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Objective: In the last two decades, research on epigenetic mechanisms has expanded dramatically. Recent studies demonstrated that epigenetic mechanisms regulate epilepsy and epileptogenic pathologies. In this study, we aimed to investigate changes in the promoter methylation status of the voltage-gated T-type calcium channel alpha 1 subunit G (CACNA1G) gene and total histone deacetylase activity in Wistar Albino Glaxo/Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) rats which is one of the commonly used genetic absence rat models of epilepsy in the three different age groups (3, 6, and 9 months old) on both sexes. Material and Method: Evaluation of changes in the spike-wave discharges (SWDs) was performed with electrocorticography (ECoG). The promoter methylation status of the CACNA1G gene was determined by methylation-specific PCR (MSP), and histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity was determined spectrophotometrically. Results: Our results demonstrated that the number of SWDs increased time-dependent in WAG/Rij. Additionally, it was observed that CACNA1G promoter methylation decreased, and total HDAC activity increased with age in both sexes. Conclusion: Our results provide further support for epigenetic regulation in the absence epilepsy phenotype and suggest that the underlying mechanism behind the increase in the number of SWDs with age in the WAG/Rij animals might be regulated by CACNA1G promoter methylation or HDAC activity.

Purpose: To study the cytotoxicity of paclitaxel and docetaxel on cell viability and apoptosis in Burkitt lymphoma cell lines. Methods: The cytotoxic activity of Paclitaxel and Docetaxel against Burkitt lymphoma cells was evaluated using the XTT cell viability test. The cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of paclitaxel and docetaxel ranging from 0.0001 to 10 μM for 48 h. Cell cycle analysis and apoptosis were also assessed using flow cytometry-based experiments. Results: Both paclitaxel and docetaxel exhibited a concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect with IC50 of 5.32 and 6.58 μM, respectively. Furthermore, paclitaxel and docetaxel were shown to have a significant apoptotic effect on Burkitt lymphoma cells (p < 0.01). Furthermore, paclitaxel and docetaxel arrested Burkitt lymphoma cells at the G2/M phase. Conclusion: Paclitaxel and docetaxel are potential candidates for the treatment of Burkitt lymphoma. Since both drugs are already licensed for many indications, the addition of Burkitt lymphoma to the list of indications of these drugs would be a much easier and faster process. However, there is a need for further in vitro and in vivo research to fully elucidate their mechanisms of action.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of climate and altitude differences on the volume of paranasal sinuses and on the frequency of anatomic variations by comparing the paranasal sinus computerized tomography (PNSCT) of patients who were born and living in a cold, dry climate at high altitude with those of patients who were born and living on the coast at sea level in a temperate climate. We also aimed to determine differences relating to gender. A total of 914 individuals, 402 (44%) in Adana, and 512 (56%) in Sivas were evaluated and compared prospectively. Axial and coronal CT sections were used for volume measurements in the paranasal sinuses. For measurements, the widest view of the sinuses was used. The findings of this study have shown that age groups and genders compared measurements between the two cities. When the age groups are examined, there is no significant difference between the regions between 0-20 years of age (p> 0.05), whereas 21-40,41-60,61 and above individuals have a significant difference between the frontal and sphenoid sinuses (p 0.05). Considering the difference between paranasal sinus volumes between males, males were larger than females (p

Over the last two decades, the local approximation has been successfully used to extend the range of applicability of the "gold standard" singles and doubles coupled-cluster method with perturbative triples CCSD(T) to systems with hundreds of atoms. The local approximation error grows in absolute value with the increasing system size, i.e., by increasing the number of electron pairs in the system. In this study, we demonstrate that the recently introduced two-point extrapolation scheme for approaching the complete pair natural orbital (PNOs) space limit in domain-based pair natural orbital CCSD(T) calculations drastically reduces the dependence of the error on the system size, thus opening up unprecedented opportunities for the calculation of benchmark quality relative energies for large systems.

