Serum BDNF and Selenium Levels in Elite Athletes Exposed to Blows.

Background and Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the combined acute and long-term effects of exposure to blows and exercise on serum BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and selenium levels. Materials and Methods: Serum BDNF and selenium levels were determined in 40 male elite athletes before and after vigorous exercise (training match) with a probability of exposure to blows and in 10 sedentary men subjected to exercise (Astrand running protocol). Results: Serum BDNF levels were found 11.50 ± 3.50 ng/mL before exercise and 14.02 ± 3.15 ng/mL after exercise in the athlete group (p = 0.02), and 12.18 ± 4.55 ng/ mL and 11.74 ± 2.48 ng/ mL before and after exercise in the sedentary group, respectively (p = 0.873). Serum BDNF (pre-exercise, baseline) levels were slightly lower in the athlete group than those in the sedentary group (11.50 ± 3.50 and 12.18 ± 4.55 ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.796). Pre-exercise serum selenium levels in athletes were significantly higher compared to those of sedentary participants (130.53 ± 36.79 and 95.51 ± 20.57 µg/L, respectively, p = 0.011). There was no difference in selenium levels after exercise (124.01 ± 29.96 µg/L) compared to pre-exercise (130.53 ± 36.79 µg/L) in the athlete group (p = 0.386). Similarly, there was no difference in selenium levels after exercise (113.28 ± 25.51 µg/L) compared to pre-exercise (95.51 ± 20.57 µg/L) in the sedentary group (p = 0.251). Conclusions: BDNF results show that even if athletes are exposed to blows, they may be protected from the long-term effects of blows thanks to the protective effect of their non-sedentary lifestyle. Regular exercise may have a protective effect on maintaining serum selenium levels in athletes even exposed to blows chronically.

Effects of exercise on serum ischemia-modified albumin, brain natriuretic peptide and copeptin levels in boxers and kick boxers.

Introduction: boxing and kick boxing are combat sports that can cause severe head, neck, face and hand injuries during fighting. Then, traumatic brain injury (TBI) incidence is high in these sports. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and copeptin have diagnostic and prognostic value for cardiac and non-cardiac ischemic events. The purpose of this study is to evaluate exercise-induced variations of serum IMA, BNP and copeptin. Methods: twenty male boxers, twenty-three male kick boxers and twenty-three age-matched male were enrolled in the study. Health assessment data were analysed. Boxers and kick boxers underwent an exercise program including training plus fighting matches. Serum samples were collected in the pre- and post-exercise periods. Serum IMA, BNP and copeptin concentrations were measured in these specimens using ELISA reagents. Results: comparative analysis of analytes before and after exercise showed that exercise significantly increased serum IMA, BNP and copeptin levels both in boxers and kick boxers. Conclusion: in conclusion, IMA, BNP and copeptin levels may be candidate biomarkers for exercise-related traumatic brain injuries. The identification of new biomarkers in patients with acute and chronic neurological disorders is of considerable interest to clinicians. Then, further studies should be conducted to evaluate the possible role of IMA, BNP and copeptin in TBI pathophysiology.

Evaluation of Serum Trace Element Levels and Biochemical Parameters of COVID-19 Patients According to Disease Severity.

While the COVID-19 disease progresses mildly or asymptomatically in some people, its progression is severe and symptomatic in others, and it is an issue that requires a scientific response regarding the disease. The present study includes 60 people infected with COVID-19, and the cases were divided into the following groups: asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severe. Serum Zn, Se, and Cu levels of these groups were analyzed by ICP-MS. All measurements in the patients were compared with those of 32 healthy individuals. When the patient group is compared with the control group, the serum Zn and Se concentrations were statistically low (p < 0.001) in the patient group. Serum Zn level decreased significantly in 4 different patient groups compared to the control group. Although the serum Se level decreased in all four patient groups compared to the control group, the change in Se level was statistically significant only in the severe and mild patient groups. This study examined serum Zn, Se concentrations, and biochemical parameters in patients with different severity of COVID-19, compared them with healthy individuals, and revealed new targets for diagnosis and treatment by revealing those data that may be important.

The Role of Manganese, Cadmium, Chromium and Selenium on Subjective Tinnitus.

