NO and MDA levels are elevated in psoriasis patients, which may indicate that oxidative stress plays an important role in the aetiopathogenesis of psoriasis.

The aim of this study was to assess mean platelet volume (MPV) and its relationship with disease activity in patients with Behçet's disease. Thirty-six patients with an age of 38.9 ± 11 (mean ± SD) years and 40 controls aged 36.5 ± 12 (mean ± SD) years were enrolled the study. Demographic data, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), MPV, clinical findings such as oral aphthae, genital aphthae, erythema nodosum, acne, central nervous system involvement, uveitis, arthritis and arthralgia were all recorded. The MPV value in patients with Behçet's disease was 8.06 ± 1.0 (mean ± SD) and the MPV value of the control participants was 7.45 ± 0.6 (mean ± SD). MPV was statistically higher in patients with Behçet's disease than in the controls (P = 0.003). There were also significant differences between patients and controls according to ESR and CRP values (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). MPV was positively correlated with arthralgia (P < 0.001, r = 0.438), arthritis (P = 0.008, r = 0.307), erythema nodosum (P = 0.002, r =  0.354), central nervous system involvement (P = 0.002, r = 0.357), acne (P = 0.008, r = 0.312), genital aphthae (P < 0.001, r = 0.401) and oral aphthae (P = 0.001 r = 0.377). MPV can be easily obtained from the patients. It was a cheap and practical method. In the future, MPV may be used as a new marker to detect the activation of BD.

Objective: This study included 100 patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis who presented at Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine Gastroenterology clinic and polyclinic. Materials and Methods:The etiology of liver cirrhosis and the incidence of its complications have been investigated. Results:The etiological classification of liver cirrhosis in our patients was as follows: 47 hepatitis B virus hepatitis, 11 hepatitis C virus hepatitis , 5 HBV+HDV hepatitis, 4 Budd Chiari syndrome, 2 chronic alcohol abuse, 2 ischemic heart disease, 1 autoimmune hepatitis, 1 sclerosing cholangitis, 1 hydatid cyst. In 26 patients we could not find any etiological condition. These patients were called cryptogenic cirrhosis patients.When we examined the complications of liver cirrhosis, it appeared that there were ascites in 83 patient. In 56 patients, esophageal variceal bleeding occurred. There was spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in 42 patients. Hepatorenal syndrome occurred in 26 patients. Finally, in 3 patients we detected hepatorenal syndrome. Conclusion:The most common causes in the etiology of liver cirrhosis are viral, especially HBV. Many of the patients were in decompensated phase when diagnosed. We found that there was a close relation between the frequency of complications and mortality in liver cirrhosis. Key Words: Liver cirrhosis, aetiology, complication ÖzetAmaç: Atatürk Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Gastroenteroloji klinik ve polikliniğine başvuran karaciğer sirozu tanılı 100 hasta incelendi. Gereç ve Yöntem:Hastalarda karaciğer sirozunun etiyolojisi ve komplikasyonlarının sıklığı araştırıldı. Bulgular:Hastalığın etiyolojisinde hastalarımızın 47'sinde (%47) HBV, 11'inde (%11) HCV, 5'inde (%5) HBV+HDV, 4'ünde (%4) Budd Chiari sendromu, 2'sinde (%2) kronik alkol kullanımı, 2'sinde (%2) iskemik kalp hastalığı, birinde (%1) otoimmün hepatit,birinde (%1) sklerozan kolanjit, birinde (%1) kisthidatik hastalığı tespit edildi. Yirmi altı hastada (%26) etiyolojik sebep bulunamadı, bu hastalar kriptojenik karaciğer sirozu olarak değerlendirildi. Komplikasyonlar araştırıldığında 100 hastanın 83'ünde (%83) assit tespit edildi, 56'sında (%56) özefagus varis kanaması gözlendi, 42'sinde (%42) spontan bakteriyel peritonit tespit edildi, 26'sında (%26) hepatik ansefalopati tespit edildi. Toplam 3 hastada (%3) hapatorenal sendrom tespit edildi. Sonuç:Bölgemizde karaciğer sirozunun etiyolojisinde en sık neden viral sebepler özellikle Hepatit B virüsü saptandı. Hastalarımızın büyük çoğunluğunun tanı konulduğunda dekompanse safhada olduğu göz-lendi. Karaciğer sirozunda komplikasyonların sıklığı ile mortalite arasında yakın bir ilişki olduğu kanısına varıldı.

