Bioassay-guided isolation of anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive principles from a folk remedy, Rhododendron ponticum L. leaves

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Rhododendron ponticum L. (Ericaceae) is used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and to alleviate rheumatic pain and against toothache in Turkish traditional medicine.     

A Combination of Nifedipine and OctreotideTreatment in an HyperinsulinemicHypoglycemic Infant

Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (HH) is the commonest cause of persistent hypoglycemia in the neonatal and infancy periods. Mutations in the ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes, which encode subunits of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel in the pancreatic beta cell, are identified in approximately 50% of these patients. The first-line drug in the treatment of HH is diazoxide. Octreotide and glucagon can be used in patients who show no response to diazoxide. Nifedipine, a calcium-channel blocker, has been shown to be an effective treatment in a small number of patients with diazoxide-unresponsive HH. We report a HH patient with a homozygous ABCC8 mutation (p.W1339X) who underwent a near-total pancreatectomy at 2 months of age due to a lack of response to diazoxide and octreotide treatment. Severe hypoglycemic attacks continued following surgery, while the patient was being treated with octreotide. These attacks resolved when nifedipine was introduced. Whilst our patient responded well to nifedipine, the dosage could not be increased to 0.75 mg/kg/day due to development of hypotension, a reported side effect of this drug. Currently, our patient, now aged 4 years, is receiving a combination of nifedipine and octreotide treatment. He is under good control and shows no side effects. In conclusion, nifedipine treatment can be started in patients with HH who show a poor response to diazoxide and octreotide treatment.     

New onset egg allergy in an adult.

We report newly presenting systemic and local allergic reactions to egg in a 55-year-old woman. The patient did not have a history of egg allergy in childhood or occupational exposure to egg proteins; nor did she report any disease that is known to be related to food allergy. A skin prick test with commercial extracts, prick-to-prick test, CAP radioallergosorbent assay, and a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge test were used to prove egg allergy. Because egg allergy mainly affects children and symptoms frequently disappear with age, the late onset in this patient is rare.     

Expression of matrix metalloproteinases in vasculitic neuropathy

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern and cellular source of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) in vasculitic neuropathy. Matrix metalloproteinases are endopeptidases degrading components of extracellular matrix proteins, and they have been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory demyelination. They are induced by cytokines, secreted by inflammatory cells, and enhance T cell migration. Vasculitic neuropathy occurs as a component of systemic vasculitis or as an isolated angiitis of the peripheral nervous system, and T cell-mediated inflammation is detected in its pathogenesis. Nerve biopsy sections of eight patients with nonsystemic vasculitic neuropathy (NSVN) and four with systemic vasculitic neuropathy were examined for the presence of CD4+, CD8+, and CD68+ cells and immunohistochemically for MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. Nerve biopsies of eight patients with noninflammatory neuropathy were used as a control group. Semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to detect MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNA. The predominant cells were CD8+ and CD68+ T cells. Expression of MMP-9, but not MMP-2, was increased in perivascular inflammatory infiltrate in nerve tissues of vasculitic neuropathy patients. This MMP-9 expression correlated positively with immunostaining of CD8+ T cells. No difference was detected between immunostaining patterns of nonsystemic and systemic vasculitic neuropathies with the antibodies used, except in MMP-9 immunostaining, which was found to be enhanced in NSVN group. Polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed elevated mRNA levels of MMP-9 and MMP-2 compared with controls, but this did not reach statistical significance. Our results imply a pathogenic role for MMP-9 secreted from CD8+ cells in vasculitic neuropathy.     

Wide QRS Complex and Lateral ST-T Segment Abnormality Are Associated With Worse Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients

BackgroundThe information on electrocardiographic features of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Our aim was to determine if baseline electrocardiographic features of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are associated with markers of myocardial injury and clinical outcomes.MethodsIn this retrospective, single center cohort study, we included 223 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Clinical, electrocardiographic and laboratory data were collected and analyzed. Primary composite endpoint of mortality, need for invasive mechanical ventilation, or admission to the intensive care unit was assessed.ResultsForty patients (17.9%) reached the primary composite endpoint. Patients with the primary composite endpoint were more likely to have wide QRS complex (>120 ms) and lateral ST-T segment abnormality. The multivariable Cox regression showed increasing odds of the primary composite endpoint associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (odds ratio 7.76, 95% CI 2.67–22.59; p < 0.001), acute cardiac injury (odds ratio 3.14, 95% CI 1.26–7.99; p = 0.016), high flow oxygen therapy (odds ratio 2.43, 95% CI 1.05–5.62; p = 0.037) and QRS duration longer than >120 ms (odds ratio 3.62, 95% CI 1.39–9.380; p = 0.008) Patients with a wide QRS complex (>120 ms) had significantly higher median level of troponin T and pro-BNP than those without it. Patients with abnormality of lateral ST-T segment had significantly higher median level of troponin T and pro-BNP than patients without.ConclusionsThe presence of QRS duration longer than 120 ms and lateral ST-T segment abnormality were associated with worse clinical outcomes and higher levels of myocardial injury biomarkers.     

Arch-first technique via clamshell incision: successful surgical reoperation for aortic arch dissection

We report a case of successful reoperation for aortic arch dissection with use of the "arch-first" technique in a patient who had Marfan syndrome. Extracorporeal circulation was initiated via right subclavian artery cannulation, and the chest was entered through a clamshell incision for the best exposure. When the patient was cooled to 18 degrees C, the perfusion was stopped. After the 1st aortic arch anastomosis to a 30-mm Dacron graft, cerebral perfusion was reestablished via the right subclavian artery. The aortic repair was then completed. The cerebral ischemic time was 18 minutes, the aortic cross-clamp time was 69 minutes, and the total extracorporeal circulation time was 334 minutes. The patient was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 10 with no neurologic impairment. The arch-first technique shortens the duration of brain ischemia. When combined with a clamshell incision, the technique is particularly helpful for reoperation of the aortic arch and thoracic aorta.     

Delayed diagnosis of tuberculous arthritis

Monoarticular tuberculosis (TB) affecting the knee is rare in all forms of TB (0.1-0.3%). We present the case of a patient with tuberculous arthritis in whom the diagnosis was belated due to a lack of familiarity with the disease; here, we emphasize the difficulties associated with the diagnosing joint TB. A 20-year-old man was referred to our department due to swelling of the right knee and the presence of persistent, mild pain for 4 years. The lack of systemic evidence of this disease, the indolent course of disease, and the presence of non-specific symptoms renders early recognition of this disease difficult. Furthermore, in cases in which a diagnosis cannot be reached simply by culturing the synovial fluid, synovial biopsy cultures should be considered in the diagnostic process, due to the high rate of positivity of such cultures. The diagnosis and treatment of articular TB are both urgent matters; surgical debridement and strict adherence to antituberculous chemotherapy tend to yield a satisfactory functional outcome.     

Pregnancy-related low back pain in women in Turkey: Prevalence and risk factors

Objectives

To investigate the prevalence of pregnancy-related low back pain (PRLBP) in women in Turkey, identify the factors associated with PRLBP and predict the risk of PRLBP.