The evaluation of homocysteine level in patients with preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between preeclampsia and blood plasma homocysteine levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was conducted in a group of 114 pregnant patients who were subdivided into three groups consisting of: 30 women with severe preeclampsia, 24 with mild preeclampsia, and 60 healthy pregnant controls. Patient data included age, parity body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, homocysteine, folic acid, vitamin B12, hematocrit, hemoglobin, blood urine nitrogen, uric acid and urine analysis. RESULTS: There were no differences in the demographic characteristics (age, gravidity and BMI) among the groups. Mean serum homocysteine level was significantly higher in the preeclamptic group as compared to controls (p<0.01). Mean homocysteine level in the control group was significantly lower than in the severe and mild preeclampsia groups, respectively (p<0.001 vs. p<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in homocysteine levels between mild and severe preeclampsia groups (p>0.05). Although there were statistically significant differences among the three groups in terms of BUN, creatinine, AST ALT and LDH, no statistically significant differences in serum folic acid, vitamin B12 and hemoglobin levels were found. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma homocysteine levels are significantly elevated in patients with preeclampsia and are not correlated with disease severity

Evaluation of immune response to hepatitis A vaccination and vaccine safety in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune mechanisms and drugs used in treatment increase the risk of liver disease in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccination is important, especially in intermediate-endemicity areas like Turkey. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the immune response to hepatitis A vaccine and vaccine safety in children with JIA. METHODS: This study was carried out in our hospital's Pediatric Rheumatology outpatient clinic and Healthy Child clinic between the years 2003 and 2008. The study group consisted of 47 children with JIA (23 male and 24 female) diagnosed according to International League of Associations for Rheumatology diagnostic criteria. The control group consisted of 67 healthy children (31 female, 36 male) who did not have a history of hepatitis A infection or vaccination. Both groups were vaccinated with two doses of hepatitis A vaccine at 6-month intervals. Anti-HAV IgG >80 MIU was accepted as positive response. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of age and sex. None of the patients with JIA had fever, clinical worsening, or disease activation after vaccination. Anti-HAV IgG positivity rate was significantly higher in the control group (p < 0.05). Anti-HAV IgG was negative in only four cases, and they were all male patients with systemic JIA who had active disease under anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment. CONCLUSION: Hepatitis A vaccine was safe in patients with JIA, and response to vaccine did not differ between healthy children and patients with JIA except for children with active systemic JIA receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha drugs.