29 research outputs found
A USEFUL MARKER IN ASSESSMENT OF REMISSION AND ACTIVATION OF DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: SERUM HUMAN NEUTROPHIL PEPTIDES 1-3
No full textAnnual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) -- JUN 08-11, 2016 -- London, ENGLAND[Abstract Not Available
A New Comorbidity in Female Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis Pelvic Organ Prolapse
No full textAim The aim of this study was to investigate whether increased intra-abdominal pressure caused by pelvic inflammation and frequent use of the Valsalva maneuver increases the incidence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) among female patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods Thirty-nine patients diagnosed as having AS through the use of the modified New York criteria, 47 patients with chronic low-back pain (CLBP), and 38 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. All the patients and the HCs underwent thorough physical and gynecological examinations. Pelvic organ prolapse was graded blindly by a gynecologist. Presence or absence of cystocele (CS), rectocele (RC), and uterine prolapse (UP) was noted. Results The incidences of CS, RC, and UD were significantly higher among the AS patients compared with the HCs (p = 0.001, 0.026, and 0002, respectively). The incidences of CS (p = 0.042) and UD (p = 0.017) were significantly higher among the AS patients compared with the CLBP patients. Conclusions The incidence of POP is higher among patients with AS compared with normal population. These patients should be questioned about the symptoms of POP and recommended, if necessary, regular gynecological examinations, as well as specific exercises including those targeting AS
Psychological health of caregivers and association with functional status of stroke patients
No full textConclusion: Caregivers had an impaired emotional state and the level of their anxiety was associated with the severity of functional disability of the patients. Therefore, the support provided to the caregiver might be influential on the functional recovery of the patients
Assessment of the Presence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus, Hypothyroidism and Acromegaly
No full textConclusion: CTS has a higher incidence in DM, hypothyroid and acromegaly patients compared to healthy individuals. Clinicians should be careful about development of CTS in DM, hypothyroidism and acromegaly. They should adopt a multidisciplinary approach and co- operate with the psychiatrist
Serum Progranulin Levels and Disease Activity in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis
No full textBackground Axial spondyloarthritides (ax-SpA) are a group of chronic systemic diseases of unknown aetiology, affecting mostly young men, with common features such as inflammatory low back pain, axial skeletal involvement, sacroiliitis, and association with HLA-B27. Inflammatory cytokines, mainly TNF-alpha, play a role in its aetiopathogenesis. Progranulin (PGRN) is thought to be an anti-inflammatory molecule that acts through the TNF-alpha pathway. In our study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum PGRN levels and disease activity in patients with AS. Material and Methods Forty-five patients between the ages of 18 and 65 who were classified as having ax-SpA according to ASAS classification criteria were included in our study. Forty-five individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 who did not have pregnancy or lactation status, no acute or chronic infection and no malignancy or rheumatic disease were included as the healthy control group. In addition, BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI, ASDAS-CRP, ESR and CRP levels were recorded in the patient group to determine the laboratory and clinical findings of patients with ax-SpA. Results Mean serum progranulin levels were higher in axial SpA patients compared with the control group (5156.72 +/- 1274.34 vs. 4836.50 +/- 1422.10), but this result was not statistically significant (p = 0.275). Serum progranulin levels were negatively correlated with ESR (p = 0.031) but ASDAS-CRP (p = 0.407) and BASDAI (p = 0.297) values were not correlated with the progranulin levels. Conclusion Although we found a negative correlation between progranulin and ESR, we did not find any association between progranulin and disease activity in patients with axSpA. There is a need for new and larger studies to be conducted with a higher number of participants in this patient group and to measure serum PGRN levels as well as antibodies against PGRN
Tub and beta-catenin play a key role in insulin and leptin resistance-induced pancreatic beta-cell differentiation
No full textThe aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of pancreatic islet-derived mesenchymal stem cell (PID-MSC) differentiation into beta-cells in the presence of insulin and leptin resistance stimulators. We determined that beta-cell differentiation was stimulated by glucose, insulin, and leptin. Co-administration of insulin and leptin resulted in greater, at a further stage of differentiation but non-functional beta-cell formation. The levels of p-AKT(Ser473) did not change; SOCS3, PTP1B, p-IRS1(Ser307), PTEN levels increased and p-IRS1(Try) levels decreased due to insulin and leptin co-administration. These findings suggest that co-administration of insulin and leptin to PID-MSCs results in the development of both insulin and leptin resistance together. We showed that this differentiation signaling is mainly mediated by AKT/GSK-3 beta/beta-catenin and Tub. Moreover, beta-catenin and Tub were linked to each other in the nucleus under this condition. Furthermore, we found that Tub and beta-catenin contributes to insulin production by increasing the expression of transcription factors by binding to the promoter regions of ins1, ins2, and pdx1 genes. In addition, Tub is also bound to the promoter region of the MafA gene. These findings demonstrate that when insulin and leptin resistance develop together in rat PID-MSCs beta-cell differentiation increases markedly via beta-catenin and Tub. New therapeutic agents that inhibit AKT/GSK-3 beta/beta-catenin and in particular Tub may help prevent the development or retard the progression of type 2 diabetes
4-Methylcatechol prevents streptozotocin-induced acute kidney injury through modulating NGF/TrkA and ROS-related Akt/GSK3 beta/beta-catenin pathways
No full textNerve growth factor (NGF) has been shown to protect the viability of kidney cells in acute phase of renal damage. However, since the half-life of NGF is very short, it is too large to pass the blood-brain barrier and rapidly transported to the liver for catabolizing its use in therapy is limited. 4-Methylcatechol (4MC) is a substance that increases NGF synthesis in many tissues. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of 4MC against acute renal injury induced by streptozotocin (STZ). We have investigated the profibrotic, proinflarnmatory, oxidative changes in STZ-induced acute renal damage and the possible role of the NGF/TrkA system and Akt/GSK beta/beta-catenin pathway in this mechanism. Experiment was designed as to be started with injection of 4MC for 10 days as a single dose (10 mu g/kg) per day and to be terminated after 4 h of a single dose (75 mg/kg) STZ injection. As the result, 4MC pre-treatment decreased kidney damage, ROS production, the renal levels of TGF beta 1, CD68, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin 1 beta. Moreover, 4MC pre-treatment increased levels of NGF and its receptor TrkA, p-Akt (Thr308), p-GSK3 beta (Ser9) and nuclear beta-catenin. These data suggest that 4MC prevents the development of STZ-induced renal damage by suppressing ROS production and inflammation via Akt/GSK3 beta/beta-catenin pathway which may be stimulated by NGF/TrkA signaling. Therefore, 4MC can be suggested as a potential agent for the prevention of acute renal injury
Does Phonophoresis Using NSAIDs Reduce Osteoarthritis Knee Pain?
