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OBJECTIVE Giant pituitary adenoma is considered a challenging pathology for surgery owing to its complications and low resection rate. In this study, the authors present their experience of using the endoscopic endonasal approach to treat patients with giant pituitary adenoma, and they aimed to develop a classification system for prediction of extent of resection. METHODS The institutional medical records of patients diagnosed with giant pituitary adenoma who underwent endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery between August 1997 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical and clinical outcomes were evaluated in detail. The effects of tumor characteristics on extent of resection were analyzed. The findings were used to develop two classification systems that could preoperatively predict extent of resection. Morphological score was based on tumor characteristics, and landmark-based classification was defined according to surgical zones based on neurovascular landmarks. The effects of change in surgical strategy, which aimed to maximize tumor resection and capsule dissection, on rates of resection and complications were evaluated before and after 2017. RESULTS This study included 205 patients, with a mean patient age of 46.95 years and mean preoperative tumor diameter of 46.56 mm. Gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved in 35.12% of patients, near-total resection (NTR) in 39.51%, and subtotal resection (STR) in 25.36%. Extent of resection differed significantly between the grades and zones of the classification systems (p < 0.001 for both). Among patients with grade 3 tumor, 75.75% of patients achieved STR, 21.21% achieved NTR, and 3.03% achieved GTR. Among patients with zone 3 tumor, 65.75% achieved STR, 32.87% achieved NTR, and 1.36% achieved GTR. Both grade 3 and zone 3 indicated limited extent of resection. The mean (range) follow-up duration was 50.16 (9–247) months. Postoperative recovery of at least one hormone axis was seen in 15.24% of patients with pituitary deficiency, and development of new hormonal deficiency was observed in 22.43% of patients. Complications included permanent diabetes insipidus (7.80%), cerebrospinal fluid leakage (3.90%), postoperative apoplexy (3.90%), meningitis (3.41%), and epistaxis (3.41%). The surgical mortality rate was 1.46%. Among 85 patients treated before 2017, 27.05% of patients achieved GTR, 37.64% achieved NTR, and 35.29% achieved STR; among 120 patients treated after 2017, 40.83% achieved GTR, 40.83% achieved NTR, and 18.33% achieved STR. Seven patients in the pre-2017 cohort had postoperative apoplexy versus only 1 patient in the post-2017 cohort. There were no statistically significant differences between the two periods in terms of the incidence rates of other complications. CONCLUSIONS Capsule dissection and GTR are valuable for preventing serious complications and reducing recurrence of giant adenoma. Treatment of giant pituitary adenoma may be better managed with the help of a classification system that provides information about extent of resection that can be achieved with an endoscopic approach.

Supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Pulmonary Fibrosis (GNT1116371), and by foundation partner, Boehringer Ingelheim, and program partners, Roche and Galapagos. Rationale : The interstitial lung disease (ILD) multidisciplinary meetings (MDM), composed of pulmonologists, radiologists, and pathologists, is integral to the rendering of an accurate ILD diagnosis. However, there is significant heterogeneity in the conduct of ILD MDMs, and questions regarding their best practices remain unanswered. Objectives : To achieve consensus among ILD experts on essential components of an ILD MDM. Methods : Using a Delphi methodology, semi-structured interviews with ILD experts were used to identify key themes and features of ILD MDMs. These items informed two subsequent rounds of online questionnaires that were used to achieve consensus among a broader, international panel of ILD experts. Experts were asked to rate their level of agreement on a five-point Likert scale. An a priori threshold for consensus was set at a median score 4 or 5 with an interquartile range of 0. Results : We interviewed 15 ILD experts, and 102 ILD experts participated in the online questionnaires. Five items and two exploratory statements achieved consensus on being essential for an ILD MDM following two questionnaire rounds. There was consensus that the presence of at least one radiologist, a quiet setting with a visual projection system, a high-quality chest high-resolution computed tomography, and a standardized template summarizing collated patient data are essential components of an ILD MDM. Experts also agreed that it would be useful for ILD MDMs to undergo an annual benchmarking process and a validation process by fulfilling a minimum number of cases annually. Twenty-seven additional features were considered to be either highly desirable or desirable features based on the degree of consensus. Although our findings on desirable features are similar to the current literature, several of these remain controversial and warrant further research. The study also showed an agreement among participants on several future concepts to improve the ILD MDM, such as performing regular self-assessments and conducting research into shared practices to develop an international expert guideline statement on ILD MDMs. Conclusions : This Delphi study showed consensus among international ILD experts on essential and desirable features of an ILD MDM. Our data represent an important step toward potential collaborative research into future standardization of ILD MDMs. Postprint

