Search

Ahmet Avcı,1 Mustafa Umut Somuncu,1 Murat Can,2 Ferit Akgul1 1Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey; 2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, TurkeyCorrespondence: Ahmet AvcıDepartment of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, Bülent Ecevit Universitesi Tip Fakultesi Dekanligi Ibn-i Sina Kampusu, Esenköy/Kozlu, Zonguldak 67600, TurkeyTel +90 505 548 2710Email drahmetavci@yahoo.comBackground and Aim: One of the most worrying complications of primary percutaneous coronary interventions is contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) that is associated with increased mortality and morbidity in myocardial infarction. In this study, we questioned whether soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2 (sST2), which has thought to play a role in inflammatory processes, cardiac remodeling, and fibrosis could give an idea about the development of CIN in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.Patients and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional observational study and includes 357 consecutive STEMI patients. Demographic features, medical history, laboratory parameters, and procedural characteristics were compared according to CIN’s development. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was selected to detect independent risk factors of CIN.Results: In the study, 81 patients (22.7%) who developed CIN were identified. The concentration of sST2 in CIN (+) group was higher than that of CIN (-) group (40.6± 21.0 ng/mL vs 31.5± 13.0 ng/L, p< 0.001). Independent predictors of CIN development were diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.059; 95% CI, 1.093– 3.879; p=0.025), eGFR (OR, 0.983; 95% CI, 0.972– 0.995; p=0.006), lower systolic blood pressure (OR, 0.976; 95% CI, 0.960– 0.993; p=0.006), total procedure time (OR, 1.030; 95% CI, 1.011– 1.049; p=0.002), and sST2 (OR, 1.101; 95% CI; 1.046– 1.160; p< 0.001). Besides, the risk of developing CIN in the high sST2 group is 3.06 times higher than the low group sST2 group regardless of other risk factors.Conclusion: sST2 levels on admission in STEMI patients are useful in predicting CIN development.Keywords: contrast-induced nephropathy, soluble ST2, ST-elevation myocardial infarction, primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) with conventional percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) causes significant recurrent neointimal tissue growth in 30-85%. Therefore, laser ablation of intrastent neointimal hyperplasia before balloon dilation can be an attractive alternative. However, the long-term outcomes of such treatment have not been studied thoroughly enough. This prospective case-control study evaluated angiographic and clinical outcomes of PTCA alone and a combination of excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) and adjunct PTCA in 125 patients with ISR. ELCA was performed before balloon dilation in 67 patients, PTCA alone was performed in 58 patients. Basic demographic and clinical data were comparable in both groups. Lesions included in ELCA group were longer (17.1 +/-9.9 vs 13.6 +/-9.1 mm; p=0.034), more complex (36.5% type C stenoses vs 14.3%; p=0.006), and more frequently had reduced distal blood flow (TIMI <3: 18.9% vs 4.8%; p=0.025) compared to lesions in the PTCA group. Immediate angiographic results of PTCA and ELCA + PTCA appeared to be comparable. PTCA alone was successful in 57 patients (98.3%), ELCA + PTCA, in 66 patients (98.5%). The rates of hospital complications were comparable (3.0% in ELCA group vs 8.6% in PTCA group). The 1-year follow-up showed that the rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were comparable in the 2 groups (37.3% in ELCA group vs 46.6% in PTCA group). The rates of target vessel revascularization (TVR) within 1 year after the intervention were also similar in the 2 groups (32.8% vs 34.5%). The data mean that ELCA in patients with complex ISR is efficient and safe. Despite a higher complexity of lesions in the ELCA group, no increase in the rate of complications was registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is an important public health problem due to its diverse clinical presentations, diagnostic complexities, and significant impact on patient outcomes and public health. Our study aimed to understand the sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics as well as diagnostic and treatment modalities of adult patients with EPTB. This is a multicentric retrospective study that covers patients with EPTB cases followed up from January 2015 to December 2022 among tuberculosis (TB) dispensaries and Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology clinics of 15 hospitals located in various regions of Turkey. The study included 64.6% women with a mean age of 44 years and a mortality rate of 3.5% within 1 year of diagnosis. Initial constitutional symptoms were predominantly fatigue (57%) and anorexia (53.7%). The most commonly affected sites were the lymph nodes (49.1%) and pleura (9.7%). The lumbar region was particularly involved in cases with spinal TB. Diagnostic findings included acid-fast bacilli positivity in 27.5% of cases, tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction positivity in 41%, elevated adenosine deaminase levels in 91.2% (especially in pleural and peritoneal fluids), and mycobacterial culture positivity in 40.9%. Pathology slides showed granulomatous inflammation in 97.7%. Increased C-reactive protein (CRP) levels correlated with the number of organs affected. Anti-TB treatment-related hepatotoxicity was detected in 8.9% of patients. In this study, it is important to note that the lumbar region is predominantly affected with involvement in spinal region. CRP level was consistent with the number of organ involvements and was one of the most critical results of this study., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Regorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, has improved survival in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who have progressed on standard therapies. Our study aimed to evaluate prognostic factors influencing regorafenib treatment and assess the optimal dosing regimen in a real-life setting. We retrospectively analysed 263 patients with mCRC from multiple medical oncology clinics in Turkey. Treatment responses and prognostic factors for survival were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis. Of the patients, 120 were male, and 143 were female; 28.9% of tumors were located in the rectum. RAS mutations were present in 3.0% of tumors, while BRAF, K-RAS, and N-RAS mutations were found in 3.0%, 29.7%, and 25.9% of tumor tissues, respectively. Dose escalation was preferred in 105 (39.9%) patients. The median treatment duration was 3.0 months, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 4.9%. Grade ≥ 3 treatment-related toxicity occurred in 133 patients, leading to discontinuation, interruption, and modification rates of 50.6%, 43.7%, and 79.0%, respectively. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 3.0 and 8.1 months, respectively. RAS/RAF mutation (hazard ratio [HR] 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-2.3; P = 0.01), pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.3; P = 0.008), and toxicity-related treatment interruption or dose adjustment (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.4; P = 0.01) were identified as independent prognostic factors for PFS. Dose escalation had no significant effect on PFS but was associated with improved OS (P < 0.001). Independent prognostic factors for OS were the initial TNM stage (HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.9; P = 0.04) and dose interruption/adjustment (HR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.9; P = 0.03). Our findings demonstrate the efficacy and safety of regorafenib. Treatment line influences the response, with dose escalation being more favorable than adjustment or interruption, thus impacting survival.

Introduction: The genito-urinary system is one of the most common areas of involvement in brucellosis. To present the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of patients with testicular involvement associated with brucellosis, together with the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches., Methodology: Patients followed up for brucellosis-related testicular involvement between January 2012 and November 2022 were included in the study. Brucellosis is defined as the production of Brucella spp. in cultures, or clinical symptoms together with the serum standard tube agglutination test titer of ≥ 1/160. Inflammation in scrotal Doppler ultrasonography was based on testicular involvement., Results: A retrospective evaluation was made of the data of 194 patients with brucellosis-related testicular involvement. The rate of determination of testicular involvement in brucellosis was 2.57%. The most affected patients were determined in the 16-30 years age range. On presentation, brucellosis was in the acute stage in 83.7% of patients. The most common symptoms on presentation were swelling and/or pain in the testes (86.6%). In the patients where a spermiogram could be performed, oligospermia was determined in 41.7%, and aspermia in 8.3%. When the testicular involvement of brucellosis was evaluated, epididymo-orchitis was present at the rate of 55.7%, epididymitis at 27.3%, and testis abscess at 5.1%., Conclusions: Although epididymo-orchitis was the most frequently determined form of involvement in this study, there was also seen to be a significant number of patients presenting with epididymitis. Male patients presented with the clinical status of brucellosis should be questioned about swelling and pain in the testes to avoid overlooking testicular involvement., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2023 Mehmet Celik, Fethiye Akgul, Sevil Alkan, Deniz Altındag, Fatih Esmer, Ahmet Sahin, Davut Ipek, Yeliz Cicek, Esra Gurbuz, Mehmet Resat Ceylan, Nevin Guler Dincer.)