No full textObjective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not phonophoresis using NSAIDs reduces osteoarthritis knee pain.
Study Design: Systematic review of three double-blind randomized controlled trials published between the years 2013 and 2018.
Data Sources: Published peer-reviewed articles obtained through PubMed and Cochrane Collaboration. Articles were selected based on relevance to my clinical question and if they included patient-oriented outcomes.
Outcomes Measured: Pain severity was self-reported by patients using a visual analog scale (VAS) on a continuum of 0-100; 0 representing no pain at all and 100 representing the worst pain imaginable. Participants in all three studies reported pain scores at baseline and after completing 2 weeks of treatment.
Results: The study conducted by Luksurapan et al. showed a mean change from baseline of 67%, a mean of between group difference of 14.73 +/- 5.78, and a P-value of 0.009.1 The study conducted by Monisha et al. showed a mean change from baseline of 70% and a P-value \u3c 0.00.2 The study conducted by Oktayoglu et al. showed a mean change from baseline of 23 and a Pvalue of \u3c 0.05.3
Conclusion: All three studies in this EBM review demonstrated reduction of mild to moderate osteoarthritis knee pain with the use of phonophoresis using NSAIDs. Additional research may be indicated to further evaluate treatment outcomes with larger and more diverse patient populations, as well as long-term effects of treatment
Serum relaxin levels in benign hypermobility syndrome
No full textOBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the activity of serum relaxin in female patients with benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS), locomotor system findings accompanying BJHS, and its relation to relaxin. METHODS: Into the study, female patients with BJHS and healthy women as the control group were included. The patients were diagnosed by using the Brighton 1998 criteria. Examination of the locomotor system for study groups were performed. Serum relaxin levels of both patient and control group were measured. RESULTS: There were 48 female patients with BJHS and 40 healthy women in the study. With respect to the control group, the level of serum relaxin was higher in the patients (47.1 +/- 20.3, 34.4 +/- 22.1; p > 0.05). Again compared with the control group, arthralgia (p = 0.00), myalgia (p = 0.01), shoulder impingement syndrome (p = 0.05), pes planus (p = 0.01), and hyperkyphosis (p = 0.000) were higher in the patients. The level of relaxin median was significantly higher in the patients with pesplanus and hyperkyphosis than those who did not have them (p = 0.05, p = 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although serum relaxin level is not considered a causative factor for BJHS, the significant increases found in those patients with hyperkyphosis and pes planus suggest the hypothesis that relaxin has a limited and indefinite role in patients with BJHS
Serum Coenzyme Q10 Levels and Oxidative Status in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome
No full textObjectives: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between serum coenzyme Q10 [CoQ10] levels and symptoms of fatigue associated with fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS]. Methods: Patients diagnosed with primary FMS and domographically matching healthy normal controls [HNCs] were sought to participate in the study. The total antioxidant status, total oxidative status, and CoQ10 levels were measured in blood samples from the patients and the controls. Results: A total of 40 patients with FMS and 30 HNCs were recruited. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in regard to C-reactive protein, mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate, mean age, and mean body mass index [p>0.05]. The mean time from symptom onset to diagnosis for the FMS patients was 2.88 years, and the average number of tender points was 14. The serum CoQ10 levels were significantly lower in the FMS patients compared with the HNC group [p=0.000]. The serum total oxidative status and oxidative stress index levels were higher, and the serum total antioxidant status levels were lower in the FMS patients compared with those of the HNC group [p<0.05]. The visual analog scale [VAS] pain scores and the VAS fatigue scores were significantly higher in the FMS group than in the HNC group [p=0.000]. The serum CoQ10 levels were negatively correlated with the mean Modified Fatigue Impact Scale scores [p=0.02, r=0.301, VAS pain scores [p=0.00, r=0.38], and VAS fatigue scores [p=0.03, r=0.28]. Conclusions: The CoQ10 deficiency may contribute to the etiopathogenesis of FMS fatigue
