Mean platelet volume and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio decrease in patients with depression with antidepressant treatment

Objective: Not only white blood cells but also platelets are being considered in inflammatory reactions from now on. Mean platelet volume (MPV) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been shown to change in inflammatory diseases like myocardial infarction, stroke and implicated in psychiatric disorders nowadays. Our first aim is to investigate the relation of MPV and NLR with depression and secondly to assess if they change with the treatment of depression. Methods: Forty-nine patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) and hospitalized in a university hospital psychiatry inpatient unit retrospectively included in the study. Control group consisted of 48 hospital workers with no known disease. Complete blood count, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S) scores at admission and at discharge were noted and compared for the patient group. Discussion: MPV of depressed patients was higher than controls. When we look at admission and discharge scores of clinical scales, decrement is statistically significant for both HAM-D and CGI-S. There was decline both in MPV and NLR which were both statistically significant. Conclusion: Decreasing MPV and NLR values with the treatment of depression confirm the involvement of inflammatory processes in the pathophysiology of depression

Impulsivity and impulse control disorders in pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: We investigate the relationship between impulsivity and impulse control disorders (ICDs) in pregnancy. We claim that women with unplanned pregnancies are more impulsive and have a higher frequency of ICDs. METHODS: We perform a study on the 152 pregnant women who applied to Haydarpaşa Numune Training and Research Hospital Obstetrics outpatient clinic for routine follow-up. The participants are informed about the content of the study and their consents are taken. Socio-demographic characteristics of the participants are recorded. ICDs and impulsivity are assessed by Minnesota Impulse Control Disorders Interview Scale and Barrat Impulsivity Scale (BIS). RESULTS: ICD was present in 11.8% of the pregnant women (n = 18) before gestation and 9.2% (n = 14) during gestation. The motor and total impulsivity scores of those diagnosed with ICD during and before pregnancy were higher than those without ICD. The most common ICD during and before pregnancy was compulsive buying (3.3%). The relationship between pregnancy trimester and BIS score is insignificant. CONCLUSION: The motor and total impulsivity scores of those diagnosed with ICD before and during pregnancy were higher than scores of those not having ICD. It is well-known that ICDs cause not only pschiatric comorbidity but also illegal or high-risk behaviours, interpersonal, social, and economical problems. Thus, early recognition and treatment of ICDs in pregnancies will have a positive effect on both mothers’ and babies’ health

An unusual case of unplanned complex suicide

Suicide is defined as using more than one method to induce death. Suicides are divided into simple and complex cases. A complex suicide is defined as the use of more than one method to induce death. The planning of several methods for inducing death further permits the classification of suicide into planned and unplanned. In planned type, two or more methods are applied simultaneously to make sure that death will occur. In unplanned type, a second method is just used if the first method is unsuccessful or painful. Less fatal methods like poisoning or cutting is combined with a second method which is usually more lethal like shooting, falling from a height, burning, or hanging. Here, we present a complex suicide case who is living despite using three suicide methods consecutively

Optimizasyon ve Genel Denge Modelleri Aracılığı ile Çok Amaçlı Enerji ve Çevre Politikaları Analizi

Ülkelerin iktisadi başarıları ile enerji politikaları arasındaki çift yönlü ilişkinin modellerde gözetilmesi, 1973 yılındaki Arap petrol ambargosu sonrasında gündeme gelmiştir. Öte yandan küresel ısınmaya yol açan sera gazı salınımlarının önemli bir miktarı enerji üretim ve tüketim faaliyetleri sonucunda ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bu da enerji politikaları ile çevre politikalarının birlikte incelenmesi gereğini ortaya çıkarmaktadır. Bunların ışığında, enerji politikalarının birden fazla amaca yönelik olarak oluşturulması yararlı olacaktır. Ayrıca enerji politikası konusundaki araştırmalar enerji sektörünü detaylı bir şekilde temsil edebilen bir mühendislik yaklaşımı ile verilecek kararların ekonominin diğer sektörleri üzerindeki etkisini inceleyebilecek bir iktisat yaklaşımını birlikte kullanmayı gerektirmektedir. Bu çalışmada iktisat yazınındaki genel denge modelleri ve yöneylem araştırması yazınındaki matematiksel modelleme yöntemleri kullanılarak enerji politikalarının belirlenmesinde çok amaçlı bir karar destek sistemi oluşturulacaktır. Çalışma iki aşamadan oluşmaktadır. Birinci aşamada sera gazı salınımları üzerine getirilecek kısıtların ülkenin ekonomi hacmine etkisi incelenecek, ikinci kısımda ise birinci kısımda belirlenen çözümlere piyasa koşulları altında ulaşmak için hangi politikaların uygulanabileceği araştırılacaktır

Oxidative stress and inflammatory response in patients with psoriasis; is there any relationship with psychiatric comorbidity and cognitive functions?