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, asemptomatik bakteriüri (ASB) etkenlerinin direnç paternlerini term ve preterm gebelikler arasında karşılaştırmaktır.Gereç ve Yöntemler: Hastanemiz kadın doğum bölümünde takip edilen ve idrar kültürleri laboratuvarda incelenmek üzere gönderilen ve ASB olarak rapor edilen 17-41 yaş arası gebeler çalışmaya dahil edildi. Hastalar gebelik haftalarına göre preterm (, Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the resistance to asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) between term and preterm pregnancies.Material and Methods: Pregnant women aged 17-41 years who were followed up in the obstetrics department of our hospital and whose urine cultures were sent to the laboratory for analysis and reported as ABU were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups according to gestational weeks as preterm (

Objective Behcet's disease is a complex systemic inflammatory vasculitis of incompletely understood etiology. This study was undertaken to investigate genetic associations with Behcet's disease in a diverse multiethnic population. Methods A total of 9,444 patients and controls from 7 different populations were included in this study. Genotyping was performed using an Infinium ImmunoArray-24 v.1.0 or v.2.0 BeadChip. Analysis of expression data from stimulated monocytes, and epigenetic and chromatin interaction analyses were performed. Results We identified 2 novel genetic susceptibility loci for Behcet's disease, including a risk locus in IFNGR1 (rs4896243) (odds ratio [OR] 1.25; P = 2.42 x 10(-9)) and within the intergenic region LNCAROD/DKK1 (rs1660760) (OR 0.78; P = 2.75 x 10(-8)). The risk variants in IFNGR1 significantly increased IFNGR1 messenger RNA expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocytes. In addition, our results replicated the association (P < 5 x 10(-8)) of 6 previously identified susceptibility loci in Behcet's disease: IL10, IL23R, IL12A-AS1, CCR3, ADO, and LACC1, reinforcing the notion that these loci are strong genetic factors in Behcet's disease shared across ancestries. We also identified >30 genetic susceptibility loci with a suggestive level of association (P < 5 x 10(-5)), which will require replication. Finally, functional annotation of genetic susceptibility loci in Behcet's disease revealed their possible regulatory roles and suggested potential causal genes and molecular mechanisms that could be further investigated. Conclusion We performed the largest genetic association study in Behcet's disease to date. Our findings reveal novel putative functional variants associated with the disease and replicate and extend the genetic associations in other loci across multiple ancestries., National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [R01AR070148]; NIH [U54GM104938, U19AI082714, UM1AI144292, P30AR053483, P30AR073750], Supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant number R01AR070148 to Dr. Sawalha. Recruitment and genotyping of the EuropeanAmerican controls was supported by NIH grants number U54GM104938, U19AI082714, UM1AI144292, P30AR053483, and P30AR073750 to Drs. Guthridge and James. This work was supported by the use of study data downloaded from the dbGaP web site, under dbGaP accession phs000272. v1.p1.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic rheumatic disease of childhood. Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) has been one of the most controversial subtypes of JIA with a higher risk of axial involvement. Our aim was to assess the frequency and spectrum of MRI findings of spine involvement in patients with JIA and determine if the axial involvement is always clinically symptomatic in patients with positive MRI findings. In this retrospective cross-sectional observational study we included known or suspected JIA patients who underwent spinal MRI examination between 2015 and 2017 and followed up in the Pediatric Rheumatology outpatient clinic. The demographic and clinical data were reviewed from the medical charts and electronic records. All patients were grouped as clinically symptomatic and asymptomatic for spinal involvement and MRI findings were re-evaluated for presence of inflammatory and erosive lesions. Of the 72 JIA patients, 57 (79.2%) were diagnosed with ERA, and 15 (20.8%) with non-ERA subtypes of JIA. Overall, 49 (68%) patients with JIA had positive spinal MRI findings (inflammatory and/or erosive lesions). Twenty-seven (47%) ERA patients were clinically symptomatic for spine involvement and among them, 19 (70.3%) had positive spinal MRI findings. Although 30 ERA (53%) patients were clinically asymptomatic, 23 of them (77%) had positive spinal MRI findings, as well. Eleven (73%) patients diagnosed with non-ERA JIA subtypes were clinically symptomatic for spine involvement at the time of MRI. Among them, four (36.3%) had inflammatory and/or erosive lesions on spine MRI. Four (26%) non-ERA patients were clinically asymptomatic for spine involvement, but three (75%) of them showed positive findings on spinal MRI. Inflammatory and/or erosive lesions of the thoracolumbar spine could exist in patients with JIA, regardless of the presence of symptoms. Not only because the significant proportion of ERA patients show asymptomatic axial involvement but also the presence of axial involvement in patients who were classified as non-ERA depending on current ILAR classification underlines the necessity of using MRI for accurate classification of patients with JIA.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and location of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) sesamoid bones using computed tomography (CT) images. Patients and methods: A total of 767 hands of 735 patients (503 males, 232 females; mean age: 36.9±17.0 years; range, 18 to 105 years) obtained from picture archiving and communication system were retrospectively analyzed between January 2016 and December 2019. The sesamoid bones of MCP joints I, II, III, IV, and V were recorded. Data including age, sex, side, number, pathologies, and location of the sesamoid bones were recorded. Results: The prevalence of sesamoid bones was found to be 100%, 37.61%, 1.17%, 0.5%, and 80% in MCP I, II, III, IV, and V, respectively. There was no significant correlation between the sex of the patient and presence of sesamoid bone at MCP II or MCP V (p>0.970 and p=0.176, respectively). The presence of sesamoid bone at MCP II was statistically significantly correlated with the presence of sesamoid bone at MCP V (p0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of MCP V sesamoid bone is higher than previous studies from our country. The CT of hand can be used to determine sesamoid fractures and degenerative conditions of sesamoids.

