Adnan Cansever

Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine balance in major depression: effect of sertraline therapy.

The specific associations between antidepressant treatment and alterations in the levels of cytokines remain to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of IL-2, IL-4, IL-12, TNF-α, TGF-β1, and MCP-1 in major depression and to investigate the effects of sertraline therapy. Cytokine and chemokine levels were measured at the time of admission and 8 weeks after sertraline treatment. Our results suggest that the proinflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-12, and TNF-α) and MCP-1 were significantly higher, whereas anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and TGF-β1 were significantly lower in patients with major depression than those of healthy controls. It seems likely that the sertraline therapy might have exerted immunomodulatory effects through a decrease in the proinflammatory cytokine IL-12 and an increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and TGF-β1. In conclusion, our results indicate that Th1-, Th2-, and Th3-type cytokines are altered in the depressed patients and some of them might have been corrected by sertraline treatment.

Body dysmorphic disorder in patients with acne

There is growing evidence that the prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is significantly higher in specially selected populations as compared to the general population. The goal of the current study was to evaluate prevalence of BDD in Turkish patients with mild acne presenting to a dermatologist for treatment. This study was the first empirical investigation of BDD in acne patients in Turkey. One hundred fifty-nine outpatients diagnosed with acne who consulted to the dermatology clinic were included in the study. The diagnosis of BDD was based on DSM-IV criteria and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I). A study-specific questionnaire was administered to document and investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics of the cases. Fourteen (8.8%) patients were diagnosed with BDD. Three (21.4%) patients with acne and BDD also had concomitant psychiatric diagnoses. All of the patients were psychiatric management-naive, never received any psychological or physical treatments. BDD was a common psychiatric condition in acne cases. We suggest that dermatologists should routinely explore symptoms and screen such patients for BDD.

Mirtazapine augmentation in depressed patients with sexual dysfunction due to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

To evaluate the effect of mirtazapine augmentation in patients with sexual dysfunction induced by current selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment.

Smoking and substance abuse in outpatients with schizophrenia: a 2-year follow-up study in Turkey

BACKGROUND This study aimed to determine the prevalence of smoking and substance abuse in outpatients with schizophrenia, and to determine the relationship between smoking status and sociodemographic/clinical characteristics of schizophrenia. METHODS One hundred and thirty-six schizophrenic outpatients were assessed by the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS). Demographic and treatment variables were obtained from case records and interviews with patients and their family members. RESULTS The frequency of smoking among schizophrenic patients was 50%. However, the rate of substance abuse was 5.2%. We found no statistically significant differences between the smoker and the non-smoker patients on the demographic variables of age, sex, marital status, and employment status. There was no significant difference between the groups on BPRS scores. However, smokers were receiving a higher daily dose of neuroleptic than non-smokers. CONCLUSION The prevalence of smoking among schizophrenic patients was similar to the rates found in Western cultures. However, the prevalence of substance abuse was lower in Turkish patients as compared with patients in the Western population.