Investigation of the Levels of Serum Amyloid A, YKL-40, and Pentraxin-3 in Patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever.

BACKGROUND: Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive form of recurrent episodes of fever and an autoinflammatory disease characterized by inflammation of the serous membranes. The clinical diagnosis is supported by the laboratory findings. This study investigated the relationship of Serum Amyloid A (SAA), YKL-40, and Pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) with the FMF disease. METHODS: About 50 patients with FMF were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into three groups according to disease severity score (mild, moderate, and severe). Thirty-seven healthy individuals were included as the control group. Serum SAA, YKL-40, and PTX-3 concentrations were measured using an ELISA kit. RESULTS: Serum SAA and YKL-40 levels of FMF patients were significantly higher than in the control (P < 0.001). PTX-3 levels were found to be higher in patients even though there was no significant difference (P = 0.113). Whereas the positive predictive value was 71.9% for cut-off point of SAA, the positive predictive value was 83.3% for cut-off point of YKL-40. Whereas a significant correlation was detected in SAA and PTX-3 with YKL-40 (respectively; P = 0.036, P < 0.001), there was no correlation between the PTX-3 with SAA (P = 0.219). CONCLUSIONS: YKL-40 can be used together with SAA to support the diagnosis of FMF and to monitor the severity of the disease. In this study, YKL-40 levels were examined for the first time in FMF patients and further studies are necessary using larger patient samples.

The Role of Apelin 13 in Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Apelin is an adipokine secreted by the adipose tissue and by the endothelial cells in various parts of the body. Apelin is also expressed by the glomerular arteriolar rectus and glomerular capillary cells. We evaluated the relationship between the initial serum levels of apelin 13 with the trend of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) during a 1-year follow-up of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-nine patients with CKD in the predialysis stages were included and completed the study. The demographic data, medications, and comorbidities of the patients were recorded. The relationship between the baseline apelin 13 levels and the 1-year GFR loss was evaluated.   Results. The mean 1-year GFR loss 1.6 mL/min for those with CKD stage 3, 5.1 mL/min for those with CKD stage 4, and 2.6 mL/min for those with CKD stage 5. Fifty-eight patients (58.6%) had a GFR loss less than 5 mL/min and 41 (41.4%) had a GFR loss of 5 mL/min and greater, for whom the mean apelin 13 levels were 2169 ± 1807 mL/min and 2513 ± 1920 mL/min, respectively (P = .36).  There was no significant correlation between the apelin 13 levels and GFR loss (P = .35). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this study was the first that clinically examined the relationship between apelin 13 and CKD progression. Apart from the diabetic nephropathy, several factors causing comorbidity and progression may have probably masked this potential relationship.

Orofacial digital syndrome type 1: an underlying cause of chronic renal failure.

Orofacial digital syndrome type 1 is condition which is characterized with, in addition to oral-facial and digital congenital anomalies, polycystic renal disease in most patient, and the prognosis is dependent on renal involvement in such patients. Our case was a 22-year-old patient who was presented with clinical picture of chronic renal failure, was started on hemodialysis and had took our attention due to oral, facial and digital anomalies in addition to polycystic renal disease.

Effect of Ramadan fasting on serum concentration of apelin-13 and new obesity indices in healthy adult men.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine how Ramadan fasting (RF) affected the recently described new obesity indices [visceral adiposity index (VAI), waist circumference to height ratio (WHtR), body adiposity index (BAI)], and serum concentration of apelin-13 (RF) in healthy adult men. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this purpose, 42 healthy adult men were selected. Anthropometric parameters were measured and a sample of venous blood was obtained for biochemical assays on the first and last days of Ramadan. When all subjects were evaluated, all anthropometric parameters changed except VAI. Serum apelin-13, triglyceride (TG), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and insulin levels did not change. When patients were divided into 3 groups according to body mass index (BMI), BAI decreased in normal-weight subjects and WHtR decreased in other groups, but VAI and apelin-13 did not change in any groups. RESULTS: We demonstrate for the first time that while some anthropometric parameters changed, VAI and serum apelin-13 levels did not change with RF. BMI, waist circumference (WC), TG, and HDL-C were evaluated together in calculation of VAI. TG, VAI, and HDL-C remained unchanged by RF. Even if body weight (BW) and BMI decreased, apelin-13 was not affected by RF. The data on serum apelin-13 may have been influenced by the small-percentage decrease in BW, as well as insignificant improvements in metabolic parameters such as lipid profiles, glucose, and insulin. CONCLUSIONS: We found that Ramadan fasting in healthy adult men was associated with significant decreases in BW, BMI, WHtR, and BAI, but we found no significant changes in VAI and serum apelin-13 concentrations.