Adaptation to Turkish and reliability study of the revised amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) [Amiyotrofik Lateral Skleroz Fonksiyonel Derecelendirme Skalası'nın Türkçe'ye Uyarlanması ve Güvenirlilik Çalışması]

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease characterized by progressive degeneration of the motor neurons. It is difficult to define the severity of the clinical findings of this destructive disease owing to its rapid progression, which presents serious alterations in a short time even in the same patient. The present study was designed to evaulate the validity of the Turkish version of the Revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R), which has been used in various countries for measuring the functional status of ALS patients. Methods: The ALSFRS-R scores of 41 ALS patients (24 male), in any stages of illness, were simultaneously assessed by two physicians. The functional status of the patients (motor system, bulbar, and pulmonary functions) was evaluated under 12 titles. In every subtitle, the functional status was evaluated as 0 for the worst functional status and 4 for the best functional status. The mean differentials for both subtitles and global scores and the 95% confidence bounds of these means were detected. The coherence was defined as the states in which the coefficient is above 0.80 and is statistically significant Results: From the data obtained, the correlation between the two physicians was found to be statistically significant (p=0.000) in terms of the means of both subtitles and total scores. Conclusion: It was shown in the present study that in the clinical follow- up of the disease, the Turkish version of ALSFRS-R is a simple, reliable, and easily applicable. © 2016 by Turkish Association of Neuropsychiatry

Role of mesenchymal stem cells transfected with vascular endothelial growth factor in maintaining renal structure and function in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction

WOS: 000356908200009PubMed ID: 25542189Objectives: Mesenchymal stem cells hold promise for renal disease treatment. Vascular endothelial growth factor may heal tubule-interstitial fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition. We investigated the protective effect of vascular endothelial growth factor in transfected mesenchymal stem cells in unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced renal injury in rats. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar Albino rats (32 rats; weight, 250-300 g) were divided into 4 equal groups: group 1, control; group 2, unilateral ureteral obstruction; group 3, unilateral ureteral obstruction and mesenchymal stem cells; and group 4, unilateral ureteral obstruction and vascular endothelial growth factor-transfected mesenchymal stem cells. Vascular endothelial growth factor-transfected mesenchymal stem cells were administered intravenously before onset of unilateral ureteral obstruction. On day 14, the rats were killed and kidneys were retrieved. Tubular necrosis, mono-nuclear cell infiltration, and interstitial fibrosis were evaluated in paraffin blocks. We evaluated green fluorescent protein-positive and vascular endothelial growth factor-positive cells; anti-inflammatory (Prostaglandin E2 Receptor) and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist), proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory (interleukin 6), and proinflammatory (MPO) cytokine expression levels; and levels of nitric oxide; transforming growth factor beta 1, E-cadherin, and hydroxyproline. Results: Green fluorescent protein-positive cells were negative in the renal parenchyma in groups 1 and 2 and positive in groups 3 and 4. Vascular endothelial growth factor levels were significantly higher in group 4. Transforming growth factor 131, nitric oxide, and E-cadherin levels were significantly higher in the unilateral ureteral obstruction than control group; however, in the study groups, these values were not significantly different from the unilateral ureteral obstruction group. In stem cell-transplanted tissue samples, EP3, interleukin 1 receptor antagonist, and interleukin 6 levels were elevated, but MPO expression levels were low. Although there were significant differences for tubular necrosis and fibrosis in group 2, there were significant reductions in tubular injury and fibrosis in groups 3 and 4. Conclusions: Systemic stem cells transplanted into the kidney protected against unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced renal epithelial-mesenchymal transition and renal fibrosis