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Biomedical subjects

S Yurdakul

Publications and source records attributed to S Yurdakul.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Gastrointestinal involvement in Behçet's syndrome: a controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To make a retrospective and prospective analysis of the frequency of symptomatic inflammatory bowel disease in patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS). METHODS: The medical records of the first 1000 patients with BS were reviewed retrospectively for past or present history of diarrhoea. The past and present history of diarrhoea was also elicited prospectively among 147 consecutive patients with BS and 78 diseased controls (42 with rheumatoid arthritis, 17 with systemic lupus erythematosus, seven with seronegative spondylarthropathy, and 12 with miscellaneous rheumatic diseases). Inflammatory mucosal changes were sought in rectal biopsy specimens from 75 patients with BS, 47 diseased controls (29 with nephrotic syndrome, eight with rheumatoid arthritis, six with familial Mediterranean fever, and four with ankylosing spondylitis), and 14 patients with ulcerative colitis. RESULTS: In chart review there were only seven Behçet's patients with diarrhoea; none of them had inflammatory bowel disease. In the prospective survey there were no significant differences between the BS and control groups in the past and present history of diarrhoea. There were no significant differences in the rectal mucosal histology between patients with BS and controls, while patients with ulcerative colitis showed pronounced differences. CONCLUSION: Symptomatic inflammatory bowel disease is not common in BS patients from Turkey.

Adult↗

Anti-endothelial cell antibodies, endothelial proliferation and von Willebrand factor antigen in Behçet's disease.

Endothelial cell dysfunction has previously been demonstrated in Behçet's disease which has vasculitic features. In this study we investigated anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF) levels in patients with Behçet's disease. In vitro effects of patient sera on endothelial cell proliferation were also evaluated. AECAs were present in 29% of 70 Behçet's disease patients (Binding Index: 25 +/- 29% vs 9 +/- 7% in normal controls, p < 0.005). 95% of AECA positive patients were clinically active compared to 74% of AECA negative patients (p = 0.04). Among specific organ manifestations only active arthritis correlated with AECA positivity (6 of 7 patients vs 14 of 63, p = 0.002). AECA positive patients had a significantly higher mean ESR (37 +/- 24 mm/h vs 21 +/- 17 mm/h, p:0.006). Mean vWF levels were also significantly higher in patients compared to controls (166 +/- 75% vs 84 +/- 34%, p < 0.0001). No correlations were observed between AECA titres and vWF levels. No significant differences were observed between patients and controls when endothelial cell proliferation was studied (Proliferation Index: 1.25 +/- 0.28 vs 1.12 +/- 0.25, p = 0.5). Our results suggest that AECA may be related to disease activity in Behçet's disease. The presence of vWF, even in patients in complete remission, might be related to factors other than endothelial damage for vWF release from endothelial cells.

Adolescent↗

Pericardial and pulmonary involvement in rheumatoid arthritis in Turkey.

Pericardial and lung involvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), suspected to be less severe in a developing nation (Turkey), have been evaluated. We have studied clinical, echocardiographic and pulmonary findings (radiological and functional) in 93 consecutive Turkish patients with definite/classical RA. Findings were compared with those of a group of patients with osteoarthritis or local rheumatological conditions (n = 60) in a blind protocol. Fifty patients with systemic lupus (SLE) were studied as a high risk control group for pericardial involvement. While pericardial disease was detected in 5.5% (5/90) of RA patients, it was detected in 6.6% (4/60) of the control patients. SLE patients had a 26% (13/50) prevalence. Interstitial lung disease was found in 27.7% of RA patients but it was present in 6.6% (4/60) of the control patients. We observed that a group of patients with RA in Turkey had a low prevalence of pericardial disease. This is further evidence that RA has a mild course in developing countries.

Adult↗

Pulmonary arterial aneurysms in Behçet's syndrome: a report of 24 cases.

