The Serum Levels of Resistin and Its Relationship with Other Proinflammatory Cytokines in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to analyze the levels of resistin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and also investigate a potential relationship between resistin levels and TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and CRP levels in patients with AD. METHODS: The study included fifty patients with AD and 30 healthy controls with normal cognitive functions. The serum resistin, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and CRP levels were assessed. We performed a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to evaluate the general cognitive performance. RESULTS: The mean serum resistin, IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in patients with AD compared with the controls (p=0.026, p=0.002, p=0.003, and p=0.038, respectively). The IL-6 and CRP levels did not differ between the groups (p=0.874 and p=0.941). The resistin levels were positively correlated with the levels of CRP and IL-18 (r=0.526, p0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Serum resistin levels were significantly increased and correlated with some inflammatory markers in AD patients, suggesting that resistin might play a role in the inflammatory process of AD.

Translation and validation of the Turkish version of the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire / 대한치과교정학회지

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to translate the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) into Turkish, validate the questionnaire, and provide a cross-cultural adaptation. METHODS: The translation process included the following steps, which were performed by a translation committee: (1) translation into Turkish, (2) back translation into English, (3) pretesting, and (4) cross-cultural adaptation. The Turkish version of the PIDAQ was produced subsequent to the translation process. Validity and reliability were measured using the Perception of Occlusion Scale and the aesthetic component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. The questionnaire was administered to 260 individuals (age range, 18-30 years; mean age, 20.50 ± 1.9 years). Structural validity was assessed via factor analysis, and internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. RESULTS: Factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure, with factor loadings for included items ranging from 0.380 to 0.868. Few questions were shuffled among domains various factor loadings. Cronbach's alphas for the Turkish version of the PIDAQ ranged from 0.534 to 0.904. Mean scores for the PIDAQ subscale and total scores differed significantly according to Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need and Perception of Occlusion Scale scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a Turkish version of the PIDAQ, which could be a useful tool in the evaluation of the psychosocial impact of malocclusion in young Turkish adults.