Assessment of clinicopathological features, evaluation of treatment, and prognosis of clear cell and serous papillary endometrial carcinoma

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate and compare the clinical and pathological features, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) and clear-cell carcinoma (CC). Material and methods: Thirty-four patients who were operated on for UPSC and CC carcinoma at the İzmir Tepecik Research and Teaching Hospital, between January 1983 and December 2014, were included. Patients were evaluated for the following factors: age, gravidity, parity, preoperative CA-125, tumor size, myometrial and lymphovascular invasion, lymph node tumor metastasis, presence of atypical cells in peritoneal cytology, pathology results, operation types, whether or not they received postoperative adjuvant therapy, prognosis, and death rate. Results: The stage of the disease was the main factor affecting disease-free and the overall survival. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy was partially effective in patients with postoperative recurrence, while postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy proved to be more effective in preventing relapse. Conclusion: The studied parameters generally were concordant with the literature but, due to the relatively small sample size, more comprehensive and multicenter studies are needed to generate valid results

Traditional herbal drugs against liver diseases – Experimented in vitro using HepG2 cells for induced steatosis

Salvia fruticosa leaves, Malva sylvestris flowers, Taraxacum officinale aerial parts, Plantago ovata seeds, Tanacetum parthenium aerial parts, and Allium sativum bulbs are documented for traditional use against hepatic disorders and different liver diseases. To evaluate herbal drug material for potential use against liver diseases, at molecular level for the efficacy linked to ethnobotanical documented data.Different herbal extracts were prepared and standardized by HPLC, according to European Pharmacopoeia. Initially 0.25 mg/mL each standardized extract was applied to oleic+palmitic acid induced fatty liver using a HepG2 cell culture model. ALT, AST, GSH, and MDA levels were comparatively analyzed, in addition to cell Nil Red staining. The highest activity for MDA reduction was observed for the A. sativum extract at 48.2% level, followed by 36.4% for M. sylvestris, and S. fruticosa extracts with 27.3% reduction, respectively. Glutathione levels increased to 59.1% when A. sativum extract was applied. M. sylvestris extract increased the glutathione levels in the medium by 49.7%; S. fruticosa extract decreased ALT levels by 53.5% and M. sylvestris extract by 38.5%, whereas the standard resveratrol reduced ALT level by 30.9%, respectively. The AST levels for M. sylvestris extract was 46.5%, compared to resveratrol by 93%. A. sativum, M. sylvestris, and S. fruticosa standard extracts showed relatively good correlation and activity where further in vivo studies should be performed

Retrospective evaluation of clinical and pathological features, as well as diagnostic and treatment protocols of primary vaginal malignancy

Objectives: Our study aimed to determine the epidemiological characteristics and diagnostic and treatment protocols of primary vaginal carcinoma. Also, we compared the clinical and pathological features of primary vaginal carcinoma which intersect with cervical and vulvar carcinomas. Material and methods: Sixteen patients with primary vaginal carcinoma, admitted to the Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital between January 1983 and December 2012, were evaluated retrospectively. FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) Surgical staging was performed. The SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) program was used for statistical analyses. Results: The histological distribution of the 16 patients with primary vaginal carcinoma was as follows: 9 patients (56.3%) with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 5 (31.3%) with rhabdomyosarcoma, and 2 (12.5%) with adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: The stage of the disease was found the be the main factor affecting the survival

Atherosclerosis in geriatric patients known to be healthy

Background: The aim of the present study is to determine the presence of atherosclerosis in geriatric patients who are known to be healthy and examine sociodemographic and laboratory parameters affecting the presence of atherosclerosis.Method: 90 healthy volunteers including 66(73.3%) non-geriatric ones and 24(26.7%) geriatric ones were included in the study. It was analyzed whether there was a correlation between the two groups in terms of the parameters of gender, age average, alcohol consumption, smoking, carotid intima-media thickness (CA-IMT), and pulse wave velocity (PWV). Sociodemographic and laboratory parameters of the volunteers with and without atherosclerosis in the geriatric group were examined. Results: Among geriatric volunteers (Group 1), 13(54.2%) were male; whereas, among non-geriatric volunteers (Group 2), 41(62.1%) were male. CA-IMT was determined to be higher in Group 1 (averagely 0.80±0.12 mm) than Group 2 (averagely 0.62±0.14 mm) (p:<0.001). PWV was significantly higher in Group 1 (averagely 10.32±1.44 m/s) than Group 2 (6.26±1.09 m/s) (p:<0.001). After PWV or CA-IMT examination, atherosclerosis findings were determined in 12 healthy geriatric volunteers (50%) in Group 1.Conclusion: It should be remembered that even though atherosclerosis can be frequently observed in geriatric individuals who are known to be healthy, it may also go unnoticed. Determination of atherosclerosis with noninvasive methods will be helpful in preventing complications that might be caused by atherosclerosis.