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is commonly associated with acetabular labral tears. Correction of impingement morphology and suture anchor repair of labral tears have demonstrated successful early and midterm patient-reported outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the posterior and anterior extent and size of labral tears in patients with FAIS undergoing arthroscopic labral repair, and to evaluate the number of suture anchors required to repair these tears. The design of this study was retrospective case series (Level 4). A single surgeon's operative database was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients undergoing primary arthroscopic hip labral repair between November 2014 and September 2019. Patient-specific factors and radiographic measurements were recorded. Arthroscopic findings including labral tear posterior and anterior extents, and the number of suture anchors utilized for the repair were recorded. Linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with labral tear size. The number of suture anchors used relative to labral tear size was calculated. Three-hundred and thirteen patients were included in the study. The mean posterior and anterior extent for labral tears were 11:22 ± 52 and 2:20 ± 34 minutes, respectively. Mean tear size was 2 hours, 58 minutes ± 45 minutes. The mean number of suture anchors utilized for labral repair was 3.1 ± 0.7. The mean number of anchors per hour of labral tear was 1.1 ± 0.3. Increased age, lateral center edge angle, and α angle were associated with larger labral tears. Our study found that acetabular labral tears associated with FAIS are, on average, 3 hours in size and centered in the anterosuperior quadrant of the acetabulum. Arthroscopic labral repair required 1.1 anchors per hour of tear size, resulting in a mean of 3.1 anchors per repair.

Purpose Children with brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) may eventually develop glenohumeral instability due to development of unbalanced muscular strength. Our major goal in this study is to compare the accuracy of physical examination and ultrasonography (US) in determination of glenohumeral instability in infants with BPBI compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a gold standard, and to investigate the role and value of US as a screening modality for assessing glenohumeral instability. Methods Forty-two consecutive patients (mean age, 2.3±0.8 months) with BPBI were enrolled into this prospective study. Patients were followed up with physical examination and US with dynamic evaluation in 4-6 weeks intervals. Patients who developed glenohumeral instability based on physical examination and/or US (n=21) underwent MRI. Glenohumeral instability was defined as alpha angle >30° and percentage of posterior humeral head displacement >50%. Diagnostic accuracy of physical examination and US was calculated and quantitative parameters were compared with Wilcoxon test. Results Glenohumeral instability was confirmed with MRI in 15 of 21 patients. Accuracy and sensitivity of physical examination and US were 47%, 66% and 100%, 100%, respectively in determination of glenohumeral instability. No significant difference was found for the alpha angle (p = 0.173) but the percentage of posterior humeral head displacement was statistically significant between US and MRI (p = 0.028). Conclusion Our results indicate that US with dynamic evaluation is a good alternative for MRI in assessment of glenohumeral instability in infants with BPBI, since it is highly accurate and specific, and quantitative measurements used for glenohumeral instability were comparable to MRI. US can be used as a screening method to assess glenohumeral instability in infants with BPBI.

The purpose of this study is to assess the ability of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in differentiating Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma. This retrospective cross-sectional observational study included a total of 35 patients with a recent diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma (n = 13) and osteosarcoma (n = 22) who underwent conventional MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Three ADC measurements from the areas of the lowest diffusivity in ADC maps (ADCmin), and other areas with low diffusivity (ADCother), were made independently by two observers on pre-treatment MRI, and the means of these measurements were compared using independent samples t-test. Intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated for inter-observer agreement. There was a significant difference between the ADCmin (P

