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Biomedical subjects

U Saatçi

Publications and source records attributed to U Saatçi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A family with Jeune syndrome.

Jeune syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by narrow thoracic cage and short-limbed dwarfism. Seventy percent of affected individuals die in early childhood from pulmonary hypoplasia and respiratory distress due to the small size of the thorax. Growth retardation and chronic renal insufficiency due to nephronophthisis may occur in patients who survive the respiratory failure. We report a family that exhibited clinically heterogeneous features of Jeune syndrome. The 6-year-old male proband presented with skeletal deformities and chronic renal failure. A kidney biopsy revealed that nephronophthisis was the cause of the patient's kidney failure, and we diagnosed Jeune syndrome. A retrospective diagnosis of Jeune syndrome was also established for the proband's older sister, who had died of renal failure at 8 years of age. The oldest female child in the family also had thoracic deformity, and the father and paternal uncle were both of short stature and exhibited brachydactyly. Their renal function and blood pressure were normal. The findings in this family are important in that they demonstrate the clinical heterogeneity of Jeune syndrome and underline the association of renal disease with this syndrome.

Child↗

Renal vascular abnormalities in Bardet-Biedl syndrome.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder. Specific diagnostic criteria for BBS have now been defined. At least four of the five cardinal signs of mental retardation, obesity, hypogenitalism in men, distal limb anomalies, and progressive tapetoretinal degeneration of the retina are required for the diagnosis. Renal involvement has been described as a sixth cardinal feature. Chronic renal failure occurs in 30%-60% of patients. Hypertension has been noted in 50%-66% of cases. Renal abnormalities reflect a defect in maturation of the kidneys. We present a patient with BBS who had bilateral microaneurysms and occlusions in renal arterioles.

Aneurysm↗

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus.

We aimed to evaluate the presence of peripheral antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA) and cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (c-ANCA) in children with SLE and to correlate its association of laboratory findings. Twenty-one children with SLE were studied. Serum samples in patients were tested by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) slide kit (INOVA) for c-ANCA and p-ANCA and by ELISA for myeloperoxidase (MPO-ANCA) and proteinase 3 (PR3-ANCA). All the patients but two were quiescent for lupus at the time of sampling. Sixteen of 21 patients showed positive IIF staining whereas only 5 had MPO-ANCA and 2 of nine PR3-ANCA. The data suggests that SLE may be associated p-ANCA directed against additional target antigens rather than MPO and may be implicated in the pathogenesis of SLE or may be only non-specific antibodies developed in lupus.

Adolescent↗

Nutritional assessment of children on haemodialysis: value of IGF-I, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta.

BACKGROUND: Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in haemodialysis (HD) patients. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has proved to be a sensitive marker of malnutrition, while interleukin-1 (IL-1beta) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) have been found to be raised in catabolic states. METHODS: We have investigated the nutritional status of 17 chronic renal failure (CRF) paediatric patients (8 boys, 9 girls) on maintenance HD. Eight predialysis CRF children (5 boys and 3 girls; mean creatinine 5.1+/-3.2 mg/dl) and 10 healthy children served as control groups. PEM was defined according to anthropometric measurements (triceps skinfold thickness (TST), mid-arm circumference (MAC), and mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC)). These were correlated with serum IGF-I, IL-1, TNF-alpha, transferrin, and albumin (all sampled before the HD session). RESULTS: In the HD group, TST was reduced in 41.2% of the patients, whereas MAC and MAMC were reduced in 82.4 and 76.5% respectively. TST was depleted in only one of the predialysis CRF children. The degree of reduction in MAC and MAMC were 62.5 and 62.5% respectively. Median serum IGF-I level was decreased in both HD and predialysis CRF patients (205.1 interquartile range (IQR) 194.4 microg/l and 258.8 IQR 155.0 microg/l respectively) compared to the healthy children (418.0 IQR 310.5 microg/l) (P=0.0009 and P=0.01 respectively). Within the HD group, IGF-I levels were lower in patients with malnutrition defined according to TST (145.0 IQR 125.5 microg/l) compared to children with normal TST (301.2 IQR 218.8 microg/l) (P=0.05). IGF-I levels of the HD patients with malnutrition according to TST was also lower than the predialysis CRF patients and healthy children (P=0.04 and P=0.002 respectively). Serum IL-1beta was undetectable in all groups. Median serum TNF-alpha levels were higher in HD and predialysis CRF patients compared to healthy children, albeit statistically insignificant. There was no correlation between TNF-alpha, transferrin or albumin and anthropometric parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the high prevalence of malnutrition in CRF children, which becomes more pronounced when treatment by HD is initiated. We suggest that determination of IGF-I levels in childhood HD patients in conjunction with anthropometric measurements is useful for identification of malnutrition. We have not been able to demonstrate the catabolic effects of cytokines on this state of protein energy malnutrition.

