Turk J Med Sci
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Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is an endocrine disorder characterized by hypercalcemia caused by excessive parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion from the parathyroid gland. PHPT was previously shown to increase cardiac arrhythmias. Besides, new indices, such as the Tpeak-Tend (Tp-e) interval, Tp-e interval/QT interval (Tp-e/QT) ratio, and Tp-e interval/corrected QT interval (Tp-e/QTc) ratio may be associated with ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between PHPT and the changes to Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT ratio, and Tp-e/QTc ratio. ⋯ : Our results suggest that Tp-e may enhance the current knowledge on arrhythmic risk in PHPT patients better than basal ECG. In addition, both high PTH and high calcium levels appear to have the potential to cause arrhythmogenic effects.
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Irisin, a newly identified exercise-derived myokine, has been found involved in a peripheral vasodilator effect. However, little is known regarding the potential vascular activity of irisin, and the mechanisms underlying its effects on vascular smooth muscle have not been fully elucidated. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of irisin on vascular smooth muscle contractility in rat thoracic aorta, and the hypothesis that protein kinase C (PKC) may have a role in these effects. ⋯ In conclusion, physiological findings were obtained regarding the functional relaxing effects of irisin in rat thoracic aorta. The findings demonstrated that irisin induces relaxation responses in endothelium-intact thoracic aorta rings in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, this study is the first to report that irisin-induced relaxation responses are regulated probably via activating signaling pathways implicating PKC.
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The aims of this study are to determine the incidence and more frequent localizations of orbital fat tissue herniation accompanying dehiscences in the medial orbital wall and to investigate the relationship between orbital fat tissue herniations and the anterior and posterior ethmoidal foramina. ⋯ Zone 3 is the weakest area of the medial orbital wall, and zone 3 is the most prone to herniation of fat tissue. The association of orbital fat tissue herniations with the anterior ethmoidal foramen is extremely common. Being cognizant of this finding may help a surgeon better estimate the anatomical view to be met before functional endoscopic sinus surgery as well as to minimize the risk of possible orbital complications, especially anterior ethmoidal artery injury.
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Irrational drug use not only causes a delay in the treatment of patients, failure to achieve full well-being, drug interactions and side effects, drug resistance but also creates economic negativities such as waste of resources and unnecessary workload. This study aims to investigate the irrational drug use behaviors of individuals over the age of 18 who applied to a university hospital. ⋯ Irrational drug use behaviors are still observed in society. The fact that the risk is higher in lower education groups is an example of the negative consequences of limited health literacy. The fact that different risk groups have been identified for different behaviors related to irrational drug use shows that intervention studies on this subject should be directed to specific groups. The effect of having social security reveals its connection with universal health coverage and rational drug use.
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Dear Editor, After the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the whole world, rheumatologists began to think about how COVID-19 will progress in patients with inflammatory conditions. High cytokine levels play a role in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 infection. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a proinflammatory cytokine known to have a key role in the pathogenesis of chronic immune-mediated diseases. AntiTNF therapy may cause an increase in active tuberculosis, other granulomatous diseases, and serious infections [1]. According to many studies, rheumatological diseases have not been identified as a risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection [2]. Should significantly increased cytokine levels during COVID-19 infection make us consider anticytokine therapies that may be used in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 a risk? We aimed to explore whether the frequency of COVID-19 infection increased, the effect of comorbidities on the frequency of infection, and whether the severity of the disease and need for intensive care support increased in patients who used anti-TNF agents. We performed a retrospective case-control study between March and December 