Do Anxiety and Depression Levels Affect the Inflammation Response in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19

Objective@#The whole world is still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Inflammation response, thought to be associated with severe illness and death, is an important research topic in COVID-19. Inflammation is also an essential condition explored in psychiatric illnesses. Our knowledge about the relationship between the inflammation response and psychiatric comorbidities in patients with COVID-19 is very limited. In this study, the relationship between anxiety and depression levels and inflammation response of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the hospital was examined. @*Methods@#175 patients were included in the study. Sociodemographic Data Form, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory were applied to the patients. To evaluate the inflammation responses, blood sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, ferritin, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and IL-6 levels were examined. @*Results@#In our study, no relationship was found between anxiety and depression levels and inflammatory responses in patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19. Anxiety and depression levels of women were higher than men, and NLR, ferritin, IL-6 levels were found to be lower than men. Anxiety levels increase with age. There is a positive correlation between NLR and ferritin levels and duration of hospitalization. @*Conclusion@#Our study examining the relationship of psychiatric comorbidities with the inflammation response and our increasing literature knowledge, together with studies evaluating the mental effects of COVID-19, suggest that determining the relationship between inflammation responses and psychiatric comorbidities in COVID-19, whose pathophysiology has not been clarified yet, maybe an essential step in interventions on the course of the disease.

Do Anxiety and Depression Levels Affect the Inflammation Response in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19

Objective@#The whole world is still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Inflammation response, thought to be associated with severe illness and death, is an important research topic in COVID-19. Inflammation is also an essential condition explored in psychiatric illnesses. Our knowledge about the relationship between the inflammation response and psychiatric comorbidities in patients with COVID-19 is very limited. In this study, the relationship between anxiety and depression levels and inflammation response of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the hospital was examined. @*Methods@#175 patients were included in the study. Sociodemographic Data Form, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory were applied to the patients. To evaluate the inflammation responses, blood sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, ferritin, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and IL-6 levels were examined. @*Results@#In our study, no relationship was found between anxiety and depression levels and inflammatory responses in patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19. Anxiety and depression levels of women were higher than men, and NLR, ferritin, IL-6 levels were found to be lower than men. Anxiety levels increase with age. There is a positive correlation between NLR and ferritin levels and duration of hospitalization. @*Conclusion@#Our study examining the relationship of psychiatric comorbidities with the inflammation response and our increasing literature knowledge, together with studies evaluating the mental effects of COVID-19, suggest that determining the relationship between inflammation responses and psychiatric comorbidities in COVID-19, whose pathophysiology has not been clarified yet, maybe an essential step in interventions on the course of the disease.

Apelin Levels In Isolated Coronary Artery Ectasia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The etiopathogenesis of coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is not known completely. In most of the cases, CAE is associated with atherosclerosis; however, isolated CAE has a nonatherosclerotic mechanism. The association between atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and apelin has been examined in previous studies. However, the role of plasma apelin in isolated coronary artery ectasia has not been studied. In this study, we investigated the relationship between plasma apelin levels and isolated coronary artery ectasia. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study population included a total of 54 patients. Twenty-six patients had isolated CAE (53.6+/-8.1 years); 28 patients with normal coronary arteries (51.6+/-8.8 years) and with similar risk factors and demographic characteristics served as the control group. Apelin levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunoassay kit. RESULTS: Apelin level in the CAE group was significantly lower (apelin=0.181+/-0.159 ng/mL) than that in the control group (apelin=0.646+/-0.578 ng/mL) (p=0.033). Glucose, creatinine, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, we showed that patients with isolated CAE have decreased plasma apelin levels compared with the control group. Based on the data, a relationship between plasma apelin and isolated CAE was determined.

Ostial Coronary Stenosis and Severe Aortic Stenosis in a Patient With Familial Hypercholesterolemia

No abstract available.

Gender differences in coronary heart disease in Turkey

To find out whether or not there are some gender differences according to prevalence and underlying risk factors of coronary heart disease [CHD]. The study was performed in the Internal Medicine Polyclinic on consecutive patients coming with any complaint at and above the age of 15 years between August 2005 and March 2007. Patients under 15 years of age are examined in Paediatrics Department. The study included 2860 cases. Prevalence of CHD was similar both in males and females [4.4% vs 3.8%, p > 0.05, respectively]. Mean age of CHD was 63.5 years in males and 61.5 years in females [p > 0.05]. Prevalence of smoking was higher in males with CHD [54.5% vs 9.6%, p < 0.001]. Females had a nonsignificantly higher mean body mass index [BMI] [28.3 vs 29.7 kg/ m2, p > 0.05]. Mean values of low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] and triglyceride [TG] were higher in females [115.6 vs 132.6 mg/dL, p = 0.008 and 150.1 vs 250.3 mg/dL, p = 0.002, respectively]. White coat hypertension [WCH] was nonsignificant [23.6% vs 30.6%, p > 0.05], but hypertension [HT] and diabetes mellitus [DM] were significantly higher in females [p<0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively]. On the other hand, coronary artery stenting [CAS] and/or coronary artery bypass graft [CABG] surgery was greater among males [21.8% vs 1.6%, p < 0.001]. CHD is probably seen with similar prevalences in both sexes in Turkey with some prominent differences in the underlying risk factors. Prevalence of smoking was higher in males, whereas mean values of the BMI, LDL-C, TG and prevalences of the WCH, HT, DM were higher in females. On the other hand, prevalence of CAS and/or CABG surgery was significantly higher in males

