Relationship between hyperglycemia and intraocular pressure, corneal biomechanics, and corneal topography during the oral glucose tolerance test in nondiabetic patients.

PURPOSE: Altered corneal biomechanics in patients with diabetes may affect intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements. Although a relationship between IOP and glucose levels has been reported in diabetic and nondiabetic patients, the mechanism by which hyperglycemia influences IOP is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of hyperglycemia on IOP, corneal biomechanics, and anterior segment parameters during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in nondiabetic patients. METHODS: Twenty-one patients without DM who underwent OGTT were included in this study. A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed before the test. Blood glucose, insulin level, IOP (iCare rebound tonometer), Ocular Response Analyzer, and corneal topography (Pentacam) measurements were obtained at 0, 1, and 2 h during the OGTT. Data from the patients' right eyes were included in the analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 46.9 ± 11.0 years. There was a statistically significant difference in IOP between 1 and 2 h (p = 0.03) and a clinically significant difference between 0 and 1 h (p = 0.06). Corneal resistance factor was lower at 2 h than 1 h (p = 0.03), while central cornea thickness was increased at 1 h (p = 0.01) and 2 h (p = 0.05) compared to 0 h. There was positive partial correlation between hyperglycemia and IOP at 1 h (p = 0.049, r = 0.67). CONCLUSION: The positive partial correlation between IOP and glucose level suggests that acute hyperglycemia may lead to increased IOP. However, further research is needed to explain the mechanism of IOP elevation in the hyperglycemic phase during OGTT.

MTHFR 677 C > T Gene Polymorphism is Associated with Large for Gestational Age Infants.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677 C > T gene polymorphism in term infants born small (SGA), appropriate (AGA), and large for gestational age (LGA). METHODS: The study comprised 165 newborns with SGA, LGA and AGA. Genomic DNA was isolated from the peripheral blood. Samples were genotyped for MTHFR 677 C > T gene polymorphisms using PCR-RFLP. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the genotype and their allelic distribution of AGA, SGA, and LGA. The newborns carrying the TT genotype had higher birth weight than those carrying the CC and CT genotypes. The frequency of MTHFR 677 TT genotype and T allele was significantly higher and was found to be linked with a higher risk in LGA than in the AGA group. CONCLUSIONS: The MTHFR 677 C > T gene polymorphism can be used as a genetic marker in Turkish LGA newborns, but not in SGA.

Evaluation of the Relationship between Static Balance and Mental Fatigue in Healthy Adults: Preliminary Study.

Mental fatigue (MF) occurs when a demanding cognitive-task is performed over a long period of time, making it difficult to continue daily tasks and maintain balance. The aim of this investigation was to determine whether the Stroop test induces mental fatigue and to examine its effects on static balance. The study is a quasi-experimental design with pre-post testing. Twenty participants (19-44) were included. Static posturography was used to evaluate balance at baseline following a 25-min relaxation period of rest and in the MFC (mental-fatigue condition) following the induction of MF with the Stroop test. The other measurements were the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The study found that mental fatigue significantly increased at MFC compared to baseline, as indicated by MFI (p=.031) and FSS (p=.007) results with moderate effect sizes (d = 0.52, d = 0.67, respectively). Similarly, the study found a statistically significant increase in mental fatigue as measured by VAS results (p=.000, d = 0.95). However, the study did not find any statistically significant impairment in static balance due to mental fatigue in healthy young subjects. The results suggest that the Stroop test can induce mental fatigue, but it does not impair static balance.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in 5-HT receptors in the etiology of premature ejaculation / Polimorfismos de nucleótido único en receptores 5-HT en la etiología de la eyaculación precoz

Introduction and objectives: Premature ejaculation (PE) is characterized by shorter intravaginal ejaculation latency time than it is acceptable for the patient or partner. It is thought that lifelong PE is a neurobiological dysfunction associated with genetic predisposition and with central serotonin neurotransmission dysfunction in receptors. To contribute to the understanding the genetic etiology of lifelong PE, it was planned to compare the 5-HT2C receptor gene rs3813929, rs518147, 5-HT1A receptor gene rs6295, 5-HT1B receptor gene rs11568817 of lifelong PE patients to healthy controls. Materials and methods: For this purpose, 100 patients with premature ejaculation and 100 healthy controls were included in the study. Blood samples for DNA extraction were obtained. Appropriate procedures were applied to the probes (rs3813929, rs518147, rs6295, rs11568817) suitable for the DNA studied. Results: A statistically significant relationship was found between the rs11568817 polymorphism (p=0.019) in the 5-HT1B receptor gene and the rs518147 polymorphism (p=0.016) in the 5-HT2C receptor gene. Also, no statistically significant relationship was found between 5-HT1A receptor gene rs6295 polymorphism and 5-HT2C receptor gene rs3813929 polymorphism and lifelong PE. Conclusions: The relationship between rs3813929 and rs11568817 polymorphisms with lifelong PE was confirmed. Repeating the study in larger sample groups could be useful in determining the genetic etiology of PE. (AU)

