Spontaneous regression of left upper lobe emphysema after division of large ductus arteriosus in an infant

Congenital lobar emphysema is cause of infantile respiratory distress and diagnosed by lobar overaeration, mediastinal shift and/or compression of the adjacent lobe. However, concomitant congenital heart disease with this clinical condition is not uncommon, and there is no uniform consensus about the treatment strategy in these particular cases. We present a child who was treated with division of large patent ductus arteriosus without the lobectomy.     

Characteristics of lacrimo-auriculo-dento-digital (LADD) syndrome: case report of a family and literature review

We describe a family with lacrimo-auriculo-dento-digital syndrome (LADD). A 13-year-old boy had cup-shaped ears, deafness, unilateral choanal atresia, bilateral nasolacrimal duct obstruction, xerostomia, alacrima due to congenital absence of lacrimal glands, agenesis of salivary glands, chronic dacryocystitis, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, ptosis, nail dysplasia of the thumb, shortness of fifth toe, temporal bone abnormality and epilepsy. His younger sister had shortened middle phalanx of fifth digits. His middle sister had hypodontia, shortened distal phalanx of fifth digit, agenesis of salivary glands, mild hearing loss and exotropia. His older sister had left nasolacrimal duct obstruction and aplasia of both parotid glands. The oldest sister had hypodontia and divergent excess exotropia. His mother had hypodontia. These findings are consistent with LADD syndrome. An autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with variable expressivity has been demonstrated. Renal and uro-genital anomalies have been noted variably.     

Improvement of Endothelial Dysfunction with Simvastatin in Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Cardiovascular problems are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Endothelial dysfunction (ED), which is an early manifestation of vascular injury, has been shown in patients with ADPKD. Statins have a beneficial effect in the reversal of ED. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a statin, simvastatin, on ED in patients with ADPKD. Sixteen patients with ADPKD having well-preserved renal function were included in the study. Endothelial function of the brachial artery was evaluated by using high-resolution vascular ultrasound. Endothelial-dependent dilatation (EDD) was expressed as the percentage change in the brachial artery diameter from baseline to reactive hyperemia. After the baseline evaluations of EDDs, patients were started treatment with simvastatin at a dose of 40 mg/day and were treated for six months. EDDs were recalculated after one and six months of therapy. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were also measured as markers of inflammation. Baseline EDD was 11.3 ± 6.9% in patients with ADPKD. After one month of simvastatin treatment, EDD increased significantly to 14.6 ± 4.6 % (P = 0.016 versus baseline). Endothelial-dependent dilatation further increased significantly to 18.9 ± 7.5 % (P = 0.011 versus baseline, P = 0.048 versus first month) after six months of therapy. There was also a significant decrease in the level of IL-6 from 21.6 ± 21.7 pg/mL to 9.1 ± 3.5 pg/mL (P= 0.002).

Six months of simvastatin therapy resulted in a significant improvement of ED in patients with ADPKD. This finding may be in part related to the pleiotropic effects of simvastatin.     

Assessment of Pollution in Ataturk Dam Lake (Adiyaman,Turkey) Using Several Biochemical Parameters in Common Carp, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyprinus carpio</Emphasis> L.

Ataturk Dam Lake, the largest impounded lake in Turkey, has been contaminated by domestic, industrial and agricultural effluents coming from Adiyaman city. In this study, we investigated the possible effects of pollutants on several biochemical parameters in the cyprinid fish, Cyprinus carpio, by comparing the parameters in fish collected from a polluted area (Sitilce) to a relatively clean area (Samsat) in August 2011. The activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase and levels of cortisol, glucose, and K increased while total protein, cholesterol, Ca, Na and Cl levels decreased in fish from the Sitilce site when compared to the Samsat site. The observed alterations in these biochemical parameters indicate that the Ataturk Dam Lake is affected by untreated wastewater discharges.