The Incidence of Demodex folliculorum in the Combination of Allergic Rhinitis and Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Demodex mites are permanent ectoparasites of human pilosebaceous unit. They mainly infect skin of the face and scalp. Many studies have shown higher density of the ectoparasites in diseased inflammatory skin than in normal skin. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of Demodex folliculorum (DF) in treatment-resistant patients with the combination of allergic rhinitis (AR) and diabetes mellitus (DM). METHOD: This study was conducted in 2014-2017. It included 92 patients aged 18-70 years who presented at the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and Endocrinology Polyclinics of Mustafa Kemal University Medical Faculty Hospital, Turkey. An age and gender matched control group was formed of 30 healthy individuals. To determine the presence of DF, a few eyelashes were taken from eyelids in both groups. Then samples were examined under a light microscope. RESULTS: DF positivity was determined in 44 (47.8%) of the 92 patients and in 1 (3.3%) of the 30 control group subjects. In the patient group, DF positivity was evaluated as present in 14 (43.7%) of the DM patients, in 12 (40%) of the AR patients and in 18 (60%) of the AR+DM patients. Statistically significant DF incidence was found in all three patient groups compared to the control group (P=0.001). The incidence in AR + DM group was not different from other patient groups. CONCLUSION: DM, AR, advanced age and obesity had prepared the environment for Demodex infestations. This issue should be considered especially in treatment of patients with AR+DM.

Higher Serum Bisphenol A Levels in Diabetic Hemodialysis Patients.

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) has been implicated as an 'endocrine disruptor'. We aimed at exploring the association between serum BPA levels and patient characteristics, particularly the presence of diabetes mellitus, and laboratory parameters in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: This study included 47 chronic hemodialysis patients. Patient characteristics were recorded. Blood was drawn before and after hemodialysis session. Serum BPA levels were measured by the high-performance-liquid-chromatography and laboratory parameters were measured by using standard methods. RESULTS: In hemodialysis patients, postdialysis serum BPA levels were significantly higher than predialysis after a single hemodialysis session (5.57 ± 1.2 vs. 4.06 ± 0.73, p < 0.0001). Predialysis serum BPA levels were significantly higher in patients with diabetes than non-diabetics (4.4 ± 0.6 vs. 3.9 ± 0.7, p = 0.025). No association was found between serum BPA levels and patient characteristics, and particularly laboratory parameters. CONCLUSION: Serum BPA levels were rising significantly after a single dialysis session. Diabetic hemodialysis patients had higher predialysis serum BPA levels.

Waist circumference cutoff points to predict obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk in Turkish adults.

Objective. The waist circumference (WC) cutoff levels defined for the Caucasian people may not be representative for different ethnic groups. We determined sex specific WC cutoff points to predict obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk in Turkish adults. Design and Methods. The demographic characteristics of 1898 adult males and 2308 nonpregnant females from 24 provinces of 7 different regions of Turkey (mean age 47 ± 14 yrs) were evaluated. Results. The WC levels of 90 cm and 100 cm define overweight and obese males while the levels of 80 cm and 90 cm define overweight and obese females. With these cutoff values, 239 additional males (12.6%) are diagnosed as overweight and 148 additional males (7.8%) as obese. Instead, 120 females (5.1%) are free of being labeled as obese. Conclusions. This is the first nationwide study to show the action levels of WC for overweight and obese Turkish adults. The ideal cutoff levels of WC to predict metabolic syndrome are 90 cm and 80 cm for Turkish adult men and women, respectively. These values are easy to implement and suggested to be used by the physicians dealing with cardiometabolic disorders in Turkey.

Evaluation of endothelial dysfunction, lipid metabolism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: relationship of paraoxonase 1 activity, malondialdehyde levels, low-density lipoprotein subfractions, and endothelial dysfunction.

The aim of this study was to assess relationship of insulin resistance, oxidant-antioxidant status, endothelial dysfunction, lipid metabolism, and their contribution to the risks of cardiovascular disease in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Forty-five women with PCOS and 17 healthy women were included in this study. Nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), malondialdehyde (MDA), Apo A1, Apo B, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, small, dense LDL cholesterol (sdLDL-C), large buoyant LDL cholesterol (LbLDL-C) levels, and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity were measured in serum/plasma obtained from study groups. Insulin resistance [homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index] and serum sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), total testosterone (tT), free testosterone (fT), androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosteronsulfate (DHEAS) levels were also evaluated. Significantly decreased SHBG, NO, HDL-C levels, and PON1 activities, but increased tT, fT, androstenedione, DHEAS, HOMA index, MDA, ET-1, LDL-C, sdLDL-C, and LbLDL-C values were found in PCOS patients compared with those of controls. There was a positive correlation between MDA and fT levels; and a negative correlation between PON1 activity and fT. Our data show that insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, endothelial dysfunction, and oxidative stress might contribute to the excess risk of cardiovascular disease reported in PCOS patients.

Lack of association between the Thr431Asn and Arg83Lys polymorphisms of the ROCK2 gene and diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To analyze the genotype distributions and allele frequencies for ROCK2 Thr431Asn and Arg83Lys polymorphisms among the diabetic retinopathy patients in a Turkish population. METHODS: In this case-control study, 335 patients with diabetes mellitus were recruited and divided into three groups according to non-proliferative (n = 127), proliferative (n = 85) diabetic retinopathy, and no retinopathy (n = 123, served as a diabetic control group). Genomic DNA from the patients, and the nondiabetic healthy control cases (n = 132) was analyzed by real-time PCR using a Light-Cycler. RESULTS: Neither genotype distributions nor the allele frequencies for the Thr431Asn or Arg83Lys polymorphisms showed a significant difference between the groups. The haplotypes were also not significantly associated with diabetic retinopathy. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there were no evidence for an association of ROCK2 gene Thr431Asn and Arg83Lys polymorphisms with diabetes or diabetic retinopathy in the Turkish population.