Is microRNA 1910-3p (miR-1910-3p) a really distinctive marker for psoriasis?

Background/aimAlthough the cause of immune activation in the pathogenesis of psoriasis is still unclear, miRs are thought to have an effect on psoriasis. This work aimed to evaluate the role of miRs (miR-4649-3p, miR-6867-5p, miR-4296, miR-210, and miR-1910-3p) that target the FOXP3 mRNA and IL-17A mRNA in psoriasis. Materials and methods Forty-four psoriasis patients and 44 healthy controls were included in the study. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used for the measurement of miRs. Serum IL-17A levels were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results Plasma miR-1910-3p levels were significantly lower in the patient group than the controls (P = 0.000, fc: 0.10). ROC analysis showed that plasma miR-1910-3p levels could significantly differentiate psoriasis patients from healthy controls [AUC = 0.912 (0.848–0.975), P = 0.000]. The plasma miR-4649-3p level was significantly higher in the psoriasis group compared to the controls (P = 0.000, fc: 2.99). Conclusion Decreased expression of miR-1910-3p increases the risk of developing psoriasis by approximately 50-fold and was able to use for the significant differentiation of psoriatic patients from healthy controls.     

Lack of awareness of Hepatitis B screening and vaccination in high-risk groups

Background/aim Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination rates are insufficient in high-risk patients worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the screening, immunization, and vaccination rates in three high-risk groups for HBV infection: allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), renal transplantation (RT), and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) groups. Materials and methods The serological data of consecutive patients between 2014 and 2019 were reviewed using the hospital database. Results The HBV screening rates were 100.0%, 90.4%, and 82.4% in the AHSCT, CHC, and RT groups, respectively (p = 0.003). The immunization rates against HBV through either previous exposure or vaccination were 79.5%, 71.7%, and 46.5% in the AHSCT, RT, and CHC groups, respectively (p < 0.001). The HBV vaccination rate was significantly low in the CHC group (71.5%, 69.0%, 34.6% in the AHSCT, RT, and CHC groups, respectively, p < 0.001). If patients lost their immunity due to immunosuppressive therapy were accounted, the vaccination rates increased to 95.2% in the AHSCT group and 72.9% in the RT group. The rate of annual screening for HBV status was 97.9% in the AHSCT group, but it was only 23.9% in the RT group. Conclusion HBV screening and vaccination rates were significantly lower in the RT and CHC groups than in the AHSCT group.     

Sucralfate for posttonsillectomy analgesia

Pain is one of the most troublesome complications of tonsillectomy. The pain appears as throat pain, otalgia, or both, and continues until mucosal recovery on the tonsillar fossae is complete. Some surgical and hemostasis techniques may increase pain. Analgesics, antibiotics, steroids, and local and topical anesthetics are used to relieve posttonsillectomy pain, but none has the desired effectiveness. The pain reliever must not increase bleeding and must have minimal side effects. Sucralfate, a basic amino salt of sucrose octasulfate, binds to the matrix protein of a peptic ulcer and produces a protective barrier. Tonsillectomy leaves two large ulcerous wounds, and sucralfate may bind those wounds as it does peptic ulcers. In this controlled study, the efficacy of sucralfate on posttonsillectomy throat pain, otalgia, analgesic requirement, degree of strength, bleeding, body temperature, and mucosal recovery is investigated in 80 patients. Sucralfate is found to significantly reduce throat pain and analgesic requirement after surgery. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1998;119:700-4.)     

Nonpharmaceutical interventions in Turkey and worldwide during COVID-19 pandemic

Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are actions apart from getting vaccinated and medications, in order to promote deceleration of the spread of illness among people and communities during pandemic. In this article, we aim to examine NPIs applied in Turkey and worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the NPIs such as isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing were maintained with updates of the Ministry of Health guidelines in Turkey. Some NPIs including travel and partial or full curfew mobilization restrictions were set in accordance with the various periods by the number of cases. Periods of restrictions at autumn 2021 to summer 2022 are national partial curfews, national extended curfews, local decision-making phase, revised local decision-making phase, partial lockdown, full lockdown and gradual normalization. Mitigation and suppression have been implemented in Turkey with restrictions of varying severity throughout the course of the epidemic. It is seen that the restrictions implemented in Turkey contributed to the flattening of the epidemic curve. Even some countries mainly applied the suppression method, and others applied the mitigation method, in general, it is seen that similar methods were applied with different weights. Examples of different countries demonstrated that NPIs are effective for flattening epidemic curve. NPI have been the main instrument for a year and a half from the beginning of the epidemic to mid-2021 in Turkey as well as worldwide.     