Aim: Description of patient characteristics, effectiveness and safety in Turkish patients treated with pazopanib for metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS)., Patients and Methods: This multicenter study is based on retrospective review of hospital medical records of patients (≥ 18 years) treated with pazopanib for non-adipocytic metastatic STS at 37 Oncology clinics across Turkey. Objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated with further analysis of data on the three most common histological subtypes (leiomyosarcoma [LMS], undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma [UPS], synovial sarcoma [SS]) in the cohort., Results: Data of 552 adults (57.6% women, median age: 52 years) were analyzed. DCR and ORR were 43.1% and 30.8%, respectively. Median PFS was 6.7 months and OS was 13.8 months. For LMS, UPS and SS, median PFSs were 6.1, 5.9 and 7.53 months and median OSs were 15.03, 12.87 and 12.27 months, respectively. ECOG ≥ 2 was associated with poor PFS and OS. Liver metastasis was only a factor for progression. Second-line use of pazopanib (vs. front-line) was associated with better PFS, its use beyond third line predicted worse OS. Adverse events (AE) occurred in 82.7% of patients. Most common AEs were fatigue (58.3%) and anorexia (52.3%) which were graded as ≥ 3 in 8.2% and 7.4% of patients, respectively., Conclusion: Pazopanib is effective and well-tolerated in treatment of non-adipocytic metastatic STS. Its earlier use (at second-line), good performance status may result in better outcomes. Worldwide scientific collaborations are important to gain knowledge on rarer STS subtypes by conducting studies in larger patient populations., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Aim: In chronic hepatitis B infection, antiviral therapy significantly reduces the incidence of complications. This study aimed to present real-life 12-month effectiveness and safety data for TAF., Materials and Methods: This Pythagoras Retrospective Cohort Study included patients from 14 centers in Turkiye. The study presents 12-month results of 480 patients treated with TAF as initial therapy or after switching from another antiviral drug., Results: The study shows treatment of about 78.1% patients with at least one antiviral agent (90.6% tenofovir disoproxil [TDF]). The rate of undetectable HBV DNA increased in both treatment-experienced and naive patients. In TDF-experienced patients, the rate of alanine transaminase (ALT) normalization increased slightly (1.6%) within 12 months, but the change was not statistically significant (p=0.766). Younger age, low albumin, and high body mass index and cholesterol were identified as risk factors for abnormal ALT after 12 months, but no linear relationship was detected. In TDF-experienced patients, renal and bone function indicators showed significant improvement three months after the transition to TAF and remained stable for 12 months., Conclusion: Real-life data demonstrated effective virological and biochemical responses with TAF therapy. After switching to TAF treatment, gains in kidney and bone functions were achieved in the early period., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (© Copyright 2023 by Hepatology Forum.)

