Association of immune function with bone mineral density and biochemical markers of bone turnover in patients with anklylosing spondylitis.

The lymphocyte-osteoclast interaction has recently been described. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and bone metabolism. Bone metabolism was evaluated in the blood of 49 patients with AS by means of biochemical markers and bone mineral density (BMD) with a Lunar device.

Acute effect of haemodialysis on serum markers of myocardial damage.

Cardiac markers are more likely to be elevated in dialysis patients than in patients with renal failure not on dialysis. In this study, 31 patients (20 males, 11 females) undergoing chronic haemodialysis were enrolled. The effect of haemodialysis on cardiac troponin T (cTnT), I (cTnI), creatine kinase MB (CKMB) mass, CKMB activity and myoglobin assays was assessed by comparing pre- and post-haemodialysis determinations.

Determination of serum B12 vitamin and folic acid levels in patient with stroke.

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether any relationship between stroke and vitamin B12, folic acid concentration. We examined 50 patients with stroke (male: 26 and female: 24) aged between (mean +/- SD, year) 59 +/- 14 and 16 control subjects (male: 6 and female: 10) aged between (mean +/- SD, year) 53 +/- 11. Patients were classified into two groups as infarct and hemorrhagic by using Computerised Brain Tomography and Cranial Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques.

Biochemical bone turnover markers in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

In this study, bone formation markers [alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and osteocalcin (BGP)] and bone resorption markers [pyridinium cross-links: pyridinoline (Pyd) and deoxypyridinoline (Dpyd)] were studied in 44 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and in a control group of 41 subjects. The AS group was classified according to duration of disease, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values and gender. Urinary Pyd and Dpyd concentrations of the patients were higher than in the control group, concomitant with the lower T-score values of the patients in both the anteroposterior lumbar spine and femoral neck.

Efficiency of some in vitro allergy tests for evaluating atopy in children and adults.

In recent years, an increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases has been reported, in industrialised countries. It is also a problem in non-industrialised countries, but its extent is less well documented. In this study, inhalant screening allergens (AlaTOP), food screening allergens (FP5E), and total and specific IgE were measured in 237 allergic patients (164 adults and 73 children) in order to examine the distribution of common allergens, the percentage of atopy/non-atopy among allergic children and adults in a developing country, Turkey, which has different environments and societies from western countries.