Objective: Vaspin is a novel adipokine that has insulin sensitizing effects. The association between serum vaspin levels and diabetic complications is unknown. In this study, we aimed to evaluate serum vaspin levels as related to glycemic status and the presence of complications in a group of type 2 diabetic women. Materials and methods: We evaluated 37 type 2 diabetic female patients and 37 control female subjects who were matched for age and body-mass index. Anthropometric measurements, insulin, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), C-reactive protein, and serum vaspin levels were measured in each participant. Furthermore, the patients were evaluated for diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy. Results: In diabetic patients, serum vaspin levels correlated positively with HbA1c and correlated negatively with insulin levels and homeostasis model assessment. The patients with HbA1c levels %7% had lower levels of serum vaspin than patients with HbA1c levels O7% (0.11G0.06 ng/ml versus 0.20G0.09 ng/ml, P!0.05). In patients with neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy, serum vaspin levels were lower than in patients without neuropathy (0.10G0.07 ng/ml versus 0.17G0.09 ng/ml, PZ0.041), retinopathy (0.11G0.06 ng/ml versus 0.18G0.09 ng/ml, PZ0.019), and nephropathy, (0.11G0.05 ng/ml versus 0.18G0.09 ng/ml, PZ0.02). Diabetic patients receiving metformin therapy had lower vaspin levels than patients not receiving metformin. Conclusion: Diabetic women with good glycemic control have lower levels of vaspin than those with poor glycemic control. However, presence of microvascular complications is also associated with low vaspin levels. In order to use serum vaspin levels as a marker, evaluating patients for complications and medications interfering with serum vaspin levels seems appropriate.

We found that the central cornea of diabetic patients is thicker when compared with nondiabetic patients. Thicker central cornea associated with diabetes mellitus should be taken into consideration while obtaining accurate intraocular pressure measurements in diabetics.

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Diabetic patients have an increased risk of mortality after hip fracture. The medical care in the post-operative period, including glycemic control and postoperative complications, should be optimized in diabetic patients suffering from hip fracture in order to decrease mortality in these patients.

Toscana virus (TOSV), a sandfly fever virus serotype of medical and public health importance, is a major pathogen involved in aseptic meningtis occurring in Mediterranean countries and poses a threat to the residents as well as travellers. Limited data on TOSV activity are present from Turkey despite being located in the endemic zone. We aimed to identify TOSV exposure in 1115 healthy blood donors at the Hacettepe University Hospital Blood Bank in Ankara, Turkey, using commercial indirect fluorescence assays (IFAs) and virus neutralization test (VNT) for antibody detection and specificity confirmation. A total of 199 samples (17.8%) were positive for anti-TOSV that include IgG reactivity in 10.4%, IgM reactivity in 8.2% and IgM + IgG reactivity in 0.7% of the sera. Anti-TOSV specificity could be confirmed via VNT in 56% of the IgG- and 43.6% of the IgM-positive sera, making up a total of 58 samples (5.2%). Risk factors associated with TOSV IgG reactivity were male gender, residing in rural areas, frequent sighting of mosquitoes/sandflies and working outdoors. TOSV-specific antibody prevalence increased significantly with age. Evidence of exposure to other sandfly fever viruses was noted. These data reveal that mild or asymptomatic infections with TOSV are frequent in central and northern Anatolia. TOSV exposure has also been identified in residents of 9 provinces in southern/southeastern Anatolia for the first time.