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Biomedical subjects

A Okten

Publications and source records attributed to A Okten.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Mesoatrial shunt in Budd-Chiari syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The operations with proven effects on survival in Budd-Chiari syndrome are shunt operations and liver transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1993 and 1999 (June), 13 cases of Budd-Chiari syndrome have been treated surgically. Four cases had concomitant thrombosis of the inferior vena cava; the others had marked narrowing of the lumen due to the enlarged caudate lobe. Mesoatrial (n = 12) or mesosuperior vena caval (n = 1) shunts were constructed with ringed polytetrafluoroethylene grafts. RESULTS: The median portal pressure fell from 45 (range 32 to 55) to 20 (range 11 to 27) cm H(2)O (P <0.001). Two patients died in the early postoperative period. One patient who did not comply with anticoagulant treatment had a shunt thrombosis in the second postoperative year. The other 10 patients are alive without problems during a median 42 (range 1 to 76) months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Mesoatrial shunt with a ringed polytetrafluoroethylene graft is effective in Budd-Chiari syndrome cases with thrombosis or significant stenosis in the inferior vena cava.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Serial measurements of serum transaminases in renal transplant recipients with chronic hepatitis C: do they reflect disease severity?

UNLABELLED: Chronic hepatitis C infection is a common problem in renal allograft recipients, this study was designed to investigate the association of serum aminotransferase levels with liver histology, in renal transplant patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, in the long term. METHODS: In this study, 82 HCV-infected renal allograft recipients, who were followed up with functioning grafts for at least 6 months, were analyzed. Patients were classified according to their transaminase values as persistently normal, intermittently abnormal, or continuously abnormal liver function tests. Serum transaminase levels exceeding at least 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (40 IU) for periods longer than 1 month were taken as abnormal. Patients with abnormal liver function tests owing to HCV unrelated causes (drugs, alcohol, or other toxic substances, other viruses, etc.) were excluded from the study. Forty-eight of these patients underwent at least one liver biopsy. RESULTS: Of the 82 patients, 34 (41.5%) had persistently normal (liver biopsy revealed normal or minimal changes in 77.0%, chronic persistent hepatitis in 15.3%, chronic active hepatitis in 7.7%; no patient had cirrhosis), 29 (35.3%) intermittently abnormal (liver histology was consistent with minimal changes in 50%, chronic persistent hepatitis in 27.8%, chronic active hepatitis in 16.7%, cirrhosis in 5.5%), 19 (23.2%) persistently abnormal (liver biopsy showed minimal changes in 41.1%, chronic persistent hepatitis in 17.6%, chronic active hepatitis in 35.3%, cirrhosis in 5.9%) transaminase values. CONCLUSION: Although continuously or intermittently elevated transaminases do not always indicate morphologically advanced disease, the normal course of serum transaminases is mostly accompanied by normal, or near-normal, liver histology, in HCV-infected renal transplant patients. Liver biopsy is not indicated in deciding disease severity in these patients unless clinical findings dictate otherwise.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

After the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection, relapse is a serious problem in Turkey.

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is strongly recommended in duodenal and gastric ulcer. In developed countries the recurrence rate is low; however, in Turkey, the Hp recurrence rate is suspected to be high as the prevalence of Hp infection is--as high as 70-80% in the asymptomatic population. We planned this study to determine the relapse rate of Hp infection after successful eradication therapy in Turkey. Fifty-two cases including 24 patients with duodenal ulcer and 28 patients with nonulcer dyspepsia were examined in this study. The eradication regimen was omeprazole 20 mg twice daily, clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily, and metronidazole 500 mg three times a day for 1 week. All patients underwent upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy. At least four samples from antrum and corpus were taken to enable histologic diagnosis of Hp infection. After the eradication therapy, endoscopy was repeated at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, and Hp-positive patients were dropped from study. With the use of this regimen, the Hp eradication rate was 92.3% (48/52). After the eradication of Hp infection, relapse rates were 6.97%, 27.5%, and 11.11% at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. The cumulative relapse rate for 1 year was 41.46%. The results of this study revealed that after the eradication of Hp infection, recurrence is encountered very often as a problem in Turkey. We concluded that hygienic and environmental factors can affect these high relapse rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Renal duplex Doppler ultrasonography as a predictor of preclinical diabetic nephropathy in children.

