Turkish Society of Hypertension and Renal Diseases

Objective: We investigated the relationship between serum bilirubin levels and severity and extent of coronary artery disease in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome.Methods: The files of the patients who admitted to Cardiology Department of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University between the January 2006 and December 2011 with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome were researched retrospectively.Patients who have no known coronary heart disease, whom an angigraphy was performed and at least one vessel found to be narrowed > %50 were included in our study.SYNTAX score was calculated.Patients were divided into 2 groups.Group 1 was defined as SX score 22. Results: 180 patients were appropriate for our study design.While 39 patients were not investigated for bilirubin levels, the statistical analyses of bilirubin levels were done with 141 patients.There was significant positive correlation between total bilirubin and narrowed vessel number (p=,019) (r=,200).Direct bilirubin was correlated positively with SYNTAX score (p=,011)(r=,214) and narrowed vessel number (p=,005) (r=,240).Conclusion: There was a significant positive correlation between serum direct bilirubin which is a marker of antioxidant mechanism and SYNTAX score.These results show that bilirubins increase in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes as a marker of antioxidant mechanism and could play a very important role in understanding the pathogenesis of oxidative stres related diseases better and may lead to improved treatment strategies in patients with NSTE-ACS.

The aim of the study was to evaluate apoptosis through regulation of Bcl-2, Bax and Mcl-1 proteins by comparing their expressions in endometriotic cyst lesions and the endometrium of the patients with moderate to severe endometriosis. This is a cross-sectional study of 30 women in reproductive age with a clinical or sonographic suspicion of endometrioma, who underwent laparoscopy. Bcl-2 expression was positive both in cystic endometriotic lesions and endometrium, and its expression was significantly reduced in the cystic endometriotic lesions (p < 0.0001). There was a significant difference in Bcl-2 expression between cystic endometriotic stromal cells and endometrial stromal cells (p < 0.0001). Bax expression was positive both in cystic endometriotic lesions and endometrium, and its expression was significantly lower in the endometrium (p < 0.0001). There was a significant difference in Bax expression between cystic endometriotic stromal cells and endometrial stromal cells (p = 0.03). Mcl-1 expression was positive both in cystic endometriotic lesions and endometrium, and its expression was significantly lower in the cystic endometriotic lesions (p = 0.003). Apoptosis may play a role in the pathophysiology of endometriosis by potentially contributing to the survival of regurgitating endometrial cells in the peritoneal cavity.

Trans-sphenoidal surgery is often combined with other approaches for the treatment of middle cranial base tumors. By combining a maxillotomy with trans-sphenoidal approach, significantly wider exposure to these regions is gained. However, endoscope-assisted techniques have also been used for sellar and parasellar and upper clival regions. An extended trans-sphenoidal approach was performed on 10 cadaver heads using the operating microscope and was repeated with a 0-degree endoscope. The mean horizontal and vertical distances were measured and pictured for each technique, and both distances were compared using a parametric paired Student's t-test. The mean horizontal distances in the 10 specimens were 19.5 +/- 1.8 mm by microscope and 27.5 +/- 2.2 mm by endoscope, and the mean vertical distances were 25.8 +/- 1.9 mm by the microscope and 34.5 +/- 3.5 mm by the endoscope. The aim of this study was to quantify the amount of exposure obtained with an extended trans-sphenoidal approach and to compare both endoscopic and microscopic techniques. Using the endoscope in conjunction with the operating microscope may provide additional exposure and better access in skull base surgery.