Dünyayı etkisi altına alan COVİD 19 pandemisi sırasında evlere kapanmak zorunda kalınması, aşırı hareketsizlik ve yağlı yiyeceklerin tüketimi, insanlara obezite gibi ciddi sağlık sorunu ortaya çıkarmıştır. Probiyotiklerin gastrointestinal (GI) sağlığı destekleme yeteneği yıllardır bilinmektedir. GI sistemine yapılan müdahale ile obeziteye karşı alternatif yaklaşımlar geliştirilebildiğinden, bu çalışmada, probiyotik karakteristiklere sahip doğal ürünlerden izole edilen bir anti-obezite biyomalzemesi olarak ekzopolisakkaritlerin (EPS) etkilerinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. İlk olarak, bilinen probiyotik özelliklere sahip 10 mikroorganizma içerisinden en yüksek EPS miktarına sahip olanı, MALDI-TOF ve 16srRNA dizi analizi ile tanımlanmış ve L. plantrum BHC007 olarak isimlendirilmiştir. Daha sonra, ekstrakte edilen EPS’nin monosakkarit bileşimi incelenmiş ve ortalama moleküler ağırlığı 221,860±0.006 olarak belirlenmiştir. EPS’nin adipogenez süreci üzerindeki etkisi 3T3 hücre hattı üzerinde, Oil Red O boyası ile niteliksel olarak, ayrıca triaçilgliserol (TAG) seviyeleri hücresel olarak incelenmiştir. En yüksek EPS konsantrasyonunun (2.25 mM) adipogenezi %75 inhibe ettiği sonucuna varılmıştır. Ayrıca, en düşük EPS konsantrasyonunda (0.45 mM) %17 adipogenez inhibisyonuna ulaşıldı. Sonuç olarak, TAG analizi EPS’nin lipit damlacık oluşum konsantrasyonuna bağlı olarak baskılandığını ortaya koymuştur.

In chemotherapy applied against cervical cancer, non-specific cytotoxicity and drug resistance that develops over time are trying to be overcome. Therefore, the development of effective and innovative chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment is among the priority issues in the medical field. The anticancer activity of the Bioymifi, which can activate apoptosis by inducing DR-5 clustering and aggregation against the human cervical cancer cell line, was investigated in the current study. The cytotoxic activity of Bioymifi on the HeLa cell line was identified using XTT assay. The pathway of the cell death mechanism was analyzed through the cell cycle and Annexin V assays by the flow cytometry. DAPI staining assay was applied under fluorescence microscopy to examine the nuclear morphology. Bioymifi appeared to have a remarkable IC

Introduction: Herbal products are generally considered safe because of their natural origin with the belief that "herbs are harmless". Herbal medicines, teas, and mixtures can be purchased by consumers via the internet and telephone without the supervision of a doctor. The ease of direct sale of herbal products to consumers, potential toxicity, contamination, deception, and interactions with drugs and food pose a direct threat to public health. Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency of use of herbal medicines and the reasons for use in Sivas city center and its districts. Method: The prepared questionnaires were approved by the Sivas Chamber of Pharmacists' board of directors and the questionnaires were administered to the patients under the supervision of a pharmacist. The results were evaluated with the chi-square test. Findings: According to the research results; Herbal products are bought from herbalists, online, no one knows about their content, the dosage is not known, the side effects are not known, they are easily used with prescription drugs, and there is no information about eliminations. Worst of all, 70% of the society tends to use herbal products. Doctors do not know much about phytotherapy and therefore cannot recommend herbal products. In this case, the most ignorant and charlatans have a say. Pharmacists can't compete with herbalists who act recklessly in this regard. Herbal product licenses are unfortunately not given by the Ministry of Health. Conclusion: In short, herbal products continue to pose a threat to public health as a "bomb with the pin pulled" unless precautions are taken.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of coadministered intravitreal dexamethasone (IVD) implant and silicone oil endotamponade during pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for the treatment of pro...