Alzheimer's disease (AD), which occurs as a result of the loss of cognitive functions in the brain, causes near-forgetfulness in the case and dementia in subsequent processes. Dataset consists of MR images containing four phases of AD. The dataset was re-enhanced separately with DeepDream, fuzzy color image enhancement, hypercolumn techniques. Visual Geometry Group-16 (VGG-16) deep learning model is used in the enhancing process and deep features are combined. Linear Regression is used for the selection of efficient features. The Support Vector Machine is preferred as a classifier. With the proposed approach, the classification achievement was obtained as 100% in Mild Dementia, 99.94% in Moderate Dementia, 100% in non-Dementia, 99.94% in Very Mild Dementia. The overall accuracy was 99.94%. The proposed approach increased the prediction success in detecting Alzheimer's stages by re-enhancing MR images. Thus, an efficient early diagnosis model was realized at an affordable cost for individuals likely to progress with dementia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare cycle outcomes among women with endometrioma or non-functional cysts versus control. STUDY DESIGN: Women under 35 years of age with unexplained infertility underwent in vitro fertilization cycle. Two hundred and ninety-nine women were included in this study. Study groups consist of women with endometrioma (n=82) or non-functional ovarian cysts (n=100) and control group (n=117). Women in each group were selected consecutively. Groups were matched for age and ovarian reserve and compared in terms of in vitro fertilization cycle outcome. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among groups in terms of mean age, early follicular phase Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, and anti-müllerian hormone levels (p>0.05). Baseline total antral follicle counts were similar among groups (p>0.05). There were significant differences among groups in terms of mean starting and total gonadotropin dose, peak estradiol level, total oocyte number, and mature oocyte numbers (p

Aim To assess the power of nephrometry scores to predict the intraoperative conversion from partial nephrectomy (PN) to radical nephrectomy (RN). Methods We identified all the patients at our institution who were scheduled for PN between April 2012 and December 2017. Patients who underwent robotic or laparoscopic surgery were excluded. A total of 149 patients (94 men) who underwent open surgery and had complete data were included. The power of the R.E.N.A.L., PADUA, SPARE, and DAP scores to predict the conversion to RN, and the threshold values were assessed. In the multivariate analysis, the predictive power of the nephrometry scores was tested by separately including them in different models. Results The median age was 57 (48-67) years, while the median follow-up was 15 (7-29.5) months. The overall conversion rate was 10.7%. The optimal cut-off values for the R.E.N.A.L., PADUA, SPARE, and DAP scores were 7.5, 9.5, 5.5 and 7.5, respectively. The SPARE score had the highest area under the curve (AUC = 0.807, P

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is a well recognised member of human endogeneous free radical scavenging systems and its polymorphism and enzyme activity are attributed to various different cancer formations. We aimed to study the Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) polymorphism and enzyme activity in colorectal cancer patients. Peripheral blood samples for DNA extraction were collected from 54 colorectal cancer patients and 85 healthy individuals. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) techniques were used for determination of the PON1192 polymorphism. The frequency of AA genotype was greater than BB and AB genotypes in all groups (n:65 with 46.8%; n:15 with 10.8% and n:59 with 42.4%, respectively). In both tumor groups, PON activities were significantly lower than the control group (p

Objectives: Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infectionand superinfection by hepatitis A or hepatitis B virus have highermorbidity and mortality when compared with those without HCVinfection. The aim of this study was to determine hepatitis A and Bseroprevalence rates and immunity in patients with chronic HCV indifferent regions of TurkeyMaterials and Methods: This multi-center study involving HCVinfected chronic cases was conducted between July 2016 andOctober 2017. Serological tests of Hepatitis B surface antigen, antiHBs, hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) immunoglobulin G (IgG)and anti-HAV IgG were evaluated by ELISA, and the files of HCVinfected patients at the age of 18 or over who applied to 15 hospitalsin 13 different cities of our country were screened.Results: Three hundred sixty-two of the 828 patients were menand 466 were women. The prevalence of HBV/HCV coinfection was2.4%, while the anti-HBs positivity rate was 46.9%. Of the 610patients evaluated in terms of anti-HAV IgG serology, 88.8% wereanti-HAV IgG positive, while 11.1% were anti-HAV IgG negative.Isolated anti-HBc IgG positivity was detected in 5.8% of patients.Conclusion: Revealing the serological status of other hepatitisagents, such as hepatitis A and B, in patients with chronic hepatitisC is important in terms of providing the opportunity to immunize ortreat when required Gereç ve Yöntemler: HCV ile enfekte kronik olguları içeren çok merkezli bu çalışma Temmuz 2016-Ekim 2017 tarihleri arasında yapıldı. Hepatit B yüzey antijeni (HBsAg, antiHBs, antiHBcIgG ve antiHAVIgG’nin serolojik testleri ELISA ve 18 yaşında HCV ile enfekte hastaların dosyaları veya Ülkemizin 13 farklı ilinde 15 hastaneye başvuranlar tarandı. Ülkemizin 13 farklı ilindeki 15 hastanenin HCV ile enfekte hastalarının dosyaları tarandı ve ELISA yöntemi ile değerlendirilen HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc IgG ve antiHAV IgG bakıldı. Bulgular: Sekiz yüz yirmi sekiz hastanın üç yüz altmış ikisi erkek, 466 kadındı. HBV/HCV koenfeksiyon prevalansı %2,4 iken antiHBs pozitiflik oranı %46,9 idi. Anti-HAV IgG serolojisi açısından değerlendirilen 610 hastanın %88,8’i anti-HAV IgG pozitif, %11,1’i anti-HAV IgG negatif idi. Hastaların %5,8’inde izole anti-HBc IgG pozitifliği saptandı. Sonuç: Kronik hepatit C’li hastalarda hepatit A ve B gibi diğer hepatit ajanlarının serolojik durumunun ortaya konması, gerektiğinde aşılama veya tedavi fırsatı sağlama açısından önemlidir WOS:000605350300005

