Hayrettin Yekeler

Protective effects of vitamin E on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in rats.

In this study we investigated whether the increase of hepatic vitamin E content by intraperitoneal administration, influences chronic liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats. Thirty adult male Wistar rats were divided into three groups. The first group was used as a control and the rats in the second group were administered CCl4 in olive oil subcutaneously. Rats in the third group were administered intraperitoneally vitamin E (dl‐α‐tocopherol acetate, 100 mg kg−1). This administration was performed three times per week for five weeks. Liver samples were used for the determination of vitamin E levels, glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activities and histological examination.

The effects of low dose leukotriene receptor antagonist therapy on airway remodeling and cysteinyl leukotriene expression in a mouse asthma model

Airway structural changes that occur in patients with asthma in response to persistent inflammation are termed airway remodeling. The cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTC4, D4 and E4) are known to play important roles in the pathobiology of asthma. To evaluate the effect of low dose montelukast (MK) on the development of airway remodeling using a chronic murine model of allergic airway inflammation with subepithelial fibrosis, BALB/c mice, after intraperitoneal ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization on days 0 and 14, received intranasal OVA periodically on days 14-75. MK treated mice received montelukast sodium intraperitoneally on days 26-75. The OVA sensitized/challenged mice developed an extensive eosinophil cell inflammatory response, goblet cell hyperplasia, mucus occlusion, and smooth muscle hypertrophy of the airways. In addition, in OVA sensitized/challenged mice, dense collagen deposition/fibrosis was seen throughout the lung interstitium surrounding the airways, blood vessels, and alveolar septae. The cysteinyl leukotriene 1 (CysLT1) receptor antagonist, MK significantly reduced the airway eosinophil infiltration, goblet cell hyperplasia, mucus occlusion, and lung fibrosis except airway smooth muscle hypertrophy in the OVA sensitized/challenged mice. The OVA sensitized/challenged mice had significantly increased epithelial desquamation compared with control mice. MK markedly reduced epithelial desquamation of airways in OVA/MK treated animals compared with OVA sensitized/challenged mice. MK treatment did not affect the levels of CysLT in lung tissue. Our results show that the important role of cysteinyl leukotrienes in the pathogenesis of asthma. Lower dose of CysLT1 receptor antagonism has a significant anti-inflammatory effect on allergen-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis but not airway smooth muscle hypertrophy in an animal model of asthma.

Investigation of Epstein-Barr Virus DNA in Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin- Embedded Breast Cancer Tissues

Objective: To investigate etiological role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in breast cancer. Materials and Methods: The presence of EBV DNA in 57 breast cancer tissues was investigated with a sensitive PCR assay. The breast cancer tissues were from invasive ductular (n = 28), lobular (n = 20) and other miscellaneous carcinomas (n = 9). Tissues from normal breasts and patients with various benign breast diseases (n = 55): fibrocystic disease (n = 34), fibroadenoma (n = 16), hyperplasia, and granulomatous mastitis (n = 5), were used as control samples. Results: EBV DNA was detected in 13 (23%) cancerous tissues (7 ductular, 4 lobular, 2 other carcinoma) and 19 (35%) in the control tissues. The difference between EBV presence in malignant and benign tissues was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The presence of EBV DNA was detected almost equally in both breast cancer and normal tissues, which indicates no etiological role for EBV in breast cancer. We suggest further etiological studies.

L-Carnitine in Experimental Retinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

The effect of L-carnitine on retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury was evaluated in guinea pigs. 90 min of pressure-induced retinal ischemia followed by 24 h of reperfusion was established in both eyes of 2 groups of animals receiving either L-carnitine (100 mg/kg repeated in 5 doses) or saline intraperitoneally. After enucleation of all the eyes, including those of a control group, malonyldialdehyde (MDA) levels and the thickness of the retinal tissue were measured in 3 groups. The mean MDA value and the tissue thickness of the L-carnitine-treated group were statistically insignificant versus the control group (p > 0.05 and p > 0.05, respectively). However, these values were significantly different in the group receiving saline versus the control group and that receiving L-carnitine (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, p < 0.001 respectively). L-Carnitine might be an alternative drug for ischemia-reperfusion injury of the retina.

