Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research
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Review
Pooled analysis of 857 published adult fever of unknown origin cases in Turkey between 1990-2006.
The aim of this study was a systematic review of the literature related to adult fever of unknown origin (FUO) in Turkey. ⋯ Tuberculosis and brucellosis remain common causes of FUO in Turkey. In addition, lymphomas and adult-onset Still's disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient admitted with FUO.
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Review
Autonomic dysfunction and cardiac repolarization abnormalities in patients with migraine attacks.
The clinical symptoms of migraine are widely accepted to be related to the involvement of the autonomic nervous system, and especially to dysfunction in the regulation of the circulatory system and autonomic balance. Disturbance of the autonomic nervous system is a primary characteristic of migraine Therefore, patients with migraine have a variety of symptoms, such as vasodilatation (flushing), pilo-erection, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cutaneous vasoconstriction (pallor), and diaphoresis. The electrocardiographic changes seen during a migraine attack compared with the pain-free period could be secondary to reversible disturbances of the state of autonomic innervation of the heart and coronary arteries. ⋯ However, there is no information in literature reporting the frequency of cardiac arrhythmias in migraine patients who had cardiac repolarization abnormalities. In this review, detailed electrocardiographic findings and their relation with the autonomic nervous system, including recent observations, have been evaluated. However, further studies are needed to investigate the association between autonomic dysregulation and cardiac repolarization abnormalities in patients with migraine.
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Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) affects approximately one third of patients and may lead to aspiration, dehiscence, esophageal rupture, and increased treatment costs if inadequately controlled. An important therapeutic option for prevention of PONV is 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists. Nonetheless, therapeutic failure sometimes occurs. ⋯ Instead, granisetron is metabolized via the CYP3A4 isoform, which is not subject to significant genetic polymorphism. CYP2D6 genotype screening prior to PONV treatment may allow for modification of antiemetic dosing. An alternative is to use a 5-HT3 agent that is metabolized independently of the CYP2D6 isoform, such as granisetron, that would obviate the need for genotyping and may lead to improved prophylaxis of PONV.
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Most of the methods of investigating lung diseases have been invasive until the discovery that exhaled nitric oxide can be used as a surrogate marker of airway inflammation, particularly in asthma. Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) is now established as a marker of airway inflammation. It has been shown to correlate well with eosinophilic asthmatic airway inflammation, and to be able to predict decline in asthma control and airway function. ⋯ The EBC contains a number of mediators relating to the NO pathway, including nitrite as a metabolite of nitric oxide, nitrotyrosine, nitrosothiols plus small molecular mediators associated with oxidative stress, including hydrogen ions, and hydrogen peroxide. In addition, reports are emerging of the detection of larger molecules which not only include leukotrienes, prostaglandins, albumin and other proteins, such as cytokines, but also macromolecules, for example, DNA. EBC is becoming a technique which will allow repeated non-invasive sampling from the respiratory tract thus assisting pulmonary research and possibly the monitoring of lung diseases.
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Melanoma represents a significant and growing public health burden worldwide, especially in Caucasian populations. The purpose of this review is to summarize the literature on the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and incidence, stage at diagnosis and survival from melanoma. ⋯ Potential explanations for these findings are that high SES individuals may have a higher susceptibility and exposure (e.g., risk behaviors) for developing melanoma, and low SES individuals may have less access to educational campaigns and screening examinations and effective treatment. These differences reflect a disparity in melanoma outcomes across diverse SES populations in many countries.