Although infection remains the most common cause of FUO, with the highest percentage for tuberculosis, non-infectious etiologies seem to have increased when compared with previous studies.

Xanthine oxidoreductase inhibition by allopurinol in patients with metabolic syndrome reduces oxidative stress, improves endothelial function, ameliorates myeloperoxidase levels and does not have any effect on CRP and fibrinogen levels.

No abstract

To improve prognosis in acute coronary syndrome, new clinical applications in terms of diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment strategies are still under investigation. Ischemia-modified albumin was one of the novel markers of myocardial ischemia. In our study, we aimed to determine the prognostic significance of the albumin cobalt binding capacity test in patients with acute coronary syndromes. We compared the ischemia-modified albumin levels of patients with acute coronary syndrome with those of patients with stable coronary artery disease and those of normal individuals and found them to be significantly higher in the first group (P<0.05). A cutoff value of ischemia-modified albumin of 477 U/ml was found by using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Mortality in groups of patients whose ischemia-modified albumin levels were above 477 U (50%) was found to be significantly higher than in those whose levels were below 477 U (8.3%) (P<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of the cutoff value, 477 U/ml, for the 1-year mortality were found to be 70 and 82%, respectively. Using the Cox regression model the relation of albumin cobalt binding capacity test results with mortality was statistically significant (beta=1.013, confidence interval 95%, P=0.01) and independent of the existence of hypertension, diabetes, and advanced age. In conclusion, ischemia-modified albumin was found to be significantly related to 1-year mortality. Prognostic significance of ischemia-modified albumin should be evaluated in large populated and randomized study groups. Afterwards, ischemia-modified albumin could be used in risk stratification modality in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Most pregnant women complain of palpitation, and various kinds of arrhythmias can be observed during pregnancy. We investigated P-wave and QT dispersion during pregnancy. Healthy pregnant women (n=162) and healthy age-matched, non-pregnant women (n=150) were included. We performed electrocardiography and transthoracic echocardiography and determined serum oestradiol levels in both groups, and performed Holter monitoring in the pregnant group only. Resting heart rate, P-wave dispersion, left ventricular diastolic diameter, left atrial diameter and serum oestradiol levels in the pregnant group were significantly higher than in the control group. Minimum P-wave duration was shorter in the control group than in the pregnant group; however, there was no statistically significant difference in maximum P wavelength and corrected QT dispersion between the groups. No atrial fibrillation was detected in the pregnant group during Holter monitoring. Shortening of the minimum P-wave duration leads to increased P-wave dispersion during pregnancy. In contrast to other pathologies with increased P-wave dispersion, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is absent in pregnant women; this may be a result of the stable maximum P wavelength that is present during pregnancy.