Pulmonary arterial involvement is an important complication of Behçet's syndrome (BS). Among 2179 patients with BS, 24 (1.1%) were diagnosed as having pulmonary arterial aneurysms (PAAs). Haemoptysis was the presenting symptom in all but one. All were male. The mean age at the time of the diagnosis of PAA was 30 +/- 11 S.D. yr (range 17-59 yr). Their mean disease duration was 5 +/- 4 yr (range 3 months-16 yr). There was a high prevalence of thrombophlebitis (21/24, 88%). Histopathological examination showed pulmonary vasculitis involving all layers of pulmonary arteries and veins. Twelve patients (50%) died after a mean of 9.5 +/- 11 S.D. months (range 1-36 months) after the onset of haemoptysis. The mean duration of follow-up of the remaining 12 patients was 25.5 +/- 24 S.D. months (range 1-78 months). The treatment consisted mainly of pulsed or oral cyclophosphamide alone or with prednisolone. As is true with other severe manifestations of Behçet's syndrome, PAAs are more common among males. They are associated with a prevalence of thrombophlebitis and there is high mortality despite treatment.

Adolescent↗

The prevalence of Sjögren's syndrome in Behçet's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The role of autoimmune mechanisms in Behçet's syndrome (BS) is debated. Sjögren's syndrome (SS) accompanies most autoimmune diseases. Thus we investigated the prevalence of SS in BS in a formal protocol. METHODS: The study was conducted in 2 phases. During the first phase subjective symptoms of dryness were blindly assessed by questionnaires and Schirmer I and Saxon tests were done in 67 patients with BS and 100 healthy and diseased controls. During the 2nd phase 30 patients with BS and 19 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) had salivary gland biopsies along with rose bengal dye, Schirmer I and tear breakup time tests. RESULTS: During the first phase only patients with primary SS had significantly abnormal findings. However during the 2nd phase pathologic changes in salivary gland biopsies and positive RB tests were highly significantly more prevalent among patients with RA. CONCLUSION: SS is not a feature of BS.

Adult↗

Systemic interferon alpha 2b treatment in Behçet's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of systemic interferon alpha 2b (IFN alpha 2b) treatment in the mucocutaneous and joint symptoms of Behçet's syndrome. METHODS: The 48-week open, self-controlled trial was conducted in 3 phases. After the pretreatment phase of 16 weeks, 20 patients (8 men, 12 women; mean age 37 +/- 7 years SD) were treated with IFN-alpha 2b at a dose of 5 million units 3 times a week for 6 weeks followed by 5 million units once a week for 10 weeks. The subsequent 16 weeks not taking the medication was the posttreatment phase. RESULTS: Treatment with IFN-alpha 2b significantly reduced the mean number of arthritis attacks (F = 3.48; p < 0.05), their mean duration (F = 3.77; p < 0.05), and the mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (F = 6.66; p < 0.001). The mean number of mucocutaneous lesions also showed a decrease, but this was not statistically significant. Except for the duration of arthritis, the mean number and frequency of all symptoms tended to return to pretreatment levels in the posttreatment phase. CONCLUSION: This pilot study shows that systemic IFN may be effective in the treatment of arthritis of Behçet's syndrome.

Adult↗

Effect of surgical cleaning of the skin on the pathergy phenomenon in Behçet's syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of surgical cleaning of the skin on the pathergy phenomenon in Behçet's syndrome. METHODS: The pathergy phenomenon was assessed in 183 patients with Behçet's syndrome in a single blind study at 48 hours after a needle prick of the forearm skin, cleaned in the conventional way with alcohol, with 10% povidine iodine, with 100% chlorhexidine, and with a 4% aqueous solution of chlorhexidine. RESULTS: The surgical cleaning of the forearm with povidone iodine before the application of the needle prick reduced the prevalence of the pathergy reaction to 27% from 48% in the conventionally (by alcohol swab) cleaned forearm. Cleaning the forearm with 100% chlorhexidine reduced the prevalence of the pathergy to 36% from 59% in the conventionally cleaned forearm. No significant changes were observed with a 4% aqueous solution of chlorhexidine. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical cleaning of the skin with disinfectants of various concentrations reduces the prevalence of a positive pathergy test in Behçet's syndrome. This implies that more than the disruption of the structural integrity of the dermis and epidermis is involved in the production of the pathergy phenomenon in Behçet's syndrome.

