Comparison of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test with the tuberculin skin test for detecting latent tuberculosis infection in hemodialysis patients.

Background And Objectives: Hemodialysis (HD) patients are at increased risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI). LTBI screening of this population is recommended. The QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay (QFT-G) may be more accurate than the tuberculin skin test (TST) in the detection of LTBI.

Diagnosis and treatment of spontaneous pneumomediastinum.

Background: Due to its rarity there is no clear policy on the management of spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM).

Methods: We treated 23 SPM patients between January 1 996 and November 2 006. There were 20 males and 3 females and their mean age was 27.

The importance of pleural fluid and serum NT-proBNP levels in differentiating pleural effusion due to heart failure from other causes of effusion.

Background And Objective: Pleural effusion due to congestive heart failure (CHF) typically are transudates. Light's criteria may be insufficient in determining if the pleural effusion is transudative or exudative in patients with CHF. The aim of our study was to assess the diagnostic performance of the amino-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in pleural fluid and serum for the identification of pleural effusion owing to heart failure.

Vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms in Turkish patients with sarcoidosis.

Polymorphism at +813 locus of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene is considered to decrease predisposition to sarcoidosis. Our study aimed to investigate the roles of this polymorphism in the development and extent of sarcoidosis. We examined polymorphisms of the VEGF gene in 90 cases with histopathological diagnosis of sarcoidosis and in 110 healthy subjects.

Tumor necrosis factor gene polymorphisms in Turkish patients with sarcoidosis.

Background: As reported recently, some gene polymorphisms are suspected to determine susceptibility to sarcoidosis and are held responsible for the extent and progression of the disease. Polymorphism at -857 locus of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha gene is considered to be a predisposition factor in sarcoidosis and held responsible for pathogenesis of the disease. We compared these polymorphisms in healthy Turkish control subjects and Turkish patients with sarcoidosis.

Vascular endothelial growth factor and tumor necrosis factor genes polymorphisms in Turkish patients with sarcoidosis.

Polymorphism at -857 locus of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha gene is considered to be a predisposition factor in sarcoidosis and held responsible for pathogenesis of the disease and polymorphism at +813 locus of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene is thought to decrease predisposition to sarcoidosis. In our study, we examined and compared these polymorphisms in healthy Turkish control subjects and Turkish patients with sarcoidosis. We examined gene polymorphisms in 70 cases which were histopathologically diagnosed as sarcoidosis and 80 healthy subjects without any history of a chronic disease.

Role of positron emission tomography in mediastinal lymphatic staging of non-small cell lung cancer.

Objective: Positron emission tomography (PET) is used increasingly in staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a non-invasive tool. The role of the PET in mediastinal lymphatic staging of NSCLC is not clear. We aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of PET in determining mediastinal lymphatic metastasis by comparing the results of PET with mediastinoscopy.