Extracranial carotid Doppler ultrasound evaluation of cerebral blood flow volume in COPD patients

OBJECTIVE: Doppler ultrasound of extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) and vertebral artery (VA) were performed and total cerebral blood flow volume (tCBFV) was evaluated in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. CBFV changes due to blood gas changes were also evaluated. METHODS: Bilateral ICA and VA have been examined with 7.5 MHz linear array transducer in COPD patients. Angle-corrected time averaged flow velocity and cross-sectional areas of vessels have been measured. Flow volumes and tCBFV have been calculated. Flow velocities and waveform parameters have been measured. RESULTS: tCBFV, anterior-posterior CBFVs, left-right ICA flow volumes, bilateral ICA and VA cross-sectional areas and left ICA peak-systolic velocity were significantly higher in COPD patients than control group. Among COPD patients tCBFVs were highest in hypoxemic-hypercapnic ones, and lowest in normocapnic ones. Bilateral VA flow volumes, bilateral ICA (except left ICA V(ps)) and VA flow velocities and waveform parameters were not different in COPD patients compared with control group. When compared among the subgroups of COPD patients, there were no significant differences for all parameters. CONCLUSION: tCBFVs were found to be significantly higher in COPD patients. This increment which is probably due to balancing the oxygen deficit is low with hypoxemia and high with hypercapnia and hypoxemia. Particularly, bilateral ICA and VA cross-sectional area changes and increased left ICA V(ps) were considered as the main reason for increased tCBFV in COPD patients.     

Comparative analysis of autoantibodies against a-fodrin in serum, tear fluid, and saliva from patients with Sjögren's syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate levels of IgA and IgG antibodies against a-fodrin in serum, tear fluid, and saliva and compare them with anti-Ro and anti-La antibody levels in the same samples of patients with Sj?gren's syndrome (SS). METHODS: Samples from 25 patients with SS (17 primary and 8 secondary), 8 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 7 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as well as 20 healthy blood donor controls were collected. Antibodies were measured using ELISA. RESULTS: Although 40% of patients with primary SS had IgG anti-a-fodrin in their sera, it was also found in 36% and 32% of samples of their tear fluid and saliva, respectively. IgA a-fodrin antibodies were detected in 32% of SS sera, 20% of tear fluid samples, and 32% of saliva samples. Although the level of IgG anti-a-fodrin was significantly greater in serum, tear fluid, and saliva of SS patients compared to controls (p < 0.001), a significant difference was observed only in serum and saliva. While anti-Ro was detected in 48%, 56%, and 24% of serum, tear fluid, and saliva samples, respectively, anti-La was found in 40%, 44%, and 28%. Significant association was observed between serum IgG antibodies against a-fodrin and dry eye symptom score and rose bengal staining score. A negative association was also noted between tear IgA antibodies against a-fodrin and Schirmer I test. CONCLUSION: Correlation of IgG and IgA antibodies against a-fodrin with the severity of eye involvement suggests that these autoantibodies may be considered activation markers of SS.     

The assessment of Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency in children

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective is to research the relationship between motor abilities and demographic characteristics such as age and sex, in healthy children aged 4-11 years. METHODS: One hundred and twenty children in kindergarten (n = 30) and primary school (n = 90) were included in the study and evaluated by the Occupational Therapy Unit. All children were divided into four groups according to age, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 10-11 years. The primary school children were classified according to academic learning, being successful or unsuccessful. In this study, Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency was used to assess the gross motor skills and fine motor skills. These tests are running speed and agility (subtest 1/item 1), balance/walking forward heel-to-toe on walking line (subtest 2/item 6), bilateral coordination/tapping-foot and finger on same side synchronized (subtest 3/item 2), strength/standing broad jump (subtest 4/item 1), response speed (subtest 6/item 1), visual motor control/cutting out a circle with preferred hand (subtest 7/item 1), upper-limb speed and dexterity/pacing pennies in two boxes with both hands (subtest 8/item 2). RESULTS: When the children were classified according to sex, there were significant differences in subtests 6 and 7. According to academic learning, there were significant differences in subtests 2 and 8. When the results were evaluated due to age, important differences were found in subtests 1, 2, 4 and 8. CONCLUSION: It was seen that gross and fine motor skills in early childhood showed variety between age, sex and academic learning. The scores of motor abilities were better in successful children than unsuccessful children. The outcome of this study revealed that the Bruininks-Oseretsky test can be useful to investigate unexplored aspects of motor development.     

