Assessment of vestibulo-ocular reflex with video head impulse test in epilepsy patients undergoing carbamazepine monotherapy

OBJECTIVE

Carbamazepine may cause clinical effects such as dizziness and nystagmus. This may depend on the duration of use. The aim of this study is to measure the effect of carbamazepine monotherapy on the vestibular system electrophysiologically by using Video Head Impulse Test (VHIT) and to compare the numerical and objective data obtained between the groups.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this study, in which 55 people (110 ears) participated, Video Head Impulse Test (VHIT) was performed to evaluate the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in the epilepsy patients and a healthy control group consisting of healthy individuals. In addition, patients were analyzed in two groups to demonstrate the long-term effects of carbamazepine (<10 years and >10 years). Right/left lateral, anterior, posterior semi-circular canals (SCCs) VOR gains, lateral, left anterior right posterior, and right anterior right posterior gain asymmetries were measured between groups.

RESULTS

Lateral SCCs VOR gains were 0.878±0.057 and 0.921±0.045 between the patient and healthy control groups, respectively (p=0.024). A decrease in the right and left lateral SCCs VOR gains (0.885±0.062 and 0.868±0.063) was detected in the patients (p=0.011 and p=0.001). Those using carbamazepine for >10 years had a decrease in lateral SSCs VOR gains (0.843±0.055) compared to those using the drug for <10 years (0.902±0.046) (p=0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

A relative reduction in lateral (right/left) SCCs VOR gains was found in epilepsy patients using carbamazepine and in the group of patients using this drug for a long time (>10 years).

A New Clock is Running for Multiple Myeloma: Circadian Clock Protein-Period 3 (PER-3) Polymorphism

Circadian Clock Protein PERIOD 3 (PER-3) is situated on chromosome 1p36.23 and has a polymorphic domain that expresses 4 or 5 copies of the 54-bp tandem repeat sequence. PER-3 gene polymorphisms play a role in the dysregulation of the immune system. This study intended to investigate the distributions and clinical effectiveness of the PER-3 gene polymorphism in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. One hundred fifty patients diagnosed between January 2007-2009 and 100 healthy individuals were included in this study. All patients were suitable for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) at first evaluation, and after 4 courses of VCD at least partial remission, ASCT was carried out. Later, LD was used as maintenance. Genotypes of PER-3 gene of patients and healthy controls were statistically compared before treatment. In addition, these genotypes' effects on overall and progression free survival (OS and PFS) were investigated. Median PFS in the 5R/5R genotype was found to be significantly longer, albeit low, at 86% (p = 0.046). In the statistical analysis performed between the 4R/4R genotype and others, the PFS of patients with 4R/4R was found to be significantly shorter at 40.4 months (p = 0.026). Patients with the 4R/4R genotype would have a risk of 2.049 times of a shorter PFS (p=0.009). With this first study investigating the effect of a circadian gene in MM, the net effect of PER-3 gene polymorphism on PFS was revealed, and it will be a guide for future studies.

Elevated circulating levels of secreted frizzled-related protein 4 in relation to insulin resistance and androgens in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

PURPOSE

Secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4) is an adipokine involving in apoptotic process during ovulation and energy metabolism. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive and metabolic disorder associated with insulin resistance and impaired oocyte maturation as well as apoptotic dysfunctions through oocyte development. Our aim was to determine whether there was an alteration in levels of SFRP4 and if there was an association between metabolic or hormonal parameters and SFRP4 in women with PCOS.

METHODS

We enrolled 80 subjects with PCOS and 80 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched subjects with normal menstrual cycle into current case-control study. Metabolic and hormonal parameters of enrolled subjects were determined. Circulating SFRP4 levels were measured with ELISA method.

RESULTS

We found that circulating SFRP4 levels were elevated in women with PCOS with respect to controls (5.87 ± 1.91 vs. 3.72 ± 1.29 ng/ml, P < 0.001). We also found a positive association between SFRP4 and insulin resistance, androgens, ovarian follicular number or ovarian volume in women with PCOS. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that subjects with the highest tertile of SFPR4 levels displayed increased possibility of having PCOS risk compared to those subjects with the lowest tertile of SFRP4 levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased SFRP4 levels were not only associated with higher possibility of having PCOS but also related to insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, ovarian follicular number and ovarian volume, suggesting that SFPR4 could be a player in different pathophysiologic pathways of PCOS.

