Many studies have been carried out in recent years on the pharmacological effects of Nigella sativa seeds that have uncovered their antiinflammatory and immunological effects. The objective of this study was to explore the antiinflammatory effects of thymoquinone on arthritis in rat models. Rats with arthritis induced by Freund's incomplete adjuvant were assigned to five groups: group 1: controls 0.9% NaCl (n = 7); group 2: 2.5 mg/kg thymoquinone (n = 7); group 3: 5 mg/kg thymoquinone (n = 7); group 4: Bacilli Chalmette Guerin (BCG) 6 x 105 CFU (n = 7); group 5: methotrexate 0.3 mg/kg (n = 7). Signs of inflammation on the claw and radiological signs were searched for and TNF-alpha and IL-1beta were measured. The results of the control and other groups were compared. As a result, thymoquinone, confirmed clinically and radiologically, suppressed adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.

Joint traction was found to be beneficial for the improvement of pain and physical function loss related to knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that plays essential roles in calcium and phosphorus metabolism, bone formation and mineralization homeostasis, also has a role in the maintenance of immune-homeostasis. Objective: We aimed to investigate seasonal serum vitamin D levels and seasonal disease activity in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Osteoarthritis. Methods: Seventy-one Rheumatoid Arthritis patients, 72 Ankylosing Spondylitis patients, 74 knee Osteoarthritis patients and 70 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Bi-seasonal measurements of serum 25(OH)D vitamin were checked in either in July or August or September for summertime and either in December or January or February for wintertime. Disease activity were evaluated by Disease Activity Score-28, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index in groups of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Osteoarthritis respectively. Results: We did not find any correlation between serum 25(OH)D levels and Disease Activity Score-28, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scores in winter and summer. The difference of Disease Activity Score-28 and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scores between winter and summer seasons were not significant in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis patients (p>0.05). The mean Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index score was significantly higher in winter than in summer (p<0.05). Consequently we did not find any correlation between variations of seasonal serum 25(OH)D and the disease activity in the patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Osteoarthritis. Conclusion: These results suggest that vitamin D does not have an important role in the seasonal disease activity of these diseases and that seasonal changes in disease activity may play an important role in evaluating Ankylosing Spondylitis patients rather than Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis patients and should be taken into account when examining these patients. These conclusions need to be validated in multicenter studies with high number of patients.

The Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) attempts to address the limitations of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). As there is no Turkish version of the FIQR available, we aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of a Turkish translation of the FIQR in Turkish female fibromyalgia (FM) patients. After translating the FIQR into Turkish, it was administered to 87 female patients with FM. All of the patients filled out the questionnaire together with a Turkish version of the FIQ, hospital anxiety and depression scales (HADS), short form-36 (SF-36). The tender-point count (TPC) was also calculated from tender points identified by thumb palpation. One week later, FM patients filled out the Turkish FIQR at their second visit. The test-retest reliability of the Turkish FIQR questions ranged from 0.714 to 0.898. The test and retest reliability of total FIQR score was 0.835. Cronbach's alpha was 0.89 for FIQR visit 1 (the first assessment) and 0.91 for FIQR visit 2 (the second assessment), indicating acceptable levels of internal consistency for both assessments. The total scores of the FIQR and FIQ were significantly correlated (r = 0.87, P < 0.01). Significant correlations for construct validity were also obtained between the FIQR total and domain scores and the FIQ, the HADS and the subscales of the SF-36 (FIQR total versus SF-36 physical component score and mental component score were r = -0.63, P < 0.01 and r = -0.51, P < 0.01, respectively). The Turkish FIQR is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring health status in FM, showing sufficient reliability and construct validity. It may be utilized for both clinical practice and research use in the Turkish-speaking population in place of FIQ, since its Turkish version has problems in the wording, omissions, concepts, and scoring from the original FIQ.

Purpose This is a descriptive analysis, of victims of Turkey's October 23, 2011 and November 21, 2011 Van earthquakes. The goal of this study is investigated the injury profile of the both earthquakes in relation to musculoskeletal trauma.Methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 3,965 patients admitted to in seven hospitals. A large share of these injuries were soft tissue injuries, followed by fractures, crush injuries, crush syndromes, nerve injuries, vascular injuries, compartment syndrome and joint dislocations. A total Conclusions The results of this study may provide the basis for future development of strategy to optimise attempts at rescue and plan treatment of survivors with musculoskeletal injuries after earthquakes.