<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> People with diabetes frequently have gastrointestinal problems and related deglutition disorders. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> The aims of the present study are to determine the symptomatic swallowing complaints and to evaluate the functionality of oropharyngeal swallowing in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by using the Turkish Eating Assessment Tool-10 (T-EAT-10) and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the T-EAT-10 questionnaire was completed by 121 patients with diabetes, and FEES was planned for each individual whose baseline score of the T-EAT-10 was ≥3. Before swallowing trials via samples of nectar-thick consistency, laryngeal sensation and severity of secretion in the hypopharynx were observed. While the swallowing safety was determined using the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS), the Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale was used to assess the swallowing efficiency. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of the total participants, 22.3% (<i>n</i> = 27) were found to have abnormal swallowing function (T-EAT-10 ≥3), 27.3% (<i>n</i> = 33) had concomitant neuropathy and 28.1% (<i>n</i> = 34) mentioned a reflux complaint. The results of the multivariate linear regression analysis exposed that the T-EAT-10 score was significantly associated with neuropathy (<i>r</i> = 3.763, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) and reflux complaint (<i>r</i> = 2.254, <i>p</i> = 0.031). Of the total FEES-tested subjects (<i>n</i> = 20), 95% (<i>n</i> = 19) had a safe swallowing function (PAS = 1). However, diminished laryngeal sensation, increased secretion and presence of residue revealed that patients with T2DM who have self-reported swallowing difficulties have reduced swallowing efficiency. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This study has demonstrated that almost 1 out of 4 T2DM patients reported to have swallowing-related problems, and the score of the T-EAT-10 was found to be independently associated with both neuropathy and reflux complaint. FEES results pointed out that swallowing efficiency was relatively reduced in the target population. However, further research is still necessary before obtaining a definitive answer to oropharyngeal swallowing problems in patients with T2DM.

Introduction: Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is a common chronic autoimmune thyroid disease. Many studies on autoimmune diseases have investigated human cathelicidin from the anti-microbial peptide family. This article aims to determine the level of cathelicidin in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and evaluate its relationship with thyroid functions. Material and Method: Eighty-eight subjects were included in the study. Gender, age, and BMI were similar between 48 HT patients and 40 healthy controls. Cathelicidin levels were studied in serum samples with an ELISA kit. Results: There were euthyroid and subclinical hypothyroid HTs in the study. There was a significant difference between the controls and patients in terms of TSH (p<0.001), fT4 (p=0.001), anti-TPO (p=0.001), and anti-Tg (p=0.001). Median cathelicidin level was significantly higher in the HT group (853.53 pg/ml) than in the control group (577.08 pg/ml) (p<0.001). Cathelicidin levels were similar (p=0.555) in HT with euthyroid and subclinical hypothyroidism. There were no correlations between cathelicidin level and age, year of disease, BMI, TSH, fT4, fT3, anti-TG, and anti-TPO. Diagnosis of HT was approximately 5.6 times higher in patients with high cathelicidin values (p<0.001). The possible effect of cathelicidin on the development of HT was evaluated by univariate binary logistic regression analysis, and the diagnostic threshold for cathelicidin was found to be 714 pg/ml (sensitivity 71%, specificity 70%). Conclusion: Our study is the first to examine the relationship between HT and serum cathelicidin. High cathelicidin was associated with HT independent of thyroid hormone levels, a possible role in the pathogenesis of HT.

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The study aimed to examine leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and serum neuregulin-4 levels and their relationship with disease activity, co-morbidities and body fat distribution in female acromegaly patients. Forty female patients with acromegaly and thirty-nine age and body mass index (BMI) similar healthy female volunteers were included in the study. Patients were classified into two groups: active acromegaly (AA) and controlled acromegaly (CA). The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used to study LTL, and T/S ratio < 1 was accepted as shortened telomere length. Neuregulin-4 was studied by ELISA. There was no difference in median LTL between acromegaly and the control group (p = 0.530). The percentage of T/S < 1 in patients with acromegaly (60.0%) was similar to that of the control group (43.6%) (p = 0.144). However, serum neuregulin-4 was significantly higher in patients with acromegaly than those in the control group (p = 0.037). There were no significant differences concerning LTL, percentage of T/S < 1 and neuregulin-4 levels between active and controlled acromegaly groups (p > 0.05). Neuregulin-4 correlated positively with fasting glucose, triglyceride (TG), triglyceride/glucose (TyG) index, and lean body mass in the acromegaly group. A negative correlation was observed between LTL and neuregulin-4 in the control group (p = 0.039). When the factors affecting neuregulin-4 were evaluated by multivariate linear regression analysis with an enter method, TG (β: 0.316, p = 0.025) was independently and positively associated with neuregulin-4. Our findings indicate that acromegaly is associated with unchanged LTL and high neuregulin-4 levels in female patients. However, the relationship between acromegaly, the aging process, and neuregulin-4 involves complex mechanisms, and further studies are needed.