Use of pyridoxine and pyridostigmine in children with vincristine-induced neuropathy

Four children with vincristine (VCR)-induced neuropathy are being reported. All cases were followed with the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Two were boys aged between 2 and 13 year. Electromyographic examination consisted of sensoriomotor polyneuropathy with axonal involvement in three patients. In another patient, it consisted of motor axonal polyneuropathy. In all patients, pyridoxine and pyridostigmine were successfully used in the treatment of VCR-induced neuropathy. They recovered completely with this drug combination. Recovering period of symptoms was between 1–2 week.     

Elevated second trimester serum homocysteine levels in women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective Our aim was to investigate the association between total serum homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate levels in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), glucose intolerance and compare them with those of glucose tolerant pregnant women.Materials and methods Serum homocysteine, vitamin B12 and serum folate levels were prospectively measured in a total of 223 pregnant women who were grouped according to their status of glucose tolerance as gestational diabetes (abnormal 1-h and 3-h glucose tolerance test; n = 30), glucose intolerant (abnormal 1-h, but normal 3-h glucose tolerance test; n = 46) or normal controls (normal 1-h glucose test; n = 147). Results Mean serum homocysteine concentration of women in gestational diabetes, glucose intolerants and normal controls at 24–28 weeks of gestation was 9.0 ± 3.1, 8.1 ± 2.5 and 7.4 ± 1.6 μmol/l, respectively. The only statistically difference in homocysteine levels was observed between women with gestational diabetes and normal controls (P < 0.01). However, no difference was observed for vitamin B12 and folate levels.Conclusion Second trimester serum homocysteine concentrations are higher among women with GDM, as compared to normal controls.     

A study of ovarian autotransplantation without vascular a pedicle in rats

PURPOSE: The study aimed to determine effects of FSH applications on follicle survival, development and hormone output and antigenicity of rat ovarian tissue autografts placed at subcutaneous or subperitoneal sites. METHODS: A total of sixteen female rats were used in the study. The animals were divided into three groups. Ovaries were dissected and then transplanted under the peritoneum in the first group animals (n = 5) or under the skin in the second group animals (n = 6). And the animals in the third group (n = 5) were sham operated. Following operations, intramuscular injection of 8 IU of rhFSH were made daily to the animals in first and second groups from the first day of operation through thirty days. Vaginal irrigation samples were prepared daily from the animals for 30 days. The concentrations of serum estradiol and antiovarian antibodies in the blood were determined using ELISA on the last day of vaginal irrigations. Histopathological examination of the ovaries that were transplanted was made. RESULTS: Results showed that cyclic variations were noticed in the samples of vaginal irrigation by day 30 in the animals of first and second groups. However, no significant differences were seen between groups. The concentration of blood serum estradiol was higher in the animals of first group. Decrease in numbers of primary follicles were found in the animals of second group and lesser corpus luteum were found in the animals of control group on the histopathological examinations of transplanted ovaries. All rats in the first and second groups were defined as seropositive for antiovarian antibodies. When the OD values were compared between first and second groups, it was identified that the OD values of rats in the first group was higher than it was seen in the second group. CONCLUSION: The ovarian transplantation without vascular pedicle in rats is characterized by follicular hyperplasia endocrinologically functional. Being seropositive of all rats in first and second groups in terms of antiovarian antibodies is an indicator to these antibodies does not affect the functions of transplanted ovaries. It is believed that the highness of OD values in the group which is transplanted beneath the peritoneum is based on the highness of estradiol concentrations in these animals.     

Sex chromosome aneuploidy rates in the somatic cells of infertile men

OBJECTIVE: A large number of studies have shown that the prevalence of somatic chromosome abnormalities detectable with karyotyping is higher in infertile men. However, a normal somatic karyotype does not exclude the chance of having low level mosaicism. STUDY DESIGN: Eleven men with severe oligozoospermia and 10 healthy, fertile men were included in this study. All the patients had severe oligozoospermia with sperm counts < or =3,000,000/ mL. All participants had normal physical findings and testicular volume. The probe for dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization consisted of an alpha satellite sequence in the centromeric region of chromosome X (DXZ1) and satellite III DNA at the Yq12 region of chromosome Y (DYZ1). RESULTS: The sex chromosome aneuploidy rate was significantly higher in subjects than in controls (p<0.001). The median incidence of sex chromosome aneuploidy in the oligozoospermic group was 4.5% (range, 0.8-7.3%), while in the control group it was 0.7% (range, 0.2-1.2%)., CONCLUSION: The incidence of aneuploidy in somatic cells is significantly greater in oligozoospermic men than in normal controls. That may suggest that chromosome instability is a result of altered genetic control during mitotic cell division. Our results demonstrate that men with oligozoospermia have an elevated risk for sex chromosome abnormalities in their somatic cells.     

