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The cardiovascular risk has been increased in chronic kidney disease associated with chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis. Decoy receptor 3, is a member of the TNF receptor superfamily and associated with inflammation and atherosclerosis. The aim of our study is to determine the relationship, between serum DcR3 levels and inflammatory markers in patients with renal transplantation, those receiving dialysis treatment and cases with chronic renal failure that did not receive replacement therapy, and to evaluate their correlation with USG findings.A total of 150 patients aged between 22-86 years, consisting of 4 groups, namely renal transplantation, dialysis, predialysis chronic kidney disease and control groups, were included in the study. Serum decoy receptor 3, VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and IL-8 measured with ELISA method. Carotid intima-media thickness and presence of carotis arter plaque performed by ultrasound probe, non-invasively.All serum markers were higher in dialysis and pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease groups compared to renal transplant and control groups (p0.05). Serum decoy receptor 3 level (median(min-max)) of renal transplant group (0.49ng/mL (0.19-1.65)) was higher than control group (0.35ng/mL (0.19-2.22)). There was no difference between patients receiving dialysis (0.89ng/mL (0.41-4.98)) and patients with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease (0.71ng/mL (0.29-1.68)). There was no difference between patient groups in terms of the presence of plaque.Although renal transplantation provides a significant improvement in the inflammatory process, not return completely. Inflammatory process associated with uremic milieu may predispose to atherosclerosis in patients with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis patients.

The most important side effect of gentamicin (GM) is nephrotoxicity. p-Coumaric acid (PCA) is a phenolic compound that scavenges free radicals, reduces fibrosis, and tissue damage. This study investigates the protective effect of PCA on tissue damage and kidney function in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity (GIN). Thirty-five rats were separated into five groups and each group contained seven animals: control group, ethanol group, GM group, PCA group, and GM + PCA group. At the end of the seven-day treatment, the rats were sacrificed after blood and kidney tissue samples were taken. While serum urea, creatinine, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels increased significantly in the GM group compared to the control, they showed a significant decrease in the GM + PCA group compared to the GM. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly increased in the GM group compared to the control. While the tissue total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) values of the GM group were significantly higher than the control, they showed a significant decrease in the GM + PCA group compared to the GM. In the histopathological examination, significant tubular necrosis and tubulointerstitial inflammation were detected in the proximal tubules in the GM group compared to the control, while a significant decrease was observed in the severity of these findings in the GM + PCA group compared to the GM. This study shows that PCA has biochemical and histopathological ameliorating effects on GIN in the rat model.

The most important side effect of gentamicin (GM) is nephrotoxicity.

Aim: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease. The exact pathogenesis of NAFLD has not been fully elucidated. Tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) is a member of TNF superfamily and it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases including liver inflammation and fibrosis. Current study was conducted to evaluate serum sTWEAK levels in patients with NAFLD.Material and Methods: Seventeen patients with biopsy proven non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), 22 patients with simple hepatosteatosis and 30 healthy controls were included in the study and serum sTWEAK concentrations were measured using commercial ELISA kits.Results: Mean serum sTWEAK concentration was significantly lower in the NASH group when compared to the simple hepatosteatosis group and healthy controls (199.6±101.2 pg/mL, 246.1±65.7 pg/mL and 277.6±117.6 pg/mL respectively, p=0.029). ROC analyses for sTWEAK to differentiate NASH patients from healthy controls and from simple hepatosteatosis revealed that AUC for sTWEAK was 0.712 (%95 CI, 0.543-0.880). For the specified cut off value, 171.1 pg/mL positive and negative predictive values calculated were 64.3% and 85.5% respectively. Conclusion: Serum sTWEAK concentration is decreasedin patients with NASH when compared to patients with simple hepatosteatosis and healthy controls. Keywords: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis; sTWEAK; fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14; Fn 14.

