The diagnostic importance of periostin as a biomarker in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp.

PURPOSE: The current studies in the literature report that periostin contributes to the formation of nasal polyps and may be a molecular biomarker for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). This study aims to investigate the effect of periostin in determining polyp burden in CRSwNP patients and evaluate its impact on postoperative surgical results and its functionality as a biomarker. METHODS: The study included 26 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery due to CRSwNP and 30 patients who were scheduled to undergo septoplasty due to isolated nasal septum deviation. We performed preoperative Lund-Mackay scoring and preoperative and postoperative SNOT-22 and Modified Lund-Kennedy scoring for the patients. Tissue and serum samples were collected from all patients in surgery and another serum sample was taken from CRSwNP patients at postoperative month 6. RESULTS: Tissue eosinophil (p < 0.001), preoperative serum (p < 0.001), and tissue (p = 0.002) periostin were significantly higher in the CRSwNP group. We observed a statistically significant positive correlation between tissue eosinophil values and tissue periostin values in CRSwNP patients (p = 0.004). We found a statistically significant positive correlation between the tissue periostin values and postoperative SNOT-22 scores of the CRSwNP group patients (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: According to the results of our study, we think that periostin can be used as a biomarker in the prediction, determination of disease severity, and prognosis of CRSwNP. Comprehensive cohort studies with larger patient series are needed to provide more information on the role and effects of periostin in cases of CRSwNP undergoing surgical treatment.

Clinical Entity Mimicking Infectious Cellulitis: Eosinophilic Cellulitis (Wells' Syndrome).

Eosinophilic cellulitis (EC) is a skin disease characterized by pruritic, non-purulent, erythematous plaques and histologically by edema and eosinophil infiltration in the dermis. The etiopathogenesis of the disease is not fully elucidated. It differs from infectious cellulitis by being unresponsive to antibiotics and recurring. This case report presents a late-diagnosed case of EC in a patient who did not respond to long-term and broad-spectrum antibiotics. This case underscores the importance of skin biopsy and histopathological diagnosis in patients with recurrent, non-responsive, antibiotic-resistant, and cellulitis-like clinical features resembling infectious cellulitis; "eosinophilic cellulitis" should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Investigation of Serum Human Epididymitis Protein 4 Level in Rats with Experimental Acute Pancreatitis.

BACKGORUND: We aimed to show whether the serum level of Human Epididymitis Protein 4 increases in rats with an experimental acute pancreatitis model created by cerulein. METHODS: This study included 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats which were randomly divided into 4 groups each containing 6 rats. CONTROL: the group treated with saline, Group 1: pancreatitis group created with cerulein at a total dose of 80 µg/kg, Group 2: pancreatitis group created with cerulein at a total dose of 120 µg/kg, Group 3: pancreatitis group created with cerulein at a total dose of 160 µg/kg. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between edema, acinar necrosis, fat necrosis, and perivascular inflammation scores among the study groups. While the degree of all histopathological findings is lowest in the control group, pancreatic parenchyma damage increases as the amount of injected cerulein increases. There was no statistically significant difference between alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and Human Epididymis Protein 4 values between study groups. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant difference between amylase and lipase values. The lipase value of the control group was significantly lower than the lipase value of the second and third groups. The amylase value of the control group was significantly lower than all other groups. The highest Human Epididymis Protein 4 value was measured as 104 pmol/L in the first pancreatitis group, where the severity of pancreatitis was mild. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, it was concluded that the Human Epididymis Protein 4 value increased in the case of mild pancreatitis, but there is no correlation between the severity of pancreatitis and the Human Epididymis Protein 4 value.

A Rare Tumor of Palatine Tonsils: Chondrolipoma.

Chondrolipomas are benign mesenchymal tumors that have two mature tissues simultaneously and emerge as a result of cartilaginous metaplasia in lipomas. They rarely occur in the head and neck area (1%-4%), and occur more frequently in the 60-70 years age group. Although there are cases of the nasopharynx, tongue, lip, and neck reported in the literature, we have been able to find only two cases on tonsils. The case of a 17-year-old male patient, who presented to our clinic complaining of dysphagia and was diagnosed with tonsillar chondrolipoma, is described here, along with the radiological, clinical, and immunohistochemical findings, as well as the review of the literature.