Meteorin-Like Protein Levels Decrease in Patients With Acute Ischaemic Stroke.

INTRODUCTION:  Ongoing research aims to investigate blood-based biomarkers and use them in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) diagnosis and management of patients with AIS. PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the meteorin-like protein (Metrnl) levels secreted by adipose tissue in patients with AIS. METHODS: The study groups included healthy controls (n=30) and patients diagnosed with AIS via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the emergency department (n=35) during the one-year period. The basic laboratory values and Metrnl, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels of the patients were compared. The Metrnl levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: In the present study, the Metrnl (p=0.001) and TAC (p=0.009) levels decreased significantly, whereas the TOS (p<0.001) and OSI (p<0.001) levels increased significantly in the patients with AIS compared to the healthy controls. Furthermore, a cut-off value of ≤1.63% meteorin-like protein rendered the sensitivity and specificity rates of 91.43% and 71.43%, respectively, in the patients with AIS. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between the decreased meteorin-like protein levels and the infarct diameter in patients with AIS. CONCLUSION: In patients with AIS, the meteorin-like protein levels decreased inversely with the infarct diameter, and at the same time, there was an increase in TOS and OSI levels and a decrease in TAC levels.

Thiol-disulphide homoeostasis as a novel oxidative stress biomarker in lung tuberculosis patient.

AIMS OF STUDY: To compare a novel oxidative stress biomarker dynamic thiol/disulphide homoeostasis between patients with lung tuberculosis and healthy controls. METHODS: Our study included 50 patients with active lung tuberculosis and 50 healthy controls. Serum thiol/disulphide was measured with a new automated spectrometric method developed and results were compared statistically. RESULTS: We found that native and total thiol levels were significantly decreased in patients with lung tuberculosis, disulphide/native thiol and disulphide/total thiol levels were found to be higher in lung tuberculosis patients when compared with the control group. However, disulphide levels were higher in the control group than in the patient group. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of this study, it can be said that oxidative stress is closely associated with lung tuberculosis pathogenesis. There is a need for new studies that will show the possible effects of oxidative stress on lung tuberculosis pathogenesis.

Acute inferior myocardial infarction associated with the ingestion of captagon pills: A case report.

Phenylethylamine HCL (PEA HCL), more commonly called Captagon on the market, is a synthetic stimulant consisting of a theophylline molecule covalently bonded to an amphetamine molecule. The pathophysiology of myocardial infarction (MI) causing amphetamine-like compounds such as amphetamine and phenylethyline is not clear, this effect may be attributed to the vessel wall narrowing and destabilization of the thrombus. In the literature, some cases of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) associated with amphetamine and ephedrine abuse already been reported. To our knowledge, there is only a cases reporting AMI associated with the use of PEA commonly called Captagon. In this case, we wanted to contribute to the literature by presenting the case of a 23-year-old who developed PEA due to captagon tablet use.

Serum thiol levels and thiol/disulphide homeostasis in gunshot injuries.

BACKGROUND: Gunshot injuries result in serious traumatic tissue damage due to high velocity of the bullet, deep penetration, and ballistic effect. Trauma is known to be related with oxidative stress. Serum thiol levels and disulphide/thiol homeostasis are novel oxidative stress biomarkers. In this study, we aimed to investigate serum thiol levels and disulphide/thiol homeostasis in injury patterns of patients admitted to the emergency department with a gunshot injury. METHOD: A total of 128 participants were included in the study. The participants were divided into two groups: the patient group (Group 1; n = 73) and healthy controls (Group 2; n = 55). Native thiol, total thiol, disulphide levels, disulphide/native thiol, disulphide/total thiol, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were measured. The Revised Trauma Scale (RTS) and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores were calculated. RESULTS: Native thiol, total thiol, and disulphide levels were significantly lower in Group 1 (p < 0.001). Disulphide/native thiol ratio, disulphide/total thiol ratio, and NLR were significantly higher in Group 1, compared to Group 2 (p < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between thiol levels and RTS and GCS scores and NLR. Stepwise linear regression analysis showed that native thiol was an independent indicator of RTS and GCS scores. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis revealed that serum native thiol levels of ≤ 342.9 could predict gunshot injury with a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 77% (area under the curve = 0.853; 95% confidence interval 0.783-0.924). CONCLUSION: Our study results suggest that thiol-disulphide homeostasis is disrupted in patients sustaining gunshot injuries, and thiol levels decrease in correlation with the severity of trauma with a high sensitivity and specificity. As the level of native thiol is an independent predictor of the severity of trauma, reduced thiol levels may be of prognostic value in the early assessment of patients in the emergency room.

The Relationship Between Serum Thiol Levels and Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis with Head Trauma in Children.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress may induce brain injury. Thiols are one of the most important antioxidant agents, and thiol/disulphide (SH/SS) homeo stasis is a novel oxidative stress marker. The goal of the study was to investigate the relationship of thiol levels and SH/SS homeostasis with head trauma in pediatric patients. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted in 85 consecutive pediatric patients aged < 18 years with isolated head trauma and 58 age- and gender-matched healthy controls in the Emergency Department (ED). RESULTS: The mean age was 4.40 ± 3.03 years for the patient group and 4.75 ± 1.81 years for the controls (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences in biochemical parameters including serum albumin, urea, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, uric acid, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and white blood cells (WBC) in the patient and control groups (for each, p > 0.05). The thiol (SH) level was significantly higher in the patient group than in the controls (388.83 ± 51.949 vs. 369.04 ± 37.62 µmol/L; p = 0.009). The total thiol (TT) level was somewhat higher in the patient group, but the difference was not significant (416.11 ± 47.29 vs. 405.08 ± 35.27 µmol/L; p = 0.113). The disulphide (SS) level was lower in the patient group (p < 0.001). The SS/SH and SS/TT ratios were significantly lower in the patient group, while the SH/ TT ratio was significantly higher (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of serum thiol levels and SH/SS homeostasis might be useful in order to determine the head trauma in pediatric patients.