Mehmet Hamdi Muz

Antioxidant effect of zinc picolinate in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

An imbalance between oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, studies in regard to stable COPD patients and effect of zinc supplementation are lacking. We investigated the effects of zinc picolinate supplementation on the oxidant stress, and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) of patients with stable COPD. Thirty patients with COPD, and 15 healthy non-smokers who were matched for age and sex were included in the study. Their baseline spirometry, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and zinc levels were measured. All parameters were repeated after 8 weeks of supplementation with 22 mg of zinc picolinate daily. The mean MDA levels in the COPD group at baseline were higher than controls (0.51+/-0.15 vs 0.39+/-0.15 nmol/mL, p=0.037), while SOD (0.16+/-0.022 vs 0.20+/-0.04 U/mL, p=0.000), CAT (14.79+/-3.03 vs 17.37+/-2.60k/mL, p=0.008) and zinc levels (77.33+/-4.29 vs 91.45+/-3.95 mg/dL, p=0.000) were lower in the patients compared to controls. Eight weeks of zinc supplementation produced significant increase in mean SOD (p=0.029) and zinc levels (p<0.001). However, no significant change in mean MDA, CAT levels and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (% predicted), and FEV1/FVC (%) parameters was observed after zinc supplementation. The Pearsons coefficients of correlation between MDA, SOD, CAT, Zn levels and spirometric measurements were not significant on either day 1 nor 8 weeks of zinc supplementation. In conclusion, the results indicate that zinc supplementation may have favorable effects on oxidant-antioxidant balance in patients with COPD. The lack of an effect on PFT may be due to the short duration of the supplementation. Longer duration of zinc supplementation may be necessary to see clinical benefit.

The evaluation of cognitive functions with P300 test for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in attack and stable period.

OBJECTIVES Hypoxia, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), leads to a decrease in cerebral perfusion and an impairment of some cognitive abilities. We aimed to investigate the relation between arterial blood gas analysis (ABA) and pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters with cognitive function of COPD patients during attack and stable period. PATIENTS AND METHODS ABA, PFT, P300 tests of 30 patients in stabilized period and 30 patients in attack, and 17 healthy controls were evaluated. RESULTS When both COPD groups and controls were compared, it was seen that latency of P300 was shorter in the control group (p<0.001), but there was no difference between COPD groups (p>0.05). P300 amplitude measures were lower in both COPD groups than control group, but it was not statistically significant (p>0.05). When we compared the measures of attack group, we saw that arterial oxygen tension (PaO(2)), arterial oxygen saturation (SaO(2)), forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV(1)), FEV(1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) values increased (p<0.001), and P300 latency shortened (p<0.05) in attack group during stable period. P300 latency correlated significantly with PaO(2) (r=-0.557, p<0.001), SaO(2) (r=-0.424, p<0.001), FEV(1) (r=-0.441, p<0.001), FEV(1)/FVC (r=-0.477, p<0.001) values, and age (r=0.329, p<0.05). P300 amplitude is only correlated with PaO(2) (r=0.236, p<0.05). CONCLUSION Longer latency of P300 appears to be an expected sequel of COPD. P300 test can be considered as a potential objective marker of cognitive impairment.

Glutathione and nitrite in induced sputum from patients with stable and acute asthma compared with controls.

BACKGROUND Oxidative stress is believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Determining the reduced glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO) contents of the airway is useful when investigating oxidative stress in the lung. OBJECTIVE To explore antioxidant defenses by measuring sputum GSH levels and to evaluate oxidant stress by measuring sputum nitrite (NO2-) levels in asthma patients. METHODS Sputum GSH, NO2-, cell counts, and plasma NO2- contents were evaluated in 11 patients with stable asthma, 10 patients with acute asthma attacks, and 11 controls. RESULTS The highest GSH content in sputum samples was in stable asthma patients compared with the other groups (P < .001), and patients with exacerbations of asthma had a greater GSH content than controls (P < .001). Mean sputum NO2- content was significantly lower in controls than in acute (P = .001) and stable (P < .001) asthma patients. There was no significant difference in sputum NO2- contents between acute and stable asthma patients, although there was a trend toward higher levels in acute asthma patients (P = .38). CONCLUSIONS Sputum induction can be used to obtain bronchial secretions for the evaluation of GSH and NO2- contents. Oxidative stress is chronic and probably less severe in patients with stable asthma. Glutathione and NO2- may serve as markers for determining the extent of the oxidative processes in asthma, which is characterized by chronic airway inflammation.

The Diagnostic Values of Brain Natriuretic Peptide and Cardiac Troponin I for Determining the Right Ventricle Dysfunction in Patients with Submassive Pulmonary Thromboembolism

Determinig the right ventricule dysfunction (RVD) in pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is very important for prognosis and treatment option. RVD is usually diagnosed by echocardiographic findings. Recent studies have suggested that the measurement of levels of serum levels of cardiac troponın I (cTnI) and brain natriuretic peptid (BNP) which cardiac biomarkers can define RVD. The aim of this study is evaluating the diagnostic value of BNP, cTnI serum levels for determining RVD in patients with submassive PTE. Fifty patients with definitive diagnosis of PTE is included in the study. For determining a probable RVD, echocardiography is applied to them. Serum BNP, cTnI levels were measured during admission. Fifty-two of the patients included in the study, RVD were detected with EKO. In 44% of the patients high levels of BNP and 10% of the patients high l cTnI were found respectively. High levels of BNP was found in %73 of patients with RVD (+) and in %12 of patients with RVD ( -). High levels of cTnI was found in %12 of patients with RVD (+) and in %8 of patients with RVD ( -). BNP levels were significantly high in patients with RVD (+) when compared with RVD ( -), and control group. When cTnI levels of groups are compared no significant difference was observed. In conlusion, it is suggested that high levels of BNP can be thought as a marker for RVD, patients who have high levels of BNP can be followed closely, and determined for thrombolitic therapy.