Prolidase could be considered a sign of inflammation associated with cigarette smoking.

Objectives: Smoking causes inflammation, thickening, and narrowing of the airways. This inflammatory process is a reaction to free radicals and oxidants. Smoking affects collagen metabolism and tissue remodeling.

Role of prolidase activity and oxidative stress biomarkers in unexplained infertility.

Objective: Our aim was to explore the significance of serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative stress in women with unexplained infertility (UEI).

Methods: In this case-control study (n = 160; 86 cases; 74 controls) prolidase enzyme activity and total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and vitamin E were measured in plasma using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results: Prolidase enzyme activity and TAS levels were particularly higher in the patient group (P = 0.

The Role of the Central and the Peripheral Neuropeptides in Weight Gain and Metabolic Changes Related to Olanzapine.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the role of central and peripheral neuropeptides in olanzapine-induced weight gain and metabolic changes.

Materials And Methods: Thirty patients who would receive olanzapine treatment were evaluated at the beginning of the treatment at the 2 and 8 weeks. Weight, waist circumference, the central neuropeptides pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and neuropeptide Y (NPY), and the peripheral adipokine leptin and the peripheral peptide cholecystokinin (CCK) levels were measured in each control.

Serum and placental periostin levels in women with early pregnancy loss.

Objectives: Periostin is secreted from the placenta in the embryonic period and it is emphasized that it may be involved in endometrial implantation. In this study, we aimed to investigate periostin serum levels and placental tissue expression in first trimester pregnancy losses.

Study Design: In this prospective case-control study, 30 patients who underwent dilatation and curettage with first trimester spontaneous abortion (<10 weeks of gestation) were included in the study group and 30 patients who had voluntary pregnancy termination (<10 gestational weeks) were included in the control group.

The effect of pregabalin on tourniquet-induced ischemia-reperfusion injury: a prospective randomized study.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of pregabalin on ischemia-reperfusion injuries.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-four patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups. A 150-mg tablet of pregabalin was given the night before and then 1 h before the operation for patients in Group P (pregabalin group, n = 27).

Role of mean platelet volume in pregnancy to predict gestational diabetes mellitus in the first trimester.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance detected for the first time in pregnancy or identified during pregnancy. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a marker of activation and function of platelet. Several studies investigated the relation between MPV and GDM.

Association of Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Antigen-4 Gene Polymorphisms with Psoriasis Vulgaris: A Case-Control Study in Turkish Population.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic, and autoimmune skin disease in which dysregulation of immune cells, particularly T cells, is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) expressed only on activated T cells is an immunoregulatory molecule and plays a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders. We aimed to determine whether CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms are associated with development and/or clinical features of psoriasis vulgaris (Pv).

Vitamin D receptor gene TaqI single nucleotide polymorphism is not associated with lead levels in maternal and umbilical cord blood.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the association of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene TaqI single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) with serum lead (Pb) levels in maternal and umbilical cord blood.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-one patients who lived in Konya, Turkey for the last 3 years and had delivery at Başkent University Konya Hospital in 2016 were included in this study. Venous blood samples were drawn from each volunteer immediately before giving birth to determine the maternal Pb levels and VDR SNPs.

Is there a Real Correlation between Red Cell Distribution Width and Peripheral Arterial Disease?

Background: Few data is available concerning the association between peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and red cell distribution width (RDW). In this study, we analyzed the relationship between RDW and atherosclerosis of the vessels other than coronary arteries in patients who had undergone digital substraction angiography (DSA).

Methods: This study included 730 patients who had undergone DSA.

Importance of laboratory parameters in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and their relationship with cardiovascular diseases.

Background: Ostructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular events. Platelet activation and inflammation are the mechanisms involved in the association between OSA and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The markers of platelet activation and inflammation are the mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), red cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil- lymphocyte ratio (NLR).

Parathyroid Hormone Levels in the Prediction of Ischemic Stroke Risk.

. It was examined whether PTH and 25-dihydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels, together or separately, are indicators of the risk of stroke. .

Aqueous Humour and Serum Levels of Nitric Oxide, Malondialdehyde and Total Antioxidant Status in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes with Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy and Nondiabetic Senile Cataracts.

Objectives: Diabetic retinopathy is associated with enhanced oxidative stress and/or reduction of antioxidant status. Several studies have examined the oxidative agents, such as nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA), in the body fluids of patients with diabetes. However, total antioxidant status (TAS) in the aqueous humour of patients with diabetes has not been determined to date.

Oxidative stress and nasal polyposis: does it affect the severity of the disease?

Background: Nasal polyposis (NP) is a chronic inflammatory disease and the waste products of this inflammation are reactive oxygen species composed of free radicals. Changes in oxidative status have already been revealed in NP. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oxidative status to the severity of the disease and the quality of life.

