Search

Introduction: we aimed to investigate the efficacy and side effects of bendamustine in relapsed/refractory lymphoma patients in Turkey. Material and methods: in this retrospective study, we included relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients who underwent multiple lines of chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was to determine the objective response and toxicity. Results: ninety-nine patients with a median age of 59.8 years were included in the study. Eighty-one patients had NHL (follicular lymphoma: 10, diffuse large B- cell lymphoma: 27, mantle-cell lymphoma: 18, marginal zone lymphoma: 9, small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia: 17) and 18 patients had HL. The patients had previously received a median of three lines of chemotherapy (range: 2-8) except autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT); 19 patients (HL: 11, NHL: 8) had undergone ASCT. The objective response rate (ORR) was 74.3%, the complete response rate was 57% (= 53), and the partial response rate was 16.6% (= 19). The overall survival (OS) rate at 1 year was 74.6%. The progression-free survival (PFS) rate at 1 year was 62.5%. The most common side effects were lymphopenia, anemia and neutropenia. Side effects which were observed as grade 3 and higher levels were lymphopenia (14.1%), neutropenia (10.1%) and fatigue (7.1%). Conclusions: objective response rate of bendamustine was found to be 74.3% in relapsed/refractory HL and NHL patients. It appears to be an effective option as a salvage treatment for patients who have previously received multiple lines of therapy., NA

Tam Metin / Full Text Q4 SCI-Expanded WOS:000668244900016 PMID: 33315343 The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib in patients with myelofibrosis. Materials and methods: From 15 centers, 176 patients (53.4% male, 46.6% female) were retrospectively evaluated. Results: The median age at ruxolitinib initiation was 62 (28–87) and 100 (56.8%) of all were diagnosed as PMF. Constitutional symptoms were observed in 84.7%. The median initiation dose of ruxolitinib was 30 mg (10–40). Dose change was made in 69 (39.2%) patients. Forty seven (35.6%) and 20 (15.2%) of 132 patients had hematological and nonhematological adverse events, respectively. The mean spleen sizes before and after ruxolitinib treatment were 219.67 ± 46.79 mm versus 199.49 ± 40.95 mm, respectively (p < 0.001). There was no correlation between baseline features and subsequent spleen response. Overall survival at 1-year was 89.5% and the median follow up was 10 (1–55) months. We could not show any relationship between survival and reduction in spleen size (p = 0.73). Conclusion: We found ruxolitinib to be safe, well tolerated, and effective in real-life clinical practice in Turkey. Ruxolitinib dose titration can provide better responses in terms of not only clinical benefit but also for long term of ruxolitinib treatment