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MR imaging of intracranial metastases

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Postcontrast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging effectively depicts parenchymal and leptomeningeal metastases, as reported in limited patient groups. We compared postcontrast T1-weighted (T1W) and FLAIR imaging in a larger group. METHODS: Sixty-nine patients with known malignancy and suspected cranial metastases underwent axial FLAIR and spin-echo T1W imaging with and then without intravenous gadopentetate dimeglumine. Postcontrast images were compared for lesion conspicuity and enhancement, number of parenchymal metastases, and extension of leptomeningeal-cisternal metastases. RESULTS: Parenchymal metastases were demonstrated in 33 patients. Compared with T1W images, postcontrast FLAIR images showed more metastases in five patients, an equal number in 20, and fewer lesions in eight. Regarding lesion conspicuity, postcontrast FLAIR imaging was superior in five patients, equal in one, and inferior in 27. For enhancement, FLAIR imaging was superior in five, equal in five, and inferior in 23. Superior FLAIR results for lesion number, conspicuity, and enhancement were observed in the same five patients; in these patients, FLAIR imaging was performed as the second postcontrast sequence. Eleven patients had leptomeningeal-cisternal metastases; lesion conspicuity, extension, and enhancement were superior on postcontrast FLAIR images in eight. In five of eight patients, FLAIR imaging was performed as the second postcontrast sequence. Four patients had cranial-nerve metastases; in three, postcontrast FLAIR imaging was superior for lesion conspicuity and extension. In two of these patients, FLAIR imaging was the second postcontrast sequence. CONCLUSION: Postcontrast FLAIR imaging is a valuable adjunct to postcontrast T1W imaging. Precontrast and postcontrast FLAIR imaging effectively delineates parenchymal metastases, particularly leptomeningeal-cisternal and cranial-nerve metastases.     

The Role of Transforming Growth Factor α Formulation on Aspirin-Induced Ulcer Healing and Oxidant Stress in the Gastric Mucosa

Purpose Transforming growth factor (TGF) accelerates wound healing, especially in gastric ulcers. Transforming growth factor can be affected by acid and pepsin in the gastric juice. Oxidative stress also plays a role in the formation of gastric lesions. This study was designed (1) to investigate the effects of microemulsion dosage form on the healing of gastric ulcers, and (2) to determine the relationship between oxidative mechanisms and TGF- during ulcer healing.Methods Gastric ulcers were induced in Wistar rats (male, 200 ± 25g), by 150mg/kg acidified aspirin application. The animals were divided into five groups consisting of 7–11 animals. The rats were killed after ulcer induction with aspirin (acute ulcer), or 2 days after ulcer induction (chronic ulcer), or after the daily application of microemulsion and TGF- for 2 days. The ulcer area was measured planimetrically. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, glutathione, and gastric mucus levels of tissues were measured by spectrophotometric methods. The total nitric oxide level was measured by a VCl₃ / Griess assay. Statistical comparisons were made by an analysis of variance and the Mann-Whitney U-test.Results The ulcer area and malondialdehyde level of gastric tissue both decreased and the glutathione level increased to intact gastric tissue levels, while the mucus and total nitric oxide levels increased significantly after the application of intragastric TGF-.Conclusion These findings suggest that TGF- accelerates the healing process after aspirin-induced gastric injury, and a relationship was observed between this application and the oxidative reactions.     

Examination of changes caused by tubal sterilization in ovarian hormone secretion and uterine and ovarian artery blood flow rates

OBJECTIVES: To examine the changes caused by tubal sterilization (TS) in ovarian hormone secretion and uterine and ovarian circulation. DESIGN: Tubal sterilization was performed by minilaparotomy and laparoscopy methods in 36 women. Blood samples were taken for hormonal tests on Preoperative Day 3 (D3) of the menstrual cycle, on Postoperative Days 13-15 (periovulatory period) of the same cycle and on D3 in the 1st and 6th months post-TS. Uterine and ovarian artery blood flow rates of the women were measured on the same days as hormonal tests by transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography (TVCDUSG). The control group was composed of 15 volunteers in the same age group who preferred the barrier method and who had the same TVCDUSG and hormonal analyses in the same periods. RESULTS: There was a decrease in the uterine and ovarian artery pulsatility index (PI) measurements and an increase in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) values during the periovulatory period as compared with preoperative and postoperative menstrual measurements in all groups. There was no difference between baseline uterine and ovarian artery PI and serum follicle-stimulating hormone, LH and E2 values and those measured on D3 of the menstrual cycle in the 1st and 6th months post-TS. CONCLUSIONS: The 6-month postoperative follow-up of groups that had undergone different TS methods showed no difference in uterine or ovarian artery blood flow rates or ovarian hormone secretion in comparison with baseline values.