Association of maternal serum Netrin-1 and Netrin-4 levels with placenta accreta spectrum.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate maternal serum Netrin-1 and Netrin-4 levels in pregnancies complicated with placenta accreta spectrum. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 49 pregnant women with the diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum as the study group. Gestational age-matched 30 uncomplicated pregnant women with prior cesarean delivery and normal placentation were randomly selected as the control group. Maternal serum Netrin-1 and Netrin-4 levels were measured between weeks 34 and 36 of gestation. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of demographic characteristics. Maternal serum Netrin-1 levels were significantly lower in placenta accreta spectrum cases compared with those in the control group (p=0.038). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of maternal serum Netrin-4 levels (p>0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between maternal serum Netrin-1 levels and the number of prior cesarean deliveries (r=-0.313, p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The observed decrease in maternal serum Netrin-1 levels in placenta accreta spectrum cases associated with increased angiogenesis might be one of the factors involved in the pathophysiology of this disease.

Effects of radiological extent on neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

OBJECTIVE: Determining the severity of sarcoidosis is based on the clinical and radiological findings of the disease and the changes in pulmonary function test results. On the other hand; studies are ongoing for objective and easy markers in this respect. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is shown as a good prognostic marker for inflammation due to tissue damage in recent clinical trials. In this study, we aimed to identify the possible relationship between NLR and radiological extent of sarcoidosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of 122 patients included in the study were evaluated retrospectively in terms of age, gender, complete blood count parameters, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and radiological findings at the time of diagnosis. RESULTS: Mean NLR and ESR were significantly different between radiological stages according to chest radiography and also total HRCT score (THS) groups according to parenchymal involvement in thorax tomography (p <0.05). Mean NLR was found to be 1.28 in stage 0, 1.65 in stage 1, 2.88 in stage 2,5.47 in stage 3 and 8.48 in stage 4; 1.63 in THS group 1, 2.01 in group 2, 3.47 in group 3 and 5.46 in group 4. There were statistically significant positive correlations between NLR and WBC, NLR and THS, NLR and ESR, THS and ESR, ESR and platelet, WBC and #neutrophil, WBC and #lymphocyte. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that NLR might be used as a prognostic marker in pulmonary sarcoidosis.