Evaluation of the effect of gluten-free diet and Mediterranean diet on autoimmune system in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease in which thyroid cells are attacked through cell-and antibody-mediated immune processes. A gluten-free diet reduces antibody concentration and regulates thyroid autoimmunization. Mediterranean diet reduces oxidative stress. This study evaluates the short-term effects of Mediterranean, gluten-free, and Mediterranean gluten-free dietary patterns on thyroid function and autoantibody levels of patients. The 40 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis included in the study were randomly divided into four groups (defined as gluten-free, Mediterranean, Mediterranean gluten-free, and controls) for 12 weeks. Thyroid function tests, autoantibody levels, and food consumption were recorded at the beginning and end of the study. There was no statistically significant difference in TSH levels of the groups before the intervention, but a statistically significant difference was found afterward (p < 0.05). Free T3 hormone levels showed a statistically significant difference across the groups before and after the intervention (p < 0.05). Free T3 hormone levels increased significantly in all intervention groups after the intervention, with the highest increase in the Mediterranean group (p < 0.05). In the intervention groups, anti-TPO and anti-Tg levels decreased after the intervention; however, this difference was not significant across groups (p > 0.05). In addition, body weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumference averages decreased significantly in all intervention groups compared with controls (p < 0.05). The study achieved an increase in Free T3 hormone levels in the intervention groups. The most marked difference was seen in the Mediterranean gluten-free diet model, which may be due to the anti-inflammatory effect of both Mediterranean and gluten-free diets and the loss of body weight as a result of the intervention.

COVID-19 studies involving machine learning methods: A bibliometric study.

BACKGROUND: Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are gaining popularity as effective tools for coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) research. These strategies can be used in diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, and public health management. Bibliometric analysis quantifies the quality and impact of scholarly publications. ML in COVID-19 research is the focus of this bibliometric analysis. METHODS: A comprehensive literature study found ML-based COVID-19 research. Web of Science (WoS) was used for the study. The searches included "machine learning," "artificial intelligence," and COVID-19. To find all relevant studies, 2 reviewers searched independently. The network visualization was analyzed using VOSviewer 1.6.19. RESULTS: In the WoS Core, the average citation count was 13.6 ±â€…41.3. The main research areas were computer science, engineering, and science and technology. According to document count, Tao Huang wrote 14 studies, Fadi Al-Turjman wrote 11, and Imran Ashraf wrote 11. The US, China, and India produced the most studies and citations. The most prolific research institutions were Harvard Medical School, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and King Abdulaziz University. In contrast, Nankai University, Oxford, and Imperial College London were the most mentioned organizations, reflecting their significant research contributions. First, "Covid-19" appeared 1983 times, followed by "machine learning" and "deep learning." The US Department of Health and Human Services funded this topic most heavily. Huang Tao, Feng Kaiyan, and Ashraf Imran pioneered bibliographic coupling. CONCLUSION: This study provides useful insights for academics and clinicians studying COVID-19 using ML. Through bibliometric data analysis, scholars can learn about highly recognized and productive authors and countries, as well as the publications with the most citations and keywords. New data and methodologies from the pandemic are expected to advance ML and AI modeling. It is crucial to recognize that these studies will pioneer this subject.

Oral Microbiota Signatures in the Pathogenesis of Euthyroid Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

One of the most prevalent autoimmune illnesses in the world is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, whose pathogenesis is still unknown. The gut-thyroid axis is frequently examined, and although oral health affects thyroid functions, there are limited data on how oral microbiota is linked to Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The study aims to identify the oral microbiota from saliva samples taken from treated (with levothyroxine) and untreated female euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients as well as healthy controls who were age- and sex-matched to compare the oral microbiota across the groups and to contribute preliminary data to the literature. This study was designed as a single-center cross-sectional observational study. Sixty (60) female patients with euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and eighteen (18) age- and gender-matched healthy controls were included in this study. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected. After DNA isolation, sequencing was performed by targeting the V3-V4 gene regions of the 16S rRNA on the MiSeq instrument. R scripts and SPSS were used for bioinformatic and statistical analysis. No significant differences were found in the diversity indices. However, Patescibacteria phylum showed a significantly higher abundance (3.59 vs. 1.12; p = 0.022) in the oral microbiota of HT patients compared to HC. In the oral microbiota, the euthyroid HT group had approximately 7, 9, and 10-fold higher levels of the Gemella, Enterococcus, and Bacillus genera levels than healthy controls, respectively. In conclusion, the results of our study demonstrated that Hashimoto's thyroiditis causes changes in the oral microbiota, whereas the medicine used to treat the condition had no such effects. Therefore, revealing the core oral microbiota and long-term follow-up of the HT process by conducting extensive and multicenter studies might provide some important data for understanding the pathogenesis of the disease.

