Evaluation of plasma adiponectin levels in young men with coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the relation between plasma adiponectin levels and other risk factors in a young patient population. MATERIAL AND RESULTS: We enrolled consecutively 69 young patients (< 45 years) with coronary artery disease in the study group. he patient enrollment period was between February 2003 and November 2004. The control group consisted of 42 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. Anthropometric, lipid and other variables including adiponectin, fasting glucose and plasma insulin levels were measured in all subjects. Appropriate statistical analyses were performed to determine the differences between the groups, the relation between adiponectin and other parameters and independent factors that predict CAD. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of lipid parameters (triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol). Mean plasma adiponectin levels were significantly lower in the patients (P < 0.05).Among the risk factors adiponectin had a significant negative association with the plasma triglyceride level (P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis revealed triglycerides and adiponectin as independent predictors of CAD.The areas under the ROC curves of adiponectin and triglycerides were not different (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: We found a decreased plasma adiponectin level in young male patients with coronary artery disease. It may be a novel marker of atherosclerosis in young men.     

Premedication with melatonin vs midazolam in anxious children

Aim: Failure of dental treatment caused by anxiety is a common problem in children. Oral midazolam has been the most commonly used premedication for pediatric patient but the use of midazolam may be associated with paradoxical reactions in children. Melatonin may induce a natural sleepiness and improve sedation. We have investigated premedication with melatonin compared with midazolam in children under nitrous oxide/oxygen (N₂O/O₂) sedation for dental treatment. Methods: In a randomized study, 60 children received either 3 mg of melatonin [Melatonina (3 mg®) 60 min before the procedure (n = 15); group I], 0.5 mg·kg^?1 melatonin 60 min before the procedure (n = 15; group II), 0.75 mg·kg^?1 midazolam [Dormicum (15 mg/3 ml ®) 15 min before the procedure (n = 15); group III] or 3 ml of 0.09 NaCl 15 min (n = 7) or 60 min before the procedure (n = 8; group IV) orally. The children were sedated with 40/60% N₂O/O₂ inhalation. The heart rate and O₂ saturation were monitored during the treatment period. The level of sedation was assessed according to the Ramsay Sedation Scale. The children’s sedation success during dental treatment was classified. The sedation success and other sedation‐related events recorded. Comparisons among the four groups were made using one‐way anova or Kruskal–Wallis test, and if any significant differences were noted, the Tukey’s HSD or Mann–Whitney U‐test were used for intergroup comparisons. All differences were considered significant at P < 0.05. Results: The evaluation of sedation success was as follows: group I: satisfactory (n = 1), average satisfactory (n = 4), and unsatisfactory (n = 10); group II: satisfactory (n = 2), average satisfactory (n = 3), and unsatisfactory (n = 10); group III: satisfactory (n = 9), average satisfactory (n = 6); and group IV: satisfactory (n = 1), average satisfactory (n = 3), and unsatisfactory (n = 11). Conclusion: In these doses and clinical conditions, melatonin was similar to that of placebo and did not contribute to N₂O/O₂ sedation of anxious children.     

Mycophenolate mofetil treatment of crescentic Henoch-Schönlein nephritis with IgA depositions

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is considered to be a promising therapeutic agent in primary glomerulonephritis but there are no data on the use of MMF in Henoch-Sch?nlein nephritis (HSN). Herein we report the first adult crescentic HSN patient in whom long-term complete remission was achieved after MMF therapy.     

The prevalence of Behçet’s disease above the age of 10 years The results of a pilot study conducted at the Park Primary Health Care Center in Ankara,Turkey

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Behçet’s disease above the age of 10 years by means of a population-based study. METHODS The epidemiological investigation (cross-sectional study) was made between May 1997 and May 1998 at the Park Primary Health Care Center, which is one of the education and research divisions of the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University. The research aimed to cover all 17,256 (49.2% male, 50.8% female) inhabitants over 10 years of age living in this area. The screening team first surveyed and selected patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis. These patients were further examined, free of charge, in the Preventive Ophthalmology Unit of the Public Health Center, at Ibni Sina Hospital’s Behçet Center or in other clinics if necessary. In this study the International Study Group For Behçet’s disease Criteria were used. RESULTS As the final result of the screening, 11 female and 5 male patients with Behçet’s disease were found (female/male = 2.2). These patients represented 9 already known and 7 newly diagnosed cases of Behçet’s disease. The prevalence of Behçet’s disease over 10 years of age is 0.11%. CONCLUSION The existing regional prevalance studies conducted in Turkey have indicated that the real number of Behçet’s patients in our country is markedly higher than the number of registered patients. Therefore the National Behçet’s Disease Commity and Surveillance System was founded by our research group in December 1999.     

Does obesity affect the vaginal hysterectomy outcomes?

Objective  

To evaluate the effects of obesity on the perioperative outcomes in women who underwent vaginal hysterectomy.     

Evaluating the accuracy of functional biomarkers for detecting histological changes in chronic allograft nephropathy

The most common cause of late kidney transplant failure is chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN). Much research has focused on identifying biomarkers (or correlates) that would predict subsequent CAN and allow timely intervention. Functional biomarkers such as serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) have been widely adopted, even though they have not been rigorously evaluated as surrogate markers. This study evaluated serum creatinine and eGFR for predicting the early histopathological changes seen in transplant protocol biopsies (TPB). We prospectively followed 289 kidney transplant patients in the Southern Alberta Transplant Program who had TPB at 6-12 months post-transplant. Tissue samples (n = 280) were independently examined by renal pathologists. The ability of serum creatinine or eGFR to predict the threshold level for abnormal histopathology was evaluated by calculating the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve. Serum creatinine and eGFR had poor predictive value (most confidence intervals included 0.5, indicating no predictive ability) for ten individual histological measurements (Banff 97 scores), and the Chronic Allograft Damage Index. We conclude that serum creatinine and eGFR have a limited clinical role in predicting the early histopathological changes that precede CAN and should not be used for this purpose.