Turk J Med Sci
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Liver transplantation (LT) remains the only therapeutic option offering gold standard treatment for end-stage liver disease (ESLD) and acute liver failure (ALF), as well as for certain early-stage liver tumors. Currently, the greatest challenge facing LT is the simple fact that there are not enough adequate livers for all the potential patients that could benefit from LT. Despite efforts to expand the donor pool to include living and deceased donors, organ shortage is still a major problem in many countries. ⋯ However, the majority of patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis who fail medical therapy will not live long enough to meet this requirement. Besides, the initial results of early liver transplantation (ELT) without waiting for 6 months of abstinence period are satisfactory in severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH). It will be important to take care of these patients from a newer perspective.
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The success of treatment of bone fracture and defects are based on a proper contact and compression between the bone fracture fragments. Intraoperative manipulations such as bone compression or distractions are generally done in order to achieve this. However, none of the bone plates currently in routine use allow these manipulations after fixation to the bone, requiring refixation and repeated drilling, and screwing operations. Based on this shortcoming, we designed a novel adjustable bone plate (ABP) system which allows bone shortening and lengthening even after fixation to the bone surface. The aim of the paper is to clarify the unique properties of the novel bone plate. ⋯ The potential of the new generation ABP plate for use in bone compression, distraction, and the segmental bone transfer is a promising invention for clinical applications in the future.
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Dynamic thiol-disulfide homeostasis (TDH) is a new area has begun to attract more scrutiny. Dynamic TDH is reversal of thiol oxidation in proteins and represents the status of thiols (-SH) and disulfides (-S-S-). Organic compounds containing the sulfhydryl group is called thiol, composed of sulfur and hydrogen atoms. ⋯ These results may elucidate some pathogenic mechanism or may be a predictor indicating diagnostic clue, prognostic marker or therapeutic sign. In conclusion, protection of the thiol-disulfide homeostasis is of great importance for the human being. Evidence achieved so far has proposed that thiol-disulfide homeostasis is an important issue needs to elucidate wholly.
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Increased knowledge regarding the implications of gut microbiota in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) suggests that a disturbed intestinal microenvironment (dysbiosis) might promote the development and maintenance of IBS symptoms and affects several pathways in the pathology of this multifactorial disease. Accordingly, manipulation of the gut microbiota in order to improve IBS symptoms has evolved as a novel treatment strategy in the last decade. Several different approaches have been investigated in order to improve the gut microbiota composition. ⋯ The use of antibiotics still needs confirmation, although promising results have been reported with use of rifaximin. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has recently gained a lot of attention, and several placebo-controlled trials investigating FMT obtain promising results regarding symptom reduction and gut microbiota manipulation in IBS. However, more data regarding long-term effects are needed before FMT can be integrated as a customized treatment for IBS in the clinical routine.
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Ankaferd hemostat (ABS; Ankaferd Blood Stopper®, İstanbul, Turkey) is a hemostatic agent having an impact on red blood cell– fibrinogen interactions. The hemostatic effect of ABS depends upon the quick promotion of a protein network, particularly fibrinogen gamma, in relation to the erythrocyte aggregation. The entire physiological process involves ABS-induced formation of the protein network by vital erythrocyte aggregation. ⋯ The literature search on ABS was performed in PubMed, Web of Science (SCI expanded), and Scopus with particular focus on the studies of molecular basis of ABS, in vivo research, case series, and controlled randomized clinical studies. Current perspective for the utilization of ABS is to provide hemostasis with accelerating wound healing. Future controlled trials are needed to elucidate the pleiotropic clinical effects of ABS such as antineoplastic, antiinflammatory, antiinfective, antifungal, and antioxidative effects.