Objectives: The single most inherited enzyme deficiency is that of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) with a presence in almost 400 million of theworld’spopulation. Thenumber of reported G6PD mutations is 186. Furthermore, geographical location is a determining factor for the prevalence of G6PD. Therefore, much of the existing epidemiological literature concerning this issue in Turkey has reported data specific to cities and regions. The purpose of this study was to examine G6PD deficiency in a sample of subjects. Outcome measures reported in this study include the clinical factors as sociated with the deficiency, as well as in geographical dispersion across regional locations in Turkey. Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. The sample comprised 308 subjects with a G6PD diagnosis. Data collection commenced in January 2011, and was completed by May 2020. Results: In Turkey, the Mediterranean region has the greatest prevalence of G6PD enzyme deficiency. Subjects presenting with this deficiency were also diagnosed with haemolytic anaemia that was attributed to favism. Subsequently, drug and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia-induced haemolysis ensued. Over 90% of subjects diagnosed with a critical G6PD deficiency and recurrent haemolysis were allocated to the Class II variant. Conclusions: The Mediterranean, along with Agean and Marmara regions are where the highest prevalence of G6PD enzyme deficiency are observed. Favism-induced haemolytic anaemia is the most often identified clinical precursor to diagnosis of G6PD deficiency in Turkey. The most common clinical feature after this condition is drug related haemolysis and the onset neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Karakus, Volkan/0000-0001-9178-2850; Demirkan, Fatih/0000-0002-1172-8668; Demircioglu, Sinan/0000-0003-1277-5105; Arat, Mutlu/0000-0003-2039-8557; Cagliyan, Gulsum Akgun/0000-0002-2073-1949; Ozturk, Hacer Berna Afacan/0000-0001-9386-7604; WOS: 000473249400014 PubMed: 31036516 Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is used to treat more than 60 diseases worldwide and has drawn growing interest. Little is known about the current situation of TPE activity in Turkey, so we developed a survey to obtain information about this timely topic. We collected data on TPE from 28 apheresis units throughout Turkey. We performed a total of 24,912 TPE procedures with 3203 patients over the past decade. Twenty years ago, the majority of procedures were performed for neurological and hematological disorders, and today, most TPE procedures are done for the same reasons. The only historical change has been an increase in TPE procedures in renal conditions. Currently, renal conditions were more frequently an indication for TPE than rheumatic conditions. Fresh frozen plasma was the most frequently used replacement fluid, followed by 5% albumin, used in 57.9% and 34.6% of procedures, respectively. The most frequently used anticoagulants in TPE were ACD-A and heparin/ACD-A, used with 1671 (52.2%) and 1164 (36.4%) patients, respectively. The frequency of adverse events (AEs) was 12.6%. The most common AEs were hypocalcemia-related symptoms, hypotension, and urticaria. We encountered no severe AEs that led to severe morbidity and mortality. Overall, more than two thirds of the patients showed improvement in the underlying disease. Here, we report on a nationwide survey on TPE activity in Turkey. We conclude that there has been a great increase in apheresis science, and the number of TPE procedures conducted in Turkey has increased steadily over time. Finally, we would like to point out that our past experiences and published international guidelines were the most important tools in gaining expertise regarding TPE.

Although inhibition of the complement system at different steps is a promising therapy modality in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is still the only curative therapy, especially for patients with intractable hemolysis or bone marrow failure. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of allogeneic HCT in PNH patients with aplastic anemia (PNH-AA) or without.Thirty-five PNH/PNH-AA patients who were treated with allogeneic HCT in 10 transplantation centers in Turkey were retrospectively analyzed.Sixteen (45.7%) and 19 (54.3%) patients were diagnosed with classical PNH and PNH-AA, respectively. The median age of the patients was 32 (18-51) years. The 2-year overall survival (OS) rate and rate of graft-versus-host disease-free, failure-free survival (GFFS) was 81.2% and 78.1%, respectively. The 2-year OS in cases of classical PNH and PNH-AA was 81.3% and 79.9%, respectively (p=0.87), and 2-year GFFS in cases of PNH and PNH-AA was 79% and 76% (p=0.977), without statistical significance. The OS and GFFS rates also did not differ between transplantations with matched sibling donors (MSDs) and matched unrelated donors (MUDs).Allogeneic HCT with MSDs or MUDs is a good option for selected patients with classical PNH and PNH-AA. In particular, patients with debilitating and refractory hemolysis and patients with bone marrow failure might form an excellent group of candidates for allogeneic HCT.Paroksismal noktürnal hemoglobunüri (PNH) hastalarının tedavisinde kompleman sisteminin değişik basamaklardaki inhibisyonu umut vadedici bir tedavi yöntemidir. Ancak hastalığın belirti ve bulgularını kontrol etmekte etkin bir tedavi yöntemi olsa da küratif bir tedavi seçeneği değildir. Özellikle kompleman inhibisyonuna rağmen devam eden hemolizi, replasman ihtiyacı ve kemik iliği yetmezliği ile birlikteliği olan hasta grubunda halen tek küratif tedavi seçeneği allojeneik kök hücre naklidir (KHN). Bu çalışmamızda aplastik anemi ile birlikteliği olan (PNH-AA) ve olmayan PNH hastalarında yapılmış allojeneik KHN’nin sonuçlarını değerlendirmeyi amaçladık.On ayrı merkezde PNH/PNH-AA tanısı olup allojeneik KHN yapılan toplam 35 hasta retrospektif olarak tarandı.On altı (%45,7) PNH ve 19 (%54,3) PNH-AA hastası çalışmaya dahil edildi. Hastaların ortanca yaşı 32 (18-51) idi. Hastalardaki sağkalım analizlerine baktığımızda; 2 yıllık genel sağkalım (GS) ve graft versus host hastalıksız ve graft yetmezliksiz sağkalım (GFFS) oranları sırasıyla %81,2 ve %78,1 idi. İki yıllık sağkalım PNH ve PNH-AA hastalarında sırasıyla %81,3 ve %79,9 olarak hesaplandı ve gruplar arasında istatistiksel bir fark tespit edilmedi (p=0,87). Tam uyumlu akraba donör ve tam uyumlu akraba dışı donör alt grupları karşılaştırıldığında 2 yıllık OS ve GFFS oranlarında istatistiksel fark gözlenmedi.Seçilmiş PNH ve PNH-AA hasta grubunda akraba veya akraba dışı tam uyumlu donör ile yapılan allojeneik KHN uygun bir seçenektir. Özellikle refrakter hemolizi ve replasman ihtiyacı devam eden ve kemik iliği yetmezliği bulguları olan hasta grubunda allojeneik KHN bir tedavi seçeneği olarak değerlendirilmelidir.

