Browsing by Author "Degirmenci P.B."

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Increased expression of tissue vascular endothelial growth factor and foetal liver kinase-1 receptor in seasonal allergic rhinitis and relevance to asthma component
    (2007) Yuksel H.; Kose C.; Yilmaz O.; Ozbilgin K.; Degirmenci P.B.; Pinar E.; Kirmaz C.
    Background: There is a difference in the extent of remodelling in allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. This may be attributed to the difference in local tissue response to these mediators. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor foetal liver kinase (Flk)-1 expression between seasonal AR patients with or without asthma and non-allergic controls as well as that between AR patients with and without asthma. Methods: Thirteen subjects with seasonal AR and six non-allergic controls were included in the study. Allergic sensitization was demonstrated by a skin prick test. Inferior turbinate thiny biopsies were obtained from both groups. Monoclonal mouse antibodies were used to demonstrate VEGF and Flk-1. Nasal mucosal endothelial cells' staining intensity was graded semi-quantitatively and the histochemical score (HSCORE) was calculated. In all samples, VEGF- and Flk-1-labelled vessels were counted for the assessment of vascular surface density (VSD). Results: The mean HSCORE for VEGF and anti-VEGF-based VSD were significantly higher in the patient group (P=0.001 and 0.002, respectively). The mean HSCORE for Flk-1 and anti-Flk-1-based VSD in the patient group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P=0.016 and 0.028, respectively). Differences between the mean HSCORE for VEGF and anti-VEGF-based VSD in patients with pure AR and AR and asthma were insignificant (P=0.16 and 0.39, respectively). The mean HSCORE for Flk-1 and anti-Flk-1-based VSD in patients with pure AR were significantly lower than those in patients with AR and asthma (P=0.004 and 0.018, respectively). Conclusion: Angiogenic factor VEGF and its receptor Flk-1 is increased in AR. A similar increase in VEGF in AR with and without asthma despite a higher Flk-1 in AR patients with asthma may be a possible explanation for the presence of angiogenesis in the airway wall in patients with asthma but not in those with pure AR. © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Lower respiratory tract complications during nasal provocation: Nonspecific stimulant or specific allergen?
    (American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 2007) Kirmaz C.; Degirmenci P.B.; Tunali D.; Yuksel H.
    Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an allergic inflammatory disease in which allergen exposure leads to the appearance of symptoms in sensitized individuals because of histamine liberation from nasal mucosal mast cells. Comorbidity of this disease with allergic asthma is common. Therefore, the one airway one disease theory has been put forward. Lower respiratory tract provocation tests with both nonspecific (methacholine) and specific stimulants (allergen) have yielded positive results in nonasthmatic patients with AR. However, not enough research is available to demonstrate whether there is a response in the lower respiratory tract during nasal provocation tests (NPTs) performed to evaluate only nasal airway in these patients. Objectives: To determine if the lower respiratory tract was affected as a result of NPTs with nonspecific and specific stimulants in nonasthmatic patients with AR and to determine the frequency of lower respiratory tract obstruction due to NPT with nonspecific and specific stimulants. Methods: Thirty-six participants were enrolled in the study between November 2005 and January 2006 (18 AR patients and 18 healthy control subjects). Patients underwent 2 sessions of NPT. The first session was performed with nasal methacholine as a nonspecific stimulant, and the second session was performed with nasal Olea europaea extract as a specific stimulant. The control group underwent only nonspecific nasal provocation with methacholine. Basal nasal opening and nasal pressures were evaluated spirometrically by rhinomanometric measurements and basal respiratory function tests in both groups before methacholine nasal provocation. Whether or not nasal provocation was achieved, spirometric measurements were performed in all patients and controls after NPTs. Results: NPTs with methacholine resulted in a similar frequency of nasal provocation in the patient and control groups (P = .63). However, the mean methacholine dose was lower in patients with AR (P = .049). There was a decrease in parameters of asthma, including the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity (P = .04), peak expiratory flow (P = .01), and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% (P = .004), as a result of NPTs with methacholine in the patient group. However, NPTs with allergen did not cause a change in lower respiratory tract obstruction criteria. Conclusions: Lower respiratory tract obstruction can occur after NPTs with nonspecific stimulants; therefore, tests performed with specific allergens can be regarded as safer.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Nasal mucosal expression of nitric oxide synthases in patients with allergic rhinitis and its relation to asthma
    (American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 2008) Yuksel H.; Kirmaz C.; Yilmaz O.; Pinar E.; Vatansever S.; Degirmenci P.B.; Ozbilgin K.
