Clinicopathological significance of mutation profile detected by next generation sequencing in different metastatic organs of non-small cell lung cancers.

BACKGROUND: The primary tumor and it's metastases show heterogeneity in molecular studies for targeted therapies in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer(NSCLC), the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The study aimed to identify somatic mutations in biopsies from NSCLC patients' metastatic organs using Next-Generation Sequencing(NGS) and examine their association with clinicopathological parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 128 NSCLC patients and, NGS was performed on tumor biopsies from different metastatic organs at Molecular Pathology laboratory of the Department of Medical Pathology in Aydin Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine. The age, gender, histopathological diagnoses, metastatic organs, smoking and mutation status were all recorded, along with the analysis results of 72 genes and 4149 primers in the panel of the NGS system. RESULTS: 53.9 % of the cases had a history of smoking and patients with brain metastases had a higher smoking rate(p=0.000). The most common occurrence(39.8 %) was lymph node metastasis, followed by brain(19.5 %). There was a strong correlation between mutation presence and metastasis in the liver(p=0.012), bone(p=0.002), and pleura(p=0.008). Smokers had a higher frequency of KRAS(p=0.000) and TP53(p=0.001) mutations. Brain metastases showed a statistically significant NF1 mutation(p=0.001), while the liver exhibited a significant BRAF mutation(p=0.000). NF1-TP53, PTEN-TP53 and NF1-PTEN were the most common concomitant mutations and, the brain was the most common metastatic organ in which they occurred. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest prizing assessing detected mutations, in the prediction, follow-up and management of metastases, especially in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. The assessment also needs to consider the tumor's mutation status in metastatic organs. New therapeutic agents targeting NF1 mutations will be available in the future to treat NSCLC, especially in metastases.

The relationship between dietary inflammatory index scores and rheumatoid arthritis disease activity.

INTRODUCTION: Many patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) report relief of symptoms after consuming certain foods. Diet plays a vital role in rheumatoid arthritis-related inflammation regulation. This study investigates the relationship between dietary inflammation index (DII) scores and RA disease activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one RA patients were enrolled in the study. The general inflammatory index of the diet was analyzed by recording the 24-h food consumption of the patients, and the nutrients were analyzed using the Nutrition Information Systems Package Program. Dietary inflammatory indices were calculated for each patient using the patients' macro and micronutrient intake levels. RA disease activity was assessed using the Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS-28). RESULTS: The DAS-28 score was lower in the anti-inflammatory diet group compared to the pro-inflammatory diet group (p=0.163). A weak but significant relationship was found between diet inflammation index score and DAS-28 (r=0.3468, p=0.0263). The effect of the dietary inflammatory index on the DAS-28 was 12.02%. Dietary iron, vitamin C, niacin, and magnesium intakes were statistically significantly higher in the quartile group that received an anti-inflammatory diet than in the quartile group that received a pro-inflammatory diet. The intake of some micronutrients, such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and folic acid, was significantly lower than the recommended values in all RA quartile groups. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that reducing inflammation through the diet may have a weak but significant effect in controlling disease activity in RA patients.

A novel technique for thulium laser enucleation of the prostate: anterior releasing with ThuLEP (ARTh technique).

Thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP) is a highly effective approach to the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. We present here a description of the "ARTh Technique" and the benefits it offers in terms of improved visualization, short operation times, and easy recognition of the dissection plane, describing specifically the anterior release (AR) technique using ThuLEP(Th). Included in this retrospective study were 32 consecutive patients operated on between January 2022-November 2022. Parameters were measured before and after the procedure: the International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS), maximum flow rate(Qmax), post-void residual urine(PVR) prostate-specific antigen(PSA), prostate volume, operation-time, morcellation-time, catheterization-time and presence of transient urinary incontinence, and compared. The median age of patients undergoing enucleation of the prostate using the ARTh technique was 64 years (range: 44-83). The median prostate volume of the patients was 83.5 ml(50-128 ml), preoperative-IPSS was 24.8(15-33), postoperative-IPSS was 7(5-11), preoperative-Qmax was 8.1 ml/Sects. (5-11.5 ml/sec), postoperative-Qmax was 26.9 ml/Sect. (20.8-34 ml/sec), preoperative-PVR was 145 ml(75-258 ml), postoperative-PVR was 36.2 ml(0-66 ml), total operation time was 51.4 min(28-82 min), enucleation time was 36.9 min(19-51 min) and morcellation time was 15.3 min(8-27 min). The ARTh technique is a safe procedure that allows the surgeon to easily recognize and adhere to the defined dissection plane, thus decreasing operation times, significantly reducing the rate of postoperative transient urinary incontinence (TUI).