Is routine cervical dilatation necessary during elective caesarean section? A randomised controlled trial

Objective: The purpose of this prospective randomised study was to determine the effect of routine cervical dilatation during elective caesarean section on maternal morbidity.
Methods: Participants with indication for elective caesarean section were randomly allocated to two groups. Group A ( n  = 200) women with intraoperative cervical dilatation; group B ( n  = 200) women with no intraoperative cervical dilatation.
Results: No demographic differences were observed between groups. There was no significant difference between groups in infectious morbidity ( P  = 0.87) (relative risk (RR) 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58–2.11), endometritis ( P  = 0.72) (RR 1.68, 95% CI 0.39–7.14), febrile morbidity ( P  = 0.66) (RR 1.21, 95% CI 0.51–2.87), wound infection ( P  = 0.82) (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.44–2.81), endometritis ( P  = 0.72) (RR 1.68, 95% CI 0.39–7.14) or urinary tract infection ( P  = 1.00) (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.28–3.50), and estimated blood loss ( P =  0.2). However, group A had longer operative times compared with the group B ( P =  0.01).
Conclusion: Intraoperative digital cervical dilatation during elective caesarean section did not reduce blood loss and postoperative infectious morbidity. The routine digital cervical dilatation during elective caesarean section is not recommended.     

Fibroepithelial polyp originating from the glans penis in a child

A fibroepithelial polyp is a benign neoplasm that occurs throughout the urinary tract. In this article, we report a pediatric case of a fibroepithelial polyp originating from the glans penis. To our knowledge, this is a previously unreported lesion arising from the glans penis.     

A new dosage regimen for topical application of ciprofloxacin in the management of chronic suppurative otitis media

The clinical and bacteriologic efficacy of topically applied ciprofloxacin was studied in 60 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media. Two hundred fifty and 125 μg/ml concentrations of ciprofloxacin solutions were given to two groups of patients. The duration of therapy was determined according to the clinical cure at follow-up. More than 21 days of therapy was not needed in any patient. The clinical cure rate with 250 μg/ml ciprofloxacin was 78.1% at 14 days and with 125 μg/ml it was 83.3%. However, a 100% clinical cure rate and complete bacteriologic eradication was obtained in 21 days in both groups. In each group only one patient had otomycosis by the fourteenth day of therapy, although ear discharge had ceased. It was concluded that 125 μg/ml ciprofloxacin could be applied as successfully as 250 μg/ml, and the duration of therapy had to be at least 14 days. This new dosage regimen can be adopted as an optimal dosage for ototopical application of ciprofloxacin in chronic suppurative otitis media. It will also obviously decrease the expense of therapy. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1998;118:883-5.)     

Multi-institutional analysis of cervical esophageal carcinoma patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy: TROD 01-005 study

The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of cervical esophageal carcinoma (CEC) patients who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The clinical data of 175 biopsy-confirmed CEC patients treated with definitive CRT between April 2005 and September 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The prognostic factors predicting overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) were assessed in uni- and multivariable analyses. The median age of the entire cohort was 56 years (range: 26–87 years). All patients received definitive radiotherapy with a median total dose of 60 Gy, and 52% of the patients received cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy. The 2-year OS, PFS, and LRFS rates were 58.8%, 46.9%, and 52.4%, respectively, with a median follow-up duration of 41.6 months. Patients’ performance status, clinical nodal stage, tumor size, and treatment response were significant prognostic factors for OS, PFS, and LRFS in univariate analysis. Non-complete treatment response was an independent predictor for poor OS (HR = 4.41, 95% CI, 2.78–7.00, p < 0.001) and PFS (HR = 4.28, 95% CI, 2.79–6.58, p < 0.001), whereas poor performance score was a predictor for worse LRFS (HR = 1.83, 95% CI, 1.12–2.98, p = 0.02) in multivariable analysis. Fifty-two patients (29.7%) experienced grade II or higher toxicity. In this multicenter study, we demonstrated that definitive CRT is a safe and effective treatment for patients with CEC. Higher radiation doses were found to have no effect on treatment outcomes, but a better response to treatment and a better patient performance status did.     

The effects of implantable collamer lens implantation on higher order aberrations

AIM: To evaluate the changes in higher order aberrations (HOAs) after implantable collamer lens (ICL; Staar Surgical, Nidau, Switzerland) implantation. METHODS: Totally 30 eyes of 18 patients with myopia were included in this study with an average age of 25.77y (min: 21, max: 40). Refraction, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), HOAs (entire, corneal and internal) were evaluated preoperatively and three months postoperatively. Ocular aberrations were measured by using iTrace (Tracey Technology, Houston, Texas, USA). SPSS (IBM Corp. Released 2013. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp) was used for the statistical analysis and the interpretation of the data. P values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The preoperative mean spherical power was -9.01 D (min: -5.00, max: -13.00) and the mean cylindrical error was -2.40 D (min: -0.50, max: -4.75). The postoperative mean residual spherical power was -0.73 D (min: -0.20, max: -1.75) and the mean cylindrical error was -0.89 D (min: -0.18, max: -2.09). Analyses were made on root mean square (RMS) values of total HOAs (tHOAs), spherical aberration, coma and trefoil as entire, corneal and internal components. The differences in entire tHOAs and in internal tHOAs were significant. There was no significant change found in spherical aberrations. The differences in entire coma and in internal coma were significant. There was no significant change found in corneal coma. With respect to trefoil, the only significant difference was in internal trefoil. CONCLUSION: The ICL implantation corrects the refractive error successfully and changes entire and internal HOAs of the eye.