Impact of COVID-19 on Outcomes of Patients with Hematologic Malignancies: A Multicenter, Retrospective Study.

Objectives: Patients with hematological malignancies have a high risk of mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on mortality rates in patients with various hematological malignancies and to determine risk factors associated with all-cause mortality. Methods: A multicenter, observational retrospective analysis of patients with hematological malignancies infected with COVID-19 between July 2020 and December 2021 was performed. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, and laboratory parameters were recorded. Patients were grouped as non-survivors and survivors. All-cause mortality was the primary outcome of the study. Results: There were 569 patients with a median age of 59 years. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (22.0%) and multiple myelomas (18.1%) were the two most frequent hematological malignancies. The all-cause mortality rate was 29.3%. The highest mortality rates were seen in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (44.3%), acute lymphoid leukemia (40.5%), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (36.8%). The non-survivors were significantly older (p<0.001) and had more comorbidities (p<0.05). In addition, there were significantly more patients with low lymphocyte percentage (p<0.001), thrombocytopenia (p<0.001), and high CRP (p<0.001) in the non-survived patients. Age ≥ 65years (p=0.017), cardiac comorbidities (p=0.041), and continuation of ongoing active therapy for hematological cancer (p<0.001) were the independent risk factors for the prediction of mortality. Conclusions: In patients with hematological malignancies, coexistent COVID-19 leads to a higher mortality rate in elderly patients with more comorbidities. Acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma have the highest mortality rates. Older age, cardiac diseases, and continuation of ongoing active therapy for hematological cancer are the independent risk factors for mortality in hematological malignancy patients with COVID-19.

COVID-19 infection in patients with acute leukemia; Istanbul experience.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to a global pandemic that has also challenged the management of various other life-threatening conditions, such as malignant disorders. In this study, we present the clinical features and treatment outcomes of twenty-seven COVID-19 positive patients with leukemia across seven different centers in Istanbul. From March 1st to December 31st 2020, 116 patients were diagnosed with acute leukemia. Thirty-two cases with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), 82 cases with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and 2 cases with mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) were identified. Of the 27 patients with the COVID-19 infection, seven patients had ALL, 19 patients had AML and one patient had MPAL. The mortality rate was 37% among the patients with AML, whereas there were no deaths in the ALL group. The mortality rate of AML patients with the COVID-19 infection was higher compared to cases without the infection (P<0.05). We could not detect any significant difference in the ALL cohort. This study, which includes one of the largest acute leukemia series in literature proved that acute myeloid leukemia patients with the COVID-19 infection have worse outcomes than patients without the infection. The high mortality among patients with acute leukemias hospitalized with COVID-19 highlight the need for aggressive infection prevention, increased surveillance and protective isolation and even modification of the therapy, in case of minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity.

Emphysema and Airflow Obstruction in Non-Smoking Coal Miners with Pneumoconiosis.

BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence shows that functional impairment in subjects with coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is principally due to emphysema and airflow obstruction, rather than underlying restrictive mechanisms. However, cigarette smoking has remained a major confounder. The aim of this study was to assess whether coal dust exposure was associated with emphysema and/or airflow obstruction in the absence of smoking history. MATERIAL AND METHODS The subjects evaluated for possible pneumoconiosis between 2013 and 2015 were retrospectively enrolled into this study. After excluding those with history of smoking, tuberculosis, or lung cancer, the study population was a total of 57 subjects. The emphysema severity and airflow obstruction were quantified by computed tomographic densitometry analysis and spirometry, respectively. For comparability regarding emphysema, 9 age- and sex-matched nonsmoker (n=9) control subjects without known lung disease were randomly selected from a radiology database. RESULTS Emphysema severity was significantly higher in the CWP group compared with the control group (15% vs. 4%, p<0.001). The median percent emphysema and percentage of those with FEV1/FVC <0.7 was 13% and 37% in subjects with simple CWP and 18% and 67% in subjects with complicated CWP, respectively. Percent emphysema and Perc15 (15th percentile of the attenuation curve) was correlated with FEV1/FVC (r=-0.45, r=-0.47) and FEF25-75 (r=-0.36, r=-0.56), respectively, but not with perfusion score. A linear regression analysis showed that factors associated with emphysema were FEV1/FVC (ß=-0.24, p=0.009) and large opacity (ß=-3.97, p=0.079), and factors associated with FEV1/FVC were percent emphysema (ß=-0.51, p=0.018) and tenure (ß=-0.63, p=0.044). CONCLUSIONS Our results support the observation that coal dust exposure is associated with emphysema and airflow obstruction, independent of smoking status.

