Von Willebrand factor antigen levels in Behçet disease

High von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) levels can be found due to vascular endothelial injury in Beh?et disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether there is any relationship between vWF:Ag levels and vascular or other organ involvements and acute-phase reactants in Beh?et disease. Fifteen controls and 17 Beh?et's patients were included; 10 had oral ulcers, 5 had genital ulcers, 3 had skin lesions, 6 had ocular involvement, 5 had arthritis, and 6 had vascular involvement. VWF:Ag levels were higher in Beh?et's patients than controls. VWF:Ag levels in Beh?et's patients with oral ulcers, genital ulcers, and ocular and vascular involvement were statistically higher than in the control group. Differences between vWF:Ag levels in Beh?et's patients with and without organ involvement were not statistically significant. A linear correlation between serum ferritin levels and vWF:Ag levels was observed. These results demonstrate that elevated levels of plasma vWF:Ag are related to Beh?et disease exacerbation rather than vascular involvement.     

Exploring in vitro neurobiological effects and high-pressure liquid chromatography-assisted quantitation of chlorogenic acid in 18 Turkish coffee brands

The hydroalcoholic extracts of the Turkish traditional coffee samples from 18 commercial brands were tested for their neurobiological effects through enzyme inhibition based on enzyme-linked immunosorbance microtiter assays against acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase, linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The extracts were also subjected to several antioxidant test systems to define their antiradical, metal-chelation capacity, and reducing power. Total phenol and flavonoid contents in the extracts were delineated by spectrophotometric methods, while chlorogenic acid in the coffee samples was quantified by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The extracts displayed low to moderate inhibition (from 2.13 ± 0.01% to 36.12 ± 1.07% at 200 μg/mL) against the tested enzymes, whereas they had notable 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity up to 56.15 ± 2.03% at 200 μg/mL. The extracts exerted a remarkable ferric-reducing antioxidant power values, while chlorogenic acid was found to range between 0.288 ± 0.005% and 2.335 ± 0.010%.     

18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Following Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapy in Large B-cell Lymphoma

Molecular Imaging and Biology - 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) is a well-established imaging modality to assess responses in patients with...     

鼻泪管探通术治疗先天性鼻泪管阻塞的疗效研究

目的：研究探通术与灌溉对儿童先天性鼻泪管阻塞(congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, CNDO)的成功率及相关因素。

方法：从2005/2011年,患有CNDO的儿童235例261眼行鼻泪管探通术。患者按年龄分为3组：组1,131眼为12～24月龄; 组2,82眼为>24～48月龄; 组3,48眼为>48～120月龄。在全身麻醉下进行上、下泪小点探通术。术后1d; 1,2wk; 1,3mo进行随访。通过Mann Whitney U检验和卡方检验分析手术成功率与年龄的相关性。

结果：儿童235例(女性122例,男性113例)的平均年龄为27.6±10.7(12～120)mo。3组患儿一次探通术后的成功率分别为90.1%、85.4%和47.6%,并且组1 、组2成功率显著高于组3(P<0.05)。患儿53例(20.3%)再次行探通术,3组的成功率分别为：61.5%、58.3% 和25.0%。

结论：鼻泪管探通术是治疗CNDO的有效方法,特别是对于小于2岁的患儿。手术成功率随着年龄增加而降低,但是上下泪小管二次探通术可以提高术后效果。     

Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and their neonates in spring time in western Turkey

Although Turkey is located in a sunny region, vitamin D deficiency is still a serious health problem in pregnant women and their infants, especially among the low socio-economic status Turkish population. This study was carried out in order to measure serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D] concentrations of the pregnant women in the last trimester and in their neonates at delivery and to determine the factors associated with maternal serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Among the patients visiting the Ege Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in the period March to May 2008, 258 healthy pregnant women ≥37 weeks of gestation were included in this study. The information on different characteristics such as the number of pregnancies and births, nutritional status, vitamin and mineral support during gestation, educational status, clothing style and the economic level of the family was collected from women. Blood samples from the mothers and umbilical cord of the newborns were taken to measure 25(OH)D. The mean 25(OH)D concentrations of the mothers and their infants were 11.5 ± 5.4 ng/mL and 11.5 ± 6.8 ng/mL, respectively. We found a strong positive correlation between maternal serum and umbilical cord blood 25(OH)D concentrations (r = 0.651, P < 0.001). The concentration of 25(OH)D was ≤20 ng/mL in 233 mothers (90.3%) and ≤10 ng/mL in 130 mothers (50.4%). Maternal serum 25(OH)D concentrations related strongly to factors such as uncovered dressing style, sufficient consumption of dairy products and multivitamin use during gestation (P < 0.05). About half (52.7%) of these women had a covered dressing style. 25(OH)D concentrations of these covered dressing mothers and their infants were 9.7 ± 5.1 ng/mL and 9.7 ± 5.6 ng/mL, respectively, which were significantly lower compared with those of uncovered mothers and their babies (P < 0.001). This study showed that, despite a sunny environment, vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are highly prevalent among the mothers and their neonates. This is generally due to the life style and nutritional status of the mothers. These findings suggest that much more effective vitamin D prophylaxis programmes should be implemented for pregnant women as well as for their babies.     

Ig M class anticardiolipin antibody and anti-Ro/SS-A positivity in urticarial vasculitis associated with hepatitis C virus infection

The association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, cryoglobulinemia and urticarial vasculitis is well documented. However, urticarial vasculitis is extremely rare in HCV infection when not complicated by cryoglobulinemia. Here we describe a patient with urticarial vasculitis who had previously received interferon therapy for HCV infection. This HCV-infected patient with urticarial vasculitis was found to be negative for cryoglobulinemia but positive for anticardiolipin and anti-SS-A/Ro antibodies. The association between HCV infection, urticarial vasculitis, interferon therapy and anticardiolipin antibodies are discussed.     

Language assessment of non‐handicapped twins at 5 years of age

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine language levels in twins and singletons born after at least 34 weeks gestation and without identifiable neurological abnormality and to evaluate whether in vitro fertilization (IVF) affects language development in twin pregnancies. Methods: A prospective study of a large cohort of all children born between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2003 was carried out at Gazi University Hospital. All live‐born twin pairs in which both twins survived were identified, and a comparable sample of families with pairs of singletons were chosen. The Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale Form and the translated Turkish form of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test were completed at 60 months. Results: Even after excluding the most premature twins and those with diagnosable neurological damage, twins performed worse than singletons on language development tests. Twin girls had better scores than twin boys. A statistically significant difference was found between the scores of term and preterm twins. No significant difference was noted when compared according to birth order. Appropriate for gestational age (AGA) twins did better than small for gestational age (SGA) twins in the test scores. All twin girls did not differ from singleton girls, but all twin boys performed worse than singleton boys. Term twins had similar results with term singletons, but preterm twins had lower scores than preterm singletons. SGA singletons had better scores than SGA twins, while AGA twins and singletons did not differ. When the children were compared with regard to method of conception, IVF children had significantly lower scores on the tests than those in the spontaneous conception group. Conclusion: It is hoped that the present findings could lead to a more precise assessment of children for speech impairment and, above all, to more efficient preventive intervention. Whatever mechanisms are involved, the present results indicate that twins born as a result of IVF, are at a disadvantage in terms of language development in comparison with spontaneously conceived twins.