Securing the data economy: translating privacy and enacting security in the development of DataSHIELD

Contemporary bioscience is seeing the emergence of a new data economy: with data as its fundamental unit of exchange. While sharing data within this new 'economy' provides many potential advantages, the sharing of individual data raises important social and ethical concerns. We examine ongoing development of one technology, DataSHIELD, which appears to elide privacy concerns about sharing data by enabling shared analysis while not actually sharing any individual-level data. We combine presentation of the development of DataSHIELD with presentation of an ethnographic study of a workshop to test the technology. DataSHIELD produced an application of the norm of privacy that was practical, flexible and operationalizable in researchers' everyday activities, and one which fulfilled the requirements of ethics committees. We demonstrated that an analysis run via DataSHIELD could precisely replicate results produced by a standard analysis where all data are physically pooled and analyzed together. In developing DataSHIELD, the ethical concept of privacy was transformed into an issue of security. Development of DataSHIELD was based on social practices as well as scientific and ethical motivations. Therefore, the 'success' of DataSHIELD would, likewise, be dependent on more than just the mathematics and the security of the technology.

Navigating the perfect [data] storm

Bioscience has recently undergone a series of knowledge-based and technological revolutions. A critical consequence has been increasing recognition of the need to invest in infrastructure. Good access to data (and samples) from multiple studies is axiomatic to the value of this infrastructure. Access must be streamlined, secure, and based upon transparent and ‘fair’ decision making. It must be clear who has created and who has used which data. Ethico-legal policies and guidelines, which reflect dominant local cultural and societal norms, must take account of the increasingly global nature of bioscience research. A robust data infrastructure must also be attentive to the translational aims and social impact of its knowledge generation. In order to maintain the trust of its constituency – the general public as well as professional, political, commercial stakeholders – it must develop mechanisms to take account of all of these perspectives. These considerations form the basis of an emerging data economy. Building on extant achievements and pursuing the ideas outlined here could revolutionise the way we use and manage large-scale data. They have critical implications for biomedical and public health research communities and will be of central relevance for healthcare managers and policy makers, governments and industry. However, if the major challenges are to be met we must continue to invest,both nationally and internationally, in developing the cooperative infrastructures that provide a complementary foil to competitive resourcing mechanisms that drive hypothesis-driven science.

Nanoplankton population dynamics and dissolved oxygen change across the Bay of Izmir by neural networks

The bay of Izmir, which is the biggest harbor on the Aegean Sea, is of upmost economical importance for Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey. Most of the studies carried out focused on the effects of intensive industrial activity and agricultural production on the bay pollution within the region. These studies, most of the time, are limited to monitoring the level of pollution. However, it is believed that these studies should be supported with models and statistical analysis techniques, as the models, especially the prediction ones, provide an important approach to assessing risk and assessment. In this study, neural network analysis was used to construct prediction models for nanoplankton population change with nutrients and other environmentally important parameters. The results indicated that, using data over a 52 week period, it is possible to predict nanoplankton population dynamics and dissolved oxygen change for the future.

Influence of the intramural innervation on the morphogenesis of the enteroendocrine cells and the genetic construct involved (review)

The influence of intramural intestinal innervation on the morphogenesis of the mucosa and in particular of the enteroendocrine cells (EECs) has been studied on male Wistar rats with morphometric, autoradiographic and immuno-histochemical methods in the duodenum, proximal and distal jejunum and ilium before and after myenteric ablation with benzalkonium chloride (BAC). Twenty-one days after denervation alterations were observed in the mucosal structure with thickening of the mucosa, increase in the proliferation rate and with changes in numerical and spatial distribution of D-cells, I-cells, N-cells, glucagon and glicentin i.r. L-cells and 5-HT i.r. cells which myenteric ablation caused. Analysis of the genetic constructs involved in the alterations of EECs on the EECs provide evidence for the cAMP responsive elements as the main mediator.