Bu çalışma, özellikle 28 Şubat sürecine odaklanarak Türkiye’de başörtüsü takan Müslüman kadınlara karşı sergilenen tahammülsüzlüğü ortaya koymakta ve başörtüsü yasağının başörtüsü takan kadınlar üzerindeki etkilerini ve bugüne kadarki gelişimini aktarmaktadır. Türkiye’de özellikle kamusal alanda başörtüsü takmak dindar kesim için büyük bir problem olmuştur. 2008 ve 2013’te başörtüsü hürriyeti sağlayan Türk siyasetindeki olumlu gelişmelere rağmen halen, Türkiye’deki İslamofobik medyada İslamofobinin örtülü ve açık işaretleri görülmektedir. Bu nitel çalışmada 28 Şubat dönemini ve sonrasını tecrübe etmiş 10 başörtülü Türk kadını ile mülakat yapılmıştır, kadınlara kartopu yöntemiyle ulaşılmıştır. Bu araştırmayla 28 Şubat döneminin başörtülü kadınlar üzerinde depresyon, öz güven eksikliği, insanlara karşı güven eksikliği, kaygı bozukluğu ve OKB’ye neden olan bir travma etkisi yarattığı söylenebilir. Bu kadınların bazıları terapi almak ve ilaç kullanmak durumunda kalmıştır. Bazıları ise dinî pratiklerle sorunun üstesinden gelmiştir. Çoğu yurtdışında üniversite okumak zorunda kalan katılımcılar insan hakları arayışı motivasyonuyla haklarını arayarak Batıya yönelmeye başlamıştır. İslamofobinin ve başörtüsü yasağının başörtülü kadınları kamusal yaşamdan tard edeceği ve onların izolasyonlarını artıracağı beklenirken, beklenenin aksine Türkiye’yi derinden etkileyen İslamofobi uzun vadede Türkiye akademisi ve bürokrasisine eğitimli nitelikli örtülü kadın işgücü kazandırmıştır., This paper details the state of intolerance against Muslim women wearing hijab in Turkey. The paper especially focuses on ‘the process of February, 28’ and establishes its significant effects on women with hijab and its development till today. Wearing hijab especially in public space has been the biggest problem in Turkey for the religious people practicing Islam in society. By the change of Turkish political developments and by historical decision on Feb, 9th 2008 and Oct, 1st 2013 which provided hijab liberty, the situation has changed. But in 2019, still in the Islamophobic print media of Turkey signs of covered Islamophobia can be easily seen, especially in the period of elections in March and June which is used as a time for polarization in society, it can be said that Islamophobia is manifested clearly. In this qualitative study 10 Turkish women who experienced ‘the period of 28th February’ and after it were interviewed and the women were reached by snow-ball method. With this study it can be said obviously the period of 28th Feb was a trauma on women with hijab. This trauma brought depression, lack of self-confidence, lack of trust towards people, anxiety, OCD. Some of these women had therapies and medicine. Some overcame with the issue with religious practices like prayers, contemplation and dhikr. These women who had to study university abroad started to seek justice with the motivation of seeking for human rights and in this sense orientation to west started. While it was being expected to see that Islamophobia and hijab ban would isolate the women with hijab from society and that it would work up their isolation more, as opposed to expectations it caused the integration of these banned women with modernization. Islamophobia which effected Turkey deeply provided qualified people to academia, bureaucracy in Turkey in long term.

WOS:000404381800035, PubMed ID: 28618749, Background/aim: Albumin is the most important protein synthesized by the liver. Posttranscriptional changes occur in the molecular structure of albumin due to various factors and isoforms arise. Ischemic modified albumin (IMA) is one such isoform. This study was conducted to evaluate serum IMA concentrations in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related chronic liver diseases. Materials and methods: This study included 74 treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B patients, 25 patients with HBV-related cirrhosis, and 49 healthy controls. Serum IMA concentration was measured spectrophotometrically using the albumin cobalt binding test. Results: The mean IMA concentrations in the chronic hepatitis B group and healthy controls were 0.33 ± 0.11 ABSU and 0.27 ± 0.70 ABSU, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant. Mean IMA/albumin ratios (IMAR) in the chronic hepatitis B and control groups were 0.08 ± 0.04 and 0.06 ± 0.17, respectively, and the difference was also statistically significant (P > 0.001). Higher serum IMA concentrations and IMAR were detected in patients with advanced fibrosis. Conclusion: Serum IMA concentration and IMAR are increased in patients with HBV-related chronic liver diseases and IMA and IMAR are associated with the degree of liver fibrosis. IMA and IMAR may have potential use as noninvasive markers of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Aim Vasopressin exerts robust influences on social communication and behavior in humans. Apelin is a relatively novel neuropeptide that could counteract vasopressin's actions and has been shown to be closely related with a broad range of physiological functions. Abnormalities in vasopressin and apelin have been detected in a variety of psychiatric disorders, but their relation to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is unknown. In the present study, we explored the plasma levels of vasopressin and apelin-13 in children with ADHD. Methods Thirty-four children with ADHD and 36 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The severity of ADHD symptoms was assessed via Conners’ Parent Rating Scale and Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale. Plasma levels of vasopressin and apelin-13 were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results The mean plasma apelin-13 levels were significantly higher in male children with ADHD than in male control subjects; no significant difference was found between the groups for plasma apelin-13 levels in girls or in the entire subject cohort. Plasma vasopressin levels did not show any significant differences between groups. There were no significant correlations between plasma levels of these neuropeptides and scores for Conners’ Parent Rating Scale and Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale. Conclusion Our results suggest a sex-specific association between plasma apelin-13 levels and ADHD. Apelin-13 may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of ADHD either with a direct impact on the apelin receptor or via its opposing effect on the vasopressinergic system.

