Diagnostic role of gray-scale and shear-wave elastography in pediatric patients with undescended testes: a prospective controlled study.

Aim: Ultrasound elastography is a simple non-invasive method for measuring tissue elasticity in relation to tissue fibrosis. The aim of this study was to compare echogenicity, volume and shear wave velocities of undescended vs normally descended testes. Material and methods: Sixty-six boys with undescended testes were included in this study. The median age range was 35.5 (10-118) months old. The cases included in this prospective study consisted of 66 patients with non-operated undescended testes, with 51 of them being affected unilaterally and 15 affected bilaterally, as diagnosed by physical examination. The control group consisted of 31 healthy boys without any particular health problems. This prospective study was performed by gray-scale ultrasonography and shear wave elastography in boys with undescended testes and healthy testes. The testicular volumes were established by ultrasound measurement, the echogenicity and shear wave elastography values were measured in boys with unilateral and bilateral undescended testes, and the results were compared with healthy boys' testes and their contralateral testes. The stiffness values were recorded for speed (m/s) and elasticity (kPa), and the stiffness values of undescended testes were compared with the healthy control group. Results: Echogenicity values were lower in the bilateral undescended testes group than in the healthy group, and the healthy group's echogenicity was normal (p <0.001). The ROC curve was used to identify a cut-off shear wave elastography value for predicting decreased testicular echogenicity by using average shear wave elastography values. The area under the curve for the undescended testes was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.70-0.85, sensitivity 83.7%, specificity 68.7%, p <0.001), with an average shear wave elastography value of 2.32 (m/s) for above the cut-off point indicates. This was found to be significantly associated with reduced echogenicity on gray-scale ultrasonography, suggesting that it may be correlated with fibrosis developing in patients with undescended testes. Conclusion: The study provides interesting findings in that it proposes an alternative non-invasive method for the assessment of testicular tissue in undescended testes. We used shear wave elastography to compare the stiffness of normal testes in both heathy patients and in the contralateral healthy testes of boys with undescended testes, with the values obtained for the undescended testes reflecting the level of fibrosis of the parenchyma. Another outcome of this study was observed in patients with unilateral undescended testes, where the normally descended testes showed increased shear wave elastography values, which could be an early indication of parenchymal change.

Niraparib-induced pure red cell aplasia.

INTRODUCTION: Niraparib, a strong poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, contributed significantly to progression-free survival as a maintenance therapy in the platinum-sensitive period in both first-line and recurrent ovarian cancer, regardless of the BRCA mutation. Grade 3-4 anemia, which has a manageable side effect profile, especially hematological, is seen in almost 1 out of every 4 patients. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no reported case of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) induced by niraparib treatment. CASE REPORT: A 65-year-old woman diagnosed with stage 3 serous carcinoma of the tuba received niraparib front-line maintenance treatment had grade 4 anemia after 3 months of niraparib treatment. She underwent bone marrow aspiration and biopsy because of refractory anemia, which needs red blood cell (RBC) transfusions despite interruption of treatment. MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOME: The patient was treated with 1 mg/kg methyl prednisolone, after histopathological assessment was consistent with PRCA. The hemoglobin count returned to the normal range with steroid treatment. DISCUSSION: In daily practice, it should be kept in mind that in the case of refractory anemia induced by niraparib, the underlying cause might be PRCA and can be improved with steroid administration.

Preconditioning Modified-Easix as a Predictor of Prognosis in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHCT) is associated with severe complications, most of which share a common physiopathological background characterized by endothelial dysfunction. A novel risk assessment model, endothelial activation and stress index (EASIX), has been introduced as a predictor of endothelial activation. This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the predictive impact of EASIX/modified-EASIX (mEASIX) on transplant outcome. Medical records of 398 alloHCT recipients [median age: 43(17-71) years; M/F: 243/155] were examined. EASIX/mEASIX were calculated at specific time points before and after transplantation. EASIX/mEASIX were significantly associated with transplant complications including engraftment syndrome, sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, febrile neutropenia and transplant associated thrombotic microangiopathy. The probability of overall survival was significantly higher in low-preconditioning mEASIX (day -7) group (37% vs 25.2%; p = 0.008; HR: 2.057; 95% CI: 1.208-3.504). The probabilities of day30 mortality (2.9% vs 19.4%; p = 0.017; HR: 7.028; 95% CI: 1.418-34.836), day100 mortality (9% vs 33%; p = 0.004; HR: 4.469; 95% CI: 1.619-12.336) and non relapse mortality (44.8% vs 61.4%; p = 0.005; HR: 2.551; 95% CI: 1.318-4.941) were lower in low-preconditioning mEASIX (day -7) group. This retrospective cohort analysis demonstrates the significant impact of EASIX/mEASIX on transplant complications and survival. Prospective analyses are mandatory to assess the predictive role of EASIX/mEASIX in clinical practice.

