What is the best indicator for evaluating treatment response in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: histology or aminotransferase levels?
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Ugur Cevikbas.
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We studied whether taurine has any regressive effect on existing atherosclerotic lesions and lipid peroxidation in rabbits fed on a high-cholesterol (HC) diet. The cholesterol, triglyceride, malondialdehyde (MDA) and diene conjugate (DC) levels, as well as the aortic histopathological findings were examined in rabbits that had been fed on a cholesterol-containing diet for 8 months [0.5% cholesterol (w/w) for 3 months and subsequently 0.25% cholesterol (w/w) for 5 months], and then for a further 4 months on a normal diet with or without taurine treatment [1% (w/v) in the drinking water]. High levels of lipid and lipid peroxide induced by the HC diet were observed to decline in the plasma, liver and aorta of atherosclerotic rabbits, as well as a slight retardation in aortic atherosclerotic lesions during the regression period. Although no significant differences in the lipid and lipid peroxide levels in the plasma and aorta were found between the regressed groups with or without the taurine treatment, the extent of atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta was less in the taurine-treated regressed group than in the non-treated regressed group. However, the liver MDA and DC levels were lower in the regressed rabbits with the taurine treatment in the non-treated group. These results indicate that the taurine treatment may accelerate the regression of cholesterol-induced atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits without having any effect on the plasma and aorta lipid and lipid peroxide levels.
We report the case of an inflammatory pseudotumor of the spleen in an asymptomatic 55-year-old woman, whose lesion was accidentally found and clinically misdiagnosed to be lymphoma. An inflammatory pseudotumor of the spleen was histopathologically diagnosed following a splenectomy. This lesion is a benign, reactive, and inflammatory process and its etiopathogenesis still remains elusive. The preoperative diagnosis is difficult and the optimal management of the asymptomastic patient with the disease is unclear. This entity should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of splenic space-occupying lesions.
This report describes a new subgroup of familial visceral myopathy. Three patients from within this family were admitted to the hospital with pseudo-obstruction. Barium x-ray, abdominal plain film, esophageal manometry, colonoscopy, gastroscopy, and echocardiography were performed in all siblings for diagnostic evaluation. Two of our patients had surgery because of suspicion of acute abdomen. In one of them, full-thickness biopsy, which was performed during laparotomy, revealed findings that were compatible with familial visceral myopathy. Three siblings from this family with visceral myopathy, in which the parents were consanguineous, had megaduodenum, long-segment Barrett's esophagus, and different cardiac abnormalities.
PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of octreotide on colorectal carcinogenesis by administering octreotide either alone or combined with polyglactin, which is a well-known suture material, on chemically induced colorectal cancer development in rats. METHODS: A total of 72 rats were divided into six groups. Two groups were subjected to a colotomy and repair using polyglactin. Another two groups underwent a sham procedure. The fifth group received octreotide alone and the sixth group served as a control. Both groups of rats in the polyglactin and sham groups received octreotide additionally. Methylnitrosourea was administered rectally to all the animals at a dose of 4 mg/kg per week for 20 weeks to induce carcinogenesis. Octreotide was injected twice a day at a total daily dose of 100 microg/kg. The thymidine labeling index was used to assess the synthesis phase fraction in order to measure the cell proliferation rate. RESULTS: The mean number of tumors per rat was significantly higher in the polyglactin group than in both the sham and control groups. It was significantly lower in the octreotide and polyglactin + octreotide groups than in the control and polyglactin groups, respectively. All the animals in the octreotide group had one tumor, while 66.6% of the control group had multiple tumors. The number of multiple tumors was significantly lower in the polyglactin + octreotide and sham + octreotide groups than in the polyglactin and sham groups, respectively. The mean tumor size in the octreotide group was significantly smaller than in the control group, whereas it was larger in the polyglactin group in comparison with the sham and control groups. It was also reduced in the polyglactin + octreotide group in comparison with the polyglactin group. The thymidine labeling index was significantly higher in the polyglactin group compared with both the sham and control groups, whereas it was lower in the octreotide group in comparison with the control group. The addition of octreotide administration to the polyglactin usage and the sham procedure significantly decreased the thymidine labeling indexes. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that octreotide reduces the frequency of tumor occurrence and has an inhibitory effect on its development in chemically induced experimental colorectal cancer. Octreotide can also reduce the enhancing effect of polyglactin on colorectal carcinogenesis when it is combined with polyglactin.