Elevated levels of heavy metals like cadmium (Cd) and manganese (Mn) are known to lead to oxidative damage-related oto-toxicity and decreased levels of chromium (Cr) and selenium (Se) are known to lead to oto-toxicity due to reduced anti-oxidant activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum levels of Cd, Mn, Cr, and Se and their relationship with tinnitus. A total of 48 patients with tinnitus (Group 1) and 40 healthy controls (Group 2) were included in the study. All participants were applied audiology tests. Severity of tinnitus was measured with Tinnitus Severity Index Questionnaire (TSIQ) in group 1. Serum Mn, Cd, Cr, and Se measurements were done by using The Agilent ICP-MS system consisted of a 7700 coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Serum Cd, Mn, and Cr levels were higher in group 1 and Se level was lower in group 1 than that of group 2. We may conclude that Cd, Mn, Cr, and Se levels could play an important role in etio-pathogenesis of tinnitus, and thereby supplementation or reduction of these elements could be considered as novel therapeutic goals.

Determination of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene Polymorphism and Plasma Asymmetric Dimethyl Arginine Concentrations in Patients with Lung Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Genetic factors can contribute to both the occurrence and development of lung cancer. This study aimed to investigate endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) G894T and T-786C polymorphisms and plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels of lung cancer patients in comparison with healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 200 subjects, 100 patients with lung cancer and 100 healthy volunteers were included in this study. To determine eNOS gene polymorphisms, we collected and analyzed blood samples with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Plasma ADMA levels were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: The difference in gene polymorphisms between lung cancer patients and healthy controls were insignificant. However, lung cancer patients had statistically significantly higher plasma ADMA levels than healthy controls. The patients and control groups with CC polymorphisms and TT polymorphisms on eNOS T-786C and G894T gene regions had higher plasma ADMA levels. The CC polymorphisms and plasma ADMA levels were higher in patients with small-cell lung cancer compared to those in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. CONCLUSION: Although eNOS gene polymorphisms had no significant difference between lung cancer patients and healthy controls, plasma ADMA levels were higher in lung cancer patients compared to healthy controls. Our study suggests that CC genotypes and elevated plasma ADMA levels might be associated with small-cell lung cancer.

The effect of desloratadine on ischemia reperfusion induced oxidative and inflammatory renal injury in rats.

Purpose: To examine the effect of desloratadine on kidney ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in albino Wistar male rats using biochemical and histopathological methods.Methods: The treated with ischemia-reperfusion + 5 mg/kg desloratadine (IRD) group (n-6) was given 5 mg/kg desloratadine by gavage orally, and applied renal ischemia-reperfusion (BIR) group (n-6) and control (SG) group undergoing Sham operation (n-6) rats were given distilled water as solvent one hour before ketamine anesthesia. During the anesthesia period, ischemia was induced for 2 h unilaterally in the left kidney of all rats followed by reperfusion for 6 h. The kidneys of the SG group had sham operation without any intervention.Results: Our biochemical test results showed that malondialdehyde (MDA), nuclear factor kappa (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin one beta (IL-1ß), creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were significantly increased in the BIR group compared to the healthy control and IRD groups treated with desloratadine. Histopathological results were revealed tubular dilatation, tubular necrosis, loss of brushy margins, cast formation, and apoptotic bodies in tubular epithelial cells in the BIR group. There were no histopathological findings except for the swelling of tubule epithelial cells and the accumulation of proteinous material in some tubule lumens in renal tissue of desloratadine-treated rats.Conclusions: Experimental results suggested that desloratadine may be useful in the treatment of renal I/R injury.

Homocysteine, chronotype and clinical course in bipolar disorder patients.

Purpose: Higher homocysteine (HHcy) levels have been detected in bipolar disorder (BD) patients, and BD patients show circadian rhythm disorders even during remission. Here, we determined the homocysteine (Hcy) levels and chronotype of patients with BD during remission and investigated whether this was related to the clinical course of the disease. Materials and methods: In total, 80 BD outpatients were included. Clinical evaluation was conducted using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Hcy, folic acid, vitamin B12 levels and protein consumption the day before clinical evaluation were measured.Results and conclusions: HHcy was found in 11 patients (8.8%), most of whom were males (n = 8, 72.7%). During the course of BD, patients with HHcy had significantly more mixed episodes than patients without HHcy (p = .007, z = -2696). In addition, patients with HHcy had significantly lower MEQ scores than patients without HHcy (p = .04, t = 2018). There was no significant difference in chronotype between patients with and without HHcy. The HHcy group had significantly lower levels of vitamin B12 (p = .003, t = 2870). There were no statistically significant differences in daily protein intake and folic acid levels between HHcy and non-HHcy groups. Our study showed a significant relationship between the number of mixed episodes and HHcy. In terms of potential confounds, patients who abused alcohol were excluded, but alcohol consumption was not evaluated. This result should be considered in BD and should be evaluated in larger samples of BD patients.