Objectives: Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease which has been linked to psychopathology. Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with atherogenesis and neuronal stress thus, cognitive functions might be impaired in psoriasis patients. We aimed to compare psychiatric comorbidity, neurocognitive functions, oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine levels in psoriasis patients with healthy controls, besides to evaluate the effect of oxidative stress and inflammation on comorbidity and cognitive functions in psoriasis patients. Methods: A total of 37 patients (11 male and 26 female) aged between 18 and 65 years with at least 5 years of education who applied to the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of the study hospital between study period; diagnosed with psoriasis by physical examination and histopathological evaluation were included in the study. The control group was formed from healthy individuals working for the hospital. Sociodemographic data form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Semantic Verbal Fluency Test (K-A-S), Öktem Verbal Memory Processes Test, Auditory Consonant Trigram Test and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were performed to all participants. In addition, blood samples of participants were analysed to assess total oxidant stress (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI) and proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Results: BDI and BAI scores, TOS, OSI, TNF-α and IL-6 levels of psoriasis patients were significantly higher than controls. Besides, the cognitive domains of learning, recall and verbal fluency in psoriasis patients were shown to be impaired. The increased levels of depression and anxiety in psoriasis did not significantly affect the serum TAS, TOS and OSI levels. Increased IL-6 and TNF-α levels were not significantly related to depression in patients with psoriasis. Conclusion: Psoriasis patients have higher risk factors than healthy controls for cognitive impairment, independent of depression, inflammation and oxidative stress levels

Death anxiety in patients with myocardial infarction or cancer

Objective: The aim of this study was to find out the level of death anxiety among 3 groups: patients with acute myocardial infarction, patients with cancer and healthy individuals in two training and research hospitals; also to evaluate its relationship with several sociodemographic and clinical variables. Materials and method: This study was conducted with one hundred and eighty persons (108 male, 72 female) who have been referred to cardiology or oncology departments and the healthy individuals. Participants completed sociodemographic and clinical data form, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-I, STAI-II), Thorson Powell Death Anxiety Scale (TPDAS), Death Depression Scale (DDS). Results: Participants included in the present study were 40% female with an average age of 53.48 for whole group. The mean TPDAS score for patients with AMI was 51.60 ± 16.40, for patients with cancer 37.10 ± 10.23 and for healthy individuals 43.40 ± 13.35. In AMI group there were positive correlations between STAI-I and TPDAS, DDS scores and also between STAI-II and DDS. In cancer group positive correlations were between STAI-I, II and TPDAS, DDS. TPDAS and DDS were positively correlated in all three groups. Women and participants who were unemployed scored higher on DDS. Conclusion: In this study patients with AMI had higher death anxiety than patients with cancer or healthy individuals. Generally death anxiety was related with education, employment and socioeconomic status. Prospective studies carefully searching for different variables in different medical groups would reveal and help us to understand the importance of death anxiety and its impact on courses of physical and mental disorders. Keywords: Death anxiety, Myocardial infarction, Cance

In Vivo Genotoxicity Assessment of Sertraline by Using Alkaline Comet Assay and the Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus Assay

Aktas Sukuroglu, Ayca/0000-0003-3069-7905; Battal, Dilek/0000-0003-1935-5330WOS: 000325465200008PubMed: 23759069Sertraline, a leading antidepressant in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) group of medicine, is the most frequently prescribed drug. In this study, the alkaline comet assay and the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay were used to investigate genotoxicity potential of sertraline in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of acute and chronic sertraline-treated Wistar albino rats. Male Wistar albino rats (n=48) were administered low, medium and high doses of sertraline (10, 40, 80mg/kg) for acute and chronic treatment by employing the gavage method to investigate genotoxicity of the administered drug. The data (tail length, tail intensity and tail moment) were analysed and indicated that there was no statistically significant difference between sertraline-treated groups and the negative control group with respect to DNA damage (p>0.05). However, it was observed that acute sertraline administration had caused much more DNA damage in comparison with chronic treatment (p<0.05). According to the data obtained from the CBMN test, an increase in the micronucleus (MN) frequency was detected at chronic and high-dose acute sertraline treatment. Based on the outcome of comet assay, detection of statistically insignificant DNA damage may be due to the fact that sertraline did not cause damage on DNA. Also, increase in frequency of MN in chronic sertraline treatment suggests that chronic sertraline administration might influence some mechanisms of cell division. Therefore, dose adjustment in depressed patients seems significant as it may help prevent further prognosis of the diseases.Mersin University, Department of Scientific Research ProjectsMersin University [BAP ECZ F EMB (DB) 2010-5 A]This work was supported by Mersin University, Department of Scientific Research Projects [Grant number: BAP ECZ F EMB (DB) 2010-5 A]

Examination of antimicrobial effect of fluoxetine in experimental sepsis model: An in vivo study

Since most infectious diseases can develop into sepsis, it is still a major medical problem. Some in-vivo studies showed promising properties of fluoxetine in the treatment of infections. This study aims the antimicrobial effect of fluoxetine on the inflammatory process used in the treatment of sepsis-modeled rats. Besides, to investigate the efficacy of fluoxetine on modifying the antibiotic effect of imipenem in the inflammatory response. An experimental sepsis model was divided into negative control, positive control, fluoxetine 5 mg/kg, imipenem 60 mg/kg, and combined (fluoxetine; imipenem). Procalcitonin (PCT), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), lactate, myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), the inflammation markers interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-alpha), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Oxidative stress markers, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), total thiol (TT), and native thiol (NT) were measured using photometric methods. Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated according to TAS and TOS levels. The statistical analysis was performed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22.0. After treatment with fluoxetine, imipenem, and combined groups, IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, MPO activity, MCP-1, hs-CRP, PCT, lactate, and the oxidative stress markers OSI, and disulfide levels were decreased (p < 0.05). The TT, NT, and TAS levels significantly statistically increased (p < 0.05). This research demonstrates that fluoxetine has effects as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, and the combined treatment with antibioticum imipenem indicates positive synergistic effects in the experimental sepsis model.Bezmialem Vakif Universit