Effect of serum vitamin D levels on the severity of acute pancreatitis: A prospective study.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a serious and complex disorder with varying disease course and severity. Early and prompt interventions are crucial in management of AP. Vitamin D, being a prominent actor in calcium metabolism, also takes part in immunity and thus in immune-system related disorders, ranging from infections to cancer. In this study, the role of vitamin D status of a patient on the severity of AP was investigated. This study was conducted between June 2021 to August 2022 with a total of 315 patients. Blood samples were obtained upon admission. A 25-(OH)D3 level less than 10 ng/ml was defined as vitamin D deficiency. 10-19 ng/ml was defined as vitamin D insufficiency whereas 20 ng/ml or above was considered to be sufficient. Scoring systems (Ranson score, CTSI, BISAP, Revised Atlanta Classification (RAC) were applied. Serum 25-(OH)D3 levels of patients with AP were found to be negatively correlated with severity of the disease according to RAC (p < 0.001). In concordance to this finding, both Ranson score and BISAP were found to be statistically significantly related to 25-(OH)D3 levels. Both scoring systems revealed higher scores in patients with insufficient or deficient levels of 25-(OH)D3. Serum 25-(OH)D3 levels were not found to be related to intensive care unit admission or mortality. This study revealed that serum 25-(OH)D3 level is related to the severity of AP. In the future, interventional studies with vitamin D therapy in otherwise serum 25-(OH)D3 deficient AP patients might reveal a new potential therapeutic agent in this mechanically complex, burdensome disorder.

Modeling the Health Economic Burden of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Turkey: Cost-Effectiveness of Targeted Screening.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In 2016, World Health Organization introduced global goals to eliminate hepatitis C virus by 2030. The aim of this study is to analyze the epidemiologic and economic burden of hepatitis C virus in Turkey and compare current practice (regular care) with a hypothetical active screening and treatment approach (active scenario). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Markov model was used to analyze and compare regular care with a scenario developed by experts including the screening and treatment of all acute and chronic hepatitis C virus infections between 2020 and 2050. General and targeted populations were focused. The model reflected the natural history of the disease, and the inputs were based on a literature review and expert opinions. Costs were provided by previous studies and national regulations. RESULTS: The active scenario resulted in higher spending for all groups compared with regular care in the first year. Cumulative costs were equalized in the 8th, 12th, 13th, and 16th year and followed by cost-savings of 49.7 million, 1.1 billion, 288.6 million, and 883.4 million Turkish liras in 20 years for prisoners, refugees, people who inject drugs (PWID), and all population, respectively. In all groups, the mortality was found to be lower with the active scenario. In total, 62.8% and 50.6% of expected deaths with regular care in 5 and 20 years, respectively, were prevented with the active scenario. CONCLUSIONS: An active screening and treatment approach for hepatitis C virus infection could be cost-effective for PWID, prisoners, and refugees. Almost two-thirds of deaths in regular care could be prevented in 5 years' time with this approach.

Omentin-1 Levels in Hypothyroid Patients with Autoimmune Thyroiditis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine Omentin-1 in hypothyroid patients with autoimmune thyroiditis compared to controls. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, University of Health Sciences, Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Turkiye, between August 2017 and March 2020. METHODOLOGY: The study included 63 newly diagnosed hypothyroid patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and 40 healthy volunteers. Body mass index, fasting blood glucose, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, lipid profile, thyroid function tests, thyroid autoantibodies, and omentin-1 levels were determined before and after treatment with levothyroxine sodium in all participants. RESULTS: Omentin-1 was significantly higher in the control subjects [15.05 (12.12-18.06) ng/ml] than in the hypothyroid patients with autoimmune thyroiditis [3.04 (2.39-3.76) ng/ml, p<0.001]. There was no significant difference in omentin-1 level in patients who achieved euthyroidism by treatment (p=0.26). In correlation analysis, serum omentin-1 level was found to correlate negatively with thyroid-stimulating hormone (r=-0.27, p=0.006), anti-thyroid peroxidase (r=-0.32, p=0.001), and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (r=-0.26, p=0.007), whereas it correlated positively with free triiodothyronine (r=0.22, p=0.021) and free thyroxine (r=0.24, p=0.012). CONCLUSION: Lower omentin-1 levels in hypothyroid patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and its negative correlation with thyroid-stimulating hormone suggest that omentin-1 may play some role in hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis. KEY WORDS: Hypothyroidism, Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, Omentin-1.

