No abstract

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.

BACKGROUND: Cholelithiasis is a frequently encountered problem in developed countries. Gallstone is present in at least 10% of the adults. While 40-60% of people with gallstones manifest an asymptomatic clinical course, in most of the cases with symptomatic cholelithiasis, there is also an asymptomatic period. 20% of the patients with symptomatic gallstones are admitted to emergency services with clinical features of acute cholecystitis. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic value of pentraxin 3 on complications and prognosis and also to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates in cases with acute cholecystitis.

IntroductionAutomated 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 methodsA 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.ResultsDifferences 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.ConclusionsWe 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.

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. Keywords: Factor II, factor V, MTHFR, polymorphisms ÖzAmaç: Faktör V / Faktör II / Metilen tetrahidrofolat redüktaz, gen polimorfizmleri trombofili ile yakın ilişkilidir. Bu polimorfizmlerin bölgesel görülme sıklıkları farklılıklar gösterebilmektedir. Çalışmamızın amacı Faktör V / Faktör II / Metilen tetrahidrofolat redüktaz genlerinin en sık görülen tek nükleotid polimorfizmlerinin bölgemiz için görülme sıklığını değerlendirmektir. Gereç ve Yöntem:Trombofili şüphesi ile laboratuvarımızda ça-lışılan, toplam 433 hasta sonucu değerlendirildi. İlgili polimorfizmlerin belirlenmesi için tam kan numuneleri kullanılarak Verigene Sistem için tasarlanan otomatik nükleik asit testi kullanıldı. Kit modülü en sık görülen Factör V G1691A) / Faktör II G20210A / Metilen tetrahidrofolat redüktaz C677T, tek nükleotid polimorfizmlerini tespit etmek için dizayn edilmiştir. Bulgular:Çalışmamız sonucunda Faktör V G1691A polimorfizmi için %8,7 oranında heterozigot genotip, Faktör II G20210A polimorfizmi için %3,9 oranında heterozigot genotip ve metilen tetrahidrofolat redüktaz C677T polimorfizmi için %43,9 oranında heterozigot, %3,0 oranında kişinin homozigot mutant genotip taşıdıkları belirlendi.Sonuç: Faktör V / Faktör II / metilenetetrahidrofolat redüktaz genlerinin sık görülen tek nükleotid polimorfizmlerinin tespiti ile tromboz riski yüksek hastalar belirlenebilir ve genetik ve edinsel risk faktörlerin etkileşimi değerlendirilebilir. Çalışmamızın sonucunda, sık görülen trombofilik allel mutasyonlarının görülme sıklıklarının bölgemize özgü bir dağılım frekansı göstermediğini söyleyebiliriz.