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.

Relationship between psychological status and disease activity and quality of life in ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract: Our aim in this study was to compare the depression and anxiety risk in patients with AS and healthy controls and also to determine the relationship between disease activity, quality of life and psychological well-being Two hundred and forty-three patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and 118 age-, sex- and education-matched healthy controls were enroled into the study Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), and Functional Index, and Metrology Index, Health Assessment Questionnaire for Spondyloarthropathies (HAQ-S), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) including depression subscale (HADS-D) and anxiety subscale (HADS-A), Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) Scale, duration of morning stiffness, pain-visual analogue scale (VAS), patient and physician’s global assessment of disease activity (100 mm VAS) were used to assess clinical and psychological status Patients had similar HADS-D but higher HADS-A than healthy controls Patients with high risk for depression and anxiety had higher scores in BASDAI, BASFI and also poorer scores in VAS pain, patient global assessment, physician global assessment, HAQ-S and ASQoL There was a negative correlation of HADS-D and HADS-A scores with educational level of the patients Higher scores in HADS-D and HADS-A indicated poorer functional outcome and quality of life Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the HADS-D (OR = 684), HAQ-S (OR = 176), VAS pain score (OR = 103) and ESR (OR = 102) were independent risk factors for higher anxiety scores whereas HADS-A (OR = 136) and ASQoL (OR = 124) were independent risk factors for higher depression scores The psychological status had close interaction with disease activity and quality of life in patients with AS

Hepatitis C infection is associated with increased coronary artery atherosclerosis defined by modified Reardon severity score system.

Abstract: Background The link between arteriosclerotic disease in the carotid or coronary artery and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been shown in some studies although other studies have produced contrary results. However, the effect of chronic HCV infection on the extension or severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been determined so the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of HCV infection on the severity of CAD. Methods and Results The study group comprised 139 HCV seropositive and 225 HCV seronegative patients with angiographically documented CAD. A modified scoring system of Reardon et al was used. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of sex, age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking or family history. Levels of C-reactive protein and fibrinogen were significantly higher in the HCV seropositive group (p<0.001) and the Reardon severity score was higher (8.75±1.69 vs 6.01±1.80, p<0.001). After adjustment, HCV seropositivity still represented an independent predictor for severity of coronary atherosclerosis demonstrated by higher Reardon severity score with an odds ratio of 2.018 (95% confidence interval 1.575-2.579, p<0.001). Conclusion HCV infection is an independent predictor for increased coronary atherosclerosis, as demonstrated by higher Reardon severity score. (Circ J 2008; 72: 1960 - 1965)