WOS: 000471726700008, PubMed ID: 30989418, Brucellosis in pregnant women is reported to be associated with obstetric complications (OCs), and adequate data for human brucellosis during pregnancy are largely lacking. We performed this multicenter retrospective cross-sectional study to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical course, treatment responses, and outcomes of brucellosis among pregnant women. The study period comprised a 14-year period from January 2002 to December 2015. All consecutive pregnant women diagnosed with brucellosis in 23 participating hospitals were included. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, therapeutic, and outcome data along with the assessment data of the neonate were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Data of 242 patients were analyzed. The OC rate was 14.0% (34/242) in the cohort. Of the 242 women, 219 (90.5%) delivered at term, 3 (1.2%) had preterm delivery, 15 (6.2%) aborted, and 5 (2.1%) had intrauterine fetal demise. Seventeen (7.0%) of the newborns were considered as low birth weight. Spontaneous abortion (6.1%) was the commonest complication. There were no maternal or neonatal deaths and pertinent sequelae or complications were not detected in the newborns. Splenomegaly (p=0.019), nausea and/or vomiting (p41IU/L; p=0.025), oligohydramnios on ultrasonography (p=0.0002), history of taking medication other than Brucella treatment during pregnancy (p=0.027), and Brucella bacteremia (p=0.029) were the significant factors associated with OCs. We recommend that pregnant women with OC or with fever should be investigated for brucellosis if they live in or have traveled to an endemic area.

WOS: 000458707500002, PubMed ID: 30594545, Sleep is essential for memory consolidation that stabilizes a memory trace. Memory consolidation includes waves of new gene expression and protein synthesis. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of memory processes. Previous studies demonstrated that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation (REM SD) during specific time windows after training in the Morris water maze (MWM) task impairs memory consolidation. Here, we showed that the post-learning REM sleep, extending from 3 to 6 h after last training, is critical for spatial learning in the MWM task. Further, we found that the REM SD after training significantly changes the hippocampal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA; however, it causes minimal difference in the hippocampal expressions of calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMKII) and cAMP response-element-binding (CREB). In addition, it considerably affected the hippocampal expressions of miR-132, miR-182, and miR-124. In conclusion, after the MWM task, the post-learning REM sleep during specific time windows can modulate spatial memory consolidation, and its deprivation can impact the hippocampal transcriptional processes including memory-related miRNAs and mRNAs., Division of Scientific Research Projects in Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey [TDK-2015-6077], This work was supported by the Division of Scientific Research Projects in Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey under Grant TDK-2015-6077.

Prosthetic joint infections cause serious morbidity and mortality among joint arthroplasty patients. Rifampin-accompanied antibiotic regimens are recommended for gram-positive infections. This study aimed to combine current evidence supporting the rifampin supplement to an effective antibiotic in the treatment of prosthetic joint infections. We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis with frequentist and Bayesian approaches. A total of 13 studies, all observational, were included in the final analysis. The predominant bacteria in eight, two, and three studies were Staphylococcus spp., Propionibacterium spp., and Streptococcus spp., respectively. We pooled data from 568 patients in the staphylococcus subset (OR, 1.18; 95% CIs, [0.76; 1.82]; I2 = 23%) and data from 80 patients in the propionibacterium subset (REM OR, 1.61; 95% CIs [0.58; 4.47]; I2 = 0%). Both were insignificant with little heterogeneity. We pooled data from 483 patients in the streptococcus subset; the pooled estimate in this subset favored the use of rifampin supplemented regimens (1.84; [0.90; 3.76]) with moderate to high unaccounted heterogeneity (I2 = 57%). Bayesian random-effects models produced a posterior probability density indicating that future studies will not favor rifampin supplementation in Staphylococcus infections (μ, 0.074; τ, 0.570; 89% HPD, [- 0.48; 0.54]). Bayesian posterior distribution in the Streptococcus subset displayed a tendency toward rifampin supplementation. Studies had a substantial selection bias. Available evidence did not encourage rifampin-accompanied regimens for staphylococcal infections.

