Bilateral acute depigmentation of iris: 3-year follow-up of a case

Bilateral acute depigmentation of the iris (BADI) usually affecting young women, is a newly defined clinical diagnosis with bilateral symmetrical pigment loss of iris stroma without iris transillumination defect. Herein, we want to share the results of a 3-year-long follow-up of a 23-year old female patient with BADI. She was admitted to our clinic with a complaint of discoloration of both her brown irises. An ocular evaluation of the patient revealed symmetrical pigment deposition in trabecular meshwork. No iris transillumination defect, pupillary sphincter paralysis, keratic precipitates, and inflammatory reaction in anterior chamber were seen. The depigmented iris stroma became repigmented symmetrically after 3-year follow-up period. Although it is rare, BADI should be considered in the differential diagnosis of the diseases with bilateral iris depigmentation

Psychological health of caregivers and association with functional status of stroke patients

Conclusion: Caregivers had an impaired emotional state and the level of their anxiety was associated with the severity of functional disability of the patients. Therefore, the support provided to the caregiver might be influential on the functional recovery of the patients

A useful marker in the assessment of remission and activation of disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Serum human neutrophil peptides 1-3

WOS: 000460934000017PubMed ID: 29991120AIM: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease of unknown etiology. Various cellular and molecular immunological factors are involved in the pathophysiology of RA. Recent studies suggest that neutrophils and alpha-defensins released from the neutrophils assume significant roles in the pathogenesis of RA. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association between serum alpha-defensin levels and disease activity, functional status, radiological damage and several laboratory parameters in patients with RA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 42 patients with established RA who presented to the outpatient clinics of rheumatology of Dicle University Hospital and 38 healthy control subjects were included in this study. Disease activity was assessed by using the Disease Activity Scale 28 (DAS28). Quality of life was assessed by using the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life (RAQoL) Questionnaire and the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Functional status was assessed by using the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). Laboratory examinations included the following tests: CBC, ESH, CRP, and HNP 1-3. RESULTS: Patients with an active disease exhibited higher HNP 1-3 levels compared to patients in remission. At a cut off value of 708 pg/ml, sensitivity and specificity of the tests for HNP 1-3 were 72% and 70.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In the present study, patients with an active disease had significantly higher serum HNP 1-3 levels compared to patients in remission. In this respect, serum HNP 1-3 can be a useful marker in the assessment of disease activity and remission in patients with RA

Decreased UV-filtering ability of corneal epithelium may be the cause of stromal pathologies in keratoconus

Annual Meeting of the Association-for-Research-in-Vision-and-Ophthalmology (ARVO) -- MAY 07-11, 2017 -- Baltimore, MDYILDIRAN, Fatma Azize BUDAK/0000-0001-7031-6834;WOS: 000432170306360…Assoc Res Vis & OphthalmolTurkish Scientific and Technical Research InstituteTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK)Support Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Institut

Carvacrol prevents methotrexate-induced renal oxidative injury and renal damage in rats

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of carvacrol (CAR) on methotrexate (MTX)-induced renal damage in rats. Methods: Twenty-four male rats were equally divided into three groups: group I, control treatment; group II, MTX-treated; and group III, MTX+CAR-treated. A single dose of CAR (73 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to group III on the first day of the experiment and a single dose of MTX (20 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to groups II and III on the second day of the experiment. Blood samples and kidney tissue were obtained from each animal on day 8 for the measurement of malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and oxidative stress index (OSI). Light microscopy was used for histopathological examination of kidney specimens. Results: MDA, TOS and OSI levels were significantly greater in the group receiving MTX alone relative to the control animals, while the TAS level was significantly reduced in the MTX group compared with the control group. The administration of CAR was associated with significantly decreased MDA, TOS, and OSI levels and increased TAS levels relative to the rats treated with MTX alone. Animals treated with CAR exhibited decreased tubular degeneration and architectural impairment relative to animals treated with MTX alone; however, the difference in histological scores did not meet the threshold of statistical significance. Conclusions: MTX treatment results in oxidative damage to the rat kidney; damage which is partially abrogated by the administration of CAR