Sarcoidosis incidentally diagnosed: a case report.

Sarcoidosis is a chronic, granulomatous condition with unknown cause. Because most of the patients are free of clinical symptoms, sarcoidosis should be considered in differential diagnosis if noncaseous granuloma is noted in biopsies, performed for other reasons. With no clinical symptoms, our patient was diagnosed with sarcoidosis upon identifying noncaseous granuloma in the lymph node biopsy material collected during the laparoscopic operation, performed for gallbladder polyp.

Portal hypertension and myeloproliferative neoplasms: a relationship revealed.

Background/Objectives. Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms have a well-established increased risk of thrombosis. Many trials report identification of an underlying myeloproliferative neoplasm by investigation of the patients developing portal hypertensive esophagus and/or fundus variceal hemorrhage in the absence of any known etiology. This trial was designed to investigate the association between myeloproliferative neoplasms and portal hypertension and to detect the frequency of portal hypertension development in this subset of patients. Methodology. Twenty-nine patients previously diagnosed with polycythemia vera, essential thrombocytopenia, and primary myelofibrosis, who were under followup at the hematology outpatient clinic of our hospital, were included in the trial. Results. In our trial, we detected portal hypertension in 13.8% of the patients (n = 4), as a finding that was similar to those obtained in other studies performed to date. Conclusions. Considering the fact that diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms usually takes a long time, treatment should be started (while, on the other hand, assessing the investigational and therapeutical choices for the complications) right after the bone marrow biopsy or cytogenetic studies required for establishing the final diagnosis have been performed.

Serum complement C4 in chronic hepatitis C: correlation with histopathologic findings and disease activity.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatitis C virus leads to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. Viral markers and other laboratory tests used in the diagnosis and follow-up of chronic hepatitis C do not correlate well with disease activity and liver histopathology. Therefore, alternative tests that indicate disease activity and relate with liver biopsy findings are needed. We aimed to investigate the relationship between serum complement levels and biopsy findings in patients with chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: One hundred cases (70 patients, 30 healthy controls) were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: chronic hepatitis C patients with high transaminase levels were evaluated as the first group and patients with normal transaminase levels as the second group. Patients with a high transaminase level were biopsied and activity scores were evaluated against complement C3c and C4 levels. In addition, demographic data and laboratory tests were evaluated. Patients with chronic hepatitis C without proteinuria, acute phase response, cirrhosis, or coinfection with another hepatitis virus were included in the prospective study. RESULTS: Serum complement C3c (p<0.01) and C4 (p<0.01) levels were significantly lower in the first group than the second group. Serum complement C3c levels did not correlate with laboratory tests, hepatitis C virus-RNA levels, histological activity index, or fibrosis scores in patients with high transaminase levels, whereas complement C4 levels showed significant correlation with alanine aminotransferase (r: -0.368, p: 0.001) and histological activity index (r: -0.639, p: 0.001). We could not find any relation between serum complement C4 level and fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Serum complement C4 levels correlate with the histological activity index of the Knodell scoring system.

Cricopharyngeal muscle electromyography findings in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the grade of reflux and the behavior of the cricopharyngeal muscle (CPM) in patients with gastroesophageal reflux (GER) by means of electromyographic (EMG) analysis of CPM. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SETTING: Istanbul Training and Research Hospital. SUBJECT AND METHODS: Motor unit potential (MUP) recordings and kinesiological recordings of CPM were performed using a concentric needle electrode during dry material swallowing and 3-, 5-, and 10-mL water swallowing. Twenty-four patients with GER were compared with 21 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: GER was mild in 15 patients and moderate-to-severe in 9 patients. MUP recordings were normal in both groups during the preswallowing/postswallowing periods. Kinesiological investigations revealed that the number of patients who did not show a preswallow EMG burst had a positive correlation with the severity of reflux and the amount of liquid swallowed. Rebound bursts were observed in the patient and the control groups. Duration of preswallow and rebound bursts was similar in all groups. Duration of swallowing was shorter in mild GER patients compared with healthy volunteers and moderate-to-severe GER patients. Piecemeal deglutition during 10-mL liquid swallowing was higher in moderate-to-severe GER patients. We also found a positive correlation between the number of swallows and the severity of reflux. CONCLUSION: Needle EMG of the upper esophageal sphincter was normal in GER patients. Kinesiological evaluations showed increased piecemeal deglutition and number of swallows that correlated positively with the severity of GER.