    Background: Nitric oxide (NO) has contradictory roles in the pathophysiology of allergic inflammation in both allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. Small amounts of NO produced by constitutive NO synthase (NOS) is anti-inflammatory, whereas large amounts produced by inducible NOS (iNOS) are proinflammatory. Objective: To investigate the difference in constitutive endothelial NOS (eNOS) and iNOS expression in nonallergic and allergic mucosa and the possible relation of this to the coexistence of asthma in seasonal AR. Methods: Seventeen patients (10 women and 7 men) with seasonal AR and 9 nonallergic patients (5 women and 4 men) with nasal septum deviation were enrolled. Inferior turbinate nasal biopsy specimens were obtained in all. Levels of eNOS and iNOS expressed as immunohistochemical scores (HSCOREs) were determined immunohistochemically from the specimens. Results: The mean ± SD HSCOREs for eNOS in patients with seasonal AR were not significantly different from those of the nonallergic controls (1.85 ± 0.78 vs 1.63 ± 0.54; P = .12). On the other hand, the mean ± SD HSCOREs for iNOS were significantly higher in patients with seasonal AR (1.75 ± 0.75 vs 0.71 ± 0.6; P = .004). Furthermore, although eNOS expression was not different between seasonal AR patients with and without asthma, the mean ± SD HSCOREs for iNOS were significantly higher in the patients with asthma (1.93 ± 0.78 vs 1.65 ± 0.55; P = .01). Conclusion: Increased expression of iNOS might have a role in the development of allergic inflammation in upper and lower airways and in comorbidity of AR and asthma.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Down-regulation of the auto-aggressive processes in patients with hypothyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis following substitutive treatment with L-thyroxine
    (2009) Guclu F.; Ozmen B.; Kirmaz C.; Kafesciler S.O.; Degirmenci P.B.; Taneli F.; Hekimsoy Z.
    Background. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a chronic, organ-specific autoimmune disease. It is the most common cause of primary hypothyroidism during the adolescent period, via autoimmune thyroid tissue destruction, affecting 2% of the population. The pathogenesis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis involves a complex interaction between predisposing genetic and environmental factors. Objective. In this study, we wanted to investigate the role of cytokines such as IL-2, IL-4, IL-12 and IFN-γ in the pathogenesis of the disease, and the changes to cytokine levels brought about by treatment with L-thyroxine. Methods. Sixty five female patients, aged 18-73 years with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, referred to the Celal Bayar University Medical Faculty Endocrinology out-patients clinic, were included in this study. After a 10-12 week period of L-thyroxine treatment, all patients were restored to the euthyroid state. At the beginning and end of the treatment period, serum-free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), autoantibodies against thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) levels were measured using a chemiluminecent, immunometric method, and cytokine levels were measured using ELISA. Results. There was a statistically significant decrease in the serum levels of TSH (p < 0.0001) and a concomitant increase in FT4 serum levels (p < 0.0001). Also, during the post-treatment period, serum levels of anti-Tg (p < 0.01) and anti-TPO (p < 0.001) were significantly lower than during the pre-treatment period. A statistically significant decrease was shown for interleukin (IL)-12 serum levels during the post-treatment period (p < 0.001). However, the decrease in interferon (IFN)-γ serum levels was not statistically significant (p = 0.276). On the other hand, no change was demonstrated in serum IL-2 and IL-4 levels (p = 0.953 and p = 0.313, respectively) after treatment with L-thyroxine. Conclusion. Considering that our study involved a 10-12 week period of treatment, the statistically significant decrease in serum IL-12 levels, and the statistically non-significant decrease in IFN-γ levels, might indicate that a T helper type 1 inflammatory process had been halted or slowed down.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Allergic rhinitis and its relationship with autoimmune thyroid diseases
    (OceanSide Publications Inc., 2015) Degirmenci P.B.; Kirmaz C.; Oz D.; Bilgir F.; Ozmen B.; Degirmenci M.; Colak H.; Yilmaz H.; Ozyurt B.
    Background: Autoimmune thyroid diseases are the most common of all autoimmune diseases. In the literature, Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is considered to be a T-helper (Th) type 1 dominant condition, and Graves disease is considered a Th2-dominant condition. Objective: The aim of this study was to highlight a new aspect of the relationships among Th cell subgroups by determining the incidence of autoimmune thyroid disease in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods: Patients were diagnosed with AR based on their medical histories, physical examinations, and skin-prick test results in an outpatient clinic. The levels of free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, and thyroglobulin antibodies were measured in peripheral blood samples from all study subjects. Results: A total of 1239 patients with AR and 700 consecutive, age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were included in the study. Thyroid function tests showed that 1037 patients with AR (83.7%) had normal thyroid function, 171 (13.8%) had euthyroid HT, and 31 (2.5%) had hypothyroid HT. Among the control subjects, thyroid function test results showed that 688 subjects (98.2%) had normal thyroid function, 10 subjects (1.4%) had euthyroid HT, and 2 subjects(0.4%) had hypothyroid HT. Conclusion: The incidence of HT in the general population is 1.5%; in contrast, it was observed in 16.3% of our patients with AR, which represented a much higher rate than that in the overall population. Graves disease was not detected in our study subjects. A high incidence of HT in patients with AR, in which Th2 responses are dominant, indicates that further studies of the relationships among atopy, autoimmune diseases, and Th cell subgroups are needed. Copyright © 2015, OceanSide Publications, Inc., U.S.A.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Analysis of the association of chronic spontaneous urticaria with interlekin-4, -10, transforming growth factor-b1, interferon-γ, interleukin-17A and -23 by autologous serum skin test
    (Termedia Publishing House Ltd., 2017) Degirmenci P.B.; Krmaz C.; Vatansever S.; Onur E.; Nal E.; Erdin S.; Ozyurt B.
