Diaphragmatic ultrasonography in patients with IPF: Is diaphragmatic structure and mobility related to fibrosis severity and pulmonary functional changes?

Introduction: There is evidence to suggest that dyspnea and impaired exercise capacity are associated with respiratory muscle dysfunction in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients. We aimed to evaluate the functions of the diaphragm with ultrasonography (US) and to determine the correlation of the data obtained with the pulmonary function parameters of the patients, exercise capacity, and the extent of fibrosis radiologically.

Materials And Methods: Diaphragmatic mobility, thickness, and thickening fraction (TF) were measured by ultrasonography in IPF patients and the control group.

Comparative assessment of outcomes of smoking cessation therapies and role of free medications in successful long-term abstinence.

Introduction: Long-term outcomes of smoking cessation treatments are crucial to optimize standards of cessation services, which are known to prevent excess morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate long-term outcomes of a smoking cessation program, to compare the success rates of interventions, to assess relapse rates after quitting, and to determine the duration until relapse.

Methods: Patients admitted for smoking cessation between 2010-2018 were contacted to evaluate short- and long-term treatment outcomes.

The Comparison Between Non-High Risk Patients with and Without Cancer Diagnosed with Pulmonary Embolism.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the pulmonary embolism (PE) location and clot burden on computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), the degree of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD), D-dimer, and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels, and the presence of a lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients with and without cancer diagnosed with a non high risk pulmonary embolism (PE).

Method: We calculated Miller score for each patient for clot burden. The location of PE was also evaluated at CTPA.

[Bronchial thermoplasty for asthma treatment].

New asthma therapies such as omalizumab, mepolizumab and reslizumab are used according to the inflammatory phenotype, but there are many patients with asthma which are not suitable for these therapies or do not improve with these therapies. Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) was approved by FDA for the treatmet of adults with severe asthma and uncontrolled symptoms despite treatment with inhaler corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting bronchodilators in 2010. BT is a minimally invasive bronhoscopic intervention based on radiofrequency energy delivery to the larger airways to reduce excessive airway smooth muscle mass.

A comparative analysis of angiopoietin 2 immunohistochemical staining in various stages of lung cancer.

Objective: The role of Angiopoietin 2 (Ang 2), which is necessary for tumor growth, extension, and metastasis is not fully elucidated. The presented study aimed to investigate the relationship between Ang 2 staining intensity, expression rate in tumor tissue, and the stage of lung cancer.

Materials And Methods: Fifty cases of lung cancer (34 non-small and 16 small cell cases) were included in the study.

Comparison of tuberculin skin test and quantiferon-TB gold in tube test for diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection in health care workers: A cross sectional study.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic efficacy and agreement of the traditional tuberculin skin test with QuantiFERON-Tuberculosis Gold In-Tube test for latent tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers.

Methods: The cross-sectional analytical study was conducted between March 1 and 31, 2008, at a specialist tuberculosis hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, and comprised healthcare workers who had been employed for at least one year at the hospital and volunteered to take part. Tuberculin skin test and QuantiFERON-Tuberculosis Gold In-Tube test were both performed simultaneously and their results were compared Using SPSS 12.

Relation between inflammatory cytokine levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and gene polymorphism in young adult patients with bronchiectasis.

Aim: Bronchiectasis develops as a result of genetic and environmental factors and its etiopathogenesis is not still clear. Recent studies have revealed that inflammatory cytokines, which are formed as a result of chronic infection and inflammation, play a role in the pathogenesis of bronchiectasis. For this purpose, the level of inflammatory cytokines in bronchiectasis and the presence or absence of a genetic predisposition with the gene polymorphism of these cytokines was investigated.

Evaluation of quality of life with the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment test in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the effect of dyspnea on disease-specific quality of life in these patients.

Purpose: The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT) was recently introduced for use in assessing disease-specific quality of life and follow-up of patients with COPD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the dyspnea on disease-specific quality of life detected by CAT score in patients with COPD.

Materials And Methods: In this study, 90 stable patients with COPD as defined by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria were included.

[Determination of the cytokine gene polymorphism and genetic susceptibility in tuberculosis patients].

Tuberculosis (TB) is a complicated disease in which biological, socioeconomical and environmental factors play role. Since only 10% of the individuals infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis develop active disease, it has been suggested that host genetic factors may influence the risk for the development of TB. In this study, we aimed to investigate the presence and role of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene regions responsible for cytokine production, since these factors are considered to be associated with susceptibility or resistance to disease development.

Angiopoietin 2 levels in serum and bronchial lavage fluids and their relationship with cancer stages in lung cancer patients.

Background: Angiopoietin 2 (Ang-2) has an important role in tumor angiogenesis. In this study, Ang-2 levels of serum and bronchioloalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) in patients with lung cancer were measured and correlated with clinical and biochemical parameters.

Methods: Thirty-five cases newly diagnosed with lung cancer and 18 controls with non-cancerous lung diseases were included in the study.

