Factors Affecting the Quality of Life of Hospitalized Persons with Chronic Foot and Lower Leg Wounds.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors affecting the quality of life of patients with chronic wounds. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a university hospital wound care unit in western Turkey with 134 patients. The data were collected via personal information form, Barthel Index for activities of daily living, visual analog scale, and Short Form-12 questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 60.4 ± 10.7 years; 79.9% of the research group had diabetic foot wounds, and 56.7% had wounds on their right/left big toe. The mean duration of wounds was 9.4 ± 11.4 months, and 68.7% had previously been hospitalized because of wounds. The average visual analog scale pain level was 3.5 ± 2.5, and 45.5% of the patients were PEDIS (perfusion, extent, depth, infection, and sensation) classification grade II. A positive correlation was detected between Short Form-12 physical summary score and activities of daily living score. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with chronic wounds have a poor quality of life. Patient quality of life decreases as pain and PEDIS score increase and increases with their level of independence.

The investigation of T-cell receptor subtypes in ovarian cancer: effects on survival and prognostic factors.

The aim of this study was to investigate T-cell receptor (TCR) changes in ovarian carcinoma (OC). The study included 24 malignant and 23 benign adnexal masses. DNA was isolated from ovarian samples. Multiplex PCR was used to determine T-cell gene clonality. PCR products were loaded onto polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and imaged. The relationship between prognostic parameters and T-cell rearrangement was evaluated. In the study group (SG), TCRB-B positivity was higher than control group (CG) and TCRD receptor positivity was higher in CG. In SG, TCRG-B levels were higher in patients with stage I-II tumours compared to stage III. TCRG-B receptor was higher in patients with overall survival of 36 months and above. In our study, subgroups of TCRs were analysed in OC. According to our findings, significant differences in TCRB-B and TCRD subgroups may be applied to immune therapies. Understanding of TCR pathways will provide new treatment approaches in OC.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Ovarian cancer is the most challenging kind of gynaecologic cancer. Although the main route of spread is direct invasion and peritoneal spread in the abdominal cavity, lymphatic invasion is also very important. Recent studies put forward that immunological mechanisms play crucial role in ovarian cancer. CD3 and CD8 positive lymphocyte infiltration in ovarian tumour is related with better prognosis where, FoxP3 positive lymphocyte infiltration is a predictor of poor survival. Also, immune checkpoints and inhibitors are important topics in ovarian cancer.What the results of this study add? Despite all the improvements and studies regarding immune system and ovarian cancer, the role T-cell receptor (TCR) subtypes is not clear and there are very few number of studies in this area. This is one of the first studies that describe the rearrangement of TCR subtypes between normal ovarian tissue and ovarian cancer tissue.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Understanding the role of TCR subtypes has a key role because studies about lymphocyte infiltration in ovarian cancer varies from region to region in the world and same type of lymphocytes has different effects in different studies. Further studies on TCR subtypes may elucidate us about the behaviour of lymphocytes. Additionally, these receptor may be targeted if their roles are better understood.

The Effect of Noise in the Intensive Care Unit on the Oxidative Stress Response in Rats.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of noise in the intensive care unit (ICU) on oxidative stress in a rat model. METHOD: This study had both a descriptive and a randomized controlled experimental stage. In the descriptive stage, to create a laboratory model of noise in the ICU, the noise level was measured for 24 hr on a randomly selected day in a surgical ICU, and voice recording was performed using a sound recording device. In the experimental stage, 30 male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: a control group and groups exposed to the recording of the noise from the ICU for 24, 48, 72, and 168 hr. RESULTS: The noise level in the ICU was higher than the levels recommended for hospitals. Plasma corticosterone levels of the rats in the group exposed to the ICU noise for 168 hr were significantly higher than those of the control group. Plasma total protein values were significantly reduced in the rats exposed to 48, 72, and 168 hr of ICU noise compared to those of the control group. Superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased and malondialdehyde levels significantly increased in serum, spleen, and brain tissues as the duration of noise exposure increased. CONCLUSION: Findings reveal that rats experienced increasing levels of stress and oxidative stress as time exposed to the ICU noise increased. These results suggest that interventions to reduce noise in the ICU may be warranted.