A new modified concomitant therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori eradication rates have tended to decrease recently, mostly due to antibiotic resistance. In the present study, our aim was to determine Hp eradication rate with the LAC plus tid metronidazole regimen and the secondary objective of this study was to identify an effective regimen for our population. METHODS: Eighty-four Hp-positive patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia were assigned into the same group. Patients were administered the classical LAC protocole (lansoprazole 30 mg bid, amoxicillin 1 g bid and claritromycin 500 mg bid for 14 days) plus metronidazole 500 mg tid for 14 days. Gastroscopy and histopathological assessment were performed before enrollment and C(14) urea breath test and stool antigen test were performed 6 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: All 84 patients completed the study. No patient left the study because of drug side effect. Total eradication rate was 75% (63/84). CONCLUSION: Although LAC plus tid metronidazole regimen achieved a much better eradication rate compared with the standard LAC regimen; this is the first study that has a relatively low success with a concomitant therapy. So in areas of high resistance like Turkey, one cannot expect a high success with any clarithromycin containing regimen and those should be avoided.

Could complement C4 be an alternative to biopsy for chronic hepatitis B histopathologic findings?

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B leads to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular cancer. Viral markers and other laboratory tests used in diagnosis and follow-up of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) do not correlate well with disease activity and liver histopathology. For this reason, alternative tests that indicate disease activity are needed. We aimed to investigate the utility of serum complement levels for follow-up in patients with CHB with normal and high transaminase levels. METHODS: One hundred forty-three patients that were evaluated between 2009 and 2010 were included in the study. Hepatitis B early antigen negative CHB cases with high transaminase levels were evaluated as the first group, and cases with normal transaminase level (inactive hepatitis B surface antigen carrier) as the second group, patients with cirrhosis were included as a third group. Age, sex, hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-HBcAg IgM, hepatitis B early antigen, anti-δ, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), complement C3, and C4 levels of both groups were compared. The relationship between Knodell histologic activity index (HAI) score and fibrosis in liver biopsy specimens and serum complement levels of cases with high transaminase levels were investigated. FINDINGS: There were 49 patients with CHB with high transaminase levels; (Female/Male: 22/27). Mean age was 42.3±15.7 y, ALT=104.41±101.74, AST=69.7±65.2, GGT=35.37±20.4, C3 level=104.2±28.8, C4=16.11±4.17, and HBV DNA >2000 IU/mL (>105 copies/mL) in all cases. Remaining 27 patients had cirrhosis. There were 67 patients with CHB with normal transaminase levels (Female/Male: 32/35). Mean age was 39.56±12.9 y, ALT=22.7±5.5, AST=22±5.18, GGT=48.8±60.4, C3=117.85±22.15, and C4=21.44±5.46. Serum complement C4 level in 4 of the CHB cases with normal transaminase levels was low. Serum C3 (P=0.024) and C4 (P=0.001) levels in patients with CHB with high transaminase level were significantly lower. Low serum complement levels were negatively correlated with Knodell-HAI scores in patients with high transaminase levels (r=-0.84; P<0.001). There was no correlation between HAI and HBV DNA, AST, ALT, and GGT. There was no significant correlation between complement C3 and C4 levels and ALT, AST, HBV DNA, and GGT in any of the groups. Child score in patients with cirrhosis negatively correlated with both C3 (P=0.001) and C4 levels (P=0.001). Complement levels in patients with cirrhosis and CHB with high transaminase levels did not significantly differ. RESULTS: Serum complement C4 levels (in contrast to virologic markers and transaminases) significantly correlate with liver biopsy findings and may be a useful indicator of disease activity and/or damage in patients with CHB with high transaminase levels.

Histopathological changes of rat kidney with exposure to chronic thinner inhalation.

