Midkine level may be used as a noninvasive biomarker in Crohn’s disease.

Background/aim: Crohn’s disease (CD) is a kind of inflammatory bowel disease. Midkine (MDK) is an endogenous inflammatory marker. We aimed to investigate the relationship between MDK levels and inflammation and hence determine whether MDK can be used as a noninvasive biomarker in active CD.

Plasma Thrombin-activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor Levels Correlate with the Disease Activity of Ulcerative Colitis.

Objective Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are at an increased risk for thromboembolic events, particularly in patients with extensive and active disease. To date, a few studies have been published on the role of thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) in UC. However, there are no reports in the literature investigating the effect of UC treatment on plasma TAFI levels.

Characterization of de novo colonic stricture due to Crohn's disease.

Background/aims: The development of colonic stenosis is a rare complication of Crohn's disease (CD) without a surgical anastomosis history. So, the management and long-term follow-up results of colonic stricture due to CD have not been clearly defined. In this study, we aimed to characterize de novo colonic stricture due to CD.

Seasonal clustering in inflammatory bowel disease: a single centre experience.

Backgrounds And Aims: External stimuli are considered as possible triggers for the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and particularly chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) in genetically susceptible individuals. Our aims were to investigate monthly clustering-patterns in the onset of symptoms and diagnosis of IBD, as well as health seeking behavior in those individuals.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred and eighty-two consecutive patients with IBD were included.

MicroRNA expression profile in patients with stage II colorectal cancer: a Turkish referral center study.

Background: There are increasing data about microRNAs (miRNA) in the literature, providing abundant evidence that they play important roles in pathogenesis and development of colorectal cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate the miRNA expression profiles in surgically resected specimens of patients with recurrent and non-recurrent colorectal cancer.

Materials And Methods: The study population included 40 patients with stage II colorectal cancer (20 patients with recurrent tumors, and 20 sex and age matched patients without recurrence), who underwent curative colectomy between 2004 and 2011 without adjuvant therapy.

Nitric oxide is a potential mediator of hepatic inflammation and fibrogenesis in autoimmune hepatitis.

Background: Despite advances in the understanding of the pathophysiological basis of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), it is still difficult to delineate the mechanisms involved in progression from hepatic inflammation toward fibrosis. Our aim was to study serum concentrations of NO in AIH of different histological severity and possible effects of immunosuppressive therapy on NO production.

Materials And Methods: We studied serum NO metabolites (NOx) in 47 consecutive patients with AIH and in 28 age- and sex-matched controls.

Safety of endoscopic ultrasonography in elderly patients: a single center prospective trial.

Background And Aims: The aim of this prospective study is to evaluate the safety of both diagnostic and therapeutic endosonography (EUS) in geriatric population.

Methods: The study population, consisting of 222 patients who underwent endosonographic evaluation for different indications, was divided into two groups. Group I consisted of 165 patients, ≥ 65 years old; Group II consisted of 57 controls, <65 years old.

Twice a day quadruple therapy for the first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori in an area with a high prevalence of background antibiotic resistance.

Background/aims: Bismuth-containing quadruple therapy given four times a day is effective in the first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori. We aimed to investigate whether twice daily posology could eradicate H. pylori at a comparable rate in an area with a high prevalence of antibiotic resistance.

Atypical pANCA as a marker of indeterminate colitis for the prediction of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Aim: The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the presence of atypical perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (pANCA) in indeterminate colitis (IC) patients and the potential role of pANCA for predicting the patients either with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) for UC and CD.

Material And Methods: Outpatients and inpatients from the hospital were retrospectively enrolled between April 2008 and December 2010. A total of 25 IC patients enrolled in the present study.

Mean platelet volume is a useful indicator of systemic inflammation in cirrhotic patients with ascitic fluid infection.

Aim: Ascitic fluid infection (AFI) consists primarily of two variants, namely, culture-negative neutrocytic ascites and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). Mean platelet volume (MPV) has begun to be used as a simple and inexpensive indicator of inflammation in some diseases. We aimed to analyse whether platelet size alterations would be useful in predicting AFI in cirrhotic patients.

