Summary Background The aim of this study is to examine the relationship among the changes in activities of paraoxonase (PON), arylesterase (ARE) and homocysteine thiolactonase (HTLase) enzyme having antioxidant properties and the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN), one of the most common complications of diabetes. Methods Normoalbuminuric type-2 diabetic patients (Group II, n=100), microalbuminuric type 2 diabetic patients (Group III, n=100) and the control group (Group I, n=100) were included in the study. The age and gender of the patient groups matched with the age and gender of the control group. HTLase, PON and ARE enzyme activities were measured by the spectrophotometric method using a g-thiobutyrinolactone, paraoxon, and phenylacetate substrates respectively. In this study, an autoanalyzer application was developed in order to measure HTLase enzyme activity for the first time. Results Serum HTLase, ARE and PON activities of Group III and Group II were significantly low compared to HTLase, ARE and PON results of Group I (p<0.05). Conclusions Based on our results, PON, ARE and HTLase enzyme activities were found to be decreased due to the increase in the degree of DN.

Summary Background The aim of our study is to compare plasma ferritin levels found to be high or low in terms of reference range by means of electrochemiluminescence (ECLIA) and immunoturbidimetric method and to examine whether they can be used interchangeably. Methods 84 patients with high plasma ferritin level and 153 patients with low ferritin level according to the reference range were included in the study. Plasma samples measured in Cobas e601 device with ECLIA were also measured as immunoturbidimetric Cobas c501 device. For method comparison, CLSI EP9-A3 Guideline was used. While the consistency between the methods were specified with Passing-Bablok regression analysis and Spearman cor relation analysis, bias error between the methods (bias%) was determined through Bland-Altman analysis. Results Both high and low plasma ferritin levels measured with Cobas e601 module and determined high in terms of reference range were compared with the results found with cobas c501 module. The difference was found to be statistically significant (p<0.001). According to regression and correlation (for low plasma ferritin levels; r: 0.993, p<0.001, for high plasma ferritin levels; r: 0.966, p<0.001) results, the methods were in consistency with each other. Additionally, while the bias% value was found to be 10.4% for low plasma ferritin levels, it was found to be 12.6% for high ferritin levels. Conclusions Accordingly, we believe that, comparison with more samples especially in terms of different clinical decision levels is required in order to examine inter changeable use of immunoturbidimetric method in integrated devices and ECLIA.

BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to compare procalcitonin and CRP levels in maternal serum and fetal cord blood samples of patients with idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) vs. a control group of appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants.Material/MethodsThe present prospective study included 43 patients: 27 patients with idiopathic IUGR (IUGR group) and 26 AGA infants at similar gestational ages (control group). Maternal serum and fetal cord blood samples were collected from the control group and IUGR group at time of delivery. Procalcitonin and CRP levels were analyzed in maternal blood. Procalcitonin and CRP levels were analyzed in fetal cord blood.ResultsThe median value of CRP levels in maternal blood was 47.5 mg/dl in the IUGR group and 15.255 mg/dl in the AGA group (p=0.001). The mdian CRP level in cord blood was 36.4 mg/dl (range, 17.3–47.2) in the IUGR group and 10.1 mg/dl (range, 4.07–16.5) in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.001). The median maternal serum procalcitonin level was 0.05 μg/l in the IUGR group and 0.04 μg/l in the AGA group, and the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.435). The median procalcitonin value in fetal cord blood was 0.06 μg/l in the IUGR group and 0.04 μg/l in the AGA group, and the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.741).ConclusionsMaternal serum and fetal cord CRP levels were higher in the IUGR group; however, there was no difference in procalcitonin, which is another inflammatory indicator, between the groups.

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How to cite: Yavuz A, Sarı İ, Habipoğlu S, Ayan D. The effects of moderate-intensity step-aerobics, spinning, and educational game exercise programs on plasma dopamine and oxytocin levels in women in the menopausal transition period.