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Anti-IL-1 treatment is an effective alternative for controlling attacks and decreasing proteinuria in colchicine-resistant FMF patients.

Aim: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of Chronic Care Model (CCM)-based interventions on primary outcomes (self-efficacy, quality of life/ QoL, patient satisfaction) and secondary outcomes (activities of daily living/ ADL, metabolic control variables, stroke knowledge level, healthy eating habits, physical activity, taking regular medication, measuring blood pressure regularly, living in harmony with the disease, outcomes regarding telephone interviews) in patients with ischemic stroke. Method:The intervention group (IG) received a 12-week StrokeCARE intervention protocol based on the four components of the CCM. The control group (CG) received only routine patient care. Changes between scores at two time points regarding self-efficacy, QoL, ADL, and metabolic control variables were calculated for each group, and then the mean changes were compared between the two groups.Results: The mean ages of the patients were 55.9 ± 11.44 and 58.9 ± 13.82 years (respectively IG; CG), and 64.7% of the patients were male in both groups. Most patients had other chronic diseases accompanying ischemic stroke. No significant differences were found between the two groups with respect to self-efficacy and QoL. Patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the IG. Positive feedback percentages of the patients in the IG regarding stroke knowledge level and consuming whole-grain food at the end of the 12 weeks increased significantly. This protocol had no significant effects on the secondary outcomes. Conclusion: The CCM-based interventions may increase the satisfaction level of the patients and help to raise awareness of the risk of a secondary stroke. More studies are needed to examine the effects of these interventions (ClinicalTrials.gov-Identifier Number:NCT04161820).

Although migraine has mainly been considered as a benign disease, there is cumulative evidence of silent changes in the brain, brainstem, or cerebellum and subtle subclinical cerebellar dysfunction. In this study, in order to investigate a possible neuronal and/or glial damage at the cellular level in migraine, we measured and compared serum levels of S100B which is a protein marker of glial damage or activation, and neuron specific enolase (NSE) which is a marker of neuronal damage, in migraine patients and control subjects. Serum levels of S100B and NSE were measured in blood samples from 41 patients with migraine-without aura taken during a migraine attack (ictal) and in the attack-free period between migraine attacks (interictal) and 35 age- and sex-matched controls. Patients with migraine-without aura had significantly higher ictal serum levels of S100B and NSE (P < 0.05, for both) than control subjects; whereas in the interictal phase, there was a significant increment only in S100B levels (P < 0.05) compared to controls. On the other hand, serum levels of S100B and NSE in ictal and interictal blood samples did not differ significantly. The findings of increased ictal serum S100B and NSE levels together with increased interictal levels of S100B suggested that migraine might be associated with glial and/or neuronal damage in the brain and a prolonged disruption of blood-brain barrier. Increased interictal serum levels of S100B might point out to an insidious and slow damaging process in migraine patients.

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study is to evaluate the demographic characteristics of critically ill patients and to determine intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and its predictors.METHODS:This study was undertaken in the Istanbul Medeniyet University Göztepe Training and Research Hospital Medical ICU. Between May 2012 and January 2013, 111 patients (53 female, 58 male; mean age, 73.79±14.73, mean length of ICU length stay, 9.1±10.7; prevalence of geriatric patients, 77.5%) were admitted to the ICU. The common indications for ICU admission, prevalence of mechanical ventilation support, hematological and biochemical parameters and their effects on mortality were assessed.RESULTS:The common indications for ICU admission were hemodynamic instability (48.6%), respiratory failure (27.9%) and sepsis (15.3%). Hypertension (46.8%) was the most common comorbidity. Prevalance rates of heart failure and diabetes mellitus were 32.4% and 25.2% respectively. Mortality rate was 52.3% in all patients. Approximately 80% of all deaths was observed within the first fifteen-day. In additon, mortality rate (85.7%) was prominent within patients in need of the mechanical ventilation support. Mechanical ventilation requirement, increased ferritin and vitamin B12 levels were independent risk factors for mortality in critically ill patients (p<0.01, for all).CONCLUSION:Mortality rate was higher in medical ICU. Herein, increased prevalence of geriatric population, concomitant comorbidities and mechanical ventilation requirements may play role.

CV risk factors are more common in patients with TAK, particularly hypertension. The FRS is higher in patients with TAK at the time of diagnosis. The cumulative incidence of CVE was also significantly higher during follow-up in TAK. Our results suggest that patients with TAK should undergo careful assessment of CV risk factors, and an aggressive risk modification approach is warranted.

The new 2012 EULAR/ACR clinical classification criteria for PMR is highly sensitive; however, its ability to discriminate PMR from other inflammatory/noninflammatory shoulder conditions, especially from seronegative RA, is not adequate. Imaging and other modifications such as cutoff values for APR might increase the specificity of the criteria.