Relationship Between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy

The negative effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on diabetes mellitus (DM) patients are known. For these reasons, we aimed to investigate the effect of COPD on the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DRP) in patients with DM. Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study included one-hundred and fifty-six eyes of 156 patients with COPD and DM. Multinomial logistic regression models were applied to evaluate the independent relationships between DRP and COPD, including adjusting for patients’ characteristics. Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, patients with low-level COPD were found to have less PDR and severe PDR. (RRR 0.01 95% CI 0.01-0.03, RRR 0.01 95% CI 0.01-0.08, respectively). Conclusion: The findings suggest an increased risk of DRP severity in patients with severe COPD. Ophthalmologists following these patients should consider the relationship between COPD and DRP

Accessory Nerve Anatomy in Anterior and Posterior Cervical Triangle: A Fresh Cadaveric Study

Objective: To understand the variations and normal course of the accessory nerve (CNXI) to help more accurate and confident neck dissection.Methods: The course of the CNXI in the neck, its relationship to the surrounding anatomic structures and the factors affecting its course were investigated.Results: A total of 100 neck dissections were performed on 50 fresh cadavers. Eleven division variations were observed at the anterior triangle. The location of CNXI at the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (PBSCM) was investigated and the ratio between the distance from the mastoid apex (MAA) to CNXI at the PBSCM and the distance from MAA to the posterior border where the PBSCM is attached to the clavicle increased as height of the subject increased (p<0.05).Conclusion: It must be kept in mind that it is better to search for CNXI in taller subjects more inferiorly at the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle

Rapid synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles with Rheum ribes L Fruit Peels: Anticancer and Antimicrobial Effects with Biocompatible Structures

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are substances with a wide range of uses. Utilizing extracts obtained from the peels of Rheum ribes L. (Rr) fruit growing in Erzurum region, silver nanoparticles were rapidly created in this study with a quick, easy, and environmentally friendly technique without harmful processes. In order to evaluate the attributes of the synthesized Rr-AgNPs, FE-SEM or TEM micrographs were utilized to characterize their morphology. A UV-visible spectrophotometer was used to assess the highest absorbance bands of RR-AgNPs. These data were used to define RR-AgNPs, which were characterized as having exclusively negative surface charges of -25 mV, spherical shape, maximum absorbance at 428 nm wavelength, and 96 nm size distribution. The effectiveness of the produced AgNPs for use in medical applications was assessed using the MTT technique with microdilution. Minimum inhibition concentrations of Rr-AgNPs for pathogen strains ranged from 0.03 to 0.50 mg/L. Additionally, it was discovered that AgNPs effectively suppressed malignant cells, with rates of 86.27%, 74.67%, and 73.49%, in the investigation of the anticancer effects of AgNPs. Healthy cells were not subject to any inhibitory effects at the same concentrations

Üst Gastrointestinal Endoskopi İşlemi Öncesi HBsAg, Anti HCV ve Anti HIV Prevalansları

Amaç: Bu çalışma dispeptik yakınmalar ile başvuran ve üst gastrointestinal endoskopi incelemesi önerilen hastalarda yapıldı. Çalışmanın amacı endoskopi işlemi öncesi hastalarda hepatit serolojisi ve Anti HIV serolojisini taramak ve prevalansını değerlendirmek, bunun sonucunda işlem öncesinde rutin seroloji isteminin gerekliliğini tartışmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışma 2012 yılında Konya Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi Meram Tıp Fakültesi Gastroenteroloji polikliniğine başvuran ve işlem öncesi hepatit ve HIV serolojisi bakılan toplam 242 hastayı kapsamaktadır. Bulgular: Çalışmaya alınan toplam 242 hastanın; 120si erkek (%49), 122si kadın (%50) idi. Seropozitiflik oranları HBsAg %2,9, Anti HCV %0,4 iken Anti HIV pozitifliğine rastlanmadı. Toplamda hastaların %3,3 de hepatit serolojisi pozitif tespit edildi. Sonuç: Hastanemizde endoskopi işlemi öncesi bakılan hepatit serolojisi oranlarının toplum prevalansına yakın değerlerde çıktığı görülmüştür, endoskopik işlemler sonrası hepatit bulaşının son derece nadir olduğu da göz önüne alınırsa endoskopi ünitelerinde yeterli dezenfeksiyon uygulamalarına riayet edilmesi takdirinde rutin serolojik testlerin gereksiz olduğu kanısına ulaşılmaktadır.Objectıve: This study was conducted to determine the preprocedure prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in patients with dyspeptic complaints to whom an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed and also to question the necessity of routine serologic testing. Materials and Methods: Medical records of 242 adult patients who applied to Gastroenterology clinic of Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine with dyspeptic complaints during 2012 and to whom an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed were analyzed retrospectively for preprocedure hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV serologies. Results: A total of 242 patients were taken into the study. 120 of them (49%) were males and 122 of them (51%) were females. Preprocedure prevalence of HBs Ag and anti HCV was 2.9% and 0.4% respectively. Anti HIV was detected to be positive in none of the patients. In total 3.3% of patients were positive hepatitis serology. Conclusion: The preprocedure prevalence of hepatitis B and C in our patients was consistent with the prevalences reported for general population in previous studies. Taken into account that post procedure transmission of hepatitis B and C is rare, routine serologic testing is not necessary as far as disinfection rules are obeyed strictly in endoscopy clinics

