The Relationship Between Endocan and Serum Inflammatory Markers in Patients with Senile Calcific Aortic Stenosis.

Background: Endocan is an indicator of many pathologies accompanied by inflammation, endothelial cell activation, and dysfunction. In this study, we examined the relationship between degenerative aortic sclerosis, which progresses in a similar pathophysiologic mechanism as atherosclerosis, and serum inflammatory markers and endocan levels.

Methods: A total of 155 patients without known coronary artery disease, aged between 65 and 80 years, were consecutively included in the prospective cross-sectional study.

Development of external genitalia during mini-puberty: is it related to somatic growth or reproductive hormones?

Although hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis is active during mini-puberty, its relationship with somatic growth and the role on the development of external genitalia has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the effects of somatic growth and reproductive hormones on the development of external genitalia during mini-puberty. Anthropometric data, pubertal assesment, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione (A4), sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol (E2) and inhibin-B, testosterone (T), and anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) of healthy infants aged 1-4 months were evaluated.

Free and Bioavailable Vitamin D Levels of Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Association with Bone Metabolism.

Aim: Vitamin D deficiency is known to be associated with metabolic bone diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate vitamin D and calculated free and bioactive vitamin D levels of type 1 diabetic patients and to evaluate the association with bone turnover markers.

Method: This cross-sectional study includes 60 patients admitted to endocrinology outpatient clinic with diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus and 60 controls.

Clinical and Hormonal Profiles Correlate With Molecular Characteristics in Patients With 11β-Hydroxylase Deficiency.

Background: Given the rarity of 11β-hydroxylase deficiency (11βOHD), there is a paucity of data about the differences in clinical and biochemical characteristics of classic (C-11βOHD) and nonclassic 11βOHD (NC-11βOHD).

Objective: To characterize a multicenter pediatric cohort with 11βOHD.

Method: The clinical and biochemical characteristics were retrospectively retrieved.

Sclerostin and osteoprotegerin: new markers of chronic kidney disease mediated mineral and bone disease in children.

Background Sclerostin and osteoprotegerin (OPG) are new markers of chronic kidney disease (CKD) mediated mineral bone disease (CKD-MBD) which were extensively evaluated in adult population. We aimed to evaluate the associations between serum levels of sclerostin/OPG and parameters of bone turnover and compare the serum levels of sclerostin/OPG in different stages of CKD in children. Methods 70 children with CKD stage 1-5, aged 2-21 years were examined.

Serum Heparanase Level Is Decreased in Stable Coronary Artery Disease.

Objective: Heparanase (HPA), mammalian endo-β-D-glu-cu-ronidase, separates heparan sulfate chains of proteoglycans and changes the structure of the extracellular matrix. We investigated whether serum levels of HPA differ in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) and subjects with normal coronary arteries.

Methods: This study enrolled 92 patients with SCAD and 34 controls with normal coronary arteries.

Heparanase is a predictive marker for high thrombus burden in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Heparanase (HPA) is an endo-β-D-glucuronidase capable of degrading heparin sulphate (HS) and heparin side chains. HPA plays a role in tumour growth, angiogenesis, cell invasion and in activation of the coagulation system. We aimed to investigate the relationship between HPA and thrombus burden (TB) in patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI).

The Relationship Between Urothelial Type Bladder Cancer, Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels, and Vitamin D Receptor ApaI BsmI FokI, and TaqI Polymorphisms.

Background: Bladder cancer is an important health problem which ranks 4th among most frequently seen cancer types in men. In our study we aimed to investigate the correlations among urothelial type bladder cancer polymorphisms, ApaI, BsmI, FokI, and TaqI, prevalently observed in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene and plasma vitamin D levels in a Turkish population.

Methods: Our study included 101 patients and 109 control subjects.

The relationship between heparanase levels, thrombus burden and thromboembolism in patients receiving unfractionated heparin treatment for prosthetic valve thrombosis.

