The relationship between myocardial perfusion pathology and risk factors for heart disease in patients who underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy

Aim: To evaluate the relationship between cardiac risk factors and myocardial perfusion pathology in patients who underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS). Method: Demographic data, smoking, comorbidities, and family history of coronary artery disease (CAD) were recorded in patients who underwent MPS with a prediagnosis of CAD in our clinic. According to MPS results, the patients were divided into two groups as normal and pathological perfusion (ischemia-infarct tissue). Results: The mean age of 1740 patients was 58 years (17-87), of which 918 (52.8%) were female, and 822 (47.2) were male. Pathological perfusion was determined in 24% of the patients (309 (37.6%) of men and 110 (12%) of women] (p<0.001). The mean age of the pathological myocardial perfusion group was 60 (31-83), while the mean age of the normal perfusion group was 57 (17-87) (p<0.05). Of the patients for whom pathological perfusion was determined as a result of MPS, 31.7% had a smoking history, 61.1% had previous CAD, 28.7% had diabetes mellitus (DM), 30% had hypertension (HT), and 36% had dyslipidemia. Conclusions: Previous CAD, DM, HT, and dyslipidemia were the most critical risk factors for myocardial perfusion pathology. Close cardiac follow-up of patients with these risk factors is required. MPS should be considered a noninvasive and easy-to-apply method in diagnosis and follow-up

CRP-lymphocyte ratio as a novel marker of treatment response to hyperthyroidism with radioactive Iodine 131

Aim:  To compare CRP/lymphocyte ratio (CLR), a new inflammatory marker, before and after treatment of hyperthyroidism with Radioactive iodine 131 (RAI 131). Methods: Patients who received RAI 131 treatment for hyperthyroidism in the Department of Nuclear Medicine between January 2020 and May 2023 were included in this retrospective study. Age, gender, WBC, hemoglobin neutrophil, platelet, glucose, AST, ALT and CLR values were compared before and within 1 year of treatment. Results: There were 59 patients in the current study. 38 were women (64.4%) and 21 were men (33.3%). The mean age was 56.3±15.4 years. There was no statistically significant difference between before and after treatment values of WBC, hemoglobin, neutrophil, platelet, glucose, ALT and AST. However, CLR before treatment (1.74±2.34) was higher than after treatment (1±1.72) and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.048). Conclusions: CLR, an inflammatory marker, decreased in patients receiving RAI 131 treatment due to hyperthyroidism after treatment.  This supports that the presence of an inflammatory burden play an important role in thyroid pathologies. We think that this marker is a simple and useful marker that can be used to monitor the response of CLR to treatment in patients receiving RAI 131 therapy for hyperthyroidism

Analysis of DNA damage using the comet assay method in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer patients receiving 177Lu-PSMA-617 radioligand therapy

Aim: To evaluate possible DNA damage in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients receiving 177Lu-PSMA-617 radioligand therapy using the comet assay method. Methods: Prospectively included patients were divided into four groups: a control group and three treatment groups receiving 2, 4, and 6 cycles, respectively. Agarose-coated comet assay slides were prepared using samples obtained from routine blood tests before treatment, and electrophoresis was performed to detect DNA damage. Descriptive statistics, normality tests, and multiple comparison tests were performed. Results: Forty-five patients with a mean age of 75.5, Gleason scores of 3+4, 4+3, 4+5, and 5+5, and ECOG performance scores of 0/1, 2, and 3 were included in the study. In a valid Comet assay analysis, a similar number of cells were examined in the four treatment groups without any statistical differences. Group analyses revealed statistically significant differences between DNA damage levels. Specifically, the number of stage 0 cells showed a significant difference between the 0-2 and 4-6 cycles groups, while the number of cells with moderate/high levels of damage showed similarities between the 4-6 cycles groups. Conclusions: This study demonstrates an increase in DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes with cumulative doses in prostate cancer patients treated with 177Lu-PSMA. These findings contribute to the understanding of the relationship between DNA damage during the treatment process and treatment cycles. &nbsp

Platelet to Lymphocyte and Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratios are useful in differentiation of thyroid conditions with normal and increased uptake

AbstractBackground: Thyroid uptake scintigraphy is a useful diagnostic tool in differentiation of thyroid conditions, especially in differentiation of hyperthyroidism from other causes of thyrotoxicosis. Hemogram parameters were introduced as novel inflammatory markers.Objective: To study the association between hemogram indices and thyroid uptake in patients with thyroid diseases in Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital internal medicine clinic.Methods: Medical data of the patients with thyroid conditions were obtained from institutional databases between January 2019 and January 2020 in Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital, Bolu, Turkey. According to the uptake the study population was grouped into three groups, decreased uptake, normal uptake and increased uptake groups. Laboratory parameters, including neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were compared between study groups.Results: Median NLR of normal, increased and decreased uptake groups were 1.5 (1-2.9) %, 2.1 (1.1-26) %, and 2.2 (1.1-10) %, respectively (p<0.001). Median PLR of normal, increased and decreased uptake groups were 99 (42-201) %, 144 (69-264) %, and 121 (67-270) %, respectively (p<0.001). NLR was significantly and positively correlated with CRP (r=0.59, p<0.001), and with ESR (r=0.30, p<0.001). Similarly PLR was also significantly and positively correlated with CRP (r=0.54, p<0.001), and with ESR (r=0.28, p<0.001).Conclusions: We suggest that NLR and PLR could serve as additional diagnostic tools in the differentiation of thyroid conditions with increased uptake from that with normal uptake. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2021; 35(3):149-153]Keywords: thyroid uptake, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet to lymphocyte ratio, thyroid diseases, inflammatory marker

Evaluation of TP-E Interval and TP-E/QT Ratio in Panic Disorder

Background and Objectives: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is involved in panic disorders. ANS dysfunction has been shown to be associated with ventricular arrhythmia and increased heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization. However, there remains limited evidence of the relationship between panic disorders and ventricular depolarization markers, including the Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio. This study aimed to evaluate ventricular repolarization parameters in patients with panic disorder. Materials and Methods: In total, 40 patients with panic disorder, diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria, were included in the study group. The control group comprised of 50 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. A standard 12 lead electrocardiogram was recorded on all participants, and heart rate, QT interval, QRS duration, Tp-e interval, and Tp-e/QT ratio were measured. Results: QRS durations and QT intervals were similar in the study and control groups. Compared to the control group, QTd, Tp-e, and cTp-e intervals as well as Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios were significantly increased in patients with panic disorder (p r = 0.369, p r = 0.531, p r = 0.358, p = 0.001), and Tp-e/QTc ratio (r = 0.351, p = 0.001). Conclusion: These findings indicate that panic disorders are associated with increased ventricular repolarization heterogeneity, which may be attributed to ANS dysregulation