2020 in Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital. Retrospectively, we evaluated whether there was a difference in the frequency and severity of COVID-19 in our patients diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 77 of whom were using anti-TNF and 49 of whom didn't use anti-TNF. Hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) requirements were evaluated as endpoints. In the anti-TNF group, patients used adalimumab, etanercept, certolizumab, infliximab, and golimumab. Patients were questioned at an outpatient clinic in person or by phone. Seventy-seven patients with AS using anti-TNF agents (58 males, 19 females) and 49 patients with AS (38 males, 11 females) not using anti-TNF agents were included in the study (p = 0.943). Mean age of patients using antiTNF agents was 41.53 ± 10.38, and mean age of patients not using anti-TNF agents was 42.94 ± 10.86 (p = 0.468). Thirty-three (42.9%) patients were smokers in the antiTNF group, while 23 (46.9%) patients were smokers in the group not using TNFi (p = 0.791). There was 12 pack-year smoking in the anti-TNF group, and 14 pack-year smoking in not using TNFi (p = 0.623). The frequency of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), amiloidosis, familial mediterranean fever (FMF), coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was similar in both groups (p = 0.403, p = 0.999, p = 0.521, p = 0.999, p = 0.999, respectively). Six patients using TNFi and 3 patients not using TNFi recovered from COVID-19 infection. However, this result was not statistically significant (p = 0.999). One patient using anti-TNF was hospitalized but with no need for admission to the ICU (p = 0.999). All 9 patients recovering from COVID-19 were male (p = 0.113). There were 2 (22.2%) smokers in the SARS-CoV-2 positive group and 54 (46.2%) smokers in SARS-CoV-2 negative group (p = 0.297). There was 37.5 pack-year smoking in SARS-CoV-2 positive group, and 12 pack-year smoking in SARS-CoV-2 negative group (p = 0.151). Nobody has comorbidities (DM, HT, amiloidosis, FMF, CAD, COPD) in SARS-CoV-2 positive group. There were patients with DM (5.1%), HT (15.4%), amiloidosis (1.7%), FMF (1.7%), CAD (0.9%) and COPD (0.9%) in SARS-CoV-2 negative group (p = 0.999, p = 0.356, p = 0.999, p = 0.999, p = 0.999, p = 0.999, respectively). Having comorbidities was not detected to be associated with frequency of COVID-19. 31 (40.3%) patients were using adalimumab, 25 (32.5%) patients were using etanercept, 13 patients were using (16.9%) certolizumab, 6 (7.8%) patients were using golimumab, and 2 patients (2.6%) were using infliximab in TNF group. Six patients using anti-TNF (2 adalimumab, 1 etanercept, 1 golimumab,2 infliximab) and 3 nonuser patients recovered from COVID-19 (p = 0.999). No statistically significant difference was found between SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative patients in terms of the types of anti TNF they used. Patients were called in March 2020, and they were advised to terminate their anti-TNF therapy, when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Among those who used antiTNF, 2 (33.3%) people who had COVID-19 and 38 (53.5%) people who did not have COVID-19 interrupted treatment (p = 0.419). Anti-TNF users who did not have COVID-19 stopped taking the treatment for an average of 3 months (min 2-max 4 months) starting from March 2020, and the patients who had COVID-19 (p = 0.102) stopped taking the treatment for 1.5 months (min 1-max 2 months). Duration of interrupting TNFi was not significant for the risk of COVID-19. Comorbidities, older age, and the presence of active disease have been associated with worse outcomes in previous studies [3]. In our study, the anti-TNF using and the nonuser groups were similar according to age, sex, and comorbidities. Although comorbidities in COVID-19 are associated with severe disease in the literature, we did not find a significant difference in our study. This result is probably related to our insufficient number of patients. As a result, we found that the use of anti-TNF did not increase the frequency and severity of COVID-19. In a recently published multicenter study, it was stated that the use of biological DMARDs in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases was not significantly associated with a worse outcome of COVID-19. But unlike our study, having no comorbidities was associated with a decreased risk of a worse outcome [4]. There are currently studies investigating the therapeutic utility of infliximab and adalimumab in hospitalized COVID-19 patients [5]. The results of these studies are very important. The usability of TNFi in treatment and at which stage of the disease anti-TNF agents can be used are wondered. We will see the course of the disease all over the world after the administration of the COVID-19 vaccines, but we still need more information about effective and safe treatment. ⋯ The authors did not receive support from any organization for this work.