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Biomedical subjects

G Ozturk

Publications and source records attributed to G Ozturk.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Spontaneous rupture of the spleen in secondary amyloidosis: a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

A 63-year-old man who had had a history of rheumatoid arthritis presented with shock and hemoperitoneum, without a history of trauma. An emergency laparatomy revealed hemoperitoneum and splenic rupture with massive bleeding. Splenectomy was performed. Histopathological examination of the spleen revealed amyloid deposition in the wall of the vessels. Rectal biopsy revealed amyloid deposition in mucosa that indicating amyloidosis was systemic. Histochemical studies showed that amyloid was secondary or AA.

Amyloidosis↗

Broad-band ultraviolet B phototherapy is associated with elevated serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and nitrite-nitrate levels in psoriatic patients.

BACKGROUND: Although the local anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive and oxidative activity of UVB is known, the systemic effect of UVB phototherapy in dermatological patients has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the lipid peroxidation status (as represented by thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, TBARS) and nitrite-nitrate levels in psoriatic patients under broad-band ultraviolet B (BB-UVB) phototherapy in order to determine the systemic effects of UVB. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-two psoriatic patients and 20 healthy controls were included. Blood samples were obtained at the beginning, after 6-10 exposures to BB UVB phototherapy (mean 5 weeks) and at the end of the therapy period (mean 21 weeks). Serum TBARS and nitrite-nitrate levels were evaluated. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in serum TBARS and nitrite-nitrate levels between psoriatic patients (basal) and healthy volunteers. There was no statistically significant correlation between disease duration, disease severity, or the total cumulative dose of UVB and serum levels of TBARS and nitrite-nitrate in psoriatic patients. Total nitrite levels in samples obtained during and at the end of therapy were significantly higher than basal levels (P=0.033 and P=0.005, respectively). TBARS levels in samples obtained during and at the end of therapy were significantly higher than basal levels (P=0 and P=0.026, respectively). There was a negative correlation (r=-0.576, P=0.039) between the total nitrite and TBARS levels in psoriatic patients at the end of therapy. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that chronic exposure to UV irradiation may lead to a systemic effect on lipid peroxidation and NO levels, which are shown by a significant elevation in TBARS and nitrite-nitrate levels in serum.

Adult↗

Fever of unknown origin: a report of 57 cases.

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is defined as the body temperature higher than 38.3 degrees C on several occasions and lasting longer than 3 weeks, with the aetiology remaining uncertain after 1 week of investigation. In this study, we reviewed 57 patients with FUO hospitalised in our inpatient department between 1998 and 2003. The median age of the patients was 44 years (17-84), and 26 were males (46%), while 31 were females (54%). In 24 patients (42%), infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (12 patients) and brucellosis (5 patients) were found under the aetiology of FUO. Inflammatory rheumatic diseases were the second most common cause of FUO (17 patients, 30%), while malignancies were found in 10 patients (18%). In six patients (10%), aetiology could not be identified. In conclusion, infectious diseases especially tuberculosis and brucellosis are the leading causes of FUO in our country.

Adolescent↗

Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, catalase activities and plasma nitrite and nitrate levels in patients with Behçet disease and recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

Behçet disease (BD) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) are two distinct diseases of unknown aetiology which are both characterized by oral aphthae. The aim of this study was to determine the possible association of both diseases with antioxidant status and nitric oxide levels. Twenty-six patients (17 female, nine male) with RAS, 28 patients (17 female, 11 male) with BD and 31 (22 female, nine male) healthy control subjects were included in the study. Blood samples were studied for erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and plasma nitric oxide (NO) levels. Erythrocyte SOD activity in BD patients was significantly higher than in RAS patients and controls. Although SOD activity in RAS patients was higher than in controls, the difference was not statistically significant. No significant differences in CAT activities or NO levels were found between the three groups. In conclusion, changes in SOD activity may be important in the inflammatory reactions observed in BD and RAS, but NO does not seem to play a primary role in the aetiopathogenesis.

Adult↗

Antigen-induced changes on high endothelial venules in rat cervical lymph nodes.

