Riociguat treatment in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Final safety data from the EXPERT registry

Objective: The soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat is approved for the treatment of adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and inoperable or persistent/recurrent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) following Phase

The natural course of progressive systemic sclerosis patients with interstitial lung involvement

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess the natural course of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in patients with interstitial lung involvement and to evaluate the effects of treatment. Materials and methods: Sixty SSc patients with interstitial lung involvement were included in the study and history and retrospective data records of the patients were reviewed. Results: It was observed that 47 patients (78.3%) had Raynaud's phenomenon, 7 patients (11.7%) had skin involvement, 5 patients (8.3%) had joint involvement, and 1 patient (1.7%) had gastrointestinal system involvement as the first manifestation of the disease. Lung involvement had developed on an average of 113 +/- 106 months after the first manifestation of the disease and was apparent within the first year in 10 patients (16.7%), between 1 and 2 years in 3 patients (5%), between 2 and 3 years in 2 patients (3.3%), between 3 and 4 years in 5 patients (8.3%), between 4 and 10 years in 21 patients (35%), and after 10 years in 19 patients (31.7%). When the symptoms of lung involvement appeared, 37 patients (61.7%) were not receiving treatment while 23 (38.3%) were using an immunosuppressive agent. The time interval of lung involvement for the treated patients was 131 +/- 95 months while it was 101 +/- 112 months in untreated patients (p > 0.05). Conclusion: In SSc patients with intersititial pulmonary involvement, the disease frequently starts with Raynaud's phenomenon and pulmonary symptoms tend to appear at a mean of 7 years after the onset of disease. The first sign of the disease, the probability of interstitial pulmonary involvement, is highest during the first 15 years after. Although this probability decreases after 15 years, in up to 10% of the patients, interstitial pulmonary involvement can still occur even up to 40 years. Immunosuppressive treatment is not effective in preventing the development of pulmonary involvement. However, it delays the manifestation of pulmonary symptoms for nearly 4 years

Evaluation of the Practice Pattern of Medical Patients' VTE Prophylaxis With a Standard Risk Assessment Model Form: MERAM Study

Hospitalized acutely ill patients face high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) unless appropriate thromboprophylaxis is applied. This study aimed to determine VTE prophylaxis practices for inpatients in Turkey and to evaluate the impact of physicians' training via a modified Standard Medical Patients' VTE Risk Assessment Model (MERAM). A total of 607 inpatients included in this national multicenter noninterventional observational registry were evaluated in terms of demographics, VTE risk, and preventive measures at 2 consecutive cross-sectional visits. Physicians were asked to complete a questionnaire on current VTE method risk assessment and other models including MERAM. The VTE prophylaxis rates significantly increased from 49.4% to 62.4% between visits (P < .05). The lack of risk evaluation decreased from 74.6% to 19.5% (P < .001). Percentage of physicians using prophylaxis and use of MERAM increased between visits. Physician training proved effective for providing general awareness of VTE prophylaxis and led to higher rates of risk assessment model-based appropriate VTE prophylaxis

The oxidant-antioxidant balance in systemic sclerosis cases with interstitial lung involvement

We aimed to assess the plasma oxidant and antioxidant levels in systemic sclerosis (SS) patients with interstitial lung involvement. Twenty-seven female SS patients and 17 healthy female volunteers were included in the study. Plasma levels of oxidants and antioxidants levels were studied of two groups. The median oxidant and antioxidant levels in study and control groups were, MDA 5.2 +/- 0.4/3.7 +/- 0.5 nmol/ml (P 0.05), catalase 99.9 +/- 9.9/140.0 +/- 10.0 U/ml (P 0.05). In our study, the oxidant burden in SS patients with interstitial lung involvement was found to be increased; however no correlation was detected between the severity of lung involvement and oxidant-antioxidant levels

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in patients with persistent chest symptoms after acute pulmonary embolism

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the role of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) in patients with persistent chest symptoms after acute PE

A Retrospective Case-Control Study, Factors Affecting Treatment Outcomes for Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Istanbul, Turkey

Background: Tuberculosis is a public health problem and its transmission is a threat to the community