Objective: Toxoplasma gondii may lead to opportunistic infections that threaten life in patients infected with HIV as opposed to the case of healthy individuals. It was aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in HIV-infected patients admitted to our clinic. Methods: The files of HIV-infected patients who were admitted to our polyclinic in the period of January 1995- December 2019 were examined. From the files, information was recorded on demographic characteristics, first diagnosis date, CD4+ T lymphocyte counts at first admission, HIV RNA, T. gondii Ig G / M values and whether or not they received antibiotic prophylaxis. Findings: Although the files of 804 HIV-infected patients were examined, data on T. gondii antibodies could be accessed only in the files of 685 patients. The median values of the ages and disease durations of the patients were respectively 33 (range: 17-83) and 4 (range 0-27) years. Among the patients, 88.5% (n: 606) were male. While no patients showed T. gondii Ig M antibody positivity, 41.6% (N= 285) had T. gondii Ig G positivity. The CD4+ T lymphocyte count was under 100 in 10.0% (n: 68/678) of the patients, and among 36.8% (n: 25/68) of these patients, T. gondii Ig G was positive. While T. gondii IgG positivity was significant in the patients over the age of 40, no significant relationship was found between sex and CD4+ T lymphocyte counts. Conclusion: In patients with T. gondii Ig G positivity, the risk of toxoplasmosis reactivation increases especially when the CD4+ T lymphocyte counts fall below 200. For this reason, investigating the seroprevalence of T. gondii in patients of all ages is important to be able to assess the risks that may develop, and it should be kept in mind that seropositivity may increase by advanced age.

WOS:000560834200001 PubMed ID: 32803484 A new infectious outbreak sustained by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now spreading all around the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) and right ventricular longitudinal strain (RV-LS) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this prospective, single-center study, data were gathered from patients treated for COVID-19 between April 15 and April 30, 2020. Two-dimensional echocardiography (2-DE) and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) images were obtained for all patients. Patients were divided into three groups: those with severe COVID-19 infection, those with non-severe COVID-19 infection, and those without COVID-19 infection (the control group). Data regarding clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were obtained from electronic medical records. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. A total of 100 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 were included in this study. The mean age of the severe group (n = 44) was 59.1 +/- 12.9, 40% of whom were male. The mean age of the non-severe group (n = 56) was 53.7 +/- 15.1, 58% of whom were male. Of these patients, 22 died in the hospital. In patients in the severe group, LV-GLS and RV-LS were decreased compared to patients in the non-severe and control groups (LV-GLS: - 14.5 +/- 1.8 vs. - 16.7 +/- 1.3 vs. - 19.4 +/- 1.6, respectively [p < 0.001]; RV-LS: - 17.2 +/- 2.3 vs. - 20.5 +/- 3.2 vs. - 27.3 +/- 3.1, respectively [p < 0.001]). The presence of cardiac injury, D-dimer, arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), LV-GLS (OR 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-2.47; p = 0.010) and RV-LS (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.07-2.25; p = 0.019) were identified as independent predictors of mortality via multivariate analysis. LV-GLS and RV-LS are independent predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19.

This manuscript aims to present a treatment algorithm we applied to manage COVID-19 patients admitted to our hospital. During the study period, 2043 patients with suspected COVID-19 were admitted to the emergency department. Molecular tests indicated that 475 of these patients tested positive for COVID-19. We administered hydroxychloroquine plus doxycycline to mild cases (isolated at home) for 3 days and lopinavir plus doxycycline to moderate and severe cases (hospitalized) for 5 days. The overall case fatality rate was 4.2% (20/475).

The genetic etiology of collagen VI related muscular dystrophies is heterogenous. Genomic deletions in one allele involving COL6A2 or both COL6A1 and COL6A2 unmasking a pathogenic variant in the second nondeleted allele have been described in the etiology. We aimed to report the clinical and molecular findings of a 13-year-old boy with ring chromosome 21 who presented to our clinic with easy fatigability, muscle weakness, and waddling gait. Phenotypic delineation along with chromosomal microarray analysis and DNA sequencing were performed. Affymetrix CytoScan Optima array platform and DNA sequencing revealed a 2,202 kb de novo deletion at 21q22.3, including COL6A1 and COL6A2, and a novel heterozygous variant at position c.2875G > A;p.(Glu959Lys) in COL6A2, respectively. Before his admission to our center, the patient was evaluated for hypotonia elsewhere when he was 15 months old. He was diagnosed with ring chromosome 21 on peripheral blood karyotype analysis; however, no further assessment was performed at that time. He had normal growth with mild dysmorphic facial features, distal laxity, gastrocnemius hypertrophy, proximal muscle weakness, increased lordotic posture with mild flexion contractures at the knees, and gait disturbance. Although the phenotype does not fit into classical Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophies, muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a complementary pattern consistent with collagen VI related myopathies. Genetic testing confirmed the clinical diagnosis as well. This patient yet represents another example of the effect of large genomic deletions leading to recessive disorders through unmasking a pathogenic variant in the second nondeleted allele.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The analysis of genes thought to be important in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has shown that more than half of IBD-related genes are also associated with other autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to detect a possible association between the polymorphisms of the (−670 A/G, −1377 G/A) fFas cell surface death receptor (FAS) gene promoter and susceptibility to IBD in the Turkish population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 125 patients with IBD, including 73 ulcerative colitis and 52 Crohn’s disease and also 101 healthy controls without any pathological signs of IBD were considered for the study. Real-time polymerase chain reaction technique was used to detect FAS polymorphisms in this study. RESULTS: The analysis of FAS −670 A/G polymorphism indicated that the frequency of GG genotype was significantly increased in patients compared with controls (p