Evaluation of the analytical performances of Cobas 6500 and Sysmex UN series automated urinalysis systems with manual microscopic particle counting.

INTRODUCTION: Automated urinalysis systems are valuable tools in clinical laboratories, especially those with a high work load. The objective of this study was to compare the analytical performance of Sysmex UN series urine analyser, which may become a new one in our laboratory, with the Cobas 6500 automated urine analyser, which is used in our laboratory for a long time. For comparisons, manual microscopical examination was accepted as reference method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 470 urine samples were tested in the two automated urinalysis systems, and urine sediment testing with manual microscopy was applied to a 100 pathological samples of the total 470. The diagnostic performance of the two automated urine analysers was compared with each other and manual microscopy. RESULTS: Differences were determined between automated and manual microscopy in some pathological samples. The resultant regression equations were as follows. Comparison of Cobas U701 with Sysmex UF-5000: y = - 0.57 (- 0.85 to - 0.29) + 0.95 (0.92 to 0.99) x for RBC, and y = - 0.11 (- 0.54 to 0.29) + 0.89 (0.84 to 0.98) x for WBC; comparison of Cobas U701 with manual microscopy: y = - 0.45 (- 0.85 to 0.21) + 1.00 (0.92 to 1.07) x for WBC; and comparison of Sysmex UF-5000 with manual microscopy: y = - 0.74 (- 1.09 to - 0.57) + 0.87 (0.85 to 0.91) x for WBC. CONCLUSIONS: We can conclude that the new Sysmex UN series urine analyser can be safely used in our laboratory. Although the results showed good to moderate concordance, the microscopy results of the automated platforms should be confirmed by manual microscopy, particularly in pathological samples.

Evaluation of liver function by means of serum cytokeratin 18 and hepatocyte growth factor levels in patients with obstructive jaundice.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the serum levels of cytokeratin 18 (CK18) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in obstructive jaundice patients before and after treatment and thereby to detect the possible role of CK18 and HGF in patients with obstructive jaundice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty patients who had obstructive jaundice and 40 healthy control subjects were included in the study. Patients were treated using percutaneous, endoscopic or surgical approaches. Blood samples were obtained at the day before and 7 days after the intervention for obstructive jaundice. Serum HGF and CK18 concentrations were determined by ELISA method. RESULTS: There were statistically significant decreases in HGF, CK18, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin serum levels, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and alkaline phosphatase activities and white blood cell count when compared with pre-treatment levels. CONCLUSION: Evaluating pre- and post-treatment serum HGF and CK18 levels suggested that there was an apoptosis in obstructive jaundice patients and this apoptosis decreased after the decompression of the biliary tract. We also demonstrated that HGF levels were altered at biliary obstruction compared to healthy controls and the levels of this biomarker also decreased after decompression of biliary obstruction. We concluded that these biomarkers can be used as predictors of liver injury in biliary obstruction.

A nationwide multicentre study in Turkey for establishing reference intervals of haematological parameters with novel use of a panel of whole blood.

INTRODUCTION: A nationwide multicentre study was conducted to establish well-defined reference intervals (RIs) of haematological parameters for the Turkish population in consideration of sources of variation in reference values (RVs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: K2-EDTA whole blood samples (total of 3363) were collected from 12 laboratories. Sera were also collected for measurements of iron, UIBC, TIBC, and ferritin for use in the latent abnormal values exclusion (LAVE) method. The blood samples were analysed within 2 hours in each laboratory using Cell Dyn and Ruby (Abbott), LH780 (Beckman Coulter), or XT-2000i (Sysmex). A panel of freshly prepared blood from 40 healthy volunteers was measured in common to assess any analyser-dependent bias in the measurements. The SD ratio (SDR) based on ANOVA was used to judge the need for partitioning RVs. RIs were computed by the parametric method with/without applying the LAVE method. RESULTS: Analyser-dependent bias was found for basophils (Bas), MCHC, RDW and MPV from the panel test results and thus those RIs were derived for each manufacturer. RIs were determined from all volunteers' results for WBC, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, MCV, MCH and platelets. Gender-specific RIs were required for RBC, haemoglobin, haematocrit, iron, UIBC and ferritin. Region-specific RIs were required for RBC, haemoglobin, haematocrit, UIBC, and TIBC. CONCLUSIONS: With the novel use of a freshly prepared blood panel, manufacturer-specific RIs' were derived for Bas, Bas%, MCHC, RDW and MPV. Regional differences in RIs were observed among the 7 regions of Turkey, which may be attributed to nutritional or environmental factors, including altitude.

