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Biomedical subjects

O Değer

Publications and source records attributed to O Değer.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase levels in patients with Behçet's disease.

Behçet's disease is a chronic multisystem disorder characterized by a relapsing inflammatory process of unknown aetiology. The increased activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in Behçet's disease has been intensively studied. PMN elastase, an acute phase reactant, was investigated to determine whether it may serve as a biochemical marker in Behçet's disease. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, protein electrophoresis, immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), complement components (C3, C4) as well as PMN elastase were evaluated in 42 patients with Behçet's disease and 40 healthy subjects. The mean PMN elastase levels were found to be 244.2 micrograms/l (median 210 micrograms/l, S.D. 126.8) in patients with Behçet's disease and 44.3 micrograms/l (median 45, S.D. 19.2) in healthy subjects (P < 0.001). In addition, the mean PMN elastase levels were found to be 321.5 micrograms/l (median 300, S.D. 117.9) in the acute phase and 159 micrograms/l (median 162, S.D. 59.3) in remission (P < 0.001). It was concluded that PMN elastase may be a good biochemical marker for diagnosis and therapy control in patients with Behçet's disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Evaluation of lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] as a risk factor for coronary artery disease in the Turkish population.

OBJECTIVE: Lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] is an atherogenic particle that structurally resembles a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle but contains a molecule of apolipoprotein (a) attached to apolipoprotein B-100 by a disulfide bond. Because of the fact that elevated plasma levels of Lp (a) have been shown to be an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), we determined plasma Lp(a) levels in CAD for Turkish population, and compared them with previous findings of some developed countries. RESULTS: The mean plasma Lp (a) levels in CAD group (mean +/- SD; 0.41 +/- 0.21, g/L) was found approximately twofold higher than that of the control group (0.21 +/- 0.17 g/L). Also, it was found to be higher than the mean levels of CAD group in the other populations described in previous reports. But CAD prevalence in the Turkish population is lower than in those of developed countries, especially the United States. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the interaction between plasma Lp (a) levels and many other factors such as face and heredity affecting development of CAD may show different effects for development of CAD in each of those populations separately.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Lp(a) lipoprotein levels as a predictor of risk for thrombogenic events in patients with Behçet's disease.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether plasma levels of Lp(a) lipoprotein (Lp(a)) are predictors of defective fibrinolytic activity, leading to thrombosis, in patients with Behçet's disease. METHODS: Plasma Lp(a) was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, lipids and lipoproteins by enzymatic methods, and apolipoproteins A-I and B, fibrinogen (turbidimetric method), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and D-dimer levels by enzyme immunoassay. Their levels and interactions were evaluated in 33 patients with Behçet's disease (including five with thrombotic complications) and 30 healthy control subjects. RESULTS: Plasma Lp(a) concentration was significantly greater in the patients than in controls. Nine patients (27%) had levels > 0.30 microgram. There was no correlation between Lp(a) and other lipids and lipoproteins apart from apolipoprotein B. Lp(a) showed inverse correlation with t-PA (r = -0.34, p < 0.05) and D-dimer (r = 0.35, p < 0.05). Patients with thrombotic complications had significantly greater Lp(a) and PAI-1, and lower D-dimer concentrations than control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of plasma Lp(a) levels in patients with Behçet's disease may provide useful information regarding the potential development of thrombotic events, because of its possible role in defective fibrinolysis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Plasma Lipoprotein(a) and its relationship with disease activity in patients with Behçet's disease.

Behçet's disease is characterized by orogenital ulcerations and ocular lesions. Other features include arthritis, thrombophlebitis, neurological abnormalities and skin lesions. The disease is characterized by a relapsing inflammatory process of unknown aetiology. Lipoprotein(a) is an LDL-like particle with a large glycoprotein called apolipoprotein(a) attached to its apolipoprotein B moiety through one or more disulphide bonds. Apolipoprotein(a) is related to plasminogen from which the enzyme plasmin, that hydrolyses fibrin blood clots, is released by tissue plasminogen activators. The unique structural features of Lp(A) give it the potential for atherogenic and thrombogenic activities. In the present study 35% of patients with Behçet's disease were shown to have higher Lp(a) concentrations than the cut-off point (0.30 g/l) for atherosclerosis. Plasma Lp(a) concentrations in the remission period were also found to be lower than during the active period in the same patients (23% decreased). Lp(a) showed significant correlations with acute phase reactants such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase activity. Therefore, it was concluded that the fluctuations of plasma Lp(a) levels with the activity of disease may be a contributing risk factor in the development of thrombogenic complications in patients with Behçet's disease.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
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↗
PubMed1994

Distribution of serum lipoprotein (a) concentrations in a healthy Turkish population.

Serum lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] concentrations are highly skewed in different populations. We measured serum Lp (a) by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 248 healthy Turkish subjects (127 male, 121 female). The mean Lp (a) value was 0.21 g/L and values did not differ between the sexes. The Lp (a) frequency distribution showed less skewness than those of Asian and Western populations but it clearly deviated from a Gaussian distribution. Plasma Lp (a) concentration did not correlate significantly with age, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-1 and B or triglyceride concentration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Urinary beta 2-microglobulin levels and urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase enzyme activities in early diagnosis of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus nephropathy.

