The role of orexin in fatigue and sleep quality in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders and fatigue are prevalent symptoms affecting primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients. This study aimed to assess the sleep quality of pSS patients as well as its relationship to fatigue and orexin level. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study evaluating fatigue in pSS using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) and EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Patient-Reported Index (ESSPRI) were calculated. RESULTS: Forty-one patients met the sample criteria and were involved in the final report. They were all females, with a mean (± SD) age and median disease duration of 40.87 ± 10.84 and 36 (6-180) months, respectively. The mean ESSDAI was 0.92 ± 1.3, while the mean ESSPRI was 5.8 ± 2.13. Based on the FSS, 32 (78.04%) patients had a positive test with a mean score of 5.07 ± 1.54. The total PSQI score showed that 60.97% had poor sleep, and the orexin level was lower in patients with pSS than in healthy controls. There was no correlation between orexin level and the presence of fatigue nor the PSQI score. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, serum orexin levels were lower in patients with pSS than healthy controls, It could be related to impairments in sleep and fatigue in patients with pSS.

Clinical characteristics of cat sensitized adults, cat ownership and cat owners' attitudes.

Background: Cat allergen sensitization is a significant risk factor for allergic rhinitis and asthma. There are insufficient data on the preferences and attitudes of cat owners who have a cat allergy. Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of adults sensitized to cats and their association with cat ownership, and to assess owners' attitudes and behaviors. Methods: The study evaluated adult patients, ages between 19 and 74 years, who were sensitized to cat allergen as confirmed by skin-prick tests. The demographic and clinical data of the patients were obtained retrospectively from the hospital medical records system. A telephone interview with patients was conducted to evaluate whether they owned a cat and their attitudes toward cat allergy. A total of 143 patients who could not be reached by telephone or who refused to participate in the study were excluded. Patients were categorized into never owned a cat, early cat ownership (having a cat or cats in the first 2 years of the patient's life), and past and current cat ownership according to the status of patients at the time of their skin-prick test. Current cat owners were questioned whether they relinquished their cats and the presence and the degree of symptoms of both patients who relinquished their cats and patients who continued to live with their cats. Results: A total of 245 patients (women/men, 151/94) with a mean age of 31.56 ± 11.33 were included in the study. Eighty-three patients (33.9%) were current cat owners. After the skin-prick test, 54 cat owners (66.1%) continued living with their cats. Two-thirds of these owners were symptomatic, with 95% experiencing nasal symptoms. Only five of the patients with symptoms (14.3%) reported worsening symptoms. Any significant impact on symptoms was not determined with regard to number of cats, cat breeds, and precautionary measures. Conclusion: Cat allergen is a potential risk for public health. The clinician must engage in shared decision-making as to what type of environmental changes that the patient is willing to make and what treatment options, if any, they are ready to accept, recognizing that most patients will prefer to keep their cats.

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and carotid intima-media thickness in primary Sjögren syndrome.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate serum lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) level and carotid intima-media thickness in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) as an indicator of atherosclerosis. Patients and methods: Between July 2019 and July 2020, a total of 33 female pSS patients (mean age: 44.5±11.2 years; range, 23 to 60 years) and 37 female age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (mean age: 40.9±7.2 years; range, 25 to 54 years) were included. Carotid intima-media thickness and serum Lp-PLA2 levels were measured in the patient and control groups. Results: The patients had a higher median serum Lp-PLA2 of 560 (range, 108 to 1,222) ng/mL vs. 328 (range, 0 to 1,280) ng/mL in the controls (p=0.024) and a similar mean intima-media thickness of carotid artery (0.64±0.14 mm vs. 0.62±0.15 mm, respectively; p=0.595). Serum Lp-PLA2 was positively correlated with platelet count (r=0.411, p=0.018) and negatively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=-0.409, p=0.018). The mean value of carotid intima-media thickness was positively correlated with disease duration (r=0.316, p=0.074) and was negatively correlated with the level of leucocyte (r=-0.458, p=0.007). Conclusion: Our study suggests that the patients of pSS have a potential risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and disease severity.

