Could rice be used as an anticaking agent in table salt?

The aim of the study was to examine whether powdered rice could be used as an anticaking agent in table salt. Salts free from anticaking food additives were selected and powdered rice was added at different concentrations (0%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 10% and 20%). The samples were placed away from direct light and airflow, and left exposed in the laboratory at room temperature and below 30% humidity. The weight of the samples was measured using an electronic laboratory balance and recorded daily for 4 days. At the end of the experiment, all the samples were dried at 105°C in order to determine exact dryness. All the salt samples containing powdered rice lost weight (0.56±0.08%), while the other salt samples free of powdered rice gained weight (10.31±0.63%) (P<0.001). A statistically significant difference was found between the first two (1% and 2%) and last three concentrations (5%, 10% and 20%) (P<0.001). Adding powdered rice to salt as an anticaking agent during salt manufacturing at a concentration of 1% could take the place of other anticaking food additives used in table salt production.     

Endogenous Testosterone and Mortality in Male Hemodialysis Patients: Is It the Result of Aging?

Background and objectives: Low serum testosterone levels in hemodialysis (HD) patients have recently been associated with cardiovascular risk factors and increased mortality. To confirm this observation, we investigated the predictive role of serum total testosterone levels on mortality in a large group of male HD patients from Turkey.Design, settings, participants, & measurements: A total of 420 prevalent male HD patients were sampled in March 2005 and followed up for all-cause mortality. Serum total testosterone levels were measured by ELISA at baseline and studied in relation to mortality and cardiovascular risk profile.Results: Mean testosterone level was 8.69 ± 4.10 (0.17 to 27.40) nmol/L. A large proportion of patients (66%) had testosterone deficiency (<10 nmol/L). In univariate analysis, serum testosterone levels were positively correlated with creatinine and inversely correlated with age, body mass index, and lipid parameters. During an average follow-up of 32 months, 104 (24.8%) patients died. The overall survival rate was significantly lower in patients within the low testosterone tertile (<6.8 nmol/L) compared with those within the high tertile (>10.1 nmol/L; 64 versus 81%; P = 0.004). A 1-nmol/L increase in serum testosterone level was associated with a 7% decrease in overall mortality (hazard ratio 0.93; 95% confidence interval 0.89 to 0.98; P = 0.01); however, this association was dependent on age and other risk factors in adjusted Cox regression analyses.Conclusions: Testosterone deficiency is common in male HD patients. Although testosterone levels, per se, predicted mortality in this population, this association was largely dependent on age.Low serum testosterone levels have been associated with several components of metabolic syndrome, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammatory markers in male individuals without uremia, independent of age decline (1,2). Also, it has been shown that low endogenous testosterone levels are associated with increased risk for both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (3–12). Evidence from short-term studies indicated that testosterone replacement therapy may improve some specific cardiovascular risk factors, such as visceral obesity, insulin resistance, lipid and inflammatory profiles, and exercise-induced cardiac ischemia (13).Testosterone deficiency is a common finding in hemodialysis (HD) patients, most probably as a result of altered sex-hormone metabolism (14); however, the prevalence of male hypogonadism and the involvement of testosterone deficiency in the risk profile of HD patients are not well explored. In a small study that included male HD patients without diabetes, low testosterone levels were associated with endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis (15). Interestingly, Carrero et al. (16) recently demonstrated in a Swedish HD cohort that low serum testosterone levels were significant predictors of mortality, irrespective of age and inflammation, but this was abolished after correction for serum creatinine, used there as a surrogate of muscle mass (16). In light of the exceedingly elevated (cardiovascular) mortality of HD patients (17), this possibility is an attractive and therapeutically modifiable idea. We aimed in this study to investigate the prevalence of testosterone deficiency as well as its impact on overall outcome in a large prospective cohort of prevalent male Turkish patients who were undergoing HD.     

Influence of obstructive sleep apnea on left ventricular mass and global function: sleep apnea and myocardial performance index

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. It may predispose patients to left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure. The aim of this study was to determine the left ventricular mass (LVM) and myocardial performance index (MPI) reflecting left ventricular global function in uncomplicated OSA patients. Sixty-four subjects without hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and any cardiac or pulmonary disease referred for evaluation of OSA underwent overnight polysomnography and complete echocardiographic assessment. According to the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), subjects were divided into three groups: group 1, control subjects with nonapneic snorers (AHI < 5, n = 18); group 2, patients with mild to moderate OSA (AHI: 5–30, n = 25); and group 3, severe OSA (AHI > 30, n = 21). Basic echocardiographic measurements, LVM, and LVM index were measured. Left ventricular MPI was calculated as (isovolumic contraction time+isovolumic relaxation time)/aortic ejection time by Doppler echocardiography. There were no significant differences in age, sex, body mass index, heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure among the three groups. Left atrium, interventricular septum, left ventricular posterior wall, left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters, LVM mass, and LVM index were not significantly different among the three groups. Left ventricular MPI was significantly higher in severe OSA patients (0.64 ± 0.18) than in controls (0.49 ± 0.18; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between controls (0.49 ± 0.18) and mild to moderate OSA (0.61 ± 0.16; P = 0.08) and between mild to moderate OSA (0.61 ± 0.16) and severe OSA (0.64 ± 0.18; P = 0.84). The present study demonstrates that patients with severe OSA have global left ventricular dysfunction.     