Gallbladder Stone Prevalence and Related Factors in Predialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with gallbladder stone in patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease. METHODS: This cross-sectional study retrospectively examined follow-up data of patients with chronic kidney disease between January 2015 and December 2020 at the Health Sciences University Antalya Training and Research Hospital who had undergone abdominal ultrasonography for any reason. Patients with gallbladder stone on abdominal ultrasonography and history of cholecystectomy due to gallbladder stone were identified as the gallstone group. The prevalence of gallbladder stone was determined according to disease stage. Patients with and without gallbladder stone were compared in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters that may be associated with the development of gallbladder stone. RESULTS: A total of 511 patients had chronic kidney disease (stages 3, 4, and 5 in 303 [59.3%], 176 [34.4%], and 32 [6.3%], respectively). The gallstone prevalence rates were 25.1%, 30.1%, and 46.9% in stage 3, 4, and 5 chronic kidney disease, respectively, and that in all the patients was 28.2% (95% CI: 24.3-32.3, P = .026). Logistic regression analysis revealed that increased age (odds ratio: 1.045; 95% CI: 1.027-1.063, P < .001) and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (odds ratio: 0.974; 95% CI: 0.956-0.991, P = .004) were associated with gallbladder stone. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of gallbladder stone was high in the predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease and increased with increasing disease stage. High age and low estimated glomerular filtration rate were associated with gallbladder stone formation.

Metformin with Versus without Concomitant Probiotic Therapy in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Type 2 Diabetes or Prediabetes: A Comparative Analysis in Relation to Glycemic Control, Gastrointestinal Side Effects, and Treatment Compliance.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the impact of concomitant use of probiotic BB-12 in metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes on glycemic control, metformin-related gastrointestinal side effects, and treatment compliance. METHODS: A total of 156 patients (mean [standard deviation] age: 50.9 [9.9 years], 74.4% females) with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes or prediabetes were randomly assigned to receive either metformin alone (n = 84, MET group) or metformin plus Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12) probiotic (n = 72, MET-PRO group). Data on body mass index (kg/m2), fasting blood glucose (mg/dL), blood lipids, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were recorded at baseline and at the third month of therapy. Data on gastrointestinal intolerance symptoms and treatment noncompliance were also recorded during post-treatment week 1 to week 4. RESULTS: MET-PRO versus MET therapy was associated with a significantly higher rate of treatment compliance (91.7% vs 71.4%, P = .001), greater reduction from baseline HbA1c values (0.9 [0.4-1.6] vs 0.4 [0-1.6] %, P < .001) and lower likelihood of gastrointestinal intolerance symptoms, including abdominal pain (P = .031 to <.001), diarrhea (P = .005 to <.001) and bloating (P = .010 to <.001). Noncompliance developed later (at least 15 days after the therapy) in a significantly higher percentage of patients in the MET group (P = .001 for 15-21 days and P = .002 for 22-28 days). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the present study proposes the benefit of combining probiotics with metformin in the treatment of patients with T2D or prediabetes in terms of improved glycemic control and treatment adherence rather than correction of dyslipidemia or weight reduction.

Palliative resection of primary site in advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors improves survivals.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are rarely seen and have heterogeneous clinical outcomes. Mostly half of the patients had metastatic disease at presentation. Palliative resection of primary site in metastatic disease is still controversial. The aim of this study was to find out the influence of resection of primary tumor site on progression-free survival and overall survival in metastatic non-functioning gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. The secondary end point is to determine the prognostic factors influencing the survivals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted at a single medical oncology center, Antalya Education and Research Hospital. Patients who had non-functioning metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with primary site resected or unresected were compared retrospectively. Resection of metastases was excluded. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were included in the study and 29 patients had primary tumor resection. The primary site resected group had favorable outcomes with the overall survival (median unreached) compared to the median overall survival of 30 months in the unresected group (p=0.001). Median progression-free survival was also better in the primary site resected group than the unresected group (60 months vs. 14 months, respectively) (p=0.013). In multivariate analysis, unresected primary site and high-grade tumors were found to be independent prognostic factors on low survivals (Hazard ratio (HR): 4.6; 95% CI: 1.21-17.47 and HR: 10.1; 95% CI: 1.15-88.84, respectively). Age (p=0.131), gender (p=0.051), chromogranin A level (p=0.104), Ki-67 index (p=0.550), tumor size (p=0.623), and primary tumor area (p=0.154) did not influence the overall survival. CONCLUSION: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with primary site resected had improved survivals when compared to the unresected group.

The role of Blastocystis hominis in the activation of ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several studies have shown that a change in microbiota plays an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Furthermore, with the emergence in recent studies of differences according to the subtype of IBD and whether the disease is active or in remission, there has started to be research into the relationship between IBD and several microorganisms. Blastocystis hominis is primary among these organisms. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of B. hominis in the acute flare-up of ulcerative colitis (UC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 114 patients with UC were included in the study, with 52 in the active phase. The Mayo scoring system was used for the activity index. Patients determined with a flare-up agent other than B. hominis were excluded from the study. Fecal samples of the patients were examined by the polymerase chain reaction method for the presence of B. hominis. RESULTS: B. hominis positivity was determined in 37 (34%) patients with UC. Of the patients, 17 (32.6%) were in the acute flare-up phase, and 20 (32.2%) were in remission (p=0.961). In 11 (64.7%) of the B. hominis positive patients, the disease severity was determined as mild-moderate (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study showed that while there was no difference between the active and remission phases in respect of B. hominis presence, there was milder involvement in those determined with B. hominis.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Potential Early Marker of Antibiotic Resistance in Patients with Infected Cirrhotic Ascites.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in identification and management of infected ascites among patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: A total of 439 patients (mean (SD) age: 64.5 (± 12.7) years, 63.3% were males) hospitalized with cirrhotic ascites were included in this retrospective study. Data on patient demographics, etiology of cirrhosis, type of ascites (sterile ascites, infected ascites), culture findings treatment response (antibiotic resistance vs. sensitivity) and baseline (Day 0), Day 1 and Day 2 levels for serum C-reactive protein (CRP; mg/L), and NLR were recorded. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was plotted to determine performance of % change from baseline NLR on Day 1 in identifying treatment response. RESULTS: In patients with infected ascites, antibiotic resistant patients had significantly higher Day 1 (6.9 (1.9 - 74.9) vs. 4.9 (1.1 - 51.1), p = 0.001) and Day 2 (8.0 (2.6 - 75.9) vs. 4.0 (1.1 - 40.3), p = 0.000) levels for NLR as compared with antibiotic sensitive patients, while the two groups had similar baseline (Day 0) NLR values (5.8 (1.1 - 62.3) vs. 5.7 (1.1 - 72.3), p = 0.969). ROC analysis revealed less than 0.93% decrease from baseline NLR on Day 1 (AUC (95% CI): 0.852 (0.799 - 0.895), p < 0.001) to be a potential marker of antibiotic resistance with a sensitivity of 87.72% and specificity of 88.50%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate percent change from baseline NLR on Day 1 to be a potential early marker of antibiotic resistance in patients with infected cirrhotic ascites. Our findings emphasize the role of determining NLR levels in earlier recognition of treatment failure and thus prompt modification of antibiotic treatment in cirrhotic patients with infected ascites.

A novel biomarker for prediction of atrial fibrillation susceptibility in patients with celiac disease.

