Chronic inflammation, cytokine-mediated fibrosis, immobilization, and postural changes in ankylosing spondylitis contribute to fatty degeneration and atrophy in the paravertebral muscles.

An increased trochlear sulcus angle/trochlear depth ratio is a significant predictor of chondromalacia patella. Medial meniscus injury is more prevalent in patients with chondromalacia patella in association with impairment in knee biomechanics and the degenerative process.

The purpose of our study was to measure epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness as a novel indicator of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factor in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and to show the relationship with clinical parameters and inflammatory markers. Forty AS patients (42.75 ± 12.43 years) and 40 healthy individuals with no cardiovascular risk factor as the control group (43.02 ± 14.78 years) were included in the study. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and EAT thickness were measured in AS patients and the control group. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, glucose, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, urea, and blood pressure were investigated in both groups. In addition, the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) were used to evaluate the association between clinical findings and CIMT and EAT in the patient group. CIMT and EAT thickness were higher in the AS patients compared to the control group. CIMT was 0.76 ± 0.19 and 0.57 ± 0.12 mm (p < 0.001) and EAT thickness was 4.35 ± 1.56 and 3.03 ± 0.94 mm (p < 0.001) in the AS and control groups, respectively. A correlation was determined between EAT thickness and CIMT. Triglyceride level, patient age, blood pressure, and duration of disease were correlated with both CIMT and EAT thickness. Increased CIMT and EAT thickness in AS patients compared to the control group shows a risk for subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Aims: To evaluate renal morphology, prevalence of urinary stone disease, renal perfusion and resistance to renal blood flow in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS). Material and methods: Thirty-eight patients diagnosed with AS and with normal basal renal functions, together with 38 healthy individuals matched in terms of age, sex, blood lipid profile and body mass index, were included. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, urea, creatinine and glucose levels were measured in both groups, as well as vitamin D, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein in the AS group. Renal dimensions, parenchymal echogenicity, presence of stone and renal resistive index (RRI) from the interlobular artery level were measured, and correlations with clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed. Results: Thirty-eight patients diagnosed with AS (age 42.4± 11.5, 24 male, 14 women) and a control group of 38 healthy individuals (age 41.7±10.8, 23 male, 15 female) were included in the study. Renal stone was present in 7 patients (18.4%) in the AS group and 4 subjects (10.5%) in the control group. There was no significant difference in prevalence of stone between the groups (p=0.516). RRI values were significantly higher in the patients with AS (0.63±0.06) compared with the control group (0.59±0.03, p=0.001). Significant correlations were determined between RRI and age, triglyceride level, body mass index and length of disease. Conclusions: Renal Doppler is an important examination in early diagnosis and monitoring of renal changes in AS patients since renal complications in AS develop in the chronic and follow a subclinical course.

PurposeThe prevalence of obesity has significantly increased among children and adolescents worldwide and is becoming an important health care problem in parallel with the increased prevalence of obesity pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Betatrophin is a newly define hormone that is commonly secreted by liver and plays role in glucose tolerance. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum betatrophin levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children.MethodsThe study included 40 obese children with a body mass index (BMI) above 95th centile, and 35 non-obese subjects with a BMI 3-85th centile, whose age and gender were similar to those of the patient group. For the evaluation of metabolic parameters fasting serum glucose, insulin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lipid profile and serum betatrophin levels were measured. Total cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios were calculated as “atherogenic indices.”ResultsSerum betatrophin levels of the obese subjects were similar to that of non-obese subjects (p=0.90). Betatrophin levels were not correlated with the metabolic parameters.ConclusionIn the present study, levels of betatrophin are not different between obese and insulin resistant children and non-obese subjects, and they are not correlated with atherogenic indices. To elucidate the exact role of betatrophin in obesity, further studies are required to identify the betatrophin receptor and/or other possible cofactors.

Objectives: To investigate whether congenital renal vein anomalies are involved in the etiology of hematuria by analyzing abdominal multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) results. Methods: Six hundred and eighty patients undergoing MDCT for various abdominal pathologies in whom possible causes of hematuria were excluded were retrospectively assessed in terms of left renal vein anomalies, such as circumaortic left renal vein (CLRV), retroaortic left renal vein (RLRV) and multiple renal vein (MRV). Patients with CLRV, RLRV or MRV and patients with normal left renal veins were compared in terms of the presence of hematuria. Results: Left renal vein anomalies were detected in 100 patients (14.7%). RLRV, CLRV and MRV were identified in 5.4, 2.5 and 6.8% of patients, respectively. Hematuria was determined in 8.1% of patients with an RLRV anomaly and in 10.5% of patients with no RLRV anomaly (p = 0.633). Hematuria was detected in 23.5% of patients with a CLRV anomaly and 10.1% of those without (p = 0.074), and in 21.7% of patients with an MRV anomaly and 9.6% of those without (p = 0.009). Conclusions: In addition to increasing risk of complication during retroperitoneal surgery, numeric congenital renal vein anomalies are also significant in terms of leading to clinical symptoms such as hematuria.

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Objectives: To compare individuals consuming natural spring water and tap water in terms of presence of urinary tract stone disease. Patients and methods: Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the type of water: tap water (Group I) vs natural spring water consumers (Group II). The two groups were compared in terms of presence of urolithiasis. In addition to the type of water consumed, participants were investigated in terms of age, sex, occupation, body mass index (BMI) and presence of hypertension (HT) and diabetes mellitus in order to evaluate if they constituted a risk factor for urolithiasis. Results: Two hundred fifty-nine patients consuming tap water and 254 consuming natural spring water were included in this study. Presence of urinary stone disease was determined in 27% of patients in Group I and 26% of Group II (p = 0.794). At multivariate analysis involving all variables that might be correlated with the presence of urolithiasis; male gender, high BMI and presence of HT emerged as being significantly associated with urolithiasis. Conclusions: Although we showed that male gender, presence of HT and high BMI affect stone formation, no difference was demonstated in terms of presence of stone among patients consuming tap or natural spring water