Objective: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease characterized by widespread pain. Somatic complaints associated with the cardiovascular system, such as chest pain and palpitations, are frequently seen in FM patients. P and QT dispersions are simple and inexpensive measurements reflecting the regional heterogeneity of atrial and ventricular repolarization, respectively. QT dispersion can cause serious ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of the present study was to evaluate QT dispersion and P wave dispersion in patients with FM.Material and Methods: The study involved 48 FM patients who fulfilled the established criteria and 32 healthy controls (HC). A standard 12-lead electrocardiogram was performed on all participants. QT dispersion was defined as the difference between the longest and the shortest QT intervals. Similarly, the differences between the shortest and longest P waves were defined as P wave dispersion. Results:The QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion were shorter in the FM group compared with the HC group (p<0.001 for both). In terms of the P wave dispersion value, there was no significant difference between the FM and HC groups (p=0.088).Conclusion: Longer QT and P wave dispersions are not problems in patients with FM. Therefore, it may be concluded that fibromyalgia does not include an increased risk of atrial and/or ventricular arrhythmias.

Background/aim: Inflammatory back pain, spinal stiffness, and limited spinal mobility are characteristic features of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Sleeping postures can affect and/or reflect sleeping disturbances. The aim of the study was to evaluate sleeping postures and sleep disturbances in patients with AS.Materials and methods: Seventy-seven patients with AS and 49 healthy controls were enrolled. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were applied to both groups. The most common sleeping postures were noted.Results: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of sleeping postures. Total PSQI and ISI scores were higher in the AS group than in the controls (P = 0.004 and P = 0.038, respectively). The selection of sleeping postures of active and inactive patients were similar. The number of pillows used was not the same in the AS and control groups (P = 0.016). The frequency of customized bed use was higher in the AS group compared to the control group (P = 0.004). Conclusion:Sleep disturbances are more of a problem in patients with AS compared to healthy patients and in active AS patients compared to inactive ones. However, sleeping postures do not seem to affect either sleep disturbances or disease activity in patients with AS.

PurposeOxidative stress has been implicated in several disorders, including acute pancreatitis (AP). Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), which reflects the ability to bind cobalt, has been found to be elevated in conditions of oxidative stress and tissue hypoxia. This study examined IMA and adjusted IMA levels in patients with AP, and examined the associations of IMA and adjusted IMA levels to the severity of AP.Patients and methodsA total of 42 consecutive patients with AP and 43 age- and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled. Serum samples were obtained from patients with AP on admission as well as 48–72 hours after hospitalization, and from the controls, at the time of enrollment. Adjusted IMA was calculated by multiplying the IMA value of each patient with the ratio of the patient’s albumin value and the median albumin value of the study population. The severity of AP was assessed according to the modified Atlanta classification, and the patients were divided into 2 groups: mild AP and severe AP.ResultsThe serum IMA and adjusted IMA values of patients with AP on admission and those of the controls did not differ (p=0.86 and p=0.99, respectively). The second measurements of IMA and adjusted IMA in the AP group were higher than the first measurements of both the AP group and controls (for all, p<0.01). Among the IMA measurements, only adjusted IMA on admission had the ability to predict the severity of AP. Severe AP was correlated with albumin, and the area under the curve of adjusted IMA values on admission was 0.746 for differentiating patients with severe AP from mild AP with statistical significance (p=0.005).ConclusionIt was shown that IMA and adjusted IMA levels rise with the progression of AP. Lower levels of adjusted IMA predict the severity of AP. Further studies with serial measurements of IMA are warranted to explore the indicative role of IMA in the course of AP.

ObJECTIVE: Primary glomerular diseases or some systemic disorders such as diabetes (DM) may cause proteinuria. Irisin (IRI) is a hormone secreted as a response to physical exercise by the skeleton muscle and thought to be protective against many metabolic disorders such as DM, obesity. Decreased levels of irisin were observed in chronic kidney disease (CKD), type 2 DM and obesity. The aim of this study was to determine IRI levels in blood and saliva of proteinuric patients with and without diabetes. MATERIAL and METHODS:Sampling was from 15 diabetic, 15 non-diabetic proteinuria and 13 healthy control subjects. IRI concentrations were measured by using commercial ELISA kits. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 12. Groups were compared by the Kruskal-Wallis test and then Mann-Whitney post hoc test was performed. RESULTS:Plasma and saliva IRI levels of non-diabetic group were higher than the diabetic group. There was a significant positive correlation between plasma IRI concentrations and HDL, albumin levels but a negative correlation between plasma IRI and LDL levels.CONCLUSION: IRI levels were low both in plasma and saliva in diabetic subjects. IRI may be an important marker and/or therapeutic agent for disorders associated with energy expenditure and kidney diseases in the future.

Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting primarily the axial skeleton. Inflammatory back pain, spinal stiffness and limited spinal mobility are the characteristics AS, and can lead to structural and functional impairments and a decrease in quality of life. Sleep disturbances have been reported to be more frequent in AS than in the normal population and other rheumatic diseases. Sleep disturbances are greatly associated with the inflammatory back pain, stiffness, disease activity, depression, quality of life and the limitation of mobility in patients with AS. Sleeping positions can affect and/or can reflect sleeping disturbances. Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate sleeping positions and sleep disturbances in patients with AS. Methods Seventy-seven patients with AS and 46 healthy volunteers (healthy control [HC] group) were enrolled in the study. Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI), Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Scale (ASQOL) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were applied in the AS group. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) including depression subscale (HADS-D) and anxiety subscale (HADS-A), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were applied in the both groups. Most common sleeping postures (foetus, yearner, log, soldier, free-fall and star-fish) were noted. Results There was no significant difference between the AS and HC groups in terms of sleeping positions (p=0.347, Table). In the AS group, disease durations, acute phase reactants levels, BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI, HAQ, PSQI, ISI, HADS-A, and HADS-D scores were similar among the patients preferred different positions (p>0.05 for all). On the other hand, the ASOqL, VAS, and patient global assessment scores were higher in the AS patients preferred foetus position than in yearner position (p=0.008, p=0.001, and p=0.01, respectively). The selections of positions of active and inactive patients were also similar (p>0.05). In the AS group, total PSQI (8.03±4.64 vs. 5.86±2.54, p=0.004) and ISI (9.71±7.40 vs. 7.14±6.14, p=0.038) scores were higher than in the HC group. Moreover, active patients had total PSQI (10.07±4.41 vs. 4.68±2.66, p<0.001) and ISI (12.17±7.28 vs. 5.00±4.96, p<0.001) compared to the inactive ones. Table 1.Preferred sleeping positions AS (n=77) HC (n=49) Yearner position, n (%) 19 (24.7) 17 (34.7) Starfish position, n (%) 5 (6.5) 3 (6.1) Log position, n (%) 5 (6.5) 5 (10.2) Soldier position, n (%) 4 (5.2) – Free-faller position, n (%) 12 (15.6) 10 (20.4) Foetus position, n (%) 30 (39.1) 14 (28.6) Other positions, n (%) 2 (2.6) – Conclusions Sleeping disturbance is a trouble in patients with AS compared to the healthy ones and in active AS patients compared to the inactive ones. However, sleeping positions seem not to affect neither sl...