Stem cell markers: A guide to neoadjuvant therapy in breast carcinomas.

Aim: This study aims to investigate potential associations between the stem cell population and the degree of tumor regression in breast carcinomas treated with neoadjuvant therapy. Settings and Design: The study included 92 patients with breast carcinoma who received neoadjuvant therapy. Tumor regression was defined based on Miller and Payne grading system. Patients with grade 1 or 2 regression on a 5-point scale were included in group 1 (n = 37), grade 3 regression in group 2 (n = 32), and grade 4 or 5 regression in group 3 (n = 23). Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed on paraffin block sections of every case using CD44, CD24, CD29, CD133, ID4, and ALDH1 antibodies to detect stem cells. Statistical Analysis Used: IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) software was used for statistical analyses, and a P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Histologically high-grade tumors are more common in the near-complete/complete response group (P = 0.004). HER2-positive tumors were more common in the complete/near-complete response group (P = 0.054). Tumor cells positive for stem cell markers CD44 and CD24 were more common in the poor response group (P = 0.027 and P = 0.001, respectively). CD29 expression was reduced in the posttreatment residual tumor tissue in the near-complete/complete response group. Conclusion: High CD44 and CD24 expression may be a predictor of poor response/nonresponse to neoadjuvant therapy in breast carcinomas. Background: In recent years, stem cells have been defined as the main cell population responsible for resistance to anticancer therapies.

Outcomes of high-risk breast lesions diagnosed using image-guided core needle biopsy: results from a multicenter retrospective study.

PURPOSE: The clinical management of high-risk lesions using image-guided biopsy is challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the rates at which such lesions were upgraded to malignancy and identify possible predictive factors for upgrading high-risk lesions. METHODS: This retrospective multicenter analysis included 1.343 patients diagnosed with high-risk lesions using an image-guided core needle or vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB). Only patients managed using an excisional biopsy or with at least one year of documented radiological follow-up were included. For each, the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category, number of samples, needle thickness, and lesion size were correlated with malignancy upgrade rates in different histologic subtypes. Pearson's chi-squared test, the Fisher-Freeman-Halton test, and Fisher's exact test were used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: The overall upgrade rate was 20.6%, with the highest rates in the subtypes of intraductal papilloma (IP) with atypia (44.7%; 55/123), followed by atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) (38.4%; 144/375), lobular neoplasia (LN) (12.7%; 7/55), papilloma without atypia (9.4%; 58/611), flat epithelial atypia (FEA) (8.7%; 10/114), and radial scars (RSs) (4.6%; 3/65). There was a significant relationship between the upgrade rate and BI-RADS category, number of samples, and lesion size Lesion size was the most predictive factor for an upgrade in all subtypes. CONCLUSION: ADH and atypical IP showed considerable upgrade rates to malignancy, requiring surgical excision. The LN, IP without atypia, pure FEA, and RS subtypes showed lower malignancy rates when the BI-RADS category was lower and in smaller lesions that had been adequately sampled using VAB. After being discussed in a multidisciplinary meeting, these cases could be managed with follow-up instead of excision.

Comparison of maintenance regimens in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia patients.

