Color Doppler imaging of the orbital vessels in Behçet's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate blood flow velocity changes, pulsatility and resistivity index values of orbital vessels in Behçet's disease with or without ocular involvement (groups I and II) and healthy volunteers (group III). METHODS: Twenty-five eyes in the first group, 24 eyes in the second group and 24 eyes in the third group were examined by using color Doppler imaging. Peak systolic and end-diastolic blood flow velocity measurements, pulsatility and resistivity index values were measured in ophthalmic, central retinal, nasal and temporal ciliary arteries and the central retinal vein. RESULTS: The end-diastolic blood flow velocity measurements in all arteries were significantly higher in groups II and III than in group I, but resistivity and pulsatility indexes of all arteries were higher in group I than the other two groups. There was no significant difference in blood flow velocity of the central retinal vein in the three groups. CONCLUSION: Detection of increased vascular resistance of orbital vessels may predict the diagnosis of ocular involvement in Behçet's disease.

Serum prolactin levels in Behçet's disease.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of serum prolactin levels in Behçet's disease patients in Turkey. METHODS: Serum prolactin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 17 patients with ocular findings, and 20 patients without ocular findings of Behçet's disease, and in 17 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: The average prolactin levels were measured as 9.53 ng/mL in patients with ocular findings, 8.84 ng/mL in patients without ocular findings, and 9.59 ng/mL in healthy controls. There was no statistical significance among these three groups. Also, the average levels were 9.84 ng/mL in remission periods and 7.54 ng/mL in attacks. CONCLUSIONS: In some studies, it has been suggested there is a correlation between high serum prolactin levels and activation of some autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. However, we found no such correlation in Behçet's disease. On the contrary, prolactin levels were lower in attacks than in remissions.

The effect of hydroxyurea on rabbit subconjunctival fibroblast culture and use of hydroxyurea in rabbits after glaucoma filtration surgery.

In an in vitro study, rabbit subconjunctival fibroblasts were cultured and the effects of an antineoplastic drug, hydroxyurea (HU), on fibroblast proliferation and fibroblast attachment was investigated. The effects of HU were compared with those of mitomycin C (MMC). Different concentrations of HU and MMC were added to culture medium. The HU doses which led to 50% of inhibition (ID(50)) and the dose which led to about 90% of inhibition (subtoxic high dose, STHD) were determined to be 8 and 1,000 microg/ml, respectively. ID(50) of MMC and its STHD which led to about 100% inhibition were found to be 0.01 and 1 microg/ml, respectively. Reversibility studies revealed that inhibition disappeared depending on the dose and incubation period of both HU and MMC. In an in vivo study, glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS) was performed in rabbits which were treated with HU (treatment group) and distilled water (control group). Tissue samples were taken from the subconjunctival area treated at 1 h, 1 day, 5 days and 30 days postoperatively. The biopsy specimens were then placed in tissue culture media. Fibroblast outgrowth rates detected in the HU group were found to be significantly lower than those in the control group in the specimens taken at the end of the first hour. The difference was significant on culture days 9-15 in the biopsy specimens taken on day 1 while it was not significant in those taken on days 5 and 30.

The effect of cyclosporin A on cultured rabbit subconjunctival fibroblast proliferation.

The aim of this study was to examine the possible effects of local application of a potent immunosuppressive drug, cyclosporin A (CsA), on fibroblast proliferation in vitro. Rabbit subconjunctival fibroblasts were cultured and incubated with varying doses of CsA (from 0.5 to 5%). Growth inhibition curves were obtained, and cell attachment and reversibility of drug-induced growth inhibition were studied. None of the doses stimulated fibroblast proliferation. CsA inhibited fibroblast proliferation depending on the dose and duration of application. Also, drug-induced growth inhibition decreased depending on dose and duration of application. While the dosage which led to 50% inhibition was found to be 7.2 mg/ml, 4% and higher doses had toxic effects.

Linkage disequilibrium between glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and congenital color blindness in Turkish population.

No erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-deficient person was detected among 90 male patients with congenital color blindness (CCB) diagnosed at the Ophthalmology Clinic of our Hospital. Eighteen complete G6PD-deficient subjects had normal color vision. These results suggest that there is a linkage disequilibrium between CCB and G6PD genes.