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are life-threatening conditions with high morbidity and mortality. Supportive care management of SJS/TEN is highly variable. A systematic review of the literature was performed by dermatologists, ophthalmologists, intensivists, and gynecologists with expertise in SJS/TEN to generate statements for supportive care guideline development. Members of the Society of Dermatology Hospitalists with expertise in SJS/TEN were invited to participate in a modified, online Delphi-consensus. Participants were administered 9-point Likert scale questionnaires regarding 135 statements. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method was used to evaluate and select proposed statements for guideline inclusion; statements with median ratings of 6.5 to 9 and a disagreement index of ≤1 were included in the guideline. For the final round, the guidelines were appraised by all of the participants. Included are an evidence-based discussion and recommendations for hospital setting and care team, wound care, ocular care, oral care, urogenital care, pain management, infection surveillance, fluid and electrolyte management, nutrition and stress ulcer prophylaxis, airway management, and anticoagulation in adult patients with SJS/TEN.

Mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus can occur during the intrauterine, antenatal and postnatal periods, with an increased risk of perinatal transmission. Appropriate management of patients who are hepatitis B surface antigen positive during pregnancy can substantially reduce the rates of perinatal transmission. Herein, two pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B are presented; one became pregnant while receiving tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and continued the treatment during pregnancy, the other discontinued tenofovir disoproxil fumarate treatment on her own due to conception, but restarted at 26 weeks of pregnancy. At birth the newborns of both women were vaccinated and immunoglobulin was given, with no perinatal transmission. Whether pregnant women should receive antiviral therapy or immunoprophylaxis still remains controversial. In order to keep the mother's liver stable and to prevent perinatal transmission, it is of paramount importance to manage pregnant women in line with the current information and guidelines.

Objective:The magnification of the operative microscope or loop used in microsurgical varicocelectomy facilitates defining the anatomical structures. Even if the microsurgical approach is chosen, still, there is a 1% chance of iatrogenic testicular artery ligation and this may lead to the testicular atrophy. In this study, our aim was to present the efficacy and safety of the micro-Doppler ultrasound (USG) used during microsurgical varicocelectomy for the first time in Turkiye.Materials and Methods:A total of 46 patients with clinical varicocele underwent microsurgical varicocelectomy from May 2018 to July 2019. The da Vinci surgical system (CordaMed, İstanbul) was used in 5 patients and a standard operating microscope was used in 41 patients. Once the spermatic cord was brought up during the surgery, the velocity time integral microvascular Doppler system (Deltamed, Ankara) was used to identify the testicular vessels. The micro-Doppler USG probe allowed differentiation of the vessel by hearing the arterial pulsation audio.Results:Microsurgical varicocelectomy was performed in 46 patients and 48 spermatic cord units. The mean number of spermatic veins that were ligated in each spermatic cord unit was 3.05 (2-5) and each spermatic cord unit had mean 1.4 (1-3) spermatic arteries that were preserved. The mean follow-up duration was 9 months and none of the patients developed testicular atrophy after the procedure.Conclusion:The use of micro-Doppler USG in micro-surgical varicocelectomy seems to be an effective and safe method that facilitates the identification of testicular vessels. With the aid of micro-Doppler USG, even very small size arteries could be easily identified and iatrogenic damage could be avoided.

Objectives The occurrence of abnormal expression patterns in different types of cancer suggests that micro RNAs (miRNAs) may play an important role in tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to examine the expression levels of miRNAs known to be associated with the regulation of the expression levels of the APC and K-ras, which are important in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods The expression levels of miR-27, miR-663, miR-217, miR-181d, APC and K-ras in the serum, tumor and adjacent tumor-free (healthy) tissues of the patients and serum of the healthy controls were investigated with qRT-PCR. Results Expression levels of miR-217, mR-181d, miR-663, miR-27 and K-ras were found to be higher in CRC tissues than in adjacent tumor-free tissues of the patients. In patient serum samples, miR-663 levels were statistically more elevated than in controls. In patient tumor tissues, miR-217, miR-181d and miR-27 expressions were found to be higher. Conclusions Increased miR-181d and miR-217 expression levels are associated with increased K-ras expression in the tumor tissues, and the expression of K-ras, which takes part as an oncogene in the CRC development, might be regulated by these miRNAs (Tab. 4, Ref. 33).

