The evaluation of prognostic value of acute phase reactants in the COVID-19.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to explain the demographic data, comorbidity and laboratory findings of our first cases in COVID-19 pneumonia in our country. METHODS: We gathered the data of COVID-19 pneumonia participants from our electronic medical system, including daily medical knowledge and laboratory, radiological, and microbiological results between March 10 to April 7, 2020. RESULTS: Totally, 125 patients, whose findings were compatible with COVID-19, were included in the study, 42 patients were excluded from the study. The distribution of genders was, 39 females (46.9 %), 44 males (53.01 %), the average age was 56.36 ± 16.25 (19-85). Hypertension above 60 years of age and diabetes mellitus under 60 years of age were the most common comorbidities. Neutrophils/ Lymphocyte percent(% NLR) was noted in 44 (53.01 %) patients, average: 3 (range 1.78-4.63). There was a statistically significant and positive relationship between D-dimer and C Reactive Protein (CRP) and ferritin. CONCLUSION: We detected that comorbidities, which were seen at COVID-19 disease differ according to the patients age. Besides that D-dimer, ferritin and CRP outcomes were particularly high and had a significant correlation with COVID-19 severity (Tab. 3, Fig. 2, Ref. 25). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: COVID-19, prognosis, acute phase reactan.

Modification of the GOLD recommendations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to broaden their usage in Turkey.

Despite the introduction of numerous national and international COPD guidelines designed to provide clinicians with optimal evidence-based disease management strategies, COPD remains an underdiagnosed and poorly treated disease. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines recommend disease specific diagnosis and management strategies, and they are widely used internationally. In this short report we present the outcomes of a meeting of respiratory experts in Turkey who reviewed the GOLD guidelines and their applicability to the Turkish healthcare system. In particular, we were interested to investigate the possibility of developing a simplified version of the combined assessment model which we believe will be more acceptable to Turkish pulmonologists and will increase its use in everyday clinical practice.

Kinetic parameters of serum and lung tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme in patients with lung cancer.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and its kinetic parameters were determined in both serum and lung tissue samples obtained from 17 patients with lung cancer and 21 control subjects, regardless of ethical base. The specific activities for cancerous and normal lung tissues were 67.2 +/- 27.3 (mean +/- SD) U/g protein and 28.5 +/- 5.4 U/g protein, respectively (P less than 0.001). Serum enzyme activity, on the other hand, was found to be higher in controls (198 +/- 42 U/L) than in patients (237 +/- 68 U/L) (P less than 0.01). The effects of chloride and zinc ions, pH and temperature on the enzyme activity were investigated as kinetic parameters in both serum and tissue samples.

Serum zinc and angiotensin-converting enzyme levels in patients with lung cancer.

Forty-two patients with lung cancer and 72 healthy subjects were studied in order to determine a possible relationship between serum zinc and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), a peptidyl dipeptide hydrolase. Serum zinc levels were 105 +/- 21 micrograms/dl in control subjects and 50 +/- 19 micrograms/dl in patients, and angiotensin-converting enzyme activity was 296 +/- 28 U/l in the former and 240 +/- 55 U/l in the latter using hippurylglycylglycine as a substrate. The findings obtained show that the decreased levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme may be related to decreased serum zinc levels and that the primary defect may be the zinc deficiency in these patients.