Atrial Septal Defect Presenting with Brucella Endocarditis

Brucella endocarditis, although a rare complication of brucellosis, is the main case of death attributable to this disease. An atrial septal defect (ASD) presenting with endocarditis in an adult is also extremely rare. We report the case of a male patient who presented with an infective endocarditis and was found to have an ASD. The diagnosis was proven by means of positive serology and isolation of Brucella melitensis from blood cultures and excised vegetation arising from the border of the ASD. The patient was successfully treated by means of excision of the vegetation and specific antibiotic therapy for 3 months.

Lupus vulgaris in a child following BCG immunization

A three year old girl presented with lupus vulgaris of the upper arm, which appeared 1 month after BCG immunization. The diagnosis was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction after histology and culture were negative for mycobacteria. Complete healing followed 6 months of oral isoniazid.

The facilitating effect of cigarette smoke on the colonization of instilled bacteria into the tracheal lumen in rats and the improving influence of supplementary vitamin E on this process

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the direct influence of cigarette smoke on the bacterial colonization of the lower respiratory tract and the effect of supplementary vitamin E on the colonization of instilled bacteria into the trachea of rats that do not have the chronic airway pathology associated with smoking.

Mumps interstitial nephritis : a case report

Abstract Mumps is still a common childhood disease in rural areas where mumps vaccination is not widespread. A 14-year-old girl with fatal interstitial nephritis as a complication of mumps is reported. The patient had not been vaccinated with mumps vaccine and had contracted mumps during a village epidemic. The illness began with parotitis, and renal insufficiency developed within a week. The patient’s renal function rapidly deteriorated and the outcome was fatal. The postmortem renal necropsy sample demonstrated interstitial mononuclear cell infiltration, edema, and focal tubular epithelial cell damage, confirming the clinical diagnosis. In developing countries routine mumps vaccination may help to prevent possible fatal complications of mumps. Furthermore, patients with mumps, especially complicated cases, should be followed closely.

Fatal mumps nephritis and myocarditis.

The case of a 14-year-old girl with fatal interstitial nephritis and myocarditis as complications of mumps is reported. The illness began with parotitis; renal symptoms developed within a week. The patients renal and cardiac status and clinical course rapidly deteriorated and the outcome was fatal. The post-mortem renal biopsy sample showed interstitial mononuclear cell infiltration, oedema, and focal tubular epithelial damage in biopsy material of kidney, confirming the clinical diagnosis. Myocarditis was determined by electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings. Since it has been reported that fatal complications such as myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and nephritis may develop in the course of mumps, the patients with mumps, especially in complicated cases, should be followed closely because of the severe clinical conditions which may progress.

Book Reviews · Livres nouveaux · Buchbesprechungen

Conjunctival inflammation is one of the most frequent conditions presenting to the ophthalmologist. While in the past decades, bacterial infections of the conjunctiva have become much easier to diagnose and treat, the non-infectious disorders still pose confounding problems. Inflammatory Diseases of the Conjunctiva provides an in-depth review of the pathological mechanisms causing these diseases. The strength of this book lies in its presentation of immunological knowledge which is indispensable for the understanding of conjunctival inflammation. As immunology is a very dynamic field of research, the authors put great emphasis on giving up-to-date information on basic research findings and putting them in perspective regarding their clinical relevance. In this the book is of great value for the clinician. It is also very well structured, dealing with individual disease entities in separate chapters and providing sections on laboratory investigations, differential diagnosis and treatment options in each of them. Some topics are given special consideration in ‘focus’ sections, among them dry eye syndrome, laboratory investigations of conjunctival inflammation and apoptosis in the conjunctiva. Dr. Holger Baatz, Frankfurt G.A. Fishman, D.G. Birch, G.H. Holder, et al.