    Aim: To contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) by identifying its relationship with autoimmunity and cytokines using the autologous serum skin test (ASST) and peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture (PBMC) method. Material and methods: Interleukins (IL)-4, IL-10, transforming growth factor (TGF-1), interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-17A, and IL-23 levels in cell supernatants obtained by the PBMC method were measured using ELISA. Disease activity was assessed by determining the urticaria activity score (UAS). Results: A total of 40 patients diagnosed with CSU participated in this study. Twenty patients had positive ASST results, and 20 had negative results. The control group included 20 healthy volunteers. We found that the IL-23 (p = 0.01), IL-10 (p = 0.04) and IL-4 (p = 0.04) levels of the patient groups were significantly lower compared with those of the control group. The IL-23 (p = 0.009), IL-10 (p = 0.009), IL-4 (p = 0.001), and IL-17 (p = 0.05) levels of the ASST(-) patient group were significantly lower compared with those of the control group. In addition, the IL-4 (p = 0.03) and IFN-γ (p = 0.05) levels of the ASST(+) patient group were significantly lower compared with those of the control group, and the ASST(+) patients had a significantly higher UAS than the ASST(-) patients (p = 0.021). Conclusions: These results, when considered together with current reports in the literature, indicate that immune dysregulation occurs in the pathogenesis of CSU, causing cytokine imbalance.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Allergic rhinitis and its relationship with IL-10, IL-17, TGF-β, IFN-γ, IL 22, and IL-35
    (Hindawi Limited, 2018) Degirmenci P.B.; Aksun S.; Altin Z.; Bilgir F.; Arslan I.B.; Colak H.; Ural B.; Kahraman D.S.; Diniz G.; Ozdemir B.; Kırmaz C.
    Background. We aimed in our study to research the role of new cytokines such as IL-35, IL-22, and IL-17 that may form a target for novel treatment approaches. Methods. IL-10, IL-17, TGF-β, IFN-γ, IL-22, and IL-35 serum levels of allergic rhinitis (AR) patients were measured using ELISA method. Allergic sensitization was demonstrated by the skin prick test. Patients only with olive tree sensitivity were evaluated for seasonal AR (SAR). Patients only with mite sensitivity were included in the study for perennial AR (PAR). AR clinic severity was demonstrated by the nasal symptom scores (NSS). Results. In total, 65 AR patients (patient group), having 31 PAR and 34 SAR patients, and 31 healthy individuals (control group) participated in the study. Cytokine levels between the patient group and the control group were compared; IL-17 (p = 0 038), IL-22 (p = 0 001), and TGF-β (p = 0 031) were detected as high in the patient group, and IFN-γ (p < 0 001) was detected as low in the patient group. When correlation analysis was made between age, gender, prick test result, NSS, AR duration, and cytokine levels in the patient group, a negative correlation was detected only between IFN-γ (p = 0 032/r = −0 266) level and NSS. Conclusions. Accompanied by the literature information, these results made us think that T cell subgroups and cytokines have an important role in AR immunopathogenesis. It is thought that future studies to be conducted relating to this subject will form new targets in treatment. Copyright © 2018 P. Bayrak Degirmenci et al.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Evaluation of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with symptomatic rhinitis
    (Istanbul University Press, 2019) Başer E.; Degirmenci P.B.; Arslan İ.B.; Çukurova İ.
    Objectives: In this study, we aimed to measure the diagnostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in both perennial allergic rhinitis (AR) and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) patients during their period of active symptoms. Patients and Methods: A total of 161 patients (101 males, 60 females; mean age 34.0±11.1 years; range, 18 to 56 years) consisting of 70 persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR) and 39 NAR patients diagnosed between March 2018 and March 2019 in the adult allergy outpatient clinic, having a Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) of ≥8, and recent complete blood count results available before undergoing any medical treatment and 52 control patients (28 males, 24 females; mean age 31.7±7.8 years; range, 18 to 44 years). The NLR was calculated by dividing the number of neutrophils by the number of lymphocytes. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the age or gender between the groups (p>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the neutrophil, lymphocyte, and NLR between the groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Our study shows that NLR is not a useful tool in the diagnosis and management of treatment in PAR and NAR in adults. © 2019 Behbut Cevanşir Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Society. All rights reserved.