Serum Angiopoietin Levels are Different in Acute and Chronic Myeloid Neoplasms: Angiopoietins do not only Regulate Tumor Angiogenesis.

Molecular balance between Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) has important effects in tumor angiogenesis. Ang-2 was shown to be elevated and proved to be a prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To date studies revealed increased angiogenesis in bone marrows (BMs) of both myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) and AML patients. We conducted this study to demonstrate circulating levels of Ang-1 and Ang-2 in MPN patients since no data exists in literature. Thirty-three newly diagnosed MPN, 27 newly diagnosed AML patients and 25 controls (HC) were enrolled and Angiopoietin levels were determined with ELISA. We found that Ang-1 levels were higher whereas Ang-2 levels were lower in MPN and HC when compared to AML. Our results suggest that though angiogenesis is increased in both AML and MPN, angiopoietin serum level profile of the two diseases are different, and MPN patients have similar Ang-1 and Ang-2 levels as HC. We conclude that, according to our results Ang-1 and Ang-2 do not only regulate tumor angiogenesis and the difference between angiopoietin levels of acute and chronic myeloid neoplasms could be a reflection of other effects of these growth factors on tumor malignancy.

Comparison of the diagnostic value of different lymphocyte subpopulations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with biopsy proven sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Bronchoalveolar lavage is considered a helpful tool in the diagnosis of diffuse parenchimal lung diseases such as sarcoidosis. CD4/CD8 ratio is higly specific but not sensitive to distinguish sarcoidosis and other intestitial lung diseases. We aimed to compare the diagnostic value of CD4/CD8 ratio and other lmphocyte subpopulations such as CD3+16+56, CD103+, CD4+CD103+, CD8+CD103+ in bronchoalveolar lavage to distinguish sarcoidosis and other nonsarcoidosis interstitial lung diseases. METHODS: Using the bronchoscopy records from 2006 to 2013, we evaluated 68 patients with biopsy proven sarcoidosis and 72 patients with clinicoradiological and/or biopsy proven diffuse parenchimal lung diseases. Cut off values, sensitivity and specificity were given for aforementioned parameters. RESULTS: Bronchoalveolar lavage CD4/CD8 ratio, CD4+ T lymphocyte percentage, CD4+103+, CD3+CD103-, CD8+CD103+/CD103+ ratio were significantly higher in sarcoidosis than other diffuse parenchimal lung diseases whereas CD3+103+, CD3+16+56+, CD8+, CD8+CD103+, CD8+CD103+/CD8+ were significantly lower. Best cut off value of CD4/CD8 was 1.34 with sensitivity and specificity 76.4%, 79.4% respectively. The cut off values of CD4/CD8 of >3.5 and >2.5 had specificity 95.9% and 95.3%, respectively and sensitivity 52%, 41%, respectively. CONCLUSION: CD4/CD8 ratio is highly specific but not sensitive for sarcoidosis diagnosis. Thus, BAL flow cytometry is not diagnostic alone without appropriate clinicoradiological and/or histopathological findings.

Low Dose Cytosine Arabinoside and Azacitidine Combination in Elderly Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Refractory Anemia with Excess Blasts (MDS-RAEB2).

