IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VITAMIN D STATUS AND HYPOCALCEMIA AFTER TOTAL THYROIDECTOMY?

CONTEXT: Vitamin D plays a crucial role in calcium metabolism through parathormone-dependent process. Deficiency of this important nutrient may be associated with hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of vitamin D in predicting hypocalcemia following total thyroidectomy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for benign or malignant thyroid disease were included in this prospective study. The association between preoperative vitamin D status and the development of hypocalcemia were investigated. RESULTS: Biochemical and symptomatic hypocalcemia were found in 28 (18.7%) and 22 (14.7%) patients, respectively. Preoperative vit D level was found significantly lower in patients with biochemical (p = 0.006) and clinical (p < 0.001) hypocalcemia in comparison to normocalcemic patients. The patients who had <10 ng/mL vit D level (severe deficiency) developed significantly more biochemical and clinical hypocalcemia than the patients with serum vit D level higher than 10 ng/mL (p = 0.030 and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although postthyroidectomy hypocalcemia is multifactorial, vit D deficiency, particularly severe form, is significantly associated with the development of biochemical and clinical hypocalcemia. Vit D supplementation can prevent this unwanted complication in such patients.

Bioassay-guided isolation of kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-galactoside with anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activity from the aerial part of Calluna vulgaris L.

Calluna vulgaris L. (Ericaceae) is used for the treatment of various inflammatory ailments in traditional medicines. In order to evaluate this ethnobotanical information, its anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities were studied using in vivo experimental models in mice. The ethanolic extract of the plant was first fractionated into five extracts; namely, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol, and water fractions. Among them, the EtOAc Fr. was found to be the most effective and was further subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation procedures. After successive column chromatography applications, on Sephadex LH-20 and silica gel, a component, which is responsible for the above-mentioned activities of this species of Turkish origin, was isolated and its structure was elucidated as kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-galactoside, a common flavonol derivative by means of spectral techniques.

Varying patterns of protein synthesis in bread wheat during heat shock.

High temperatures during seedling growth are considered as one of the factors that can modify surviving properties in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plant. This work attempts to evaluate the heat shock responses of seedling of winter wheat (Bezostaya-1) using growth parameters (seedling length, embryonal root length and embryonal root number), membrane stability index (MSI) and two dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis analysis of heat shock proteins (HSPs) during heat shock. Seedlings grown until first leaf opening at controlled conditions (23 degrees C, 200 micromol m(-2) s(-1), 16h day/8h night, 50-60% humidity) were exposed to 37 degrees C or 45 degrees C high temperatures for 2, 4 and 8 hours. While 37 degrees C did not cause any significant change, 45 degrees C heat treatments caused significant decrease in terms of seedling and root length, and leaf MSI for all exposure times. However, all the plants from 45 degrees C heat treatments continued to grow during recovery period. 2D protein analysis indicated that 37 degrees C, 8 hours exposure caused stronger and more diverse heat shock response than the other treatments, followed by 37 degrees C, 4 hours, 45 degrees C, 8 hours, 45 degrees C, 4 hours, 45 degrees C, 2 hours treatments. 5 protein spots, ranging from 6-7.8 pl (isoelectric point) and 27-31.7 kDA molecular weight, were expressed at 37 degrees C, 2 hours and continued at 37 and 45 degrees C for all exposure times. This suggests that these early proteins and other newly synthesized proteins may have protective effects at 37 and 45 degrees C and provide plants for healthy growth during the recovery period.

Heat shock of cultivated and wild wheats during early seedling stage: growth, cell viability and heat shock proteins.