Amaç: Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi (CÜTF) öğrencilerinin Kanıta Dayalı Tıp (KDT) konusundaki bilgi ve tutumlarını tanımlamak ve dördüncü dönem öğrencilerine verilen 1 haftalık KDT eğitimi hakkında görüşlerini belirlemektir.Gereç ve Yöntem: CÜTF üçüncü, dördüncü ve beşinci dönem öğrencilerinin dâhil olduğu tanımlayıcı bir çalışmadır. Dördüncü dönem verilen 1 haftalık KDT eğitimi, teorik dersler ve pratik yapılan bir stajdır. Araştırmada kullanılan veri toplama aracı öğrencilerin tanımlayıcı özelliklerini, KDT hakkında bilgi ve tutumlarını ve staj hakkında görüşlerini sorgulamaktadır. Bulgular: 165 öğrenci katılmak için gönüllü oldu. Araştırma sorusunu araştırmak için belirtilen en yaygın kaynak; dönem üç öğrencileri için genel internet siteleri, dönem dört ve beş öğrencileri için elektronik KDT veri tabanlarıdır. Dönem üç öğrencileri veri tarama için kolay ulaşıma önem verirken, dönem dört ve beş öğrencileri için güvenilirlik önemliydi. Öğrencilerin araştırma yapmak için elektronik veri tabanlarını kullanım sıklığı (p, Aim: To define knowledge and attitudes of Cumhuriyet University Medical School (CUMS) students about Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) and to determine opinions about the 1-week EBM education given to fourth-year students.Material and Methods: This was a descriptive study on third, fourth, and fifth-year students of CUMS. The 1-week EBM education given in 4th-year is an internship, they can take theoretically and practice lectures. The data collection tool used in research has questioned descriptive features of students, knowledge and attitudes about EBM, and their views on the internship.Results: 165 students volunteered to participate. The most common answers for investigation research question; for 3rd-year students' was general web sites, for 4th-year students' and 5th-year students' was electronic EBM database. While 3rd-year students valued to easy access for searching data, reliability was important for 4th and 5th-year students. The frequency of students' use of electronic databases (p

Purpose. We aimed at reminding that X-linked retinoschisis may also be seen in female patients and share our vitreoretinal surgical experience. Methods. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy including the closure of the macular holes with inverted ILM flap technique bilaterally. Lens extractions were performed by phacoemulsification during the removal of silicone oil endotamponade. Patient. An 18-year-old girl with X-linked retinoschisis and large macular holes in both eyes presented to the clinic of ophthalmology. It was confirmed that the patient had RS1 mutation Results. Nine-month-follow-up was uneventful for retinal findings. Significant improvement in visual acuity was achieved, and macular holes were remained closed. Conclusion. In cases with large macular holes due to XLR, an inverted ILM flap technique might be safe and effective. Four-month-silicone-endotamponade might be sufficient.

Purpose: To investigate the analgesic effects of oxytocin (OT) and elucidate the role of dopaminergic system in its mechanisms.Methods: In this study, 72 male (n=6 for each group) 230-250 gr Wistar Albino rats were used. Firstly, dose studies were performed with 100 μg/kg, 200 μg/kg and 400 μg/kg to determine the optimal analgesic effect of oxytocin. Optimal dose was found at 200 μg/kg, and then animals were divided into nine groups: Saline, D1 agonist (SKF 38393; 0.1 mg/kg), D1 antagonist (SCH-23390; 0.1 mg/kg), D1 agonist + oxytocin, D1 antagonist + oxytocin, D2 agonist (Cabergoline; 0,5 mg/kg), D2 antagonist (Sulpride; 10 mg/kg), D2 agonist + oxytocin and D2 antagonist + oxytocin. Serum physiologic saline was given to the saline group and other drugs were administered intraperitoneally at the indicated doses. Tail-flick and hot-plate tests were used to measure analgesic effects. Analgesic tests were measured in 30 min-intervals (at 30th, 60th, 90th, and 120th min) and recorded in seconds. To evaluate maximum antinociceptive effect (% MPE), the tail-flick and hot-plate latencies were converted to the antinociceptive effectivenessResults: The results show that D1 antagonist SCH-23390 (0.1 mg/kg) and D2 agonist cabergoline (0.5 mg/kg) created strong analgesia while the D1 agonist SKF 38393 (0.1 mg/kg) and D2 antagonist sulpiride (10 mg/kg) did not have any analgesic effect. However, only D2 antagonist sulpiride blocked the analgesic effect produced by OTConclusion: OT may be one of the primary agents participating in spinal analgesia, and the dopaminergic system is one of the central mechanisms of action for this important molecule. The dopaminergic system may also be one of the targets for ‘descending’ analgesic system. Keywords: Oxytocin, Tail flick, Hot plate, Dopaminergic, Analgesic, Antagonist, Agonist

