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Biomedical subjects

A Dursun

Publications and source records attributed to A Dursun.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Sulfasalazine decreases acute gastrointestinal complications due to pelvic radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Radiation-induced gastrointestinal toxicity is a significant concern for patients who are treated with this modality for pelvic malignancies. Eicosanoids and free radicals are thought to be among the reasons for this effect. Sulfasalazine is an inhibitor of their synthesis in the mucosa. OBJECTlVE: To determine whether sulfasalazine can reduce the radiation-induced acute gastrointestinal complications. METHODS: In this prospective, double-blind study, 31 patients receiving pelvic radiotherapy were randomized to receive two sulfasalazine 500-mg tablets twice daily or placebo, administered orally from the first day of irradiation. Patients were evaluated weekly, and gastrointestinal toxicities were graded according to the Late Effect of Normal Tissue-Subjective Objective Management Analytic (LENT-SOMA) toxicity table during pelvic radiotherapy. On the last day of week 5, the subjects were graded endoscopically, and biopsies taken from the rectum were classified histopathologically. RESULTS: Groups did not differ in age, gender, tumor site, or irradiation procedure. During radiotherapy, grade 2 or higher gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in 20% (3/15) and 63% (10/16) of the sulfasalazine and placebo groups, respectively. This difference was significant (p = 0.017). No statistically significant differences were found in endoscopic and histopathologic evaluations. CONCLUSIONS: Sulfasalazine is effective in decreasing clinically acute gastrointestinal toxicities. Long-term follow-up with the subjects will help to determine the net effect of sulfasalazine on the radiation-induced gastrointestinal injuries.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Carnitinuria in rickets due to vitamin D deficiency.

In this study, we measured the serum-urine total carnitine levels and PTH levels before and after treatment in 18 patients with nutritional rickets. The urine and blood samples were taken on the first (pretreatment) and the 15th day of the study (post-treatment). The total carnitine levels of serum and urine samples, serum PTH and serum-urine creatinine concentrations were determined. We found that the levels of carnitine excreted in the urine on the first (pre-treatment) and on the 15th day (post-treatment) were higher than the reference levels. Decrease in carnitine excretion on the 15th day seemed to be correlated with decrease in aminoaciduria at that time. The study showed a significant correlation between urinary carnitine excretion and serum PTH levels. In our study we did not find any significant difference between the serum total carnitine levels on the first (pre-treatment) and the 15th day (post-treatment), and both values were lower than the reference values for the same age group. We observed that the total serum carnitine levels did not change on the 15th day of the post-treatment period in spite of a decrease in urinary carnitine excretion. The results of the present study indicated that carnitine metabolism is disturbed in nutritional rickets. Further evaluation of rickets cases and new studies will probably lead to a better understanding of carnitine metabolism in nutritional rickets.

Amino Acids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Newborn PKU screening in Turkey: at present and organization for future.

At present, pkenylketonuria screening is a national child health program in Turkey which is carried out collaboratively by the Ministry of Health and three University Children's Hospitals in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir. Since 1986 the number of cities included in the screening program has gradually increased, now and it covers all the metropolises the country. A total of 383 babies were found with persistent hyperphenylalaninemia (1:4,172) among 1,605,582 babies screened by the Guthrie test at the Hacettepe Screening Center in Ankara. By taking into account pretreatment phenylalanine levels and phenlyalanine tolerances at five years of age, the numbers of classical and mild-moderate phenylketonuria and mild hyperphenylalaninemia cases were 216, 102 and 58, respectively. The major problems encountered in the screening program and in management of the detected cases were unsatisfactory sample collection, early discharge from maternity hospitals, difficulties in reaching some detected cases, and noncompliance with dietary therapy due to illiterate parents or to lack of social insurance. To screen and treat all newborns for phenylketonuria and to include at least hypothyroidism in the screening program, there is a need for a more disciplinary intersectoral approach than exists at present.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy in anorectal malignant melanoma.

Primary anorectal malignant melanoma is a rare neoplasm that carries a poor prognosis with a high metastatic potential. A case of a 60-year-old male who was admitted to the emergency service with signs of colonic obstruction forced us to reconsider diagnostic and therapeutic implications in anorectal melanoma. Following urgent decompression with laparoscopic sigmoid loop colostomy, the patient was treated with preoperative radiotherapy and local excision. He has since been free of disease for 30 months. The previously published reports are reviewed and the current therapeutic options are discussed.

Anus Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of microscopic colitis in patients with symptoms suggesting irritable bowel syndrome.

GOALS/BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder affecting 20% of the general population. It shows certain characteristics with organic bowel diseases. Definition of lymphocytic and collagenous colitis has created a new approach towards chronic idiopathic diarrheas. We searched for the frequency of lymphocytic and collagenous colitis in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. STUDY: The study group consisted of 30 irritable bowel patients and 20 controls. Multiple biopsies from cecum; ascendant, transverse and descendent colon; sigmoid and rectum were taken sequentially in all patients. RESULTS: We diagnosed 7 out of 30 irritable bowel patients as having lymphocytic colitis (23.3%) but none as having collagenous colitis. In the control group 1 out of 20 patients had lymphocytic colitis (5%) and none had collagenous colitis. Irritable bowel patients had higher rate of lymphocytic colitis association (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Functional disorders of the bowel should be searched for possible lymphocytic colitis, especially in cases refractory to classical therapies.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Typhoid fever with very high transaminase levels.

Typhoid fever is endemic in developing countries and may cause very different clinical findings. Although hepatic involvement and abnormal liver function tests may be seen in 50% of the patients, intravascular hemolysis and renal involvement are rare. In this report, a 10-year-old patient with enteric fever presenting with hepatitis, severe intravascular hemolysis and glomerulonephritis is presented. To see all of these findings together in a patient with typhoid fever is very rare and may cause diagnostic difficulties.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in normal colonic mucosa and in adenocarcinomas of the colon.

The levels of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGF-R) were investigated in normal colon mucosa and in adenocarcinomas of the colon. The frequency of expression and localization of epidermal growth factor receptors were examined by immunohistochemistry in 17 carcinomas (well differentiated) and adjacent non-involved normal colon mucosa. EGF-R was observed that expression in carcinomas were significantly higher than in normal colon mucosa. EGF-R may be useful as a marker in malignant potential of adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, the detection of EGF-R expression in biopsy materials by immunohistochemistry staining offers precise diagnostic information of the involvement of adenocarcinomas.

Adenocarcinoma↗