Only one-third of elderly (>60 years) AML and MDS-RAEB2 patients may receive intensive chemotherapy treatment alternatives that are limited in this patient group due to the potential of severe toxicity. Previous studies have shown that azacitidine and low dose cytarabine treatments may be a beneficial treatment option for these patients. In this study, we aimed to good results with low toxicity in elderly patients. We retrospectively analyzed the AML and MDS-RAEB2 patients who received azacitidine monotherapy and azacitidine and LDL-ara-c combination therapy for a comparison of their response to therapy, survival rates, and toxicity rates and for determining the factors that could affect their overall survival. A total of 27 patients who were diagnosed with de novo AML and MDS-RAEB2 and who received at least four cycles of chemotherapy were included in the study, and the data were evaluated retrospectively. When monotherapy and combination therapy groups were compared, the pretreatment bone marrow blast count was observed to be greater in the combination therapy group. A statistically significant difference was not detected between the groups regarding the response to therapy ratios (p = 0.161) (42.9 and 57.1 %, respectively). No difference was detected between the groups regarding therapy-related toxicity. Infections were the most common complication. Progression-free survival was 30.3 % for the azacitidine monotherapy group and 66.7 % for the combination (azacitidine + LD-ara-c) group. The factors influencing the overall survival rate were determined based on the response to the first-line therapies, more than a grade 2 infection, fever, and relapse in a multi-variance analysis. The combination therapy may be a well-tolerated treatment option for the elderly, vulnerable AML patients whose blast count is high in response to therapy rates, overall survival rates, and toxicities are not different, although the pre-treatment bone marrow blast count was greater in the combination therapy groups compared with the monotherapy group.

The Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Circulating Ischaemia-Modified Albumin Concentrations.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on circulating ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) concentrations. The study included 97 newly diagnosed OSAS patients and 30 nonapnoeic controls. Blood samples were obtained in the morning after polysomnography. After 3 months of CPAP treatment, 31 patients with moderate-severe OSAS were reassessed for serum IMA concentrations. Significantly higher serum IMA concentrations were measured in the OSAS group than in the control group [0.518 ± 0.091 absorbance units (ABSU), 0.415 ± 0.068 ABSU, P < 0.001]. Serum IMA concentrations correlated significantly with the apnoea-hypopnoea index, mean SaO2, desaturation index, and C-reactive protein concentrations. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that OSAS increased the serum IMA concentration independent of age, sex, body mass index, smoking habit, and cardiovascular disease. After 3 months of treatment with CPAP, OSAS patients had significantly lower serum IMA concentrations (0.555 ± 0.062 ABSU to 0.431 ± 0.063 ABSU, P < 0.001). The results showed that OSAS is associated with elevated concentrations of IMA, which can be reversed by effective CPAP treatment.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Characteristics of Patients With Sarcoidosis and Nonsarcoidosis Interstitial Lung Diseases: Ten-Year Experience of a Single Center in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a noninvasive and useful technique for evaluating interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Flow cytometric analysis of BAL fluid reveals specific diagnostic information in some unusual ILDs, and helps to narrow down the possible causes of interstitial diseases in most patients with more common disorders. A high BAL CD4/CD8 ratio is highly specific for sarcoidosis but can also be seen in other ILDs. OBJECTIVES: In this retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study, we compared BAL fluid characteristics and clinical variables in patients with sarcoidosis and non-sarcoidosis ILDs in a large cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in a tertiary university hospital in Zonguldak, the biggest city of the western Black Sea region of Turkey. Between 2004 and 2014, all patients who underwent both fiberoptic bronchoscopy and BAL with a suspicion of ILD were included in the study, retrospectively. Patients were divided into two main groups: sarcoidosis and non-sarcoidosis ILDs. Non-sarcoidosis ILDs were further divided into subgroups: pneumoconiosis, tuberculosis (TB), collagen vascular diseases, idiopathic interstitial pneumonias, malignancies, and unclassified ILDs. The clinical data of patients, including age, gender, smoking status, pulmonary function tests, and BAL flow cytometric analysis results, were compared among groups. RESULTS: In total, 261 patients (119 sarcoidosis and 142 non-sarcoidosis ILDs) were enrolled. The median (interquartile range) BAL CD4/CD8 ratio and lymphocyte fraction were significantly higher in sarcoidosis than in non-sarcoidosis ILDs: 3.88 (3.76) versus 0.88 (1.01), respectively, and 20.6 (28.3) versus 6.0 (13.7), respectively. T cell receptor γ delta, CD16(+)56(+), CD103(+), CD8(+)103(+), and CD3(+)16(+)56(+) cells were significantly lower in sarcoidosis than in non-sarcoidosis ILDs. The median BAL CD4/CD8 ratios were significantly higher in patients with TB (1.87, P = 0.01) and malignancies (1.69, P = 0.03) than in other non-sarcoidosis ILDs. CONCLUSIONS: Among BAL fluid flow cytometric parameters, CD4/CD8 and lymphocyte fraction may be helpful for distinguishing sarcoidosis from other ILDs, but they are neither specific nor diagnostic for any lung disease. Thus, a multidisciplinary diagnostic discussion is required to differentiate various ILDs.

Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Zonguldak province of Turkey.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is increasingly recognized as a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. This study is the first spirometry-based, cross-sectional survey of COPD from Western Black Sea Region of Turkey. In this study we aimed to investigate COPD prevalence in Zonguldak province of Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult population of 71.630 persons living in central Zonguldak were enrolled to the study. They were selected by random sampling methods based on regional inhabitant listings. 611 adult persons were finally enrolled to the study. They were interviewed face to face, and were given a questionnaire. Spirometry and early reversibility testing were also performed. Results were evaluated according to Global Obstrucive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. RESULTS: 42.6% of the study population were males. Mean age was 49.2 ± 15.4. The number of inividuals 40 years and older was 447 (73.1%). COPD prevalence was found as 11.1% in the study population and 14.1% in the population 40 years and older. COPD prevalence in males and females 40 years and older were 19.6% and 9.8% respectively. Mean age of the COPD patients (60.06 ± 13.2 years) was higher than the subjects without COPD (47.8 ± 15.1) (p< 0.001). COPD prevalence was increasing with age categories. COPD severity based on GOLD criteria were as follows: Stage 1 (23.5%), Stage 2 (58.8%), Stage 3 (16.2%) and Stage 4 (1.5%). Prevalence of smoking history was 95.3% in male COPD patients, and 56% in female COPD patients. Smoking was the most common risk factor present in 80.9% of COPD cases, followed by biomass exposure (63.2%), occupational exposure (41.2%) and passive smoking (7.3%). Smoking history and occupational exposure were higher statistically in males than females in both study populatian and COPD cases. CONCLUSION: COPD is prevalent and an important public health problem in central Zonguldak province.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm: skin and bone marrow infiltration of three cases and the review of the literature.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a distinct and rare neoplastic entity and was classified as a subgroup of acute myeloblastic leukemia by the WHO in 2008. The median survival of patients was 15.2 months in a large case series. Allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation has been recommended by some reports because of the disease's poor prognosis. We present three patients who presented with both skin and bone marrow infiltration. A 57-year-old man, a 62-year-old woman, a 64-year-old man were admitted to our outpatient clinic because of skin lesions. All of the patient's had bone marrow infiltration with positivity of the CD4, CD56, and CD123 staining. Survival of the patient's were 42, 6 and 12 months, respectively. Two of the patients who presented as blastic form didn't respond to any chemotherapy. BPDCN is a difficult disease to diagnosis and manage. CD4, CD56, CD123, CD303, and T cell leukemia/lymphoma 1. Cutaneous lesions can present as isolated nodules, macules, and disseminated macules and nodules. Positivities are crucial to the diagnosis of the disease in histological examination. Bone marrow infiltration or disease relapse at presentation were related to poor prognosis. Complete immunocytochemical staining must be performed for all patients who have cutaneous lesions with or without blood count abnormalities. Bone marrow (allogeneic or autologous) transplantation should be considered at the first remission.