Abstract. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with several non-homeostatic conditions and/or diseases like inflammation, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and mortality. YKL-40 is a glycoprotein, secreted by macrophages, neutrophils and different cell types and it is also associated with inflammation and pathological tissue remodeling. In this study, we aimed to evaluate relationship between the proinflammatory biomarkers YKL-40 and hs-CRP levels and vitamin D deficiency. Our study group includes 45 subjects with vitamin D deficiency (Group 1) (20 M, 25 F; mean age 37.72 ± 7.70 years) and 40 age and sex-matched healthy subjects with normal serum levels of vitamin D (Group 2) (19 M, 21 F; mean age 39.26 ± 7.41 years). Plasma 25 (OH) vitamin D levels were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Plasma YKL-40 analysis was performed by ELISA. Serum hs-CRP levels were measured by nephelometric method. Plasma vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL were accepted as vitamin D deficiency. Although we could not find any significant differences by means of serum hs-CRP levels between Group 1 and Group 2 (2.21 (0.27–11.70); 1.79 (0.16–9.85) mg/L, p = 0.247), plasma YKL-40 levels were significantly higher in group 1 than group2 (70.47 (17.84–198.50); 47.14 (4.80–135.48) ng/mL, p = 0.047). In literature, vitamin D deficiency is associated with inflammation. In our study, we found similar hs-CRP levels between groups and higher YKL-40 levels in group 1. Vitamin D deficiency may be related to high YKL-40 levels in terms of causing chronic inflammation.

The constriction of vessels due to atherosclerotic lesions causes hypoxia/ischemia and oxidative changes resulting in transformation of free albumin to ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) in the circulation and increased carotid intima–media thickness (cIMT). We investigated the reliability of IMA increase in evaluating atherosclerosis in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) compared with cIMT. Patients with FMF (n = 58) diagnosed by the Tel-Hashomer criteria in attack-free period and 38 healthy people were included in the study. Patient demographics as well as the clinical and laboratory characteristics of the healthy controls and patients with FMF were noted. The IMA levels and cIMT in patients with FMF were 0.30 ± 0.09 absorbance units (ABSUs) and 1.12 ± 0.27 mm, respectively, and in the control group, IMA levels and cIMT were 0.25 ± 0.07 ABSU and 0.74 ± 0.26 mm, respectively. The IMA levels and cIMT were significantly higher in patients with FMF than in controls ( P = .020 and P < .0001, respectively). The IMA values showed positive correlation with cIMT in patients with FMF( r = .302, P = .041). Our results reveal that IMA—an oxidative stress marker—may be an indicator of atherosclerosis in patients with FMF. This finding deserves further investigation.

