Chemerin as a marker of subclinical cardiac involvement in psoriatic patients

Background: Chemerin has been associated with psoriasis and inflammation, but there are no studies demonstrating an association between chemerin and subclinical cardiac involvement in psoriatic patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate whether psoriatic patients with increased epicardial fat tissue, impaired flow-mediated dilatation, and diastolic dysfunction have higher serum chemerin levels than a healthy control group. Methods: The study included 60 psoriatic patients and 32 healthy controls. Echocardiographic parameters, epicardial fat tissue, flow-mediated dilatation, and chemerin levels were recorded for both groups. Results: The serum levels of chemerin in the psoriatic patients were significantly higher than in the control group. The diastolic function parameters, including isovolumic contraction and relaxation time, E’/A’ (early diastolic mitral annular velocity/late diastolic mitral annular velocity), and E/E’ (early diastolic peak velocity of mitral inflow/early diastolic mitral annular velocity) values, differed significantly between the groups. Epicardial fat tissue was significantly higher and flow-mediated dilatation was significantly lower in psoriatic patients than in the controls. Chemerin was significantly positively correlated with age, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, waist circumference, E/E’, and epicardial fat tissue. Serum chemerin was significantly negatively correlated with E’, E’/A’, and flow-mediated dilatation. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that chemerin was independently correlated with E/E’. Conclusions: Psoriatic patients exhibit early subclinical atherosclerosis and diastolic dysfunction. Chemerin can be used as a marker to screen for patients with subclinical cardiac involvement

The relation of presenting symptoms with staging, grading, and postoperative 3-year mortality in patients with stage I-III non-metastatic colon cancer

Background/Aims: To evaluate the association of presenting symptoms with staging, grading, and postoperative 3-year mortality in patients with colon cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 132 patients-with a mean (standard deviation; SD) age of 63.0 (10.0) years and of whom 56.0% were males-with non-metastatic stage I-III colon cancer were included. Symptoms prior to diagnosis were evaluated with respect to tumor localization, tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage, histological grade, and postoperative 3-year mortality. Results: Constipation and abdominal pain were the two most common symptoms appearing first (29.5% and 16.7%, respectively) and remained most predominant (25.0% and 20.0%, respectively) up to diagnosis. The frequency of admission symptoms significantly differed with respect to tumor location, TNM stage and histological grade. The postoperative 3-year survival rate was 61.4%. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that melena and rectal bleeding increased the likelihood of 3-year mortality by 13.6-fold (p=0.001) and 4.08-fold (p=0.011), respectively. Conclusion: Our findings revealed differences in presenting symptom profiles with respect to the time of manifestation and predominance as well as to the TNM stage, histological grade, and tumor location. Given that melena and rectal bleeding increased the 3-year mortality risk by 13.6-fold and 4.08-fold, respectively, our findings indicate the association of admission symptoms with outcome among patients with colon cancer

T Helper 1 Cytokines and Their Relationship with Beta Cell Function in Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: In type 1 diabetes (T1D), T helper (Th) 1 cells affect beta cell functions significantly. This study aims to explore the association between serum levels of Th1 cytokines [interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin (IL)-2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)] and beta cell function in T1D. Material and Methods: The study included 110 patients with T1D (TIDPs) and 31 healthy controls. The beta cell functions in T1DPS were assessed by calculating mixed-meal stimulated C-peptide levels. T1DPs were categorized into three groups depending on results of this test (1a-lowest, 1b, 1c-highest). Cytokine levels, IFN-gamma/IL-2, and TNF-alpha/IL-2 ratios in T1DPs were compared with that in controls. Correlation analysis between cytokine levels and diabetes-related parameters was then carried out. Results: IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-2 levels, and TNF-alpha/IL-2 of T1DPs were higher (p=0.02, p=0.01, p=0.008, and p=0.01, respectively) than that of controls. The highest IFN-gamma/IL-2 and TNF-alpha/IL-2 ratios were observed in group 1b (p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively) while the lowest IFN-gamma/IL-2 and TNF-alpha/IL-2 ratios were observed in group 1a (p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively). The TNF-alpha levels were found to be negatively correlated with fasting glucose levels (r(2) =-0.003, p=0.031). However, after adjustment for age and gender, this correlation diminished (r(2) =-0.028, p=0.076). Conclusion: IFN-gamma, IL-2, and TNF-alpha may exhibit a triggering role in the pathogenesis of T1D. IFN-gamma/IL-2 and TNF-alpha/IL-2 ratios possibly have more significant roles in the progression of beta cell dysfunction than other cytokines