Growth, cell viability and heat shock proteins (HSPs) in Bezostaya-1, Cukurova-86 and Diyarbakir-81 cultivated wheat cultivars and three Aegilops species were investigated. Etiolated seedlings were exposed to 23 degrees C, 32 degrees C, 35 degrees C, 37 degrees C and 38 degrees C for 24 h, and 35 degrees C (24 h) --> 50 degrees C (1 h) and 37 degrees C (24 h) --> (50 degrees C (1 h). At the end of recovery growth periods, the shoot lengths of the genotypes generally decreased significantly at 35, 37 and 38 degrees C. The acquired thermal tolerance (ATT) in intact seedlings was over 50% at 35 degrees C --> 50 degrees C and 37 degrees C --> 50 degrees C, but in cell viability test it ranged from 2.75% (Ae. triuncialis) to 32.87 (Bezostaya-1) at 35 degrees C, and from 2.82% (Ae. triuncialis) to 37.82 (Bezostaya-1) at 37 degrees C. Ae. triuncialis was most sensitive genotype in both ATT determination. In electrophoretic profiles of proteins, while some HSPs were newly synthesized, some normal cellular proteins disappeared at 37 degrees C and 37 degrees C -->50 degrees C compared to 23 degrees C. The number of low molecular weight (LMW) HSPs were more than intermediate- (IMW) and high- (HMW) HSPs. The genotypes had both common (12 HSPs between at least two genotypes) and genotype-specific (33 HSPs) LMW HSPs. The common HSP of 19.8 kDa (pI 6.5) was synthesized in Bezostaya-1, Cukurova-86, Diyarbakir-81, Ae. biuncialis and Ae. umbellulata. Bezostaya-1 is the only genotype that synthesized 12 IMW and 2 HMW HSPs at 37 degrees C --> 50 degrees C. Ae. triuncialis had only two common LMW HSPs [22.1 (pI 7.1) and 24.2 kDa (pI 6.5)].

An outbreak of Aseptic Meningitis due to echovirus type 30 in two cities of Turkey.

An outbreak of aseptic meningitis due to echovirus 30 occurred in Ankara and Antalya in Turkey, during June to September 1999, with 176 cases fitting the clinical case definition. Cases were ascertained from attendees of the three hospitals in Ankara and one in Antalya. Medical files were reviewed and evaluated retrospectively. Clinical presentation and laboratory findings were typical of viral meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid and/or stool samples of 86 patients were cultured for enteroviruses. Echovirus type 30 was isolated in 38 patients (44%). This is the first report and epidemiologic data about an aseptic meningitis outbreak due to echovirus type 30 from Turkey.

A hybrid zone dominated by fertile F1s: maintenance of species barriers in Rhododendron.

Isolating barriers between interbreeding sympatric or parapatric interfertile species are maintained by processes that occur within their hybrid zones. Although the effects of intrinsic selection on hybrid fitness are well known, less is understood about extrinsic fitness variation. At Tiryal Dag, northeast Turkey, Rhododendron x sochadzeae (R. ponticum x caucasicum) forms large populations in which neither segregation nor backcrossing occur, in habitats intermediate between those of its parents. Using single-copy species-specific random amplified polymorphic DNA and inter simple sequence repeat markers, it was determined that most or all R. x sochadzeae plants are F1s, and that there are many separate genets present. Hand pollination and germination experiments showed that R. x sochadzeae plants can produce viable seed of F2s or backcrosses in either direction. Furthermore, adult backcrosses have been observed in habitats atypical for R. x sochadzeae. From this, all non-F1 hybrid derivatives appear to be eliminated in the hybrid zone at Tiryal Dag as a result of postgermination selection. This absence of post-F1 hybrid derivatives apparently prevents introgression. This type of hybrid population is here termed an F1-dominated hybrid zone (F1DZ), and also occurs in Encelia. The observed dominance of F1s within a narrow habitat range is best explained by habitat-mediated superiority of F1s over all other genotype classes. Therefore, habitat-mediated selection against the second hybrid generation might be preventing interspecific gene flow in R. x sochadzeae. F1DZ formation is postulated to require the formation of F1s in quantity, habitat-mediated superiority in F1s, and highly specific habitat conditions.