Catastrophic thrombotic syndrome is characterized by occurrence of several thromboembolic occlusions which affect a variety of vascular beds over a short period of time. Catastrophic Antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) (1%) is regarded as a rare but severe variant of Antiphospholipid Syndrome. Treatment with anticoagulants, steroids and therapeutic plasma exchange has been shown to give the best results. However, to treat CAPS, the best substitute for plasma is still a debatable issue because there are no standard methods.

Background/Aim. Isolated infradiaphragmatic lymph node involvement is not common and makes up 5?13% of stage I-II Hodgkin?s lymphoma. Important subjects about prognostic factors and optimal treatment of isolated infradiaphragmatic Hodgkin?s lymphoma (II HL) have not been clearly defined. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of metabolic tumor indices on initial 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) through quantitative PET/CT parameters together with the classical predefined risk factors for patients with II HL. Methods. This retrospective cohort study conducted between 2004 and 2015 included 21 patients for whom FDG-PET/CT were requested for primary staging. Quantitative PET/CT parameters (maximum standardized uptake value ? SUV max) average standardized uptake value ? SUV mean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were used to estimate disease-free survival and overall survival. Results. Univariate Cox regression analysis was performed for all potential risk factors impacting metastasis/recurrence of the disease. Factors which had values of p < 0.2 after univariate analysis (sex, age, stage, bulky disease, SUV max, SUV mean, MTV, TLG) were processed with the multivariate model. Sex, TLG and bulky disease were found to be statistically significant risk factors for prognosis of outcome in patients with IIHL after multivariate analysis. Conclusion. The existence of bulky disease at the diagnosis and high TLG values on primary staging by FDG-PET/CT are potential risk factors for both disease-free survival and overall survival in Hodgkin?s lymphoma with isolated infradiaphragmatic lymph node involvement.