Behcet Syndrome↗

M-mode, 2-D and Doppler echocardiographic study in 65 patients with Behçet's syndrome.

The cardiac involvement in Behçet's syndrome in sixty-five patients (mean disease duration 5.7 +/- 4.1 SD years) was studied, in comparison with 70 healthy, age- and sex-matched controls. The electrocardiograms, chest radiographs and M-mode, 2-D and Doppler echocardiography were evaluated in a blind protocol. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of cardiac findings between the probands and the controls. It is concluded that cardiac involvement in Behçet's syndrome occurs only sporadically.

Adolescent↗

Low dose cyclosporin A versus pulsed cyclophosphamide in Behçet's syndrome: a single masked trial.

A single masked trial of cyclosporin A 5 mg/kg/day versus monthly 1 g intravenous boluses of cyclophosphamide was conducted among 23 patients with Behçet's syndrome and active, potentially reversible uveitis. The trial was unmasked after a mean of 12 (SD 2) months for the cyclosporin A group (n = 12) and a mean of 10 (SD 3) months for the cyclophosphamide group (n = 11). During the initial 6 months the visual acuity significantly improved (p < 0.001) in the cyclosporin A group whereas this was not observed in the cyclophosphamide group. The subsequent follow-up of patients up to 24 months suggested that the initial improvement in visual acuity with cyclosporin A was not sustained. More extensive and especially long-term studies of cyclosporin A in the uveitis of Behçet's syndrome are warranted.

Adolescent↗

Diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis in Behçet's syndrome.

Renal involvement in Behçet's syndrome is infrequent and the reported cases of glomerulonephritis consisted mainly of patients with focal glomerulonephritis. A patient with Behçet's syndrome and diffuse proliferative sclerosing glomerulonephritis with predominant disposition of IgM is described.

Adult↗

Response to intradermal injection of monosodium urate crystals in Behçet's syndrome.

The cutaneous response to intradermal injection of monosodium urate crystals was investigated in 97 patients with Behçet's syndrome in Turkey and 14 in the United Kingdom, and in 82 healthy and 88 diseased controls. Urate crystals produced an increased erythematous response in patients compared with controls in both countries. This response was different from that of the pathergy test performed at the same time. The systemic acute phase response, studied only in Turkey, showed no differences between patients and controls.

Behcet Syndrome↗

[Stability of cefazolin sodium as eyedrops in various solutions].

Cephazolin sodium prepared with four different solutions (NaCl 0.9%, Protagent, Liquifilm and phosphate buffer) to be used as eye drops, was evaluated as to its physicochemical features at +4 degrees C, +37 degrees C and at room temperature and its activity in terms of minimal inhibition concentration. In conclusion, cephazolin sodium prepared with artificial tears at acidic pH can be kept for 3 days at room temperature and at +4 degrees C without any loss of its activity.

Buffers↗

A controlled trial of azathioprine in Behçet's syndrome.

Cytotoxic agents have long been used in Behçet's syndrome, especially for eye involvement, but their effectiveness has been uncertain. We conducted a two-year randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of azathioprine (2.5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day) in Turkish men with Behçet's syndrome without eye disease (group 1; n = 25) or with eye disease (group 2; n = 48). Corticosteroid treatment remained available to all the patients. All six patients withdrawn from the study because of severe eye disease were receiving placebo (P less than 0.001). Azathioprine was superior to placebo in the prevention of new eye disease in group 1 (1 vs. 8 patients; P less than 0.01) and in group 2 among the 14 patients who at entry had disease in only one eye (P less than 0.001). There were fewer episodes of hypopyon uveitis (1 vs. 15; P less than 0.001) among the group 2 patients who took azathioprine. The patients taking azathioprine also had less frequent oral ulcers, genital ulcers, and arthritis. There were no serious side effects attributable to azathioprine. We conclude that azathioprine is effective in controlling the progression of Behçet's syndrome, especially its most serious manifestation, eye disease.

Adult↗