Dicle University

About: Dicle University is a education organization based out in Diyarbakır, Turkey. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catalysis. The organization has 3007 authors who have published 6368 publications receiving 94797 citations. The organization is also known as: Dicle Üniversitesi & Zanîngeha Dîcleyê.

Sonographic assessment of fatty liver: intraobserver and interobserver variability.

Abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease worldwide and ultrasonography is widely used in the diagnosis and the follow-up we purposed to assess intraobserver and interobserver variability in the sonographic evaluation of the existence and steatosis grades of NAFLD. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and AST to ALT (AST/ALT) ratio were compared between the grades of hepatosteatosis. Hepatic ultrasonography (US) examinations consisted of 5-10 static images of 113 successive adult patients, whose records were in the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) of our hospital were retrospectively evaluated by two experienced radiologists. Hepatic images were graded into 4 groups; as normal, mild, moderate or severe hepatic steatosis. Evaluation of hepatic steatosis of the same set of images was repeated after one month under the same conditions. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was assessed by using kappa (κ) statistics. In each group, the percentage of individuals with high ALT and/or AST, or AST/ALT ratio over 1 was calculated. The intraobserver agreement was 51%, fair kappa (κ=0.356) for observer 1; and 68%, moderate (κ=0.591) for observer 2. The interobserver agreements in the initial and second readings were 39% and 40%, fair (κ=0.208) and (κ=0.225), respectively. Elevations of ALT and/or AST levels were similar between groups depending on the degree of hepatosteatosis among the patients. Visual assessment of NAFLD by ultrasonography has substantial interobserver variability, and reproducibility of results is limited. More objective imaging modalities are needed to evaluate the degree of hepatosteatosis.

Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Heart Rate Variability and Plasma N‐Terminal Pro‐B‐Type Natriuretic Peptide in Healthy Subjects: Is There the Relationship between Both Markers?

Abstract: Background: Cigarette smoking increased the risk of acute cardiac events related with endothelial dysfunction and increased sympathetic activity. Impaired autonomic nervous activity is recognized as a considerable symptom of cardiac dysfunction and is strongly associated with increased risk overall mortality. Methods: A total of 75 healthy habitual smokers (40 female, 35 male, mean age 36.5 ± 8.5 years), and 73 non-smokers subjects (45 female, 28 male, mean age 34.6 ± 7.2 years) were studied. LF and LF/HF ratio were significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers. On the contrary, SDNN, SDANN, RMSSD, and HF values were lower in smokers compared to those in non-smokers. Not the duration of smoking but the number of cigarettes smoked per day was correlated with the HRV parameters and NT-pro BNP. Furthermore, the average levels of NT-pro BNP were found to be positively correlated with LF, LF/HF and inversely correlated with SDNN, SDANN, RMSSD and HF. Results: As a result, smoking impaires sympathovagal balance and decreases the heart rate variability in healthy subjects. And even a one cigarette smoking leads to overt sympathetic excitation. Furthermore, smoking results in an increase in NT-proBNP levels and the changes in adrenergic nervous system and NT-proBNP levels are well correlated. Conclusion: These findings could contribute to the higher rate of cardiovascular events in smokers.