Objectives This study aims to investigate the effects of Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of the transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway inhibition on collagen biosynthesis in fibroblast cell culture by tofacitinib. Materials and methods BJ-CRL-1474® (skin) and BRL3A® (hepatic) fibroblast cell cultures were proliferated in a suitable medium. Tofacitinib was administered to fibroblast cells proliferating in 96-well flasks at concentrations of 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 nM. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), and hydroxyproline levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Results Tofacitinib showed cytotoxic effect on skin and liver cell culture. The cytotoxic effect of tofacitinib started at 100 nM (p

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of subthreshold micropulse yellow laser (SMYL) and intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) combination therapy with IAI monotherapy in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) and to evaluate the number of injections and SMYL sessions required. Methods: This prospective study compared a group of 28 patients treated with a combination of SMYL and IAI with a group of 28 patients treated only with IAI. All patients initially received 3 monthly IAIs, and the monotherapy group was given additional injections as needed. The combination therapy patients additionally received SMYL after the loading phase. The primary outcome measures were the change in the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) from baseline to month 12; the secondary outcomes were the mean number of required injections and SMYL sessions. Results: In the monotherapy group, the BCVA improved from 0.38 ± 0.10 to 0.20 ± 0.10 logMAR; in the combination group, BCVA improved from 0.40 ± 0.09 to 0.17 ± 0.06 logMAR at the end of the 12th month. The CMT was reduced from 451.28 ± 44.85 to 328.8 ± 49.69 μm in the monotherapy group and from 466.07 ± 71.79 to 312.0 ± 39.29 μm in the combination group. Improvement of the mean BCVA and reduction of the mean CMT were similar in each group. The combination group required significantly fewer injections (3.21 ± 0.41 vs 5.39 ± 1.54; P < 0.001). By month 12, 75% of patients in the monotherapy group had required additional IAIs when compared with 16% in the combination group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: SMYL combination therapy demonstrated significant visual improvements in patients with DME. In the combination group, the retreatment rate and number of required injections were significantly lower compared with the IAI monotherapy group.

Our aim was to evaluate the long-term results of micropulse laser trabeculoplasty (MLT) with 577-nm yellow wavelength in the treatment of glaucoma. We reviewed the medical records of 51 patients (51 eyes) with uncontrolled primary open-angle glaucoma or pseudoexfoliation glaucoma who underwent 180° MLT for the first time. The success of MLT was defined as an IOP reduction of ≥ 20% and IOP 21 mmHg after treatment. If the number of medications was increased or further laser trabeculoplasty or glaucoma surgery was required after treatment, the case was considered unsuccessful. The mean duration of patient follow-up was 18.39 ± 12.17 months (range 3-52 months). Patients included in the study used 2-4 types of antiglaucoma eye drops (mean 3.43 ± 0.7). The mean number of MLT spots was 65.54 ± 6.19, and the mean energy level was 750.98 ± 101.73 mJ. The decrease in intraocular pressure compared to baseline measurements was: 16.72 ± 11.87%, 15.07 ± 13.76%, 12.63 ± 14.29%, 16.66 ± 19.32%, and 16.75 ± 19.78% during follow-up at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36-48 months. Successful response was achieved in 35.41%, 36.95%, 34.21%, 40%, 41.17%, and 42.85% of patients during 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36-48 months of follow-ups, respectively. Of the 51 eyes studied, 12 patients (23.5%) underwent post-MLT glaucoma surgery, and 7 patients (13.7%) had cataract surgery, whose follow-up data were subsequently censored. The reduction of intraocular pressure showed a significant correlation with baseline intraocular pressure, while age and laser power showed no correlation (p 0.05). MLT is a novel treatment option for patients with glaucoma with favorable long-term outcomes and a good safety profile.