Relation of Serum ADMA,Apelin-13 and LOX-1 Levels with Inflammatory and Echocardiographic Parameters in Hemodialysis Patients

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Nitric oxide has a critical role in both endothelial dysfunction and the atherosclerosis process. We aimed to investigate the relationships between serum asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA), LOX-1, and Apelin-13 levels, which are known to act over nitric oxide with endothelial dysfunction and cardiac morphology as well as with each other in hemodialysis patients. The study comprised a total of 120 patients (53 females and 67 males) receiving hemodialysis three times a week for at least 6 months and an age-gender matched control group (55 females and 58 males). Serum ADMA, LOX-1, and Apelin-13 levels were measured using the ELISA technique. Echocardiography, 24-h blood pressure monitoring by the Holter and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurement was performed on all of the included subjects. The associations between serum ADMA, LOX-1, and Apelin-13 levels with CIMT, echocardiographic parameters [left ventricular mass (LVM) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI)], and inflammatory markers [high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR)] were evaluated by correlation analysis. Serum ADMA, Apelin-13, and LOX-1 levels were significantly higher in the hemodialysis group than the controls (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). CIMT, hsCRP, and NLR levels were also significantly higher in the hemodialysis group (P < 0.05, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Significant correlations were observed among the serum ADMA, Apelin-13, and LOX-1 levels. Moreover, notably positive correlations were found between these three biochemical markers and LVM, LVMI, hsCRP, and CIMT. Serum ADMA, Apelin-13, and LOX-1 levels can be indicators not only for the inflammatory process but also for the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases in hemodialysis patients.     

Becker’s myotonia: novel mutations and clinical variability in patients born to consanguineous parents

Myotonia congenita is an inherited muscle disease present from childhood that is characterized by impaired muscle relaxation after contraction resulting in muscle stiffness; moreover, skeletal striated muscle groups may be involved. Myotonia congenita occurs due to chloride (Cl) channel mutations that reduce the stabilizing Cl conductance, and it is caused by mutations in the CLCN1 gene. This paper describes four patients from two different healthy consanguineous Turkish families with muscle stiffness and easy fatigability. A genetic investigation was performed. Mutation analyses showed a homozygous p.Tyr150* (c.450C > A) mutation in patients 1, 2 and 3 and a homozygous p.Leu159Cysfs*11 (c.475delC) mutation in patient 4 in the CLCN1 gene. These mutations have never been reported before and in silico analyses showed that the mutations were disease causing. They may be predicted to cause nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Our data expand the spectrum of CLCN1 mutations and provide insights for genotype–phenotype correlations of myotonia congenita.     

Diffusion tensor imaging findings of the brainstem in subjects with tonsillar ectopia

We aimed to evaluate the differences between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) values obtained from different cranial sites in subjects with Chiari I Malformation (CM-I) and borderline tonsillar ectopia (BTE), and to determine correlations between diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics and the severity of tonsillar ectopia. A total of 73 subjects with CM-I and BTE and 35 control underwent MRI and DTI. In our study, ADC values measured from the level of medulla oblongata and the RD values measured in middle cerebellar peduncles, thalamus, and globus pallidus were higher in CM-I patients than in controls. FA values at the medulla oblongata level and AD values at the medulla oblongata and pons level higher in patients with CM-I. ADC and AD values measured at the pons level were higher in BTE subjects than in controls. Compared with BTE, the CM-I subjects’ ADC values at the medulla oblongata and AD values at the pons level were higher. In addition, FAs at the pons and medulla oblongata level were higher. At the medulla oblongata level, a positive correlation was observed between ADC and the size of tonsillar ectopia. AD and FA values measured at the level of medulla oblongata and pons were positively correlated with the size of tonsillar ectopia. These findings may be related to the severity of microstructural changes involving neuronal tracts at the brainstem level due to tonsillar ectopia. DTI may be useful in determining the extent of microstructural changes at the tissue level in subjects with tonsillar ectopia.