Reflex sympathetic dystrophy arising in a patient with familial Mediterranean fever

A 14-year-old girl with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) had had acute attacks of fever, abdominal pain, and arthritis for 4 years. Her last arthritis attack was protracted, leading to reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) in her right lower extremity. Physical therapy along with sympathetic ganglion block and corticosteroid therapy was used for the treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of RSD arising in a patient with FMF. Early recognition of RSD in FMF patients is important, and physical therapy should be applied along with medical treatment. Received: 26 March 1999 / Accepted: 20 July 1999     

Adipokines and ghrelin in gastric cancer cachexia

AIM： To investigate the roles of the adipocytokines, ghrelin and leptin in gastric cancer cachexia.
METHODS： Resistin, ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin, insulin and insulin-like growth factor （IGF-Ⅰ）, were measured in 30 healthy subjects, and 60 gastric cancer patients of which 30 suffered from cancerinduced cachexia and 30 served as a control group. The relationships between hormones, body mass index （BMI） loss ratio, age, gender, and Glasgow Prognostic Score （GPS） were investigated.
RESULTS： Cachexia patients had higher tumor stage and GPS when compared with non-cachexia patients （P 〈 0.05）. Ghrelin, resistin, leptin, adiponectin and IGF- Ⅰ, showed a significant correlation with BMI loss ratio and GPS （P 〈 0.05）. A strong correlation was seen between GPS and BMI loss （R = -0.570, P 〈 0.0001）. Multivariate analysis indicated that BMI loss was significantly independent as a predictor of ghrelin, resistin, leptin and IGF-Ⅰ （P 〈 0.05）. Existence of an important significant relationship between resistin and insulin resistance was also noted.
CONCLUSION： These results showed that serum ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin, and IGF-Ⅰ play important roles in cachexia-related gastric cancers. No relationship was found between resistin and cancer cachexia. Also, because of the correlation between these parameters and GPS, these parameters might be used as a predictor factor.     

Evaluation of Salivary Procalcitonin Levels in Different Periodontal Diseases

Background: The present study aims to investigate the levels of salivary procalcitonin (ProCT) in patients with different periodontal diseases. Methods: Seventy‐two non‐smokers are included in this study: 21 individuals with chronic periodontitis (CP), 14 individuals with generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP), 18 individuals with gingivitis (G), and 19 periodontally healthy (H) participants. Clinical periodontal parameters, including probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), plaque index, and gingival index (GI), were assessed in all participants. Saliva samples were collected and examined for evaluating ProCT levels. Results: It was found that the median (interquartile range) salivary ProCT level was lowest in the H group: 0.00 (0.09) ng/mL; followed by the G group: 0.09 (0.11) ng/mL; the CP group: 0.15 (0.29) ng/mL; and highest in the GAgP group 0.28 (0.68) ng/mL. These differences were statistically significant between the H group and the other groups (P <0.05). There were positive correlations between the mean salivary ProCT level and GI, CAL, and PD. Conclusion: According to the present results, ProCT might play a role during periodontal inflammation, and an elevated salivary ProCT level is suggested as a potential biomarker for periodontal diseases.     

Bone mineral density evaluation of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

[Purpose] Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder resulting from a defect in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. A consequence of this is chronic hyperglycemia with disturbances in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. We investigated whether there is any difference among DM patients and a control group in terms of lumbar and femur BMD (bone mineral density), and standard deviation scores (Z score and T score). [Subjects and Methods] This randomized, prospective, controlled, single-blind study was conducted in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department Faculty of Medicine, Bezm-i Alem Vakıf University. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included in the patient groups. Healthy individuals were included in the control group. [Results] A total of 126 patients completed the study (63 in the study group, 63 in the control group). There was no significant difference in the results of the laboratory examinations of the cases. The bone mineral densities of the cases were found to be significantly low in terms of the lumbar (L1–4) T scores in the type 2 diabetes group. [Conclusion] Although osteoporosis is one of the potential complications of type 1 diabetes, its effect on bone mineral density in type 2 DM is controversial. In different studies, the bone mineral density values have increased, decreased or remained normal. With the exception of the lumbar (L1–4) T score, similar results were obtained in this study.Key words: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Osteoporosis, Bone mineral density     

Venous sinus thrombosis after Proteus vulgaris meningitis and concomitant Clostridium abscess formation

A 19-y-old woman presented with Proteus vulgaris meningitis as a complication of chronic otitis media. Despite treatment with ceftazidime and amikacin no clinical improvement was observed. Cranial MRI revealed right-sided mastoiditis/otitis media and venous sinus thrombosis. After mastoidectomy, repeat cranial MRI demonstrated abscess formation in the venous sinuses. The abscess was drained. Clostridium spp. was isolated from the abscess culture.     

Evaluation and comparison of the marginal adaptation of two different substructure materials

PURPOSE

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the amount of marginal gap with two different substructure materials using identical margin preparations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty stainless steel models with a chamfer were prepared with a CNC device. Marginal gap measurements of the galvano copings on these stainless steel models and Co-Cr copings obtained by a laser-sintering method were made with a stereomicroscope device before and after the cementation process and surface properties were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A dependent t-test was used to compare the mean of the two groups for normally distributed data, and two-way variance analysis was used for more than two data sets. Pearson''s correlation analysis was also performed to assess relationships between variables.

RESULTS

According to the results obtained, the marginal gap in the galvano copings before cementation was measured as, on average, 24.47 ± 5.82 µm before and 35.11 ± 6.52 µm after cementation; in the laser-sintered Co-Cr structure, it was, on average, 60.45 ± 8.87 µm before and 69.33 ± 9.03 µm after cementation. A highly significant difference (P<.001) was found in marginal gap measurements of galvano copings and a significant difference (P<.05) was found in marginal gap measurements of the laser-sintered Co-Cr copings. According to the SEM examination, surface properties of laser sintered Co-Cr copings showed rougher structure than galvano copings. The galvano copings showed a very smooth surface.

CONCLUSION

Marginal gaps values of both groups before and after cementation were within the clinically acceptable level. The smallest marginal gaps occurred with the use of galvano copings.