Effect of sickle cell diseases on height and weight

We tried to understand what are the effects of the sickle cell diseases [SCD] on metabolic parameters, especially the body weight and height in the study. The study was performed in the Hematology and Internal Medicine Polyclinics on SCDs and routine check up patients. The study included 122 patients with SCDs [58 females] and 176 control cases. Mean age of the SCDs cases was 28.6 years. When we compared the patients and control groups, mean body weight and body mass index [BMI] were significantly reduced in the SCDs cases [71.6 vs. 57.8 kg and 24.9 vs. 20.7 kg/m2, p= 0.000 for both], whereas the mean heights were similar in both groups [166.1 vs. 168.5 cm, respectively, p>0.05]. Similar to the decresed mean body weight and BMI, mean values of the low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly lower in the patients group [p= 0.000 for both], whereas the fasting plasma glucose and triglyceride values were unchanged between the groups [p>0.05]. Additionally, probably parallel to the reduced mean body weight and BMI, mean values of the alanine aminotransferase [34.9 vs. 56.7 U/L, p= 0.000] and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were also significantly lower in the patients group [113.3 vs. 118.8 and 72.3 vs. 83.6 mmHg, respectively, p<0.01 for both], all of which can be explained by definition of the metabolic syndrome. Although the body weight can significantly be reduced by SCDs, the body height may strongly be determined by heredity

Association of increased triglyceride levels in metabolic syndrome with coronary artery disease

We tried to understand significance of increased triglyceride [TG] values in metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease [CAD]. Check up cases with a TG value lower than 60 mg/dL were collected into the first, between 60 and 99 mg/dL into the second, between 100 and 149 mg/dL into the third, between 150 and 199 into the fourth, and 200 mg/dL and greater into the fifth groups. Study included 478 cases. Values of the mean age, weight, body mass index, TG, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] and prevalences of smoking, white coat hypertension [WCH], hypertension [HT], type 2 diabetes mellitus [DM], and CAD increased gradually and significantly nearly in all steps from the first towards the fifth groups. Metabolic syndrome may be a progression step between complete physical health and irreversible end points, such as obesity, type 2 DM, HT, CAD, and stroke. Hypertriglyceridemia and White Coat Hypertension [WCH] may be the most significant reversible parameters of the syndrome, and it is better to have the lowest TG value as much as possible. The most significant increase was seen after the value of 100 mg/dL. The overweight, smoking, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperbetalipoproteinemia, and WCH may only be one of hundreds of parameters of the syndrome. Therefore, it is advisable that underlying etiologies rather than revesible parameters of the syndrome should be targeted for treatment. For example, increased TG and LDL-C values, and prevalence of WCH by aging may be secondary to decreased physical and mental stresses in elderly

Body weight and white coat hypertension

To understand prognostic significance of white coat hypertension [WCH], and any its association with excess weight. We studied consecutive check up patients between the ages of 35 and 70 years to be able to see possible consequences of excess weight on health and to avoid debility induced weight loss in elderly people. The study included 721 cases [426 females]. Prevalences of normal weight, overweight, and obesity were detected as 19.0%, 43.3%, and 37.5%, respectively. There were gradual and significant increases in the prevalences of WCH and hypertension [HT] towards the overweight and obesity groups [p<0.001 for all]. So 73.7% of the obesity cases had either WCH or HT, and overall prevalence of WCH was 37.9%, which was nearly equal to the prevalence of obesity. When we compared the groups according to the prevalences of hyperbetalipoproteinemia, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus [DM], and coronary heart disease [CHD], gradual and significant increases towards the overweight and obesity groups were seen nearly in all steps. There is gradual increased prevalence of WCH in the overweight and obesity groups, parallel to gradually increased prevalences of hyperbetalipoproteinemia, dyslipidemia, HT, DM, and CHD. In addition nearly equal prevalence of WCH with obesity, and additional very low prevalence of sustained normotension in obesity group, WCH should be accepted as an alarming sign of excess weight and many associated disorders in future rather than just being a predisposing factor of HT and atherosclerosis alone. Its management should be focused on prevention of excess weight

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in a patient with brucella infection is highly responsive to combined plasma infusion and antimicrobial therapy

To report a case of brucella infection presenting with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura [TTP] that responded well to plasma and antimicrobial treatment infusion. Case Presentation and Intervention: A 51-year-old man with moderate confusion, depressed mood and dysar-thria was admitted. He was chronically ill, with fever [38.5 ° C], anemia, jaundice and petechial purpuric skin lesions. Neurological examination revealed diminished consciousness with a Glasgow coma scale score of 7 and+1 neck rigidity. The hemoglobin and platelet counts were decreased and reticulocyte index, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, as well as serum lactate dehydrogenase and renal dysfunction were elevated. TTP was a possible diagnosis and the patient responded well to plasma infusion and antimicrobial treatment. This report shows that therapy of under-lying infection together with plasma infusion may be a successful treatment option for brucellosis-induced TTP