International Journal of Current Medical and Biological Sciences

Evaluation of the Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Parotid and Submandibular Gland Elasticity with Shear Wave Elastography

Ferit Dogan, Osman Dere — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Background: The changes in eating-drinking and sleeping habits during Ramadan cause also changes in daily routines. Several studies have been conducted to demonstrate the effects of fasting on human physiology and the potential impact on the existing diseases. It was aimed to evaluate the effect of Ramadan fast on parotid and submandibular gland elasticity with share wave elastography.

Methods: The anthropometric measurements of the volunteers such as age, gender, height, and weight, and the elastography values of the bilateral parotid and submandibular glands measured on the day before and on the last day of Ramadan were obtained. Five 2D-SWE measurements were taken at the same depth. The average of these was calculated. In this way, the accuracy of the numerical data obtained was increased. The mean value of five 2D-SWE measurements was used for the statistical analysis. This procedure was repeated for both parotid and submandibular glands. Data obtained in the study were analyzed statistically. A value of p < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the mean BMI values measured on the day before Ramadan and the last day of Ramadan fasting (p<0.001). No significant difference of elastography values was found between the bilateral parotid and submandibular glands on the day before Ramadan and on the last day of Ramadan.

Conclusion: The intermittent fasting during Ramadan had no effect on the elasticity of the salivary glands, as determined by our studied.

Emergency Visits in Cancer Patients: Predictors of Hospitalization and Palliative Care Needs

Elif Degirmenci Aktas, Yusuf Koksal, Can Aktas — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Background: Cancer patients frequently visit emergency departments due to acute complications related to their disease or treatment. Identifying visit patterns and predictors of adverse outcomes can guide targeted interventions to improve care and reduce emergency reliance.

Material-Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed visit patterns, common complaints, and predictors of hospitalization and mortality among cancer patients at a tertiary hospital. We reviewed 753 patients with active cancer who visited the emergency department. Data on demographics, clinical presentation, admissions, and mortality were analyzed. Logistic regression identified predictors of hospitalization, and mortality rates were assessed based on visit frequency.

Results: Among 1609 visits, gastrointestinal (36.5%) and respiratory (20.7%) cancers were the most common. Abdominal pain (18.15%) and nausea/vomiting (18.09%) were leading complaints. Hospitalization occurred in 34.6% of visits. Significant predictors included anorexia-cachexia (OR=3.84, 95% CI: 2.18–6.77, p<.001), altered mental status (OR=3.14, 95% CI: 1.81–5.44, p<.001), shortness of breath (OR=2.15, 95% CI: 1.52–3.03, p<.001), fever (OR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.40–2.48, p<.001), and abdominal pain (OR=1.61, 95% CI: 1.22–2.12, p<.001). The two-year mortality rate was 20.19%, highest in gastric (32.65%), pancreatic (25.0%), and lung cancers (24.8%). Patients with ≥5 visits had a 25% mortality rate.

Conclusion: Cancer patients frequently visit emergency services, and anorexia-cachexia, altered mental status, shortness of breath, fever, and abdominal pain increase the hospitalization and mortality risks. Recurrent visits (≥5) have higher mortality, highlighting the need for better palliative care integration and strategies to reduce emergency dependence for this vulnerable population.

In Vitro Investigation of the Effect of Mouthwashes on Fertility Tests

Mahmure Ayşe Tayman, Ataman Gonel — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Background: Mouthwashes are not devoid of side effects like other drugs and may affect the clinical outcomes of the patients. The aim of this study is to experimentally investigate the interference effect of mouthwashes containing different chemical components on fertility tests.

Materials and Methods: A (BisBiguanide), CH (QuaternaryAmmonium), L (EssentialOils), CO (QuaternaryAmmonium), and M (StannousFloride) were added (20 µL) to the N Protein Control SL/Low (180 µL) control solution. Samples were studied in immunoassay autoanalyzer. The same process was done by adding distilled water (20 µL) to the control solution.

Results: The bias formula was used to calculate how much the obtained results deviated from the target value. No test showed negative interference exceeding 10% in any mouthwash. The TESTO test had positive interference at a rate of 36.85% in CH. Interference was observed in the DHEAS test at a rate of 23.73% in A and 18.97% in CO. This was followed by Estradiol with 14.92%, Beta HCG with 12.82% in A and DHEAS with 11.45% in M.

Conclusions: This study has shown that the interaction potential of commercial kits with mouthwash solution contents may cause erroneous measurements in terms of hormone test results. Chlorhexidine should be prescribed with careful questioning. Essential oils seem to be safer than other mouthwashes in terms of interference.

Diagnostic value of HMGB1 protein levels in colorectal and gastric cancer

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Background: High Mobility Group Box-1 (HMGB1), a nuclear protein, regulates the
transcription of multiple genes. The study aimed to ascertain the diagnostic utility of HMGB1
protein levels in colorectal and gastric cancers.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The patients were categorized into groups based
on their histopathological diagnoses. Preoperative and pre-chemotherapy blood samples were
collected from the patients. The analysis procedures were replicated twice for each sample
utilizing the sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique.

Results: The study included 20 controls and 70 patients in total. Of the 70 patients, 24 had a
gastric cancer diagnosis, and 46 had a colorectal cancer diagnosis. The patient group did not
differ in any of the following categories from the control group: gender, age, body mass index
(BMI), alcohol consumption, or smoking. (p > 0.005) Pathologic diagnoses did not differ
between adenocarcinoma and signet ring cells in gender, BMI, HMGB1 serum levels,
smoking, or alcohol consumption (p>0.005). The High Mobility Group Box-1 variable was
not statistically significant between colorectal and gastric cancer groups in adenocarcinoma
patients, who were excluded from the pathology results of 7 signet ring cell carcinoma
patients (p=0.885).

Conclusion: In conclusion, HMGB-1 protein levels were not different in patients with
colorectal and gastric carcinoma compared to those in healthy subjects. HMGB-1 level
measurement may not make a diagnostic difference in the presence of colorectal carcinoma
and gastric carcinoma.

Keywords; High Mobility Group Box-1, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, signet ring cell
carcinoma

A distal coronary artery perforation caused by guidewire

Kanber Ocal Karabay, Busra Tozlu — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This case report presents a distal coronary artery rupture caused by a guide-wire. Although it is generally considered as a benign complication with good prognosis, and less invasive treatment strategies are recomended, the patient required both had to had percutaneous and surgical treatment.

Optimizing Clinical Decisions in Fournier’s Gangrene Using Prognostic Scoring Models

Serdar Özdemir — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0300

I read with great interest the article prepared by Türk and Aslan named “The Effect of Albumin Level and Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio on Mortality and Recovery in Fournier's Gangrene” published in the second issue of the fourth volume of your journal. In this letter, I would like to thank the authors and the editorial group for their diagnostic value study evaluating the ability of albumin and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio to predict mortality in Fornier’s gangrene and I would like to expand on the two scoring systems mentioned by authors in the discussion to contribute to the readers.