Knowledge and Opinions of Turkish University Students About Contraceptive Methods and Emergency Contraception

This study was carried out to determine the knowledge and opinions of university students about contraceptive methods and emergency contraception (EC). The study comprised 1,689 students who volunteered to participate in the study and were selected from among students studying in two different universities in the 2007–2008 semester. Data were collected on a form that was developed by researchers. The chi-square test was used for the statistical analysis of the data. Oral contraceptive pills (93%), condoms (91.3%), IUDs (Intra Uterine Device) (76.6%) and the withdrawal method (56.8%) were in the lead amongst the contraceptive methods on which students had information. Twenty-nine percent of the students had heard of the concept of EC and 79.8% of those defined the concept accurately. Out of the total student sample, 38.7% stated that they had no information about the methods used for the purpose of EC. 89.6% of the students were of the opinion that every individual should have information about contraceptive methods. Turkish university students were found to be aware of many contraceptive methods; in addition, the opinions of the young university students relating to family planning were positive.     

Long-term (3-5 years) clinical and angiographic follow-up results of coronary stenting in elderly patients.

The early and late results of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in elderly patients are well known, but although stent implantation has become the most frequent percutaneous coronary intervention in many centers, little information exists about its long-term outcome in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical and angiographic follow-up results of intracoronary stenting in a study cohort of 120 patients (92 male) over 65 years of age, who underwent successful coronary stenting between June 1995 and December 1997. The target coronary artery was 48% left anterior descending, 21% circumflex and 31% right coronary artery. Stent implantation was elective in 54%, suboptimal in 32% and bailout in 14% of the patients. Long-term (34+/-14 months) clinical and angiographic follow-up was completed in 78% and 56% of the patients, respectively. The following end-points were considered: death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), target and non-target lesion revascularization. Angiographic restenosis was detected in 31% of the patients. During the long-term follow-up period, 14% of the patients died and 11% developed a new MI. Target lesion revascularization was done in 19.4%, non-target lesion revascularization was done in 21%, and the survival rate was 86%. Although the restenosis rates did not deviate greatly from the expected long-term figures in younger populations, they do indicate that the potential for major cardiac events is still high among elderly subjects, in spite of developments in stent technology and medication.     

Evaluation of depression, quality of life and body image in patients with Cushing’s disease

The aim of this study was to evaluate patients with Cushing’s disease (CD) who had undergone transsphenoidal surgery in terms of depression, quality of life (QoL), and perception of body image in comparison to healthy controls. Forty patients with CD and 40 healthy controls matched for demographic characteristics were included in the study. The subjects were evaluated with the Beck depression inventory (BDI), the health survey-short form (SF-36) and the multidimensional body-self relations questionnaire (MBSRQ). Subgroups of the patients with CD were formed on the basis of remission status and BDI scores. In this study, QoL in the general health category and body image were lower in the patients with CD than in the healthy subjects. However, no differences in depression scores were found between the two groups. When the CD group was evaluated according to remission rate, the mean BDI score was significantly higher in the CD patients without remission than in both the CD patients with remission and the healthy subjects (p = 0.04). However, the physical functioning, bodily pain and general health scores of the CD patients without remission on the SF-36 questionnaire were lower than in the CD patients in remission and the healthy subjects (p = 0.002, p = 0.04, p = 0.002, respectively). Fitness evaluation, health evaluation and body areas satisfaction scores of the MBSRQ were significantly different in the three groups (p = 0.003, p = 0.009 and p = 0.001, respectively). In this study, patients with CD were found to have lower QoL, lower body image perception and higher levels of depression compared to healthy controls, particularly if the disease is persistant despite surgery.     

Leptin,ghrelin and calprotectin: inflammatory markers in childhood asthma?

Background

Appetite-modulating hormones ghrelin and leptin might be relevant to asthma with their pro-inflammatory effects, and calprotectin has been recognized as a promising marker of inflammation. The purpose of this study was to explore whether asthma, atopy and lung functions has a relation with serum levels of leptin, ghrelin and calprotectin as inflammatory markers in children.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed by searching the doctor diagnosed asthma through questionnaires filled in by parents who were phoned, and children were invited to supply fasting blood samples in order to measure serum levels of leptin, ghrelin and calprotectin, and to perform skin prick test and spirometry. Participants were divided into Group 1, children with previous diagnosis of asthma, and Group 2, children without previous diagnosis of asthma.