A novel appetite peptide, nesfatin-1 in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver pathology worldwide and is strongly associated with obesity and insulin-resistance and food intake. Nesfatin-1 is a new peptide that controls appetite and food intake. The objective of this research was to examine the serum concentrations of nesfatin-1 in NAFLD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty NAFLD patients who had elevated liver enzymes and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were included in this study. NAFLD was diagnosed and graded with the findings of liver ultrasound scan. Nesfatin-1 concentrations were measured using an ELISA method and the relationship between nesfatin-1 and metabolic parameters were investigated. The subjects were divided into two groups according to their body mass index (≥ 30 and < 30) and nesfatin-1 concentrations were examined between both groups. RESULTS: Serum nesfatin-1 concentrations in NAFLD patients were lower than healthy controls (0.26 ± 0.14 ng/ml, 0.38 ± 0.18 ng/ml, respectively, and p = 0.008). We found a negative correlation between nesfatin-1 and fasting glucose and body mass index. In obese subjects, serum nesfatin-1 concentrations were significantly lower when compared with non-obese subjects (0.26 ± 0.12 ng/ml, 0.37 ± 0.19 ng/ml, respectively; p = 0.014). In addition, we showed that nesfatin-1 concentrations in subjects with insulin resistance were significantly lower in comparison with insulin-sensitive ones (0.27 ± 0.17 ng/ml, 0.38 ± 0.17 ng/ml, respectively; p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: Our study has shown that nesfatin-1 concentrations were reduced in NAFLD. The results of this study indicate that nesfatin-1 may have a significant role in NAFLD.

Inclusion of a spasmolytic in bowel cleansing: a prospective randomized study.

The quality of colon cleansing and the tolerance of patients to the procedure are two major determinants of the quality of a colonoscopy. Many bowel-cleansing regimens are known, but there is no ideal regimen. Alverine citrate (Relaxyl, Spasmonal) is a spasmolytic agent that has been shown to affect responses of mechanoreceptors of the intestine to both mechanical and chemical stimuli. Patients who underwent colonoscopies at four centers were randomly assigned two different bowel-cleansing procedures. The bowel-cleansing methods were oral sodium phosphate (NaP) (Group I) and oral NaP plus alverine citrate (Group II). Patients were randomized into one of these regimens. The quality of colon cleansing was assessed by an endoscopist with an empirical, clinically meaningful 3-point scale. Both groups were similar with respect to age, gender, and pre- and postcolonoscopic diagnosis. In Group I, 76 patients (47 women and 29 men; aged 39.53 ± 7.87 years) and in Group II, 71 patients (41 women and 30 men; aged 39.78 ± 8.27 years) were included in the study. In Groups I and II, 37 (48.7%) and 41 (57.7%) patients had perfect bowel cleansing, respectively. The overall colon cleansing in the group with NaP plus alverine citrate was comparable with that in the NaP group. The tolerability of patients to the colonoscopy in the two groups was also similar. Based on the present data, adding oral alverine citrate to NaP does not increase either the quality of bowel cleansing or the tolerance of patients to the procedure.

Fatal rhinocerebral mucormycosis under the shade of hepatic encephalopathy.

Mucormycosis is an acutely fatal infection that occurs in immuncompromised patients. Cirrhosis is an acquired immune deficiency state and those patients are more prone to develop opportunistic infections. A 42-years-old cirrhotic man was admitted to our gastroenterology clinic with hepatic encephalopathy. Although he recovered from encephalopathy with supportive measurements, he developed paresthesia on the face. He was diagnosed with rhinocerebral mucormycosis and antifungal therapy was administered. Surgical treatment couldn.t be performed because of his bleeding diathesis and poor general condition. He succumbed on the 12th day of his admission.

Inlet patch: associations with endoscopic findings in the upper gastrointestinal system.

OBJECTIVE: Ectopic gastric tissue in the esophagus (inlet patch) mostly presents in the upper part of the esophagus and is usually under-diagnosed because of its localization. Little is known about its pathogenesis and significance. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between ectopic gastric tissue development and endoscopic features of the upper gastrointestinal tract, especially in the esophagus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 9437 endoscopic examinations were analyzed prospectively. Endoscopic features and histological examinations of inlet patch and stomach specimens were documented. Endoscopic findings in patients with inlet patch were compared with those in patients without inlet patch. RESULTS: Inlet patch was present in 171 (1.8%) of all patients. Forty-three (25.1%) patients with inlet patch and 519 (5.6%) patients without inlet patch had esophagitis (p = 0.000). Histologically proven Barrett's esophagus was more frequent among patients with inlet patch than among patients without inlet patch (3.5% versus 0.5%, p = 0.000). Prevalences of hiatal hernia in the two groups were similar. Open cardia was diagnosed more frequently in the inlet patch group than in the other group (24.5% versus 10.0%, p = 0.000). Helicobacter pylori colonization was detected in only 11% of inlet patch specimens, whereas 58% of stomach specimens from the same patients contained H. pylori colonies. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with inlet patch seem to have predisposing factors for gastroesophageal reflux, and Barrett's esophagus is found more frequently in those patients. H. pylori colonization is involved in ectopic gastric tissue less frequently than in gastric tissue.