The association of pre-photorefractive keratectomy Schirmer-1 test value with postoperative corneal epithelial thickness, ocular surface discomfort, and visual acuity.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association of pre-photorefractive keratectomy Schirmer-1 test value with post-photorefractive keratectomy central corneal epithelial thickness, ocular surface disease index score, and uncorrected distance visual acuity. METHODS: Patients were categorized according to preoperative Schirmer-1 value: the normal Schirmer Group (n=54; Schirmer-1 test value, >10 mm) and the low Schirmer Group (n=52; Schirmer-1 test value, between 6 and 10 mm). We analyzed ablation depth, visual acuity, result of Schirmer-1 test (with anesthesia), tear film break-up time, ocular surface disease index score, central corneal epithelial thickness, and spherical equivalent refraction. RESULTS: We found significant differences between the groups in Schirmer-1 test value, tear film break-up time, and ocular surface disease index score, both preoperatively and postoperatively (p<0.001). The preoperative central corneal epithelial thicknesses of the two groups were similar (p>0.05). After photorefractive keratectomy, the Schirmer-1 test value and spherical equivalent refraction decreased in both groups (p<0.05), and ocular surface disease index scores and central corneal epithelial thickness values increased in the low Schirmer Group (p<0.001) but not in the normal Schirmer Group (p>0.05). The postoperative central corneal epithelial thicknesses of the low Schirmer Group were significantly higher than those of the normal Schirmer Group (p<0.001). Postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity did not differ significantly between the two groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with low Schirmer-1 test values before photorefractive keratectomy, the corneal epithelium thickened and ocular surface complaints increased during the postoperative period. However, changes in the corneal epithelium did not affect the postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity. To reduce postoperative problems on the ocular surface in these patients, we recommend that dry eye be treated before photorefractive keratectomy.

The association of pre-photorefractive keratectomy Schirmer-1 test value with postoperative corneal epithelial thickness, ocular surface discomfort, and visual acuity

ABSTRACT Purpose: To investigate the association of pre--photorefractive keratectomy Schirmer-1 test value with post--photorefractive keratectomy central corneal epithelial thickness, ocular surface disease index score, and uncorrected distance visual acuity. Methods: Patients were categorized according to preoperative Schirmer-1 value: the normal Schirmer Group (n=54; Schirmer-1 test value, >10 mm) and the low Schirmer Group (n=52; Schirmer-1 test value, between 6 and 10 mm). We analyzed ablation depth, visual acuity, result of Schirmer-1 test (with anesthesia), tear film break-up time, ocular surface disease index score, central corneal epithelial thickness, and spherical equivalent refraction. Results: We found significant differences between the groups in Schirmer-1 test value, tear film break-up time, and ocular surface disease index score, both preoperatively and postoperatively (p<0.001). The preoperative central corneal epithelial thicknesses of the two groups were similar (p>0.05). After photorefractive keratectomy, the Schirmer-1 test value and spherical equivalent refraction decreased in both groups (p<0.05), and ocular surface disease index scores and central corneal epithelial thickness values increased in the low Schirmer Group (p<0.001) but not in the normal Schirmer Group (p>0.05). The postoperative central corneal epithelial thicknesses of the low Schirmer Group were significantly higher than those of the normal Schirmer Group (p<0.001). Postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity did not differ significantly between the two groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: In patients with low Schirmer-1 test values before photorefractive keratectomy, the corneal epithelium thickened and ocular surface complaints increased during the postoperative period. However, changes in the corneal epithelium did not affect the postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity. To reduce postoperative problems on the ocular surface in these patients, we recommend that dry eye be treated before photorefractive keratectomy.