The effect of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism on the depression and anxiety levels

Amaç: Çalışmamızda anjiotensin dönüştürücü enzim (ADE) gen polimorfizminin delesyon (D) ve insersiyon (I) alelleri ile anksiyete ve depresyon düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiye bakılması amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem: Bu çalışma kesitsel bir çalışma olup, çalışma grubunu oluşturan olgular göğüs ağrısı yakınması ile bir üniversite hastanesi kardiyoloji polikliniğine başvuran hastalar arasından seçilmiştir. ADE’nin periferik düzeneklerle hipertansiyon (HT) ve koroner arter hastalığı (KAH) üzerine etkisi iyi bilindiğinden, seçilen hastaların bu tanı gruplarından bağımsız olması amaçlanmıştır. Böylece, ADE’nin olası santral düzenekler üzerinden anksiyete ve depresyon düzeylerini etkiliyor olabileceğinin tartışılması hedeflenmiştir. Çalışma grubunda, yaş ortalaması 51.929.78 olan 26 kadın ve yaş ortalaması 49.7710.01 olan 13 erkek olmak üzere toplam 39 hasta yer almıştır. Olgular önce kardiyolojik açıdan değerlendirilmiş ve ayrıntılı incelemeleri yapılmıştır. Ardından psikiyatri polikliniğinde Beck Depresyon Ölçeği (BDÖ) ve Beck Anksiyete Ölçeği (BAÖ) uygulanmıştır. Hastalardan alınan kan örnekleri genetik polimorfizmlerinin değerlendirilmesi için genetik laboratuarına gönderilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar MANOVA, Post Hoc Bonferroni Testi, Kruskal-Wallis Testi ve Fischer’s Exact Testi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular: BDÖ puanları açısından, ADE yüksek aktivitesi ile ilişkili olan D/D polimorfizmi ile düşük aktivite ile ilişkili olan I/I polimorfizmi ve orta düzeyde aktivite gösteren I/D polimorfizmi arasında anlamlı ilişki bulunmuştur (sırasıyla p0.010 ve p0.030). BAÖ puanları açısından ise sadece D/D polimorfizmi ile I/I polimorfizmi arasındaki fark anlamlı bulunmuştur (p0.002). Sonuç: ADE genotiplerinden enzim aktivitesinin yüksekliği ile ilgili D aleline sahip olan bireylerde HT sıklığının arttığı bilinmektedir. Çalışmamızda, HT ve KAH olmayan bireylerde D aleline sahip olmanın, anksiyete ve depresyon düzeyinde artışla ilişkisi gösterilmiştir. ADE’nin depresyon ve anksiyete üzerine santral etkisi, HT üzerine olan periferik etkisinden farklı ve bağımsız olabilir.Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion (I) and deletion (D) polymorphism and the levels of anxiety and depression. Methods: This is a cross- sectional study, which included the cases who admitted a university hospital cardiology department with the complaint of chest pain without cardiac etiology. It is well known that there is a strong connection between the ACE and hypertension (HT) and coronary arterial diseases (CAH) among peripheral mechanisms. Hence, the subjects included the study were preferred that have no cardiovascular diseases at that time. In this way, it was aimed to conclude that ACE might have an effect on the levels of the anxiety and depression via possible central mechanisms. The study group, which was total 39 patients, was constituted that 26 female with the mean age 51.92±9.78 and 13 male with the mean age 49.77±10.01. Their first examination was carried out in cardiology department and performed the necessary techniques. Then the subjects were given the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory in psychiatry department. Serum samples of the group were transferred to genetic laboratory. The statistical analyses were performed by SPSS 15.0 for Windows. MANOVA, Post Hoc Bonferroni Test, Kruskal Wallis Test and Fischer‘s Exact Test were used with a related manner. Results: It was found that D/D polymorphism that is related with the high ACE activity has a significant association between I/I polymorphism that is related with the low ACE activity and D/I polymorphism that is related with the moderate ACE activity in terms of BDI scores (p0.010 and p0.030, respectively). On the other hand, in the BAI scores, D/D polymorphism was seen to be a significant association only with I/I polymorphism (p0.002). Conclusion: It is well established that the ACE gene D polymorphism could be associated with the essential hypertension in the human. In our study, significant relation with the D genotyping and the levels of depression and anxiety were observed in a group, which have no cardiovascular problem detected. It could be suggested that the effect of the ACE system on the arterial pressure may have a role in a different manner from the central mechanisms which may be related the anxiety and depression etiology