Evaluation of the relationship between vitamin D level and adropin, IL-1β, IL-6, and oxidative status in women

Background/aim: Vitamin D, adropin, proinflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress closely related with metabolic homeostasis and endothelial dysfunction. The aim of the present study is to investigate how vitamin D levels affect serum adropin, IL-1ß, IL-6, and oxidative stress. Materials and methods: A total of 77 female subjects were divided into 3 groups according to vitamin D levels. Biochemical parameters, adropin, IL-1ß, IL-6, oxidative stress markers were studied in these groups, and the results were compared statistically. Results: Serum adropin, IL-1ß, IL-6, total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels differed significantly between the vitamin D groups (p < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was detected between vitamin D, and adropin and TAS (r = 0.807; p < 0.001, r = 0.814; p < 0.001, respectively). A significant negative correlation was detected between vitamin D, and IL-1ß, IL-6, TOS, OSI (r = –0.725; p < 0.001, r = –0.720; p < 0.001, r = –0.238; p = 0.037, r = –0.705; p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Vitamin D could show its effects through vitamin D receptors on tissues or on the ENHO gene in adropin secreting tissues via direct or indirect mechanisms. Proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and adropin targeted studies could contribute to the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency in future

Gastroenterology Cases of Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis

Rarely, leukocytoclastic vasculitis can result from ischemic colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cryoglobulinemia. There is no established standard for the treatment of leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with gastroenterologic diseases. This paper presents three cases of leukoytoclastic vasculitis, each of which is associated with a different gastroenterologic condition: ischemic colitis, Crohn’s disease, and chronic hepatitis C. Each condition went into remission by treatment of leukocytoclastic vasculitis, regardless of the underlying disease

Effects of 18-month vildagliptin treatment on portal vein pressure and hepatosteatosis

Objective: Patients with type 2 diabetes have an increased tendency to develop hepatosteatosis. The effects of drugs used to treat diabetes on the liver, regardless of the disease, are unknown.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vildagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, on the portal vein pressure and hepatosteatosis in patients with type 2 diabetes in the 18 months of follow-up. Methods: Patients to whose treatment vildagliptin was added while they were on therapy with metformin and gliclazide for type 2 DM the vildagliptin group were included. As the control group, 49 patients with type 2 DM treated with metformin and gliclazide were included. These patients were followed up for 18 months. These patients were followed for 18 months and their pre-treatment and post-treatment examinations were repeated. Portal vein diameter, portal vein flow and portal vein velocity were calculated to evaluate portal vein pressure with the same Doppler ultrasonography (US) by the same radiologist. In the same session, the liver steatosis stage of all patients was evaluated with US and recorded. The data before treatment and the data 18 months after treatment were compared. Results: Nineteen patients completed the study in the study group, while 10 patients completed the study in the control group. A significant increase in portal vein flow velocity and vein diameter was found in the study group when portal vein parameters were compared before and after treatment (p=<0.001, p=0.035, respectively). There was no significant difference in portal vein flow volume. In the control group, no significant changes in flow velocity and flow volume were detected, although there was a significant increase in portal vein diameter (p=0.04, p=0.07, p=0.14, respectively). There were no significant changes in vildagliptin group before and after treatment in terms of hepatosteatosis (p=0.41). There were no significant changes between control and study groups in terms of hepatosteatosis after 18 months of treatment. Conclusion: As a result, we did not find any significant changes in the parameters of portal vein pressure with vildagliptin use. We think that vildagliptin has no effect on hepatosteatosis

Infecção por parvovírus B19 como causa de miosite aguda em um adulto

A infec&#231;&#227;o pelo Parvov&#237;rus B19 costuma ser assintom&#225;tica, mas as express&#245;es cl&#237;nicas podem incluir crise apl&#225;stica transit&#243;ria, eritema infeccioso, hidropisia fetal n&#227;o imune e aplasia cr&#244;nica da s&#233;rie vermelha. Esse v&#237;rus tamb&#233;m se associa &#224; artrite reumatoide e a outras doen&#231;as autoimunes do tecido conjuntivo; entretanto, n&#227;o conseguimos identificar na literatura nenhum caso de miosite aguda em adulto desenvolvida depois de infec&#231;&#227;o pelo Parvov&#237;rus B19. Por essa raz&#227;o, gostar&#237;amos de apresentar um caso raro de miosite aguda desenvolvida depois de infec&#231;&#227;o pelo Parvov&#237;rus B19. Nos pacientes que apresentam sintomas de febre, rash nas pernas e miosite, devem ser consideradas as infec&#231;&#245;es virais, como a causada pelo Parvov&#237;rus B19

Markers predicting critical illness and mortality in COVID-19 patients: A multi-centre retrospective study