A Longitudinal Study in Turkiye of Host Ability to Produce Antibodies following a Third Homologous BNT162b2 Vaccination.

Obesity is a multifaceted, complex condition that has negative impacts on one's health. There are conflicting reports regarding the COVID-19 vaccine's ability to induce antibody formation in obese people. Our study aimed to determine anti-S-RBD IgG and surrogate neutralizing antibody (snAb) levels before and after the third Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccination (at 15, 60, 90, and 120 days) in normal-weight adults, overweight, and obese individuals without any comorbidity or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection history, but it did not evaluate the response to the first two doses. In this longitudinal prospective study in Istanbul, Turkey, a total of 323 consecutive adult individuals (141 normal weight, 108 overweight, and 74 patients with obesity) were included. Peripheral blood samples were collected. Anti-S-RBD IgG and surrogate neutralizing antibody levels were detected using the ELISA method. After the third dose of BNT162b2 vaccination, obese patients had significantly lower levels of snAb against SARS-CoV-2 compared with normal-weight controls, but the levels otherwise did not differ between the study groups. Across all individuals in our cohort, titers peaked about a month after this third vaccination and then gradually faded. Anti-S-RBD IgG and snAb IH% levels against SARS-CoV-2 were not correlated with IL-6 and TNF-α levels. In conclusion, anti-S-RBD IgG titers and snAb IH% levels against SARS-CoV-2 were determined longitudinally for 120 days after the third homologous BNT162b2 vaccination. Although there were no significant differences in anti-S-RBD IgG, we found significant differences in the snAb IH% levels against SARS-CoV-2 between obese and healthy control subjects.

Could Prior COVID-19 Affect the Neutralizing Antibody after the Third BNT162b2 Booster Dose: A Longitudinal Study.

Vaccination is an essential public health measure for preventing the spread of illness during this continuing COVID-19 epidemic. The immune response developed by the host or the continuation of the immunological response caused by vaccination is crucial since it might alter the epidemic's prognosis. In our study, we aimed to determine the titers of anti-S-RBD antibody and surrogate neutralizing antibody (snAb) formed before and after the third dose of the BNT162b2 vaccination (on the 15th, 60th, and 90th days) in healthy adults who did not have any comorbidity either with or without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this longitudinal prospective study, 300 healthy persons were randomly included between January and February 2022, following two doses of BNT162b2 immunization and before a third dosage. Blood was drawn from the peripheral veins. SARS-CoV-2 NCP IgG and anti-S-RBD IgG levels were detected by the CMIA method, and a surrogate neutralizing antibody was seen by the ELISA method. Our study included 154 (51.3%) female and 146 (48.7%) male (total 300) participants. The participants' median age was 32.5 (IQR:24-38). It was discovered that 208 individuals (69.3%) had never been infected with SARS-CoV-2, whereas 92 participants (30.7%) had SARS-CoV-2 infections in the past. Anti-S-RBD IgG and nAb IH% levels increased 5.94- and 1.26-fold on day 15, 3.63- and 1.22-fold on day 60, and 2.33- and 1.26-fold on day 90 after the third BNT162b2 vaccine dosage compared to pre-vaccination values (Day 0). In addition, the decrease in anti-S-RBD IgG levels on the 60th and 90th days was significantly different in the group without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the group with past SARS-CoV-2 infection (p < 0.05). In conclusion, it was observed that prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and the third BNT162b2 vaccine dose led to a lower decrease in both nAb and anti-S-RBD IgG levels. To evaluate the vaccine's effectiveness and update immunization programs, however, it is necessary to perform multicenter, longer-term, and comprehensive investigations on healthy individuals without immune response issues, as there are still circulating variants.

