Pelvic parameters as prognostic factors of radiographic progression in classical Ankylosing Spondylitis: A prospective follow-up data.

Radiographic progression in Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is driven by mechanical strain. A well-balanced spine provides a favorable weight distribution across the entheses. Pelvic parameters are useful in assessing the shape of the spine. The present study aimed to prospectively investigate the predictive value of pelvic parameters for radiographic progression in AS. This non-interventional, observational, and prospective study enrolled AS patients fulfilling the modified New York criteria (mNY) currently under follow-up in the MARS (MARmara Spondyloarthritis) outpatient clinics. The primary objective was to investigate the relationship between the baseline pelvic parameters and radiographic progression in the spine. Two trained radiologists (EB, OB) independently assessed the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS). An orthopedic surgeon (AHA) and a radiologist (EB) derived the pelvic parameters. Patients with no bridging or bamboo spine were included in the final analysis. Risk assessment for radiographic progression, defined as a two-unit increase in mSASSS or developing a new syndesmophyte every two years, was done using uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Radiographs of 69 AS patients were analyzed. The median (IQR 25-75) prospective follow-up was 47.7 (34.6-52.8) months. Only 33.3% (23/69) had radiographic progression. The pelvic tilt (PT) was lower in patients with radiographic progression (p = 0.037) and each degree of decrease in PT provided a 9% increase in risk for radiographic progression. Male patients were 7.5 times more likely to progress. Pelvic parameters provide a prognostic insight into the radiographic progression in AS. Our observations may aid in selecting patient-specific interventions in addition to anti-inflammatory treatments.

Computed Tomography-Assessed Sarcopenia Predicts Mortality in Kidney Transplant Candidates.

OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia is common in chronic kidney disease and associated with increased mortality. We investigated the prevalence of sarcopenia, defined as low muscle mass by the psoas muscle index, in endstage renal disease patients on waiting lists for kidney transplant and determined its association with prognostic nutritional index, C-reactive protein-toalbumin ratio, cardiovascular events, and mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included 162 patients with end-stage renal disease and 87 agematched healthy controls. We calculated nutritional status as follows: prognostic nutritional index = (10 × albumin [g/dL]) + (0.005 × total lymphocyte count (×103/µL]) and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio. We gathered demographic and laboratory data from medical records. RESULTS: Patients with end-stage renal disease had a mean age of 44.7 ± 14.2 years; follow-up time was 3.37 years (range, 0.35-9.60 y). Although patients with endstage renal disease versus controls had higher prevalence of sarcopenia (16.7% vs 3.4%; P = .002) and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (1.47 [range, 0.12-37.10] vs 0.74 [range, 0.21-10.20]; P < .001), prognostic nutritional index was lower (40 [range, 20.4-52.2] vs 44 [range, 36.1-53.0]; P < .001). In patients with end-stage renal disease with and without sarcopenia, prognostic nutritional index (P = .005) was lower and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (P = .041) was higher in those with versus those without sarcopenia. Among 67 patients on waiting lists who received kidney transplants, those without sarcopenia had better 5-year patient survival posttransplant than those with sarcopenia (P = .001). Multivariate regression analysis showed sarcopenia and low prognostic nutritional index were independentrisk factors for mortality among patients with end-stage renal disease. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia was ~5 times more frequent in patients with end-stage renal disease than in healthy controls and was positively correlated with the prognostic nutritional index. Sarcopenia was an independent risk factor for mortality in patients on transplant waiting lists.

Retrospective Analysis of Serology and Radiology Results in Patients with Suspected Cystic Echinococcosis Through 3 Years Period

OBJECTIVE: Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu latu, is one of the neglected zoonotic infectious diseases and Türkiye is among the endemic countries. This study was designed to analyze serology results for patients who were diagnosed as CE by clinical symptoms and radiological methods over a three-year period. METHODS: Sera were analyzed for Anti-E. granulosus IgG by a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) (HYDATIDOSIS VIRCLIA® IgG MONOTEST, Vircell) using the VIRCLIA® (CLIA; Vircell, Granada, Spain) and results processed by the dedicated software. Cut-off for a positive test was ≥1.1 index value. Echinococcal cysts were detected based on ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: A total of 244 sera were analyzed from 109 patients, during three-year-period from January 2018 to December 2020. Anti-E. granulosus IgG was ordered twice in 89 patients, three times in 15 patients, four times in four patients, and five times in one patient. CLIA test was positive among 41 of 109 (37.6%) patients in whom 32 (76%) had only hepatic involvement, whereas in 5 (12%) hepatic and pulmonary involvement were coexisted. The mean age of seropositive patients was 39.8 (6-75±2.72) and 61.9% of them (n=26) were female. Time intervals between sequential test orders varied from 1 day to 33 months. Eight seropositive patients turned out to be negative, and one of 66 seronegative patients became seropositive. Positive test results were converted to negative in the case of therapy or cyst inactivity. CONCLUSION: We may conclude that CLIA could be used as a complementary tool for CE patient follow-up.

Radiological Quantification of Sarcopenic Obesity and its Role in Chronic Liver Disease Severity.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To define sarcopenic obesity (SaO) among chronic liver disease (CLD) patients via CT and MRI, and assess its impact on liver disease severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CLD patients referred from the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department diagnosed as chronic hepatitis B (N:101), cirrhosis (N:110), and hepatocellular carcinoma (N:169) with available information on body height, weight, Child-Pugh and MELD scores within 2 weeks of CT or MRI scanning were included in the study. Cross-sectional examinations were retrospectively evaluated for skeletal muscle index (SMI) and visceral adipose tissue area (VATA). The disease severity was assessed by Child-Pugh and MELD scoring. RESULTS: The rate of sarcopenia and SaO in the cirrhotic patients was higher than that in the chronic hepatitis B patients (p <0.033 and p < 0.004, respectively). The rate of sarcopenia and SaO in HCC patients was higher than that in the chronic hepatitis B patients (p <0.001 and p <0.001, respectively). Sarcopenic patients in Chronic hepatitis B, cirrhotic, and HCC groups had higher MELD scores than nonsarcopenic patients (p <0.035, p <0.023, and p <0.024, respectively). Despite finding a similar increase in Child-Pugh scores in cirrhotic and HCC sarcopenic patients, results were statistically insignificant (p <0.597 and p <0.688). HCC patients with SaO had higher MELD scores than patients with other body composition catagories (p <0.006). Cirrhotic patients with SaO had higher MELD scores than nonsarcopenic obese patients (p <0.049). Chronic hepatitis B patients with obesity had low MELD scores (p <0.035). Cirrhotic and HCC patients with obesity had higher MELD scores (p <0.01 and p <0.024, respectively). Cirrhotic and HCC patients with obesity had higher Child-Pugh scores than nonobese patients but only HCC patients showed statistically significance (p <0.480 and p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Radiologic evaluation of SaO and harmonizing body composition with MELD scoring is critical in CLD management.