Introducción y objetivos: La eyaculación precoz (EP) se caracteriza por un tiempo de latencia de eyaculación intravaginal más corto de lo que es aceptable para el paciente o para la pareja. Se cree que la EP de por vida es una disfunción neurobiológica asociada con la predisposición genética y con la disfunción central de la neurotransmisión de serotonina en los receptores. Para contribuir a la comprensión de la etiología genética de la EP de por vida, se planificó comparar el gen del receptor 5-HT2C rs3813929, rs518147, el gen del receptor 5-HT1A rs6295 y el gen del receptor 5-HT1B rs11568817 de pacientes con EP de por vida con controles sanos. Materiales y métodos: Para este propósito, se incluyeron en el estudio 100 pacientes con eyaculación precoz y 100 controles sanos. Se obtuvieron muestras de sangre para extracción de ADN. Se aplicaron procedimientos apropiados a las sondas (rs3813929, rs518147, rs6295, rs11568817) adecuadas para el ADN estudiado. Resultados: Se encontró una relación estadísticamente significativa entre el polimorfismo rs11568817 (p=0,019) en el gen del receptor 5-HT1B y el polimorfismo rs518147 (p=0,016) en el gen del receptor 5-HT2C. Además, no se encontró una relación estadísticamente significativa entre el polimorfismo del gen del receptor 5-HT1A rs6295 y el polimorfismo del gen del receptor 5-HT2C rs3813929 y la EP de por vida. Conclusiones: Se confirmó la relación entre los polimorfismos rs3813929 y rs11568817 con EP de por vida. Repetir el estudio en grupos de muestra más grandes podría ser útil para determinar la etiología genética de la EP. (AU)

Is there any association between osteoporotic vertebral fracture and vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit-1 polymorphism in Turkish society? A pilot study

OBJECTIVE: In this study, the relationship between osteoporotic vertebral fractures and 9041 Guanine/Adenine and 3673 Guanine/Adenine polymorphisms related to the vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit-1 (VKORC1) gene in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis was investigated. METHOD: DNA was isolated from blood samples collected from 150 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Genotyping of the two polymorphic regions (9041 Guanine/Adenine and 3673 Guanine/Adenine) in VKORC1 was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The presence of radiographic fractures among the 150 patients was ascertained by using the Genant method. RESULT: At least one fracture was detected in 98 patients, and no fracture was observed in 52 patients on radiological images. We found no association between the 9041 Guanine/Adenine (p=0.283) and 3673 Guanine/Adenine (p=0.232) polymorphisms of the VKORC1 gene and the development of secondary postosteoporotic fractures in our study. CONCLUSION: There was no relationship between osteoporotic vertebral fracture and VKORC1 gene polymorphism in a postmenopausal Turkish population.

Relationship between plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) gene polymorphisms and osteoporosis in Turkish women

OBJECTIVE: The development of osteoporosis is associated with several risk factors, such as genetic structures that affect bone turnover and bone mass. The impact of genetic structures on osteoporosis is not known. Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 regulates the bone matrix and bone balance. This study assessed the correlation between plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 gene 4G/5G polymorphisms and osteoporosis in a population of Turkish women. METHODS: A total of 195 postmenopausal female patients who were diagnosed with osteoporosis (Group I) based on bone mineral density measurements via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and 90 females with no osteoporosis (Group II) were included in this study. Correlations between PAI-1 gene 4G/5G polymorphisms and osteoporosis were investigated through the identification of PAI-1 gene 4G/5G polymorphism genotypes using the polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: No significant differences in the genotype and allele frequency of 4G/5G plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 polymorphisms were observed between the two groups, and both groups exhibited the most frequently observed 4G5G genotype. CONCLUSION: No correlation between the development of osteoporosis in the female Turkish population and 4G/5G plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 gene polymorphisms was observed.