Could Long Non-Coding RNA MEG3 and PTENP1 Interact with miR-21 in the Pathogenesis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

NAFLD is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The miRNAs and lncRNAs are important endogenous ncRNAs families that can regulate molecular mechanisms. The aim of this study was to analyze the miRNA and lncRNA expression profiles in serum samples of NAFLD patients with different types of hepatosteatosis compared to healthy controls by the qPCR method. A total of180 NAFLD patients and 60 healthy controls were included. miRCURY LNA miRNA miRNome PCR human panel I + II kit and LncProfiler qPCR Array Kit were used to detect miRNA and lncRNA expression, respectively. DIANA miRPath and DIANA-lncBase web servers were used for interaction analysis. As a result, 75 miRNA and 24 lncRNA expression changes were determined. For miRNAs and lncRNAs, 30 and 5 were downregulated and 45 and 19 were upregulated, respectively. hsa-miR-21 was upregulated 2-fold whereas miR-197 was downregulated 0.25-fold. Among lncRNAs, NEAT1 was upregulated 2.9-fold while lncRNA MEG3 was downregulated 0.41-fold. A weak correlation was found between hsa-miR-122 and lncRNA MALAT1. As a conclusion, it is clear that lncRNA-miRNA interaction is involved in the molecular mechanisms of the emergence of NAFLD. The lncRNAs MEG3 and PTENP1 interacted with hsa-miR-21. It was thought that this interaction should be investigated as a biomarker for the development of NAFLD.

Partial Cecum Necrosis as a Rare Cause of Acute Abdominal Pain in an Elderly Patient.

Partial necrosis of the cecum is a rare form of ischemic colitis with unknown etiology. A 68-year female patient was admitted due to a severe pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen for one week. One month ago, she had coronary artery bypass graft surgery with carotid endarterectomy. During physical examination, tenderness and rebound tenderness at the right lower quadrant were detected. Computed tomography showed a 7-mm tubular structure extending from the back of the cecum to the lower border of the liver. Laparoscopic appendectomy was planned with a preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis. During laparoscopy, a 3x3 cm necrotic area was noticed on the lateral wall of the cecum. After conversion to open surgery, partial cecum resection and ileocolostomy with appendectomy were performed. She was discharged on the 6th postoperative day, uneventfully. An isolated non-occlusive mesenteric ischemic event should be thought as a differential diagnosis in elderly patients who have right lower quadrant pain with atypical presentation, if there is chronic cardiac or renal failure.

The Effects of Blood Glucose Regulation in Omentin-1 Levels among Diabetic Patients.

Objectives: Omentin-1, an adipocytokine that increases the insulin sensitivity, has been determined to be reduced in patients with insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and Type-2 diabetes mellitus. In this study, we have investigated the alterations in Omentin-1 levels with the blood glucose regulation in diabetic patients having poor glycemic control. By this way, we aimed to determine the role of Omentin-1 as a marker in follow-up and monitoring progression of diabetes. Methods: Totally 58 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, older than 18 years of age who were having poor glycemic control (HbA1c≥9) were included in this study. In the first visit, all clinical and biochemical parameters of patients were recorded. After baseline evaluation, the patients were advised life style changes, and their medical treatment was determined individually according to the recommendations of the American Diabetes Association guidelines. At the end of the third month patients were re-evaluated. Serum Omentin-1 levels were measured with ELISA. Results: In patients using only oral antidiabetic agents, after exchanging the treatment with insulin, on 3rd month of treatment, there was a significant decrease in serum C-peptide and Omentin-1 levels compared with the initial results (p=0.034, p=0.048, respectively). On the other hand, in patients using insulin treatment from the beginning of the study, there was not any significant alterations in serum C-peptide or Omentin-1 levels compared with the initial results (p>0.05). Conclusions: Serum Omentin-1 levels may change with insulin and metformin treatments in Type-2 diabetic patients. In patients with poor glycemic control, Omentin-1 levels do not change with the regulation of blood glucose levels. A decrease in Omentin-1 and C-peptide levels has been determined after the initiation of insulin therapy. This suggests that, Omentin-1 levels are closely associated with the endogenous insulin reserve and may be used in follow-up of patients.

D-dimer and international normalized ratio (INR) are correlated with tumor markers and disease stage in colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation of coagulation tests with various clinicopathological variables and tumor markers among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-four CRC patients were included for evaluation of clinicopathological factors, coagulation assays and tumor marker levels. RESULTS: Metastatic disease was related with elevated INR (p= 0.03). Stage III patients had higher D-dimer values compared with stage II patients (p= 0.03). Correlation of tumor markers indicated a tendency towards elevated D-dimer levels for CEA values higher than median (p= 0.01). High CA 19-9 levels were also associated with higher INR (p= 0.007). Elderly age, distant metastasis, high CEA, CA-19-9 and LDH levels were associated with poorer overall-survival. CEA level was the only independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Coagulation assays can be utilized as predictors of disease extent in CRC. Elevated D-dimer and INR values may indicate higher disease stage. Correlation of D-dimer levels with CEA supports their value for assessing tumor burden.