03). The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension (61.4%) and heart failure (27.1%). Among the COPD patients smoking associated with significantly lower levels of serum 25(OH) D (p=0.04). We find an association with exacerbation frequency in the previous 12 months and levels of 25(OH) D (p=0.02). Conclusion: COPD severity according to GOLD stage is also associated with low levels of 25(OH)D. Serum vitamin D levels are lower in COPD patients who are current smokers. Severe vitamin D deficiency is related to more frequent disease exacerbations. These findings indicated a relationship between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and COPD which suggests optimization of serum vitamin D levels in COPD

EFFECT OF EXPOSURE TO FLUORINE AND 7, 12-DIMETHYL BENZANTHRACENE ON VASCULAR RESPONSES

In this study, the effect of experimental administration of fluorine and DMBA, alone or in combination, on rats on vascular responses was investigated. After adaptation, the rats were randomly selected and divided into 9 groups, 10 male rats in each group. While sodium fluoride was applied daily in drinking water for 12 weeks to the groups to which fluoride will be applied; on the other hand, DMBA was dissolved in sesame oil and applied to the groups that needed it, once a week for a total of 12 weeks. The groups were determined as C, SO, 1NaF, 15NaF, 30NaF, DMBA, 1NaF+DMBA, 15NaF+DMBA and 30NaF+DMBA. Tensions in the thoracic aorta were provided with phenylephrine. Then, relaxation responses were recorded by giving ACh ((10-8'-7'-6'-5)) and SNP ((10-,-9,-8,-7,)(-6)(,)(-5)) at different cumulative concentrations. In the study, it was determined that fluorine caused the vessels to contract and DMBA to relax. Concurrent exposure to high amounts of fluorine and DMBA was observed to cause vasoconstriction

General characteristics and therapeutic options in lung cancer in Turkey

[No Abstract Available

Pulmonary Embolism Associated with Pandemic H1N1 Influenza A Virus Infection: a Case Report

On May 15, 2009, the Turkish Ministry of Health reported the first case of 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in the Republic of Turkey. Pandemic H1N1virus is a new and mutant influenza virus and has many epidemiologic and clinic features. These cases have been reported in multiple geographic regions of the world. School children are more affected than adults. In the elderly, it has a higher mortality rate. The clinical aspects of infection with H1N1 influenza A virus remains to be understood. A few cases of pulmonary embolism associated with H1N1 influenza A virus infection were reported. We herein report a pulmonary embolism in a patient with pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. A 42-year-old Turkish woman was admitted to our emergency department with dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain. She complained of fever, myalgia, sore throat and cough of four days duration on admission to our hospital. She was tested for pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test which revealed a positive result. Chest tomography showed pulmonary embolism. She was successfully treated with intravenous heparin and oseltamivir. This case report demonstrates the importance of considering pulmvonary embolism as a diagnosis in 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infected persons who present with sudden onset of dyspnea, fever and chest pain

Assesment of palliative care in lung cancer in Turkey (ASPECT study)

[No Abstract Available

Assessment of Palliative Care in Lung Cancer in Turkey

Objective: To investigate the symptoms of lung cancer in Turkey and to evaluate approaches to alleviate these symptoms. Subjects and Methods: This study included 1,245 lung cancer patients from 26 centers in Turkey. Demographic characteristics as well as information regarding the disease and treatments were obtained from medical records and patient interviews. Symptoms were evaluated using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and were graded on a scale between 0 and 10 points. Data were compared using the. 2, Student t, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Potential predictors of symptoms were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Results: The most common symptom was tiredness (n = 1,002; 82.1%), followed by dyspnea (n = 845; 69.3%), appetite loss (n = 801; 65.7%), pain (n = 798; 65.4%), drowsiness (n = 742; 60.8%), anxiety (n = 704; 57.7%), depression (n = 623; 51.1%), and nausea (n = 557; 45.5%). Of the 1,245 patients, 590 (48.4%) had difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep. The symptoms were more severe in stages III and IV. Logistic regression analysis indicated a clear association between demographic characteristics and symptom distress, as well as between symptom distress (except nausea) and well-being. Overall, 804 (65.4%) patients used analgesics, 630 (51.5%) received treatment for dyspnea, 242 (19.8%) used enteral/parenteral nutrition, 132 (10.8%) used appetite stimulants, and 129 (10.6%) used anxiolytics/antidepressants. Of the 799 patients who received analgesics, 173 (21.7%) reported that their symptoms were under control, and also those on other various treatment modalities (dyspnea: 78/627 [12.4%], appetite stimulant: 25/132 [18.9%], and anxiolytics/antidepressants: 25/129 [19.4%]) reported that their symptoms were controlled. Conclusion: In this study, the symptoms progressed and became more severe in the advanced stages of lung cancer, and palliative treatment was insufficient in most of the patients in Turkey. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Base

Türkiye'de akciğer kanseri hastalarında uyku bozuklukları]

Introduction: Sleep quality is known to be associated with the distressing symptoms of cancer. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of cancer symptoms on insomnia and the prevalence of sleep-related problems reported by the patients with lung cancer in Turkey. Materials and Methods: Assesment of Palliative Care in Lung Cancer in Turkey (ASPECT) study, a prospective multicenter study conducted in Turkey with the participation of 26 centers and included all patients with lung cancer, was re-evaluated in terms of sleep problems, insomnia and possible association with the cancer symptoms. Demographic characteristics of patients and information about disease were recorded for each patient by physicians via face-to-face interviews, and using hospital records. Patients who have difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep (DIMS) is associated with daytime sleepiness/fatigue were diagnosed as having insomnia. Daytime sleepiness, fatigue and lung cancer symptoms were recorded and graded using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Results: Among 1245 cases, 48.4% reported DIMS, 60.8% reported daytime sleepiness and 82.1% reported fatigue. The prevalence of insomnia was 44.7%. Female gender, patients with stage 3-4 disease, patients with metastases, with comorbidities, and with weight loss > 5 kg had higher rates of insomnia. Also, patients with insomnia had significantly higher rates of pain, nausea, dyspnea, and anxiety. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with moderate to severe pain and dyspnea and severe anxiety had 2-3 times higher rates of insomnia. Conclusion: In conclusion, our results showed a clear association between sleep disturbances and cancer symptoms. Because of that, adequate symptom control is essential to maintain sleep quality in patients with lung cancer