Herein, we provide new insights into the intermolecular interactions responsible for the intrinsic stability of the duplex structure of a large portion of human B-DNA by using advanced quantum mechanical methods. Our results indicate that (i) the effect of non-neighboring bases on the inter-strand interaction is negligibly small, (ii) London dispersion effects are essential for the stability of the duplex structure, (iii) the largest contribution to the stability of the duplex structure is the Watson–Crick base pairing – consistent with previous computational investigations, (iv) the effect of stacking between adjacent bases is relatively small but still essential for the duplex structure stability and (v) there are no cooperativity effects between intra-strand stacking and inter-strand base pairing interactions. These results are consistent with atomic force microscope measurements and provide the first theoretical validation of nearest neighbor approaches for predicting thermodynamic data of arbitrary DNA sequences., Advanced electronic structure methods provide a new insight into the intermolecular interactions responsible for the intrinsic stability of the duplex structure of human DNA.

A nonempirical quantum mechanical method for the efficient and accurate quantification and analysis of intermolecular interactions is presented and tested on existing benchmark sets. The leading idea here is to focus on the intermolecular part of the correlation energy that contains the all-important London dispersion (LD) interaction. To keep the cost of the method low, essentially at the level of a Hartree-Fock (HF) calculation, the intramolecular part of the correlation energy is neglected. We also neglect the nondispersive parts of the intermolecular correlation energy. This scheme that we denote as Hartree-Fock plus London dispersion (HFLD) can be readily realized on the basis of the recently reported multilevel implementation of the domain-based local pair natural orbital coupled-cluster (DLPNO-CC) theory in conjunction with the well-established local energy decomposition (LED) analysis. The accuracy and efficiency of the HFLD method are evaluated on rare gas dimers, on the S66 and L7 benchmark sets of noncovalent interactions, and on an additional set (LP14) consisting of bulky Lewis pairs held together by intermolecular interactions of various strengths, with interaction energies ranging from -8 to -107 kcal/mol. It is first shown that the LD energy calculated with this approach is essentially identical to that obtained from the full DLPNO-CCSD(T)/LED calculation, with a mean absolute error of 0.2 kcal/mol on the S66 benchmark set. Moreover, in terms of the overall interaction energies, the HFLD method shows an efficiency that is comparable to that of the HF method, while retaining an accuracy between that of the DLPNO-CCSD and DLPNO-CCSD(T) schemes. Since the underlying DLPNO-CCSD method is linear scaling with respect to the system size, the HFLD approach also does not lead to new bottlenecks for large systems. As an illustrative example of its efficiency, the HFLD scheme was applied to the interaction between the substrate and the residues in the active site of the cyclohexanone monooxygenase enzyme. The excellent cost/performance ratio indicates that the HFLD method opens new avenues for the accurate calculation and analysis of noncovalent interaction energies in large molecular systems.

Objective: Aim of study is to determine which antibiotic is started empirically in the ICU and to investigate whether the antibiotic started according to culture result was changed or not and the effect of this change on mortality, and to investigate the relationship between mortality and infection by determining whether enteral and parenterally fed patients have attained sufficient calorie level. Method: After the approval of the local ethics committee, the files of 476 patients hospitalized in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 159 patients over 18 years of age who received mechanical ventilation therapy for at least 3 days were included in the study. Blood, urine and tracheal aspirate culture were determined. It was recorded whether antibiotics had changed according to the culture result. Nutritional patterns, number of feeding days and basal caloric need were determined. It was investigated whether basal calorie need was met on 1, 3 and 5 days. Factors affecting mortality were investigated. Results: Antibiotic exchange was significantly higher in the patients who died (P = 0.002). Mortality was higher in patients who were unable to reach the target calorie (P = 0.01). Empirical changes in antibiotics (r: 0.174, P = 0.028), and culture positivity (r: 0.177, P = 0.026) were associated with mortality (r: 0.195, P = 0.014). In the subgroup analysis, reproduction in tracheal aspirate culture was an important factor affecting mortality (r: 0.211 P: 0.008). Conclusions: The number of days of hospitalization, antibiotic change, culture positivity and inability to reach the target calories in nutrition are associated with mortality in the intensive care unit.