Do tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes really indicate favorable prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of lymphocyte infiltration on prognostic parameters, recurrence and survival in ovarian cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty-two patients who were primarily operated for epithelial ovarian carcinoma between 1997 and 2008 were included. CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20 and FoxP3 expressions were evaluated immunohistochemically on sections obtained from paraffin-embedded tissues. RESULTS: Median follow up was 87 months. In whole cohort, CD3+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltrations were significantly higher in patients with high-grade tumors, advanced stage tumors and the patients with omental metastasis (for CD3 p=0.0001, p=0.029, p=0.016; for CD8 p=0.044, p=0.002, p=0.046, respectively). DFS was significantly lower among patients with CD8+ T lymphocytes with regard to patients who did not have CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration (p=0.028). In univariate analysis, presence of CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocyte infiltration (p=0.03), stage (0.0001), tumor grade (p=0.007), omental metastasis (p=0.0001) and lymph node metastasis (p=0.0001) were significant risk factors for recurrence. But in multivariate analysis, only stage [HR: 116.6 (95% CI: 13.09-1039.45) (p=0.0001)] was found as an independent risk factor for recurrence. CONCLUSION: CD3+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltrations were related with advanced stage, high-grade tumor and the omental metastasis in ovarian cancer. DFS was significantly shorter in patients with CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration. CD3+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltrations were related with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A gene polymorphism in pregnant women with preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction.

Preeclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are still among the most commonly researched titles in perinatology. To shed light on their etiology, new prevention and treatment strategies are the major targets of studies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relation between gene polymorphism of one of the products of trophoblasts, pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and PE/IUGR.A total of 147 women (IUGR, n = 61; PE, n = 47; IUGR + PE, n = 37; eclampsia, n = 2) were compared with 103 controls with respect to the sequencing of exon 14 of the PAPP-A gene to detect (rs7020782) polymorphism. Genotypes "AA" and "CC" were given in the event of A or C allele homozygosity and "AC" in A and C allele heterozygosity. Our findings revealed that the rate of AA, CC homozygotes, and AC heterozygotes did not differ between groups. Moreover, there was no difference in the distribution of PAPP-A genotypes among the patients with IUGR, PE, IUGR + PE, or eclampsia. Finally, birth weight, rate of the presence of proteinuria, and total protein excretion on 24-hour urine were similar in the subgroups of AA, AC, and CC genotypes in the study group. Our study demonstrated no association between PAPP-A gene rs7020782 polymorphism and PE/IUGR.

Effects of everolimus as an antiproliferative agent on regression of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis in a rat model.

The most serious complication of peritoneal dialysis is encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS). The prolonged inflammatory stimuli, fibrogenic cytokine overexpression, and angiogenesis that underlie EPS ultimately result in increased production of fibrous tissue, encapsulating the bowel loops. In recent years, inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) as an alternative agent for calcineurin inhibitor toxicity have been widely used in organ transplantation. These agents have also been used since the 1990s in endovascular medicine for drug-eluting stents because of antiproliferative effects on vascular smooth muscle cells and potent anti-inflammatory properties by direct action on human immune cells. Because of the shared characteristics of EPS and other fibrotic processes, we hypothesized that everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor can reverse the process responsible for the eventual development of EPS. We allocated 32 non-uremic albino Wistar rats to 4 groups: control group, 2 mL isotonic saline injected intraperitoneally (IP) daily for 3 weeks; CG group, 2 mL/200 g (0.1%) chlorhexidine gluconate (CG) injected IP daily and ethanol (15%) dissolved in saline, for 3 weeks; resting group, CG (weeks 0 - 3), plus peritoneal rest (weeks 3 - 6); and Evo-R, CG (weeks 0 - 3), plus 0.3 mg/L everolimus in drinking water (weeks 3 - 6). At the end of the study, we performed a 1-hour peritoneal equilibration test with 25 mL 3.86% PD solution, and examined the dialysate-to-plasma ratio of urea (D/P urea), dialysate white blood cell count, ultrafiltration (UF) volume, and morphologic change in the parietal peritoneum. Exposure to CG for 3 weeks resulted in alterations in peritoneal transport (increased D/P urea, decreased UF volume, p < 0.05) and morphology (increased inflammation, neovascularization, fibrosis, and peritoneal thickness, p < 0.05). Peritoneal rest has some beneficial effect only on UF failure and dialysate cell count (p < 0.05). However; everolimus was more effective than peritoneal rest with regard to vascularity and peritoneal thickness (p < 0.05). Everolimus has beneficial effects on UF failure, inflammation, and fibrosis. Everolimus may have therapeutic value in the management of EPS.