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Objective: End stage renal disease (ESRD) has a high worldwide prevalence and incidence. Peritonitis is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in peritoneal dialysis patients. Although inflammatory markers show increased inflammatory responses, cellular immune response was decreased in ESRD patients. Leptin is an adipocytederived hormone that has activity in energy, nutrition and immune system. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (N/L) was emerged as a predictive and prognostic criterion in many instances. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationships between increased inflammation in peritoneal dialysis patients and leptin, N/L ratio. Materials and Methods:Forty-one ESRD patients, who were been at least 12 months of peritoneal dialysis therapy, were included in the study. Patients' demographic properties were recorded. Serum leptin level, WBC count, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and biochemical markers were measured. Patients with active viral or bacterial infection, malignancy, inflammatory disease, immunosuppressive medication users were all excluded from the study. Age and sex-matched healthy control group was included in the study only for their leptin levels.Results: The measured mean serum leptin level of the patient group was statistically significantly higher than control group (1624.88±1608.16 and 416±439.85). The calculated mean peritonitis incidence was 0.041±0.047 peritonitis/per year. The number of peritonitis attack was significantly correlated with duration of peritoneal dialysis, body mass index (BMI), age and presence of cardiovascular disease. Serum leptin level was significantly correlated with sex, age, primary cause of ESRD, BMI, blood glucose level and duration of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Conclusion:We detected that ESRD patients have higher serum leptin levels compare to healthy adults. Increased leptin was correlated with sex, age, BMI, primary cause of ESRD and serum glucose level. Number of peritonitis attack and peritonitis incidence was significantly correlated with the duration of PD, BMI and sex. We weren't able to show the predictive N/L value in PD patients in case of peritonitis.Key Words: Leptin, neutrophil to Lymphocyte raito, peritonitis, peritoneal dialysis Özet Amaç: Son dönem böbrek yetersizliği (SDBY) dünya genelinde yüksek bir prevelansa sahiptir. Peritonit, periton diyaliz hastalarının hastane yatış sebepleri arasında en önde gelenlerden bir tanesidir. SDBY hastaların-da inflammatuvar belirteçler artmış inflamatuvar yanıt varlığını gösterse de hücresel ve immün yanıt azalmıştır. Adiposit kaynaklı bir hormone olan leptin, enerji, beslenme ve immün sistem üzerinde etkilere sahiptir. Nötrofil-lenfosit oranı (N/L) çeşitli durumlarda prediktif ve prognostik kriter olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Biz bu çalışmada periton diyaliz hastalarında artmış enflammasyon, leptin ve N/L ilişkisini araştırmak istedik. Gereç ve Yöntem: En az 12 aydan beri periton diyalizi yapan 41 SDBY hastası çalışmaya dahil edildi. Hastaların demografik özellikleri kay...

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In this experimental study the possible effects of the acitretin on the spermatogenesis of the rats were investigated histopathologically. Thirty-nine male adult Wistar albino rats were divided into 3 groups as two experimental groups and one control group. The first group consisting 14 rats were applied orally standard dose (0.75 mg/kg/day) acitretin and the second group consisting 16 rats were applied high dose (1.5 mg/kg/day) acitretin. Acitretin was given within dimetil sulphoxide (DMSO), which was diluted with saline solution as a ratio of 1/10, in order to increase its solubility. The control group consisting 9 rats were given only saline solution including DMSO for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of the administration, half of the rats in the first and second groups and the entire control group were sacrificed under deep ether anaesthesia and bilateral orchiectomy was made. The remaining rats were compared with the control group using a similar method at the end of 8 weeks of wash-off period. The orchiectomy materials were histopathologically evaluated under the light microscope for spermatogenesis according to parameters including spermatogenetic activity, spermatogenetic organization, seminiferous tubular diameter, interstitial Leydig cells and fibroblasts. The groups, which were evaluated at the end of the 8(th) and 16(th) weeks, were compared with the control group regarding the mentioned parameters and no statistical significance was observed among the groups. In our study it was concluded that the standard and high doses of acitretin do not have any effect on the spermatogenesis of the rats.