INTRODUCTION: Organic solvents are liquid substances commonly used in everyday life at home and in industrial workplaces. These solvents are found primarily in paint as thinner. Because other narcotics are hard to find, thinner is used as a narcotic especially among youngsters of low socioeconomic level. The aim of this study is to determine the histopathological changes of rat kidney with exposure to chronic thinner inhalation. METHODS: Randomized trial--the study was conducted at the animal care facility of Haydarpasa Numune Education and Research Hospital. Forty albino Wistar male rats were used throughout the experiment. Three groups of rats inhaled thinner in a glass cage for 1, 3, and 5 weeks, respectively. Ten rats inhaled only the air in the room as the control group. RESULTS: We observed the development of inflammation in the kidneys that became more remarkable as exposure time extended. Development of inflammation because of thinner apparently differed between the groups of week 1 and week 5. There was no difference in granuloma development. If the experiment lasted longer, there might have been granuloma development. CONCLUSIONS: Based on histopathological evaluations, it was shown that exposure to chronic thinner inhalation causes detectable damage on the kidney, which becomes more prominent as exposure period extends. As we established disorders in movement and consciousness in the rats during thinner inhalation, we can conclude that thinner also has a damaging effect upon the central nervous system.

Anti-pancreatic antibody in Turkish patients with inflammatory bowel disease and first-degree relatives.

AIM: To identify the role of anti-pancreatic antibody (PAB) in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) among Turkish patients, and its frequency in first-degree relatives. METHODS: PAB and anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ASCA) were examined in serum samples of 214 subjects including patients with Crohn's disease (CD, n = 64), ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 63), first-degree relatives of patients with CD (n = 25), first-degree relatives of patients with UC (n = 28),and a control group with gastrointestinal symptoms other than (IBD) (n = 34) by indirect immunofluorescence Positivity of PAB and ASCA was compared in terms of Vienna classification, disease activity and medications used. RESULTS: In terms of PAB positivity, no difference was found between patients with CD (14.1%) and UC (7.9%) however, significant difference was observed between patients with CD and subjects in the control group (P < 0.05). No difference was found between patients with CD and their relatives in terms of ASCA positivity, whereas a significant difference was found between other groups (P < 0.001). Compared to ASCA, the sensitivity of the PAB was 19% (7/37), its specificity was 93% (25/27), positive predictive value was 77% (7/9) and negative predictive value was 45% (25/55). ASCA was found with significantly higher prevalence in patients with CD activity index > 150 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: PAB is valuable in the diagnosis of IBD rather than CD, but cannot be used alone for diagnostic purposes. PAB is not superior to ASCA in CD diagnosis and in detecting CD among relatives of patients with CD.

Association of gluten enteropathy and irritable bowel syndrome in adult Turkish population.

PURPOSE: Irritable bowel syndrome is generally diagnosed according to the symptoms of the patient, and gluten enteropathy can also be presented with similar symptoms (diarrhea and/or constipation) of irritable bowel syndrome. Aimed to assess the association and the frequency of gluten enteropathy in a group of Turkish patients diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. RESULTS: Found anti-gliadin IgA positivity only in four patients among patients with irritable bowel syndrome. However, none of these four patients had anti-endomycium positivity or any histopathological findings specific for gluten enteropathy. All these four patients had normal histology in their small bowel biopsies. CONCLUSION: Irritable bowel syndrome is a common problem in the population, but gluten enteropathy is not associated with the vast majority of subjects with irritable bowel syndrome as expected. The need for screening gluten enteropathy among these patients is still unclear, and screening with serology only without small bowel biopsy may lead to false positive results.

Paraneoplastic porphyria cutanea tarda associated with cholangiocarcinoma: case report.

The porphyrias are a group of disorders of the heme biosynthesis pathway that present with acute neurovisceral symptoms, skin lesions or both. Porphyria cutanea tarda, presenting as a non-acute form, is the most common type of porphyria that encompasses a group of related disorders, all of which arise from deficient activity of the heme synthetic enzyme, uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, in the liver. In the literature, concomitant presentation of porphyria with hepatocellular carcinoma is common; however, no case of porphyria cutanea tarda associated with cholangiocarcinoma has been seen. Here, we present a case of porphyria cutanea tarda seen in the course of cholangiocarcinoma, which can be attributed to a paraneoplastic syndrome. Our case is of interest because of its rarity. We also give a brief review of the literature regarding porphyria and cholangiocarcinoma.