A prospective clinical study of flow-mediated dilatation in burn injury.

The authors investigated endothelial function using flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in burn patients. This study was done in burn patients with specific criteria on admission. Blood lipid profile at 1st day, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and FMD were assessed at 1st and 7th days, as well as at 1st and 3rd months.

Association between serum γ-glutamyltransferase levels and coronary microvascular function.

Background: Serum γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease, and there is a strong association between serum GGT levels and most CV risk factors. However, the role of the serum GGT level as an independent risk factor for coronary microvascular function remains controversial.

Purpose: We aimed to determine whether the serum GGT level is independently and specifically associated with coronary flow reserve (CFR) impairment in normal individuals.

Resistin--a novel feature in the diagnosis of sepsis in premature neonates.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic potential of resistin in sepsis and to compare results with C-reactive protein (CRP) in infants < 32 weeks of gestation.

Study Design: A total of 64 infants were prospectively included in the study. Blood samples were collected for basal CRP and resistin within the first hour of life.

Can first-trimester screening program detect women at high risk for gestational diabetes mellitus?

This study was designed to compare first-trimester maternal serum biochemical markers of aneuploidy and fetal nuchal translucency in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus and those of a control group. The study included 60 gestational diabetic and 60 control women who attended the first-trimester combined screening program for Down syndrome between 11 and 14 gestational weeks with complete follow-up data and delivered in our institution. Maternal serum free β-human chorionic gonadotropin, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A and fetal nuchal translucency were investigated.

Association between serum total antioxidant status and coronary microvascular functions in patients with SLE.

Mortality from cardiovascular disease has been found to be increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Coronary flow reserve (CFR) measurement is used both to assess epicardial coronary arteries and to examine the integrity of coronary microvascular circulation. Oxidative stress, enhancing modification of plasma lipids, is also associated with atherosclerotic events in lupus patients.

The goiter prevalence and urinary iodine levels among adolescents.

Endemic goiter and iodine deficiency are among the worldwide major public health problems of today. We aimed to research the goiter prevalence and the urinary iodine level of school children. In this descriptive study, 1,847 school children in Konya aged between 10 and 18 years were included.

Isotretinoin does not prolong QT intervals and QT dispersion in patients with severe acne: a surprising finding for a drug with numerous side effects.

Background: Isotretinoin is a widely prescribed drug for the treatment of severe acne. Several adverse cardiac effects due to isotretinoin have been previously reported. However, no data exist on the effects of isotretinoin therapy on QT intervals.

A truncating mutation in SERPINB6 is associated with autosomal-recessive nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss.

More than 270 million people worldwide have hearing loss that affects normal communication. Although astonishing progress has been made in the identification of more than 50 genes for deafness during the past decade, the majority of deafness genes are yet to be identified. In this study, we mapped a previously unknown autosomal-recessive nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss locus (DFNB91) to chromosome 6p25 in a consanguineous Turkish family.

The role of ascitic fluid viscosity in the differential diagnosis of ascites.

Background: Ascites is defined as the pathological accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity. It is the most common complication of cirrhosis, which is also the most common cause of ascites. Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid to deform under shear stress.

Rigorous bicycling does not increase serum levels of total and free prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the free/total PSA ratio, gonadotropin levels, or uroflowmetric parameters.

Objectives: To determine whether cycling has an effect on serum PSA, gonadotropins, and uroflowmetric parameters.

Methods: A total of 34 healthy male athletes from the National Cycling Team and 24 healthy male student volunteers from University and medical staff were prospectively enrolled in the study. Blood samples for serum total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA), free PSA (fPSA, fPSA/tPSA, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone determinations were obtained before and after cyclists completed 300 km bicycle ride and with each cyclist seated without changing posture and with minimal movement for 10 minutes before blood collection.

Plasma viscosity changes in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Objectives: Plasma viscosity (PV) is a major determinant of capillary blood flow through the microcirculation, which, if impaired, can result in potentially important clinical sequelae. The objectives of this study were to investigate the alterations of PV values in different stages of cirrhosis, and to determine if any change in PV correlates with Child score or Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score or has any prognostic significance.

Method: The study included 92 patients with cirrhosis and 28 healthy volunteers.

Aqueous humor and plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and nitric oxide in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.

Purpose: To investigate levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and nitric oxide (NO) in the aqueous humor and plasma of patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXS) and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PXG), compared with controls.

Methods: This prospective study involved 37 patients with PXS, 15 with PXG, and 32 control subjects in whom cataract surgery was indicated. Aqueous humor and plasma VEGF and NO levels were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chemiluminescence methods, respectively.