Başkent University

About: Başkent University is a education organization based out in Ankara, Turkey. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Transplantation & Population. The organization has 4652 authors who have published 10380 publications receiving 143117 citations. The organization is also known as: Başkent Üniversitesi.

Cyclophosphamide therapy in a serious case of lupus nephritis during pregnancy

Abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flare is common, and renal involvement is one of the most serious problems during pregnancy. Aggressive immunosuppressive therapy should be considered for patients with diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis. These individuals are at high risk for progression to end-stage renal disease. Immunosuppressive drugs can cause significant toxic and teratogenetic effects. In this report, we describe the case of a pregnant patient with lupus nephritis who was treated with cyclophosphamide. The patient was in the second trimester of her first pregnancy and did not respond to corticosteroid therapy. She underwent intensive in-hospital care while she was on cyclophosphamide therapy. Both mother and baby were well at delivery.

Optical coherence tomography for measuring the tear film meniscus: correlation with schirmer test and tear-film breakup time.

Abstract: Purpose: To compare tear meniscus height (TMH) and area (TMA) values obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT) with the Schirmer test and tear-film break-up time (TBUT) values.Materials and methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, the right eyes of 300 consecutive patients were studied. All patients underwent routine ophthalmologic examination. Schirmer and TBUT measurements were taken, and tear-film OCT images were obtained. Using OCT, the TMH (i.e. the line connecting the intersection of the meniscus with the cornea and eyelid) and cross-sectional TMA were calculated. Patients were divided into Groups 1 (Schirmer values ≤5 mm) and 2 (Schirmer values >5 mm). Data were analyzed using SPSS 13.0 software. The Mann–Whitney U-test was used for the comparison of groups. Correlations between tear parameters were analyzed.Results: There were no significant differences in age, logMAR, or IOP values (p = 0.480, 0.077 and 0.146, respectively) between the two groups. Mean TBUTs were 5.1 ± 2.9...

Systemic administration of phosphodiesterase V inhibitor, sildenafil citrate, for attenuation of cerebral vasospasm after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: One of the phosphodiesterase isoenzymes, Type V (PDE V), specifically hydrolyzes cyclic guanosine monophosphate to cause vasoconstriction. This study analyses the effect of PDEV inhibition with sildenafil citrate (SC) on cerebral vasospasm and its effect on apoptotic changes of the vascular endothelium. METHODS: Twenty-four rabbits were divided into four groups. The first group was composed of sham-surgery animals. The second group was the subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) group, in which cerebral vasospasm was induced. In the third group, sham-surgery rabbits were treated with SC. In the fourth group, animals were treated with SC after SAH. SC was administered for 48 hours, 0.7 mg/kg, three times per day in Groups 3 and 4. Basilar artery lumen circumferences were measured in all groups by computerized image analysis. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method was used to evaluate the rate of apoptosis between SAH and SC-treated SAH groups. Results were compared by analysis of variance and paired t tests, and Pvalues less than 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Basilar artery circumferences between groups were significantly different (P 0.05). CONCLUSION: The vasodilatory effect of SC was observed to be significant on normal cerebral vessels and after SAH-induced vasospasm. SC did not prevent apoptosis of the endothelium in our study, which suggests that prevention of apoptosis is not necessary in the treatment of cerebral vasospasm.

Osmotic demyelination syndrome with a dysequilibrium syndrome: reversible MRI findings.

Abstract: Neurological disorders may be seen in end-stage renal disease patients due to uraemia or to complications of dialysis. A dysequilibrium syndrome may be seen, usually soon after or towards the end of haemodialysis. This group of patients has no particular findings on MRI. On the other hand, the osmotic demyelination syndrome has definitive MRI findings, not to date reported with the dysequilibrium syndrome. We report a patient with end-stage renal disease and the dysequilibrium syndrome who showed findings of osmotic demyelination on MRI. The patient had a convulsion after a first haemodialysis, with quadriparesis and hyperactive deep tendon reflexes and bilateral Babinski signs. The upper motor neurone signs lasted for a week. Meanwhile, he was also dysarthric and had dysphagia. He recovered neurologically without any residuum following appropriate treatment and there was improvement on MRI.