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BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate erythrocyte prooxidant-antioxidant balance in relation to liver and plasma lipid peroxidation in thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver cirrhosis in rats. METHODS: Liver cirrhosis was produced by the administration of TAA (0.3 g/L of tap water) for a period of 3 months in rats. Serum, liver and erythrocyte lipid peroxide levels as well as liver glutathione (GSH) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were determined in cirrhotic rats. RESULTS: Hepatic cirrhosis was assessed by biochemical and histopathological findings. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased in cirrhotic rats. This treatment caused increased MDA and diene conjugate (DC) levels as well as decreased GSH levels and GSH-Px activities in the liver of cirrhotic rats. In these conditions, no significant changes in erythrocyte cholesterol, phospholipid levels as well as endogenous DC, and GSH levels and spontaneous hemolysis values were observed in erythrocytes of rats with TAA-induced liver cirrhosis. However, H(2)O(2)-induced MDA levels were detected to decrease significantly in erythrocytes of cirrhotic rats. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that erythrocytes of TAA-induced cirrhotic rats have a resistance against peroxidative stress in contrast to the findings in plasma and liver.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aimed to investigate the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia in the cardia of a patient group with high incidence of Helicobacter pylori infection presenting for elective upper endoscopy. We also re-evaluated the relation between intestinal metaplasia in the cardia and gastroesophageal reflux disease, smoking, alcohol history, H. pylori infection, Barrett's esophagus and intestinal metaplasia elsewhere in the stomach. METHODOLOGY: Sixty patients presenting for elective upper endoscopy were included in this study. Prior to undergoing endoscopy each patient was questioned with regard to the clinical indication and symptoms including heartburn, regurgitation, and dysphagia. In addition, a smoking and alcohol history were recorded. Endoscopic biopsies: 1) one from the midantrum on the lesser curvature, 2) one from the incisura angularis, 3) one from the mid-corpus on the lesser curvature, 4) one from the columnar side of the squamocolumnar junction, 5) one from the squamous side of the squamocolumnar junction, 6) one from 2 cm distal to the esophagogastric junction, 7) one from across the squamocolumnar junction. Slides were stained using a combination of hematoxylin-eosin with Alcian blue at pH 2.5 for intestinal metaplasia. Each specimen was examined for the presence of H. pylori. RESULTS: The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 63%. Prevalence of the H. pylori infection was significantly lower in the patients with intestinal metaplasia of the cardia than in the patients without intestinal metaplasia of the cardia (P = 0.025). There was a positive correlation between the age of the patients and having intestinal metaplasia of the cardia (r = 0.286, P = 0.008). There was no relationship between intestinal metaplasia of the cardia and pyrozis, regurgitation, dysphagia, history of alcohol and smoking esophagitis determined by endoscopy or histopathology, sex, intestinal metaplasia elsewhere in the stomach (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of the intestinal metaplasia of the gastric cardia in Turkey is less than that of western countries. Intestinal metaplasia of the gastric cardia negatively correlates with H. pylori infection. And there was no relationship between gastric cardia intestinal metaplasia and reflux disease. Further investigations are needed for determining the premalign lesion and etiologic factors for cancer of the gastric cardia.
AIM: To compare interferon monotherapy with combination treatment using interferon and lamivudine in children with chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: Data from 65 children who had received either interferon-alpha (5 MU/m2 subcutaneous thrice a week for 6 months; n=35; Group 1) or this dose of interferon-alpha for 6 months with oral lamivudine for one year (4 mg/Kg/day, maximum 100 mg/day; n=30; Group 2) were analyzed retrospectively. Complete response was defined as ALT normalization, HBeAg/anti-HBe seroconversion and HBV DNA clearance. RESULTS: ALT normalization rates were similar in Groups 1 and 2 at the end of interferon treatment (13 [38%] and 16 [52%], respectively), at 12 months (19 [56%] and 18 [58%]) and at 24 months (24 [71%] and 23 [74%]). HBV DNA clearance was more frequently observed at 6 months in Group 2 than in Group 1 (19 [63%] versus 7 [20%]; p=0.01), but not at 12 months (19 [63%] versus 17 [49%]) or at 24 months (20 [67%] versus 21 [60%]). Rate of HBeAg/anti-HBe seroconversion was higher in Group 2 at 12 months (18 [60%] versus 11 [31%]; p< 0.05). Rate of complete response was similar in Groups 1 and 2 at 6 months (5 [14%] and 10 [33%], respectively), 12 months (14 [40%] and 17 [57%]) and 24 months (20 [57%] and 19 [63%]). CONCLUSION: Although lamivudine and interferon combination achieved higher initial rates of HBV DNA loss and HBeAg/anti-HBe seroconversion than interferon alone, the final response rates were similar with the two treatments. The combination treatment is therefore not indicated for chronic hepatitis B in children.