Amaç: İnterlökin-18 (İL-18), İL-1 süper ailesine ait bir sitokin olup, bağışıklık sistemine ait olan ve olmayan çeşitli hücrelerden salınmaktadır. Yapılan çalışmalar, İL-18'in hem anti-kanser hem de kansere öncülük eden etkilere sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, kronik lenfositik lösemili (KLL) ve kronik miyeloid lösemili (KML) Türk hastalarda İL-18 gen polimorfizmleri ilişkisini değerlendirmektir.Gereç ve Yöntemler: İL-18 polimorfizleri (rs61667799(G/T), rs5744227(C/G), rs5744228(A/G) ve rs187238(G/C)), 20 KLL ve 30 KML hasta ve 30 sağlıklı bireyde araştırılmıştır. Genotipleme, polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu ve DNA dizi analizi ile gerçekleştirilmiştir.Bulgular: İL-18 geninde, rs187238(G/C) polimorfizmi ile kronik lösemi arasında anlamlı bir ilişki belirlenmiştir. KML hastalarında kontrol grubuna göre, C allelinin daha yüksek olduğu bulunmuştur. Kontroller ile karşılaştırıldığında, GC heterozigot ve CC homozigot genotipleri KML hastalarında risk oluşturmaktadır. Ancak, C alleli sıklığı kontrollere göre KLL olgularında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı değildir. KLL hastaları ve kontrol grubunun homozigot CC genotipi arasında anlamlı farklılık vardır ve bunun sonucu olarak CC genotipi, KLL hastaları için risk taşımaktadır denilebilir. Verilerimize dayanarak, KLL ve KML hastalarında, İL-18 geninde rs61667799(G/T), rs5744227(C/G) ve rs5744228(A/G) polimorfizmleri arasında anlamlı bir ilişki yoktur.Sonuç: İL-18 geninin promotor bölgesindeki rs187238(G/C) polimorfizmi Türk popülasyonunda kronik lösemi ile ilişkilidir. Ancak, yapılan bu çalışma, hasta sayısının sınırlı olması nedeniyle, -137G/C polimorfizmi ve hastalar (KLL ve KML) arasındaki ilişkiyi gösteren bir ön çalışma niteliğindedir. Mevcut bulguları doğrulamak için, haplotip ve gen ifade düzeyi analizleri ile birleştirilmiş daha geniş çaplı çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır Objective: Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a cytokine that belongs to the IL-1 superfamily and is secreted by various immune and nonimmune cells. Evidence has shown that IL-18 has both anticancer and procancer effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between IL-18 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLL) and chronic myelogenous leukemias (CML) in Turkish patients.Materials and Methods: The frequencies of polymorphisms (rs61667799(G/T), rs5744227(C/G), rs5744228(A/G), and rs187238(G/C)) were studied in 20 CLL patients, 30 CML patients, and 30 healthy individuals. The genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing analysis.Results: Significant associations were detected between the IL-18 rs187238(G/C) polymorphism and chronic leukemia. A higher prevalence of the C allele was found in CML cases with respect to controls. The GC heterozygous and CC homozygous genotypes were associated with risk of CML when compared with controls. However, prevalence of the C allele was not significantly high in CLL cases with respect to controls. There was only a significant difference between the homozygous CC genotype of CLL patients and the control group; thus, it can be concluded that the CC genotype may be associated with the risk of CLL. Based on our data, there were no significant associations between the IL-18 rs61667799(G/T), rs5744227(C/G), or rs5744228(A/G) polymorphisms and CLL or CML.Conclusions: IL-18 gene promoter rs187238(G/C) polymorphism is associated with chronic leukemia in the Turkish population. However, due to the limited number of studied patients, these are preliminary results that show the association between -137G/C polymorphism and patients (CLL and CML). Further large-scale studies combined with haplotype and expression analysis are required to validate the current findings

Background Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas arising from the tissues other than primary lymphatic organs are named primary extranodal lymphoma. Most of the studies evaluated metabolic tumor parameters in different organs and histopathologic variants of this disease generally for treatment response. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of metabolic tumor parameters derived from initial FDG-PET/CT in patients with a medley of primary extranodal lymphoma in this study. Patients and methods There were 67 patients with primary extranodal lymphoma for whom FDG-PET/CT was requested for primary staging. Quantitative PET/CT parameters: maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), average standardized uptake value (SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were used to estimate disease-free survival and overall survival. Results SUVmean, MTV and TLG were found statistically significant after multivariate analysis. SUVmean remained significant after ROC curve analysis. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated as 88% and 64%, respectively, when the cut-off value of SUVmean was chosen as 5.15. After the investigation of primary presentation sites and histo-pathological variants according to recurrence, there is no difference amongst the variants. Primary site of extranodal lymphomas however, is statistically important (p = 0.014). Testis and central nervous system lymphomas have higher recurrence rate (62.5%, 73%, respectively). Conclusions High SUVmean, MTV and TLG values obtained from primary staging FDG-PET/CT are potential risk factors for both disease-free survival and overall survival in primary extranodal lymphoma. SUVmean is the most significant one amongst them for estimating recurrence/metastasis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether time spent on indoor and outdoor activities or the other possible risk factors including age, gender, parental history, and initial refraction was associated with progression of myopia, during puberty. Fifty eyes of 50 myopic children aged 9–14 years were enrolled in the study. The parents were interviewed to determine the amounts of time in hours per day spent on reading and writing, using computer, watching TV, and outdoor activities (i.e., sports, games, or being outdoor with no activities) on an average day. The annual myopia progression rate (diopters per year) was calculated for each subject and was used in the statistical analyses. The mean initial age of the subjects was 10.9 ± 1.5 (ranging from 9 to 14) years. The mean follow-up period was 33.3 ± 10.3 (ranging from 17 to 55) months. There was a significant increase in the mean myopia value of the subjects after follow-up period (p