Maintenance therapy in APL is still a standard especially in high-risk patients treated with chemotherapy+ATRA combination whereas the role of the maintenance therapy in low-risk patients is controversial. This study aims to compare the efficacy and toxicity of ATRA monotherapy and ATRA+MTX+ 6-MP combination as the maintenance treatment for 2 years in APL patients who achieved molecular complete response after induction and consolidation with ATRA+chemotherapy. A total of 71 patients from 4 different centers were included in this study. After a median follow-up of 54 months (5-180 months), the 5-year RFS was 89 % in the ATRA monotherapy arm, the 5-year RFS was 78.5 % in the combined treatment arm (p = 0.643, HR:1.3, 95 % CI: 0.35-5.3). Hematological toxicity in all grades and Grade III/IV hematological toxicity was observed significantly more in the combined treatment arm than in the ATRA monotherapy arm (All grades: 76.9 % vs 18.9 %, p < 0.001; Grade III/IV: 20.5 % vs. 3.1 %, p = 0.035). Hepatotoxicity at all levels was significantly higher in the combined treatment arm than in the ATRA monotherapy arm (61.5 % vs 25 %, p = 0.002). Our study concluded that two years of ATRA monotherapy and combined maintenance therapy, both of which were found to be similar in terms of disease control and long term survival, ATRA Monotherapy could be a safer maintenance treatment option since both hematological and non-hematological toxicities were observed less often in the ATRA monotherapy arm.

The value of adjacent vessel sign in malignant breast tumors.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic quality of adjacent vessel sign (AVS) in malignant breast tumors by comparing it with classical prognostic pathological biomarkers and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. METHODS A total of 124 patients with 133 malignant lesions were included. All the imaging was performed on a 1.5T Avanto scanner and the images were interpreted according to BI-RADS-MR® (fifth ed.) atlas. Maximum intensity projection (MIP) images were constructed from subtracted post-contrast images and were used to investigate AVS. Histopathological results and MRI findings were compared with AVS. RESULTS Interobserver agreement about AVS status was substantial (κ=0.64). AVS positive lesions were significantly bigger in size (P < .001, AVS negative: median 12 mm, AVS positive: median 31 mm). AVS was significantly associated with increased Ki-67 index and axillary lymph node metastasis (P=.009 and P=.019, respectively). Between AVS and lymphovascular invasion (LVI), there was a trend toward positive relationship (P=.076). MRI findings of T2 hypointensity, peritumoral edema, irregular shape, non-homogeneous contrast enhancement, rapid early contrast enhancement, and skin infiltration showed significant positive relation with AVS (P < .001, P < .001, P < .001, P=.02, P=.021, and P=.021, respectively). AVS is found to be associated with increased Ki-67 index, axillary lymph node metastasis, and some MRI findings that point to malignancy or poor prognosis. CONCLUSION AVS indicates poor prognosis since it is related to axillary lymph node metastasis, increased Ki-67 index, LVI, peritumoral edema, rapid early contrast enhancement, increased background enhancement, skin extension, T2 hypointensity, non-homogeneous contrast enhancement, irregular lesion shape, and larger tumor size. AVS is an easy to use sign that shows substantial interobserver agreement.

Metabolomic profiling in ankylosing spondylitis using time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disease associated with destructive changes in the skeleton and joints. The exact molecular mechanism of the disease has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to determine metabolic differences between active AS patients and healthy controls to understand the molecular mechanism of AS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 38 subjects, comprising 18 patients with active AS and 20 healthy controls. Metabolic profiling of the plasma was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC Q-TOF/MS). Data acquisition, classification, and identification were achieved with the METLIN (https://metlin.scripps.edu/) database and XCMS (https://xcmsonline.scripps.edu). RESULTS: Significant alterations were identified in the unsaturated fatty acids (FA), linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, FA degradation, and FA biosynthesis pathways. Down -regulations were observed in phosphatidylcholine (PC) (16:0/0:0), beta-d-Fructose, stearic acid, trimipramine N-Oxide and muconic acid, and up-regulation were detected in PC (18:2/0:0), 3-Methylindole, palmitic acid (PA), alpha-Tocotrienol, and beta-d-glucopyranoside in active AS patients compared to the healthy control subjects. CONCLUSION: Pathway analysis revealed that dysregulation in FA metabolism is associated with AS, and therefore, modulation of diet according to PA and PC may be potential therapeutic targets.