Background & objectives: Statins are one of the most widely used drugs and have antilipidemic effects as well as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-tumorigenic effects. It has been shown that the synergistic combinations of statins which can provide better clinical benefit in the treatment of cancer and if administered with other anticancer agents, may be an alternative treatment modality. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of administrating statin in multiple myeloma (MM) cell line on cell proliferation. Methods: U266 myeloma cells were cultured in 25 or 75 cm[2] flasks by using cell culture medium mixtures obtained with the supplementation of 10 per cent foetal bovine serum and one per cent of penicillin-streptomycin into RPMI 1640 medium. When the cells reached confluence (reached to the density of 70%), they were reproduced by passaging. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by using the XTT test. Results: Statins (atorvastatin and simvastatin), were administered to the U266 myeloma cell line at 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25 and 3.12 μM concentrations. Inhibitor concentration 50 (IC50) values calculated for atorvastatin and simvastatin were determined as 94 and 38 μM, respectively. While 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25 and 3.12 μM concentrations were used for bortezomib, the IC50value calculated for this agent was 18.2 nM. When six concentrations of bortezomib used in the study were combined with 12.5 μM inactive concentrations of statins that did not cause inhibition in cell proliferation, both atorvastatin and simvastatin increased the effect of bortezomib at all the concentrations used, and simvastatin showed a stronger efficacy than atorvastatin. Interpretation & conclusions: Our in vitro results indicated that atorvastatin and simvastatin when used along with the conventional treatment in myeloma patients, may improve the effectiveness of the standard therapy and prevent the bortezomib-induced cytotoxic and neurotoxic side effects when used at a low dose. Further studies need to be done in MM patints to confirm these findings.

Several pnictogen dihalide complexes of the type (WCA-IDipp)EX2 (E=P, As, Sb; X=Cl, Br) that bear an anionic N-heterocyclic carbene ligand with a weakly coordinating borate moiety (WCA-IDipp, WCA=B(C6 F5 )3 , IDipp=1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene) were prepared by salt metathesis reactions between the respective pnictogen trihalides EX3 and the lithium salt (WCA-IDipp)Li⋅toluene. Two-electron reduction of the dihalides (WCA-IDipp)EX2 with 1,3-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,4-dihydropyrazine or elemental magnesium afforded the dipnictenes (WCA-IDipp)2 E2 , which display typical element-element double bonds as observed in diaryldiphosphenes, -arsenes and -stibenes. To provide an insight into the factors contributing to the structural stability of the pnictogen dihalide and dipnictene compounds, quantum chemical calculations were performed at the domain-based local pair natural orbital coupled-cluster (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) level. A local energy decomposition (LED) analysis of the interaction between the carbene and the pnictogen dihalide or dipnictene moiety demonstrates that London dispersion is an essential factor for the stabilization of these compounds.

Objectives Acupuncture is one of the oldest therapeutic interventions in the world for the treatment of pain, musculoskeletal diseases, and inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on pain and IL-17 and IL-23 levels in the treatment of endovenous ablation. Methods The study was a randomized controlled trial. Patients were divided into group C (Control, n = 35) and group A (Acupuncture, n = 35). Group A patients were treated with acupuncture 24 h preoperatively. Follow-up checkups were conducted intraoperatively, postoperatively, and on the third day. Results There was no difference between men; there was a difference between women. Visual analog scale score was lower in group A at the intraoperative third and fifth minutes (0.00 vs. 1 and 0.00 vs. 0.5). Analgesic consumption was lower in group A at the end of third day ( p = 0.024). Postoperative IL-17 levels were higher than preoperative levels in group A (23.58 vs. 19.33). Postoperative IL-23 levels were lower than preoperative levels in group A (13.66 vs. 29.51). Group C showed increased postoperative IL-23 levels (28.81 vs. 33.51). Preoperative IL-17 and postoperative IL-23 levels were lower in group A than in group C (19.33 vs. 27.69 and 13.66 vs. 33.51). Although no difference was observed between group A and group C in preoperative saphenous vein diameter, postoperative saphenous vein diameter was smaller in group A ( p = 0.008). Saphenous vein diameter was smaller on day 3 in group A than in group C ( p = 0.043). Conclusion Acupuncture is effective on acute pain and level of IL-23 in the treatment of endovenous ablation using cyanoacrylate.

