Effect of Tropicamide on Laser Flare Meter Measurements in Patients with Pseudoexfoliation

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To investigate the effect of 1% tropicamide on anterior chamber aqueous flare (ACAF) measurements acquired with laser flare meter in patients with pseudoexfoliation.     

New wound protection for rabbits

Rabbits are the experimental animals of choice in many studies including flaps, wounds, and topical trials for new pharmacological agents. Because the topical drugs and other materials used for dressing are irritating to the animal, they tend to remove dressings, bandages, drapes, insensate flaps, and also topical drugs by scratching, licking, and biting if they are within the reach of the animal. In this study, we report an easy to prepare, user-friendly, comfortable, and cheap dressing protector called a dressing shield to prevent these problems.     

Pattern electroretinography and visual evoked potentials in optic nerve diseases.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate transient pattern electroretinography (PERG) and pattern visual evoked potential (VEP) for the diagnosis, differential diagnosis and follow-up of optic nerve diseases. METHODS: Twenty-nine consecutive patients (14 female, 15 male) with the diagnosis of ischaemic optic neuropathy (n=14) and optic neuritis (n=15) were included in this study. Mean age of the patients with ischaemic optic neuropathy was 63.3+/-3.3 (60-78) years and the mean age of the patients with optic neuritis was 28.3+/-8.4 (19-43) years. In each patient ophthalmological examination and systemic evaluation were done and VEP and PERG were recorded. As a control group, VEP recordings of 35 healthy subjects were included. RESULTS: In the ischaemic optic neuropathy group (group 1), mean VEP amplitude (+/-SD) (1.96+/-0.95 microV) was found to be decreased significantly in the affected eyes in comparison to the control group and the unaffected eyes. The delay in latency (116.3+/-20.14 msec in the affected eyes compared with 101.31+/-6.19 msec in unaffected eyes) was statistically significant when compared with the healthy subjects. In the optic neuritis group (group 2), VEP amplitude was decreased (4.13+/-4.04 microV vs 6.97+/-3.35 microV and 6.97+/-4.43 microV) and latency was increased (122.59+/-20.09 msec vs 101.31+/-6.19 msec and 108.76+/-13.57 msec) in affected eyes significantly in comparison to the unaffected eyes and control group, respectively. Even though there were no significant differences for P50 latency and N95/P50 ratios between affected and unaffected eyes in both groups, N95 amplitude decreased significantly in the affected eyes of the ischaemic optic neuropathy patients and N95 latency was found to be decreased in optic neuritis patients. There was no correlation between VEP and PERG findings in both groups. CONCLUSION: VEP amplitude decreased significantly in ischaemic optic neuropathies while latency delay was more significant in patients with optic neuritis. PERG findings showed decreased N95 amplitude in ischemic optic neuropathy without associated latency changes.     

Is there any relationship between human leucocyte antigen class II and chronic urticaria? (chronic urticaria and HLA class II)

The Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing of large groups of patients with various autoimmune diseases has demonstrated that some HLA alleles occur at higher frequencies in specific diseases than in the general population. Chronic urticaria has been shown to have an autoimmune basis by a previous study which found an association between chronic urticaria and specific HLA groups. We investigated the HLA subtypes of Turkish chronic urticaria patients. For this purpose 42 Turkish patients with chronic urticaria and 115 healthy controls were typed for HLA-DR and DQ by PCR-SSP (Polymerase Chain Reaction Sequence Specific Primers) low resolution DNA technique. We found an increased frequency of DR4 (42.9%, p=0.01) in chronic urticaria patients in comparison with that in healthy controls. This study supports the hypothesis that HLA alleles may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria and that they appear to be directly involved in the initiation of the immune response.     

Relationship between Pollen Counts and Weather Variables in East-Mediterranean Coast of Turkey

BACKGROUND: Aeroallergen sampling provides information regarding the onset, duration and severity of the pollen season that clinicians use to guide allergen selection for skin testing and treatment. OBJECTIVES: This atmospheric survey reports (1) airborne pollen contributions in Adana in one-year period (2) pollen onset, duration and peak level (3) the relationship between airborne pollen and selected meteorological variables and; (4) effects on symptoms in pollen allergic children. METHODS: Pollen sampling was performed with a volumetric Burkard Spore Trap. Meteorological data were measured daily from April 2001 to April 2002. Asthma symptom scores were investigated in 186 pollen allergic children that were on follow up in pediatric allergy outpatient clinics during same period. RESULTS: Average measurements included 82.5% tree pollen, 7.7% grass pollen and 9.8% herb pollen 54 taxa were identified during one year. The most prominent tree pollens were Cupressaceae, Eucalyptus and Pinus. The most common herb was Chenopodiaceae pollen family. When airborne pollen levels were examined in relation to single meteorological conditions; daily variations in total pollen counts were not significantly correlated with any variable studied (humidity, rainfall, temperature and wind) (p > 0.05). On the other hand, statistically significant relationship between pollen concentration and symptom scores were found (p > 0.05). Positive correlations were seen between both Gramineae and Herb pollen, and humidity and rainfall from March to July. However, positive correlations were detected between tree pollen counts and temperature and humidity in May and June. CONCLUSION: This survey is the first volumetric airborne pollen analysis conducted in the survey area in Adana. This study suggested that the effects of weather on pollen count and symptom scores in this population could not be clearly identified with the evaluation of one-year data. However, pollen counts had effect on allergic symptoms in pollen allergic children. Examination of the complex interaction of multiple whether parameters would perhaps more fully elucidate the relationship between meteorology and aerobiology and provide the clinician with information necessary to forecast pollen prevalence. An awareness of the ever chancing, local aeroallergen patterns requires regular monitoring. Such awareness serves as a useful guide in the effective testing and treatment of atopic patients.     

Sequence analysis of rpoB mutations in rifampin-resistant clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Turkey

Drug-resistant tuberculosis is a serious problem throughout the world. Resistance to Rifampicin (RIF) is mainly caused by the mutations in the rpoB gene coding the beta-subunit of RNA polymerase. In this study, we aimed to detect the distribution of rpoB gene mutations in 80 RIF-resistant clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates from Turkey. The rpoB gene was amplified by PCR and mutations leading to RIF resistance were determined by automated sequence analysis. A total of 72 of the 80 isolates (90%) were found to carry mutations in the amplified region, whereas eight isolates (10%) carried no mutations. Overall, 24 different missense mutations affecting 14 codons, and two deletion mutants were identified. Nine new mutations, six in the hot-spot region and three outside this region, were found. The codon numbers of the most frequently encountered mutations were 531 (51.4%), 526 (18.1%), 516 (13.9%), and 513 (12.5%). As a result, 90% of the RIF-resistant MTB isolates from the Turkish patients were found to carry a mutation in the rpoB gene, Ser531Leu being the most frequent one. Although molecular methods identify mutations leading to RIF resistance very quickly, results of the antimycobacterial susceptibility tests must be taken into consideration for the patients carrying no mutations in this region.