How home bleaching agents affect the color and translucency of CAD/CAM monolithic zirconia materials.

To assess the effect of 10% carbamide peroxide (CP) and 6% hydrogen peroxide (HP) home bleaching agents on the translucency and color of monolithic zirconia. Ninety disc specimens were fabricated (diameter, 10 mm) from multi-layered (ML), ultra translucent multi-layered (UTML), and super translucent multi-layered (STML) zirconia blocks at three thicknesses (0.4,1,1.5 mm) (n=5). The samples were divided into two subgroups, which were treated with 6% HP (45 min per day) or 10% CP (8 h per day) for 14 days. The color of specimens was measured before bleaching (T0) and after bleaching on the third (T3), seventh (T7), and 14th (T14) day. Color (∆E) and translucency (TP) changes were calculated. The thickness varieties used in the samples and the bleaching agent types used created statistically significant differences only in TP and ∆E00, respectively (p<0.05). Bleaching agents can affect TP and ∆E. Patients who have zirconia restorations should be careful when using home bleaching agents.

An investigation of the effect of acrylamide on fracture healing in rats.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acrylamide (AA) on fracture healing histologically, biochemically, and radiologically in a rat femur fracture model. METHODS: Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV (ultraviolet)-Vis (visible) spectrophotometer examination were performed for acrylamide characterization. In this study, after the femur fracture model was created, the groups were formed to include eight rats in each group (G) as follows: G1: 15th-day control, G2: 15th-day AA, G3: 30th-day control, G4: 30th-day AA. In G2 and G4, 5mg/kg acrylamide was administered 3 times a week by gastric gavage. The fracture was evaluated radiologically according to Lane-Sandhu scoring and histologically according to Huo scoring. The weight changes of the rats were recorded. Albumin, total protein, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglyceride, ALP, LDH, vit. D, PTH, Ca, P, WBC, Hb, Plt values were examined in the blood samples. The data were analyzed using the SPSS program. RESULTS: The characterization properties of acrylamide were confirmed. No significant weight change was observed in the rats during the study. When blood values were compared, a statistically significant difference was determined between albumin, total protein, phosphorus, white blood cell (WBC), and hemoglobin groups (p=0.41, p=0.00, p=0.003, p=0.019, and p=0,017, respectively). According to the histological score comparisons, G3 was significantly different from G1, G2, and G4 (p<0.05), and G4 was significantly different from G1 and G2 (p<0.05). According to Lane-Sandhu scoring, there was a significant difference between G2 and G3 and G4 (p: 0.0, p: 0.034), G1 and G3 (p: 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION: AA adversely affects fracture healing even at low doses, as in the present study. According to the results of this study, the authors recommend a diet poor in acrylamide during fracture treatment. Therefore, further human studies are required to find out the complex effect of AA on bone healing and the body.

Papillary Lesions of the Breast: Addition of DWI and TIRM Sequences to Routine Breast MRI Could Help in Differentiation Benign from Malignant.

AIM: We aimed to investigate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of benign, atypical, or malignant papillary breast lesions and to assess the additional value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and turbo inversion recovery magnitude (TIRM) sequences to routine breast MRI. BACKGROUND: Differentiation between benign and malignant papillary breast lesions is essential for patient management. However, morphologic features and enhancement patterns of malignant papillary lesions may overlap with those of benign papilloma. METHODS: Seventy-two papillary breast lesions (50 benign, 22 atypical or malignant) were included in the current study, retrospectively. We divided the patients into two groups: benign papillary breast lesions and atypical or malignant papillary breast lesions. Morphologic, dynamic, turbo inversion recovery magnitude (TIRM) values and diffusion features of the papillary lesions were compared between two groups. RESULTS: Benign papillary lesions were smaller in size (p=0.006 and p=0.005, for radiologists 1 and 2 respectively), closer to the areola (p=0.045 and 0.049 for radiologist 1 and 2 respectively), and had higher ADC values (p=0.001 for two radiologists) than the atypical or malignant group. ROC curves showed diagnostic accuracy for ADC (AUC=0.770 and 0.762, p = 0.0001 for two radiologists), and showed a cut-off value of ≤ 957 x 10-6 mm2/s (radiologist 1) and ≤ 910 x 10-6 mm2/s (radiologist 2). CONCLUSION: MRI is a useful method for differentiation between benign and malignant papillary breast lesions. Centrally located, lesser in size, and higher ADC values should be considered benign, whereas peripherally located, larger in size, and lower ADC values should be considered malignant.

