The effects of PAP therapy on energy metabolism in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Introduction: In this study, changes in energy metabolism before and after treatment were compared in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients who received positive airway pressure therapy.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-nine patients (22 male, 17 female) were admitted to study. Patients for PAP therapy who had moderate to severe in polysomnography were included.

The effects of home oxygen therapy on energy metabolism in patients with COPD.

Background: COPD is preventable and treatable and is characterized by completely nonreversible airflow obstruction. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of long-term oxygen therapy on patients with stage 4 COPD who were followed up and treated at the polyclinic or clinic service. We evaluated the effects of oxygen therapy on energy metabolism and physical activity in patients with COPD.

Effect of CPAP on sleep spindles in patients with OSA.

Objective: Consequences of OSAS include excessive daytime sleepiness, divided sleep architecture, impaired neurocognitive performance, and significant psychosocial disruption. In this study we aimed to evaluate sleep spindles changes before and after PAP treatment in patient with OSA.

Methods: Seventy-three consecutive patients (M/F:61/12) who applied to Sleep Disorders Center of Inonu University Hospital and met the inclusion criteria were enrolled to this study.

Saddle pulmonary embolism visualized by real time three-dimensional echocardiography.

Saddle pulmonary embolism is defined as a visible thromboembolus straddling the bifurcation of the main pulmonary artery. It is very unusual to visualize a pulmonary artery thrombus on transthoracic echocardiography. We describe a case of a saddle embolus of the main pulmonary artery visualized by real time three-dimensional echocardiography and successfully treated with intravenous unfractionated heparin, followed by oral anticoagulation achieving a complete dissolution of the thrombus.

Assessment of atrial electromechanical delay and influential factors in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Purpose: The interaction between moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiac arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation (AF), is well known. We aimed to determine whether atrial electromechanical parameters assessed by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) would be affected in moderate-to-severe OSA, and detect the influential factors of atrial electromechanical parameters in these patients.

Methods And Results: Interatrial and intra-atrial electromechanical delay was measured by TDI in patients with moderate-to-severe OSA (n = 64) and control subjects (n = 39).

The prognostic value of serum epidermal growth factor receptor level in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been implicated as a factor indicating tumour progression or as a prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in which its overexpression is often detected. The usefulness of identifying EGFR in serum from patients with NSCLC is controversial. This study was designed to identify serum EGFR levels in patients with NSCLC and to evaluate the relationship between serum EGFR levels and clinical stage, histological subtype and survival time.

Prevalence of COPD: first epidemiological study of a large region in Turkey.

Background: Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, epidemiological data on COPD is very limited. This study was designed to obtain some baseline data on COPD in the Malatya region of Turkey.

Methods: Sixty clusters from urban and rural regions were randomly selected.

CPAP compliance in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized by repeated cessations of breathing during sleep. Major symptoms of this disease are excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, and witnessed apnea. Most of the patients are treated with CPAP.

Inspiratory capacity and forced expiratory volume in the first second in exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Object: Periodic exacerbations of symptoms are the major cause of morbidity, mortality and health care costs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dyspnea is the major factor affecting the comfort of patients in the exacerbation of COPD. In this study, we aimed to compare the value of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV(1)) and inspiratory capacity (IC) measured before and after treatment in exacerbations and in the improvement in dyspnea.

[Value of plasma BNP levels as a prognostic marker in lung and heart disorders].

In this study we included 155 subjects, 35 patients with left heart failure, 49 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-cor pulmonale, 26 COPD, 20 pulmonary embolism and 25 healthy subjects. Plasma BNP level in patient with left heart failure was significantly higher than COPD-cor pulmonale, COPD and control subject in respect 1167 +/- 746, 434 +/- 55, 32 +/- 36 and 32 +/- 12 pg/mL. Plasma BNP in group of cor pulmonale was higher than COPD and control subject 434 +/- 55 vs.

Role of pleural viscosity in the differential diagnosis of exudative pleural effusion.

Objective And Background: Determining the aetiology of an effusion involves assessing if it is an exudate or a transudate. However, a reliable test for determining the aetiology of a pleural effusion is lacking. Pleural viscosity has a high sensitivity and specificity and a high positive and negative predictive value for discriminating exudative and transudative pleural effusions.