Acute effect of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor on serum oxidative status and prolidase activities in men with erectile dysfunction

OBJECTIVES:

To investigate the acute effect of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor on erectile dysfunction by evaluating serum oxidative status and prolidase activity.

METHODS:

Serum samples of 36 patients with erectile dysfunction and 30 control cases were analyzed for total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, and prolidase activity, before and after the administration of tadalafil citrate.

RESULTS:

Before and after tadalafil citrate administration, serum total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, and prolidase were 1.1±0.0 vs. 1.6±0.0 µmol H₂O₂ Eq/L, 10.3±1.1 vs. 6.9±1.2 µmol H₂O₂ Eq/L, and 236.4±19.5 vs. 228.2±19.2 U/L, respectively (p<0.0001 for all).

CONCLUSIONS:

Evaluation of serum oxidative status and prolidase activity confirmed the beneficial acute effects of PDE5 inhibitor in patients with erectile dysfunction.     

Effects of melatonin on streptozotocin-induced diabetic liver injury in rats

This study investigated the possible protective effects of melatonin as an antioxidant against streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic liver injury in rats. Wistar rats were divided into four groups: untreated control (UC), melatonin-treated control (MC), untreated diabetic (UD), and melatonin-treated diabetic (MD). Experimental diabetes was induced by a single-dose (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (ip)) STZ injection, and melatonin was injected (200 microg/kg/day, ip) for 4 weeks. Upon light and electron microscopic examination, we observed that melatonin improved the morphological and histopathological changes of the liver caused by diabetes. Malondialdehyde levels in the liver homogenates of UD rats were higher than those of controls and were markedly reduced after melatonin treatment. Although no significant difference was observed with respect to antioxidant status, the superoxide dismutase activity tended to be higher in the UD rats than in the treated rats. Our findings showed that melatonin administration partially reduced liver injury in STZ-induced diabetic rats.     

Could remembering the prozone phenomenon shorten our diagnostic journey in brucellosis? A case of Brucella spondylodiscitis

We reviewed a case of Brucella spondylodiscitis admitted to a referral, university hospital, in Ankara, Turkey. A 75-year-old female was referred to our hospital with low back pain. Previous magnetic resonance imaging yielded cortical destruction of T9–10 and T12–L2 vertebral bodies, focal infectious foci at discs within this range, significant microabscesses at paravertebral areas, which lead to the diagnosis of spondylodiscitis. History of consumption of unpasteurized dairy products led us to first suspect brucellosis yet, the serum agglutination test and blood culture were negative and did mislead us to several other, sometimes invasive, diagnostic tests. The final diagnosis was reached by culturing the specimen obtained through fine-needle aspiration from the paravertebral microabscesses. The exhausting diagnostic journey that started with the suspicion of tuberculosis or malignancy ended with a diagnosis of brucellosis. Brucellosis should be considered in all patients with osteoarthritic complaints in endemic regions, and the “prozone phenomenon” should be kept in mind, before proceeding to high-tech lab tests, imaging, or invasive procedures.     

Evaluation of joints using Tc 99m-MDP bone scintigraphy in patients with familial Mediterranean fever: should bone scans be used for diagnosis and follow-up?

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessively-inherited disorder typically manifested by recurrent attacks of fever and polyserositis. The articular disease occurs in 50–70% of patients. Bone scintigraphy is more sensitive in the diagnosis of arthritis than clinical examination or conventional radiological imaging, allowing earlier diagnosis through the visualization of disease in multiple sites. To assess joint involvements in FMF patients with or without joint symptoms, bone scintigraphy was performed in 36 patients with FMF and in 25 controls. There was arthritis in 72% of patients. Of these, 65% knee, 42% ankle, 50% sacroiliac, 8% elbow, 8% wrist, 4% sternoclavicular and 4% hip involvements were found. The sacroiliac joints with sacroiliac index higher than 1.34 were diagnosed as sacroiliitis, which was higher than 2 SD of normal. FMF is frequently associated with joint disease such as knee and ankle arthritis and sacroiliitis. This high incidence of sacroiliitis in our study has not been previously reported. This difference could be explained by the different methodology used for the screening of the joints. Thus, we recommend that bone scintigraphy can be used in patients with FMF to determine the presence of arthritis, especially in sacroiliac joints, even asymptomatic.     

Power Doppler assessment of overall disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

PURPOSE: To examine synovial vascularity and flow patterns in hand and wrist joints--metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints and ulnar stiloid (USTL) regions--of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using power Doppler sonography (PDUS) and spectral Doppler analysis and to assess the accuracy of PDUS in detecting overall disease activity in RA patients. METHODS: Two hundred forty MCP joints and 48 USTL regions in 24 RA patients were examined. Patients were categorized into 2 groups--active and inactive--according to the American College of Rheumatology remission criteria. Resistance indexes (RIs) were measured. RESULTS: Flow signals were detected in 50 MCP joints (in 13 patients) and 24 USTL regions (in 16 patients) and spectral analysis was performed in 46 MCP joints (12 patients) and 23 USTL regions (16 patients). The sensitivity and specificity of PDUS in detecting disease activity in RA were 92% and 40%, respectively. There was a negative correlation between flow signal number and RI, with higher scores of flow signals corresponding to lower RIs. CONCLUSION: PDUS appears to be a reliable method for assessing inflammatory activity in rheumatoid synovium.