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Biomedical subjects

A Bakkaloglu

Publications and source records attributed to A Bakkaloglu.

95 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Are carriers for MEFV mutations "healthy"?

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare whether carriers for the MEFV mutations display an increase or decrease in certain features. We compared the frequency of a number of inflammatory symptoms and diseases in carriers and a control population. METHODS: A questionnaire was designed to be applied to parents of children with FMF and a control group of parents. Clinical features and some diseases including the frequency of febrile episodes, abdominal pain, arthralgia, prophylaxis with penicillin, acute rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, spondyloarthropathy, urinary tract infection, asthma, allergy, irritable bowel disease, appendectomy and tonsillectomy were inquired. 676 parents of 440 children with FMF were surveyed in this study. Controls (n: 774) were selected as parents of healthy children. RESULTS: The presence of febrile episodes more than four per year, arthralgia, past diagnosis for acute rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis and prophylaxis of penicillin, acute rheumatic fever, and rheumatoid arthritis were significantly higher in asymptomatic parents for the MEFV mutations compared to controls. The frequency of allergy was found to be significantly lower in the asymptomatic parents as compared to controls. There was no significant difference at the frequency of urinary tract infection and tonsillectomy between the parents of the patents and controls. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that one MEFV mutation may indeed be conferring a heightened inflammation as suggested by the increased frequency in inflammatory symptoms. The carrier status for MEFV mutations seem to be unique, in that they cause an alteration in the state of "health".

Adult↗

Early onset of stone diseases and primary hyperoxaluria.

A case of primary hyperoxaluria is presented. In a product of consanguinous marriage, recurrent stone formation, nephrocalsinosis and increased urinary oxalate excretion revealed the diagnosis of hyperoxaluria. Diagnosis and treatment of primary hyperoxaluria briefly reviewed and the importance of elevated urinary oxalate level in diagnosis is emphasized.

Calcium Oxalate↗

Complement activation during cardiopulmonary bypass.

We researched complement activation of fifteen patients who had open heart surgery and on ten patients who had closed heart surgery. Our results showed that the complement system was partially activated by the anaesthesia and partially by tissue damage. This activation was aggravated when plasma contacted the pump-oxygenator system, continued in the intensive-care unit and became normal in the 24th hour after the operation. Complement activation occurred both via the alternative and classical pathways but the alternative pathway was activated more than the classical with increase in bypass time. Pulmonary sequestration of leucocytes which occurred due to the complement activation and the complement derived inflammatory mediators could have contributed to the pathogenesis of the post-pump syndrome.

Adolescent↗

Complement activation and serum beta-glucuronidase level during hemodialysis.

Peripheral white blood cell counts, complement and serum beta-glucuronidase activity were examined in 15 chronic hemodialysis patients, ranging in age from 8 to 10 years, precisely at initiation of dialysis, at 15 min after the initiation and at the end of the dialysis. At the initiation of dialysis, a rapid decline of neutrophils from the predialysis value was observed. The complement C3 level fell simultaneously but C4 was not changed. We have observed that the complement activation which follows hemodialysis is accompanied by a rise in the activities of plasma beta-glucuronidase. A rise in the serum beta-glucuronidase level was considered to be the result of complement activation and leukopenia. Granulocytopenia significantly increased the risk of infection of hemodialysis.

Child↗

Thrombomodulin, tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in Henoch-Schönlein purpura.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes in the plasma levels of thrombomodulin (TM), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PA1-1) as indices of endothelial injury/activation and fibrinolysis in childhood Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). METHODS: Twenty-six children with HSP aged between 4-15 years and 10 healthy controls were included in the study. Blood samples were taken from these patients at admission and 6-12 weeks after healing of skin rash and arthritis. Plasma levels of TM, t-PA and PAI-1 activities and t-PA and PAI-1 antigen (Ag) levels were measured. RESULTS: The plasma levels of TM, t-PA Ag and PAI-1 Ag in patients during the acute phase were significantly different from the controls. The difference in TM between the acute phase and recovery in patients was also significant. The decrease in plasma levels of t-PA Ag and PAI-1 Ag in patients between the acute and recovery phases was not significant. t-PA activity was significantly higher in the acute phase than in the recovery phase. CONCLUSION: We suggest that increased levels of TM, t-PA, and PAI-1 activity may reflect the presence of endothelial injury and/or activation and fibrinolytic activation in patients with HSP.

Adolescent↗