Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey: first report from the Eastern Mediterranean

Objective

We aimed to describe the typical clinical and laboratory features and treatment of children diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and to understand the differences as compared to severe/critical pediatric cases with COVID-19 in an eastern Mediterranean country.

Methods

Children (aged <18 years) who diagnosed with MIS-C and severe/critical pediatric cases with COVID-19 and were admitted to hospital between March 26 and November 3, 2020 were enrolled in the study.

Results

A total of 52 patients, 22 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 with severe/critical disease course and 30 patients diagnosed with MIS-C, were included in the study. Although severe COVID-19 cases and cases with MIS-C share many clinical and laboratory features, MIS-C cases had longer fever duration and higher rate of the existence of rash, conjunctival injection, peripheral edema, abdominal pain, altered mental status, and myalgia than in severe cases (p<0.001 for each). Of all, 53.3% of MIS-C cases had the evidence of myocardial involvement as compared to severe cases (27.2%). Additionally, C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) are the independent predictors for the diagnosis of MIS-C, particularly in the existence of conjunctival injection and rash. Corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and biologic immunomodulatory treatments were mainly used in MIS-C cases rather than cases with severe disease course. There were only three deaths among 52 patients, one of whom had Burkitt lymphoma and the two cases with severe COVID-19 of late referral.

Conclusion

Differences between clinical presentations, acute phase responses, organ involvements, and management strategies indicate that MIS-C might be a distinct immunopathogenic disease as compared to pediatric COVID-19. Conjunctival injection and higher CRP and low WBC count are reliable diagnostic parameters for MIS-C cases.

Possible pathogenetic role of new cytokines in postmenopausal osteoporosis and changes during calcitonin plus calcium therapy

The present study was designed to test if the serum cytokines (interleukin, or IL-1beta, -2, -2r, -6, -6r, -8, and -10, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, or TNF-alpha) and osteocalcin levels were different between 50 osteoporotic and 30 postmenopausal nonosteoporotic women and to evaluate the efficacy of calcitonin therapy during 6 months on serum cytokines and osteocalcin levels in postmenopausal osteoporotic women. In our study, serum levels of osteocalcin, TNF-alpha, IL-2, and IL-8 were significantly higher in the patient group (P < 0.05), whereas serum levels of IL-10 and IL-6r were significantly lower in the patient group (P < 0.05). When analysed separately according to bone turnover, serum levels of IL-10 and IL-6r were significantly lower in the normal-turnover group (P < 0.05), and IL-2, IL-8, and TNF-alpha were significantly higher in the high-turnover group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Statistically significant improvement seemed to happen in the patients receiving calcitonin plus calcium therapy (P < 0.05) concerning levels of serum IL-6r at the 1st month (P < 0.05), IL-10, IL-2r, IL-6r, and osteocalcin at the 3rd month, and IL-6r and osteocalcin at the end of the 6th month. Our findings demonstrate that calcitonin plus calcium therapy appears to be particularly more effective for patients with high turnover. In addition, our study suggests that IL-10 and IL-6r may have an important role in normal-turnover osteoporosis, while IL-2, IL-8, and TNF-alpha may play an important role in high-turnover postmenopausal osteoporosis.     

Evaluation of nosocomial infections following cardiovascular surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate nosocomial infections (NI) following cardiovascular surgery (CVS), and to share the first seven-year experience of the infection control commission in a private medical center. METHODS: Active prospective and laboratory based surveillance program of the hospital from January 1999 to December 2005 was used and all patients who were found to have NIs after CVS during their stay or readmission were included. RESULTS: A total of 14,502 cardiovascular operations were performed and 416 (2.9%) patients had 494 NIs. The most prevalent infections were surgical site infections (42%) and urinary tract infections (22%). The most frequently isolated microorganisms were coagulase-negative staphylococci (19%), Escherichia coli (16%) and Staphylococcus aureus (16%). A total of 99 patients (24%) died. The mortality rates were high in patients with blood-stream infections (58%) and lower respiratory tract infections (37%). The 2003 was the year with the lowest NI rate when compared to 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005 (p< 0.005). CONCLUSION: This study allowed an evaluation of NIs, including incidence and distribution, following CVS. While carrying on the studies to prevent NIs that are responsible for serious morbidity and mortality, risk factors also need to be identified in order to take preventive measures, other than the ones present.     

