Serum osteopontin levels in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and its relation with oxidative stress

Background and Design: Oxidative stress is known to play a role in the etiopathogenesis of psoriasis. Recent data suggest that osteopontin (OPN) can also play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. In the current study, OPN levels and oxidative stress were evaluated in patients with psoriasis. Materials and Methods: The study included 61 patients with psoriasis and 62 healthy controls. The OPN levels, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured using serum. The disease severity was evaluated using the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). Results: No statistically significant differences in OPN, TAS, and OSI values were identified between the psoriasis and control groups. A negative correlation was found with the TAS. There was no statistically significant correlation between the PASI score and OPN, TAS, TOS, and OSI values. Conclusion: We did not find a statistically significant correlation between OPN levels and oxidative stress in patients with psoriasis. We believe that larger and more detailed studies are needed to highlight the role of OPN and oxidative stress in the etiopathogenesis of psoriasis

Dermatofitid reaksiyonların histopatolojik özellikleri

ö z e t Dermatofitozlu hastalarda, dermat of itlerin kendileri ne Teya metabolizma artıklarına karşı gelişen allerjik deri reaksiyonlarına dermatofitid adı verilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, dermatofitid tanısı konulan 25 vakada lezyonların histopatolojik özellikleri incelendi. Yakaların 18' inde dizidrotikid, 5' inde papüler İd, l'inde hem dizidrotik hem papüler id, 1' inde de Urtiker vardı. Histolojik kesitlerde, hemen her vakada vasküler değişiklikler "bulunmuştur.Bu değişiklikler kapiller dilatasyonu.perivasküler infiltrasyon,arteriyol çeperinde fibrinoid değişiklik, endotel proliferasyonu ve lümen daralması şeklindedir. Söz konusu vasküler olaylar permeabilite değişikliklerine neden ol makta, buna bağlı olarak yüzeyel dermada ödem,dermoepidermik ayrılmalar, bazal katta hidropik hücre de jenerasyonları, bazal ve suprabazal ağırlıklı spongiyoz,vezikül formasyonları, yeri elemanlarda proliferasyon, normal doku maddesinde artma gibi görü nümler, yani hem eksüdasyon ve hem de proliferasyonla seyreden patolojik olaylar ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bilhassa dermoepidermik hudutta ve bazen de arteri- yol çeperlerinde fibrinoid değişikliklerin bulunması, dermatofitidlerin allerjik tipte reaksiyonlar olduğunun histolojik delilini teşkil etmektedir. Bu çalışmanın sonucunda, dermatofitid reaksiyonlardaki histolojik değişikliklerin temelinde, derinin vasküler sis-temindeki patolojinin yattığı kanısına varılmıştır

Prognostic Factors in Elderly Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Their Treatment Results

Objective: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The treatment of older NHL patients has always been a struggle; however, treatment statistics have begun showing favorable results similar to those of younger DLBCL patients thanks to newer treatment protocols. Here, we analyze the progress of our own elderly DLBCL patients who were followed between 2000 and 2016 in our center. Materials and Methods: Eighty-seven DLBCL patients, who were diagnosed and treated in the Dokuz Eylül University Department of Hematology between 2000 and 2016, were included in this study. Median age was 72 (65-89) years and 13 (14.9%) patients were older than 80 years. Results: Median follow-up time was 19 months and 45 patients (51.7%) died during the follow-up period. Median overall survival (OS) was 55 months and median progression-free survival was calculated as 27 months. Sixty-three patients (72.4%) received standard R-CHOP therapy. Complete response was seen in 46 (52.9%) patients. The median survival time for patients who had complete response was 136 months (p80 years) and younger patients (p=0.236). Conclusion: According to our findings, we think that being able to complete standard R-CHOP therapy is vital for the survival rate of elderly DLBCL patients

Body mass index does not affect response of rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from the TURKBİO registry

Background/aim: Adipose tissue produces several inflammatory mediators. Thus, obesity affects the disease course and the responses to the antirheumatic agents in inflammatory diseases. The aim of the study was to determine whether the body mass index (BMI) is involved in the response to rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 206 RA patients who received rituximab from the Turkish Biologic (TURKBIO) registry between 2011 and the end of May 2017. Demographic and clinical data including age, sex, disease type, disease duration, and previous or current treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biological drug durations are stored in the database. Patients with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 were classified as obese, and patients with a BMI <30 kg/m2 were classified as nonobese. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to estimate the drug survival. The subgroups were compared using the log-rank test. Results: The mean BMI of 206 patients included in the study was 27.05 (17.2–43.4) kg/m2. There were 59 (28.6%) patients in the obese group and 147 (71.4%) patients in the nonobese group. The mean age, female percentage, and baseline disease activity score 28 (DAS28) were higher in the obese group than in the nonobese group. However, the ΔDAS28 at both 6 and 12 months were not significantly different between the groups (p = 0.785 and p = 0.512, respectively). Patient pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), patient fatigue VAS, and patient global VAS scores were also significantly higher at baseline in the obese group (p = 0.003, p = 0.006, and p = 0.006, respectively). However, no significant difference was found in terms of changes in patient pain VAS, patient fatigue VAS, patient global VAS and physician global VAS scores at 6 and 12 months compared to those at baseline. Rituximab treatment was ongoing for 71.2% of the obese and 63.3% of the nonobese patients (p = 0.279). The median drug survival duration was 77 months in the obese group and 62 months in the nonobese group (p = 0.053). The estimated drug survival rates for rituximab were not statistically significantly different in the obese and nonobese groups. Rituximab-related side effects were also similar between the groups. Conclusion: In obese and nonobese patients with RA, rituximab treatment exhibits similar side effects and similar long-term efficacy. These results suggest that obesity does not alter drug survival for rituximab and response rates, in RA and rituximab may be a favorable treatment agent in patients with RA and obesity