Thrombotic microangiopathies (TMAs) are rare, but life-threatening disorders characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia (MAHAT) associated with multiorgan dysfunction as a result of microvascular thrombosis and tissue ischemia. The differentiation of the etiology is of utmost importance as the pathophysiological basis will dictate the choice of appropriate treatment. We retrospectively evaluated 154 (99 females and 55 males) patients who received therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) due to a presumptive diagnosis of TMA, who had serum ADAMTSI3 activity/antiADAMTS13 antibody analysis at the time of hospital admission. The median age of the study cohort was 36 (14-84). 67 (43.5%), 32 (20.8%), 27 (17.5%) and 28 (18.2%) patients were diagnosed as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), infection/complement-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (IA/CAHUS), secondary TMA and TMA-not otherwise specified (TMA-NOS), respectively. Patients received a median of 18 (1-75) plasma volume exchanges for 14 (153) days. 81 (52.6%) patients received concomitant steroid therapy with TPE. Treatment responses could be evaluated in 137 patients. 90 patients (65.7%) achieved clinical remission following TPE, while 47 (34.3%) patients had non-responsive disease. 25 (18.2%) non-responsive patients died during follow-up. Our study present real-life data on the distribution and follow-up of patients with TMAs who were referred to therapeutic apheresis centers for the application of TPE. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

To investigate the effect of axial length on peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in myopic, hyperopic, and emmetropic eyes in children by Cirrus HD spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT).Subjects were divided into 3 groups according to their refractive status: myopic (n = 36), emmetropic (n = 30), and hyperopic (n = 28) eyes. The RNFL thickness measurements were taken from the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal quadrants in the peripapillary region by Cirrus HD OCT. Axial length was also determined for each patient.The myopic eyes had thinner average RNFL and RNFLs of temporal, superior, nasal, and inferior quadrants than the hyperopic eyes (p10.001, p2 = 0.004, p3 = 0.011, p4 = 0.006, p5 = 0.033, respectively). In addition, average peripapillary RNFL thickness and RNFL thicknesses of all quadrants had significant negative correlations with axial length. On the other hand, after applying modified Littmann formula for correction of magnification effect, the differences among the 3 groups disappeared (all p0.05).We have shown that axial length and accordingly refractive status influenced peripapillary RNFL thickness measurements by Cirrus HD OCT in children. Therefore, to make a correct diagnosis of glaucoma or other optic neuropathies in children, either axial length-induced magnification effect should be corrected by ophthalmologists or the current Cirrus HD OCT database should be revised taking axial length into consideration.

