Social stigmatization in Turkish patients with chronic hepatitis B and C

Background and aim: Viral hepatitis is the most important cause of chronic hepatitis worldwide. Stigmatization is defined as a feeling of rejection and isolation of patients by society due to illness. There are no studies on chronic viral hepatitis in the literature in English, which has its own religious and socio-cultural structure. In our study, we aimed to investigate the presence of social stigmatism and psychosocial effects on patients with different stages of chronic viral hepatitis B and C. Methods: Forty-five patients with chronic hepatitis C and 114 patients with chronic hepatitis B were enrolled in the study. Berger’s scale was used for stigmatization, composed of 40 four-point Likert items that have four subscales: personalized stigma, disclosure, negative self-image, and public attitude. Stigma score ranges between one and four. Stigma is accepted as present if the overall score is above two. Results: Overall the mean stigma scores were 1.97 ± 0.58 and 2.14 ± 0.57 for chronic hepatitis B and C, respectively. There was stigma in 47.4% of the patients with chronic hepatitis B, and 60% of the patients with chronic hepatitis C. Being male was the risk factor on overall stigma, disclosure and public attitude in chronic hepatitis C. Living in an urban setting was the risk factor on negative self-image in chronic hepatitis C and on personalized stigma and disclosure in chronic hepatitis B

New and noteworthy bryophyte records for Turkey and Southwest Asia

Sphagnum flexuosum Dozy & Molk. (Sphagnaceae, Bryophyta) and Obtusifolium obtusum (Lindb.) S.W.Arnell (Cephaloziellaceae, Marchantiophyta) are recorded in Turkey for the first time. The specimens were collected at Samanlı Mountains in north-west Turkey and Küre Mountains in the north of Turkey. Descriptions and illustrations of the two species, and notes on their distributions and ecological characteristics within Turkey are provided

Radiative transitions of doubly charmed baryons in lattice QCD

We evaluate the spin-3/2→spin-1/2 electromagnetic transitions of the doubly charmed baryons on 2+1 flavor, 323×64 PACS-CS lattices with a pion mass of 156(9) MeV/c2. A relativistic heavy quark action is employed to minimize the associated systematic errors on charm-quark observables. We extract the magnetic dipole, M1, and the electric quadrupole, E2, transition form factors. In order to make a reliable estimate of the M1 form factor, we carry out an analysis by including the effect of excited-state contributions. We find that the M1 transition is dominant and light degrees of freedom (u/d- or s-quark) play the leading role. E2 form factors, on the other hand, are found to be negligibly small, which in turn, have a minimal effect on the helicity and transition amplitudes. We predict the decay widths and lifetimes of Ξcc∗+,++ and Ωcc∗+ based on our results. Finite size effects on these ensembles are expected to be around 1%. Differences in kinematical and dynamical factors with respect to the Nγ→Δ transition are discussed and compared to nonlattice determinations while keeping possible systematic artifacts in mind. A comparison to Ωcγ→Ωc∗ transition and a discussion on systematic errors related to the choice of heavy quark action are also given. Results we present here are particularly suggestive for experimental facilities such as LHCb, PANDA, Belle II, and BESIII to search for further states.TÜBİTAK ; KAKENHIPublisher versio

Evaluation of epicardial adipose tissue and carotid intima-media thickness as a marker of atherosclerosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Background and aim: this study aimed to compare carotid intima media (CIMT) and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) measurements, which are considered as markers for the detection of early atherosclerosis in healthy controls and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cases. Methods: a total of 60 IBD patients (25 Crohn’s disease and 35 ulcerative colitis) and 60 healthy patients (as a control group) were included in the study. The measurements of CIMT and EAT were performed using echocardiography and ultrasonography, respectively. Statistical analysis was used to determine the relationship between the parameters. Results: the thickness of bilateral (right and left) CIMT and EAT were significantly higher in IBD than in the control group (p < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between EAT and bilateral (right and left) CIMT in IBD patients (p < 0.05)

A Case of Primary Gastric Malign Melanoma with Multiple Hepatic Metastasis

Malign melanoma is an agressive tumor that can involve the gastrointestinal tract as metastasis or primary gastrointestinal lesions. Discrimination of primary lesions from metastatic ones may be difficult, especially when the tumor in the skin regresses. We aimed to present a case of primary gastric MM with liver metastasis

In a real-life setting, direct-acting antivirals to people who inject drugs with chronic hepatitis c in Turkey

Background: People who inject drugs (PWID) should be treated in order to eliminate hepatitis C virus in the world. The aim of this study was to compare direct-acting antivirals treatment of hepatitis C virus for PWID and non-PWID in a real-life setting. Methods: We performed a prospective, non-randomized, observational multicenter cohort study in 37 centers. All patients treated with direct-acting antivirals between April 1, 2017, and February 28, 2019, were included. In total, 2713 patients were included in the study among which 250 were PWID and 2463 were non-PWID. Besides patient characteristics, treatment response, follow-up, and side effects of treatment were also analyzed. Results: Genotype 1a and 3 were more prevalent in PWID-infected patients (20.4% vs 9.9% and 46.8% vs 5.3%). The number of naïve patients was higher in PWID (90.7% vs 60.0%), while the number of patients with cirrhosis was higher in non-PWID (14.1% vs 3.7%). The loss of follow-up was higher in PWID (29.6% vs 13.6%). There was no difference in the sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after treatment (98.3% vs 98.4%), but the end of treatment response was lower in PWID (96.2% vs 99.0%). In addition, the rate of treatment completion was lower in PWID (74% vs 94.4%). Conclusion: Direct-acting antivirals were safe and effective in PWID. Primary measures should be taken to prevent the loss of follow-up and poor adherence in PWID patients in order to achieve World Health Organization’s objective of eliminating viral hepatitis