BACKGROUND: Celiac disease (CD), a serious autoimmune disorder that occurs in people who are genetically predisposed, is induced by dietary gluten intake and affects primarily the small intestine. Many studies have identified an increased risk of cardiovascular problems in patients with CD. Moreover, these patients are susceptible to certain liver diseases, as well as fibrosis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the presence of fibrosis using the De Ritis ratio, determining its effect on the electromechanical features of the left atrium and its susceptibility to atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with CD. METHODS: A total of 97 patients diagnosed with CD by antibody test and biopsy were included in this prospective study. Two groups were created from these patients, a fibrosis-prone (FP) group and a non-fibrosis-prone (NFP) group, according to the cut-off value, as defined in previously published reports, for the AST/ALT ratio. Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic examinations were performed as part of the study. RESULTS: There were no differences in the baseline characteristics and conventional echocardiographic parameters of the defined groups. However, the patients in the FP group, as compared to those in the NFP group, had significantly increased PWD (56.68±6.48 ms vs. 37.49±6.22 ms, P<0.001). Additionally, significantly higher interatrial (60.50±13.05 ms vs. 29.40±11.55 ms, P<0.001), intra-left atrial (44.18±14.12 ms vs. 21.02±11.99 ms, P<0.001), and intra-right atrial (15.61±8.91 ms vs. 8.38±4.50 ms, P<0.001) EMD was found among the patients in the FP group compared to that of the NFP group. CONCLUSION: It is believed that the susceptibility to AF cited in previous studies may be related to fibrosis. Our study is the first to examine the possible effects of fibrosis on AF susceptibility in patients with CD, whereby we propose a new biomarker for prediction of AF susceptibility of these patients.

Importance of target calorie intake in hospitalized patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the feasibility and clinical outcome of a nutritional algorithm based on target calorie intake commenced as enteral nutrition (EN) alone or in combination with supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN) among hospitalized patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 301 hospitalized patients who were provided with nutritional support, including EN (n=125) or EN+SPN (n=176), due to various medical conditions during their hospitalization were included in this study conducted at Antalya Training and Research Hospital. All the patients were evaluated during their hospitalization under nutritional support until discharge or in-hospital death. Data on the length of stay (LOS) and serum pre-albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and records for feeding days considering nutritional risk screening (NRS) 2002 scores were collected. RESULTS: Overall, 85.7% of patients achieved the target calorie intake within a median of 4.0 days, while discharge and in-hospital death rates were 58.1% and 41.9%, respectively. Of the 5719 feeding days recorded during follow-up, 1076 (18.8%) days were associated with failure to achieve the target calorie intake with hemodynamic instability (33.3%), procurement problems (33.3%), and oral reluctance (23.0%). CONCLUSION: Our findings emphasize the role of keeping the intake closer to the target calorie intake and immediate use of SPN whenever full EN fails to achieve the target calorie intake for improving the adequacy of clinical nutrition in the early phase of critical illness. The EN and EN+SPN groups were found to be similar in terms of rates of target achievement, mortality, and discharge, while a lower mortality rate and improved nutritional status were evident in achievers than in non-achievers of the target calorie intake regardless of the type of nutrition.

Differentiating Transudative From Exudative Ascites Using Quantitative B-Mode Gray-Scale Ultrasound Histogram.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to differentiate exudative from transudative ascites using B-mode gray-scale ultrasound histogram analysis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty-two consecutive patients with ascites were prospectively studied from June 2014 through June 2015. All underwent ultrasound (US) and paracentesis in the radiology department. Five patients were excluded (three with hemorrhage and two with peritoneal carcinomatosis). The remaining 57 patients were divided into those with exudative and transudative ascites according to results of paracentesis. Electronically recorded US images were transferred to a workstation, and gray-scale histograms were generated. The ascites-to-rectus abdominis muscle echogenicity ratio (ARAER) was obtained from ascites adjacent to the rectus abdominis muscle. ROC curves were used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of this method in differentiating exudative from transudative ascites. RESULTS: ARAERs for exudative ascites were significantly higher than those for transudative ascites (p < 0.001). ROC was done to evaluate ARAERs for exudative ascites. The best cutoff value for ARAER histogram was 0.002. The sensitivity and specificity of ARAER were 87.5% and 79.2% (AUC = 0.843), respectively. CONCLUSION: ARAER is an easily applicable noninvasive quantitative sonographic method with high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating exudative from transudative ascites.