Did diet compliance and remission reduce oxidative stress in celiac patients?

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the effect of remission status on thiol-disulfide homeostasis in celiac patients and thus to indirectly determine the effect of oxidative stress and inflammation caused by non-compliance with the diet. METHODS: Between February 2019 and December 2021, 117 patients diagnosed with celiac disease were included in this prospective randomized and controlled study. In addition to routine tests of celiac patients, thiol and disulfide measurements were made from the blood both at the beginning of the study and at the end of the first year. RESULTS: While 52 of the patients (44.4%) were in remission, 65 patients (55.6%) were not. There was an evident increase in native thiol levels of the patients who were initially not in remission but went into at the end of the first year (347.4±46.7 µmol/L vs. 365.3±44.0 µmol/L; p=0.001). Mean plasma disulfide levels of patients with celiac going into remission became reduced in the first year from the level of 14.5±5.1 µmol/L down to 8.9±4.2 µmol/L (p<0.001). In celiac patients who entered remission, disulfide and anti-tissue transglutaminase immunoglobulin A levels decreased in a correlation (r=0.526; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Not being in remission in celiac disease leads to increased oxidative stress, and thiol-disulfide homeostasis is an indirect indicator of this. Additionally, providing remission in celiac patients reduces oxidative stress.

What is the incidence of celiac disease in patients with microscopic colitis? Why are these two diseases related?

Introduction: Although there are studies in the literature showing that celiac disease (CD) is more common in patients with microscopic colitis (MC), there are publications to the contrary. The pathophysiologies of both diseases are different from each other. Aim: To investigate the frequency of CD in MC patients, the different features of these 2 diseases, and the relationship between them. Material and methods: In our prospective and cross-sectional analytical study, the presence of CD was investigated in 90 patients diagnosed with MC by colonoscopy and biopsy due to chronic diarrhoea between September 2011 and December 2021. Results: We detected MC in 102 (9.3%) of 1096 patients investigated for chronic diarrhoea. We detected CD in 1 (1.1%) of 90 patients with MC who participated in the study. Only 10% of the patients were positive for AGA IgA, 3.3% for EMA IgA, and 2.2% for Anti-TG2 IgA. There was no difference in autoantibody titre in treatment-responsive and treatment-resistant MC patients. HLA DQ2 was positive in 32.2% (n = 29) of the MC patients, and HLA DQ8 was found in 5.5% (n = 5). Intraepithelial lymphocyte increase was remarkable in the duodenal biopsies of MC patients who did not respond to treatment (40% vs. 11.4%; p = 0.007). Conclusions: We did not reach the conclusion that CD is more common in MC patients. An increase in IEL may also occur in the small intestine in patients with MC who do not respond to treatment.

Do oral antiviral drugs used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B cause erectile dysfunction?

OBJECTIVE: The effect of antiviral drugs on the erectile dysfunction (ED) problem expressed by some patients using antiviral drugs due to chronic hepatitis B infection (HBV) was investigated. METHODS: A total of 102 male patients receiving antiviral therapy for HBVinfection without any known non-cirrhotic and comorbid disease that may cause ED and whodon't use any drugs with an ED formation potential were analyzed through the InternationalIndex of Erectile Function test. RESULTS: Among the patients admitted to the study, anxiety disorder was detected as 24.5% (n = 25) and depression as 46.1% (n = 47). 70.6% (n = 72) of the patients suffered ED. Severe ED was only detected in 3 (n = 2.9%) patients. ED was detected in 70.6% of the entecavir, 64.2% of tenofovir, and 80% of Tenofovir alafenamide users ( P  = 0.287). On the other hand, the logistics regression analysis revealed that the most important factors that increase the risk of ED are age (>55 age; RR: 2.66; P  < 0.001), and anxiety disorder (RR: 2.30; P  < 0.0001). The cumulative effect of antiviral drugs on ED was 5.7% (RR: 0.8; P  = 0.156). CONCLUSION: We could not find any mounting evidence relating to the effect ofcommonly used antiviral drugs for hepatitis B causing ED. The incidence rate of ED on ourpatients was at a similar rate with population studies in the literature based on society. It is notappropriate to terminate antiviral therapy in hepatitis B for this reason.

Toxic hepatitis case with prolonged jaundice due to Favipiravir.

Favipiravir (FPV) is an antiviral drug used in the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. The main side effects of this drug are teratogenicity and hyperuricemia. Limited information is available on other side effects. Here, we aimed to present our toxic hepatitis case with prolonged jaundice after FPV treatment.

Ectopic Opening of Common Bile Duct into Duodenal Bulb and Gastric Antrum and Its Importance.

BACKGROUND: Ectopic opening of the common bile duct (CBD) is extremely rare, and its importance has not been adequately defined. The aim of our study is to present the characteristics of patients with this abnormality. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary center in Dicle University Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turkey, between October 2008 and December 2020. We present clinical, laboratory, endoscopic and cholangiographic features as well as the success rate of therapeutic interventions of consecutive patients with this abnormality undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). RESULTS: Ectopic opening of the CBD was identified in 29 (21 men; mean age 62) out of 3872 (0.74%) patients. There was a history of cholecystectomy in 14 (48%) and recurrent acute cholangitis in 20 (69%) patients. We found peptic ulcer in 13 (45%) and duodenal deformity associated with apical stenosis in 21 (72%) patients. Opening site was seen as abnormal in all patients, and it opened into the antrum in 2 (6.8%) and into the first part of the duodenum in 27 (93%) patients. Copious amount of bile and/ or bile sediment in the stomach were seen in all patients. We observed dilatation in both intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts together with tapered narrowing and a hook-shaped distal end of CBD in all patients. There was bile stone in 26 (89%) and sludge in 3 (10%) patients. Sphincterotomy was not performed in any patients because there was not enough incision distance. Balloon dilatation was performed for extraction of stone and sludge in all patients. Complete stone extraction was achieved in only 7 out of 26 (27%) patients. CONCLUSION: Ectopic opening of CBD is usually associated with gastroduodenal and bile ducts disease. Endoscopic treatment is unsatisfactory in most patients with this abnormality.