Relationship of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 to prognosis in patients with multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Changes occur in adhesion molecules in the disease course of multiple myeloma. P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1, CD162) works as the ligand of selectin-neutrophil adhesion molecules. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between PSGL-1 expression in the bone marrow and the known prognostic factors for multiple myeloma disease, disease stage, and survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research included 63 patients with multiple myeloma (26 women [41.3%]; 37 men [58.7%]). The bone marrow biopsy samples obtained at disease diagnosis for each patient were stained immunohistochemically in terms of CD162 expression using standard diagnostic immunohistochemical staining methods. The laboratory results, CD162 expression, overall survival, demographic characteristics of the disease, and the relationship between CD162 expression and the disease stage were evaluated. RESULTS: Among the 63 patients included in the present study, the survival rate was 82.3% for 1 year, 73.2% for 2 years, 63.4% for 3 years, 51.7% for 4 years, 40.3% for 5 years, and 33.6% for 6 and 7 years. A statistically significant difference was not detected between the CD162 staining ratio and disease survival (P = .232). A statistically significant difference was not detected between the CD162 staining degree and survival rate (P = .184). However, the overall survival of the patients with no CD162 expression in the bone marrow was lower than that for the patients whose CD162 was stained 1, 2, and 3 degrees (12.33 ± 11.49, 28.65 ± 31.44, 37.25 ± 29.32, and 47.92 ± 45.29 months, respectively; P < .001). CONCLUSION: In the present study, CD162 staining and the staining degree, with the other standard immunohistochemical stains, were shown to be beneficial in the diagnosis of multiple myeloma disease. However, the results did not provide information about the disease course. Studies of a larger number of patients to examine P-selectin and interleukin-6 levels are needed to investigate the disease course.

Treatment of patients with multiple myeloma over 65 yr: more tolerability or better response?

OBJECTIVE: Two-thirds of newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are over 65 yr and/or physically unfit. Such patients are not eligible for high-dose chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation. The treatment aims in these patients should be to prolong survival by obtaining the best possible response, while maintaining good tolerability. The aim of our study was to evaluate the response to treatment and treatment-related toxicities in patients treated with conventional and novel protocols. METHODS: The records of 138 elderly (≥65 yr) patients with MM were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: The median overall survival(OS) of the patients was 46 months. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 18 months. The OS and PFS of the patients treated with the conventional protocols did not differ significantly from those treated with the novel protocols. The statistical analysis of the quality of the response to the treatment with the conventional and novel therapies showed that complete remission (CR), combined with a very good partial response (VGPR), was significantly higher in the latter. However, the toxicities were higher in the novel treatment group. CONCLUSION: The novel drug protocols significantly increased the quality of the responses of elderly patients with MM to therapy, but they did not increase the patients' tolerability.

A rare presentation of langerhans cell histiocytosis tonsil infiltration: review of the literature: atypical presentation of langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease that can infiltrate various organs. LCH presents with solitary organ involvement or as a multi-system disease. We present a patient who has tonsillary infiltration with LCH. A 74 year-old Caucasian male was admitted for swelling of the neck and difficulty swallowing for 3 months. Physical examination showed submandibular lymph node enlargement of approximately 3 cm and tonsil enlargement. A tonsillectomy and excisional biopsy of the lymph node were done. Histiocyte-like cell infiltration was seen in the tonsil biopsy. CD3, CD20, CD15, CD30, CD5, CD138, Lambda, Kappa, Bcl-2, ALK, CD23, CD10, Bcl-6, keratin, EMA, HMB-45, and Cyl D1 were negative. CD68, S-100, CD1a, and fascin were positive, and the Ki-67 proliferation index was 20 % in immunocytochemical staining. The most commonly infiltrated bones are the skull, femur, lower jaw, pelvis, and vertebrae in LCH. Oral or perioral lesions are present in 30 % of cases. Oral lesions most often involve bone loss, unexpected tooth loss, and gum inflammation. We administered oral prednisolone to our patient due to the presence of lytic lesion of the bone, mild anemia and a higher sedimentation rate, which was from a separate, explained cause. Isolated tonsillar involvement in adult LCH was reported in only 2 cases in the literature. There is no standard recommendation for treatment. Our patient responded well to steroid therapy.

