Very rare aetiology of giant popliteal pseudoaneurysm: anterior cruciate ligament surgery.

There are various causes of the formation of arterial pseudoaneurysms, including trauma, surgical procedures, infection and iatrogenic injuries. A popliteal aneurysm was detected in a patient with pain and discomfort in his leg. The patient had a history of knee surgery.

Thalidomide has both anti-inflammatory and regulatory effects in Behcet's disease.

Thalidomide is shown to be an effective treatment for mucocutaneous symptoms of Behcet's disease (BD). In this study, the effects of thalidomide on peripheral blood mononuclear cells were investigated ex vivo. In an open prospective study, ten patients were given 200 mg/day thalidomide for 12 weeks and cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4), CD8, CD11a, CD11b, CD16, CD18, CD28, CD44, CD45RO, CD45RA, CD56, CD120a and gammadelta+ T cells were analysed with flow cytometry at 0, 3, 7, 30 and 90 days.

The syntheses of some novel (naphthalen-1-yl-selenyl)acetic acid derivatives.

Some new (naphthalen-1-yl-selenyl)acetic acids derivatives 7a-d have been synthesized by two different methods, using naphthylselenols or naphthylselenocyanates. The structures of the products were investigated by spectroscopic methods.

Activation of neutrophils by testosterone in Behçet's disease.

Objective: Gender differences, especially in disease severity, are observed in Behçet's disease (BD), a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. To determine the putative role of testosterone on neutrophil activity exhibited by patients with BD, peripheral blood neutrophils were examined in vitro before and after treatment with testosterone.

Methods: Peripheral blood neutrophils of 49 patients with BD (26M:23F), 33 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (23M:10F), 8 female patients with hirsutism and 31 healthy individuals (19M:12F) were analyzed by flow cytometry.

The role of infectious agents in the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and treatment strategies in Behçet's disease.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic disorder characterized by oral, genital ulcers and involvement of the cutaneous (erythema nodosum, pustular vasculitis), ocular (anterior or posterior uveitis), musculoskeletal, vascular (both arterial and venous vasculitis), gastrointestinal and central nervous (meningoencephalitis) systems. It has an unpredictable clinical spectrum from mild mucocutaneous manifestations to severe ocular, vascular or neurological disability. In this review, the aetiology, clinical presentations and treatment modalities of BD are evaluated in the context of microbial factors within the existing literature.

The relation of HOMA index with endothelial functions determined by flow mediated dilatation method among hyperglycemic patients.

Aims/objective: To research the relation between "homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR)" and endothelial functions, determined by the flow mediated dilatation (FMD) method with brachial artery ultrasound and the atherosclerotic factors influencing these values among hyperglycemic patients taking the same type of oral antidiabethics (sulphonylurea).

Method: Seventy type-2 diabetes mellitus patients (33 males and 37 females, mean age 53.5 +/- 8.

Differential expression of toll-like receptor 6 on granulocytes and monocytes implicates the role of microorganisms in Behcet's disease etiopathogenesis.

The objective of this study was to investigate the expressions of toll-like receptors on neutrophils and monocytes in Behcet's disease (BD). Forty-two patients with BD were included in the study. Baseline and stimulated cells with heat shock protein-60 (HSP-60), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and crude extract of Streptococcus sanguis (SS) were analyzed for toll-like receptor-1, -2, -4 and -6 expressions using flow cytometer.

Sternal closure reinforced with rib heads: a novel technique for prevention and treatment of sternal dehiscence.

Background: When a sternotomy cannot be performed at the midline and/or there is infection at the operation site, sternotomy revision can cause problems that increase the mortality and morbidity of the patients. There is no agreement on the best treatment method. In this paper we present a modified wiring technique.

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and Survivin (S) expression in non-Hogkin's lymphomas.

Survivin (S) is a member of inhibitor of apoptosis family (IAP) and is expressed in the majority of malignant tumors but undetectable in normal differentiated adult tissues. S is an encouraging target for cancer therapy. TSP-1 is a multifunctional protein regulating cell growth, motility and apoptosis in both physiological and pathological conditions.

Giant size abdominal aortic aneurysm repair using open proximal anastomosis under hypothermic circulatory arrest: a report of two cases.

Hypothermic total circulatory arrest and open proximal anastomosis techniques are not commonly used in abdominal or juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Proximal aortic clamping is usually adequate for surgical repair of abdominal aortic pathologies. We present two cases of giant-sized abdominal aortic aneurysms, one was juxtarenal and one was a Crawford type IV thoracoabdominal aneurysm, that were repaired by using open proximal anastomosis under hypothermic total circulatory arrest and a transabdominal approach.

Haemophagocytosis in a patient with Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe disease with a case fatality of 2.8 to 80 %. A patient dwelling in an endemic region for CCHF was admitted with fever preceding bleeding diathesis and pancytopenia.

Intravenous and oral amiodarone for the prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background: Atrial fibrillation is still a frequent complication that increases morbidity after coronary artery bypass grafting. This prospective randomized study is designed to define efficacy of postoperative amiodarone prophylaxis in preventing atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods: One hundred forty-four patients who underwent elective off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were enrolled for the study.

The initiator core promoter element antagonizes repression of TATA-directed transcription by negative cofactor NC2.

Core promoter regions of protein-coding genes in metazoan genomes are structurally highly diverse and can contain several distinct core promoter elements, which direct accurate transcription initiation and determine basal promoter strength. Diversity in core promoter structure is an important aspect of transcription regulation in metazoans as it provides a basis for gene-selective function of activators and repressors. The basal activity of TATA box-containing promoters is dramatically enhanced by the initiator element (INR), which can function in concert with the TATA box in a synergistic manner.

Gravin gene expression in acute leukaemias: clinical importance and review of the literature.

The aim of this study was to determine the expression of Gravin (a tumor suppressor gene belonging to the A kinase anchoring protein family) in samples of acute leukaemia and to explore its association with the prognosis. The study group consisted of 162 people (137 patients with acute leukaemia and 25 volunteers as control). Real-time quantitative PCR was used to determine the gene expression and beta Actin used as a control gene.

The influence of homocysteine levels on endothelial function and their relation with microvascular complications in T2DM patients without macrovascular disease.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of homocysteine (hcy) levels on endothelial function by the method of brachial artery ultrasonography and their relation with microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients without macrovascular disease. Fifty-nine T2DM patients with a mean age of 53.4+/-8.