Background: Influenza poses a potential public health threat among healthcare professionals since an infected healthcare professional can spread the virus to patients at higher risk as well as his/her own family members and colleagues. Annual influenza vaccination is the most effective way to protect HCPs., Aim: This study was conducted to determine whether demand for and beliefs about influenza vaccination have changed among healthcare professionals in the COVID-19 era and the factors that might have influenced them in the early phase of the pandemic when COVID-19 vaccines were eagerly awaited., Patients and Methods: This observational descriptive study was conducted between November 16, and December 15, 2020. A total of 317 healthcare professionals completed an online survey. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were performed., Results: Nineteen (6.0%) healthcare professionals were regularly vaccinated against influenza every year, and 199 (62.8%) had never been vaccinated. During the 2019-2020 season, 30 (9.5%) participants had been vaccinated and the proportion desiring to be vaccinated against influenza during the 2020-2021 season was 49.8% (n = 158). The results revealed that those with chronic diseases, those who believed they had adequate information about influenza vaccination and those who believed healthcare professionals should be vaccinated against influenza regularly every year, respectively, had 3.5 times, 4.7 times, and 11 times higher vaccination rates., Conclusion: Although the proportion of healthcare professionals with the intention to be vaccinated for influenza increased with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still not high enough. Influenza vaccination rates should be promoted by in-service training programs., Competing Interests: None

In this study, we characterized the fatty acid production in Neochloris aquatica at transcriptomics and biochemical levels under limiting, normal, and excess nitrate concentrations in different growth phases. At the stationary phase, N. aquatica mainly produced saturated fatty acids such as stearic acid under the limiting nitrate concentration, which is suitable for biodiesel production. However, it produced polyunsaturated fatty acids such as α-linolenic acid under the excess nitrate concentration, which has nutritional values as food supplements. In addition, RNA-seq was employed to identify genes and pathways that were being affected in N. aquatica for three growth phases in the presence of the different nitrate amounts. Genes that are responsible for the production of saturated fatty acids were upregulated in the cells grown under a limiting nitrogen amount while genes that are responsible for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acid were upregulated in the cells grown under excess nitrogen amount. Further analysis showed more genes differentially expressed (DEGs) at the logarithmic phase in all conditions while a relatively steady trend was observed during the transition from the logarithmic phase to the stationary phase under limiting and excess nitrogen. Our results provide a foundation for identifying developmentally important genes and understanding the biological processes in the different growth phases of the N. aquatica in terms of biomass and lipid production., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Protective long-term immunity following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear. The study evaluated the relationship between the vaccination status and risk factors in the re-infection of patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 who reported to the Public Health Management System in a province in south-eastern Turkey., Methods: Patients with positive results for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test in respiratory samples were defined as confirmed cases. Reinfection was diagnosed in cases with COVID-19 real-time RT-PCR positivity, with or without COVID-19-like symptoms, in at least 90 days after the first infection/disease., Results: A total of 58 811 patients with the diagnosis of COVID-19 from March 11, 2020, to August 31, 2021, were included in the study. Re-infection was detected in 421 (0.7%) of all patients. The mean age of the cases was 38.0±16.0 years, and 51% of them were female. Eight (2.0%) of the cases resulted in death due to re-infection. No hospitalization or mortality was observed in fully vaccinated patients. Additionally, none of the mortal cases had completed the vaccination schedule., Conclusions: We are concerned that the re-infection rates and mortality may increase due to new variant strains. Vaccination is the greatest weapon against progression to critical illness in re-infections, even with existing mutations. Therefore, it is important for those without a full vaccination schedule to be vaccinated, even if they have been previously infected., (© 2022 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: Although there are short- and long-term prognostic studies in patients with myocardial infarction (MI), the data that can be used to predict the clinical outcome following discharge is limited. Materials & methods: We analyzed creatinine kinase-MB and troponin related to myonecrosis, suppression of tumorigenicity 2 and NT-pro B-type natriuretic peptide related to myocardial stress, C-reactive protein and procalcitonin related to inflammation in 259 MI patients. Results: Being in the high group for myocardial stress (odds ratio [OR]: 3.45, 95% CI: 1.398-8.547, p = 0.004) and inflammation markers (OR: 4.30, 95% CI: 1.690-10.899, p = 0.001) predicted major cardiovascular adverse events while myonecrosis markers could not (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 0.671-4.306, p = 0.263). Conclusion: Using multimarker risk stratification composed of inflammation and myocardial stress biomarkers improves the prediction of major cardiovascular adverse events in MI survivors.

