Bulent Yildirim

Brain natriuretic peptide and severity of disease in non-alcoholic cirrhotic patients.

Background:  Cirrhotic patients have a hyperdynamic systemic circulation. They have insidious cardiac problems besides well‐known complications. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) relaxes vascular smooth muscle and has a portal hypotensive action. The relations between BNP levels and severity of disease, cardiac dysfunction and esophageal varices were studied in non‐alcoholic cirrhotic patients.

The relationship of heart rate variability with severity and prognosis of cirrhosis.

Many studies have demonstrated that cirrhosis is frequently associated with autonomic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to test autonomic dysfunction in cirrhotic patients by analyzing heart rate variability (HRV), to determine whether or not the degree of autonomic dysfunction is correlated with the severity of disease, and, also, to compare the changes of HRV between survivor and nonsurvivor groups after 2-year follow-up periods. HRV was analyzed using 24-hr ECG recording in 30 cirrhotic patients and 28 normal controls. The changes in HRV parameters including mean normal-to-normal (N-N) interbeat intervals (mean NN), standard deviation of all N-N intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of the average of N-N intervals for each 5-min period over 24 hr (SDANN), root mean square succesive differences (r-MSSD; msec), and percentage of adjacent N-N intervals that are >50 msec apart (pNN50), all as time domain parameters, were evaluated. The cirrhotic patients were also evaluated according to Child-Pugh classification scores as markers of the disease severity. The time-domain measures of HRV in cirrhotic patients were significantly reduced compared with those in the control group (for all parameters; P < 0.001). The severity of disease was associated with reduced HRV measures (for all parameters; P < 0.001). After the 2-year follow-up periods, HRV measurements in cirrhotic patients were significantly much lower in nonsurvivors than in survivors (P < 0.001 for all). We conclude that increasing severity of cirrhosis is associated with a reduction in HRV. This finding may be an indicator of poor prognosis and mortality for cirrhosis.

Acute pancreatitis: an obscure complication of organophosphate intoxication

Acute pancreatitis secondary to organophosphate intoxication is a rare and generally well-course condition, but it is important to be aware of this complication for appropriate clinical management. There are a few reports about this subject in the literature, but it is believed that there are more cases than are reported for this condition. Because symptoms of toxicity can mask this severe complication, we report two cases of acute pancreatitis due to organophosphate intoxication for alerting this condition.

QT Interval Analysis in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease: A Prospective Study

In previous studies, it has been shown that QT interval prolongation is related to an increased mortality rate in chronic liver disease (CLD). But QT dispersion (QTd) and its clinical significance in CLD has not been well studied. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relation between QTd and severity of the disease and determine its prognostic value in cirrhotic patients. Thirty-three consecutive patients with cirrhosis and 35 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects were studied. QT intervals and QT dispersions were measured on admission, and all intervals were corrected for heart rate according to Bazetts formula. The authors analyzed the potential relationship between QT parameters and the disease severity according to Child-Pugh classification and compared these values between survivors and nonsurvivors after a 3-year follow-up. Child-Pugh classification is used to assess liver function in cirrhosis. Corrected QT (QTc) prolongations were found in 32% of patients with cirrhosis and 5.7% of the healthy controls (p <0.001). The prevalence of increased (>70 ms) corrected QT dispersion (QTcd) was 45% in patients with cirrhosis. According to Child-Pugh criteria: QTd, maximum QT interval (QTmax), corrected QTmax (QTcmax), and QTcd in class C were significantly higher than those of class A and B (p <0.05, for all comparison). But there was no significant difference between class A and B in QTmax, QTcmax, QTd, and QTcd. There were 10 (30%) deaths from all causes during 3-year follow-up in the study group. Cox regression analysis showed that QTd and QTcd were better mortality indicators than QTmax and QTcmax, and Childs classification was the best predictor for mortality among all variables. In conclusion, QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion parameters were better mortality indicators than other QT interval parameters and also may give additional prognostic information in patients with chronic liver disease.

QT interval analysis in patients with acute biliary pancreatitis.