Does corneal epithelial thickness show the severity of psoriasis? SD-OCT study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have generally focused on dry eye test abnormalities and ocular involvements such as uveitis, and blepharitis in psoriasis. Psoriasis area severity index (PASI), which is used to assess psoriasis severity, is a time-consuming and complex tool. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between disease severity and central corneal epithelial thickness (CCET) in psoriasis. METHODS: 175 eyes of 175 psoriasis patients and 57 eyes of 57 healthy individuals as a control group was included in this study. Psoriasis patients were divided into three subgroups according to PASI score as < 10 mild, 10‒20 moderate and > 20 severe. CCET was measured by spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and mean values were recorded. Mean CCET values were compared between the psoriasis groups and the control group. Additionally, the relationship between PASI score and CCET was examined. RESULTS: The mean CCET value was 58.06±3.1µm in the mild group, 60.10±5.0µm in the moderate group, 65.75±6.3µm in the severe group and 56.16±3.1µm in the control group. It was determined that the mean CCET value was significantly higher in all psoriasis groups compared to the control group (p<0.001). The mean CCET value was significantly higher in the moderate psoriasis group than in the mild psoriasis group (p=0.018), and in the severe psoriasis group compared to the moderate psoriasis group (p<0.001). There was a strong positive correlation between PASI score and CCET (p<0.001, r=0.519). STUDY LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional design and a relatively small number of participants. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong positive correlation between psoriasis severity and CCET. Contactless measurement of CCET by SD-OCT can be an indicator of psoriasis severity.

Celiac disease and catatonia: more than a coincidence?

BACKGROUND: Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder involving stupor, waxy flexibility, and mutism lasting more than 1 hour. It has arisen mostly from mental and neurologic disorders. Organic causes are more prominent in children. CASE: A 15-year-old female who had refused to eat and drink for 3 days, had not talked, and had stood in a fixed position for long periods was admitted to the inpatient clinic, and she was diagnosed with catatonia. Her maximum score on the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) was 15/69 on day 2 of her stay. On neurologic examination, the patient`s cooperation was limited, and she was apathetic to her surroundings and stimuli and inactive. Other neurologic examination findings were normal. To investigate catatonia etiology, her biochemical parameters, thyroid hormone panel, and toxicology screening were conducted but all parameters were normal. Cerebrospinal fluid examination and autoimmune antibodies were negative. Sleep electroencephalography showed diffuse slow background activity, and brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal. As a first-line treatment for catatonia, diazepam was started. With her poor response to diazepam, we continued to evaluate the cause and found the transglutaminase levels were 153 U/mL (normal values, < 10 U/mL). The patient`s duodenal biopsies showed changes consistent with Celiac disease (CD). Catatonic symptoms did not benefit from a gluten-free diet or oral diazepam for 3 weeks. Then, diazepam was replaced with amantadine. With amantadine, the patient recovered within 48 hours, and her BFCRS retreated to 8/69. CONCLUSIONS: Even without gastrointestinal manifestations, CD may present with neuropsychiatric symptoms. According to this case report, CD should be investigated in patients with unexplained catatonia, and that CD may only present with neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Acute and chronic stress alter behavioral laterality in dogs.

Dogs are one of the key animal species in investigating the biological mechanisms of behavioral laterality. Cerebral asymmetries are assumed to be influenced by stress, but this subject has not yet been studied in dogs. This study aims to investigate the effect of stress on laterality in dogs by using two different motor laterality tests: the Kong™ Test and a Food-Reaching Test (FRT). Motor laterality of chronically stressed (n = 28) and emotionally/physically healthy dogs (n = 32) were determined in two different environments, i.e., a home environment and a stressful open field test (OFT) environment. Physiological parameters including salivary cortisol, respiratory rate, and heart rate were measured for each dog, under both conditions. Cortisol results showed that acute stress induction by OFT was successful. A shift towards ambilaterality was detected in dogs after acute stress. Results also showed a significantly lower absolute laterality index in the chronically stressed dogs. Moreover, the direction of the first paw used in FRT was a good predictor of the general paw preference of an animal. Overall, these results provide evidence that both acute and chronic stress exposure can change behavioral asymmetries in dogs.

Development of a safety protocol for training and using SARS-CoV-2 detection dogs: A pilot study.