Adolescent↗

Effect of carnitine supplementation on cardiac function in hemodialyzed children.

Thirteen carnitine-deficient children (mean age, 16.1 +/- 2.56 years) on a three-times-weekly hemodialysis program for at least 1 year, and 11 healthy age matched children were involved in the study. All the patients had stable blood pressure and hemoglobin (Hb) levels with a maintenance dose of erythropoetin and none were digitalized. The total carnitine (TC) and free carnitine (FC) plasma levels were sampled prior to hemodialysis (HD) before and after 3 months of carnitine supplementation. A free carnitine (FC) to acylcarnitine (AC) ratio less than 4 was defined as carnitine deficiency. Intravenous L-carnitine was injected at a dose of 20-40 mg/kg three times weekly at the end of each dialysis session for a 3-month period. Echocardiographic examination was performed the day following HD, before and after carnitine treatment. Systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle, including the ejection fraction, were measured. Almost all the parameters were significantly different in controls and hemodialyzed patients. In carnitine-deficient hemodialyzed patients, 3 months of L-carnitine supplementation resulted in a significant increase in blood carnitine levels and the FC/AC ratio, but this was not associated with any significant improvement of cardiac function. Furthermore no significant changes were observed in plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol or other lipoprotein parameters before or after carnitine supplementation. Although there was a moderate increase in mean hematocrit (Hct) and Hb levels, these also did not reach statistically significant levels. These results suggest that the 3 months of carnitine supplementation is not sufficient to ameliorate cardiac function or increase Hb levels in children.

Adolescent↗

Familial Mediterranean fever in children: report of a large series and discussion of the risk and prognostic factors of amyloidosis.

UNLABELLED: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a genetically transmitted disease characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and serositis. The most important complication of this disease is the development of amyloidosis. We present our analysis of 425 FMF patients without and 180 with amyloidosis (123 FMF having amyloidosis type 1 and 57 FMF having amyloidosis type II). The male female ratio was higher in the amyloidosis population (111/69) when compared to the FMF population (225 200) (P = 0.048). Consanguinity rate was the same among FMF and amyloidosis groups. However, a family history of amyloidosis was significantly more frequent in the amyloidosis group (P = 0.00001). Multivariate analysis has revealed that in FMF patients, the presence of a family history of amyloidosis plus consanguinity has a 6.04 fold increased risk of amyloidosis (P < 0.0001). The 5-year chronic renal failure free survival was 43.1% and 18.7% in type I and type II amyloidosis, respectively. The time interval to develop chronic renal failure after the development of amyloidosis was 4.8 in type I and 3.0 years in type II. respectively. We found ten cases of Henoch-Schönlein Purpura and nine of polyarteritis nodosa among our patients. The significance of the association between FMF and vasculitis awaits to be clarified. Among the FMF patients put on colchicine therapy (435), only 10 (2.3%) have developed amyloidosis confirming that this drug protects from amyloidosis. CONCLUSION: Since the presence of a familial history of amyloidosis has been defined as the most important risk factor in the development of amyloidosis, we suggest that additional genetic factors may be operative in the development of amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis↗

Enalapril-induced anemia in a renal transplant patient.

Side-effects of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, such as a slight decrease in hematocrit, are increasingly being reported. A 14-year-old renal transplant patient on enalapril therapy developed anemia with reticulocytosis. She was investigated for other causes of anemia and enalapril therapy was ceased. Her hemoglobin level increased and reticulocyte count decreased after cessation of therapy. No other cause of anemia was found. Although anemia in patients receiving ACE inhibitors such as enalapril has previously been reported, this is the first reported patient who developed anemia associated with mild reticulocytosis and macrocytosis.

