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Background: This paper aimed to determine the prevalence of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency in healthy adult patients who presented to our hospital in Istanbul province and to present the difference between vitamin 25(OH)D levels by gender, age group, season, and month. Methods: The vitamin 25(OH)D levels of 9,778 adults who presented to our hospital's internal medicine checkup outpatient clinic between January 2022 and December 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. Individuals with chronic disorders were excluded from the study. The adult patients included in the study were divided into two groups by age (18-50 and 51-65 years). Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured using the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method. A serum 25(OH)D level was considered deficient if below 20 ng/mL, insufficient if 20-30 ng/mL, and sufficient if above 30 ng/mL. The patients' 25(OH)D levels were investigated by age, gender, season, and month. Results: After measurement, vitamin D levels were deficient in 57.2% of the patients (n=5,592), insufficient in 28.2% (n=2,756), and sufficient in 14.6% (n=1,430). The mean vitamin D level of the 18-50 age group was significantly lower than that of the group 51-65 age group (p=0.001; p0.05). The mean vitamin D levels were 17.99±10.88 ng/mL in winter, 18.11±12.69 ng/mL in spring, 22.08±11.58 ng/mL in summer, and 21.67±10.82 ng/mL in fall. There were statistically significant differences according to the season and month of hospital presentation (p=0.001; p

Introduction: Neuroinflammation plays a key role in various neurological conditions, including migraine. GON block has been used for both acute and preventive treatment in migraine sufferers. Exploring whether this localized nerve blocking therapy for migraines affects signs of systemic inflammation would be beneficial. Materials and Methods: In this study, a total of 50 migraineurs (comprising high-frequency episodic and chronic migraine) and 60 healthy control volunteers of comparable ages and sexes were enrolled. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and SII levels in migraine patients, migraine sufferers, and healthy individuals are compared. This study examined hematological parameters and SII levels used as inflammatory markers in those diagnosed with migraine. Results: It was determined that the mean platelet and PLR values of the case group’s subjects were substantially lower than those of the patient group’s subjects (p < 0.05). Biochemical characteristics of the cases were examined before and after treatment with greater occipital nerve (GON) block, revealing a statistically significant reduction in attack frequency, severity, and duration (p < 0.001). No significant differences were discovered when compared to post-treatment values (p > 0.05), even though the ratios were greater prior to GON block therapy in other measures. Conclusion: These findings, in our opinion, are linked to the presence of a continuous inflammatory process even in the absence of episodes, supporting systemic inflammation in migraineurs. Thus, SII, an affordable and easily measurable marker in peripheral blood, may serve as a helpful predictive marker for migraine patients scheduled for GON block treatment. Further extensive research is needed to determine whether SII can be an independent prognostic factor in migraine patients.

Background: Zonulin regulates permeability in blood–brain and intestinal barriers. The pathophysiology of migraine is based on the effect of neurogenic inflammation. The aim of the current investigation was to examine the serum zonulin level in individuals suffering from migraine. Methods: The sample comprised 40 individuals who had migraine and 40 controls. Disease duration, attack duration, attack frequency, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, and comorbidities were available for the migraine group. Serum zonulin levels were evaluated by using the ELISA method. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups concerning age or gender (p > 0.05). The zonulin value of patients with migraine was higher when compared to the controls, indicating a significant difference (p = 0.037; p < 0.05). The zonulin level did not correlate with disease duration, attack duration, VAS score, or attack frequency (p > 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of zonulin revealed a cut-off value of 30.58 and above, at which it had 52.50% sensitivity, 77.5% specificity, 70% positive predictive value, and 62% a negative predictive value. The area under the curve was 63.6%, and the standard error value was 6.3%. The analysis also showed a statistically significant correlation between migraine diagnosis and a zonulin level of 30.58 (p = 0.006; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Elevated zonulin levels in patients with migraine support the disruption of the intestinal barrier and neuroinflammation in these patients. The zonulin level may be a predictive biomarker of migraine. Multicenter, randomized trials are needed to evaluate treatments for intestinal permeability and zonulin levels in migraine patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a cytokine that plays a critical role in immunity and inflammation. We compared serum MIF levels in patients diagnosed with active ulcerative colitis (UC) for the 1 time with those in healthy controls and attempted to determine whether serum MIF levels were different in the patients with active UC. Materials and Methods: A total of 38 naive patients who were admitted to our hospital between 2019 and 2020 and diagnosed with active UC by colonoscopy were included in the study as the case group, and 37 patients without acute or chronic diseases whose colonoscopy was normal were included as the control group. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in MIF levels between the patients with UC and the control group (p>0.05). Serum MIF levels were analyzed by comparing the patients with UC and the control group in terms of disease localization and severity. The serum MIF levels of the patients with UC were grouped according to the Montreal classification (p>0.05) and the Truelove and Witts criteria. There was no statistically significant difference in serum MIF levels between the patient groups or between them and the control group (p>0.05). Conclusion: Serum MIF levels were not higher in the patients with naive active US than in healthy control subjects. There are not many previous clinical studies on this topic. Further clinical studies are needed to investigate serum MIF levels in UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Although several causes have been regarded as possible including viral, autoimmune, inflammatory, and vascular ischemia, the accurate etiology and pathophysiology of Bell's palsy (BP) remain unclear. The aim of the present article was to determine whether serum levels of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) are associated with BP and if there is a posttreatment change in IMA levels. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study enrolling 23 patients (10 males and 13 females; mean age: 44.71 ± 16.72 years; and range, 20–57 years) and 23 healthy individuals (12 males and 11 females; mean age: 37.91 ± 9.16 years; and range, 9–73 years) as the control group. Blood samples were obtained from the antecubital vein from all of the volunteers. Albumin cobalt binding test was used to obtain the IMA levels. Results: The mean IMA level was 0.38 ± 0.06 absorbance units in the study group at the time of diagnosis, 0.35 ± 0.07 absorbance units at the posttreatment period, and 0.35 ± 0.06 absorbance units in the control group. IMA levels of patients in posttreatment period were lower than the onset of illness. The result was statistically significant (P = 0.01). Conclusion: The data demonstrate that IMA decreased in BP with treatment. This is a preliminary study and we could not obtain results that clearly support the ischemic hypothesis of pathogenesis of BP; we think it gives an idea for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the etiopathogenesis of acne rosacea has not yet been clearly elucidated, it has been discussed over the years that autoimmunity may play a role. Genetic and environmental factors are known to have combined effects in the background of autoimmunity, but it has recently been emphasized that an impaired intestinal barrier system is also involved in the development of the disease. Zonulin is a protein that reversibly increases intestinal permeability. This study aimed to evaluate the zonulin levels in acne rosacea. A total of 61 individuals, 30 diagnosed with acne rosacea and 31 healthy controls, were included in this study. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, and body mass index. Zonulin was studied using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The serum zonulin levels were found to be significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group (18.5 ± 2.9 ng/ml and 13.2 ± 2.7 ng/ml, respectively; p <.001). This is the first study in the literature to demonstrate that the serum zonulin levels are increased in patients with acne rosacea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Striae gravidarum (SG) can cause pregnant women severe psychological stress. Objective: This study aimed to compare primigravidas with and without SG concerning fasting blood coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), age, skin type, family history, gestational weight gain, pre‐ and post‐pregnancy BMI, daily water consumption during pregnancy, gender and weight of baby, and the educational level. Methods: The study included 79 primigravidas in the gestational week of 36 or above. The patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of SG. The fasting blood CoQ10 levels and other associated parameters were compared between the groups. Results: Of the 79 primigravidas, 35 (44.3%) had SG. There was no statistically significant relationship between striae and CoQ10 (P = 0.144 and P = 0.189, respectively). Predisposing factors for striae were young pregnancy, light skin color, family history, high pre‐ and post‐pregnancy BMI, increased gestational weight gain, and increased newborn weight. There was no significant relationship between striae development and educational level or water consumption during pregnancy. Conclusion: This is the first study to show that CoQ10 did not significantly differ between women with and without SG. Further studies with a larger case series are needed to elucidate predisposing factors for striae and involvement of CoQ10 in this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to investigate the role of cTnT for the prediction of long term cardiac dysfunction after epirubicin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. The study group comprised of 45 patients (all female; mean age 48 ±8 years), treated with epirubicin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy for stage 2 and stage 3 breast cancer. Patients received either 4 cycles of cyclophosphamide plus epirubicin (90 mg/m2) (n=23; stage 2 breast cancer) or 6 cycles of cyclophosphamide plus epirubicin (75 mg/m2) plus fluorouracil (n=18; stage 3 breast cancer). Venous blood samples were drawn, before and 72 hours after, every cycle of chemotherapy for the measurement of cTnT. Cardiac assessment was carried out at baseline and 1 year after chemotherapy by clinical evaluation, electrocardiography, radio-nuclide ventriculography (RNV) and transthoracic echocardiography. All patients remained free of clinical heart failure during the study period. In 26 patients (63%), cTnT was elevated after chemotherapy. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction, assessed by RNV at baseline and one year after chemotherapy, were 61±8% and 56±7% (p<0.0001). The sensitivity and specifity of cTnT for the detection of left ventricular systolic dysfunction at one year were 69% and 39% respectively. Echocardiographic examinations at baseline and one year after chemotherapy revealed a significant decrease in E/A ratio from 1.15±0.3 to 0.9±0.2 in cTnT positive patients, suggesting diastolic dysfunction. In conclusion, elevated serum cTnT levels after epirubicin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy for stage 2 and stage 3 breast cancer, predict future cardiac dysfunction with moderate sensitivity and poor specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: In this study HER2/neu oncogene and p53 tumor suppressor gene which have been important for the prognosis in breast cancer were investigated. The study was made retrospectively on 50 patients. In all of the patients histological type of the tumor, tumor grade, size of the tumor, lymph node invasion, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) results evaluated by immunohytochemistry (IHC) were previously known. Presence of HER2/neu oncogene amplification and p53 tumor suppressor gene deletion which are today routinely detected by immunohystochemistry (IHC) methods, were measured by the method RT-PCR, assaying gene copy number quantitatively. The relationship between HER2/neu oncogen amplification and p53 tumor suppressor gene deletion were assayed and compared with histopathological prognostic factors. MATERIAL&METHODS: The Sections obtained from tumor paraffinized blocks were prepared on microscopeslides and then DNA of the tumor tissues were isolated.DNA samples obtained from 50 patients were studied in "LightCycler" device by RT-PCR technique by an appropriate PCR programme to detect HER2/neuonkogene amplification and p53 tumor suppressor gene deletion. RESULTS: In patients the correlation of HER2/neu oncogene amplification and p53 tumor suppressor gene deletion which were both measured by RTPCR methods was found insignificant (p>0, 05).There was also no significant correlation between HER2/neu oncogene amplification and p53 tumor suppressorgene deletion with tumor's grade, tumor's size, lymphnode invasion, ER and PR status (p>0.05). IHC and RT-PCR method were compared and it was found significant(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: But presence of high grade tumor was detected in patients who have HER2/neu oncogene amplification and p53 tumor suppressor gene deletion together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There have been reports indicating a correlation between heightened intestinal permeability and many autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorders. The involvement of autoimmunity is now recognized as a significant factor in the development of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Zonulin is an important biomarker that regulates tight junction permeability within cells in the gastrointestinal tract, hence facilitating intestinal permeability., Objective: To evaluate the correlation of CSU with intestinal permeability by measuring the serum levels of zonulin in patients diagnosed with CSU., Methods: The study included 60 patients diagnosed with CSU and 64 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals as controls. Levels of serum zonulin were determined using the ELISA method., Results: Although the serum zonulin value of the patients was higher compared to the controls, the difference did not reach a significant level (24.65±8.49 ng/ml vs. 21.03±7.36 ng/ml, p =0.077). The serum zonulin level had a significant correlation with the urticaria activity score in the CSU group ( p =0.013). The results of the current study revealed that serum zonulin values significantly differed between patients with CSU and healthy controls., Conclusion: This study is important in terms of being the first to investigate the serum zonulin levels in CSU. However, there is a need for further studies with larger patient groups., Competing Interests: The authors have nothing to disclose., (© 2024 The Korean Dermatological Association and The Korean Society for Investigative Dermatology.)

Background: We aimed to compare the effects of observation of the physician (POB) or by adhering to the protocol-based (PB) weaning methods on total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative stress (TOS) levels and weaning success levels., Methods: Our study was conducted on patients admitted from the emergency department between January 2015 and January 2018 in the intensive care unit of our hospital. During the spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), when one of the criteria specified in developed, SBT was terminated and the previous mechanical ventilator parameters were returned. The patient was planned to be taken to SBT again the next morning. If the SBT was successful, extubation was decided. The extubation decision based on physician observation was made according to the patient's state of consciousness and adequate chest expansion during the daily visit., Results: The decrease in TAC average value before and after extubation was found to be significant in the POB group patients (p=0.001). The decrease in the average TAC value of the PB group patients before and after extubation was found to be significant (p=0.03)., Conclusion: In our study, TAC values were found to be higher in the PB group than in the POB group, and in addition, the reintubation rate was found to be lower. We think that the management of weaning as a PB may contribute to maintaining the balance between TAC and TOS and reduce the rate of reintubation.