Phlomis Pungens’in fitokimya ve in vitro farmakolojik etkilerinin değerlendirilmesi

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the in vitro wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Phlomis pungens Willd. extract derived from the aerial parts. Material and Method: The phytochemical analysis was performed using GC-MS in order to identify the volatile components of the bioactive Hex extract. The wound healing activity of P. pungens extract was evaluated based on in vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and, scratch activity was studied. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity of the extract was also evaluated. Result and Discussion: P. pungens methanol extract depicted a 5-LOX inhibitory activity at 78.2µg/mL (IC50), while the antioxidant activity by DPPH radical provided an IC50=2.41mg/mL, and the ABTS radical showed IC50=3.32mg/mL, respectively. The extract showed dose-dependently anti-inflammatory activity while L-NAME and P. pungens methanol extract significantly decreased LPS stimulated PGE2 production. According to the scratch assay results, all treatments led to an increase in cell migration rate with a dose-dependent effect. Our findings suggested that P. pungens methanol extract may have a role in wound healing according to the scratch test, and it is thought that its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity also contributed. Further evaluations are ongoing to confirm the in vitro activity under in vivo conditions.Amaç: Bu çalışmada, Phlomis pungens Willd. topraküstü kısımlarından elde edilen ekstrelerin in vitro yara iyileşmesi, antiinflamatuar, antimikrobiyal ve antioksidan aktivitesinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Biyoaktif hekzan ekstresinin uçucu bileşenlerini belirlemek için fitokimyasal analiz GC-MS kullanılarak yapılmıştır. P. pungens ekstresinin yara iyileştirme aktivitesi, in vitro antimikrobiyal, antioksidan, antiinflamatuar etkinlikleri değerlendirilmiş ve ek olarak ekstrenin in vitro sitotoksisitesi de değerlendirilmiştir. Sonuç ve Tartışma: P. pungens metanol ekstresi, 78,2 µg/mL'de (IC50) 5-LOX inhibe edici aktivite gösterirken, DPPH yöntemi ile antioksidan aktivitesi IC50=2.41mg/mL ve ABTS IC50=3.32 mg/mL olarak bulunmuştur. Ekstre, doza bağlı olarak anti-inflamatuar aktivite gösterirken, L-NAME ve P. pungens metanol ekstresi, LPS ile uyarılan PGE2 üretimini önemli ölçüde azaltmıştır. Strach metodu sonuçlarına göre doza bağlı etki ile hücre göç hızında bir artış gözlemlenmiştir. Bulgularımız, starch testine göre P. pungens metanol ekstresinin yara iyileşmesinde rol oynayabileceğini ve antioksidan ve antiinflamatuar aktivitesinin de katkıda bulunduğu düşündürmüştür. İn vivo koşullar altında in vitro aktiviteyi doğrulamak için başka değerlendirmeler devam etmektedir

The Advocate - June 8, 1961

Original title (1951-1987)--The Advocate: official publication of the Archdiocese of Newark (N.J.)

Vancomycin versus Linezolid in the Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Meningitis

Abstract Background: Vancomycin is the mainstay of treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) meningitis. However, successful outcomes with linezolid have not been reported in a large series of patients. We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study to compare vancomycin with linezolid in the treatment of MRSA meningitis. Methods: We extracted data and outcomes for all adult patients (age &gt; 18 years) with culture-proved MRSA meningitis who received vancomycin or linezolid between January 2006 and June 2011. A definite diagnosis of meningitis was based on the isolation of MRSA in at least one cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and findings in CSF that are typical of the infection. Linezolid was given intravenously (IV) at a dosage of 600 mg q12h and vancomycin IV at 500 mg q6h. Results: A total of 8 patients with MRSA meningitis (5 male, 3 female; age [mean -SD] 61.6 -13.2 years) received vancomycin and 9 patients (7 male, 2 female; age 59.1 -15.6 years) received linezolid. All isolated strains of MRSA were susceptible to both vancomycin and linezolid. The rates of microbiologic success with linezolid or vancomycin, in terms of clearance of MRSA from CSF on day 5, were 7/9 and 2/8 (p = 0.044, Fisher exact test). No severe adverse events occurred in either treatment arm of the study. One-month survival of the patients in whom treatment was successful microbiologically was 2/2 in the vancomycin-treated group and 4/7 in the linezolidtreated group. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) data for vancomycin were available for 5/6 treatment failures with vancomycin, and vancomycin MIC values of these five strains were 2 mg/L. Conclusion: Analysis of the findings in the limited cohorts in our study suggests that linezolid is superior to vancomycin for treating MRSA meningitis, especially in cases in which there is a high MIC (2 mg/L) for vancomycin. A clinical study involving larger cohorts may increase the evidence available in relation to this question