Changes in platelet parameters in leukocytosis.

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, platelets are known to have a large variety of functions in many pathophysiological processes and their interaction with endothelial cells and leukocytes is known to play an important role in the pathophysiology of vascular inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between white blood cell count in conditions resulting in leukocytosis and platelet count and platelet parameters including mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and plateletcrit. METHODS: White blood cell counts count and all platelet parameters were evaluated in 341 results of normal complete blood count (of which the white blood cell counts were within reference range, group 1) and 327 results of elevated white blood cell counts count (group 2). RESULTS: There was a significant difference between these two groups in PLT counts and PCT values, being higher in Group 2. However, there was no statistically significant difference between two groups in MPV and PDW values. On the other hand, there were statistically significant, but weak, correlations between the WBC and platelet counts in both groups (p<0.01, r=0.235 for group 1, p<0.05, r=0.116 for group 2). CONCLUSION: As a conclusion PLT count and PCT values increase in infectious conditions. This study and previous studies show that PLTs are employed in infectious conditions but the exact mechanism and the exact clinical importance of this response remains to be cleared by further studies.

Comparison of Cobas 6500 and Iris IQ200 fully-automated urine analyzers to manual urine microscopy.

INTRODUCTION: Urine screening is achieved by either automated or manual microscopic analysis. The aim of the study was to compare Cobas 6500 and Iris IQ200 urine analyzers, and manual urine microscopic analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 540 urine samples sent to the laboratory for chemical and sediment analysis were analyzed on Cobas 6500 and Iris IQ200 within 1 hour from sampling. One hundred and fifty three samples were found to have pathological sediment results and were subjected to manual microscopic analysis performed by laboratory staff blinded to the study. Spearman's and Gamma statistics were used for correlation analyses, and the McNemar test for the comparison of the two automated analyzers. RESULTS: The comparison of Cobas u701 to the manual method yielded the following regression equations: y = - 0.12 (95% CI: - 1.09 to 0.67) + 0.78 (95% CI: 0.65 to 0.95) x for WBC and y = 0.06 (95% CI: - 0.09 to 0.25) + 0.66 (95% CI: 0.57 to 0.73) x for RBC. The comparison of IQ200 Elite to manual method the following equations: y = 0.03 (95% CI: - 1.00 to 1.00) + 0.88 (95% CI: 0.66 to 1.00) x for WBC and y = - 0.22 (95% CI: - 0.80 to 0.20) + 0.40 (95% CI: 0.32 to 0.50) x for RBC. IQ200 Elite compared to Cobas u701 yielded the following equations: y = - 0.95 (95% CI: - 2.13 to 0.11) + 1.25 (95% CI: 1.08 to 1.44) x for WBC and y = - 1.20 (95% CI: - 1.80 to -0.30) + 0. 80 (95% CI: 0.55 to 1.00) x for RBC. CONCLUSIONS: The two analyzers showed similar performances and good compatibility to manual microscopy. However, they are still inadequate in the determination of WBC, RBC, and EC in highly-pathological samples. Thus, confirmation by manual microscopic analysis may be useful.

A reference interval study for common biochemical analytes in Eastern Turkey: a comparison of a reference population with laboratory data mining.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to define the reference intervals (RIs) in a Turkish population living in Northeast Turkey (Erzurum) for 34 analytes using direct and indirect methods. In the present study, the regional RIs obtained were compared with other RI studies, primarily the nationwide study performed in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the direct method, 435 blood samples were collected from a healthy group of females (N = 218) and males (N = 217) aged between 18 and 65 years. The sera were analysed in Ataturk University hospital laboratory using Roche reagents and analysers for 34 analytes. The data from 1,366,948 records were used to calculate the indirect RIs using a modified Bhattacharya method. RESULTS: Significant gender-related differences were observed for 17 analytes. There were also some apparent differences between RIs derived from indirect and direct methods particularly in some analytes (e.g. gamma-glutamyltransferase, creatine kinase, LDL-cholesterol and iron). The RIs derived with the direct method for some, but not all, of the analytes were generally comparable with the RIs reported in the nationwide study and other previous studies in Turkey.There were large differences between RIs derived by the direct method and the expected values shown in the kit insert (e.g. aspartate aminotransferase, total-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and vitamin B12). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide region-specific RIs for 34 analytes determined by the direct and indirect methods. The observed differences in RIs between previous studies could be related to nutritional status and environmental factors.

