Intensifying Iodine Deficiency Throughout Trimesters of Pregnancy in a Borderline Iodine-Sufficient Urban Area, Ankara, Turkey.

Iodine has long been recognized as an essential micronutrient for maternal thyroid function, as well as fetal growth and development during pregnancy. The current study aimed to evaluate thyroid hormone status, urinary iodine concentration (UIC), thyroid volume, and nodularity in pregnant women, throughout trimesters, in a borderline iodine sufficient, urban area with mandatory table salt iodization. Two-hundred-sixty-five pregnant women ranging from 17 to 45 years participated in this prospective longitudinal study.

Role of interlekin-35 as a biomarker in patients with newly diagnosed Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Objective: Interleukin-35 (IL-35), an interleukin-12 (IL-12) cytokine family member, is shown to be a potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory cytokine. Inducible regulatory T cells (Tregs) produce IL-35 that mediates the immune inhibitory function of Tregs. Growing evidence revealed that upregulation of IL-35 expression may play a critical role in the prevention of autoimmune diseases in various experimental autoimmunity models and vice versa.

Melatonin protects kidney against apoptosis induced by acute unilateral ureteral obstruction in rats.

Introduction: To investigate whether there was a protective effect of melatonin on apoptotic mechanisms after an acute unilateral obstruction of the kidney.

Material And Methods: A total of 25 rats consisting of five groups were used in the study, designated as follows: Group 1: control, Group 2: sham, Group 3: unilateral ureteral obstruction treated with only saline, Group 4: unilateral ureteral obstruction treated with melatonin immediately, and Group 5: unilateral obstruction treated with melatonin one day after obstruction. Melatonin was administered as a 10 mg/kg dose intraperitoneally.

Evaluation of inflammation during fixed orthodontic treatment.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess effects of fixed orthodontic therapy on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level, CBC parameters and levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea, creatinine, sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), total protein (TP), and albumin (Alb).

Design: Blood samples (7ml) were drawn at baseline, on days 1 and 7, and three months after placement of braces in the study group, while only one blood sample was drawn at baseline in the control group. Serum hs-CRP levels were measured by nephelometric method.

Circulating irisin levels reflect visceral adiposity in non-diabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Background: Recent evidence suggests that increased visceral adiposity is a strong independent risk factor for cardiovascular death and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Irisin, which is a novel myokine, can play critical roles in diabetes and adiposity. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether serum irisin levels are associated with body mass index, waist circumference (WC), and total fat mass in non-diabetic patients undergoing maintenance HD.

Can Serum Gdf-15 be Associated with Functional Iron Deficiency in Hemodialysis Patients?

Functional iron deficiency (FID) incidence is gradually increasing in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Recently, high levels of GDF-15 supressed the iron regulatory protein hepcidin and GDF-15 expression increased in iron-deficient patients. The relationship between FID, GDF-15, and hepcidin is currently unknown.

Is Kidney Injury Molecule 1 a Valuable Tool for the Early Diagnosis of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy?

Aim/scope: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a common complication of diagnostic/therapeutic procedures. Serum creatinine levels are sensitive but often lead to diagnostic delays in acute kidney injury and potential misclassification of actual injury status. Kidney injury molecule (KIM-1) is a novel early marker of acute kidney injury.

The relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and ambulatory arterial stiffness index in newly diagnosed and never-treated hypertensive patients.

Objectives: Vitamin D insufficiency has been shown to be associated with cardiac dysfunctions, such as cardiac hypertrophy and hypertension, in animal studies. Arterial stiffness is a prognostic marker for cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were negatively correlated with arterial stiffness index.

Serum levels of endocan correlate with the presence and severity of pre-eclampsia.

Background: Endocan, a cysteine-rich dermatan sulfate proteoglycan expressed by endothelial cells, is seemed to be a new biomarker for endothelial dysfunction. Pre-eclampsia (PE) is characterized by the new onset of hypertension, proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation, placental vascular remodeling, systemic vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of PE and its severity with serum endocan levels.

Association between Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Coronary Artery Calcification in Patients Undergoing 64-Multidetector Computed Tomography.

Background And Objectives: The red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has been found to be associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to determine whether the RDW measures are associated with the coronary artery calcification score (CACS) in patients who did not present with obvious coronary heart disease (CHD).

Subjects And Methods: A total of 527 consecutive patients with a low to intermediate risk for CHD but without obvious disease were enrolled in this study.

Association of ambulatory arterial stiffness index with sEPCR in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.

Aim: Increased arterial stiffness is strongly associated with cardiovascular diseases, while thrombotic events are more common than hemorrhagic events in hypertensive patients. Markers of a hypercoagulable state may also predict future cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. Here, we speculated that increased arterial stiffness might lead to the development of a hypercoagulable state that can play a role in the thrombotic complications of hypertension.

Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) Could Be Better Predictor than C-reactive Protein (CRP) for Liver Fibrosis in Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis(NASH).

Background-aim: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The aims of this study were to assess Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), and their association with liver histology in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), chronic hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV).

Material-methods: We studied 38 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven NASH, 19 patients with HCV, 45 patients with HBV, and 35 healthy controls who were similar for age and gender.