Medical detection dogs have potential to be used to screen asymptomatic patients in crowded areas at risk of epidemics such as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, the fact that SARS-CoV-2 detection dogs are in direct contact with infected people or materials raises important concerns due to the zoonotic potential of the virus. No study has yet recommended a safety protocol to ensure the health of SARS- CoV-2 detection dogs during training and working in public areas. This study sought to identify suitable decontamination methods to obtain nonpathogenic face mask samples while working with SARS-CoV-2 detection dogs and to investigate whether dogs were able to adapt themselves to other decontamination procedures once they were trained for a specific odor. The present study was designed as a four-phase study: (a) Method development, (b) Testing of decon- tamination methods, (c) Testing of training methodology, and (d) Real life scenario. Surgical face masks were used as scent samples. In total, 3 dogs were trained. The practical use of 3 different decontam- ination procedures (storage, heating, and UV-C light) while training SARS-CoV-2 detection dogs were tested. The dog trained for the task alerted to the samples inactivated by the storage method with a sensitivity of100 % and specificity of 98.28 %. In the last phase of this study, one dog of 2 dogs trained, alerted to the samples inactivated by the UV-C light with a sensitivity of 91.30% and specificity of 97.16% while the other dog detected the sample with a sensitivity of 96.00% and specificity of 97.65 %.

Role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography in restaging of adrenocortical carcinoma.

Background: The objective was to retrospectively evaluate the contribution of fluorodeoxyglucose [18F] positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) to the re-staging of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). Materials and methods: A total of 16 patients (10 males and 6 females), who underwent adrenalectomy due to adrenocortical carcinoma and 18FDG-PET/CT scan to re-stage the tumor between July 2007 and April 2013, were included in the present study. The mean age was 53.37 ± 13.91 years (min: 30, max: 74) The patients were required to fast for six hours prior to scanning, and whole-body PET scanning from the skull base to the upper thighs was performed approximately 1 h after the intravenous injection of 555 MBq of F-18 FDG. Whole body CT scanning was performed in the cranio-caudal direction. FDG-PET images were reconstructed using CT data for attenuation correction. Suspicious recurrent or metastatic lesions were confirmed by histopathology or clinical follow-up. Results: Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of 18FDG-PET/CT were 100%, 83.3%, 90.9%, 83.3%, and 93.7%, respectively. Conclusion: 18FDG-PET/CT detects local recurrence and/or distant metastases with high accuracy in the re-staging of operated adrenocortical carcinoma. It is considered that the procedure could play an important role in treatment decision after the operation and post-operative follow-up and could influence the entire decision-making process.

Evaluation of response to gemcitabine plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy using positron emission computed tomography for metastatic bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to examine retrospectively the contribution of 18Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) to the evaluation of response to first-line gemcitabine plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with metastatic bladder cancer. AIM: To evaluate the response to Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin -based chemotherapy using 18FDG-PET/CT imaging in patients with metastatic bladder cancer. METHODS: Between July 2007 and April 2019, 79 patients underwent 18FDG-PET/CT imaging with the diagnosis of Metastatic Bladder Carcinoma (M-BCa). A total of 42 patients (38 male, 4 female) were included in the study, and all had been administered Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin-based chemotherapy. After completion of the therapy, the patients underwent a repeat 18FDG-PET/CT scan and the results were compared with the PET/CT findings before chemotherapy according to European Organisation for the Research and treatment of cancer criteria. Mean age was 66.1 years and standard deviation was 10.7 years (range: 41-84 years). RESULTS: Of the patients, seven (16.6%) were in complete remission, 17 (40.5%) were in partial remission, six (14.3%) had a stable disease, and 12 (28.6%) had a progressive disease. The overall response rate was 57.1 percent. CONCLUSION: 18FDG-PET/CT can be considered as a successful imaging tool in evaluating response to first-line chemotherapy for metastatic bladder cancer. Anatomical and functional data obtained from PET/CT scans may be useful in the planning of secondline and thirdline chemotherapy.