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) is an established treatment option for adult patients presenting with multiple myeloma (MM), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and various subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in upfront and/or relapsed/refractory disease settings. Although there are recently published consensus guidelines addressing critical issues regarding autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization (HPCM), mobilization strategies of transplant centers show high variability in terms of routine practice. In order to understand the current institutional policies regarding HPCM in Turkey and to obtain the required basic data for preparation of a national positional statement on this issue, Turkish Hematology Research and Education Group (ThREG) conducted a web-based HPCM survey. The survey was designed to include multiple-choice questions regarding institutional practice of HPCM in adults presenting MM, HL, and NHL. The representatives of 27 adult HCT centers participated to the study. Here we report the results of this survey shedding light on the real world experience in Turkey in terms of autologous HPCM mobilization strategies in patients presenting with MM and lymphoma. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

e19027 Background: Bendamustine is an old conventional agent which is used in the treatment of hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), non-hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients despite they are relapsed or refractory cases. In our study we wanted to reveal retrospectively the efficacy and side effects of bendamustine in relapse/refractory patients from Turkey. Methods: We included in the study relapse/refractory HL and NHL patients who underwent multiple line chemotherapy. Bendamustine was administered at 90 mg/m² on days 1 and 2, every 3 weeks by 60 minutes infusion. The primary endpoint of the study was to determine the objective response and toxicity. Results: Seventy-five patients (31 female) with a median age of 62.8 years (range 16-89 years) were included in the study. 58 of the patients were NHL (follicular lymphoma:8, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: 17, mantle cell lymphoma: 11, marginal zone lymphoma: 4, Small lymphocytic lymphoma:11, Others:7) and 17 of them were HL patients. The patients were underwent median three lines chemotherapy (range 1-8) accept autologous stem cell transplantation, 20 patients (HL: 12, NHL:8) were underwent autologous stem cell transplantation. Bendamustine was performed an average of 6 cycles (range 1-38). The objective response rate was 73.3%, complete response rate was 44% (n = 33), partial response rate was 29.3% (n = 22), respectively. The response rate was 65% (11/17) in HL cases, 79% (30/38) in indolent NHL cases and 70% (14/20) in aggressive NHL cases. For median follow-up of 20.7 months, the median overall survival (OS) was 64.9 months, OS rate was 75.5% for 1 year, 67.6% for 2 years and 63.1% for 3 years. The most common side effects associated with treatment were lymphopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, abdominal pain, fatigue and diarrhea. Side effects which were seen as grade 3 and higher levels: 9.6% lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia 8% and 12% fatigue. Conclusions: Objective response rate of bendamustine with tolerable side effect profile was found to be 73.3% in relapsed / refractory HL and NHL patients as a rescue agent. It appears to be an ideal agent for rescue treatment which had previously received intensive treatment.

Objective: In this study, due to its importance in DNA repair in cancer, we searched for polymorphisms of XRCC1 and XRCC3 genes in Turkish chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients. Materials and Methods: In order to determine these gene polymorphisms, the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was applied using genomic DNA extracted from samples. Results: The genotype frequencies were observed as follows: The XRCC1 Arg399Gln genotype frequencies were observed as 33.3% homozygote typical (G/G), 43.3% heterozygote (G/A) and 23.3 % homozygote atypical (A/A) in the 30 samples of patients group; the genotype frequencies of XRCC3 Thr241Met were found 50% homozygote typical (C/C), 36.7% heterozygote (C/T) and 13.3% homozygote atypical (T/T) in all samples. Conclusion: In this study, no statistical association was found between CML and XRCC1 Arg399Gln and XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphisms in Turkish patients. © AKAY; licensee AKAY.

WOS: 000321700800013 PubMed: 23661157 Purpose To evaluate serum levels of YKL-40 in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) in comparison with those of age-and sex-matched healthy subjects. Methods Forty patients with PEX (PEX group) and 40 age- and sex-matched control subjects (control group) were enrolled in the study. An enzyme immunoassay method using the commercially available test MicroVue YKL-40 was used to measure serum YKL-40 concentration. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures, serum levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglycerides were also examined. Results the mean age was 54.4 +/- 7.6 (ranging 41-65) years in each group. the mean serum YKL-40 level of the PEX group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P