Introduction: Procoagulant activity of heparanase has been recently described in several arterial and venous thrombotic disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of heparanase with regard to thrombus burden, thromboembolism, and treatment success with unfractionated heparin (UFH) in patients with prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT).

Methods: This study enrolled 79 PVT patients who received UFH for PVT and 82 controls.

Sequential Measurements of Pentraxin 3 Serum Levels in Patients with Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: A Nested Case-Control Study.

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the dynamics of pentraxin 3 (PTX3) compared with procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with suspicion of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Materials And Methods: We designed a nested case-control study. This study was performed in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary care academic university and teaching hospital.

VDBP, VDR Mutations and Other Factors Related With Vitamin D Metabolism May Be Associated With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an insulin dependent autoimmune disorder resulting the progressive destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Another possible factor considered to be related with T1DM is vitamin D deficiency. Therefore in this study it was aimed to investigate the associations between T1DM, vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene mutations which are related with vitamin D metabolism.

Severe mitral regurgitation is associated with increased copeptin levels in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Background And Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the potential role of mitral regurgitation (MR) in the release of copeptin in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Methods: The study included 63 patients of whom 33 had functional mild MR (Group 1) and 30 had functional severe MR (Group 2). The functional class of both groups was New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III.

The effect of different protease inhibitors on stability of parathyroid hormone, insulin, and prolactin levels under different lag times and storage conditions until analysis.

Introduction: Proteolytic cleavage through proteases affects peptide hormone levels, which is of particular significance when the time interval between sampling and analysis is prolonged. We evaluated the stability of parathyroid hormone, insulin, and prolactin molecules (i) with different protease inhibitors such as K EDTA, aprotinin, and protease inhibitor cocktail (PIC), (ii) with different lag times (6-72 hours), and (iii) under different storage temperatures (4°C vs room temperature [RT]) until analysis.

Materials And Methods: Blood samples were collected into 2 sets of 5 Vacutainer tubes (Becton Dickinson) from 10 healthy adults.

The diagnostic value of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) compared to C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in children with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the diagnostic and prognostic values of suPAR and to compare them to CRP and PCT in pediatric patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

Material-methods: A prospective case-control study was performed.The study was performed in a tertiary university hospital which has a 649-bed capacity.

The diagnostic value of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor compared with C-reactive protein and procalcitonin in children with febrile neutropenia.

The aim of the present study was to determine the diagnostic value of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in pediatric patients with febrile neutropenia. A prospective case-control study was performed. Patients included 29 children with febrile neutropenia (FN) and 27 control subjects without any infection or immunosuppressive condition.

High-resolution discrete absorption spectrum of alpha-methallyl free radical in the vapor phase.

The alpha-methallyl free radical is formed in the flash photolysis of 3-methylbut-1-ene, and cis-pent-2-ene in the vapor phase, and then subsequent reactions have been investigated by kinetic spectroscopy and gas-liquid chromatography. The photolysis flash was of short duration and it was possible to follow the kinetics of the radicals' decay, which occurred predominantly by bimolecular recombination. The measured rate constant for the alpha-methallyl recombination was (3.

p-Hertz excitation spectroscopy of an optical antenna, optical transmitter-receiver mechanism.

o-Xylene sensitized biacetyl fluorescence and phosphorescence have been investigated and photosensitized fluorescence and phosphorescence lifetimes of biacetyl in the vapor phase have been determined. Attempts to detect the triplet of biacetyl by its absorption spectrum were unsuccessful, primarily due to, it is believed, the low extinction coefficients of the triplet, and the low triplet concentrations produced by the optical pumping device at room temperature.

Photophysical and photochemical study of laser-dye coumarin-481 and its photoproduct in solution.

An ultraviolet light-induced photophysical and Photochemical changes of coumarin-481 in cyclohexane have been studied by photolysis technique at room temperature, due to its potential applications in photonics, photochemistry, and electronic spectroscopy. During the optical pumping, coumarin-481 showed photochemical changes, therefore as the concentration of coumarin-481 decreased, a photoproduct concentration increased rapidly. An absorption band of the product was observed at around 250 nm.