Relationship between the G protein–coupled oestrogen receptor and spermatogenesis,and its correlation with male infertility

The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of serum G protein–coupled oestrogen receptor (GPER) levels and their correlation with semen parameters in men with infertility. The participants were divided into two groups as follows: 76 fertile control men (Group 1) and 77 infertile men (Group 2). Semen analysis, hormonal evaluation, serum GPER level and scrotal ultrasound of the participants were evaluated. Follicle-stimulating hormone and total testosterone levels were not significantly different between the groups (p = .413 and p = .535 respectively). The oestradiol level in Group 1 was significantly lower than that in Group 2 (p < .001). The serum GPER level was found to be significantly higher in Group 1 than that of Group 2 (p < .001). GPER levels were positively correlated with the total sperm count, sperm concentration, motility and morphology in Group 2 (r = 0.303, 0.345, 0.260 and 0.322, respectively, p < .001). In this study, GPER levels were positively correlated with sperm parameters, and it was hypothesised that the decrease in GPER expression might be associated with male infertility by adversely affecting spermatogenesis.     

A case of septal panniculitis secondary to interferon treatment

The most common side effects of interferon-beta therapy following subcutaneous administration include pain, inflammation and induration at the injection site, which occur in approximately 20–60% of patients. Besides, transient injection-site erythema is frequently seen in beta-interferon therapy. Less frequent reactions at injection sites include vascular thrombosis, mucinosis, dermal and systemic sclerosis, necrosis, and ulceration. Here, we report a 44-year-old case diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, who developed pain and swelling following interferon-beta 1a treatment after an improperly administered intramuscular injection; and with this case report, we would like to draw attention to septal panniculitis, a serious drug complication, that develops following interferon-beta 1a treatment after an improperly administered intramuscular injection.     

Erythroderma secondary to gliclazide: a case report

Erythroderma is generalized exfoliative dermatitis, which involves more than 90% of the patient's skin. The most common cause of erythroderma is exacerbation of an underlying skin disease, malignancies or drug reaction. There is a long list of drugs responsible for erythroderma such as antiepileptics, sulfonamides, antibiotics, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. We herein report a case of erythroderma due to gliclazide usage which is also proved by histopathologic examination and patch test. We could not find any case report of gliclazide, an oral antidiabetic, as a cause erythroderma in the literature.     

Evaluation of gallbladder volume and motility in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients using real-time ultrasonography

AIMS: The prevalence of cholelithiasis is 2 to 3 times higher in patients with diabetes mellitus than in the normal population, especially in a group of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We investigated the pathogenesis of this increased prevalence by ultrasonography with a brief comparison of demographic features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group was consisted of NIDDM patients (41 males and 47 females, mean age 53.5 +/- 11 years), and the control group included healthy volunteers (33 males and 34 females, mean age 50.3 +/- 18 years). All patients were investigated after 12 hours of fasting and 30 minutes after a standard test meal. Pre-meal and post-meal gallbladder volumes were used for calculation of the ejection fraction of the gallbladder and fasting gallbladder volume. RESULTS: In the study group, there was no correlation between the fasting gallbladder volume and age, parity, and body mass index. However, fasting gallbladder volume and duration of diabetes mellitus showed significant correlation (r = 0.212, P < 0.05). The mean ejection fraction of gallbladders in the study group was 48.48%, whereas that of the control group was 56.32%. There was a significant reduction of ejection fraction in the study group (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Our study indicated that there were an increased fasting gallbladder volume and impaired ejection fraction in NIDDM patients. This may be the initiator of bile stasis in the gallbladder and subsequent cholesterol crystal and stone formation.     

Joint and nail involvement in Turkish patients with psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune, chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by the association of arthritis with psoriasis. In this paper, we explore the characteristics of joint and nail involvement in Turkish patients with psoriatic arthritis. Forty patients with psoriasis (M/F, 18/22) and 49 (M/F, 25/24) subjects with psoriatic arthritis were included in the study. Clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded. The distribution of the subjects with arthritis: (according to the clinical and radiological findings): polyarticular, 65%; oligoarticular, 23%; isolated axial involvement, 7.7%; arthritis mutilans, 3.8%; sacroiliitis, 19%. Nail involvement was significantly higher among patients with arthritis; i.e., 91 versus 32%; (P < 0.05). There were no correlation between the skin involvement pattern and the arthritis type (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, no relation was observed between the psoriasis duration and arthritis (P > 0.05). Nail involvement is a frequent feature of the psoriatic arthritis which may be a useful finding for differential diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis from other inflammatory arthropathies.     

