Vahide Baysal

The Role of Oxidants and Antioxidants in Generalized Vitiligo

Oxidative stress may be induced by increasing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free radicals. The generation of ROS is known to be associated with a decrease in antioxidant levels. In the present study, the role of oxidative stress was assessed in the pathogenesis of generalized vitiligo. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), and glutathione (GSH) levels in erythrocytes and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels were investigated in 24 patients with generalized vitiligo and 20 healthy controls. Our results indicated that significantly increased levels of erythrocyte SOD, serum MDA, and NO were associated with a marked reduction of erythrocyte GSH‐Px and GSH activities in patients with generalized vitiligo (p<0.05). Our observations suggest that the presence of an imbalance in the oxidant‐antioxidant system might play a role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Our results further support the concept that free radical‐mediated damage may be the initial pathogenic event in melanocyte degeneration in generalized vitiligo.

Serum Levels of IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13 and IFN-gamma in Behçet's disease.

Behçets disease (BD) is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Although its pathogenesis is not fully understood, recent studies have suggested that immunological abnormalities and neutrophil hyperfunction may be involved in its etiology and pathophysiology. The immune system in BD can be characterized as a divergent cytokine production profile of the mixed Th1/Th2 cell type. In this study, we investigated the levels of interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐10, IL‐12, IL‐13 and interferon‐γ in the sera of patients with BD, in comparison with recurrent aphthous stomatitis and healthy controls, to determine the Th1/Th2 profile of the disease. The levels of IL‐4, IL‐10 and IL‐13 were found to be high in active BD patients, and IL‐12 and interferon‐γ levels were lower in active BD patients than in inactive BD, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, and control patients.

Tissue Parasites in Patients with Chronic Urticaria

Chronic urticaria is an important diagnostic and therapeutic problem. We aimed to investigate the sero‐prevalence of tissue parasites causing toxocariasis and fasciolosis in patients with chronic urticaria. All cases were analyzed for antibodies against Toxocara canis and Fasciola hepatica by modified (homemade) ELISA. The excretory/secretory products of Toxocara and Fasciola were used as antigens (ES‐ELISA) in the test. In this study, the highest toxocariasis seropositivity (29.0%) rate and the highest fasciolosis seropositivity (14.5%) rate were found in patients with chronic urticaria. Fasciolosis seropositivity and total seropositivity of toxocariasis and fasciolosis in patients with chronic urticaria was significantly higher than in healthy controls (p<0.05). Toxocariasis seropositivity in patients with chronic urticaria was not significantly higher than that in healthy controls (p<0.05). We suggest that parasitic infections should be considered as an important cause of chronic urticaria. Serological methods should be used to expose the diagnosis of tissue parasites in such cases.

Itraconazole in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis: a new treatment modality

Background  Due to the high rate of recurrence, seborrheic dermatitis (SD) represents a therapeutic problem.

Pansclerotic morphea treated with UVA: a case report.

We present an 8‐year‐old girl with pansclerotic morphea of childhood, a rare, severe variant of localized scleroderma. Various systemic agents and PUVA are used in the treatment of this disease. We used UVA therapy in the treatment of this case.

The Significance of Serum Nitric Oxide Levels in Behçet's Disease and Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis

Behçets disease (BD) is an inflammatory multisystem disorder characterized by recurrent oral and genital aphthous ulcers, arthritis, uveitis, and thrombophlebitis; it can involve several organs. However, recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) can be seen without a confirmed diagnosis of BD. Moreover, there is no way of predicting whether a patient with RAS will develop BD. Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical synthesized from L‐arginine by one of the family of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes. Increased production of NO during several inflammatory and infectious processes has been recently postulated. Our aim was to investigate the serum NO levels in patients with active and inactive BD and RAS. Forty‐six patients with BD, 30 patients with RAS and 30 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. The patients with BD were separated into two groups: clinically active (n=24) and inactive (n=22). A blood sample was collected from all subjects in order to determine their serum NO levels. In patients with active BD, higher serum levels of NO metabolite were found in comparison with patients with inactive BD, in patients with RAS, or healthy controls (p<0.05). We also found higher serum NO metabolite levels in patients with RAS than in healthy controls (p<0.05). In patients with inactive BD, statistically significant higher levels of serum NO levels were found in comparison with the control group (p<0.05). However, we found no statistically significant difference between the patients with inactive BD and RAS, which indicated that inactive BD cannot be distinguished from RAS by serum NO levels. We conclude that serum NO levels may be an important marker for estimating the severity of BD. However, further studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Psoriasis Vulgariste Demir Metabolizmasının Araştırılması