Cardiotoxicity following cyclophosphamidetherapy: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac toxicity is one of the life-threatening complications of cancer therapy. Systemic anticancer treatments may exert their own toxic effects or can aggravate adverse effects of other drugs. We report a case of cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity in a patient with normal cardiac functions before chemotherapy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old Caucasian woman with a mediastinal mass diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma underwent chemotherapy with rituximab-hyperfractionated-cyclophosphamide-vincristine-doxorubicin-dexamethasone. On the seventh day of chemotherapy, she developed dyspnea. An electrocardiogram demonstrated low voltage in the limb and precordial leads. It also showed diffusely increased myocardial echogenicity, mild pericardial and pleural effusion, generally impaired biventricular systolic functions with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 31%, and right ventricular mid-apical akinesia, even though she had normal biventricular functions before chemotherapy. Cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity was suspected and she was given treatment for congestive heart failure. Her dyspnea decreased and she was discharged on the tenth day with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 37% and normal right ventricular function. After 1 month, echocardiography showed normal biventricular functions with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 60%. CONCLUSIONS: Drug-induced cardiotoxicity, therefore, should be taken into consideration when using cyclophosphamide therapy, especially when anthracyclines are co-administered. Close communication between hematologists and cardiologists is required.

sEPCR Levels in Chronic Myeloproliferative Diseases and Their Association with Thromboembolic Events: A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: Venous, arterial, and microcirculatory events are frequently encountered in the clinical course of essential thrombocytosis and polycythemia vera. We aimed to investigate the levels of soluble endothelial protein C receptor (sEPCR) in myeloproliferative diseases to see whether there was a difference between the patients with and without history of thromboembolism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included patients with polycythemia vera (n=12), patients with essential thrombocytosis (n=13), and controls (n=29). In all groups, we measured proteins C and S, antithrombin and sEPCR levels, and plasma concentrations of thrombin-antithrombin complex, prothrombin fragments 1+2, and D-dimer. RESULTS: Comparing the patients with and without history of thromboembolic attack, statistically significant differences were not observed in terms of sEPCR, D-dimer, thrombin-antithrombin complex, prothrombin fragments 1+2, and hematocrit levels (p=0.318, 0.722, 0.743, 0.324, and 0.065, respectively). CONCLUSION: Significant increase in the parameters that reflect activation of coagulation, such as sEPCR, thrombin-antithrombin complex, prothrombin fragments 1+2, and D-dimer, reflects the presence of a basal condition that leads to a tendency toward thrombosis development in ET and PV when compared to healthy controls.

Serum asymmetric dimethylarginine, nitrate, vitamin B(12), and homocysteine levels in individuals with pulmonary embolism.

We aimed to analyze the pre- and posttreatment serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), nitrate (NO(3)), vitamin B(12) and homocysteine levels in pulmonary embolism (PTE) patients and to determine the prognostic value of these variables in predicting chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). This study was conducted in 64 patients. The patients were classified into the two groups: patients with normal pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) (group I) and patients with high PAP with persistent lung perfusion defects or who died at the end of 3 months of therapy (group II). We found statistically significant differences between two groups with respect to the partial oxygen pressure, the oxygen saturation, and the PAP, but there was no difference between the two groups with respect to the pretreatment ADMA, NO(3), or homocysteine levels. The vitamin B(12) levels were higher in group II. The NO(3) levels increased and the ADMA and vitamin B(12) levels decreased with treatment in both groups. These results suggest that these parameters are not predictive of the development of CTEPH.

