Evaluation of the Urine Drug Abuse Screening Tests.

Background: Substance use is an important public health problem and increasing all over the world. Different methods have been defined for drug abuse testing in medical laboratories. We aimed to compare two urine drug screening methods with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Optimization of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit protocol to detect trimethylamine N-oxide levels in humans.

The serum level of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut microbiota metabolite associated with diabetes, cancer, inflammatory and neurological diseases, can be determined by the micro-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. However, we had problems obtaining accurate standard curves with the original kit protocol from Bioassay Technology Laboratory. We aimed to acquire proper standard curves by modifying the kit protocol in this study.

Evaluation of plasma soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (SuPAR) levels in ulcerative colitis.

Background And Study Aim: Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (SuPAR), a soluble form of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor, is a biomarker produced by macrophages, monocytes, neutrophils, active T cells, endothelial cells, and circulating tumor cells. SuPAR is a novel biomarker showing altered inflammation in many inflammatory diseases. This study aims to investigate the SuPAR level in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and to evaluate the SuPAR level in active, and remission patients.

The effect of breast milk nesfatin-1 and ghrelin levels on growth in infants with SGA.

Background: Current studies claim that peptides such as leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin, and nesfatin-1 found in breast milk may be responsible for the growth of infants. Therefore, we aimed to determine the association between breast milk total ghrelin and nesfatin-1 levels and anthropometric measurements of infants who were small for gestational age (SGA).

Methods: 20 SGA and 20 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants were enrolled in the study.

Vitamin D Levels and Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) Gene Polymorphisms in Inactive Hepatitis B Virus Carriers.

Objective: To evaluate the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and vitamin D levels in inactive hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers.

Study Design: A cross-sectional analytical study.

Place And Duration Of Study: From March to September 2017 at the Izmir Katip Celebi University (İKCU) Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.

Evaluation of serum Angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL-2), Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL-8), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus and normoglycemic pregnant women.

Objective: In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of the fasting serum levels of Anjiopoetın 2 - like protein (ANGPTL2), Anjiopoetın 8-like protein (ANGPTL8), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the etiopathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and analyze the relationships between insulin resistance parameters.

Material And Method: The 90 individuals admitted to İzmir Katip Celebi University Hospital Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Obstetrics, and gynecology outpatient clinic were included in the study of similar ages and similar demographic characteristics. Forty-five women with diet-controlled GDM and 45 women with normoglycemic pregnancy were enrolled.

Evaluation of Dipper and Non-dipper Blood Pressure Patterns and Quality of Life Among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Non-dipper blood pressure is defined by less than a 10% reduction in nighttime blood pressure, and it is associated with cardiovascular disease. Inflammation is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and non-dipper blood pressure pattern, and both diseases are associated with lower quality of life.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of non-dipper blood pressure pattern in patients with COPD.

Do oral amino acid supplements facilitate the healing of rat lung injuries?

Objectives: Prolonged air leaks following lung injury cause extended hospital stays. This study investigated the effect of nutritional supplements containing arginine, glutamine and β-hydroxy β-methyl butyrate, which were theoretically proven to accelerate wound healing, on air leak and wound healing parameters in a rat lung injury model.

Methods: Twenty-eight female rats were randomly divided into 4 groups.

Evaluation of oxaliplatin-induced pulmonary toxicity in rats.

Introduction: The mechanism of oxaliplatin (OXA) induced pulmonary toxicity is not fully understood.

Aim Of The Study: The present study was designed to investigate the pulmonary toxicity of OXA that has been reported in previous studies. Study design: animal experiments.

Relationship between Postmenopausal Vitamin D Level, Menopausal Symptoms and Sexual Functions.

Objective: To determine whether vitamin D levels correlate with menopausal symptoms and female sexual functions.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Izmir Katip Celebi University Hospital, Izmir, Turkey, between February and October 2017.