SuleymanDemirel Universitesi TIP FAKULTESI DERGISI: 2001 ; 8(1) Psoriasis Vulgariste Demir Metabolizmasinin Arastirilmasi Handan Kelekci, Vahide Baysal, Mehmet Yildirim Ozet Psoriasis vulgaris sik gorulen, epidermal hucrelerde hiperproliferasyon ve artmis deskuamasyon ile karakterize, kronik, inflamatuar bir deri hastaligidir. Psoriasis lezyonlarinda epidermiste demir icerigi artmis olarak saptanmistir. Gerek deskuamasy¬on gerekse kronik hastalik olmasi nedeniyle psoriasiste anemi gorulebilmektedir. Bu calismada, hastaligin siddeti ile serum demiri, demir baglama kapasitesi ve ferritin duzeyleri arasinda bir iliski olup olmadigi arastirilmistir. Anahtar kelimeler: Psoriasis, demir metabolizmasi Abstract The investigation of iran metabolism in psorlasis vulgaris Psoriasis is a common, chronic, inflammatory skin dis e ases characterized with keratinocyte hiperproliferation and desquamation. Increased iron content of epidermis in psoriatic lesions is determined. Anemia can be seen in psoriasis because of desqua-mation and being a chronic disease. in this study, it was investigated that if there is a relationship between severity of disease and iron content, iron binding capacity, ferritin in sera of psoriasis patients. Key words: Psoriasis, iron metabolism

A Psoriasis Case With Different Clinical Forms

SuleymanDemirel Universitesi TIP FAKULTESI DERGISI: 2000 Eylul; 7(3) Psoriasisin Farkli Klinik Tiplerinin bir Arada Izlendigi Olgu Mehmet Yildirim, Demet Kesici, Vahide Baysal, Humeyra Ozturk OZET Psoriasis, epidermal prouferasyonda artisla birlikte eritemli zeminde gumus rengi kepeklerle kapli lejyonlarla karakierize inflamatuar bir deri hastaligidir. Klasik plak tip psoriasise ek olarak psori¬asisin eritrodermik psoriasis, jeneralize pustuler psoriasis ve psoriatik artirit gibi farkli formlari vardir. Brornokriptin, psoriasis tedavisinde kullanilabilecek bir ajan olmasina ragmen, bizim has¬tamizin lezyonlarini alevlendirmistir. Bu vaka, psoriasisin uc tipinin bir arada olmasi ve bromokriptinle lezyonlartn alevlenmesi yuzunden sunulmustur. Anahtar kelimeler: psoriasis, atipik formlar, bromokriptinA Psoriasis Case With Different Clinical Forms l Yildirim et.al ABSTRACT A Psoriasis Case With piflerent Clinical Forms Psoriasis, inflammatory skin disea.se with increased epidermdi proliferation is usiially character-ized by erythematous lesions with silvery scale. in addition to classical plaque psoriasis, there are differeiit forins of psoriasis ilke erythrodermic psoriasis, generalized pustular psoriasis and psori-atic arthritis. Althoiigh bromocriptine is an agent that can be iised in the treatment of psoriasis, it aggravated the lesions ofour patient. This case was presented due to presence ofthree types of pso¬riasis and aggravation by bromocriptine. Key words: psoriasis, atypical forins, bromocriptine Psoriasisin Farkli Klinik Tiplerinin Bir