Objectives: To determine the association between nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) and paranasal sinus abnomalities and to demonstrate the role of this association in the etiology. Materials and Methods: 50 patients diagnosed with nasolacrimal duct obstruction and 38 subjects with no obstruction (control group) were included in this study at a tertiary health institution. Each patient underwent an endoscopic examination and a paranasal sinus computed tomography evaluation. Thereafter, nasal pathologies, such as concha bullosa, chronic sinusitis, septal deviation, and turbinate hypertrophy, were identified. Results: Concha bullosa was detected in 26 (52%) patients with NLDO and 12 (31.6%) members of the control group. The difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p=0.057). A statistically significant correlation was found between the presence of NLDO with septal deviation and chronic sinusitis, while no association was discovered between NLDO and turbinate hypertrophy. Conclusion: We believe that the possible nasal pathologies that can accompany NLDO should be kept in mind in the evaluation of patients scheduled for surgery, and that preoperative nasal cavity evaluation should be considered for this reason. [Arch Clin Exp Surg 2016; 5(3.000): 144-147]

Background: Patient satisfaction is used as an important indicator of care quality and is frequently included in healthcare planning and evaluation. This study presents a review of research on patient expectation and satisfaction with nursing care in Turkey. Aim: To review the national literature on patient expectations and satisfaction with nursing care. Methods: The researchers reviewed 3089 articles of which 27 were discussed in detail. Of these 3089 articles, 1812 were from all issues of 14 Turkish nursing journals which have been published in the last 50 years, and 1277 articles were from 24 nursing congress and symposium books. Results: The results of this study are divided into two categories: expectations concerning ‘nursing care’, and ‘satisfaction with nursing care’. The findings show that there exist conceptual and philosophic deficiencies in the approaches to patient satisfaction and that there is a need to use standardized instruments to study and assess patient satisfaction in the future. Conclusion: Over the last 20 years, studies of patient expectation and satisfaction with nursing care have been gaining high importance, but it is also noticed that in a national and philosophical approach the studies are not based on clearly defined concepts. Moreover, it has been concluded that there is a need for valid and reliable tools in the evaluation of satisfaction.

SUMMARY Intermedin/Adrenomedullin 2 (IMD/AM2) is a novel peptide related to the calcitonin gene-related peptide family. It is a vascular regulatory factor of homeostasis and a vital endogenous protective factor against vascular diseases. This in vitro study was designed to the effect of IMD/AM2 on platelet aggregation with several platelet aggregation agents in the healthy volunteers. The study was carried out on 7 healthy volunteers. Blood samples were centrifuged to prepare platelet-rich plasma and platelet-poor plasma. The platelet-rich plasma was diluted with the platelet poor plasma to yield test platelet-rich plasma with a final platelet count of 300,000±25,000 platelets L−9. Three concentration of IMD/ AM2 solutions were prepared that would result in 10-8, 10-7, and 10-6 M. Each concentration of IMD/AM2 was incubated with platelet-rich plasma at 37 C during one hour. Platelet aggregation studies were carried out in platelet-rich plasma using 3μg ml−1 collagen, 10μM ADP, and 10μM epinephrine. In addition, spontaneous aggregation was performed for each concentration of IMD/AM2 incubated platelet-rich plasma. Compared to control, pre-incubation with all dilutions of IMD/AM2 had no detectable effect on platelet aggregation response induced collagen, ADP, epinephrine, and no detected spontaneous aggregation. The platelet aggregation amplitudes and slopes were statistically similar among all groups by the aggregation test. This in vitro study suggested that IMD/AM2 had no effect on platelet aggregation in a dose-dependent manner.

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a cytokine which belongs to the interleukin-1 superfamily and secreted by various immune and non-immune cells. Evidence has shown that IL-18 has both anticancer and procancer effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between -137G/C (rs187238) IL-18 gene polymorphism and susceptibility to chronic myelogenous leukemia(CML) in Turkish patients. The frequencies of polymorphism -137G/C were studied in thirty chronic myelogenous and thirty healthy individuals. The genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing analysis. Significant associations were detected between the IL-18 rs187238 (G/C) polymorphism and CML patients. A higher prevalence of the C allele was found in CML cases with respect to controls (p Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.