Cytokines and depression in cases with fibromyalgia

OBJECTIVE: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic, painful musculoskeletal disorder characterized by widespread pain, pressure, hyperalgesia, morning stiffness, and an increased incidence of depressive symptoms. The etiology, however, has remained elusive. The aim of the present study was to examine the inflammatory response system in FM and to investigate the effect of depression level on serum cytokines. METHODS: Serum interleukin-1 (IL-I), IL-2 receptor (IL-2r), IL-6, and IL-8 and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score were determined in 32 healthy volunteers and in 81 patients with FM, classified according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria. RESULTS: In our study, serum IL-1 and IL-6 were not statistically significant, but serum IL-8, IL2r, and HDRS score were significantly higher in patients with FM than the control group (p < 0.01). In addition, in patients with FM, IL-8 was found to be related to pain intensity (r = 0.35; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: IL-8 may play an important role in the occurrence of pain in FM.     

Hepatoprotective Effect of 17β-Estradiol as Antioxidant Modulators Against Stress Damage

Background:

Liver is one of the most important organs affected by exercise. According to the literature a few study to date has investigated the effects of estrogen supplementation on exercise-induced oxidative stress in liver tissue of rats.

Objectives:

We aimed to investigate the effects of estrogen supplementation on oxidative stress markers in liver tissue of exercised rats.

Materials and Methods:

Male rats (n = 35) were divided as estrogen supplemented (n = 18) and non-supplemented groups (n = 17); these groups were further divided as rest and eccentric exercised groups. Eccentric exercise groups were further divided as rats killed after 1 hour and 48 hours of eccentric exercise. Estrogen (10 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously for 30 days. Eccentric exercise was applied as treadmill run (15° downhill, 20 m/min) consisting of periods of "5 min" run and 2 min rest repeated 18 times. The rat liver was examined biochemically and histologically. Activities of GST, GSH-Px, CAT, SOD and MDA concentration were also measured spectrophotometrically.

Results:

Some disruptions were detected in experimental groups compared with the control group. Additionally, exercise training caused an increase in SOD and decrease in GSH-Px activities in some experimental groups. SOD activities increased significantly in group 3 (Estrogen (-), eccentric exercise (+) killed (after 1 h), compared with group 5 (Estrogen (-), eccentric exercise (+) killed (after 48 h). On the other hand, GSH-Px activities were also significantly decreased in groups 3, 4 and 5 compared with the control group. Leukocyte infiltration in liver increased after 48 hours compared with after 1 hour and estrogen supplementation was not able to prevent this infiltration.

Conclusions:

Estrogen seemed to be not very effective to prevent eccentric exercise-induced liver damage.     

Influence of laser etching on enamel and dentin bond strength of Silorane System Adhesive

Lasers in Medical Science - The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) of Silorane System Adhesive to enamel and dentin surfaces that had been etched with...     

Assessment of the effect of cigarette smoking on regional brain volumes and lesion load in patients with clinically isolated syndrome

Purpose: Smoking has been associated with an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis, disease progression and clinical disability. We detected the effects of smoking on regional brain volumes and lesion load in patients with clinically isolated syndrome using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging. Materials and Methods: Smoker patients (n = 16), smoker healthy controls (n = 13), non-smoker patients (n = 17) and non-smoker healthy controls (n = 14) underwent magnetic resonance imaging and neocortical volumes were measured. Lesion load was calculated in terms of number and volume of white matter hyperintensities. Results: Smoking was associated with increased gray matter volumes in several regions of the brain. A tendency towards greater lesion load in smoker patients was found. Smoking duration was significantly negatively correlated with intracranial volume and left hemisphere cortical gray matter volume. There was no relationship between regional brain volumes and clinical disability scores, lesion load duration of the disease and degree of smoking exposure. Conclusions: Clinically isolated syndrome related regional brain atrophy might vary in extent and severity with smoking. Despite increased lesion load, less cortical and deep gray matter damage with a possible neuroprotective effect occurs in smoking.