The effect of antigenic stimulation (paratyphoid vaccine) on high endothelial venules (HEVs) of rat cervical lymph nodes was studied using conventional histological and histometrical techniques. The sequential changes of some morphometric parameters (lymph node weight, HEV diameters) after the antigenic stimulation were studied in rat cervical lymph nodes over a period of five days with daily measurements. Measurements were made on the HEVs in the paracortex especially near the corticomedullary junction. HEVs diameters began to increase two days after the antigenic stimulation (p<0.001) and erythrocytes were increased in the lumen of the HEVs. On day four, most of the lymphocytes were detected between the endothelial cells of the HEVs (p<0.001). On day five, not only HEVs were increased in number but also endothelial cells were increased in height (p<0.001). The weight of the lymph nodes was also highest on this day. The changes of HEVs determined after antigenic stimulation suggest that these specialized vessels have an important regulatory role in the primary immune response.

Animals↗

Urinary nitric oxide in newborns with infections.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal sepsis is a major problem in newborn nurseries because of the difficulty in early diagnosis and because of the high morbidity and mortality. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether urinary nitric oxide (NO) levels could be useful for the diagnosis of infected newborns. METHODS: Newborns with suspected infection according to previously defined criteria between ages of 1-7 days and 8-30 days were included as the study groups (p) to be compared with age-matched healthy controls (c). Urine NO levels were assayed by Sievers NOA based on chemiluminescence and expressed as corrected for urine creatinine. RESULTS: 20 newborns with suspected infection at 1-7 days of age (group 1p) were compared with 45 healthy age-matched newborns (group 1c). 16 newborns with suspected infection at 8-30 days of age (group 2p) were compared with 15 healthy age-matched newborns (group 2c). The groups were similar with regard to birth weight and gestational age; however, the urinary NO levels in newborns with suspected infection at 1-7 days of age (80.25+/-60.68 micromol/mg creatinine) were higher than in healthy newborns (25.45+/- 19.35 micromol/mg creatinine). Similarly, newborns with suspected infection at 8-30 days of age had higher urinary NO levels (81.78+/- 40.43 micromol/mg creatinine) than age-matched controls (36.99+/-24.58 micromol/mg creatinine; p < 0.05). The sensitivity of urinary NO levels to detect infection was 50% in both age groups, and the specificity was 95% for 1-7 days of age and 93% for 8-30 days of age. Groups 1p and 2p were similar with regard to NO production. Altogether 12 patients had culture-proven sepsis, 11 patients had clinical sepsis, and 13 patients had other infections. The NO levels were similar in patients with culture-proven and clinical sepsis and higher than in patients with other infections. No difference was observed among NO levels of patients with gram-positive and gram-negative sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary NO levels which are quick and easy to measure are higher in infected newborns as compared with controls, and although the specificity is good, the sensitivity of the test is low, necessitating the use of another marker in addition to NO.

Biomarkers↗

The effect of melatonin on liver superoxide dismutase activity, serum nitrate and thyroid hormone levels.

Melatonin is a main neurohormone of the pineal gland. The effects of melatonin on the level of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T(4)), triiodothyronine (T(3)), nitrate, melatonin and liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were examined in rats. Melatonin was injected at the dose of 10 mg/kg for 7 days, 2 h before turning the lights off. Rats were decapitated at 10:00 a.m. and 02:00 a.m., which are the times of the lowest and highest serum melatonin levels, respectively. Blood and tissue samples were collected. Decreased TSH, T(3), T(4) and nitrate levels were determined in the melatonin-injected and nighttime groups. Melatonin levels showed a diurnal rhythm. SOD activity increased in the melatonin-treated group. The results demonstrate that increased SOD activity, and reduced serum TSH, T(3), T(4) and nitrate levels correlated with the serum melatonin levels.

Animals↗

Assessment of brain perfusion by 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in akinetic mutism due to high-dose intravenous methotrexate therapy.