To assess whether urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) levels could be used as predictors of diabetic nephropathy or not, 59 non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients were included in our study (31 females, 29 males; mean age 54 +/- 10.1). The control group consisted of 20 healthy non-diabetic subjects (12 males and 8 females; mean age 47 +/- 13.9). The patients in the study group were classified according to the duration of diabetes. In all cases, urinary beta 2-MG levels were measured by specific enzyme immunoassays and urinary NAG enzyme activities were determined by colorimetric methods. The mean urinary NAG level in study group was higher than that of the control group (p < 0.01). It was observed that NAG activity begins to rise in the third year of NIDDM, makes a plateau between 3-10 years, and rapidly increases after the 10th year. No significant difference in NAG activity was found between chemical NIDDM and control groups. No significant difference in beta 2-MG levels was found between study and control groups. The mean NAG activity in patients with early glomerular hyperfiltration was significantly higher than those without early hyperfiltration and control group (p < 0.05), whereas the mean beta 2-MG level was not. As a result, urinary NAG enzyme activity significantly increases, while urinary beta 2-MG level remains unchanged in patients with NIDDM. It was concluded that measurement of urinary NAG enzyme activity may be a good indicator in early diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1990

Aqueous humour and serum zinc and copper concentrations of patients with glaucoma and cataract.

Serum and aqueous humour zinc and copper concentrations of 44 patients with glaucoma and cataract were determined. Serum values were found within normal ranges. The highest mean copper concentration was seen in the glaucoma group. In addition there was a significant negative correlation between the aqueous humour levels of zinc and copper in patients with glaucoma. It was concluded that an increased copper value together with a low zinc value might be of importance in patients with glaucoma.

Aqueous Humor↗
PubMed1988

Semen magnesium levels in fertile and infertile subjects.

Semen samples of 37 fertile and 45 infertile subjects were analyzed for magnesium level by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean semen magnesium level of fertile subjects was found to be 11.9 +/- (SD) 3.0 mg/100 ml and that of infertile subjects 6.9 +/- 2.1 mg/100 ml. It was concluded that semen magnesium may be a good criterion for prostate function.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The value of CSF adenosine deaminase levels in the differential diagnosis of childhood meningitis.

In this study, adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a total 28 children (13 with bacterial meningitis, 5 with mumps meningoencephalitis and 10 with febrile convulsions) were determined. The comparisons between the serum values were insignificant (p greater than 0.05) but the CSF levels of the children with bacterial meningitis were higher than in the others (p less than 0.05). These findings suggest that serum ADA levels are not important in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of these diseases. However, ADA levels of CSF may be useful in differentiating between bacterial and viral meningitis.

Adenosine Deaminase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Infantile myofibromatosis. A case report.

Infantile myofibromatosis is a rare mesenchymal disorder of infancy characterized by the formation of tumors in the skin, muscle, viscera, bone and subcutaneous tissue. The etiology of the disorder is unknown. We describe here a newborn with multiple infantile myofibromatosis, peritonitis and intestinal perforation. Surgery revealed multiple intestinal obstructions and jejunal perforation due to intestinal tumors; consequently, a jejunostomy was performed. The patient was maintained on total parenteral nutrition and oral semiliquid infant formula for two months, however, he died due to multiple attacks of diarrhea and septicemia.

Gastrointestinal Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-1 levels in patients with repeated and non-repeated pulmonary infections.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has a stimulating effect on erythroid, megakaryocytic and granulocyte-macrophage progenitors. Activated T lymphocytes, monocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells release GM-CSF after stimulation by endotoxin and cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor. IL-1 is also released in response to bacterial infections and inflammation by phagocytic mononuclear cells. GM-CSF and IL-1 levels were examined in 10 patients with recurrent pulmonary infection (repeaters) and in 10 patients with acute pulmonary infection (non-repeaters) in the acute and recovery periods of infection. The mean serum GM-CSF and IL-1 levels of non-repeaters were significantly higher than those of repeaters in the acute period of infection (p < 0.002), but the same parameters of both groups were not different in the recovery period (p > 0.05). In addition, both the serum GM-CSF and IL-1 levels of repeaters and non-repeaters in the acute period of infection were higher than those in the recovery period (p < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between serum IL-1 and GM-CSF levels in non-repeaters (r = 0.746, p = 0.013), but no significant correlation between the same parameters in repeaters (r = 0.395, p = 0.259). In this study, we could not explain why the serum GM-CSF and IL-1 levels in repeaters did not increase as they did in non-repeaters; moreover, there was no significant correlation between serum IL-1 and GM-CSF levels in repeaters during the acute period of infection. These findings may be due to microenvironmental factors in bone marrow and/or other factors.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Absorption of iron from grape-molasses and ferrous sulfate: a comparative study in normal subjects and subjects with iron deficiency anemia.

We compared the absorption of iron from grape molasses (GM) and ferrous sulfate (FS) using the post-absorptive serum iron increase method (non-radioactive). The study involved 56 subjects, aged 6-36 months. Group I consisted of 30 subjects with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and group II, 26 non-anemic subjects. Each group was subdivided randomly into two equal subgroups to be given either GM or FS. The absorption of the iron from GM was monitored in 15 infants with IDA and in 13 non-anemic infants, and the absorption of iron from FS was tested in the rest of the subjects in each group. In those infants in each group given GM or FS, there was no significant difference in before-test values for serum iron (SI) and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) (p > 0.05). In the group with IDA, the mean after-test SI value in FS-given infants was higher and the mean TIBC value lower than those of GM-given infants (p < 0.05). However, in the non-anemic group, there was no significant difference in the mean after-test SI and TIBC values in either GM- or FS-given infants (p > 0.05). The mean increase of serum iron in GM-given infants with IDA was 27.0 +/- 13.4 micrograms/ dl and in FS-given infants, 60.6 +/- 17.0 micrograms/dl (p < 0.05). In the non-anemic group, the mean increase of serum iron of GM-given infants was 23.0 +/- 4.3 micrograms/dl, and that of FS-given infants, 23.8 +/- 10.0 micrograms/dl (p > 0.05). We determined that in non-anemic subjects, the absorption of iron from GM was comparable to that from FS. Furthermore, we believe that grape molasses is an effective iron source in preventing iron deficiency anemia in infancy.

Absorption↗