Aim: In this study, we aimed to investigate early predictors of critical illness and mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on clinical, biochemical, radiological, and epidemiological findings. Materials and Methods: This mufti-center, retrospective study was conducted in three centers and included a total of 206 confirmed COVID-19 cases using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Data of survivors and non-survivors were compared, and predictors of mortality were examined. Results: Among the patients, 103 (50%) were mates with a mean age of 52.8 +/- 16.7 years; 88.3% of the patients were discharged in a healthy condition, white 11.7% died. The mean age was significantly higher in non-survivors. Dyspnea occurred in 32.5% of patients, and a significant correlation was found between dyspnea and mortality (p<0.001). Thoracic computed tomography (CT) findings were positive in 88.8% of patients. The most frequent imaging findings were ground-glass opacities in 86.4% and consolidation in 33% of patients. The mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with comorbidities (p<0.001). There was also a significant correlation between lymphocytopenia and mortality (p<0.001). A positive correlation was found between mortality risk and platelet-to-lymphocyte, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte, and red cell distribution width indices. The mortality risk was significantly higher in patients with acute kidney injury (10.7%) (p<0.001). Discussion: These results suggest that advanced age, coexisting diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, or acute kidney injury are associated with an increased mortality risk. The presence of dyspnoea or consolidation on thoracic CT can predict an increased mortality risk In COVID-19 patients

Factor V Leiden Mutation-Related Chronic Skin Ulcers

Chronic skin ulcers require extensive, systemic differential diagnosis; thus, they are difficult to diagnose and treat. Transient or persistent hypercoagulable states are among the rare causes of skin ulcers. Here, we present the case of a 27-year-old woman patient with recurrent, nonhealing skin ulcers of 8 years' duration, who had been treated unsuccessfully with various medications under different diagnoses at different clinics. On admission, a skin biopsy demonstrated occlusive vasculopathy, and the search for an inherited hypercoagulable state revealed a heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation. The patient was treated with anticoagulants and hyperbaric oxygen. On treatment, the skin lesions healed and did not recur

Parvovirus B19 infection as a cause of acute myositis in an adult

Parvovirus B19 infection is often asymptomatic, but clinical expressions may include transient aplastic crisis, erythema infectiosum, non-immune hydrops fetalis, and chronic red cell aplasia. This virus has also been associated with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune connective tissue diseases; however, we could not identify any acute adult myositis case developed after a Parvovirus B19 infection in the literature. For this reason, we would like to present a rare case of acute myositis developed after Parvovirus B19 infection. In patients presenting with symptoms of fever, rash on the legs and myositis, viral infections such as Parvovirus B19 should be kept in mind. (C) 2013 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved

The relationship between vitamin D deficiency and serum endocan and asymetric dimethylarginine levels, indicators of endothelial dsyfunction

Amaç: Güncel çalışmalar D vitamini eksikliğinin Alzheimer hastalığı, Parkinson hastalığı, multipl skleroz, diyabet ve kardiyovasküler hastalıklar gibi birçok hastalığın oluşumunda rolü olabilece-ğini göstermektedir. Biz de bu çalışmada kronik hastalık öyküsü olmayan bireylerde D vitamini düzeyi ile erken kardiyovasküler risk belirteçleri olan serum endokan ve asimetrik dimetilarjinin (ADMA) düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiyi araştırmayı amaçladık.Gereç ve Yöntemler: İki katılımcı grubu oluşturuldu: D vitamini düzeyi &lt;10 ng/ml olan bireyler-den oluşan Grup 1 (n=42) ve D vitamini düzeyi &gt;30 ng/ml olanlardan oluşan Grup 2 (n=35). İki grup beden kitle indeksi (BKİ) ile serum D vitamini, endokan ve ADMA düzeyleri bakımından karşılaştırıldı. Bulgular: İki grup arasında yaş, cinsiyet ve BKİ bakımından anlamlı fark olmadığı saptandı (sı-rasıyla p=0,67; p=0,69; p=0,052). Ortalama serum ADMA düzeyi Grup 1 için 104,5±44 μmol/L, Grup 2 için 90,42±29 μmol/L olarak tespit edildi (p=0,31). Ortalama endokan düzeyi ise Grup 1 için 549,5±245 ng/L, Grup 2 için 465,99±207 ng/L idi (p=0,12). Vitamin D düzeyi ile endokan düzeyi arasında anlamlı negatif korelasyon saptandı (r=-0,26; p=0,02).Tartışma ve Sonuç: D vitamini düzeyi düşük katılımcılarda anlamlı bir farklılık gözlenmemiştir. Buna göre, D vitamini eksikliğinin endotel disfonksiyonuna bir etkisinin saptanamadığı söyle-nebilir