GSTT1 and GSTM1 gene polymorphisims in sarcoidosis.

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease of unknown cause, which affects all systems, especially the lungs and the lymphatic system. Genetic and environmental factors are held accountable for the etiology. Based on the general opinion, sarcoidosis develops after exposure to a specific environmental agent by genetically susceptible individuals.

ACE gene I/D polymorphism and risk of sarcoidosis development in Turkish patients.

Introduction: Etiology of sarcoidosis is unknown but the prevalence of disease in different ethnic groups and identical twins, family characteristics indicate that genetic predisposition is a possible factor. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has been implicated in the pahophysiology of sarcoidosis. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of a polymorphism in I/D (Insertion/Deletion) of the ACE gene on the susceptibility to sarcoidosis.

[Impaired myocardial performance in sarcoidosis].

Despite myocardial sarcoid involvement has been reported in 20-27% in autopsy series, only 5% of the patients are clinically symptomatic. This study was planned to evaluate right and left ventricular functions in patients with early stage sarcoidosis (stage I and II) without any findings of cardiac involvement with Tei index which globally shows systolic and diastolic functions of the ventricles was used. Seventy-two patients under follow-up for sarcoidosis without cardiac involvement (53 women, 19 men; mean age 49.

Impaired left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions in patients with early grade pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Aims: Cardiac sarcoidosis is symptomatic in only 5% of patients, and it is an independent predictor of mortality and carries a very poor prognosis. In our study, we aimed to assess left ventricle (LV) systolic and diastolic functions with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in patients with early grade pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Methods And Results: The study population included 55 patients with Grade I-II sarcoidosis (41 females, 14 males, mean age: 47.

Relationship between disease severity and D-dimer levels measured with two different methods in pulmonary embolism patients.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is diagnosed with increasing frequency nowadays due to advances in the diagnostic methods and the increased awareness of the disease. There is a tendency to use non invasive diagnostic methods for all diseases. D-dimer is a fibrin degradation product.