Elevated circulating levels of xenopsin-related peptide-1 are associated with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Purpose: This study was conducted to compare serum xenopsin-related peptide-1 (XP-1) levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and in healthy women and to determine the role of XP-1 levels in PCOS.

Methods: Forty patients with PCOS and 38 healthy women were included in the study and matched with age and body mass index. Fasting blood glucose, insulin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), XP-1 and total testosterone levels of all participants were measured.

The relationship of urocortin-2 with insulin resistance patients having PCOS.

In this study, we aimed to compare the serum urocortin-2 (UCN2) levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and healthy women. Thirty-eight patients with PCOS and 41 healthy women were included in the study whose age and BMI matched. The fasting serum glucose, insulin, free testosterone, hs-CRP and UCN2 levels of the all participants were examined.

S100A1 as a Potential Diagnostic Biomarker for Assessing Cardiotoxicity and Implications for the Chemotherapy of Certain Cancers.

This study examined the value of blood marker S100A1 in detecting cardiotoxicity induced by chemotherapy agents; trastuzumab and lapatinib, in normal rat heart. The rats were divided into three groups: control (n = 8, no treatment), T (n = 8, one time ip treatment with 10 mg/kg trastuzumab) and L (n = 8, oral treatment with 100 mg/kg/day lapatinib for 7 days). The activities of oxidative stress parameters Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Glutathione (GSH) were measured from the extracted cardiac tissues.

Increased circulating urocortin-3 levels is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome.

This study was aimed to compare serum urocortin-3 (UCN3) levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and healthy women, and establish what role UCN3 levels play in PCOS. Fifty-two patients with PCOS and 55 healthy women were included in the study, matched for age and body mass index. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, hs-CRP, UCN3 and free-testosterone levels of the all participants were measured.

The effect of methyl palmitate on treatment of experimental asthma.

Objective: To determine the effects of methyl palmitate on murine model of chronic asthma.

Methods: The experimental study was conducted in the animal laboratory of DokuzEylul University, Turkey, from October to December, 2012, and comprised BALB/c mice whowere divided into four equal groups: three experimental and one control group. All groups except the control group were sensitised and challenged with ovalbumin.

Clinical biochemistry laboratory rejection rates due to various types of preanalytical errors.

Introduction: Preanalytical errors, along the process from the beginning of test requests to the admissions of the specimens to the laboratory, cause the rejection of samples. The aim of this study was to better explain the reasons of rejected samples, regarding to their rates in certain test groups in our laboratory.

Materials And Methods: This preliminary study was designed on the rejected samples in one-year period, based on the rates and types of inappropriateness.

JAK2 V617F mutation status of 232 patients diagnosed with chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Introduction/background: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) V617F mutation in patients with break point cluster region-abelson negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (CMPNs) in our center.

Patients And Methods: We compared patients with and without the mutation, and also patients with the homozygous and heterozygous mutation, in terms of different clinical and laboratory features.

Results: The JAK2 V617F mutation was detected in 77 (95%), 88 (68%), and 17 (77%) of polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and primary myelofibrosis (PMF) patients, respectively.

Impact of pre-angiogenic factors on the treatment effect of bevacizumab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) play a major role in tumor growth and metastasis. Our aim was to determine whether there is any association between these endothelial parameters and tumor markers with the clinical outcome of bevacizumab-treated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients in terms of response and survival. Pretreatment serum levels of ET-1, ADMA, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 were measured in 36 chemotherapy-naive mCRC patients treated with first-line bevacizumab-based therapy.

Acute cardiotoxic effects of adjuvant trastuzumab treatment and its relation to oxidative stress.

Our aim was to evaluate the acute cardiac toxicity of adjuvant trastuzumab treatment and its possible relation to changes in oxidative stress. Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) parameters, activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase; SOD), and products of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde; MDA) were analyzed in 30 patients with early-stage breast cancer who had adjuvant trastuzumab treatment. There was a significant prolongation of QT interval after trastuzumab treatment.