Adolescent↗

Case of the month.

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Age of Onset↗

Plasma lipids and lipoproteins in juvenile chronic arthritis.

Altered levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and very-low density lipoprotein (VLDL), as well as apolipoproteins have been previously described in rheumatoid arthritis patients. We have attempted to evaluate the serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, cholesterol in DHL, LDL, apolipoprotein A1 (apo-A1) and apolipoprotein B (apo-B) levels in juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) and to correlate them with CRP and ESR in the active and non-active stages of JCA. A total of 37 children no fulfilled ARA criteria for the diagnosis of JCA were studied. There were 18 girls and 19 boys. Age range was 2.5-16 years with a mean of 9.5. The mean duration of disease was 1.8 years. Nineteen patients were accepted to have active disease. Eighteen age and sex matched healthy children served as controls. Apo-A1 was significantly lower in the active JCA group when compared to inactive patients and healthy controls (both p < 0.05). There were significant inverse correlations between apo-A1 and both ESR and CRP levels in these patients (r = 0.67, p < 0.05 and r = -0.61, p < 0.-05, respectively). Although mean LDL levels were numerically lower in the JCA patients (67.2 mg/dl in the active and 68.6 mg/dl in the inactive patients) the difference with healthy controls (91.7 mg/dl) was not statistically significant. There was no significant differences in regard to triglyceride, total cholesterol, cholesterol in HDL, and apo-B levels between neither of the groups. We conclude that JCA patients have a dyslipoproteinaemic state with already altered metabolism of lipids at different stages of the chronic inflammation from active to inactive disease.

Adolescent↗

Systemic oxalosis: pathognomonic renal and specific extrarenal findings on US and CT.

Hyperoxaluria is characterized by nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis on radiological examination and may also result in diffuse deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in multiple extrarenal organs (oxalosis). In two cases, the renal findings of primary hyperoxaluria were diagnosed by ultrasound and computed tomography scans. In addition to renal involvement, both patients had liver involvement, and one patient had cardiac involvement.

Child↗

Acute renal failure due to acute pyelonephritis.

We report a case of acute renal failure due to acute pyelonephritis with microabscess formation. Despite antibiotic therapy renal function deteriorated, necessitating peritoneal dialysis. Although rare, acute pyelonephritis is an important consideration in the differential diagnosis of acute renal failure, and prompt antibiotic therapy is crucial to insure a favourable outcome.

Acute Disease↗

The gingival crevicular fluid interleukin-1 beta and tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels in patients with rapidly progressive periodontitis.

Cytokines are believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. In the present study, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of two important cytokines, interleukin 1-beta (IL-1 beta) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and, in addition, serum IL-1 beta levels, were determined in patients with severe and rapid periodontal breakdown by use of ELISA. While IL-1 beta was detected in all of the GCF samples studied, TNF-alpha could only be detected in about half the samples. The mean GCF IL-1 beta level was 38.45 +/- 13.99 pg/mL, and the mean TNF-alpha level was 3.20 +/- 1.39 pg/mL, respectively. The GCF IL-1 beta levels also presented a strong positive correlation with the mean pocket depths. Although weak, both of the cytokines also presented correlations with the presence of bleeding on probing. Additionally GCF samples contained increased IL-1 beta levels when compared with the serum samples suggesting local production mechanisms. The findings of the present study suggest that these cytokines may be involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases (IL-1 beta being more significant), and also may help in defining the active phase of periodontal breakdown.

Adult↗

Familial membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.

Four and two male sibs of two separate families who had biopsy-proven membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) are presented. In the first family four sibs of the first-degree consanguineous marriage showed the clinical picture of nephrotic syndrome without hypocomplementaemia at initial laboratory findings. In the second family two affected sibs showed nephrotic and nephritic syndromes on admission. Family investigations showed normal serum complement, immunoglobulins, T-cell subsets, urine analysis, and serum biochemistry. HLA typing in the two families revealed a common antigen HLA A2 in all affected sibs. Some other reports give suggestive evidence of MPGN in siblings but this is the first report that showed the occurrence of MPGN in four sibs. Our data strengthened the concept that genetic factors are involved in the development of MPGN but additional immunogenetic studies will shed light on the genetic aspects of the disease.

Adolescent↗