Our results suggest that out of the 13 indices evaluated, only FIB-4 index may be useful in estimating the extent of fibrosis in patients with CHB. There is a need for more comprehensive prospective studies to help determine the diagnostic value of non-invasive tests for liver fibrosis.

A series of coordination polymers of the general formula {[M(BDC)(azoles)(H 2 O) m ].xH 2 O} n (where M = Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II); BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate; azoles = 2-aminobenzothiazole, 2aminothiazole, and 2-amino-4-methyl-thiazole; m = 0 or 1; and x = 1 or 2) were prepared and characterized.The complexes were characterized based on elemental analysis, infrared and electronic spectral studies, magnetic measurements, molar conductance, thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and biological activity. Thermogravimetry, derivative thermogravimetry, and differential thermal analysis were used to study the thermal decomposition of the complexes. The kinetic parameters were calculated making use of the Coats-Redfern and Horowitz-Metzger equations.

Background: Brucellosis, a zoonotic infection, was most widely diagnosed by the Brucella standard serum agglutination test (SAT). No previous publication has demonstrated a correlation between the degree of Brucella SAT agglutination positivity and the severity of brucellosis infection. Objective: To contribute to the clarification of the relationship between patelets and brucellosis. It is also aimed at evaluating the usefulness of the SAT titer as a measure of brucellosis severity. Material and Methods: We compared the control (n=60) and patients (n=96) groups in terms of mean platelet volume (MPV), C-reactive protein (CRP) and platelet values. Patients were grouped according to their degree of agglutination positivity titers and compared by means of CRP, MPV and platelet values. We also investigated the relationship among logarithmic values of MPV, platelet and CRP parameters for each group. Results: Although statistically meaningful difference was observed between control and patients group in terms of MPV and platelet value, there were no statistically significant differences observed among patients groups. The physiological negative correlation between MPV and platelet count was not encountered in group 2 and 3. Logarithmic values of CRP were not correlated with logarithmic values of MPV and platelet counts. Conclusion:The MPV could be a new parameter to evaluate hematologic abnormalities in patients with brucellosis. The SAT titer was not a useful measure for evaluation of the severity of brucellosis.

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Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most frequent hereditary inflammatory disease. FMF causes different clinical manifestations in different ethnic groups and countries. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the records of 1,152 FMF suspected patients (673 female and 479 male) from November 2006 to December 2010. A commercial kit assay for the identification of MEFV (Mediterranean fever) gene mutations based on PCR and reverse-hybridization was used to investigate 12 mutations of the MEFV gene. 52.17% of 1,152 FMF suspected patients had MEFV mutation and 45.25% of them were male. The rate of MEFV mutation among male and female patients were 56.78 and 48.88%, respectively. These results were statistically significant and might support the suggestion that FMF had much more penetrance in male patients (P = 0.009). Not any significant difference was observed between the male and female patients in terms of heterozygote and homozygote mutation carriage rate (P = 0.071). Also not any significant difference was observed between the male and female patients in terms of compound heterozygote mutation carriage rate (P = 0.058).