Galectin-3 as a new biomarker of diastolic dysfunction in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Galectin-3 (gal-3) is an emerging prognostic biomarker in heart failure (HF). Clinical and experimental studies suggest that gal-3 is an important mediator of HF. Here we aimed to examine the relationship between gal-3 and diastolic dysfunction in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (HD).

Can neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio be independent risk factor for predicting acute kidney injury in patients with severe sepsis?

Aim: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an easily calculated, sensitive, and accurate marker for prognosis and diagnosing sepsis, cardiovascular disease and cancer. As sepsis and septic shock are main causes of acute kidney injury (AKI) intensive care unit (ICU), we investigated whether NLR is an early predictor of AKI in patients with severe sepsis. We compared NLR's predictive power with that of other inflammation-related variables.

Relationship between late arteriovenous fistula (AVF) stenosis and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Objectives: Primary cause of late arteriovenous fistula (AVF) dysfunction is venous stenosis as result of neointimal hyperplasia. The mechanism of AVF stenosis is not exactly understood. But inflammation is a contributing factor for development of AVF stenosis.

Serum galectin-3 levels were associated with proteinuria in patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever.

Background: The most common and pernicious complication of Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is renal amyloidosis, usually affecting the kidneys, leading to end-stage renal failure. FMF-related renal amyloidosis needed to be diagnosed early. Optimal colchicine dose is effective in preventing and reversing renal amyloidosis.

Relationship of late arteriovenous fistula stenosis with soluble E-selectin and soluble EPCR in chronic hemodialysis patients with arteriovenous fistula.

Background/aims: Vascular access dysfunction caused by stenosis is a major complication for hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, physiopathology of late arteriovenous fistula (AVF) stenosis is still under investigation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between plasma soluble EPCR (sEPCR) with serum soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) concentration and late AVF stenosis in HD patients.

CA 125 levels and left ventricular function in patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze associations between serum cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) levels and left ventricular (LV) function in patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis (HD).

Methods: CA 125 levels, pro-brain natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP) and biochemical parameters were measured, and echocardiography was performed for 110 patients and 47 healthy controls.

Results: The mean CA 125 level in patients, 38.

Correlation between iron stores and QTc dispersion in chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

Aim: We aimed to investigate the QT dispersion and corrected QT (QTc) dispersion which are suggested as the signals of ventricular arrhythmias, in patients on maintenance CAPD and to evaluate the correlation between iron stores and these electrocardiographic parameters.

Materials And Method: Fifty-eight patients on maintenance CAPD and 19 healthy age- and sex-matched adults without cardiac disease were included. The PD patients were divided into two groups according to whether their computerized measurements of QTc dispersion were longer than 65 ms.

Cefpodoxime proxetil-related hemolysis and acute interstitial nephritis.

Objective: We report a case of acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) and immune hemolytic anemia (IHA) associated with cefpodoxime therapy.

Case Summary: A patient with a recent history of cefpodoxime proxetil treatment presented with elevated serum creatinine, oliguria, nausea, vomiting, and dyspnea. Evidence of renal failure, abnormal urinalysis, and renal biopsy with inflammatory infiltrate in the interstitium confirmed a diagnosis of AIN.

25-OH-Vitamin D and procalcitonin levels after correction of acute hyperglycemia.

Background: Hyperglycemia is a common complication of diabetes melitis (DM) and in the absence of metabolic decompensation is a common finding in the Emergency Department (ED). We aimed to evaluate the 25 OH Vit D [25(OH)D] and procalcitonin (PCT) levels during hyperglycemia and after normalization of blood glucose.

Material And Methods: The study included 88 patients over the age of 18 years who presented with acute hyperglycemia at the Hacettepe University Department of Emergency Medicine.

Is vitamin D status a predictor glycaemic regulation and cardiac complication in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients?

Objective: To evaluate vitamin D as a predictor of glycaemic regulation in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Research Design And Methods: In observational study 171 type 2 diabetic patients who are followed for median (range) of 10.15 (3-18) years.

A case of hyperprolactinemia, probably induced by eletriptan.

A 25-year-old woman with a severe migraine begins to use a migraine specific agent, eletriptan (40 mg/d). One month later, she had oligomenorrhea and galactorrhea. We ruled out all causes of hyperprolactinemia.

Metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma presenting central diabetes insipidus.

The pituitary gland and infundibulum can be involved in a variety of medical conditions, including infiltrative diseases, fungal infections, tuberculosis, and primary and metastatic tumors. Metastases to the pituitary gland are absolutely rare, and they are generally secondary to pulmonary carcinoma in men and breast carcinoma in women. Pituitary metastases more commonly affect the posterior lobe and the infundibulum than the anterior lobe.

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis in Sjogren's syndrome secondary to distal renal tubular acidosis.

We report a 53-year-old Turkish female presented with progressive weakness and mild dyspnea. Laboratory results demonstrated severe hypokalemia with hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. The urinary anion gap was positive in the presence of acidemia, thus she was diagnosed with hypokalemic paralysis from a severe distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA).