Evaluation of Serum Endocan Levels in Endometriosis: A case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the possible associations between serum endocan levels and endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 60 women with histologically proven endometriosis and 40 women who underwent laparoscopy due to unexplained infertility without endometriosis were evaluated in a case-control study. Serum endocan, CA125, CA19.9, and CA15.3 levels were measured. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were compared. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups regarding age, body-mass-index, parity, and serum CRP and WBC levels. Serum endocan (p<0.001), CA125 (p<0.001), CA19.9 (p=0.022) and CA15.3 (p=0.013) levels were significantly higher in the endometriosis group compared to the control group. The correlation analysis showed that serum endocan level was positively correlated with the stage of the disease, CRP, and WBC, but not with remaining parameters, age, BMI, dysmenorrhea score, CA125, CA19.9, and CA15.3. Serum CA125 can predict endometriosis (Cut off=26.2 IU/mL, AUC=0.955) with a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 88%. Serum endocan can predict endometriosis (Cut off=454 ng/mL AUC=0.749) with a 93% sensitivity and 61% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The serum endocan levels were significantly elevated in women with endometriosis compared to the control group. Serum endocan can predict endometriosis with a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 61.

Evaluation of low back pain frequency and related factors among people over 18 years of age.

AIMS: The present study aimed to evaluate the incidence of LBP and related factors in over 18-year-olds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was a cross-sectional study involving individuals over 18 years of age with any complaints in the period from May 2015-June 2016 at different hospitals. The research data were evaluated by the SPSS 15.0 statistical package program. Descriptive statistics were presented as mean (±) standard deviation, median (min, max), frequency distribution, and percentage. Pearson's Chi-square test, Yates corrected Chi-square test, and Fisher's test were used as statistical methods. Statistical significance was accepted as P < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 5,989 people admitted during that period and 50% unknown frequency were taken to reach 1715 subject persons with 2% deviation and 95% confidence interval which reached 1720. The sociodemographic status, occupational conditions, the frequency of low back pain, and risk factors have been evaluated. Around 92.9% of individuals of 65 years of age and older have lifelong LPB while 57.1% have present LBP. The difference was statistically significant for "the satisfaction of working people" and "individuals working more than 41 h a week." (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Low back pain is still a serious problem that can be avoided by ensuring optimal working conditions and a healthier life.

Plasma Levels of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type 1 and Vitronectin in Children With Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The plasminogen activator system controls intravascular fibrin deposition; besides, it also participates in a wide variety of physiologic and pathologic processes, including cancer. PROCEDURE: In this study, we examined the levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and vitronectin in 32 newly diagnosed pediatric patients with malignancies, determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay between January 2009 and January 2010 and compared them to 35 age-matched healthy children, using SPSS 16.0 software. RESULTS: The mean level of PAI-1 was 23.02 ± 15 (8.2-71.19) ng/mL and vitronectin was 83.10% ± 23.77% (12%-126%) in the tumor group. Thirty-five healthy children in the same age range were enrolled in the control group. The levels of PAI-1 and vitronectin were 23.63 ± 10.44 (11.67-58.85) ng/mL and 85% ± 20.85% (39%-126%), respectively. No significant difference was found between the 2 groups by independent sample t-test (P = .86 and P = .69). CONCLUSIONS: This is a preliminary study done in children with malignancies, investigating PAI-1 and vitronectin. Further study is needed, including larger trials and tumor tissue with histopathological examination as in adults.

Prognostic utility of serum vitronectin levels in acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Vitronectin (VN) functions as a regulator of platelet adhesion and aggregation, coagulation, and fibrinolysis. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic significance of serum VN levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: In this study 62 patients admitted with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) were enrolled. Serum VN levels were measured within 6 h after onset of chest pains. RESULTS: The VN serum levels were higher in MI patients with a mean of 2.257 µg/ml (range 1.541-4.493 µg/ml) in the STEMI group, 1.785 µg/ml (range 1.372-4.113 µg/ml) in the NSTEMI group, and 1.222 µg/ml (range 1.033-1.466 µg/ml) in the controls (p = 0.012). Major adverse cardiovascular events could be predicted at 6 months using VN levels independently of other variables [odds ratio (OR) 9.87, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2.54-47.37, p = 0.001]. There was a significant positive correlation between VN levels and the Gensini score in NSTEMI patients (r = 0.436, p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: The VN level may be relevant as a clinical biomarker for adverse cardiovascular outcomes not only in patients with ischemic heart disease undergoing coronary interventions, as previously reported, but also in coronary artery disease patients presenting with acute MI.

Significance of vitronectin and PAI-1 activity levels in carotid artery disease: comparison of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

AIM: Carotid atherosclerosis one of the main risk factors for ischemic stroke. Acute thrombosis after atherosclerotic plaque disruption is a major complication of primary atherosclerosis, leading to acute ischemic syndromes and atherosclerotic progression. PAI-1 is the most important and most rapidly acting physiological inhibitor of tissue-type (t-PA) and urokinase type (u-PA) plasminogen activators. Active PAI-1 form spontaneously converts to the latent with a half-life of ~1 h. Complex formation with vitronectin increases half life of PAI-1 by two- to four-folds. Thus, this inhibitor function of PAI-1 facilitated by Vn that binds the inhibitor and may regulate its activity by the stabilizing the active PAI-1 conformation. In addition, PAI-1/VN complexes may effect vascular structure and function. However, the exact role of these complexes in vascular remodelling are not completely clear. The aim of the present study was determining, correlating and comparing the plasma vitronectin, t-PA and PAI-1 activity levels in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with carotid artery plaque. METHODS: A total of 37 carotid artery disease patients were included in this study. Blood samples were obtained from Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Heart and Vessel Surgery, University of Istanbul. Plasma vitronectin, tPA and PAI-1 activity levels were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: We found plasma PAI-1 activity levels were elevated in the asymptomatic group as compared with symptomatic group (P=0.038). We have also found a positive correlation between PAI-1 activity and vitronectin levels in symptomatic group (r=0.399, P=0.039). CONCLUSION: Decreased PAI-1 activity levels correlate with vitronectin in the symptomatic group; a) may be the consequence a compensatory mechanisms (due to possibilty in increased fibrinolytic activity and decreased vascular remodelling) against disease progression. b) or may be also cause progression of disease by increase of vascular remodelling.

The effects of different doses of melatonin on lipid peroxidation in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rats.

This study aims to see in an animal experiment how differently the low and high doses of melatonin affect the antioxidant status and peroxidation of lipids. Forty-two male Wistar-Albino rats weighing about 200 gr (180-220) aged 6-7 months were used. Of these rats, 12 were fed with normal rat chow for 12 weeks. The latter ones were divided into two groups, each containing 6 rats. Group 1 (control group) received daily intraperitoneal injections of NaCl (0.9%; w/v). Group 2 was injected ethanol daily (4%; v/v; i.p.) to see the effects of ethanol in which we dissolved melatonin. Thirty rats were fed with a diet enriched with cholesterol (2%; w/w), cholic acid (0.5%; w/w) and propilthyouracil (0.5%; w/w) for 12 weeks. These rats were divided into three groups each containing 10 rats. The low-dose group received melatonin 1 mg/kg/d; i.p. (group 3), the high-dose group received melatonin in a dose of 10 mg/kg/d; i.p. (group 4), and only the cholesterol group did not get any vehicle (group 5). Total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxidized LDL (oLDL) and TBARS lelvels were measured in all groups. The produced high-cholesterol diet increased LDL cholesterol. Melatonin decreased the extent of this plasma lipoprotein increase and also prevented the oxidation of it. This effect was clearer when the dose was higher. Antioxidant status seems to be also dose-dependent (Tab. 2, Ref. 33).

TBARS, carnitine, and reduced glutathione levels in human bladder carcinoma.

In this study, we investigated tissue levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and carnitine as well as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS, as a marker of lipid peroxidation) levels in bladder carcinoma and control group of patients. The average GSH, carnitine and TBARS levels for tumor group were respectively 7.11 +/- 3.3 micro g/mg protein, 1.81 +/- 0.39 nmol/mg protein, and 4.29 +/- 3.2 micro mol/mg protein, versus 14.45 +/- 4.11 micro g/mg protein, 2.14 +/- 0.66 nmol/mg protein, and 2.3 +/- 0.6 micro mol/mg protein for normal bladder tissues. Thus, tissue reduced glutathione levels (GSH) were significantly lower in patients as compared with the control group (p < 0.001) whereas average TBARS levels in the tumor group were found to be higher than those in control group. The average tissue carnitine levels in the patient group were found to be lower compared with the control group but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Sympathetic skin response in patients with chronic renal failure.

Sympathetic skin response (SSR) was measured in 20 normal healthy subjects and in 22 patients with chronic renal failure on regular hemodialysis, and its correlation with abnormalities of sensorimotor nerve conduction study and clinical autonomic symptoms was investigated. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) were abnormal in 17 of 22 patients (77.3%), and SSR was absent in 14 of 22 patients (63.6%). Patients were divided into three groups based on their SSR response: patients with normal SSR (n: 8, 36.4%), patients with absent SSR in the foot only (n: 9, 40.9%), and patients with absent SSR in both hand and foot (n: 5, 22.7%). Good correlation between abnormalities of NCS and absent SSR was observed. No correlation was noted between patient age, sex, duration of hemodialysis, duration of renal failure history, and absent SSR. However, statistically significant correlation was found between mean amplitude of the foot SSRs and sensorimotor nerve conduction velocities, and weekly frequency of hemodialysis.