Characteristics of food allergy in children: National multicenter study

Conference: Congress of the European-Academy-of-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology (EAACI) Location: Lisbon, PORTUGAL Date: JUN 01-05, 2019Background : Food allergies impose a significant burden on the life of the child and the family. In this study, to determine the demographic characteristics of food allergies, we investigated the characteristics of patients with food allergies in different regions of Pediatric Allergy- Immunology departments in Turkey. Method : Turkey ' s National Study of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Society has conducted a Study Group on Food Allergies. 25 centers participated in this multicenter, cross- sectional and descriptive study.European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunolog

Dismorfik hastalıkların görüntü analizi ile ayırt edilmesi

Dismorfiğin kelime anlamı insanın doğuştan şekil bozukluğu olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Dismorfik otozomal kromozom hastalıkların günümüzde en sık rastlanan sendromu trizomi 21 yani down sendromudur. Bu nedenle down sendromunun klinik ön tanı tespiti önem arz etmektedir. Klinik ön tanı, referans kitaplardaki örnek resimlerden karşılaştırma yolu ile veya hekimden hekime değişiklik gösteren tecrübe faktörü sayesinde konulabilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, down sendromu şüphesine sahip kişilere farklı klinik ön tanıların konulmasını engelleyebilmek ve bu işlemi hekimlerin tecrübelerinden bağımsız bir hale getirebilmek için karşılaştırma yönteminin niteliksel olarak incelenip görüntü analizi ile klinik ön tanının konulabilmesi hedeflenmiştir. Çalışmada 5-6 yaş grubundaki 18 adet down sendromlu çocuğun yüz fotoğrafları ile 18 adet normal morfolojiye sahip çocuğun yüz fotoğraflarından bir veri tabanı oluşturulmuştur. Fotoğrafların tamamında elastik yüz demet grafik yöntemi ile yüzdeki kritik noktalar tespit edilmiştir. Daha sonra bu kritik noktalardan klinik ön tanı için 10’ar adet öz nitelik vektörü elde edilmiştir. Öz nitelik vektörleri, oluşturulan MATLAB tabanlı bilgisayar programının eğitilmesinde kullanılmıştır. Bu eğitim işlemi yapay sinir ağları ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, kullanılan iki farklı yapay sinir ağı metodu ile %68,7 doğrulukta down sendromlu kişinin klinik ön tanısı konulabilmektedir. Ġlerleyen çalışmalarda daha geniş veri tabanları oluşturularak başarı oranının arttırılması mümkün olacaktır. Bu sayede dismorfik hastalıkların klinik ön tanısının konulmasında standardizasyona ulaşılması hedefi sağlanabilecektir. The lexial meaning of the dysmorphic is defined as the congenital malformation of human. At the present time, the most common syndrome of the dysmorphic autosomal chromosome diseases is Trisomy 21, in other words down syndrome. Therefore, clinic pre-diagnosis of down syndrome carries severity. Clinic prediagnosis can be estimated by either comparison of the images on reference books or experience which can show difference from one clinician to other. On this study, in order to obstruct the dissimilarity of prediagnosis for the patients who are doupted likely down syndrome and to render this process clinican independent, it is aimed to determine the clinic prediagnosis by the image analysis subsequently qualitatively observation of the comparison method. Regarding our study, a database has been constituted with the face photos of 18 children who has already been diagnosed down syndrome and 18 children who has normal morphology. At the MATLAB based program which is written for our thesis, the fiducial points on faces are determined by using the elastic face bunch graph method for all photos. Afterwards, 10 feature vectors for all faces are obtained from these fiducial points for cilinic prediagnosis. Feature vectors are used for training the program by artificial neural networks. In conclusion, by using two different artificial neural network method, the determination of clinic prediagnosis for a patient who has down syndrome can be done with an accuracy of 68%. For further studies, it will be possible to increase the success ratio by creating larger databases. As a result of these studies, we will be able to reach a standardiazation for pre-diagnosis of dysmorphic diseases