Does corneal epithelial thickness show the severity of psoriasis? SD-OCT study

Abstract Background Previous studies have generally focused on dry eye test abnormalities and ocular involvements such as uveitis, and blepharitis in psoriasis. Psoriasis area severity ındex (PASI), which is used to assess psoriasis severity, is a time-consuming and complex tool. Objective To evaluate the relationship between disease severity and central corneal epithelial thickness (CCET) in psoriasis. Methods 175 eyes of 175 psoriasis patients and 57 eyes of 57 healthy individuals as a control group was included in this study. Psoriasis patients were divided into three subgroups according to PASI score as < 10 mild, 10‒20 moderate and > 20 severe. CCET was measured by spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and mean values were recorded. Mean CCET values were compared between the psoriasis groups and the control group. Additionally, the relationship between PASI score and CCET was examined. Results The mean CCET value was 58.06 ± 3.1 μm in the mild group, 60.10 ± 5.0 μm in the moderate group, 65.75 ± 6.3 μm in the severe group and 56.16 ± 3.1 μm in the control group. It was determined that the mean CCET value was significantly higher in all psoriasis groups compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The mean CCET value was significantly higher in the moderate psoriasis group than in the mild psoriasis group (p = 0.018), and in the severe psoriasis group compared to the moderate psoriasis group (p < 0.001). There was a strong positive correlation between PASI score and CCET (p < 0.001, r = 0.519). Study limitations Cross-sectional design and a relatively small number of participants. Conclusions There is a strong positive correlation between psoriasis severity and CCET. Contactless measurement of CCET by SD-OCT can be an indicator of psoriasis severity.

Long-Term Outcomes of Patients With Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis After Biliary Diversion.

OBJECTIVES: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis is a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders characterized by disrupted bile homeostasis. Patients with this disease typically present with cholestasis and pruritus early in life and often progress to end-stage liver disease. The clinical symptoms that patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis encounter are usually refractory to medical treatment. Although the effects of biliary diversion surgery on native liver survival are not exactly known, this procedure may provide a positive impact on pruritus and laboratory parameters in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis who underwent partial external biliary diversion between 2002 and 2020 at our center. Diagnosis of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis was made by clinical, biochemical, and histopathological characteristics as well as genetic testing. RESULTS: Nine patients were included in the study. Five patients required liver transplant during follow-up, with 4 having liver transplant as a result of endstage liver disease (median interval of 5 years). In 1 patient, partial external biliary diversion was performed 1.5 years after liver transplant for severe diarrhea, metabolic acidosis, and hepatic steatosis. Four patients did not require liver transplant during follow-up (median follow-up time of 7.6 years). Pruritus responded well to partial external biliary diversion in all patients. Among laboratory values evaluated 6 months after biliary diversion, only albumin showed significant improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Partial external biliary diversion had favorable results on long-term follow-up. This procedure can provide the relief of pruritus and delay the requirement for liver transplant in patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis. In our view, partial external biliary diversion should be considered the first-line surgical management for patients with this disease.

The clinical features and the factors affecting visual prognosis in pediatric open-globe injuries.

PURPOSE: To investigate clinical features and factors affecting visual prognosis after pediatric open-globe injuries. METHODS: Retrospective study of 223 children with open-globe injury was conducted. Children with final logMAR visual acuity (LVA) > 0.70 were determined as poor-vision group (group 1, n = 108) and those with final LVA ≤ 0.70 as good-vision group (group 2, n = 115). Demographic characteristics (age, gender, and damaged eye), time between trauma and surgery, ocular trauma score (OTS), follow-up time, injury size, initial and final visual acuity levels, injury type (penetrating injury, globe rupture, perforating injury, and intraocular foreign body injury), injury localization (zone 1 = within the corneal and/or limbal area, zone 2 = within the scleral area extending 5 mm back from the limbus, and zone 3 = within the area posterior to zone 2), injury cause [metal objects (fork, knife, needle), broken glass, blunt objects (ball, punch), pen-pencil, and unidentified objects], and accompanying ocular findings of the groups were detected, and comparisons were done. Additionally, effects of age, time between trauma and surgery, OTS, injury size, follow-up time, initial LVA, injury type, and injury zone on final LVA were analyzed in both groups. RESULTS: Mean age was 9.1 ± 2.0 years. There were 151 males and 72 females. Compared to group 1, group 2 had better initial and final visions (1.21 ± 0.26 vs 0.60 ± 0.28, p < 0.001 for initial LVA; 1.00 ± 0.32 vs 0.30 ± 0.13, p < 0.001 for final LVA), greater OTS (1.72 ± 0.53 vs 3.73 ± 0.61, p = 0.025), and smaller injury size (10.4 ± 3.5 vs 5.8 ± 2.4 mm, p = 0.002). Globe rupture (p = 0.015) and relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) (p = 0.037) were higher in group 1, while penetrating injury (p = 0.044), zone 1 involvement (p = 0.038), and metal object injury (p = 0.041) were higher in group 2. Based on multivariate analysis, the presences of globe rupture (p = 0.024) and RAPD (p = 0.035), the involvement without zone 1 (p = 0.042), and the injury without metal object (fork, knife, needle) (p = 0.046) were associated with poor final vision. Final LVA (for group 1 and group 2) was negatively correlated with OTS (r = - 0.398, p = 0.037; r = - 0.369, p = 0.040), while positively correlated with injury size (r = 0.412, p = 0.031; r = 0.318, p = 0.046) and initial LVA (r = 0.335, p = 0.043; r = 0.402, p = 0.034). CONCLUSION: In our study, poor prognostic factors affecting final vision were low OTS, poor initial vision, the presences of globe rupture and RAPD, the large injury size, the involvement without zone 1, and the injury without metal object (fork, knife, needle).

Changes in intestinal parameters and their association with dietary patterns in rotational shift workers.

Circadian rhythm disturbances induced by rotating shift work contribute to development of metabolic disorders. However, their effects on intestinal parameters such as epithelial permeability and fecal short chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels have not been established yet. This study was planned to investigate the changes in intestinal integrity, fecal SCFA levels, gut microbiota and nutritional intake of rotational shift workers. The study was conducted on ten male rotational shift workers, 25-40 years old. Circadian rhythm disruption was assumed to have occurred after 14 days in the night shift. Dietary data which was obtained by using 24 h record for 7 days, physical activity data, anthropometric measurements, fecal and blood samples were collected during day and night shift. Changes in dietary consumption, anthropometric measurements, blood chemistry and intestinal epithelial permeability indicator according to day and night shifts were not significant (p > .05). Additionally, acetic, propionic and total SCFA were associated with the intestinal permeability biomarker in night shift, but not in day shift (p < .05). Consumption of dark green vegetables and beans and peas was positively associated with fecal isobutyric acid and fecal total SCFA concentration (r = 0.685, p = .029; r = 0.695, p = .026, respectively). The proportions of the genus including Blautia, Bifidobacterium, Dialister, and Ruminococcus gnavus group increased when individuals shifted to the night shift. Gut microbiota changes responding to circadian rhythm disruption became more prominent when consumed high sugar diet. So, changes have been observed in the gut microbiota of rotational shift workers, especially in individuals with certain dietary pattern. Moreover, in individuals with the circadian rhythm disruption SCFAs levels have been demonstrated to be associated with intestinal barrier integrity. A better understanding of the relation among fecal SCFAs, gut microbiota, intestinal epithelial permeability and circadian rhythm disruption is necessary for the development of new dietary strategies for gut health.

Does the conjunctivochalasis accompanied by pseudoexfoliation syndrome affect the ocular surface and anterior segment structures?

PURPOSE: The probability of the coexistence of conjunctivochalasis and pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES) in the same individual may increase with aging. We investigated the effects of conjunctivochalasis accompanied by PES on the ocular surface (OS) and anterior segment (AS) structures. METHODS: Cases with only conjunctivochalasis were determined as Group 1 (n = 62), cases with conjunctivochalasis accompanied by PES as Group 2 (n = 45), and healthy individuals as Group 3 (n = 56). The OS and AS parameters of the groups were compared. RESULTS: There were a higher grade-3 conjunctivochalasis rate (17.7% vs. 46.7%, p = 0.039), a greater "mean grade of conjunctivochalasis" value (1.72 ± 0.24 vs. 2.29 ± 0.32, p = 0.036), and a higher "total conjunctivochalasis score" (4.27 ± 1.13 vs. 6.12 ± 1.35, p = 0.025) in Group 2 than in Group 1. Additionally, Group 2 had a shorter tear film break-up time (TBUT) (9.17 ± 2.53 vs. 5.41 ± 1.32, p = 0.010) and a greater OS disease index (OSDI) score (16.28 ± 3.15 vs. 27.36 ± 4.12, p = 0.037) than Group 1. Moreover, both Group 1 and Group 2 had shorter TBUTs (Group 1-3: p = 0.004; Group 2-3: p < 0.001) and greater OSDI scores (Group 1-3: p = 0.042; Group 2-3: p = 0.019) compared to Group 3. The groups' ocular surface staining scores, Schirmer 1 tests, central corneal thicknesses, keratometries, axial lengths, anterior chamber depths, lens thicknesses, and intraocular pressures were similar (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this was the first study comprehensively investigating the effects of conjunctivochalasis accompanied by PES on the OS and AS structures together. We found that conjunctivochalasis might cause the OS disease, while the presence of PES in conjunctivochalasis cases might worsen both the OS disease and conjunctivochalasis findings.