Postoperative complications after abdominal surgery in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a well-known independent risk factor for the development of postoperative pulmonary and cardiac complications after thoracic or nonthoracic surgery. We aimed to determine the risk factors and complications of abdominal surgery in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease out of 89 patients who underwent abdominal surgery at Zonguldak Karaelmas University Medical School Hospital enrolled in the study. RESULTS: Pulmonary and cardiac complication ratios were found high in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Postoperative pulmonary and cardiac complications were documented in 21.8% and 28.1% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients respectively. There were no differences in terms of complications, according to the severity of the disease in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. While smoking and age did not effect the postoperative complications in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, bronchodilator use increased postoperative cardiac risks. We found that laparoscopic surgery reduced the risk for postoperative pulmonary complications compared with open surgical procedures. No differences were found in terms of complication regarding to the type of incision and the duration of surgery. CONCLUSION: The patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had high ratio of the pulmonary and cardiac complications. The complication rate was higher for surgical sites closer to the diaphragm such as the upper abdomen. Laparoscopy will reduce the risk for postoperative pulmonary complications compared with open surgical procedures. Based on our preliminary data and considering the lack of controlled trials, bronchodilators should be used with great caution particularly in the individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiac comorbidity.

Pleural adenosine deaminase in the separation of transudative and exudative pleural effusions.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a new parameter, pleural adenosine deaminase (PADA), for separating transudative pleural effusion from exudative pleural effusion, and to compare the results with other tests (albumin gradient and protein gradient). METHODS: From November 2001 to January 2003, 359 consecutive patients with pleural effusion who underwent a diagnostic thoracentesis were included in the study. Effusions were individually classified as transudates or exudates after the careful evaluation of all clinical data and biochemical parameters of pleural fluid and serum of patients on the basis of Light's criteria. The means and standard deviations of PADA, pleural/serum ADA (P/S ADA) ratio, albumin gradient and protein gradient were evaluated for transudative and exudative effusions. The best cut-off values for each test were identified by using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The optimum cut-off level was determined by selecting points of test values that provided the greatest sum of sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: There were 113 transudates and 246 exudates. For each test, differences in mean value between the transudate group and the exudate group were statistically significant (t test, P<0.001). The optimum cut-off levels for PADA and P/S ADA were 15.3 U/L and 0.66 U/L, respectively. ROC analysis confirmed previous recommendations for albumin gradient (12 g/L) and protein gradient (31 g/L). For detecting exudates, the PADA test yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 85.8% and 82.3%, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of the albumin gradient were found to be 88.5% and 79.3%, and of the protein gradient 85% and 83.2%, respectively. The areas under the curve (AUC) data and accuracy demonstrated similar discriminative properties in the examined tests. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of PADA is suggested as a reliable test in the separation of pleural exudates from transudates with accuracy similar to that of the albumin gradient and protein gradient.

Role of biochemical tests in the diagnosis of exudative pleural effusions.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the diagnostic utility of pleural adenosine deaminase (PADA), pleural lactate dehydrogenase (PLDH), and several other biochemical tests in bronchogenic carcinoma and malignant mesothelioma, and to compare biochemical characteristics of their fluid with nonmalignant pleural effusions. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study consisted of 226 patients diagnosed with malignant (75), tuberculous (65), and parapneumonic pleural effusions (86). We examined the following biochemical parameters in the pleural fluid and serum: adenosine deaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose level, protein level, pleural fluid/serum ADA ratio (P/S ADA), P/S LDH ratio, and P/S protein ratio. RESULTS: Parapneumonic pleural effusions had a significantly higher level of PLDH and of P/S LDH than malignant and tuberculous pleural effusions (P = 0.000), and malignant pleural effusions had a higher level of PLDH than tuberculous pleural effusions. Tuberculous and parapneumonic effusions had significantly higher levels of PADA than those of malignant effusions (P = 0.000). When the 54 patients having bronchogenic carcinoma were compared to the remaining 21 mesothelioma patients, the former had a lower median level of PADA (P = 0.001) with a higher level of PLDH (P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results show that high pleural LDH and low PADA levels are suggestive of pleural effusion due to bronchogenic carcinoma, whereas high levels of PADA alone can be indicative of tuberculous pleural effusion and high levels of both markers can show complicated parapneumonic effusions or empyema.