A multicenter study of patients with adult-onset Still's disease compared with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) has often been regarded as the adult spectrum of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA). The present study aims to compare the clinical and laboratory features, the disease course and the response to treatment in patients having AOSD with those having sJIA. Retrospective review of all available data that were filled out by adult and paediatric rheumatologists from six centers using a standard data extraction form was performed.

Urinary 8-isoprostaglandin F(2alpha) level in Behçet's disease.

Although its etiology remains unknown, the increased production of reactive oxygen species in Behçet's disease (BD) have been reported. Furthermore, it has been suggested that vascular and endothelial tissue damage seen in BD is related to elevated reactive oxygen species generated by activated neutrophils from BD patients. To investigate the formation of lipid peroxidation in BD patients in vivo, urinary level of 8-isoprostaglandin F(2alpha) was quantitated by enzyme immunoassay after solid phase extraction in different clinical forms of BD patients.

Nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis with splenic abscess in a pregnant woman.

A 36-year-old, 7-week-gravida patient with catheter-related nosocomial infective endocarditis due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is presented in this paper. The patient was admitted to our hospital because of carbon monoxide intoxication. After 14 days, MRSA catheter-related bacteremia developed.

Relationship between HLA-DR, HLA-DQ alleles and MEFV gene mutations in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients.

Background/aims: Three missense mutations clustered on the carboxyl-terminal portion of the MEFV gene (M680I, M694V, and V726A) have been observed in over 80% of affected alleles in several ethnic groups of familial Mediterranean fever patients. Several immunologic abnormalities were found both in cellular and humoral components in Mediterranean fever patients. Those observations have pointed the way for analysis of the HLA region in Mediterranean fever.

Regular abdominal pain and fever in each menstruation onset: an unusual menses-associated familial Mediterrenean fever attacks and a favor result on colchicine treatment.

We present a 38-year-old woman suffering from regular abdominal pain and fever only in each menstruation onset for 7 years. The clinical symptoms, along with inflammatory findings during painful attacks, the beneficial effect of colchicine and genetic mutation (M694 V and M680I) supported the diagnosis of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). A literature review indicated that FMF attacks occurring only during menstruation are rarely seen.

Deep Impact: observations from a worldwide Earth-based campaign.

On 4 July 2005, many observatories around the world and in space observed the collision of Deep Impact with comet 9P/Tempel 1 or its aftermath. This was an unprecedented coordinated observational campaign. These data show that (i) there was new material after impact that was compositionally different from that seen before impact; (ii) the ratio of dust mass to gas mass in the ejecta was much larger than before impact; (iii) the new activity did not last more than a few days, and by 9 July the comet's behavior was indistinguishable from its pre-impact behavior; and (iv) there were interesting transient phenomena that may be correlated with cratering physics.

Malassezia and Candida colonisation on glans penis of circumcised men.

The Malassezia yeast are members of the normal human cutaneous flora in adults. They also are reported as part of the microflora of the male genital region in mostly uncircumcised males. It has been reported that Malassezia sympodialis and Malassezia globosa are the most frequent yeast belonging to the resident microflora of the penis as in other human skin areas.

Serum C-reactive protein level is associated with renal function and it affects echocardiographic cardiovascular disease in pre-dialysis patients.

Background: Relevance of serum CRP for morbidity and mortality in pre-dialysis patients has not been assessed extensively. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of elevated serum CRP in pre-dialysis patients and to identify the factors that associate with serum CRP. We were also evaluated the effects of serum CRP on cardiovascular disease, anemia, and nutritional markers.

Time and risk analysis for acute type A aortic dissection surgery performed by hypothermic circulatory arrest, cerebral perfusion, and open distal aortic anastomosis.

Background: Hypothermic total circulatory arrest, retrograde or antegrade cerebral perfusion, and open distal anastomosis are important stages of surgical management and cerebral protection for acute type A dissections. Among the factors that influence survival are the transfer time to hospital from the onset of symptoms, in-hospital transfer time to operation, organ malperfusion, preoperative risk factors, and intraoperative variables. The aim of this study was to analyze time and risk factors during surgical management.

The time course of serum C-reactive protein is more predictive of mortality than its baseline level in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: Several recent studies reported that a high baseline serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is a powerful predictor of mortality in dialysis patients. However, the acute-phase response is intermittent and not a continuous feature in an individual patient. The aim of this prospective study was to determine whether serial analysis of serum CRP during follow-up allows better prediction of mortality and echocardiographic cardiac disease than a single baseline measurement in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

Tinea cruris in routine urology practice.