Abbreviated and Standard Breast MRI in Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response Evaluation: A Comparative Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the efficacy of abbreviated breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) response evaluation. METHODS: MR images of 50 locally advanced breast cancer patients who underwent standard protocol (SP) breast MRI before and after NAC were re-evaluated retrospectively. Abbreviated protocol (AP) was obtained by extracting images from SP and then evaluating them in a separate session. Protocols were compared with the histological findings after surgery as the reference standard. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between the two protocols in response evaluation by the McNemar test (p=0.018). However, the Kappa value was 0.62 (p<0.001), which indicates substantial agreement. No statistically significant differences were found between the two protocols (AP and SP) and pathological results in the McNemar test (p=0.12, p=0.60, respectively). Kappa values were 0.48 (p<0.001) and 0.60 (p<0.001), respectively, which indicates moderate agreement for both protocols with higher values by SP evaluation. The residual maximum median diameters were smaller than the pathology, with both protocols (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Despite the statistical differences, there was a significant correlation in response evaluation between the two protocols. The pathological results were moderately correlated with both protocols, with SP slightly higher. However, the residual maximum median diameters were smaller than the pathology with both protocols. These results may limit the use of AP in evaluating the local extent of the tumor, especially in patients who will undergo breast-conserving surgery.

Ultrasonography-guided post-pyloric feeding tube insertion in medical intensive care unit patients.

In this study, we investigated placement rate, complication rate and time spent of successful post-pyloric enteral feeding (PPEF) tube insertion procedure guided by ultrasonography (USG). The patients who required enteral nutrition and who admitted to medical intensive care unit (MICU) of Gazi University Hospital were included to this single-center, prospective, cohort study. It was aimed to insert the enteral feeding tube into the proximal duodenum as the post-pyloric area by ultrasonography guidance. During the PPEF tube insertion procedure, the linear probe was used to display the proximal esophagus and the convex probe was used to display the post-pyloric area, antrum and pyloric channel. 33 patients were included in this study. The median age was 68 [IQR 52-79] years. There were 17 (51.5%) woman and 22 (66.7%) intubated patients. The enteral feeding tube was successfully passed into the post-pyloric area in 29 (87.9%) patients with this technique. The median time of successful feeding tube insertion was 14 [IQR 10-25] min. The median level of the enteral feeding tube was 74 [IQR 70-76] cm. in successful placement. There was no significant difference in insertion time according to gender (female vs male; 10 [IQR 8-20] min. vs 17 [IQR 12-25] min., p = 0.052) and endotracheal intubation status (intubated vs non-intubated; 14 [IQR 10-25] min. vs 12 [IQR 10-25] min., p = 0.985). Only one complication was seen during study (self-limiting epistaxis in one patient). PPEF tube insertion under USG guidance could ensure the initiation of enteral feeding safely and rapidly without exposure to radiation in ICU patients.

[Investigation of HTLV-I/II Seroprevalance of Patients with HIV Positivity being Monitored by Real-Time RT-PCR]. / HIV Pozitifligi Gerçek Zamanli RT-PCR ile Takip Edilen Hastalarin HTLV-I/II Seroprevalansinin Arastirilmasi.