PURPOSE: To perform Doppler US in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) as a predictive method in diabetic nephropathy (DN). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients with type I diabetes mellitus underwent renal Doppler US examination. Children were divided into three age groups: group I, 3-7 years; group II, 8-10 years; and group III, 11-18 years. The age-matched control group consisted of 56 healthy children who underwent renal Doppler US only. RESULTS: The mean values of the resistive index (RI) were, respectively, 0.64+/-0.03, 0.59+/-0.04, 0.59+/-0.02 in age groups I, II, and III for healthy children and 0.68+/-0.03, 0.62+/-0.04, 0.59+/-0.04 in age groups I, II, and III of the diabetic patients. There were no significant differences between the diabetic and healthy subjects. The mean RI value was not different in the patients with glomerular hyperfiltration compared to patients with normal filtration rate. Additionally, there were no significant differences between the mean RI value in patients with or without microalbuminuria. CONCLUSION: Renal Doppler US is not useful for prediction or for early diagnosis of DN.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Is severe cryptogenic chronic hepatitis similar to autoimmune hepatitis?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has been reported that severe cryptogenic chronic hepatitis may be a subgroup of autoimmune hepatitis. The aims of this study were to investigate the clinical features, liver function tests, human leukocyte antigens and response to immunosuppressive therapy in severe cryptogenic chronic hepatitis, and to compare the findings in such patients with those in patients with autoimmune hepatitis. METHODS: History of alcohol and hepatotoxic drug intake, markers of metabolic liver disease, autoantibodies (antinuclear antibody, smooth muscle antibody, antibody to liver/kidney microsome type 1), and viral markers (HBsAg, HBV DNA, anti-HCV, HCV RNA) were negative in all severe cryptogenic chronic hepatitis patients (histological activity index > 9 and alanine aminotransferase level > 2 x normal). Fifteen cryptogenic patients (13 women; mean age, 33 +/- 16 years) and seven autoimmune patients (seven women; mean age, 28 +/- 3.9 years; five type 1; two type 2a) received prednisolone and azathioprine for at least 2 years. RESULTS: Cryptogenic chronic hepatitis patients were similar to patients with autoimmune hepatitis with respect to age, sex, clinical presentation, liver function tests and Knodell scores at admission. HLA phenotype frequencies were comparable between cryptogenic and autoimmune groups: BW6 (77% vs. 100%), DR4 (62% vs. 57%), and HLA B8 (15% vs. 43%). The rates of complete and partial remissions achieved during therapy were 87% vs. 57% and 13% vs. 29%, respectively (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical, biochemical and HLA phenotypic features, and the responsiveness to immunosuppressive therapy in severe cryptogenic chronic hepatitis support the idea that it may be an autoimmune liver disease similar to autoimmune hepatitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Noonan syndrome associated with central giant cell granuloma.

We report a case of Noonan syndrome associated with central giant cell granuloma. The patient was a 10 1/2-year-old boy with the chief complaint of proptosis of the right eye. He also had various malformations such as short stature, webbed neck, pectus excavatum, cubitus valgus, pulmonary valve stenosis and patent foramen ovale, a characteristic face appearance and cryptorchidism and so on. Chromosome analysis showed a 46,XY karyotype. A computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass originated from the lateral wall of the right maxillary sinus. The patient underwent Caldwell-Luc operation. Histological examination of the mass showed the characteristics of central giant cell granuloma. This case report describes a patient with the features of the recently described Noonan-like/multiple giant cell lesion syndrome.

Child↗
PubMed1997

Spontaneous ascitic infection in different cirrhotic groups: prevalence, risk factors and the efficacy of cefotaxime therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of spontaneous ascitic infection (SAI) in different cirrhotic groups, the risk factors for development of SAI, and the efficacy of cefotaxime therapy. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTING: In-patient clinic of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Eighty cirrhotic patients with ascites were assigned to four groups: hepatitis B or D virus-related 34, alcoholic 18, hepatitis C virus-related 14, miscellaneous 14. INTERVENTIONS: Paracentesis was performed on 80 patients during 92 consecutive hospitalizations. Ascitic fluid was cultured by the method of bedside inoculation of blood culture bottles with ascites. The patients with SAI were treated with cefotaxime (2 g, three times daily, intravenously) for 5 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of SAI in cirrhotic groups; clinical, bacteriological and biochemical findings of SAI; rate of recovery-from infection. RESULTS: Twenty SAI episodes (22%) were found in 16 patients; 8 episodes were spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, 2 bacterascites, and 10 culture-negative neutrocytic ascites. SAI occurred more frequently in patients with hepatitis B or D virus-related liver cirrhosis (32%) than in the alcoholic (6%, P < 0.05), hepatitis C virus-related (14%) or miscellaneous (14%) cirrhotic groups in multivariate analysis, independent predictive factors associated with the development of SAI are chronic hepatitis B virus infection, ascitic fluid total protein and serum bilirubin. Escherichia coli was obtained in 5 of 10 positive ascitic fluid cultures. Cure of the infection was achieved in 95% of episodes. Hospitalization mortality rate in infected patients was 20%. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous ascitic infection occurs in approximately 20% of cirrhotic patients hospitalized with ascites. The patients with low ascitic protein concentration, high serum bilirubin level or hepatitis B virus cirrhosis are more predisposed to SAI. Cefotaxime may be an effective first-choice antibiotic for ascitic fluid infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Multiple vertebral segmentation defects. Brief report of three patients and nosological considerations.