Chemotherapy of the central nervous system may cause neurotoxicity in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia. We evaluated regional blood flow in a 6-year-old child presenting with akinetic mutism, using 99mTc-HMPAO single photon emission tomography (SPECT) following high-dose intravenous methotrexate therapy. While findings in X-ray computerized tomography were decreased density in bilateral basal ganglia and thalamic nuclei with diffusely decreased attenuation of the periventricular white matter, a global, frontal dominant profoundly abnormal perfusion pattern involving both gray and white matter was observed in the SPECT study. Treatment of the central nervous system with high dose intravenous chemotherapy may cause profound abnormalities in white and gray matter blood flow and early assessment of the neurotoxicity may be identified by 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in the pediatric age group.

Akinetic Mutism↗

Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis.

We describe a 42-year-old man with a five-year history of arthritis mutilans-like destructive joint changes and with a one-year history of nodules on the fingers, ears, oral mucosa, pharynx, larynx, vocal cords, some being ulcerated and haemorrhagic. He was diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis; however, biopsies from the nodules on the oral mucosa and ear revealed multicentric reticulohistiocytosis. The large nodule over the olecranon process, simulating a rheumatoid nodule but diagnosed as multicentric reticulohistiocytosis with biopsy; ulcerated and haemorrhagic nodules on the oral mucosa; and rapidly progressive joint destructions make our case interesting.

Adult↗

Profiles of black and Latin-American patients having pernicious anemia. HLA antigens, lymphocytotoxic antibody, anti-parietal cell antibody serum gastrin levels, and ABO blood groups.

Because of the unusual presentation of pernicious anemia in many black women, a further characterization of this disease among the different racial groups was undertaken. The following were found. (1) Black women under the age of 50 years had a significantly lower prevalence of anti-parietal cell antibody than did "European" and Latin-American patients or even older black women. The disease in the younger black women resembles juvenile pernicious anemia in this respect. Blacks in general had a lower prevalence of anti-parietal cell antibody than did "Europeans" and Latin Americans, though the difference was not statistically significant. A particularly striking finding was that anti-parietal cell antibody occurred much less often than anti-intrinsic factor antibody among black patients. (2) An analysis of all published HLA data for patients of European origin indicated a weak association of pernicious anemia with HLA-B7. However, no antigen association among the black and Latin-American patients studied was found. HLA-DR typing, not previously reported even for whites, also showed no association. (3) Lymphocytotoxic antibody was equally increased in frequency in all racial groups. (4) Serum gastrin levels did not follow a racial pattern; however, women with pernicious anemia had much higher levels than did men. (5) Pernicious anemia was not associated with blood group A.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

Cytotoxic antibodies against surface immunoglobulin.

The reactivity of B lymphocytes, null lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells, B and T cultured cell lines, monocytes, and granulocytes was tested against a panel of antisera under cold conditions of 5 C incubation followed by 25 C incubation in complement. The degree of cold cytotoxic activity against these cell types was in the order given above, with the C cells being the most sensitive. Surface immunoglobulin (SIg) staining followed the same distribution sequence, with the B cells containing the most SIg. Human IgM inhibited cold cytotoxic antisera but human IgG or human serum albumin (HSA) did not. IgM did not inhibit HLA antisera. We conclude that at least some cold cytotoxic antibodies react against surface IgM.

Antilymphocyte Serum↗

Non-HLA lymphocyte cytotoxins in various diseases.

Cold non-HLA lymphocyte cytotoxins were found to be principally reactive against B lymphocytes. These antibodies were studied in 1335 patients with a wide range of diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), scleroderma, Hashimoto's disease, asthma, diabetes, lymphoma, psoriasis, leukemia, multiple sclerosis, and also in healthy donors. Antibodies reactive to B lymphocytes in the cold or warm test conditions were not directed against HLA specificities. Since B lymphocytes differ from T lymphocytes principally in that they have surface immunoglobulin, it is postulated that at least one target antigen of cold lymphocyte cytotoxins is not a virus, infectious agent, or a genetically determined structural antigen, but, rather, simply immunoglobulin.

B-Lymphocytes↗