Myringosclerosis as a predictor of the requirement for a permanent pacemaker in patients with drug-related atrioventricular block

Aims. Drug-related atrioventricular block (DR-AVB) may develop in patients with underlying latent degenerative conduction disorders, especially with antiarrhythmics and antihypertensives. Although, according to the current guidelines, reversal is achieved with cessation of the inducing agent, this is not the case for nearly half of the patients. The pathophysiological processes of DR-AVB and myringosclerosis include systemic inflammation and degeneration. This study investigated the role of myringosclerosis in predicting irreversible high-grade DR-AVB despite drug cessation. Methods. This observational, non-randomized, prospective study involved 152 patients with high-grade DR-AVB, 72 of whom had reversible DR-AVB and 80 had irreversible DR-AVB and required permanent pacemakers. The patients' demographic, clinical, echocardiographic, and laboratory characteristics were recorded. Otoscopic tympanic membrane examinations for myringosclerosis were performed. Results. There were no major differences in demographic, echocardiographic or laboratory characteristics between the two groups or previous medications. The median monitoring time with a temporary pacemaker was significantly longer in the irreversible than in the reversible group (5 [4-7] days vs. 2 [1-5] days; P<0.001). The incidence of myringosclerosis was significantly higher in the irreversible than in the reversible group (61.3% vs. 22.2%; P=0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that myringosclerosis was an independent predictor of irreversible DR-AVB (odds ratio: 1.703, 95% confidence interval: 1.194-3.058; P=0.01). Conclusion. Myringosclerosis is a readily available, inexpensive, and non-invasive assessment and is a marker of inflammation and degeneration that can predict irreversible DR-AVB

Protective effect of nimesulide on the external ear damage induced by staphylococcus aureus inoculation in rats

Since the external ear is covered with skin, infections that cause otitis externa are often produced by distinct skin flora in several different areas. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) reproduces the most out of all bacteria isolated from external auditory canal skin culture samples. Proinflammatory cytokines are the main components responsible for tissue damage pathogenesis due to S. aureus. Nimesulide is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that selectively inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 and also demonstrates antioxidant properties. The present study aimed to examine the antibacterial activity of nimesulide against S. aureus and to compare its effectiveness on otitis externa induced by S. aureus in male albino Wistar rats with that of cefazolin. The antimicrobial activity testing was conducted using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method as described by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. To induce otitis externa, we applied 0.5 ml of S. aureus to the ear skin using a hypodermic syringe (S. aureus strain TACK 25923 was dispersed on the 900x10-6 concentration of colony forming units per ml). Nimesulide and cefazolin were administered orally at a dose of 50 mg/kg. The antibacterial activity of cefazolin when used in equal doses (50 µg/ml) was more powerful against S. aureus than nimesulide. However, nimesulide reduced the macroscopic findings (such as oedema and redness) induced by S. aureus better than cefazolin. Additionally, nimesulide inhibited the increase of oxidant and proinflammatory indicators related to S. aureus, while cefazolin was able to inhibit only the increase in proinflammatory indicators. Our results showed that nimesulide was superior to cefazolin in terms of reducing the external ear damage caused by S. aureus. Therefore, nimesulide monotherapy or a combination of nimesulide and cefazolin therapy may be beneficial in the treatment of bacterial otitis externa. [Med-Science 2021; 10(2.000): 577-82

Protective effect of lutein against acrolein-induced ototoxicity in rats

Background: Acrolein is a reactive aldehyde that forms during burning of wood and other fuels. It is also a product of lipid peroxidation (LPO) reactions and is present in cigarette smoke. Acrolein is known to cause oxidative stress and inflammatory nerve tissue damage. Lutein is a tetraterpenoid molecule with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. There appear to be no studies on the effect of lutein on vestibulocochlear nerve damage induced by acrolein. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lutein on vestibulocochlear nerve damage induced by acrolein in rats using biochemical and histopathological methods. Methods: The rats were divided into three groups (n = 6, for each group) a healthy control group (HG), an acrolein (ACR) group and a lutein and acrolein (LACR) group. In the LACR group, lutein was administered (1 mg/kg) via oral gavage. The ACR and HG groups received saline via oral gavage. Then, 1 h after the administration of lutein and saline, the LACR and ACR groups were treated with 3 mg/kg of acrolein via oral gavage. This procedure was repeated once a day for 30 days. Results: The results of biochemical experiments showed that in the vestibulocochlear nerve tissues of the animals treated with acrolein, the levels of malondialdehyde, total oxidants, nuclear factor kappa b, tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta significantly increased, whereas the levels of total glutathione and total antioxidants decreased as compared to those in the HG and LACR groups. In addition, severe histopathological damage was observed in vestibulocochlear nerve tissue of the acrolein group, whereas this damage was alleviated in the lutein group. Conclusion: Lutein protected vestibulocochlear nerve tissue from acrolein-associated oxidative and proinflammatory damage. This suggests that lutein might be useful in preventing or treating acrolein-induced ototoxicity

The Score for Allergic Rhinitis study in Turkey, 2020

International audienceObjective: This study aimed to determine how prevalent allergic rhinitis (AR) is in Turkey and to compare the current prevalence with the figures obtained 10 years earlier.Methods: This study included 9,017 participants. The minimum number of participants required from each center was determined via a stratified sampling technique according to regional demographic characteristics as ascertained from the last census. For each region, both men and women were administered the score for allergic rhinitis (SFAR) questionnaire and a score for each participant was calculated based on the responses supplied.Results: A total of 9,017 individuals (55.3% men and 44.7% women) took part in this study. Of these, 94.4% were urban residents and 5.6% lived in a rural setting. Of the men, 38.5% self-reported as suffering from AR. The corresponding figure in women was 40.5%. The overall prevalence of AR, as deduced on the basis of the SFAR, was found to be 36.7%. Comparing the prevalence in different regions, we found that AR was the least prevalent in the Black Sea region with a frequency of 35.8%. The highest prevalence was in the Mediterranean region, where the prevalence was 37.7%. There was no statistical significance in the apparent differences in prevalence between different geographical regions. Despite this, however, there was a clear increase in the frequency of AR over the preceding decade. This increase was most pronounced in the South-Eastern Anatolian region, where the frequency rose from 21.0% to 36.9%.Conclusion: Our results indicate that there has been a marked increase in the prevalence of AR in every region in Turkey over the last 10 years. This could be related to living conditions in urban environments. Alterations in lifestyle, urban living, air pollution causing impairments in immune defense mechanisms, and other aspects of modern lifestyles may account for the increase in AR in Turkey