Multiple vertebral segmentation defects i.e. multiple malformations of vertebrae and ribs are characterized by short neck, scoliosis, short trunk and deformity of the ribcage. There are three major subtypes; Jarcho-Levin syndrome, spondylothoracic dysostosis and spondylocostal dysostosis, with different inheritance patterns, survival rates and associated malformations. We describe three cases of multiple vertebral segmentation defects, two with familial spondylothoracic dysostosis and one with sporadic spondylothoracic dysostosis, and anomalies i.e. super-numerary breast, clubfeet deformity, myelomeningocele, intradural lipoma, and Arnold-Chiari malformation.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1996

Serum interleukin-1 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor levels in protein malnourished patients during acute infection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the response of serum interleukin-1 (IL-1) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to infection of malnourished patients. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Paediatric clinics of Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey. SUBJECTS: 13 protein-depleted (kwashiorkor marasmic kwashiorkor), 15 marasmic nutritionally repleted kwashiorkor (NRK), and 12 well-nourished control subjects. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical and laboratory data, and serum IL-1 and GM-CSF levels during acute infections were examined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: White blood cell count, pc of circulating neutrophils (%PNL), serum total protein, albumin (ALB), IL-1 and GM-CSF levels. RESULTS: Fever, pcPNL, serum IL-1 and GM-CSF levels of kwashiorkor patients were lower than those of marasmic and control patients (p < 0.005). Fever, neutrophil pc(PNLpc), serum IL-1 and GM-CSF levels of NRK patients during further acute infection were not significantly different from those of marasmic and control patients, but higher than those of the kwashiorkor patients. Although there were positive correlations between serum IL-1 and ALB levels (r = 0.922, p < 0.001), and between serum GM-CSF and ALB levels (r0.730, p = 0.005) in the kwashiorkor group, there were not significant correlations between the same parameters in the other groups (r < 0.5, p > 0.05). And also, although there was not significant correlations between PNL% and IL-1 levels in the kwashiorkor group (r0.312, p = 0.299), there were significant positive correlations between the same parameters in the other groups (r < 0.5, p > 0.05). However, significant positive correlations were found between fever and IL-1 levels, and between IL-1 and GM-CSF levels in all groups (r > 0.5, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The responses of serum IL-1 and GM-CSF to acute infection of kwashiorkor patients are defective, and nutritional-repletion therapies restore the production of these cytokines.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Hypogonadism is not related to the etiology of liver cirrhosis.

We investigated the clinical and laboratory findings of hypogonadism and feminization in male patients with viral or alcoholic cirrhosis to determine whether chronic liver disease plays a primary role in the development of sexual dysfunction and hormonal changes. Two groups of male patients with liver cirrhosis (23 alcoholic, 33 viral) age- and Child's grade-matched, and 20 age-matched healthy men, as a control group, were included in this study. Clinical signs of hypogonadism and feminization were examined in the cirrhotic patients. Follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, testosterone, free testosterone, estradiol, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and sex hormone-binding globulin were estimated in all groups. Seminal fluid was also analyzed in 7 alcoholic and 15 viral cirrhotics. Serum levels of estradiol, androstenedione, and sex hormone-binding globulin were significantly higher, and free testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels were significantly lower in both groups of cirrhotics compared with the control group. Child's C patients in both groups of cirrhotics were found to have higher estradiol and lower free testosterone levels than child's A and B patients. Alcoholic and viral cirrhotics had markedly reduced sperm motility and density. The differences between alcoholic and viral cirrhotic patients in the clinical signs of hypogonadism, serum levels of sex steroids, and the results of seminal fluid analysis were not statistically significant. These findings suggest that liver cirrhosis per se, independent of etiology, causes hypogonadism and feminization, and that the degree of hypogonadism and feminization correlates well with the severity of liver failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Cholelithiasis in infants with Down syndrome: report of two cases.

Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder most often observed in the newborn period. Various facial, limb and internal abnormalities are found in this disorder but cholelithiasis in infancy has been described in only one report. We report two infants with Down syndrome associated with cholelithiasis. Except for polycythemia and indirect hyperbilirubinemia, no hemolytic process or biochemical abnormalities were evident in both patients. We believe that the cause of gallstones in our cases may have been polycythemia in the newborn period. To our knowledge this is only the second report of gallstones in infancy in Down syndrome.

Cholelithiasis↗
PubMed1995

Primary Burkitt's lymphoma of the cranial vault in a child.

Non-Hodgkin s lymphoma in the cranial vault is rare, particularly in children. This report describes a 12-year-old boy who had a palpable and painless occipital skull mass and left hypoglossal nerve paralysis as the initial manifestations of Burkitt s lymphoma. Plain radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings are presented.

Burkitt Lymphoma↗
PubMed1995

Hydrocephalus, corneal opacities, deafness, left ventricle hypertrophy, clinodactyly in an adolescent patient. A new syndrome associated with glucocerebrosidase deficiency.

We report a 12-year-old girl with an unusual phenotype of Gaucher disease type 3. Liver glucocerebrosidase activity was 20% of the normal. In addition to common manifestations such as hepatomegaly, she showed primary communicating hydrocephalus, corneal opacities, deafness, left ventricle hypertrophy, and clinodactyly of hands and feet. We suspect cardiomyopathy to be due to myocardiac infiltration with Gaucher cells, and corneal opacities to result from an accumulation of lipid-like inclusions into the posterior stromal keratinocytes. We were only able to find one previously published sibship disclosing similar features, which could allow the delineation of a new clinical variant of Gaucher disease.

Adolescent↗