Results

One thousand and two hundred questionnaires were distributed and 589 of them were returned filled in. Out of 74 children whose parents accepted to participate in the study, 23 were in Group 1 and 51 were in Group 2. There was no statistical difference in serum levels of leptin, ghrelin, calprotectin, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁₎, forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF) , forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of vital capacity (FEF_25-75) values , and skin prick test results between the two groups (p values are 0.39, 0.72, 0.5, 0.17, 0.5, 0.27, 0.18, and 0.81 respectively).

Conclusion

In this study the inflammation in asthmatic children could not be shown by using serum leptin, ghrelin and calprotectin levels and this is possibly due to the low number of children with ever asthma and equal skin prick test positivity in both groups. This study is the first study aimed to show the relation between serum calprotectin levels and inflammation in asthma. As this study was a cross-sectional study, further prospectively designed randomized controlled studies are necessary to show the association of these markers and inflammation in asthma.

     

Conversion from tacrolimus to cyclosporine A for new-onset diabetes after transplantation: a single-centre experience in renal transplanted patients and review of the literature.

Tacrolimus (TRL) increases the incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus after transplantation (NODAT). Little is known about whether conversion from TRL to cyclosporine A (CsA) improves glucose metabolism in patients with NODAT. We retrospectively analysed glucose metabolism parameters in 54 TRL-treated renal transplant patients who developed NODAT. Thirty-four were converted to CsA whereas 20 patients continued TRL. After conversion, fasting plasma glucose decreased from 146 +/- 64 to 104 +/- 20 mg/dl (P < 0.0001) and HbA1c levels decreased from 6.8 +/- 0.8% to 6.0 +/- 0.6% (P < 0.0001) after 1 year of follow-up. The remission rate of NODAT reached 42% (95% confidence interval 24-59%) 1 year after conversion versus 0% in the control group (P = 0.001). Blood pressure and lipid levels were stable after conversion although the use of statins significantly increased (P < 0.01). The conversion was safe in terms of graft function and acute rejection episodes. The 1-year patient survival and graft survival rate were 100%. In conclusion, our results suggest a significant improvement of glucose metabolism after conversion to CsA in renal transplant patients with NODAT.     

Evaluation of bone mineral density in patients with spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the bone mineral density (BMD) values in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and determine the effects of the level, severity, and duration of the neurological lesion and spasticity on BMD values. METHODS: A total of 75 patients with traumatic SCI and a healthy control group of 39 people were included in the study. The BMD values of the lumbar spine and 4 different regions of the hip (femoral neck, Ward's triangle, trochanter, and femoral shaft) of all cases were measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. The biochemical markers were also analyzed. RESULTS: The BMD values in all measured regions were found to be decreased in patients compared with that of controls. The level and severity of the lesion and the spasticity did not significantly affect BMD values in the regions analyzed. The BMD values of the hip decreased as the duration of SCI increased. The levels of plasma phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase, calcium in 24-hour urine samples, and the calcium/creatinine ratio in spot urines were found to be significantly higher in the patient group. CONCLUSION: All patients with SCI had lower BMD values than controls. The level and severity of SCI and spasticity did not significantly affect BMD values. The BMD values of the hip decreased as the duration of SCI increased.     

Universal Markers of Thyroid Malignancies: Galectin-3, HBME-1, and Cytokeratin-19

Difficulties in diagnosis of thyroid lesions, even with histologic analysis, are well known. This study has been carried on to evaluate the role of immunohistochemical markers including galectin-3, Hector Battifora mesothelial cell-1 (HBME-1), and cytokeratin-19 in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid lesions. The expressions of galectin-3, HBME-1, and cytokeratin-19 were tested in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from 458 surgically resected thyroid lesions including non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions. Immunostaining with standard avidin–biotin complex technique was performed by using monoclonal antibodies. In malignant neoplastic thyroid lesions, galectin-3, HBME-1, and cytokeratin-19 were diffusely expressed in general. Diffuse expression rates of these three markers were 72.3% (47/65), 70.7% (46/65), and 76.9% (50/65), respectively. The use of galectin-3, HBME-1, and cytokeratin-19 may provide significant contributions in the differential diagnosis of malignant thyroid tumors. Although focal galectin-3, HBME-1, and cytokeratin-19 expression may be encountered in benign lesions, diffuse positive reactions for these three markers are characteristic of malignant lesions. It has concluded that cytokeratin-19 alone and its combinations with other markers were more sensitive in accurate diagnosis of papillary carcinoma than the other combinations; meanwhile, there were similar results for follicular carcinomas with HBME-1 alone and its combinations.