Vasopressin exerts robust influences on social communication and behavior in humans. Apelin is a relatively novel neuropeptide that could counteract vasopressin's actions and has been shown to be closely related with a broad range of physiological functions. Abnormalities in vasopressin and apelin have been detected in a variety of psychiatric disorders, but their relation to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is unknown. In the present study, we explored the plasma levels of vasopressin and apelin-13 in children with ADHD.Thirty-four children with ADHD and 36 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The severity of ADHD symptoms was assessed via Conners' Parent Rating Scale and Conners' Teacher Rating Scale. Plasma levels of vasopressin and apelin-13 were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.The mean plasma apelin-13 levels were significantly higher in male children with ADHD than in male control subjects; no significant difference was found between the groups for plasma apelin-13 levels in girls or in the entire subject cohort. Plasma vasopressin levels did not show any significant differences between groups. There were no significant correlations between plasma levels of these neuropeptides and scores for Conners' Parent Rating Scale and Conners' Teacher Rating Scale.Our results suggest a sex-specific association between plasma apelin-13 levels and ADHD. Apelin-13 may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of ADHD either with a direct impact on the apelin receptor or via its opposing effect on the vasopressinergic system.

Amaç: Hemoglobinopatiler, globin fonksiyonlarını bozan bir grup hastalıktır. HPLC, hemoglobinopati taramalarında tüm dünyada en sık kullanılan tekniktir. Çalışmada, Türkiye'de bir üçüncü basamak hastane laboratuvarında 3 yıllık retrospektif hemoglobinopati sıklığı değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Üniversite hastanemize başvuran 2461 hastanın 3 yıllık laboratuvar ve hastane kayıtları incelenmiştir. Hemoglobinopati taramasında Tosoh G8 HPLC cihazı kullanılmıştır Bulgular: HbA2%3,5 olan 668, %3,5HbA2%4 olan 19 sonuç saptanmıştır.19 sonuçtan 10'u betatalasemi minör olarak kabul edilmiştir. HbA2 %4 olan 649 sonuç vardır ve sonculara göre 602 hasta beta-talassemi minör olarak kabul edilmiştir. HbA2 düzeylerine göre, hastaların %25'i beta-talasemi minör olarak değerlendirilmiştir. HbF%2 olan 391 hasta saptanmış ve HbA2%3,5 olan 138 kayıt ayrıntılı incelemeye alınmıştır. Varyant analizi veri kümesi, 53 hasta içermektedir. HbA2%3,5 ve HbF%2 olan, varyant pikleri mevcut kayıtlar incelenmiş ve 28 vaka saptanmıştır. En sık görülen Hb varyantları sırasıyla HbH, HbS, HbD, HbC, HbE ve HbO-Arab'dır. Sonuç: Çalışmada en sık varyantlar sırasıyla HbH, HbAS, HbAD, HbAC, HbAE ve HbO-Arab olarak bulunmuştur. Beta talasemi minör sıklığı ülkemizin gelen popülasyonundan yüksek olarak %25 bulunmuştur. Özellikle hematolojik malignensiler, herediter sferositoz ve demir eksikliği anemisi gibi eşlik eden durumlar hemoglobinopati değerlendirmesinde akılda tutulmalıdır., Objective: Hemoglobinopathies are an array of disorders that affect hemoglobin (Hb) function. HPLC is by far the most common technique used for detection of hemoglobinopathies worldwide. The aim of this study is to evaluate 3-year retrospective data of a tertiary hospital in Turkey according to prevalence of hemoglobinopathies. Material and Methods: A three-year data of 2461 patients admitted to our university hospital laboratory were assessed by scanning laboratory and hospital records. Tosoh G8 HPLC instrument was used for screening. Results: 668 results with HbA23.5% and 19 results with 3.5% HbA2 4% were detected. 10 of 19 patients were considered as beta-thalassemia. Number of patients with HbA2 4% were 649 and 602 of them were assessed as beta-thalassemia-minor. 25% of patients were assessed as beta-thalassemiaminor, based on HbA2 levels. 391 patient results were found to be HbF2% and 138 of them with HbA23.5% were further investigated. Variant analysis dataset contains 53 patients. Samples with HbA23.5% and HbF2% showing variant peaks were scanned and 28 cases were detected. The most common variants were found to be HbH, HbS, HbD, HbC, HbE and HbO-Arab, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, the most common variants were found to be HbH, HbAS, HbAD, HbAC, HbAE and HbO-Arab, respectively. Moreover, the frequency of beta-thalassemia minor was found as 25% which is higher than general population prevalence of our country. Accompanying diseases especially hematological malignancies, hereditary spherocytosis and IDA should be kept in mind during evaluating hemoglobinopathy analysis.