Beneficial effect of deep breathing on premature ventricular complexes: can it be related to the decrease in QT dispersion?

It has been reported that deep breathing at 6 breaths/min is associated with reduction of premature ventricular complexes. The beneficial effect of deep breathing is supposed to be due to vagal modulation of sinoatrial and atrioventricular node. Beside the modulating effects of deep breathing, we believe that deep breathing, which is also used in yoga training, might have additional effects via decreasing QT dispersion.

A simple laboratory measurement for discrimination of transudative and exudative pleural effusion: pleural viscosity.

Background: The initial step in establishing the cause of an effusion is to determine whether the fluid is a transudate or exudate. Plasma viscosity is influenced by the concentration of plasma proteins and lipoproteins with the major contribution resulting from fibrinogen. In this study we aimed to evaluate the role of pleural fluid viscosity in discrimination of transudate and exudates.

Documentation of slow coronary flow by the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count in habitual smokers with angiographically normal coronary arteries.

The thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count is a simple clinical tool for assessing quantitative indexes of coronary blood flow. In this study we aimed to evaluate the effects of long-term cigarette smoking on the TIMI frame count in patients with angiographically proven normal coronary arteries. Between May 2001 and January 2002, 41 habitual smokers and 41 sex-matched nonsmokers with angiographically proven normal coronary arteries were included in the study.

The role of valvular and thoracic aortic calcifications in distinction between ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

Determination of underlying etiology in patients with dilated and globally hypokinetic left ventricles may sometimes be difficult even after detailed history and complete clinical evaluation. Cardiac valvular and thoracic aortic calcifications have previously been reported to be used as a window to diffuse atherosclerosis of the vascular system. The authors prospectively examined the predictive value of mitral annular calcification (MAC), aortic valve calcification (AVC), and thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) in diagnosis of coronary artery disease as the underlying cause of diffuse left ventricular dilatation and systolic dysfunction.

[Evaluation of spirometric and pulmonary haemodynamic parameters in patients with COPD].

In this study we aimed to asses the association between the spirometric test which is known to be an indicator of severity of the disease and pulmonary artery pressure, in patient chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Study population consisted of 51 patients with COPD. Severity of the disease was graded by the criteria of European Respiratory Society; mildly obstructive 5 patients (FEV1 > 70%), moderately obstructive 10 (FEV1= 50-69%), severely obstructive 36 patients (FEV1 < 50%).

Increased systemic and regional coagulation activity in patients with mitral stenosis and sinus rhythm.

A hypercoagulable state has been reported in patients with mitral stenosis (MS) and sinus rhythm (SR). However it has been suggested that the coagulation activity may be increased only within the left atrium in MS, with normal peripheral blood levels. The aim of the present study was to assess regional left atrial and systemic coagulation activities by measuring PF1+2 in patients with severe mitral stenosis and sinus rhythm, normal blood clotting times, and no left atrial thrombus.

Effects of slow coronary artery flow on QT interval duration and dispersion.

Background: The coronary slow-flow phenomenon is an angiographic phenomenon characterized by delayed opacification of vessels in the absence of any evidence of obstructive epicardial coronary disease. Several studies have demonstrated myocardial ischemia in patients with slow coronary artery flow. In the present study, we aimed at evaluating the effects of slow coronary artery flow on QT interval duration and QT dispersion as a possible indicator of increased risk for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

Identification of viable myocardium in patients with chronic coronary artery disease and myocardial dysfunction: comparison of low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography and echocardiography during glucose-insulin-potassium infusion.

Low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography (LDDSE) is one of the methods most used to assess myocardial viability. Glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) has been shown to increase contraction of the ischemic zone. The aim of this study was to compare LDDSE and echocardiography during GIK infusion for detection of myocardial viability in patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial dysfunction.

Comparison of low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography and echocardiography during glucose-insulin-potassium infusion for detection of myocardial viability after anterior myocardial infarction.

Background: Low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography (LDDSE) is one of the methods most used to assess myocardial viability. Glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) infusion has been shown to increase contraction of the ischemic zone. The aim of this study was to compare LDDSE and echocardiography during GIK infusion for detection of myocardial viability.