Background: It has been previously proposed that electrocardiographic abnormalities may be associated with acute pancreatitis. However, there is a lack of data on the QT interval and dispersion value in patients with acute pancreatitis, and no data are also available concerning QT interval and QT dispersion in acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP). Aims: We aimed to investigate the QT parameters in patients with ABP, to compare them with those of healthy controls, and to analyze the relationship between QT parameters and Ranson score. Methods: The present study included 32 patients with acute biliary pancreatitis and 35 healthy controls. The severity of the pancreatitis was determined by Atlanta criteria: fewer than 3 Ranson criteria or fewer than 8 APACHE II (the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation) points indicated the mild disease (group 1); 3 or more Ranson criteria or 8 or more APACHE II points or organ failure or systemic complications or local complications indicated the severe disease (group 2). On admission, all patients underwent a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram, and corrected maximum QTc interval (QTcmax), corrected minimum QT interval (QTcmin), and corrected QTc dispersion (QTcd) values of the subjects were measured according to the Bazett formula in this study. Results: QTcmax and QTcd were significantly longer in patients with ABP than in healthy controls (442 ± 38 milliseconds versus 413 ± 34 milliseconds, P < 0.05; and 67 ± 21 milliseconds versus 42 ± 18 milliseconds, P < 0.001, respectively). Similarly, QTcmax and QTcd were significantly longer in group 2 than in group 1 (440 ± 38 milliseconds versus 450 ± 34 milliseconds, P < 0.01; and 66 ± 9 milliseconds versus 71 ± 11 milliseconds, P < 0.01, respectively). Correlation analysis showed that there is a significant positive relationship between Ranson scores of patients and QTcmax and QTcd (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: The effect of acute biliary pancreatitis on QT intervals and dispersion appears to be dependent not only on the disease but also on its severity, and these parameters may give additional prognostic information in ABP patients, even in the initial evaluation.

Prevalence patterns of gastric cancers in Turkey: model of a developing country with high occurrence of Helicobacter pylori.

Aim:  In developed countries, there has been a recent increase in the prevalence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and cardia, along with a decrease in distal gastric cancers. Little is known regarding the prevalence of these diseases in developing countries. The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in the prevalence of gastric adenocarcinomas in Turkey as a function of anatomic location.

Gastric Tissue Oxidative Changes in Portal Hypertension and Cirrhosis

Gastric mucosal lesions are very common in portal hypertension and cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to assess for oxidative gastric tissue damage in cirrhosis and evaluate relations with portal hypertension and cirrhosis parameters. The study included 30 patients with cirrhosis and 30 controls. Each patients history, physical examination, and laboratory findings were recorded, and multiple biopsies of the gastric antrum were obtained at endoscopy. A set of antral biopsies was also collected from each control subject. Each tissue specimen was analyzed for levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activity and level of malondialdehyde (MDA). Patients’ gastric GPX, SOD, and CAT levels were significantly lower, and MDA levels were higher, than in the control group. The GPX activity level in the specimens was moderately negatively correlated with portal vein diameter (P < 0.05, r=−0.45) and spleen length (P < 0.05, r=−0.45). In this study gastric tissue oxidative markers showed that antral oxidative factors worsen in cirrhosis. Oxidative stress may not be a clinical condition but it obviously shows gastric tissue damage and may explain many patients’ gastric lesions and hemorrhage.

ASSOCIATION OF PERIPAPILLARY FISTULA WITH COMMON BILE DUCT STONES AND CHOLANGITIS

Background:  Peripapillary choledochoduodenal fistula (PCDF) is occasionally detected during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Cholelithiasis and biliary bougienage are two suspected causes of PCDF.

Sonographic findings in noncirrhotic portal fibrosis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sonographic appearances of noncirrhotic portal fibrosis (NCPF).

Common bile duct diameters after endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients with common bile duct stones: ultrasonographic evaluation

AbstractBackground: One of the most reliable, frequently used imaging techniques in cholestasis is ultrasonography (US) for the diagnosis of common bile duct (CBD) stones. Methods: In this study, changes in diameters of CBD were determined ultrasonographically before and after endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) in 46 patients with stone-induced dilated CBD. Results: There was a significant decrease in CBD diameter measured 1 week after ES and extraction of stone (p < 0.001). In 87% of cases, the difference was more significantly pronounced during the first 24 h of ES. The mean CBD diameters on US were 13.70 ± 3.00 mm (10–21 mm) before and 9.13 ± 2.90 mm (4.2–18 mm) 24 h after endoscopic treatment (p < 0.001). After ES, six patients (13%) with inadequate decreases in CBD diameters were found to have residual stones. Conclusion: US can show residual stones in the CBD with the same efficacy as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.