The effect of sociodemographic and clinical features on mortality in patients with diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia Orıgınal Article internal medicine

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the sociodemographic and clinical chracteristics of patients hospitalized with aspiration pneumonia in internal medicine clinics, and to determine the incidence and parameters of mortality among these patients. METHODS: Patients over the age of 18 years who were hospitalized in clinics of internal medicine between January 1, 2010 and January 1, 2013 (115 male, 89 female; mean age: 77±13 years; patients aged 65 years and over, 88.2%; average duration of hospitalization, 11±9 days) were evaluated retrospectively and consecutively. The incidence of mortality, nutritional status at admission, comorbidity frequency, haematological and biochemical data and their relationship with mortality were evaluated. RESULTS: At admission, 85% of the patients were fed through oral route, while 15% of them were fed through PEG. There was no relation between nutritional status of the patients (oral, nasogastric tube or PEG) at admission, and development of aspiration pneumonia. Commonly seen comorbidities were dementia (49%), hypertension (43%), cerebrovascular accident (42%), and diabetes mellitus (31%) respectively. The mortality rate was 24.5% (in first three days, 56%). A correlation was found between mortality and increase in neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and increased uric acid rate (for both p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, the mortality rates among patients diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia was found to be increased. The high number of geriatric patients and comorbidities might have played a role in this situation. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and uric acid levels in patients with aspiration pneumonia might be evaluated as factors related to mortality

Perioperative myocardial damage and the incidence of type 2 myocardial infarction in patients with intermediate and high cardiovascular risk

Objective: Perioperative myocardial infarction is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing surgical operations. We aimed to determine the incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction in patients with intermediate- or high-risk Framingham scores

Prognosis of patients in a medical intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the demographic characteristics of critically ill patients and to determine intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and its predictors

Real life data from Turkey regarding the impact of first-line sunitinib and pazopanib in metastatic renal cell cancer.

Annual Meeting of the American-Society-of-Clinical-Oncology (ASCO) -- MAY 31-JUN 04, 2019 -- Chicago, ILWOS: 000487345801503…Amer Soc Clin Onco

Effect of low-dose acitretin treatment on pituitary hormones in psoriasis vulgaris: A retrospective study

Background: It has been reported that retinoids may lead to hormonal alterations. Aim: In this retrospective study, we aimed to study the effect of acitretin on pituitary hormones in psoriasis patients. Methods: Out of 50 patients intended to be studied, blood samples of 43 patients could be tested before and after 3 months of acitretin therapy (0.2 to 0.5 mg/kg/day). Results: Patients mean ± standard deviation ages and female/male ratio were 46 ± 17 years and 19/24, respectively. After treatment with acitretin, gamma-glutamyltransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels increased significantly (P < 0.05). After treatment, total protein, free thyroxine (T4) levels decreased significantly (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between before–after acitretin treatment regarding pituitary hormone levels in psoriasis patients (P > 0.05). Limitations: The retrospective nature of the study, inability to retest blood samples of 7 patients at 3 months post treatment, low dose and short duration of acitretin treatment were limitations of this study. Conclusion: This study showed that pituitary hormones were not affected except free T4 (thyroid hormone) by acitretin treatment. Further experimental and clinical studies are needed to clarify the effect of acitretin on pituitary hormones