Cutaneous metastasis of bladder urothelial carcinoma; A rare conditions.

Cutaneous is an extremely rare metastatic area of bladder urothelial carcinoma. Pure cutaneous metastasis without systemic metastasis is very rare and less than ten cases have been reported in the literature. Our patient had various lymphatic fistulas to her skin due to pelvic lymphadenectomy and radiotherapy in her previous cervical cancer. We believe that the most probable mechanism underlying our patient's cutaneous metastasis is a lymphatic spread via those lymphatic fistulas. Immunotherapy is a very important option for patients who cannot receive cisplatin. This is the second case in the literature to apply immunotherapy in the setting of cutaneous metastasis of bladder cancer.

Prognostic impact of the 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography metabolic parameters and correlation with hematological inflammatory markers in lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Hematological inflammatory markers and metabolic parameters in positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) are important indicators predicting the prognosis of the disease in lung cancer as in many cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between pretreatment hematological inflammatory markers and PET/CT metabolic parameters in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and to predict the prognostic value of these parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 132 patients with diagnosed NSCLC who underwent PET/CT at staging were retrospectively evaluated. Hematological parameters were obtained from the hemogram taken no more than 2 weeks prior to PET/CT. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and mean platelet volume (MPV) were recorded. Maximum standard uptake value, SUVmean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were calculated. Clinical stage, tumor pathology, and overall survival were analyzed with these parameters. RESULTS: NLR and PLR were significantly positively correlated with MTV and TLG (all P < 0.001), MPV was negatively correlated with TLG (P = 0.021). While TLG, MTV, NLR, and PLR were increased in advanced stage disease, MPV was decreased. Univariate Cox-regression analysis demonstrated that greater age (P = 0.015), advanced stage (P < 0.001), low MPV (P = 0.017), high NLR (P < 0.001), PLR (P < 0.001), MTV (P = 0.004), TLG (P = 0.001) values, multivariate Cox-regression analysis revealed that NLR (P < 0.001) and advanced stage (P < 0.001) were significant predictors of poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant associations between hematological inflammatory markers and PET/CT metabolic parameters in the patients with NSCLC at the time of diagnosis. These indicators can contribute to predicting prognosis in patients with NSCLC.

Do topical antiglaucoma drugs affect the cornea?

To investigate effects of beta blocker (BB; timolol or betaxolol), latanoprost, and latanoprost-timolol combination (LTC) drugs on corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) and central corneal thickness (CCT) in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients. Sixty-one patients in BB group, 64 patients in latanoprost group, 59 patients in LTC group, and 58 healthy cases in control group were included. Intraocular pressures (IOP), ECDs, and CCTs of groups were recorded at initial (pre-treatment) period, first and third years after treatment, and comparisons were done. In groups, changes of ECDs according to time were not significant (p > 0.05). In BB and control groups, changes of CCTs according to time were not significant (p > 0.05). In latanoprost and LTC groups, CCTs in both first and third years were significantly thinner than initial CCTs (p = 0.039 for latanoprost, p = 0.041 for LTC at first year; p = 0.018 for latanoprost, p = 0.032 for LTC at third year). In latanoprost and LTC groups, CCTs of patients using drugs for 1 year were similar to those of patients using drugs for 3 years (p > 0.05). In our study, uses of BB, latanoprost or LTC did not affect ECD. BB drugs had no effect on CCT. Although latanoprost and LTC appeared to reduce CCT at 3-year follow-up from the statistical point of view, this 8-10 µm difference in CCT was not clinically significant.