The Frequency of Some Thrombophilic Mutations in Eastern Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: Factor V / Factor II / Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, gene polymorphisms are closely associated with thrombophilia. Regional frequencies of these mutations may show a characteristic state. The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency of commonly seen Factor V / Factor II / Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphisms in Eastern Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 433 patients sent to the laboratory with the suspicion of thrombophilia, using whole blood samples, an automated Nucleic Acid Test was used for mutation determinations in Verigene System. The kit module was designed to detect the Factor V G1691A / Factor II G20210A / Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene C677T single nucleotide polymorphisms. RESULTS: In 433 patients, 8.7% for Factor V G1691A polymorphisms were heterozygous genotype, 3.9% for Factor II G20210A polymorphisms were heterozygous genotype, and 43.9% for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677C>T polymorphisms were heterozygous genotype and 3.0% homozygous mutation genotype. CONCLUSION: Detection of these commonly seen Factor V / Factor II / Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase single nucleotide polymorphisms can help to identify patients in high risk group and to evaluate the interaction of genetic and acquired risk factors. Our findings suggest that commonly seen thrombophilic allele mutation frequency in our region is the same as the data reported in the literature.

Serum zinc levels in patients with iron deficiency anemia and its association with symptoms of iron deficiency anemia.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a major public health problem especially in underdeveloped and developing countries. Zinc is the co-factor of several enzymes and plays a role in iron metabolism, so zinc deficiency is associated with IDA. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship of symptoms of IDA and zinc deficiency in adult IDA patients. The study included 43 IDA patients and 43 healthy control subjects. All patients were asked to provide a detailed history and were subjected to a physical examination. The hematological parameters evaluated included hemoglobin (Hb); hematocrit (Ht); red blood cell (erythrocyte) count (RBC); and red cell indices mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (МСН), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (МСНС), and red cell distribution width (RDW). Anemia was defined according to the criteria defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Serum zinc levels were measured in the flame unit of atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Symptoms attributed to iron deficiency or depletion, defined as fatigue, cardiopulmonary symptoms, mental manifestations, epithelial manifestations, and neuromuscular symptoms, were also recorded and categorized. Serum zinc levels were lower in anemic patients (103.51 ± 34.64 µ/dL) than in the control subjects (256.92 ± 88.54 µ/dL; <0.001). Patients with zinc level <99 µ/dL had significantly more frequent mental manifestations (p < 0.001), cardiopulmonary symptoms (p = 0.004), restless leg syndrome (p = 0.016), and epithelial manifestations (p < 0.001) than patients with zinc level > 100 µ/dL. When the serum zinc level was compared with pica, no statistically significant correlation was found (p = 0.742). Zinc is a trace element that functions in several processes in the body, and zinc deficiency aggravates IDA symptoms. Measurement of zinc levels and supplementation if necessary should be considered for IDA patients.

The Evaluation of Serum Copeptin Levels and Some Commonly Seen Thrombophilic Mutation Prevalence in Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common, emergent condition and may affect a large number of patients. Copeptin has been indicated to be a sensitive biomarker of arginine vasopressin release, and has diagnostic and prognostic value in various clinical conditions. Genetic mutations are considerable components of thrombophilic diseases, and factor II gene G20210A, (FII20210A), factor V Leiden (FVL, G1691A) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene C677T (MTHFR677T) single nucleotide polymorphisms are the most common mutations of thrombophilic diseases. In this study, serum copeptin levels were determined in patients with PE and healthy controls, and the results were discussed. The prevalence of some commonly seen thrombophilic mutations was also evaluated in patients with PE. The study included 32 patients (18 male, 14 female) with PE and 24 (13 male, 11 female) age- and gender-matched healthy controls. A significant difference in serum copeptin levels was determined between the patient and control groups (8.58 ± 4.42 and 4.07 ± 1.02 pmol/L, respectively). Heterozygous mutant genotype for FII20210A and heterozygous mutant genotype for FVL were observed in 3.1 and 9.4% of patients, respectively. Mutant genotype of 49% was determined for MTHFR677T mutations. It was concluded that copeptin may have diagnostic value for PE.