The value of fecal calprotectin as a marker of intestinal inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Background/aims: To assess intestinal inflammation, simple, inexpensive and objective tools are desirable in inflammatory bowel disease. This study aimed to evaluate fecal calprotectin as a marker of active disease in ulcerative colitis.

Materials And Methods: Sixty patients with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and 20 controls were recruited into the study.

Serum nitric oxide levels in patients with benign and malignant biliary disease: a prospective single center study.

Background: Despite advances in new diagnostic modalities, the differentiation of malignant from benign causes of biliary obstruction still remains difficult. The nitric oxide (NO) system is considered to be an important component in mediating cytokine activation of macrophages in inflammation. It also modulates tumorigenesis and regulates cell proliferation, angiogenesis, survival, and DNA repair.

Assessment of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in ulcerative colitis: a promising marker in predicting disease severity.

Background And Aim: In order to diagnosis and monitor the disease activity of ulcerative colitis (UC), serum biomarkers are generally used, but none of them are specific for intestinal inflammation. It is therefore desirable in clinical practice to be able to assess disease activity with simple, inexpensive and objective tools. The objective of the present study was to assess whether the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) would be useful in predicting disease severity in UC patients who had not received corticosteroid or immunosuppressive drugs within a defined period of time.

Double balloon enteroscopy: a 3-year experience at a tertiary care center.

Background/aims: To evaluate the indications, diagnostic yield, therapeutic interventions, complications and safety of double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) in clinical practice.

Methodology: The medical records of the patients who underwent DBE at the Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital between October 2007 and January 2010 were examined to note the demographic data, indications for the examination, results of previous non-invasive small bowel imaging and endoscopic procedures and the results of DBE including findings, endoscopic interventions, complications and pathological reports.

Results: A total of 139 procedures were performed in 118 patients.

The role of mean platelet volume in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic liver disease.

Background/aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has poor long-term prognosis so we need new diagnostic techniques and markers to detect HCC in the early phases. The aim of this study was to analyze the levels of serum mean platelet volume in HCC.

Methodology: The clinical data of 230 subjects with normal, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and HCC were retrospectively analyzed at our hospital between January 2009 and December 2009.

Can red cell distribution width help to discriminate benign from malignant biliary obstruction? A retrospective single center analysis.

Background/aims: Differentiation of benign obstructive jaundice from malignant obstructive jaundice still remains difficult, despite improvements in diagnostic modalities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of red cell distribution width (RDW) in differentiating benign and malignant causes of obstructive jaundice.

Methodology: One hundred and ninety four consecutive patients (101 malignant, 93 benign) with a history of obstructive jaundice were reviewed in the period between January 2008 and August 2009.

Endoscopic and pathological aspects of gastric polyps: a Turkish referral center study.

Background/aims: The aim of the present study was to retrospectively analyze all the polyps of patients undergoing endoscopic polypectomy or forceps biopsy according to their types, frequency, localization, number and gender distribution.

Methodology: Data from patients who underwent upper endoscopy in the Türkiye Yüksek Ihtisas Postgraduate Research Hospital between March 2007 and November 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. Forceps biopsy or polypectomy were performed for all polypoid lesions that were identified during the endoscopy.

Mean platelet volume is increased in chronic hepatitis C patients with advanced fibrosis.

Background And Aims: Liver biopsy is the gold standard procedure for documenting liver damage in chronic hepatitis C (CHC), as for many other chronic liver diseases. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a laboratory marker obtained from complete blood count (CBC) analysers in routine clinical practice. The goal of the present study was to evaluate whether MPV would be useful in predicting liver histologic severity in CHC.

Elevated serum angiotensin converting enzyme levels as a reflection of bone marrow renin-angiotensin system activation in multiple myeloma.

Introduction: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) is a circulating enzyme that participates in the body's renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and is localized on the endothelial cell surface in the lung and other vascular beds. It catalyses the conversion of decapeptide angiotensin I to octapeptide angiotensin II. In the present study, we aimed to analyse the possible relationship between the levels of ACE in the context of RAS in multiple myeloma (MM) pathogenesis.