[Left main coronary artery stent application: early and late period results]

OBJECTIVES

Percutaneous coronary intervention of left main coronary artery (LMCA) in the setting of acute myocardial infarction or in patients with cardiac and non-cardiac diseases that increase mortality rate after coronary artery bypass surgery has been proposed as "last resort option" and these patients can be managed safely with intracoronary stenting. In this study, we evaluated the short- and long-term follow-up outcomes of patients with left main coronary lesions underwent stent implantation in our clinic.

METHOD

A total of 15 patients (12 M, 3 F; mean age 58 +/- 13 years) with left main coronary stenosis considered at high risk for surgical treatment or patients with acute myocardial infarction with LMCA stenosis were enrolled into the study and treated by stenting. Eight patients were treated for unstable angina (53%), 2 had stable angina (13%) and 5 had acute myocardial infarction (33%). Three patients had "protected" and 12 patients "unprotected" LMCA stenosis. An intraaortic balloon pump was used in 6 (40%) and pacemaker in 4 (26.6%) patients.

RESULTS

In the study group the short and long-term mortality rate was 4 (26.6%). Among 13 survived cases, signs of left ventricular failure developed in 2 patients (15.3%). Restenosis rate on control coronary angiography was revealed in 28.8% of cases.

CONCLUSION

Utilization of elective stenting in patients at high surgical risk with protected and unprotected LMCA lesions and percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction and left main coronary artery lesions could be appraised as an alternative to surgical treatment approaches.

Serum HbA1c levels and exercise capacity in diabetic patients

It is well known that cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are high in diabetic patients. Cardiac involvement is silent and early and these diabetic patients generally complain of chronic fatigue. This study was designed to evaluate the relation between glycemic control and exercise capacity in 330 diabetic patients who have no cardiac symptoms by sustaining dynamic exercise. After a cardiac examination, patients with coronary heart disease, ECG abnormalities, cardiac failure, valvular disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, anaemia and peripheral neuropathy were excluded. Plasma HbA1c and lipid levels were obtained and a symptom limited exercise test based on "Bruce Protocol" was performed on all patients. Plasma HbA1c levels were significantly increased in smokers and in hypercholesterolemic patients (p<0.001, p=0.006). A moderate correlation between exercise capacity and HbA1c levels, and a weak correlation between duration of diabetes, age, sex, hypertension and plasma lipids were obtained. Multivariant regression analys is revealed that only HbA1c and hypercholesterolemia affected exercise capacity independently (r=-0.54 r=-0.30). In conclusion, poor glycemic control in diabetic patients causes earlier cellular involvement. Because of the high affinity of HbA1c to oxygen, the energy metabolism of the cell is affected, with a clinical correlation between chronic fatigue and worsening exercise capacity.

Sidebranch occlusion in direct intracoronary stenting: predictors and results

We assessed the angiographic predictors and results of major (> 1 mm) sidebranch occlusion (SBO) following direct intracoronary stenting (DS) in 86 patients. The occlusion of a sidebranch is a well-defined risk after balloon angioplasty and stenting. However, the impact of direct stenting without predilatation on the coronary flow of sidebranches emerging within the stented segment has not been studied solely. A total of 111 sidebranches were analyzed. Sidebranch type, take-off angle, ostial involvement and procedural characteristics were evaluated. Nine out of 111 (8%) stent-covered sidebranches were occluded. Sidebranches with > 50% stenosis that take off within or just beyond the diseased portion of the lesion (unfavorable morphology) were the most powerful morphologic predictor of SBO (odds ratio: 8.0; 95% confidence interval: 1.5--40.8; p = 0.007). Take-off angle of the sidebranch was not found to have any effect on SBO. Post-stent dilation using high-pressure inflation (15.0 +/- 2.1 atmospheres), inflation (odds ratio: 1.1; 95% CI: 1.0--1.2; p = 0.038), and 3 times inflation (odds ratio: 4.5; 95% CI: 1.1--18.3; p = 0.023) were the procedural predictor of SBO. Of those 40 unfavorable morphologies, seven (17.5%) were occluded compared to 2.8% (2/71) of the favorable morphologies. Nine out of 9 (100%) occluded after high-pressure inflation. Three patients complained of chest pain and 1 had non-Q wave myocardial infarction attributed to SBO. These findings indicate that the incidence of SBO and complications are less than expected and has a favorable outcome in direct intracoronary stenting.

