Medical Science and Discovery

Can vitamin B12, folate, and Vitamin D deficiencies be predisposing factors in cases with acute cystitis?

Abdullah Akkurt — 2023-06-05

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies and the incidence of acute cystitis, considering the vital role of these vitamins in immune system function.

Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients diagnosed with cystitis at our hospital between 2020 and 2022, who had their Vitamin D, B12, and folic acid levels assessed. The prevalence of deficiencies was calculated and statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the association between vitamin deficiencies and acute cystitis. Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify vulnerable populations at higher risk of developing cystitis in the context of vitamin deficiency.

Results: Vitamin D deficiency was found in 96% of the patients, followed by Vitamin B12 (44%) and folic acid (35%). Logistic regression models revealed a significant association between vitamin deficiency and acute cystitis (p < 0.05 for all three vitamins). Subgroup analyses identified women and older individuals (≥ 60 years) with vitamin deficiencies as more susceptible to cystitis than their counterparts without deficiencies (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Our study suggests a potential association between Vitamin D, B12, and folic acid deficiencies and the incidence of acute cystitis, particularly among vulnerable populations, such as women and older individuals. These findings highlight the importance of considering nutritional factors in preventing and managing acute cystitis and warrant further investigation in larger prospective studies.

Pan-immune-inflammation value in FMF patients

Firdevs Ulutaş — 2023-06-05

Objective: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most common disease that leads to secondary amyloidosis related to persistent subclinical inflammation in Turkish patients. Pan-immune-inflammation value (PIIV), a recently-developed index validated to predict prognoses of several malignancies. We investigated PIIV in FMF patients.

Material and Methods: We included 100 FMF patients with regular follow-ups, defined as at least two visits yearly. Demographic characteristics, prominent attack features, and treatment choices of the patients were noted. We also calculated PIIV and other inflammation-related laboratory results at attack-free periods. In the comparative analysis of quantitative data, Student's t-test (for normal distribution) and the Mann-Whitney U test (for non-normally distribution) were used. P <0.05 was accepted as a statistically significant value.

Results: A total of 100 patients were included in the study. Forty-two patients were male, whereas fifty-eight patients were female. The patients were between 18 and 69 years old, and the mean age of the study group was 39.65 ± 13.83 years. MEFV mutation analyses of eighty-six patients were present in the medical record system. Exon 10 mutations were detected in 67 (77.9%) patients, whereas non-exon 10 mutations (exon 2 and 3) were in 8 (9.3%) patients. Homozygous Exon 10 mutations were detected in 19 patients (22.1%). Although acute phase reactants, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), c-reactive protein (CRP), and serum amyloid A (SAA), were significantly higher in patients with homozygous exon 10 mutations, there was no statistical difference in PIIV between groups.

Conclusion: The results were also similar to the recent literature in the northern part of the country. The need for biological agents and male gender was significantly higher in patients with homozygous exon 10 mutations compared to other groups.

Neurofibromatosis: Evaluation of Clinical Features of 39 Cases

Olcay Güngör — 2023-06-05

Objective: Our study aims to evaluate the clinical findings of childhood neurofibromatosis type 1 cases.

Material and Methods: The clinical features of childhood patients who were followed up and treated by Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Neurology between 2015 and 2023 were evaluated retrospectively.

Results: 39 children were included in the study. Twenty-one of the cases were male and 18 were female. The mean age was 11.71±4.05 years. 11 (28.2%) patients had a family history of neurofibromatosis. Lisch nodule was seen in 14 patients, and axillary freckling was seen in 21 patients. Six of the cases had neurofibroma. Plexiform neurofibroma was not present in any of the cases. Four children had scoliosis. Nine of the cases had learning disabilities.

Conclusion: The symptoms, signs, and complications of the cases in our study are consistent with the literature. It was thought that the low number of complications was due to the young age of the cases. In this study, we emphasized the importance of early recognition of NF-1 in terms of informing families about the disease and preventing treatable complications with regular clinical follow-up of these children.