Objective: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a sub-type of breast cancer with the worst prognosis and highest risk of mortality. Bone metastasis is the most common metastasis type among women with breast cancer. RANK and OPG, are the members of the family of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which is effective on osteoblastic and osteoclastic mechanisms. RANKL, interacts with RANK and leads to bone resorption, whereas it inhibits bone destruction when it interacts with OPG.Methods: In this study, we investigated the polymorphisms of RANK, RANKL and OPG genes and their effects on bone metastasis in 45 patients with triple negative breast cancer and 30 healthy controls, using PCR, RFLP and agarose gel electrophoresis techniques.Results: The RANKL genotype and allele distribution analysis revealed a significantly increased CC genotype incidence in patients with TNBC and bone metastasis (p=0.011) and in those without bone metastasis (p=0.004) compared to the control group. The OPG genotype and allele distribution analysis revealed significantly increased C allele incidence in patients with TNBC and bone metastasis (p=0.004) compared to the control group. Likewise, the CC genotype (p=0.001) and C allele incidences (p=0.001) were observed to be significantly increased in patients with TNBC compared to healthy controls.Conclusion: This study is one of the first studies investigating all three RANK/RANKL/OPG gene polymorphisms and the relationship between breast cancer and bone metastasis in our country. We believe that our study will shed light onto further studies to be conducted on triple negative breast cancer and bone metastasis.

Objective: Paraspinal schwannomas arise from the dorsal nerve root. Symptoms of schwannomas may depend on their locations and sizes. This case was presented by a female patient with a dorsalgia for 10 years. She had not any specific symptoms but pain and a thick spot on the neck (cervical area). Paraspinal schwannomas involve the dorsal nerve roots, affecting people in the fourth and fifth decades of life. Paraspinal schwannomas are frequently asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally on imaging of the spine. Total excision is mostly possible and the recurrence rate is low.

To find if there is any potential benefit of serum Sphingosine-1-Phosphate (S1P) level in the diagnosis of Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis (BPS/IC). Patients newly or previously diagnosed with BPS/IC between September 2017 and December 2018 were included. Healthy individuals who volunteered to enter the study were included as control group. The measurements of serum S1P in both groups were compared. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to find out the significant factors affecting S1P results. A total of 47 BPS/IC patients and 47 healthy controls were included. BPS/IC patients were older than controls (48.5 ± 12.4 vs 38.9 ± 8.1 years, p

Progesteron (P4) memeli ovaryumunda korpus luteum tarafından üretilen, hem dişi ve erkek üreme sistemlerinde hem de reprodüktif olmayan doku ve organlarda çeşitli fonksiyonlar üstlenir. P4 hedef dokulardaki etkilerini, progesteron reseptörü (PR) adı verilen spesifik hücre içi reseptörler aracılığıyla gerçekleştirir. Çeşitli çalışmalar PR’lerinin hem normal sağlıklı hem de kanserli mide dokularında eksprese edildiğini ve mide mukozasının progesteronun eylemi için hedef doku olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. PR ekspresyonu insan, fare, rat ve mongol gerbil midesinde rapor edilmesine rağmen koç ve boğa midelerinde bu reseptörün varlığına dair çalışma bulunmamaktadır. Sunulan çalışmanın amacı PR’ünün erişkin koç ve boğa abomazumlarının kardiya, fundus ve pilorus bölgelerinde eksprese edilip edilmediğini, PR ekspresyonunun mide bölümlerininin yapısal özelliklerine bağlı bir değişim gösterip göstermediğini immunohistokimyasal yöntemle belirlemek ve PR’ünün olası rolünü değerlendirmektedir. Çalışmamızda her iki türün abomazum bölümlerinde yüzey epitel hücreleri hariç, foveola gastrika'yı örten epitel hücrelerinde ve lamina propriyadaki bez epitel hücrelerinde PR’ünün çekirdekten ziyade sitoplazmik ve membransel yerleşim gösterdiği tespit edildi. Koç abomazumunun kardiya bölümünde de bulunduğu gözlenen pariyetal hücreler ile her iki türün fundus bölgesindeki pariyetal hücrelerde PR immunreaksiyonunun kuvvetli sitoplazmik olduğu gözlendi. Pilorus bölgesinde foveola gastrika epitel hücrelerinin ve müköz bez epitel hücrelerinin bazal sitoplazmalarının ve lateral membranlarının PR için pozitif boyanma sergiledikleri görüldü. Bunların yanı sıra koç ve boğa abomazumlarının her üç bölümünde tunika muskularisi oluşturan düz kas hücrelerinde, lamina propriya ve tunika muskularisdeki kan damarlarının endotel ve düz kas hücrelerinde sitoplazmik PR immunoreaksiyonu tespit edildi. Sonuç olarak bu bulgular progesteronun, koç ve boğa midelerinde çeşitli biyolojik süreçleri PR’leri aracılığıyla düzenlediğinin önemli bir kanıtı olabilir.&nbsp