Serpil Can

Investigation of Helicobacter pylori antigen in stool samples of patients with upper gastrointestinal complaints

Helicobacter pylori infection is usually acquired in early childhood and it can persist throughout life without antibiotic treatment. This study aimed to compare the accuracy of the noninvasive H. pylori Stool Antigen Test-applied on the stool samples with the invasive gold standart Rapid Urease Test-applied on the gastric biopy samples of patients with upper gastrointestinal complaints. After endoscopy, biopsy and stool specimens were taken in 122 patients. The infection was detected with rapid urease test which is accepted as gold standart test. Rapid, one-step H. pylori card test was applied to all patients stool specimens. In this study 106 of the 122 patients (86.8%) were positive for H. pylori infection, while 16 of the 122 patients (13.2%) were negative. H. pylori card test was negative in 13 of the 16 patients and was positive in 98 of the 106. The sensitivity, specifity, positive and negative predictive values were 92.45%, 81.25%, 97.02%, and 61.90%, respectively. H. pylori card test is rapid, easy, noninvasive and inexpensive methods for detection H. pylori infection. This test showed high sensitivity and specificity. Additionally, it may be a good alternative to invasive tests for the detection of H. pylori infections especially in children.

A novel therapeutics agent: antioxidant effects of hydroxylfasudil on rat kidney and liver tissues in a protamine sulphate-induced cystitis rat model; preliminary results

Abstract Cystitis is defined as an inflammation of the bladder caused by a bacterial infection, and it can be dangerous and painful when it spreads through the internal organs. In this study, antioxidant effects of hydroxylfasudil (HF) at the enzymatic and molecular level on kidney and liver tissues in cystitis rat model, which is caused by inflammation of the rat bladder with a protamine sulphate (PS), was examined. Quantitative changes of reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels, which are a marker for oxidative stress, were determined in rat kidney and liver tissues for each groups. And then molecular and biochemical impact of HF treatment on antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in cystitis model were studied. The results suggest that HF could be beneficial to the renal and hepatic antioxidant system. Thus, HF might be used as a novel therapeutics agent to eliminate interstitial cystitis.