[Current approach to respiratory problems in neuromuscular diseases].

Neuromuscular diseases lead to respiratory failure as they cause progressive weakness of the muscle of respiration. Studies show that noninvasive mechanical ventilation improves symptoms, gas exchange, quality of life, and survival in these patients. Noninvasive mechanical ventilation should be use at the onset of nocturnal hypoventilation.

[Tuberculosis incidence and primary drug resistance rates in young soldiers: data from 14 military hospitals in Turkey].

Tuberculosis is an important health care problem worldwide as well as in Turkey and the control programmes are still in progress. Epidemiological data are necessary to conduct control studies related to the disease. Tuberculosis incidence and drug resistance rates are two necessary parameters which should be monitored for the effective establishment of tuberculosis control.

Predictive models for tuberculous pleural effusions in a high tuberculosis prevalence region.

Background: Patients with pleural effusions who reside in geographic areas with a high prevalence of tuberculosis frequently have similar clinical manifestations of other diseases. The aim of our study was to develop a simple but accurate clinical score for differential diagnosis of tuberculosis pleural effusion (TPE) from non-TB pleural effusion (NTPE).

Methods: This was an unblinded, prospective study of Turkish patients 18 years of age or older with pleural effusion of indeterminate etiology conducted from June 2003 to June 2005.

[Case report: Löffler's syndrome due to Ascaris lumbricoides mimicking acute bacterial community--acquired pneumonia].

In this study we present a patient with Loeffler's syndrome caused by Ascaris lumbricoides who presented with the clinical findings of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Our patient, who was twenty-five years old, and who had had symptoms such as coughing, expectorating, dyspnea and fever for approximately ten days, was hospitalized. We auscultated polyphonic rhonchuses at the both hemithoraxes.

Serum prohepcidin in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Aim: Anemia of chronic disease is the second most encountered anemia following iron deficiency in patients who develop acute or chronic immune activation. Pulmonary tuberculosis is an infectious disease which results in an inflammatory response frequently causing anemia. We investigated whether prohepcidin can be used successfully to disclose the cause of anemia and to monitor the result of the therapy in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Does atopy affect the radiological extent of pulmonary tuberculosis?

Background: Th1 cytokines, IL-2 and IFN-gamma , have critical importance in the CD4 cell driven antimycobacterial activity. Th2 type immune response is a characteristic feature of atopic disorders. Th1 and Th2 cells have been reported to negatively cross-regulate each other in vitro and in experimental animals.

Does the atopic phenotype prevent development of active tuberculosis infection?

This study investigated the relationship between the atopic phenotype and the development of active tuberculosis. A total of 82 human immunodeficiency virus negative males with active pulmonary tuberculosis and 88 healthy controls were enrolled into this prospective study. Serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were measured and skin prick tests performed before initiation of treatment.

[Affecting factors of nicotine dependence in the smoker health workers].

Nicotine dependence is pointed out as the first reason of smoking behavior continuity and treatment failure. We investigated the nicotine dependence level (NDL) of health workers and the factors which affect it. We carried out the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence (FTND) and a questionnaire composed of 24 questions that evaluate demographic characters and the smoker ideas about smoking on health workers who staff at the a training hospital in Istanbul.

Effect of corticosteroids on hemostasis and pulmonary arterial pressure during chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation.

Background: Hemodynamic and hemostatic abnormalities are reportedly frequent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Objectives: We investigated the changes in systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAPs) and hemostatic status and the effects of systemic steroid treatment (SST) during COPD exacerbation.

Methods: Consecutive 26 male and 4 female patients as well as 10 controls were enrolled.

The course of serum adenosine deaminase levels in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: This study was done to investigate the course of serum adenosine deaminase (sADA) level during pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and its relationship with clinical, radiological, and laboratory parameters in TB patients.

Material/methods: sADA levels were measured at the beginning and after the first, second, and sixth months in 38 smear-positive TB patients. Chest X-rays were taken.

Giant hamartoma originating from the chest wall in an adult.

Hamartomas of the chest wall are rare benign lesions usually appear in infancy. We report an adult with giant hamartoma of the chest wall. A 21-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with swelling on his scapular region.

Pyo-pneumothorax in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis: an analysis of 17 cases without intrapleural fibrinolytic treatment.

Objective: To review the medical records of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and pyo-pneumothorax (PPT).

Subjects And Methods: Medical records of 17 patients (14 male, 3 female, mean age 23.8 years, range 20-52) with PPT and active pulmonary tuberculosis at Gulhane Military Medical Academia Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, were reviewed from January 1998 to December 2002.

Delay in the diagnosis of Turkish servicemen with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Objective: This study was designed to assess the time between the first appearance of symptoms and the start of treatment among Turkish servicemen with tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: Ninety-seven patients with pulmonary TB were enrolled in the study. We surveyed their complaints and education levels, the opportunity to visit a health care facility, and the time elapsed until diagnosis and treatment.