The relationship between the use of nucleos(t)ide analogs and metabolic parameters in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVE: In the treatment of chronic hepatitis-B (CHB), although viral replication load is reduced with the use of nucleos(t)ide analogs, the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains. We aimed to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and CHB of nucleos(t)ide analogs, which are effective in mortality-morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In patients who applied to the gastroenterology outpatient clinic between 2021 and 2022, we compared inactive HBsAg-positive patients who did not receive treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs [entecavir (ETV), lamivudine (LAM), tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), tenofovir alafenamide (TAF)] and medical treatment. Demographic characteristics of the patients were recorded. Lipid profile, Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and HOMA-IR were recorded. The presence of hepatosteatosis was graded ultrasonographically. APRI, Forns Index, and FIB-4 score, which are indicators of non-invasive liver fibrosis, were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 265 patients, 55.5% (n=147) were males and 44.5% (n=118) were females. The ages of the participants ranged from 18 to 80, with a mean age of 46.54±14.03. It was observed that 62.3% (n=165) of the cases received medical treatment. When the drugs used by those receiving medical treatment were examined, 70.3% (n=116) TDF, 6.1% (n=10) TAF, 3% (n=5) LAM, and 20.6% (n=34) ETV, LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol measurement values of those who received medical treatment were lower, while HOMA-IR values were higher compared to those who did not receive the medical treatment. While the HbA1c value of the patients using ETV was found to be high, the liver stiffness indicator scores of those using TDF were found to be significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, in patients with CHB, it has been shown that medical treatment also affects MetS parameters.

Galectin-1 as a potential diagnostic biomarker in polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at comparing the routine laboratory parameters and Galectin-1 levels of control and polycystic ovarian syndrome patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 88 patients diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and 88 healthy controls were considered for the study. Age groups of the patients ranged from 18 to 40. Serum TSH, Beta HCG, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, Hb1A1c, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL FSH, LH, E2, prolactin, testosterone, SHBG, DHESO4, HDL, Gal-1 levels were analyzed for each subject. RESULTS: FSH, LH, LH/FSH, E2, prolactin, testosterone, SHBG, DHESO4, HDL and Gal-1 values of the subjects included in the study were statistically significantly different between the groups (p<0.05). Gal-1 and DHESO4 showed a strong positive connection (p=0.05). The sensitivity of Gal-1 level in PCOS patients was calculated as 0.997 and specificity as 0.716. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of Gal-1 in PCOS patients suggest that it increases due to overexpression in response to inflammation.

Is the use of Tenofovir Dipivoxil fumarate effective and safe in preventing vertical transmission in pregnant women with chronic HBV with high viral load?

OBJECTIVE: In our country, transmission from mother to baby is the most common form of transmission of viral hepatitis B. A high viral load in the mother and HBeAg positivity pose the greatest risk of transmission from mother to baby. The best way to prevent this is to try to eliminate the viral load in the mother by using a strong antiviral such as prenatal TDF in mothers with a high viral load during pregnancy. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TDF in pregnant women with high viral load. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy patients with hepatitis B e-antigen positive and negative were included in the retrospective study conducted in our clinic. In 35 cases, pregnant women with HBeAg (+) positive chronic HBV and HBV-DNA levels of 107 copies/mL were between 18 and 27 weeks of pregnancy. The pregnant women took 300 mg of TDF per day. There were 35 untreated HBeAg-negative, chronic HBV patients in the control group. Babies born to HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative mothers are given an initial dose of 200 IU of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) and 20 g of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in the first 12 hours after birth, followed by 4, 8, and 24 weeks. HBsAg and HBV-DNA findings were examined in newborn serum 28 weeks after birth. RESULTS: Postpartum 28 weeks, none of the babies born to HBeAg-positive mothers treated with TDF had HBsAg positivity, while 3.5% of babies born to HBeAg-negative mothers and not treated with TDF had HBsAg positivity and immunoprophylaxis failure. There was no statistically significant difference between the treatment and control groups regarding maternal height, weight, gestational age, or congenital malformations (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the side effects seen in mothers. In the examination performed at the 28th week postpartum, a statistically significant decrease in HBV-DNA levels was observed in mothers who received TDF treatment compared to those who did not (88.5%) (p<0.05). In 31 of the 35 patients receiving TDF treatment, ALT was reported to be normalized in 25 of the 35 patients who did not receive TDF treatment (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It has been observed that the use of TDF, which has a strong efficacy and high barrier, in the second and/or third trimester of pregnancy reduces transmission rates without causing side effects in both the mother and the newborn, thereby preventing vertical transmission of viral hepatitis B from the mother to child.

Endoscopic treatment of biliary complications after duct-to-duct biliary anastomosis in pediatric liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Studies reporting outcomes of endoscopic treatment methods in children who underwent liver transplantation (LT) is very limited. We present our outcomes, as a high-volume transplant center where endoscopic methods are preferred as the first choice in the treatment of biliary complications in children. METHODS: Patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as the first treatment approach for biliary complications after LT between 2005 and 2017 were included. Clinical data included patient demographics, ERCP indications (stricture or leak), and treatment outcomes, including the need for percutaneous and surgical intervention. RESULTS: ERCP was performed in 49 patients who had a duct-to-duct anastomosis (38 living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), 11 deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT)). The most common biliary complication was stricture. Our endoscopic success rate was 66.7% (18/27) and 75% (6/8) in LDLT and DDLT patients with stricture (p > 0.05), respectively. While our endoscopic success rate was 75% (3/4) in patients with leak alone after LDLT, it was 25% (1/4) in patients with leak and stricture in this group. The endoscopic success rate was 50% in two patients who had leak alone after DDLT. CONCLUSIONS: ERCP should be considered as a preferential treatment option for the management of biliary complications in pediatric liver transplant patients with duct-to-duct anastomosis, as in adults.

Endoscopic treatment of biliary complications after living donor liver transplantation in a high volume transplant center in Turkey; a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Biliary complications are an important cause of mortality and morbidity after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We present our endoscopic treatment results after LDLT as a single center with high volume. METHODS: Patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) after LDLT between 2005 and 2015 were included. Clinical data included patient demographics, ERCP indications (stricture or leak), and treatment outcomes, including need for percutaneous and surgical interventions. RESULTS: ERCP was performed in 446 (39.2%) patients with duct-to-duct anastomosis of 1136 LDLT patients. The most common biliary complication was stricture ± stone (70.6%, 315/446). Stricture and leak occurred in 60 (13.4%) patients. Only biliary leak was found in 40 (8.9%) patients. Our endoscopic treatment success rate in patients with biliary stricture after LDLT was 65.1%. Overall endoscopic success rates in our patients were 55.0% in patients with both leak and stricture, and only leak. In all, our percutaneous transhepatic biliary interventions (PTBI) and ERCP success rate was 90.6% in patients with biliary complications after LDLT. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic treatments are highly effective for biliary complications after LDLT. Effective use of percutaneous interventions in collaboration with endoscopic treatments significantly reduces the need for surgical treatment.

Acrylamide applied during pregnancy causes the neurotoxic effect by lowering BDNF levels in the fetal brain.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to elucidate the possible mechanism of neurotoxic effect of acrylamide (AA) applied during pregnancy on fetal brain development and to show the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on AA toxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four groups were formed with 9 pregnant rats each as control (C), acrylamide (AA), N-acetylcysteine (NAC), acrylamide plus N-acetylcysteine (AA plus NAC) groups. Caesarian section was implemented on the 20th day of pregnancy. Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were analyzed and histopathologic examinations were performed in brain tissues of the fetuses. RESULTS: Our data indicated that AA caused necrotic death and hemorrhagic damages in fetal brain tissue with decreasing BNDF levels and increasing oxidative stress. N-acetylcysteine prevented the toxic effects of its on fetal brain (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study indicated that acrylamide has toxic effects in the fetal brain and N-acetylcysteine prevents its toxic effect.

Familial alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency cases that are diagnosed in adulthood.

Alpha 1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a hereditary disorder leading to severe lung and liver diseases worldwide. An accumulation of insoluble heterodimer AAT molecules in hepatocytes is the main cause of liver disorders. The most commonly detected allele worldwide is the PIMM allele, which fulfills the AAT function. The most common missing variant is PiZZ. Serum AAT level is a beneficial but not a reliable determinant for diagnosis. Liver biopsy yields more reliable results. AAT deficiency has no specific treatment. The only treatment modality in children with end stage liver disease is the hepatic transplant. We wanted to present in our article four cases from same family, diagnosed alpha-1 antitrypsindeficiency in adulthood.

Hesperidin attenuates oxidative and neuronal damage caused by global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in a C57BL/J6 mouse model.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of hesperidin (HP) on neuronal damage in brain tissue caused by global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in C57BL/J6 mice. For this purpose, a total of 40 mice were divided equally into four groups: (1) sham-operated (SH), (2) global cerebral I/R, (3) HP, and (4) HP+I/R. The SH group was used as a control. In the I/R group, the bilateral carotid arteries were clipped for 15 min, and the mice were treated with vehicle for 10 days. In the HP group, mice were administered HP (100 mg/kg) for 10 days without carotid occlusion. In the HP+I/R group, the I/R model was applied to the mice exactly as in the I/R group, and they were then treated with 100 mg/kg HP for 10 days. Cerebral I/R significantly induced oxidative stress via an increase in lipid peroxidation and a decrease in the components of the antioxidant defense system. Furthermore, cerebral I/R increased the incidence of histopathological damage and apoptosis in brain tissue. HP treatment significantly reversed the oxidative effects of I/R and inhibited the development of neurodegenerative histopathology. Therefore, the current study demonstrates that HP treatment effectively prevents oxidative and histological damage in the brain caused by global I/R. In this context, the beneficial effects of HP are likely a result of its strong antioxidant and free radical-scavenging properties. HP may be an useful treatment to attenuate the negative effects of global cerebral I/R.

Biliary complications in 106 consecutive duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction in right-lobe living donor liver transplantation performed in 1 year in a single center: a new surgical technique.

OBJECTIVE: Biliary complications remain a major source of morbidity after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Of 109 consecutive right lobe (RL)-LDLTs performed in 1 year in our institution, we present the biliary complications among 106 patients who underwent a new duct-to-duct anastomosis technique known as University of Inonu. METHODS: Of 153 liver transplantations performed in 1 year from January to December of 2008, 128 were LDLTs including 109 RL-LDLTs. The others were left or left lateral grafts. All RL-LDLT patients were adults, all of whom except three included a duct-to-duct anastomosis. RESULTS: All, but three, biliary reconstructions were completed with a surgical technique, so called UI, in which 6-0 prolene sutures were used. Nine bile leaks were seen in 106 recipients (8.49%) performed in a duct-to-duct fashion in a time period of 1 to 4 weeks. Seventeen patients (16.03%) posed bile duct stricture (BDS). Five patients had both. Although endoscopic stent placement and percutaneous balloon dilatation, 4 patients continued to suffer from BDS on whom a permanent access hepatico-jejunostomy (PAHJ) procedures were performed. CONCLUSION: We recommend a duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction because of its de facto advantages over other types of anastomosis provided the native duct is not diseased. After almost 2 years, the bile tract complication rate was 22.64%.

The effects of Teucrium polium on ionizing radiation-induced intestinal damage in rats.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Oxidative stress plays an important role in development of intestinal injury after abdomino-pelvic radiation therapy. Teucrium polium (TP) is a medicinal plant which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TP on radiation-induced intestinal oxidative damage in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Group 1 (n = 8), the control group; Group 2 (n = 8), the RAD (radiation) group in which each rat received a single whole-body 800 cGy radiation performed with a LINAC ; Group 3 (n = 8), the RAD + TP group in which rats were exposed to radiation as in Group 2, followed by intragastric administration of 0.5 g/kg/daily TP extract for 7 consecutive days; and Group 4 (n = 8), the TP group, rats received only intragastric TP for 7 days. RESULTS: Radiation led to intestinal damage, which was accompanied by an increase in intestinal thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels, and a decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) levels. Although TP significantly decreased intestinal MPO levels and inflammation scores, it neither reverted intestinal TBARS and GSH levels nor ameliorated other histological parameters of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that TP reduces inflammation but does not ameliorate the increased oxidative stress conditions in radiation-induced intestinal damage in rats.

Melatonin ameliorates cerebral vasospasm after experimental subarachnoidal haemorrhage correcting imbalance of nitric oxide levels in rats.

In the present study, we investigated the in vivo effects of melatonin on SAH-induced cerebral vasospasm and oxidative stress, resulting from SAH in an experimental rat model. Twenty-eight rats (225-250 g) were divided into four groups equally: group 1; control, group 2; SAH, group 3; SAH plus placebo, and group 4; SAH plus melatonin. We used double haemorrhage method for SAH groups. Beginning 6 h after SAH, 20 mg/kg melatonin or equal volume of 0.9% saline was administered intraperitoneally twice daily for 5 days to groups 3 and 4, respectively. Melatonin or 0.9% saline injections were continued up to fifth day after SAH and rats were sacrificed at the end of this period. Brain sections at the level of the pons were examined by light microscopy. The lumen diameter and the vessel wall thickness of basilar artery were measured using a micrometer. The serum levels of cerebral vasodilator nitric oxide (NO), the brain levels of an intrinsic antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) and a NO regulator arginase activities were measured. The brain levels of inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) and nitrotyrosine, a nitrosative stress parameter immunohistochemiacally determined. In conclusion, melatonin administration ameliorated cerebral vasospasm by increasing serum NO level and decreasing the brain the levels of arginase and oxidative stress. It is therefore possible that increased brain arginase activity after SAH may also have a significant role in the pathogenesis of vasospasm by limiting the availability of arginine for NO production.

Severe hepatitis with prolonged cholestasis and bile duct injury due the long-term use of ornidazole.

Nitroimidazole derivatives are commonly used in the treatment of protozoal and anaerobic infections, and reports of their hepatotoxicity are rare. We report a case of severe hepatitis due to the long-term (8 weeks) use of ornidazole. A 27-year-old woman presented for evaluation of elevated serum transaminase and total bilirubin levels. Liver biopsy revealed portal inflammation, hepatocellular and canalicular cholestasis, porto-portal and portocentral bridging fibrosis, and a tendency to form nodules. No aetiological factors associated with chronic liver disease were identified. The abdominal ultrasonographic findings were compatible with chronic liver disease. We therefore made the diagnosis of severe hepatitis resulting from the long-term use of ornidazole. We conclude that nitroimidazole derivatives may lead to serious liver damage, especially in female patients.

Epicardial adipose tissue, hepatic steatosis and obesity.

OBJECTIVE: Hepatic steatosis is a common companion of obesity. Moreover, the measurement of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been reported to be related with both obesity and insulin resistance. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between hepatic steatosis, EAT and insulin resistance in obese patients. METHODS: Sixty-three obese subjects were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to body mass index (BMI) as follows: 20 patients with 30 < or = BMI < 35 kg/m2 (Group 1, mean age 39.3+/-12.9 yr), 25 patients with 35 < or = BMI < 40 kg/m2 (Group 2, mean age 41.7+/-9.3 yr), and 18 patients with BMI > or = 40 kg/m2 (Group 3, mean age 36.8+/-13.9 yr). EAT and grade of hepatic steatosis were assessed sonographically. Anthropometrical measurements were assessed with the foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis. Insulin resistance was assessed according to basal insulin, quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) equations. RESULTS: Although EAT was similarly higher in both groups 2 and 3, these groups were found to be similar in terms of the grade of hepatic steatosis. Both EAT and the grade of hepatic steatosis were correlated with whole body fat mass, abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance, and triglyceridemia but waist circumference was the only factor affecting EAT thickness. Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) was the only metabolic parameter that was significantly higher in Group 3 than in Group 1 (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Hepatic steatosis should be assessed as a valuable predictor that reflects the increments of whole body fat mass as well as abdominal adiposity. However, in an attempt to demonstrate marginal differences between patients with similar obesity levels, epicardial adipose tissue appears to be a more sensitive marker compared to hepatic steatosis.

The effects of Gingko biloba, vitamin E and melatonin on bacterial translocation in thioacetamide-induced fulminant hepatic failure in rats.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Bacterial translocation (BT) has been implicated in the development of infectious complications in many serious clinical conditions such as fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). We aimed to investigate the effects of Gingko biloba (GB), vitamin E (Vit E) and melatonin on intestinal oxidative damage and BT in thioacetamide (TAA)-induced FHF in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 42 rats were divided into five groups. Group 1 (n = 8) was the control group. Group 2 (n = 10) was the TAA group, in which rats received 350 mg/kg TAA daily by the intraperitoneal (ip) route for 3 days. Oral 100 mg/kg GB per day was administered to group 3 (n = 8), oral 200 mg/kg Vit E per day to group 4 (n = 8) and ip 3 mg/kg melatonin per day to group 5 (n = 8) 48 h prior to the first TAA injection and was continued for 5 consecutive days. RESULTS: When compared with the control group, serious hepatic and intestinal oxidative damage, increased Escherichia coli counts in ileal aspirates and high BT frequencies were observed in the TAA group (all p < 0.0001). Only GB treatment attenuated hepatic oxidative damage (p < 0.0001). There was no difference in intestinal oxidative damage, E. coli counts in ileal aspirates and BT frequency between TAA and the other antioxidant treatment groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that intestinal oxidative damage plays a major role in the development of BT by disrupting the barrier function of intestinal mucosa.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) attenuates cerebral vasospasm after experimental subarachnoidal haemorrhage by increasing brain nitric oxide levels.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral vasospasm, a medical complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, even after the aneurysm has been secured surgically or endovascularly. Evidence accumulated during the last decade suggest that scavenging a vasodilator, nitric oxide (NO), by superoxide anions (O(2)(-)), and activating a strong vasoconstructor, protein kinase C (PKC), are the two most important mechanisms in the pathogenesis of vasospasm. Our aim in this study was to determine whether caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a non-toxic oxygen free radical scavenger, prevents vasospasm in an experimental rat model of SAH. METHODS: Twenty eight rats (225-250 g) were divided into four groups equally: group 1, control group; group 2, SAH group; group 3, SAH plus placebo group; and group 4, SAH plus CAPE group. We used double haemorrhage method for SAH groups. Starting 6h after SAH, 10 micromol/kg CAPE or an equal volume of 0.9% saline were administered by intraperitoneal injection twice daily for 5 days to SAH plus CAPE and SAH plus placebo groups, respectively. CAPE or 0.9% saline injections were continued up to 5th day after SAH. Rats were sacrificed on the 5th day. Brain sections at the level of the pons were examined by light microscopy. Measurements were made for the cross-sectional areas of the lumen and the vessel wall (intimae plus media) of basilar artery by a micrometer. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and nitric oxide (NO) were measured in rat brain tissue. RESULTS: Administration of CAPE significantly attenuated the vasoconstriction of the basilar artery. There were marked narrowing in the lumens of and thickening in the walls of basilar arteries in the SAH, and the SAH plus placebo compared with CAPE group (p < 0.001). We also observed that CAPE administration significantly decreased the tissue level of MDA, while significantly increased the tissue levels of GSH, NO in the SAH plus CAPE group compared to only SAH group, p < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that CAPE is effective in attenuating delayed cerebral vasoconstriction following experimental SAH. Our findings also suggest that the elevation of lipid peroxidation and reduction of NO bioavailability, resulting from the generation and the interaction of free radicals, have a significant role in the pathogenesis of vasospasm after SAH.

Protective effects of Gingko biloba on thioacetamide-induced fulminant hepatic failure in rats.

Gingko biloba (GB) has antioxidant and platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonistic effects. We investigated the protective effects of GB on thioacetamide (TAA)-induced fulminant hepatic failure in rats. Fulminant hepatic failure was induced in treatment groups by three intraperitoneal (ip) injections of TAA (350 mg/kg) at 24-hour intervals. Treatments with GB (100 mg/kg per day, orally) and N-acetylcysteine (20 mg/kg twice daily, sc) were initiated 48 hours prior to TAA administration. The liver was removed for histopathological examinations. Serum and liver thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) levels were measured for assessment of oxidative stress. Liver necrosis and inflammation scores and serum and liver TBARS levels were significantly higher in the TAA group compared to the control group (P < 0.001, < 0.001, 0.001, < 0.001, respectively). Liver necrosis and inflammation scores and liver TBARS levels were significantly lower in the GB group compared to the TAA group (P < 0.001, < 0.001 and 0.01, respectively). GB ameliorated hepatic damage in TAA-induced fulminant hepatic failure. This may be due to the free radical-scavenging effects of GB.

Disseminated Cryptococcus neoformans in a cirrhotic patient.

Disseminated cryptococcal infection often occurs in the setting of an immuncompromised patient. We report a case of disseminated Cryptococcus neoformans in a cirrhotic patient, referred for Orthotopic Liver Transplantation evaluation due to acute hepatic decompensation.

Erdosteine ameliorates PTZ-induced oxidative stress in mice seizure model.

The role of oxygen-derived free radicals has been suggested in genesis of epilepsy and in the post seizure neuronal death. The aim of this study was to investigate whether erdosteine has a preventive effect against epilepsy and postepileptic oxidative stress. The mice (n=27) were divided into three groups: (i) PTZ-induced-epilepsy group (n=9); (ii) PTZ-induced-epilepsy+erdosteine group (n=9); (iii) control group (n=9). The animals were observed for a period of 30 min for latency to first seizure onset, total seizure duration, the number of seizure episodes. Then they were sacrificed and the brains were quickly removed, and frozen for biochemical analysis. Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activities were carried out in the brain tissue. The latent period between PTZ induction and seizure are longer in the PTZ+erdosteine group than in PTZ-induced-epilepsy group (P<0.05). Biochemical analyses of brain tissue, revealed a significant increase in the MDA, XO and NO levels in the PTZ group according to erdosteine group. SOD level did not change in this group. While MDA and XO levels are significantly lower, SOD level is significantly higher in the PTZ+erdosteine group compared to PTZ and control groups (P<0.01). The present study demonstrated that erdosteine treatment both may increase latent interval between seizures and may decrease oxidative stress, thus may ameliorate neuronal death in brain during seizures. It may be used as an adjunct therapy in epilepsy.

Hepatitis B virus genotype D prevails in patients with persistently elevated or normal ALT levels in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: The clinical relevance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes are poorly understood and it is unclear if the prevalence of HBV genotypes differs with the various clinical features of HBV carriers. The aim of our study was to examine the prevalence of the HBV genotype in a group of patients with chronic hepatitis B, compared to a group with chronic inactive hepatitos B surface antigen (HbsAg) carriers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: HBV genotypes were determined in 32 patients with chronic hepatitis B and in 12 chronic inactive HBsAg carriers. 35 males and nine females with a mean age of 33.95 +/- 13.04 were studied. Serum samples were examined for the presence of HBV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Samples negative in first round PCR were further amplified with nested PCR. The PCR product was sequenced with the Cy5/5.5 dye primer kit on a Long Read Tower automated DNA sequencer. RESULTS: HBV DNA was detectable in 29 (66%) and 44 (100%) patients by the PCR with universal primers and nested-PCR, respectively. All patients were found to be infected with HBV genotype D. Genotype D was the only detected type found in different clinical forms of chronic HBV infection, in all hepatitis B e antigen (HbeAg)-positive and negative patients, in all patients who had elevated or normal alanine transaminase (ALT) levels and in all ages. CONCLUSION: In the present study we could not find any association between genotype D and distinct clinical phenotypes. Genotype D is the predominant type among hepatitis B carriers residing in our region and is not associated with more severe liver diseases. This genotype did not influence clinical manifestations in carriers with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. However, additional large-scale longitudinal studies are needed to find the relationship of HBV genotypes to liver disease severity and clinical outcomes.

A liver transplant center experience with liver dialysis in the management of patients with fulminant hepatic failure: a preliminary report.

Among extracorporeal liver support devices, liver dialysis is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be used for the management of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). The outcomes of patients following liver dialysis need to be clearly evaluated. Among the 25 patients with FHF admitted to the Liver ICU between May 2000 and November 2002, 12 underwent liver dialysis, including 6 men and 6 women, of mean age 32 years. The causes of FHF were identified as acetaminophen (n = 10), herbal medications (n = 1) and autoimmune disease (n = 1). At presentation, the mean total bilirubin was 9.35 mg/dL (range, 0 to 1.3), mean ALT 3015 U/L (range, 0 to 48), mean AST 3457 (range, 0 to 42), mean ammonia 98 micromol/L (range, 10 to 60) and mean INR 1.88. A control group including 13 patients (2 men and 11 women), of mean age 27.8 years mean total bilirubin 5.66, mean ALT 3494, mean AST 3528, mean ammonia 113 and mean INR 3, were not treated with liver dialysis, due to the lack of machine availability or physician's choice. The causes of FHF were acute hepatitis B (n = 1), acetaminophen (n = 10) or unknown (n = 2). There was no statistically significant difference in the baseline characteristics of the two groups (P >.05). Among the liver dialysis group, 1 patient died, 2 underwent OLTx, and 9 were discharged home. Among the control group; 4 patients died, 2 underwent OLTx, and 7 were discharged home. Preliminary results seem to support survival benefit among patients who underwent liver dialysis compared to non-liver dialysis; however, further randomized control trials are warranted to verify this observation.