Introduction: Tinea cruris is almost exclusively a male dermatophytosis. This infection is also sexually transmitted, and may cause epidemics in public areas such as common bathing facilities, dormitories and among military recruits. It has been aimed to investigate the prevalence and the causative agents of tinea cruris and tinea pedis in patients who were admitted to the Department of Urology with various pathologies.

Lack of association of tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphisms with disease susceptibility and severity in Behçet's disease.

Although it has been reported that the MHC class I molecule, HLA-B51, is a risk factor for Behçet's disease (BD), contribution of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) genes, which are located in the vicinity of the HLA-B locus, to the genetic susceptibility for BD has yet to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of TNF-alpha promoter polymorphisms at positions -308, -238 and -376 on the susceptibility, severity and clinical features of BD. The TNF-alpha gene sequences from 107 patients with BD and 102 healthy subjects were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction.

Role of closed mitral commissurotomy for mitral stenosis: mid- and long-term surgical outcome of 36 patients.

Purpose: To evaluate long-term survival and valve-related complications as well as prognostic factors for mid- and long-term outcome after closed mitral commissurotomy, covering a follow-up period of 14 years.

Material And Methods: Between 1989 and 2003, 36 patients (28 women and 8 men, mean age 28.8 +/- 6.

The results of skin prick testing in patients with allergic rhinitis: a comparison between a multiple lancet device and a single lancet.

Skin prick testing (SPT) is widely used in the assessment of allergic disorders. Different SPT techniques are widely used. The aim of this study was to compare the response to SPT using a multiple lancet device (MLD) with the results of a single lancet (SL).

The levels of serum-soluble Fas in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis.

Different defects in Fas/APO-1 interaction with its ligand or in signaling of apoptosis may contribute to autoimmune disease. The aim of this study was to examine whether elevated serum-soluble Fas (sFas) levels are associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic sclerosis (SSc). sFas level was assayed using a sandwich ELISA in serum from 37 patients with RA, 30 patients with SSc and 20 healthy controls.

Total lymphocyte count in peripheral blood of peritoneal dialysis patients: relationship to clinical parameters and outcome.

Background: Total lymphocyte count (TLC) is used as a nutritional status measurement. The impact of TLC on mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients is controversial. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of TLC on mortality, and assessing the relationship between TLC and nutritional status, anemia and erythropoietin (EPO) response, acute-phase response, dialysis adequacy and volume status in PD patients.

Factor V gene (1691A and 4070G) and prothrombin gene 20210A mutations in patients with Behçet's disease.

Objectives: Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of still unknown etiology, characterized by endothelial cell injury/dysfunction and thrombosis and/or aneurysm of large blood vessels. Thrombophilia may play a role in the pathogenesis of thrombosis in BD. The common inherited gene defects, factor V (FV) 1691A (Leiden) and prothrombin (PT) 20210A, are known risk factors for thrombosis.

Serum-soluble selectin levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis.

Soluble forms of selectins may play a regulatory role in inflammatory responses that are key to the pathophysiology of rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of this study was to examine whether the elevated serum-soluble (s) selectin levels are associated with RA or SSc. Serum sE-, sL- and sP-selectin levels were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 34 RA patients, 30 SSc patients and 16 healthy subjects.

Behçet's disease presenting as deep venous thrombosis and priapism.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multi-system inflammatory disorder which may involve the vascular system. Currently, it is general practice to use the International Study Group (ISG) criteria for the diagnosis of BD. However, even though vascular involvement may be seen in one-fourth to one-half of BD patients, and occasionally is the presenting and only manifestation of BD, large vessel disease is not included among the ISG criteria.

HLA-DRB1 genes and disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis in Turkey.

Objective: Association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB alleles, implicated in the aetiopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is found to be different in various ethnic groups. This study aimed to investigate DRB1 alleles in RA patients in Turkey, and to examine the effect of these alleles on disease severity.

Methods: We performed PCR-based DRBI genotyping of 104 RA patients recruited from clinical settings and 110 healthy controls.

Serum homocysteine level is higher in Behçet's disease with vascular involvement.

Objective: Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology that is sometimes associated with thrombosis. However, the mechanism of hypercoagulability is not known. In this study, we investigated whether hyperhomocysteinemia, being a well-known risk factor for thrombosis, is also a contributing risk factor to venous and arterial thromboses of BD.

Repair of coarctation of the aorta in adults and hypertension.

The aim of this study is to determine if surgical repair of coarctation in adults improves systemic hypertension. The charts of 23 consecutive patients (age range 13-36 years, mean 23.6+/-7) who underwent repair of aortic coarctation at the Atatürk University, Aziziye Hospital, between 1986 and 2000 were reviewed.