To describe the change in the epidemiology of health care-associated infections (HAI), resistance and predictors of fatality we conducted a nationwide study in 24 hospitals between 2015 and 2018. The 30-day fatality rate was 22% in 2015 and increased to 25% in 2018. In BSI, a significant increasing trend was observed for Candida and Enterococcus. The highest rate of 30-day fatality was detected among the patients with pneumonia (32%). In pneumonia, Pseudomonas infections increased in 2018. Colistin resistance increased and significantly associated with 30-day fatality in Pseudomonas infections. Among S. aureus methicillin, resistance increased from 31 to 41%., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.)

Food safety is perceived differently by consumers in different countries. The objective of this study was to examine the experience of young adults regarding the safety of meals eaten outside the home in Poland and Turkey. Questionnaire surveys were conducted on a group of 400 young adults. The findings provided new insights into cross-cultural consumer perceptions of the food safety of meals eaten out. Differences in the perception of the safety of the meals eaten out concerned both the manner in which consumers chose an eating establishment, the frequency with which they ate out, their experience of the meals consumed, and their practice of lodging complaints. Consumers in Poland and Turkey experienced different problems with the health quality of meals eaten out. The experience of consumers in Turkey reflected the occurrence of numerous cases of meals of poor quality, while in Poland it was smaller. This suggests that meals eaten out in Poland (an EU country) may have a lower health risk than in Turkey (a non-EU country). The method described in this study could be an additional tool for checking the operation of food safety systems in eating out establishments.

Aim: The primary percutaneous procedure resulted in a significant improvement in the prognosis of myocardial infarction. However, no-reflow phenomenon restrains this benefit of the process. There are studies suggesting that soluble suppression of tumorigenicity (sST2) can be valuable in the diagnosis and progression of heart failure and myocardial infarction. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of sST2 on no-reflow phenomenon in ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI)., Method: This study included 379 patients (258 men; mean age, 60±11 years) who underwent primary percutaneous treatment for STEMI. sST2 levels were measured from blood samples taken at admission. Patients were divided into two groups according to Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction(TIMI) flow grade: group 1 consists of TIMI 0,1,2, accepted as no-reflow, and group 2 consists of TIMI 3, accepted as reflow., Results: No-reflow phenomenon occurred in 60 patients (15.8%). The sST2 level was higher in the no-reflow group (14.2±4.6 vs. 11.3±5.0, p=0.003). Moreover, regression analysis indicated that diabetes mellitus, lower systolic blood pressure, multivessel vascular disease, high plaque burden, and grade 0 initial TIMI flow rate were other independent predictors of the no-reflow phenomenon in our study. Besides, when the patients were divided into high and low sST2 groups according to the cut-off value from the Receiver operating characteristics analysis, being in the high sST2 group was associated with 2.7 times increased odds for no-reflow than being in the low sST2 group., Conclusion: sST2 is one of the independent predictors of the no-reflow phenomenon in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objective: The current study compared the effects of dietary levels of two phase stoned olive cake (OC) in form of silage (OCS) on milk production and quality of Saanen goats., Methods: The OCS included in total mixed ration (TMR) at dry matter proportions of 0.0 (OC0), 0.10 (OC10), and 0.20 (OC20). The TMR were fed to a total of 18 goats in a completely randomized design for a period of 5 weeks., Results: Dietary treatments had no effect on the milk yield of Saanen goats, but the daily milk fat production was greater (p<0.05) at feeding OC20. The total phenolic (TP) compounds contents increased (p<0.01) in each increment of OCS in TMR and this was also reflected in the TP contents of milk. The C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, and C14:0 saturated fatty acids (FAs) in milk fat decreased (p<0.01) with increasing dietary level of OCS, but the decrease (p<0.001) in C16:0 and the increase (p<0.01) in C18:0 in milk fat occurred similarly at each inclusion level of OCS. Only OC20 reduced (p<0.05) the total saturated FA, yet the reduction (p<0.01) in n6/n3 ratio and atherogenicity index occurred in both OC10 and OC20., Conclusion: Two phase stoned OCS increases milk quality not only through modifying the milk FA composition, but also by increasing the milk TP content. These favorable changes in milk quality are closely associated with the dietary level of OCS.