Background: To investigate the results of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling in patients with resistant diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods: In this randomized, controlled and prospective clinical study, the patients with resistant DME due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy were divided into two groups. Both groups underwent 23 gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Additionally ILM peeling was performed only to the cases in Group 2. During follow-ups, complete ophthalmological examinations, optical coherence tomography and fundus fluorescein angiography were performed. After PPV, intravitreal dexamethasone implant injection was performed for DME treatment when necessary. The patients were followed for 1 year. Results: A total of 40 eyes of 37 patients were included in the study. The average age was 57.5 ± 5.4 and 56.9 ± 5.8 years, and the ratio of male:female was 9:11 and 6:14 in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively (p >0.05). The improvement level in BCVA was more evident especially in the first and third months postoperatively in both groups (p Conclusion:PPV is beneficial in the management of resistant DME, and ILM peeling seems to be useful for macular function and may accelerate improvement in visual acuity.

Aim. To investigate the change in subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in vitrectomized eyes with intravitreal dexamethasone (IVD) implant injection for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). Method. In this prospective and controlled study, the vitrectomized eyes of diabetic patients were included. The study group (Group 1) was formed by diabetic vitrectomized eyes with DME. The control group (Group 2) was formed by diabetic vitrectomized eyes without DME. Only one intravitreal IVD implant was injected into the eyes in Group 1. In the first, second, and fourth months, choroidal layers were measured by optical coherence tomography and complete ophthalmologic examinations were performed for all cases. Results. Ninety-six eyes of 96 cases were included in the study. There were 48 eyes of 48 different patients in each group. After IVD injection, statistically significant improvement was observed in the best corrected visual acuity in Group 1. The mean SFCT in eyes with DME was statistically significantly thinner ( p p

Background. Pain aggravates the autonomic response to stress and raises neuroendocrine stress hormone levels. We compared the effects of propofol and sevoflurane on postoperative pain and neuroendocrine stress hormones. A prospective, randomized, and controlled trial was conducted with 60 patients. Methods. We randomly allocated patients to groups P (remifentanil/propofol, n = 30) and S (remifentanil/sevoflurane, n = 30). Preoperative blood samples were taken to measure serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), glucagon, cortisol, aldosterone, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels. Intraoperatively and postoperatively, clinical parameters were monitored at different time points. The hormone levels were again measured in the follicular fluid and blood postoperatively. Result. Demographic data were similar. The preoperative serum aldosterone levels were significantly higher in group P ( p = 0.001 ). Preoperative and postoperative serum ACTH, glucagon, cortisol, and PGE2 levels were significantly different in group P ( p = 0.009 , p = 0.004 , p = 0.029 , and p = 0.002 ); serum ACTH, glucagon, and PGE2 levels increased while serum cortisol levels decreased postoperatively. In group S, serum CRH and aldosterone levels, both increased in the postoperative period compared to the preoperative ( p = 0.001 , p = 0.006 ). Postoperatively, glucagon and PGE2 levels were both higher in group P than group S ( p = 0.019 , p = 0.015 ). In postoperative follicular fluid, glucagon and PGE2 levels were higher in group P, while cortisol levels were higher in group S ( p = 0.001 , p = 0.007 , and p = 0.001 ). Conclusion. The effects of anesthetic agents were different. In group P, in the preoperative and postoperative evaluation, ACTH, glucagon, and PGE2 increased postoperatively, while cortisol decreased. In group S, aldosterone and CRH increased postoperatively. Glucagon and PG E2 were higher in group P than S, postoperatively.