Evaluation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study and trend analysis involving 86,772 samples.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper was to evaluate the change in 25-hidroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: In this retrospective, cross-sectional and methodological study included 86,772 patients (18-75 years) samples who were admitted to the Izmir Dokuz Eylul University Hospital (latitude and longitude (Turkey): 27 E 09; 38 N 25, respectively) for various reasons and whose 25(OH)D levels were measured in the biochemistry unit between 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 (before and during the COVID-19 outbreak). A time series analysis of monthly averages for 25(OH)D was performed. For the purpose of seasonal study, the mean levels of 25(OH)D are grouped by years. Data were modeled in terms of 25(OH)D levels using the MATLAB Curve Fitting Toolbox. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the sexes according to 25(OH)D levels (p>0.05). 25(OH)D levels were significantly higher in the summer months and lower in the winter months (p<0.001). When comparing the spring months, 25(OH)D levels in 2020 (18 ± 10) were found to be significantly lower than in 2019 (22 ± 12) (p<0.001); on the contrary, when examined based on the summer, autumn, and winter months, it was determined that 25(OH)D levels increased in 2020 (summer: 25 ± 13, autumn: 25 ± 14, and winter: 19 ± 10) compared to 2019 (summer: 23 ± 11, autumn: 22 ± 10, and winter: 19 ± 11) (p<0.001). In the estimates curve obtained with an error margin of 11% in the time series analysis, it was estimated that the 25(OH)D averages after the pandemic would be similar to those before the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Restrictions, partial or complete closures, and curfews can significantly affect individuals' 25(OH)D levels during the COVID-19 outbreak. There is a need for multicenter studies with larger populations covering different regions to strengthen and support our results.

Periodontal condition of patients with Thalassemia Major: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the existing evidence on the association between Thalassemia major (TM) and periodontal condition. MATERIALS & METHODS: MEDLINE via OVID, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Database (including the Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTER)), were searched up to September 2018 to identify observational studies eligible for systematic review and meta-analyses. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used for quality assessment. RESULTS: The initial search resulted in 172 articles, and of these, 16 articles were included and a qualitative synthesis was carried out. Based on the quantitative data from 14 studies, significant differences were found in gingival index (GI) (p < 0.001), bleeding on probing (p = 0.02) as well as plaque index (PI) (p < 0.01) measures between TM and systemically healthy controls. Additional analyses (young vs. adult) for GI and PI revealed that such significant differences were only observed in adults, even though overall analysis showed no subgroup effect. The majority of the studies qualified as "intermediate quality". CONCLUSION: Patients with TM had significantly higher gingival inflammation scores compared to controls. Therefore, routine comprehensive periodontal screening in TM is recommended in order to prevent occurrence of periodontal diseases and eventually reduce the complexity of the oral health care. Also, conduction of further well-designed observational studies is recommended to contribute to this topic.

Disseminated Aspergillosis due to Aspergillus niger in Immunocompetent Patient: A Case Report.

Invasive aspergillosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Many cases of pulmonary, cutaneous, cerebral, and paranasal sinus aspergillosis in immunocompetent patient were defined in literature but disseminated aspergillosis is very rare. Here we present an immunocompetent case with extrapulmonary disseminated aspergillosis due to Aspergillus niger, totally recovered after effective antifungal treatment with voriconazole.