Circulating ghrelin levels in obese women: a possible association with hypertension

Objective. The orexigenic hormone ghrelin induces weight gain by stimulating food intake. Ghrelin has been shown to modulate sympathetic activity, to exert vasodilative effects and to counterreact with leptin on both food intake and blood pressure. Of these two hormones, ghrelin levels are decreased in obesity, whereas leptin levels are increased. In this cross‐sectional study, differences in serum ghrelin and leptin levels were examined in normotensive and hypertensive obese women. Material and methods. Sixty‐one normotensive and hypertensive women were classified according to the body mass indices as follows: (a) 18 healthy subjects with BMI 21.5–27.5?kg/m²; (b) 22 normotensive subjects with BMI 30–47?kg/m²; (c) 21 hypertensive obese subjects (BMI 30–48?kg/m²) with systolic blood pressure ?140?mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ?90?mmHg. Anthropometric measurements including height, weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences and blood pressure were recorded. The levels of ghrelin and leptin were determined in sera using the commercial ELISA kits. Results. In normotensive obese subjects, ghrelin levels were significantly lower than in controls (0.21±0.13 vs 0.60±0.3?ng/mL), whereas hypertensive obese women had elevated ghrelin levels (0.64±0.36?ng/mL). Ghrelin concentration was decreased despite the presence of hypertension in the patients who had BMIs above 35?kg/m². Leptin levels were significantly higher in both normotensive and hypertensive obese groups (19.54±11.19 and 21.61±12.7?ng/mL, respectively) than in controls (7.61±3.3?ng/mL), and were not affected by the presence of hypertension in obese subjects. Conclusion. Ghrelin was positively associated with hypertension in obese women and this association was inversely influenced by the increase of BMI.     

Quality of life in chronic haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients in Turkey and related factors

Turkey is the fifth country in Europe with regard to the number of patients receiving haemodialysis (HD). However, only a limited number of studies have comparatively investigated the factors that affect quality of life in haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in Turkey. The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that affect quality of life in haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients, as well as providing a comparison of quality of life between these groups. In this cross‐sectional study, Quality of Life Scale and a data form was completed by 300 dialysis patients who received treatment at five hospital‐based dialysis units in Istanbul, Turkey. The data were evaluated using arithmetic mean values, standard deviations, minimums, maximums, percentages, independent groups t‐tests, Spearman correlation analyses and one‐way variance analyses. The quality of life values in peritoneal dialysis patients were found to be higher than those of haemodialysis patients (P < 0.05). It was concluded that the quality of life in chronic dialysis patients was affected by various factors.     

The effect of reflexology applied on haemodialysis patients with fatigue,pain and cramps

The research was conducted to evaluate the effect of foot reflexology on fatigue, pain and cramps in haemodialysis patients. The sample consisted of 80 patients in total, 40 intervention and 40 control patients, receiving treatment in the haemodialysis units of two institutions. Data were collected by using a questionnaire, Piper Fatigue Scale and visual analogue scale for measuring the severity of cramp and pain. The intervention group received reflexology treatment for 1 week in three sessions following haemodialysis, each session lasting approximately 30 min. Parametric and non‐parametric tests were used in data analysis. It was determined that reflexology reduced the fatigue subscale scores and total scale scores as well as pain and cramp mean scores in the intervention group. The research results revealed that the severity of fatigue, pain and cramp decreased in patients receiving reflexology.     

An extremely rare bifurcation pattern of the caudal abdominal aorta: case report demonstrated by angiography

An extremely rare bifurcation pattern at the caudal abdominal aorta was encountered on the pelvic angiography and MR angiography of a male patient. Instead of dividing into two common iliac arteries, the caudal abdominal aorta first gave the right external iliac artery at the level of the last lumbar arteries, then bifurcated into a right internal iliac artery and a left common iliac artery. The median sacral artery originated at this anomalous bifurcation. This high origin of the right external iliac artery and separate branching of these right iliac vessels from the abdominal aorta are important during the interventions in the region. We present the angiography findings and discuss the embryological origin of this unusual and unreported congenital anomaly.     

New host record, Parablennius sanguinolentus (Teleostei, Perciformes, Blenniidae) for Nerocila bivittata (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoidae)

Nerocila bivittata (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoidae) is reported for the first time on the caudal peduncle of the Rusty blenny, Parablennius sanguinolentus (Teleostei, Perciformes, Blenniidae), collected from Samsun Coast, Black Sea, Turkey. N. bivittata parasitized 7.4% (2 of 27) of the P. sanguinolentus collected.     

Serum and hair zinc levels of infants and their mothers

ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the zinc status of mothers and their infants attending a well-child clinic.MethodsBlood and hair samples were collected from infants and their mothers at 2nd, 6th,12th month after delivery. Information on infant and their mothers’ dietary habits was gathered.ResultsOf all infants and their mothers, 54.6% and 12.6% had low hair zinc levels; 17% and 4.6% low serum zinc levels respectively. There was a positive relationship between mother's hair zinc level and her meat consumption at 2 and 6 months after delivery.ConclusionA significant number of infants and mothers had low hair zinc levels. Hair zinc concentrations of infants decreased significantly towards the end of first year. This may be due to low zinc intake of mothers. The main contribution of our study to the literature was the positive relationship between the red meat intake and maternal hair zinc levels.     

Supplementing vitamins C and E to standard triple therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori

What is known and Objective: Helicobacter pylori eradication rates of currently accepted triple therapy regimens vary between geographic locations and do not exceed 70–80%. Eradication rates are much lower in locations where uncontrolled antibiotic use is common such as Turkey. In the present study, we aimed to test whether supplementing vitamins C and E to standard triple therapy, including a proton pump inhibitor plus amoxicillin plus clarithromycin, increased the H. pylori eradication rate. Methods: Two hundred patients infected with H. pylori were randomized into two groups in an open‐label trial. In group A, patients (n = 160) were given standard triple therapy, including lansoprazole 30 mg BID plus amoxicillin 1000 mg BID plus clarithromycin 500 mg BID for 14 days, plus vitamin C 500 mg BID plus vitamin E 200 IU BID for 30 days. In group B, patients (n = 40) were given standard triple therapy for 14 days. The success of H. pylori eradication was defined as a negative ¹⁴C‐urea breath test result, 4–6 weeks after the completion of therapy. Comaprisons were by both intention‐to‐treat (ITT) and per‐protocol (PP) analysis. Results and Discussion: Two hundred patients (137 women, 63 men) were analysed using ITT analysis and 195 patients completed the study. In group A, H. pylori eradication was achieved in 132 of the 160 patients (82·5%) included in ITT analysis and 132 of the 157 patients (84%) included in PP analysis. In group B, H. pylori eradication was achieved in 18 of the 40 patients (45%) included in ITT analysis and 18 of the 38 patients (47·4%) included in PP analysis. Eradication rates were significantly higher in group A than in group B (P < 0·005). Eradication rates were not statistically significant between men and women in both groups. What is new and Conclusion: Adding vitamins C and E to standard triple therapy increases the eradication rate of H. pylori. Vitamins C and E may increase the eradication rate via increasing the effectiveness of the antibiotics by decreasing oxidative stress in the gastric mucosa and strengthening the immune system.