Clinical presentation of abdominal tuberculosis in HIV seronegative adults

BACKGROUND: The accurate diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis usually takes a long time and requires a high index of suspicion in clinic practice. Eighty-eight immune-competent patients with abdominal tuberculosis were grouped according to symptoms at presentation and followed prospectively in order to investigate the effect of symptomatic presentation on clinical diagnosis and prognosis. METHODS: Based upon the clinical presentation, the patients were divided into groups such as non-specific abdominal pain & less prominent in bowel habit, ascites, alteration in bowel habit, acute abdomen and others. Demographic, clinical and laboratory features, coexistence of pulmonary tuberculosis, diagnostic procedures, definitive diagnostic tests, need for surgical therapy, and response to treatment were assessed in each group. RESULTS: According to clinical presentation, five groups were constituted as non-specific abdominal pain (n = 24), ascites (n = 24), bowel habit alteration (n = 22), acute abdomen (n = 9) and others (n = 9). Patients presenting with acute abdomen had significantly higher white blood cell counts (p = 0.002) and abnormalities in abdominal plain radiographs (p = 0.014). Patients presenting with alteration in bowel habit were younger (p = 0.048). The frequency of colonoscopic abnormalities (7.5%), and need for therapeutic surgery (12.5%) were lower in patients with ascites, (p = 0.04) and (p = 0.001), respectively. There was no difference in gender, disease duration, diagnostic modalities, response to treatment, period to initial response, and mortality between groups (p > 0.05). Gastrointestinal tract alone was the most frequently involved part (38.5%), and this was associated with acid-fast bacteria in the sputum (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal tract involvement is frequent in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Although different clinical presentations of patients with abdominal tuberculosis determine diagnostic work up and need for therapeutic surgery, evidence based diagnosis and consequences of the disease does not change

The electronic structure of a quantum well under an applied electric field

The effects of an applied electric field on quantum well subband energies are calculated variationally within the effective mass approximation for model potential profiles. The concept of a quasi-bound state is examined critically. For higher electric field values it is shown that the quasi-bound state approximation for the ground and first excited state of the electron, and for the ground state of the hole is valid. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limite

Determination of the Risk Group in Patients with Venous Thrombosis

ATA, PINAR/0000-0002-6688-2347WOS: 000273915500012Objective: We aimed to investigate the frequency of Factor V Leiden mutation among venous thromboembolism patients admitted to our center and we intended to detect the risk of thromboembolism in mutation carrying family members by genetic counseling. Material and Methods: In this study a total of 72 patients with venous thrombosis admitted to Haydarpasa Numune Research and Training Hospital, Genetic Diseases Diagnosis Center between January and August in 2008 were investigated for Factor V Leiden mutation. Patients were informed and their consents were obtained. All of the patients had pedigree analysis and affected family members were investigated. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood using proteinase K digestion method. Factor V gene, covering 1691. nucleotide region was amplified with appropriate oligonucleotide primers and products were analyzed with RFLP method. Results: Twenty two percent (n= 16) of the our patients had chronic renal disease with fistula problems, 17% (n= 12) had deep venous thrombosis, 32% (n= 23) had cerebrovascular accidents and the remaining 29% (n= 21) had recurrent abortus. In our center, the molecular genetic analysis for Factor V Leiden mutation 59 revealed that had a normal allele. Among the remaining 13 patients, 4 of them were detected as homozygote and 9 of them as heterozygote for the mutation. Mutation carrier status was found 18% among all patients. The risk of having at least one family member with thrombosis was 23% in mutation carrying patients' family. Conclusion; As a result of this study, the importance of molecular genetic analysis and genetic counseling for the patients admitted to our center has been demonstrated. It could be possible to detect the target risk population through investigation of thrombophilia in a larger study group

Subband structure and excitonic binding of graded GaAs/Ga1-xAlxAs quantum wells under an electric field

The effects of an applied electric field on subband energies and excitonic binding for a graded GaAlAs quantum well are calculated variationally within the effective mass approximation. The very sensitive dependence of subband energies on the applied field is calculated using a model potential profile and exact electron and hole wavefunctions. Our calculations have revealed the dependence of the energy shifts of subbands, and excitonic binding on the field direction in the graded quantum well. This permits control over tunneling which could be desirable for some applications. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited

Bone density in proton pump inhibitors users: a prospective study

Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) receive long-term therapy with proton pump inhibitor (PPI) agents. Several studies have recently been published suggesting that treatment with PPI may cause bone fractures, although the number of prospective studies in this regard is limited. The aim of this study is to prospectively investigate the effect of PPIs on bone density. Between March 2009 and January 2011, 114 GERD patients (18-56 years) and 110 healthy controls were included in the present study. Bone mineral densitometry (BMD) by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was assessed at lumbar spine and femur neck. BMD measurements were performed on all subjects at the beginning of the study. The patients were divided according to three drugs by their treatment with esomeprazole, lansoprazole, or pantoprazole. The study group was followed for at least 6 months on PPI therapy, and then BMD measurements were repeated. The mean duration of treatment with PPIs was 8.5 +/- A 2.3 months. In patients receiving PPIs, the mean reduction in total vertebra T score following treatment compared to pre-treatment values was 00.23 +/- A 0.42 units (95 % CI 0.15-0.30) (p < 0.01), while the mean reduction in the femur T score was 0.10 +/- A 0.40 units (95 % CI 0.03-0.18) (p = 0.03). Reduction following treatment in L4 and total vertebra T scores of lansoprazole group was significantly higher than of pantoprazole group (p = 0.04). Reduction in femur T score of esomeprazole group was higher than of lansoprazole group and pantroprazole group, but it is not statistically significant. Treatment with a PPI results in a significant reduction in bone density. Close monitoring is beneficial for patients who are to receive long-term treatment with PPI

Proteomic profiling of HBV infected liver biopsies with different fibrotic stages

Abstract Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a global health problem, and infected patients if left untreated may develop cirrhosis and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aims to enlighten pathways associated with HBV related liver fibrosis for delineation of potential new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Methods Tissue samples from 47 HBV infected patients with different fibrotic stages (F1 to F6) were enrolled for 2D-DIGE proteomic screening. Differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry and verified by western blotting. Functional proteomic associations were analyzed by EnrichNet application. Results Fibrotic stage variations were observed for apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1), pyruvate kinase PKM (KPYM), glyceraldehyde 3-phospahate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (DHE3), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2), alcohol dehydrogenase (ALDH1A1), transferrin (TRFE), peroxiredoxin 3 (PRDX3), phenazine biosynthesis-like domain-containing protein (PBLD), immuglobulin kappa chain C region (IGKC), annexin A4 (ANXA4), keratin 5 (KRT5). Enrichment analysis with Reactome and Kegg databases highlighted the possible involvement of platelet release, glycolysis and HDL mediated lipid transport pathways. Moreover, string analysis revealed that HIF-1α (Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha), one of the interacting partners of HBx (Hepatitis B X protein), may play a role in the altered glycolytic response and oxidative stress observed in liver fibrosis. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first protomic research that studies HBV infected fibrotic human liver tissues to investigate alterations in protein levels and affected pathways among different fibrotic stages. Observed changes in the glycolytic pathway caused by HBx presence and therefore its interactions with HIF-1α can be a target pathway for novel therapeutic purposes

Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the New Cleveland Clinic Colorectal Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire

Purpose: This study aims to adapt and validate the Cleveland Clinic Colorectal Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (CCF-CaQL) in Turkish, addressing the significant need for reliable, language-specific QoL measures for colorectal cancer (CRC) in Turkiye. This effort fills a critical gap in CRC patient care, enhancing both patient-provider communication and disease-specific QoL assessment. Methods: The CCF-CaQL was translated into Turkish, verified for accuracy, and reviewed for clarity and relevance. Eligible patients who underwent colorectal surgery for cancer between July 2021 and July 2022 from six hospitals completed the CCF-CaQL and SF-36 questionnaires. For analysis, confirmatory factor analysis using Smart PLS 4 and descriptive statistics were employed. The questionnaire’s reliability and validity were assessed using Cronbach alpha, composite reliability, and the heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio, along with multicollinearity checks and factor loadings. Nonparametric resampling was used for precise error and confidence interval calculations, and the Spearman coefficient and split-half method were applied for reliability testing. Results: In the study involving 244 colorectal cancer patients, confirmatory factor analysis of the CCF-CaQL indicated effective item performance, with one item removed due to lower factor loading. The questionnaire exhibited high internal consistency, evidenced by a Cronbach alpha value of 0.909. Convergent validity was strong, with all average variance extracted (AVE) values exceeding 0.4. Discriminant validity was confirmed with HTMT coefficients below 0.9, and no significant multicollinearity issues were observed (VIF values < 10). Parallel testing with the SF-36 scale demonstrated moderate to very strong correlations, affirming the CCF-CaQL’s comparability in measuring quality of life. Conclusion: The Turkish version of the CCF-CaQL was validated for assessing quality of life in colorectal cancer patients. This validation confirms its reliability and cultural appropriateness for use in Turkiye. The disease-specific nature of the CCF-CaQL makes it a useful tool in clinical and research settings, enhancing patient care by accurately monitoring treatment effects and interventions in the Turkish colorectal cancer patient population