Human T-lymphotropic virus-I/II (HTLV-I/II) and human immun viruses (HIVs), that have similar genomic characteristics also share the same transmission routes and infect T lymphocytes. Regarding this epidemiological similarity, HIV and HTLV infections can be seen together. HIV and HTLV-I/II coinfection occurs with variable frequencies in different populations and geographic regions. There are not any population-based studies carried out defining the number of individuals coinfected with HIV and HTLV-I/II in Turkey. The aim of this study was to determine the seropositivity rates of HTLV-I/II in patients whose HIV viral load was monitored in Gazi University Faculty of Medicine Medical Virology Laboratory Forty-seven HIV positive cases followed-up in Medical Virology Laboratory for HIV viral load monitoring between May 2017-January 2019 were included in the study. HIV seropositivity of the samples was confirmed by the chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay method. HIV viral load values of the samples were evaluated by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The samples were screened for antibodies against HTLV-I/II using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. The study population range was between 19 to 60 years of age. Among the study population, 39 (83%) patients were male and 8 (17%) patients were female. Of 47 samples, 18 samples (38.3%) had viral load of <1000 copies/ml, 10 samples (21.3%) had viral load of 1000-10000 copies/ml, 19 samples (40.4%) had viral load of ≥10000 copies/ml. HTLV serology was negative in all samples included in the study. CD4+ results were available for 42 patients and the CD4+ results of five patients could not be studied. Co-infection with different retroviruses is a well-known fact which should be thoroughly examined. HTLV-I co-infection leads to faster progression of the disease in HIV-1 positive patients. Although it is known that the co-infection has a significant effect on the progression of the disease, there are very few centers in the world and in our country that routinely perform HTLV testing in HIV-positive patients. We think that in order to evaluate the clinical and microbiological importance of the coinfection of retroviruses with each other and to determine the frequency of these infections together, there is a need for studies involving a larger number of patients, including detailed clinical backgrounds of individuals, and that the importance of this issue should be realized at the same time.

Effect of Quantitative and Semi-quantitative Elastography Methods for the Management of Borderline Lesions on Ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND: Elastography (strain or shear-wave) is a method that estimates tissue stiffness. INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to evaluate the quantitative and semi-quantitative ultrasound elastography methods for the diagnosis of BI-RADS 4a and BI-RADS 3 lesions, which are borderline for biopsy and follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 175 consecutive women with 193 ultrasound-visible breast lesions were classified on Conventional B-mode Ultrasonography (CUS) according to the BI-RADS scoring system. Quantitative and semiquantitative values from ultrasound elastography in the form of strain Elastography Ratio (SER), shear Wave Elastography (SWE) and Shear Wave Elastography Ratio (SWER) were obtained. The lesions categorized as BI-RADS 4a and BI-RADS 3 on ultrasound were subsequently re-categorized according to the elastography values. RESULTS: Except for the 13 BI-RADS 2 lesions, the remaining 180 lesions were biopsied. Pathology showed 83 lesions to be benign and 97 to be malignant. The sensitivity and specificity of the CUS were 96.9% and 75.0%, respectively with an accuracy of 86.0%. Cut-off points calculated based on ROC curves were 56.8 kPa for SWE, 3.53 for SWER and 3.81 for SER. When we downgraded BIRADS 4a lesions based on elastography results, the specificity (CUS+SER 96.9%, CUS+SWE 91.7%, and CUS+SWER 90.6%) and the accuracy (CUS+SER 95.3%, CUS+SWE 92.7%, and CUS+SWER 92.2%) were shown to be better than CUS. When we upgraded BI-RADS 3 lesions based on elastography results, the sensitivity of combined sets of SWE (99,0%) and SWER (100,0%) was better than CUS. CONCLUSION: The rate of false-negative biopsies can be decreased with the combined use of elastography and ultrasonography.

Understanding the pathophysiological changes via untargeted metabolomics in COVID-19 patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious respiratory disease caused by a new strain of the coronavirus. There is limited data on the pathogenesis and the cellular responses of COVID-19. In this study, we aimed to determine the variation of metabolites between healthy control and COVID-19 via the untargeted metabolomics method. Serum samples were obtained from 44 COVID-19 patients and 41 healthy controls. Untargeted metabolomics analyses were performed by the LC/Q-TOF/MS (liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry) method. Data acquisition, classification, and identification were achieved by the METLIN database and XCMS. Significant differences were determined between patients and healthy controls in terms of purine, glutamine, leukotriene D4 (LTD4), and glutathione metabolisms. Downregulations were determined in R-S lactoglutathione and glutamine. Upregulations were detected in hypoxanthine, inosine, and LTD4. Identified metabolites indicate roles for purine, glutamine, LTD4, and glutathione metabolisms in the pathogenesis of the COVID-19. The use of selective leukotriene D4 receptor antagonists, targeting purinergic signaling as a therapeutic approach and glutamine supplementation may decrease the severity and mortality of COVID-19.