[Demographic and clinical features of coronary artery patients in the district of Antalya and comparison of them with Turkey's averages]

OBJECTIVES

Many studies have proved high plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels as determinant major risk factors for coronary artery disease. It is also well known that coronary artery disease incidence and related mortality and morbidity is low in communities applying Mediterranean diet. Turkey, having a high incidence of coronary artery disease, is unique because of the diversity of eating habits in different regions of the country. The inhabitants of Antalya region of interest in our study, are generally kept Mediterranean diet. We thought to determine the clinical and demographic features of the coronary artery disease patients living in the district of Antalya, and to find out if they correlate with Turkey's averages when compared. We also searched for the preventive effect of Mediterranean diet, if there was any.

METHODS

516 patients, who were admitted to the department of cardiology, were investigated in terms of age, sex, smoking habits, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, family history, angina class, usage of aspirin and nitrates.

RESULTS

The results revealed that clinical and demographical features of the coronary artery disease in the district of Antalya were similar with turkey's averages and that the benefits brought by the preventive effects of Mediterranean diet, might have been comprised by smoking.

Recurrent molar pregnancy after ovulation induction and repeat ovulation induction. A case report

BACKGROUND

Although hydatidiform mole is not commonly encountered following ovulation induction, patients who have already had molar pregnancies are at increased risk of developing further molar diseases with worsening histologic characteristics. That fact underlies the ethical dilemma of repeat ovulation induction.

CASE

A 38-year-old woman, gravida 3, para 0, had three consecutive episodes of hydatidiform subsequent to clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin ovulation induction. She seems to be the first in the literature to develop three consecutive molar pregnancies without a normal intrauterine pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

Although ovulation induction commenced again in this patient after she gave informed consent, the risks underlying the ethical dilemma persist.

Twenty two weeks of transdermal estradiol increases sex hormone-binding globulin in surgical menopausal women

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effects of continuous noncombined transdermal estradiol versus oral conjugated estrogen on serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels prior to and during the 10th and 22nd weeks of therapy in patients with surgical menopause.

STUDY DESIGN

Open, comparative trial. Patients were consecutively assigned to three groups: group 1 (n = 18) received continuous transdermal estradiol (0.050 mg/day), group 2 (n = 18) continuous oral conjugated estrogens (0.625 mg/day), whereas group 3 (n = 15) received no treatment. Serum SHBG levels were determined before treatment and after 10 and 22 weeks of treatment.

RESULTS

Serum SHBG increased significantly with oral conjugated estrogens at 10 (p < 0.01) and 22 weeks (p < 0.01) compared with baseline. With transdermal estrogens there was a much smaller increase of SHBG. At 22 weeks, this increase was significant compared with baseline (p < 0.05), but not compared with the control group (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Transdermal estrogen has no effect on SHBG, whereas oral conjugated estrogens causes considerable increase.

[Chromosome numbers in the progenies of pentaploid plants in the section Corollinae of Beta]

In progenies of isolated pentaploid plants of the section Corollinae of Beta pentaploids only have been found, with the exception of one octoploid plant which may have arisen due to insufficient isolation. After open pollination, the same pentaploid mother plants showed, in their progenies, hepta- and octoploid plants besides the more common pentaploids. It is concluded that in pentaploids fertilization of unreduced egg cells occurs in addition to the more common apomictic propagation. In our example the pollen is that of neighbouring tetra- and hexaploid plants. It is suggested that pentaploids arose by fertilization of unreduced egg cells of tetraploids by pollen of diploid Beta lomatogona.