Psychological status and patient-assessed health instruments in ankylosing spondylitis.

Background: Determination of the relationships between disease and psychological status in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is needed for clinical assessment and management, as well as selection and monitoring of AS patients for biological therapy.

Objective: The study aimed to describe associations between self-reported health status and psychological factors in AS patients and to compare the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R) profiles of the AS patients and the control subjects.

Methods: Disease status was determined through the Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), and the Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI).

Risperidone and liver function tests in children and adolescents: a short-term prospective study.

Objective: Revealing of unknown adverse effects of atypical antipsychotics on pediatric population may take a long period of time. The purpose of this prospective study is to document changes in the liver function tests (LFTs) associated with risperidone usage in a group of children and adolescents.

Method: Study subjects consist of 120 youths with ages ranging from 3-17 years.

Pain perception in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Objective: Pain perception is reported to be altered in patients with depression and schizophrenia. However, few studies have investigated the pain perception in patients with bipolar disorders. We therefore aimed to compare pain sensitivity between patients with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and controls.

Resistance to macrolides in Group A streptococci from the European section of Turkey: genetic and phenotypic characterization.

The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibilities to macrolides of Group A streptococcal isolates from the European section of Turkey. In the case of resistant isolates, the patterns and genetic mechanisms of erythromycin resistance were studied. Seven (2.