A Case Series of Malign Hyperechoic Breast Lesions.

BACKGROUND: Hyperechoic breast lesions are a rare group of breast masses in routine practice. Most of these lesions are benign. However, they rarely may be malignant. Hyperechoic lesions can be evaluated using the same criteria for malignant lesions. Clinical history, mammographic appearance, and certain sonographic features (non-circumscribed margins, irregular shape, presence of hypoechoic areas, nonparallel orientation, and association with microcalcifications can be suggestive of malignancy). In this article, hyperechoic breast lesions with malignant pathology have been presented. METHODS: Seven cases during breast ultrasound examination were detected. RESULTS: Four patients had invasive ductal carcinoma, 1 patient had invasive lobular carcinoma, 1 patient had high-grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and 1 patient had lymphoma. Ultrasonography of the breast showed a heterogeneous appearance in all the patients, microcalcification in two patients, and an ambiguous contour in one patient. CONCLUSION: Hyperechoic breast lesions should be evaluated using specific sonographic criteria to prevent misdiagnosis and identify patients who require biopsy and further examination.

Fear of hypoglycemia in adults with diabetes mellitus switching to treatment with IDegAsp co-formulation to examine real-world setting: an observational study (The HATICE study).

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical results of insulin degludec/aspart (IDEgAsp) therapy and its effect on the fear of hypoglycemia. METHODS: A prospective observational study has been conducted through surveys of 36 patients using insulin because of type 2 diabetes mellitus who initiated treatment with IDegAsp switching from other insulins. Patients, 18-75 years old, were recruited to the study, consecutively. Participants' age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), daily insulin dose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), hypoglycemia rate, hypoglycemia fear survey (HFS) were recorded at the beginning of the study. By the end of 12th month, data was re-measured and compared with each other. RESULTS: HbA1c was declined by mean of -1.59% (95% CI -1.06 to -2.12, p<0.001). There was also a significant decrease in mean, daily insulin dose, weight and BMI values of patients via IDegAsp. While there was an increase in the amount of dipeptidyl peptidase 4-inhibitors (DPP4-i) and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2-inhibitors (SGLT2-i), there was a decrease in daily injection frequency. There was also a significant decrease in the median values of monthly hypoglycemia rate (from 2.0 to 1.0, p<0.001) and the entire HFS scores (HFS-T: from 1.09 to 0.73, p<0.001; HFS-B: from 0.83 to 0.60, p<0.001; HFS-W: from 1.33 to 0.88, p<0.001). There was a strong positive correlation between ΔHFS-B and daily injection frequency (Rho: 0.398; P: 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: IDegAsp co-formulation, combined with DPP4-i and/or SGLT2-i, can provide usefulness in terms of rates of hypoglycemia, reduced HbA1c, less injection administration, and decreased the fear of hypoglycemia in diabetics.

Is sarcoidosis related to metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance?

Aim: To investigate the relationship between sarcoidosis and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insulin resistance (IR).Method: In our study, 47 patients with sarcoidosis who applied to our outpatient clinic and 45 healthy individuals without chronic disease were included. All patients were evaluated for MetS according to the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria. The presence of three of the five factors defined by ATP III for MetS was accepted as a diagnosis of MetS. IR is calculated using the HOMA-IR index.Results: The mean age of the 47 patients with sarcoidosis was 50.7 ± 12.2 years and the mean age of the 45 control groups was 42.9 ± 14.4 years. Almost 80% of the patients were diagnosed as stage 2 sarcoidosis. Distribution of the patients according to the use of steroid is; almost half of the patients (47%) received steroid previously or recently. Patients with sarcoidosis have a 7.66 relative risk for MetS, whereas they also have a 5.48 relative risk of insulin resistance development.Conclusion: This study shows that MetS is associated with increased sarcoidosis risk. MetS and IR diagnosis was higher in patients with sarcoidosis.