Effect of Modified Fujita Technique Uvulopalatoplasty on Oxidative DNA Damage Levels in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.

Snoring is a social hindrance problem and it can cause life threatening problems. Because of this it must be taken seriously and must be treated. Although there are many ways for treating this problem, still uvulopalatopharngoplasty (UPPP) which is an accepted classical method maintains its importance. Antioxidant status in patients with snoring have been investigated. All studies investigated the effect of CPAP treatment on the level of antioxidant agents. In this study we have examined the effect of UPPP on the level of antioxidant agents in patients with snoring.

Serum Zinc, Copper, Magnesium and Selenium Levels in Children with Helicobacter Pylori Infection.

OBJECTIVE: Helicobacter pylori infection can cause disease from mild to severe that may be accompanied by micronutrient deficiencies. We aimed to investigate serum zinc, copper, magnesium and selenium levels in Helicobacter pylori positive children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-four children, with chronic abdominal pain and diag-nosed to be Helicobacter pylori-positive and 20 healthy children with the same demo-graphic characteristics were included in the study. Serum zinc, copper and magnesium levels were measured in the flame unit of atomic absorption spectrophotometer, selenium levels were measured in the graphite unit of the same atomic absorption spectrophotometer. RESULTS: Serum zinc levels were significantly higher and serum magnesium levels were significantly lower (p<0.05) in Helicobacter pylori positive children than those of the control group. Although copper levels were lower in patient group than in control group, this difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between serum selenium levels of two groups. CONCLUSION: We concluded that in Helicobacter pylori-positive children, many trace elements and mineral metabolism may change.

DNA damage in children with obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy.

The objective of this prospective, controlled study was to evaluate oxidative DNA damage in children with obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy. This study included 30 patients with obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy (male/female ratio, 3:2; age range, 3-9 y) scheduled to undergo tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy and 25 control subjects of similar age and sex with no adenotonsillar disease or airway obstruction. Urine and blood samples were obtained from each child for 8-hydroxy 2-deoxyguanosine (8-OhdG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations. There were significant differences in leukocyte (3.28 [0.69/10] vs 0.70 [0.15/10] dG) and urine 8-OhdG (8.22 [2.27/10] vs 5.26 [1.3/10] dG) levels in patients with obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy and healthy subjects (P < 0.001 for both). Plasma (2.98 [1.31] vs 1.14 [0.64] µM) and urine (1.77 [0.84] vs 0.56 [0.32] µM) MDA levels were also different (P < 0.001 for both). There were positive correlations between 8-OhdG in leukocyte DNA and plasma MDA (r = 0.648, P < 0.001) and between levels of urine 8-OhdG excretion and urine MDA (r = 0.588, P < 0.001). The DNA damage in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy should be kept in mind, but further studies must be done with larger patient groups.

A multicenter nationwide reference intervals study for common biochemical analytes in Turkey using Abbott analyzers.

BACKGROUND: A nationwide multicenter study was organized to establish reference intervals (RIs) in the Turkish population for 25 commonly tested biochemical analytes and to explore sources of variation in reference values, including regionality. METHODS: Blood samples were collected nationwide in 28 laboratories from the seven regions (≥400 samples/region, 3066 in all). The sera were collectively analyzed in Uludag University in Bursa using Abbott reagents and analyzer. Reference materials were used for standardization of test results. After secondary exclusion using the latent abnormal values exclusion method, RIs were derived by a parametric method employing the modified Box-Cox formula and compared with the RIs by the non-parametric method. Three-level nested ANOVA was used to evaluate variations among sexes, ages and regions. Associations between test results and age, body mass index (BMI) and region were determined by multiple regression analysis (MRA). RESULTS: By ANOVA, differences of reference values among seven regions were significant in none of the 25 analytes. Significant sex-related and age-related differences were observed for 10 and seven analytes, respectively. MRA revealed BMI-related changes in results for uric acid, glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyltransferase. Their RIs were thus derived by applying stricter criteria excluding individuals with BMI >28 kg/m2. Ranges of RIs by non-parametric method were wider than those by parametric method especially for those analytes affected by BMI. CONCLUSIONS: With the lack of regional differences and the well-standardized status of test results, the RIs derived from this nationwide study can be used for the entire Turkish population.