New use of teflon to reduce bleeding in modified bentall operation

We analyzed the postoperative short- and mid-term outcomes of a series of patients with annuloaortic ectasia who underwent a modified Bentall operation in our clinic from September 2000 through March 2006. The study included 44 patients. Their average age was 53.4 +/- 14.1 years. The underlying disease was degenerative aortic aneurysm in 42 patients (95.5%) and acute aortic dissection in 2 patients (4.5%). Six patients (13.6%) had Marfan phenotype. Aortic insufficiency was moderate in 30 patients (68.2%) and severe in 14 patients (31.8%). In our modification of the Bentall technique, we completed the resection of the aortic root while leaving 5 to 10 mm of native aortic wall tissue to support the anastomosis. A long piece of Teflon felt (width, 0.5-1 cm) was laid on the annulus, and nonpledgeted 2-0 polyester sutures were passed in turn through the Teflon felt, the preserved aortic tissue, and the aortic annulus. A thin piece of Teflon felt was also used in the coronary artery reimplantation sites. Fibrin glue was routinely applied to all anastomoses. There were no intraoperative deaths. One patient died in the hospital after surgery for acute type I aortic dissection. Another patient died 1 year after the operation from prosthetic-valve endocarditis. No patient required surgical correction of excessive postoperative bleeding. Kaplan-Meier curves showed overall survival of 0.94 (95% confidence intervals, 0.9-0.99). We consider our approach an easy, effective way to minimize bleeding from the anastomoses and at the aortic root--a common challenge in aortic surgery.     

The efficiency of Gd‐EOB‐DTPA‐enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiography in living donor liver transplantation: a preliminary study

The aim of this study was to evaluate utility of gadoxetic acid disodium (Gd‐EOB‐DTPA)‐enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) for the detection of biliary complications after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). A total of 18 patients with suspected biliary complications underwent MRC. T2‐weighted MRC and contrast‐enhanced MRC (CE‐MRC) were used to identify the biliary complications. MRC included routine breath‐hold T2‐weighted MRC using half‐Fourier acquisition single‐shot turbo spin‐echo (HASTE) sequences and Gd‐EOB‐DTPA‐enhanced MRC T1‐weighted volumetric interpolated breath‐hold examination (VIBE) sequences. Before confirming the biliary complications, one observer reviewed the MRC images and the CE‐MRC images separately. The verification procedures and MRC findings were compared, and the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both techniques were calculated for the identification of biliary complications. The observer found six of seven biliary complications using CE‐MRC. The sensitivity was 85.7% and the accuracy was 94.4%. Using MRC alone, sensitivity was 57.1% and accuracy was 55.5%. The accuracy of Gd‐EOB‐DTPA‐enhanced MRC was superior to MRC in locating biliary leaks (p < 0.05). The usage of Gd‐EOB‐DTPA‐enhanced MRC yields information that complements the MRC findings that improve the identification of biliary complications. We recommend the use of MRC in addition to Gd‐EOB‐DTPA‐enhanced MRC to increase the preoperative accuracy when assessing the biliary complications after LDLT.     

Safety and efficacy of an aroA-deleted live vaccine against avian colibacillosis in a multicentre field trial in broilers in Morocco

The safety and efficacy of an aroA-deleted live vaccine against avian colibacillosis (Poulvac^® E. coli) was evaluated in broilers in a multicentre field trial. The trial sites consisted of 18 paired bird houses (randomly assigned to either the vaccination or the control treatment groups) located in 15 farms in three different regions of Morocco. A field dose of vaccine was administered on day of hatch by the spray route. Both clinical and performance parameters were compared between vaccinated and control groups, in which the experimental unit was defined as the individual bird house. No adverse reactions attributable to the vaccine were observed throughout the study. Non-inferiority of the vaccinated bird houses versus the control houses during a 2-week period post vaccination was statistically demonstrated for mortality and average daily weight gain. Vaccine efficacy was confirmed based on significant differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups measured for the full duration of the trial, including colibacillosis-like lesions observed at slaughter (1.7 versus 3.5%; P = 0.0054), total mortality (9.3 versus 10.3%; P = 0.0203), average daily weight gain (47.8 versus 46.2 g/day; P = 0.0006), average number of antibiotic treatment days (0.5 versus 2.0; P = 0.0008) and percentage of the birds that was marketed (90.0 versus 89.0%; P = 0.0309). In conclusion, the vaccine was demonstrated to be both safe and efficacious under field conditions.