Introduction: Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths, is divided into 2 main classes based on its biology, therapy and prognosis: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Many cases are at an advanced stage at diagnosis, which is a major obstacle to improving outcomes. It is important to define the high risk group patients for early diagnosis and chance of cure. Blood group antigens are chemical components on erythrocyte membranes but they are also expressed on a variety of epithelial cells. Links between ABO blood groups with benign or malignant diseases, such as gastric and pancreas cancers, have been observed for a long time. In this study, we aimed to investigate any possible relationship between lung cancer histological subtypes and ABO-Rh blood groups. Materials and Methods: The files of 307 pathologically confirmed lung cancer patients were reviewed retrospectively. Cases with a serologically determined blood group and Rh factor were included and those with a history of another primary cancer were excluded, leaving a total of 221. The distribution of blood groups of the lung cancer patients were compared with the distribution of blood groups of healthy donors admitted to the Turkish Red Crescent Blood Service in our city in the year 2012. Results: There was no significant difference between patients with lung cancer of either type and the control group in terms of distribution of ABO blood groups and Rh factor (p: 0.073). There was also no relationship with non small cell cancer histological subtypes. Conclusions: In this study, we found no relationship between the ABO-Rhesus blood groups and NSCLC and SCLC groups. To our knowledge this is the first analysis of ABO blood groups in SCLC patients.

IntroductionSepsis and septic shock are important causes of mortality in intensive care unit patients, hence early diagnosis and therapy are important in management of their treatment. The available information on sepsis patients is not enough to recommend or to discard the routine evaluation of triglyceride (TG) levels at the onset of sepsis. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of hypertriglyceridemia and clinical outcome (or mortality) in patients with severe sepsis.Materials and methodsBetween January 1 and December 31, 2011, a total of 84 patients with sepsis from the intensive internal care unit at the Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey, were investigated retrospectively. Sepsis was defined according to the American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine/European Society of Intensive Care Medicine consensus conference definitions. For each patient, survival was recorded at the end of the last day of hospitalization as dead or alive. The TG values were taken retrospectively from the records, which were performed routinely for each patient with sepsis at the time of diagnosis. TG >150 mg/dL was considered as hypertriglyceridemia.ResultsThe percentages of male and female patients were 44% and 56%, respectively. The mean age of patients was 71.49±11.071 years. The percentage of patients with TG values more than 150 mg/dL was 81% (25/31) in the non-survivor group and 19% (6/31) in the survivor group. There was a significant difference regarding TG values between groups (P=0.039).DiscussionIt was observed in this study that patients in the intensive care unit with sepsis had high TG levels. We also observed that the TG level >150 mg/dL at 0 hour (onset of sepsis) was a significant predictive marker of sepsis mortality rate. The contribution of hypertriglyceridemia to mortality might be modest compared to increase in severity of illness, but, nevertheless, these simple measurements represent a potential therapeutic target in sepsis.

It is estimated that there are over 5,000 species of mushrooms worldwide. Some of them are edible and some are poisonous due to containing significant toxins. In more than 95% of mushroom toxicity cases, poisoning occurs as a result of misidentification of the mushroom by an amateur mushroom hunter. The severity of mushroom poisoning may vary, depending on the geographic location where the mushroom is grown, growth conditions, the amount of toxin delivered, and the genetic characteristics of the mushroom. Amanita phalloides is the most common and fatal cause of mushroom poisoning. This mushroom contains amanitins, which are powerful hepatotoxins that inhibit RNA polymerase II in liver. Mushroom poisoning is a relatively rare cause of acute liver failure. A 63-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency room with weakness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. He reported ingesting several wild mushrooms about 36 hours earlier. In this article we report a case of lethal Amanita phalloides intoxication from stored mushrooms.

Objectives Antiphospholipid antibodies (APAs) increase the risk of excessive blood clotting, but their role in COVID-19 remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the presence of conventional APAs used in the classification of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome in patients with severe lung infection with SARS-CoV-2 and to compare these results with non-COVID-19 critically ill patients Methods Thirty-one COVID-19 patients (COVID group) and 28 non-COVID-19 critically ill patients (non-COVID group), were included in the study. Anti-cardiolipin (ACA) (IgG, IgM), anti-β2-glycoprotein 1 (Anti-β2GPI) (IgG, IgM, and IgA), and if the patient had not received any anti thrombotic agent before blood collection, lupus anticoagulant (LAC) tests were studied from the plasma of the patients. For testing ACA and Anti-β2GPI, ELISA method was used, while fully automated coagulometer device was used for LAC test. Results APAs were positive in 25.81% in the COVID group (8/31) and 25% in the non-COVID group (7/28). LAC was the most common APA present in 23.08% of the COVID-19 group, who underwent measurement (6/26), while 3.57% of the non-COVID group was LAC positive (1/28) (p = .047). In the COVID group, ACA IgM, and IgG were positive in 6.45% and 0%, respectively (2/31 vs 0/31). In the non-COVID group, ACA IgM was not positive in any patient, while ACA IgG was positive in 7.14% (2/28). Anti-β2GPI IgG and IgM tests were not positive in any patient in either the COVID or the non-COVID group. Anti-β2GPI IgA were positive in 6.45% and 14.29%, respectively (2/31 vs 4/28). Conclusion In this study, APAs were equally positive in critically ill patients among COVID-19 or non-COVID-19 patients. Only LAC was more observed in COVID-19 patients. Key messages

Kikuchi disease, also called Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease or Kikuchi’s histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, is a rare, benign condition of unknown cause, usually characterized by cervical lymphadenopathy and fever. The diagnosis is based on histopathology. Our patient was a woman with bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy, fever, chest and abdominal pain, fatigue, maculopapular rash on her face, trunk, and upper and lower extremities. Immunological and rheumatological tests were negative. We took a cervical lymph node biopsy that showed a proliferative and necrotizing process centered in the paracortex characterized by patchy circumscribed or confluent areas of necrosis associated with karyorrhexis, and was remarkable by the absence of granulocytes and the paucity of plasma cells. These findings confirmed the diagnosis of Kikuchi’s disease. The patient’s hemoglobin values decreased, and the peripheral blood smear revealed schistocytes. Blood tests showed raised D-dimer, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, and international normalized ratio with decreased fibrinogen. The patient’s condition quickly worsened and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy eventually developed. Her initial management consisted of a corticosteroid and hydroxychloroquine.