Interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels in vitreous samples from patients with diabetic retinopathy

AIM: To measure the interleukin-8(IL-8)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)levels in vitreous samples obtained the patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)due to diabetic retinopathy(DR), then to compare these results with those of the control group and to state their impact on DR pathogenesis.<p>METHODS: From Istanbul Bilim University Ophthalmology Department, 57 eyes of 57 diabetes mellitus(DM)patients who had been diagnosed with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and 22 cases of macular hole, with no proliferative vitreoretinopathy were included in the study as the study and the control groups respectively. All of the 79 patients underwent a 3-port, 20 gauge PPV. Vitreous samples of 0.5mL were aspirated with vitrector at the beginning of the PPV operation before the intraocular infusion and being diluted. Samples were transferred to the freezer to be stored at -70℃. Results of IL-8 and TNF-α were calculated as pg/mL with ELISA method.<p>RESULTS: IL-8 levels 〖82.7891±74.08700(0.08- 307.09)pg/mL〗 in which vitreous samples obtained DR patients during vitrectomy were significantly elevated when compared to IL-8 levels 〖2.9805±3.77546(0.08-18.53)pg/mL〗 of control patients(<i>P</i><0.001). Similarly, TNF-α level 〖18.0007±13.90015(2.32-51.11)pg/mL〗 was also significantly elevated in DR patients when compared to control patients' TNF-α level 〖1.7005±1.26949(0.1- 5.17)pg/mL〗(<i>P</i><0.001). <p>CONCLUSION: The levels of TNF- α, which plays a role in retinal neovascularization, and, IL-8, which acts as an inflammatory and angiogenic mediator were found to be high in DR patients

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COVID-19 PERCEIVED RISK AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS COVID-19 VACCINATION IN HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS: AN EXAMPLE OF EASTERN TURKEY

Bacground: This study aimed to examine the relationship between COVID-19 perceived risk and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare professionals. Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included a total of 580 healthcare professionals. Results: The healthcare professionals COVID-19 Perceived Risk Scale (CPRS) and Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccine Scale (ATV-COVID-19) mean scores were 31.36+5.16 and 3.00+5.16 and 3.00+0.61, respectively. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between their CPRS and ATV-COVID-19 mean scores. Conclusions: The healthcare professionals had a high COVID-19 perceived risk and moderately positive attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine

The Relationship Between Death Anxiety and Religious Coping Styles in Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19: A Sample in the East of Turkey

This study was conducted to find out the relationship between death anxiety and religious coping styles in patients diagnosed with COVID-19. This cross-sectional and relational study was carried out with snowball sampling technique between May 15 and June 15, 2021. It was found that the participants had a mean Death Anxiety Scale total score of 10.42 +/- 2.77, they had a mean positive religious coping sub-scale score of 23.44 +/- 2.66 and a mean negative religious coping sub-scale score of 12.82 +/- 3.08. Statistically significant positive association was found between Death Anxiety Scale and Religious Coping Questionnaire's both positive and negative coping sub-scale scores (p < .05). It was found that patients diagnosed with COVID-19 had high level of death anxiety and positive religious coping styles. It was also found that death anxiety levels increased in the patients as their use of positive and negative coping increased

Pain Management and Life Satisfaction in Elderly Individuals: A Single Centred Study

Objective: This study was conducted to find out the pain management status and life satisfaction of elderly individuals living in a nursing home and to determine the relationship between these. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a nursing home in Turkey in November 2019. The data were collected by the researchers with face-to-face interview technique by using Personal Information Form, Geriatric Pain Measure (GPM), Pain Management Inventory (PMI) and Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS). Results: GPM total score was 48.95 +/- 11.24, and average LSS was 14.37 +/- 6.85. There is a positive statistically significant association between GPM and PMI (r=0.385; p<0.01), while there is a negative statistically significant association between GPM and LSS (r=-0.369; p<0.01). There is a negative statistically significant association between PMI and LSS (r=-0.344; p<0.01). Conclusion: It was found that elderly individuals had moderate level of pain and poor life satisfaction. It was found that as level of pain increased, elderly individuals' life satisfaction decreased

Analysis of anxiety levels and attitudes of nursing students toward the nursing profession during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose This study was conducted to analyze the anxiety levels and attitudes of nursing students for the nursing profession during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data collection forms were sent online to nursing students of three different state or foundation universities in Turkey. In all, 456 individuals who answered the data collection forms were included in the study. Findings Study results revealed that the total average score for the Attitude Scale for Nursing Profession was 162 +/- 15.6. The Professional characteristics subdimension score average was 80.64 +/- 7.02. Furthermore, the state of choosing nursing profession subdimension score average was 50.05 +/- 9.23, whereas the Attitude for the general status of nursing profession subdimension score average was 34.38 +/- 2.97. Due to the pandemic, anxiety levels for the nursing profession were 4.86 +/- 2.76 (between 0 and 10). It was determined that nursing students who studied in cities where the virus was very common had a more positive attitude toward the profession. Anxiety levels of nursing students studying in cities where the virus impact was moderate and in cities where the virus presence was quite common were higher (p > 0.05). Practical Implications It was found that nursing students had a positive and high-level attitude toward the nursing profession. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that attitudes toward the nursing profession decreased significantly as anxiety increased

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COVID-19 PERCEIVED RISK AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS COVID-19 VACCINATION IN HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS: AN EXAMPLE OF EASTERN TURKEY

Bacground: This study aimed to examine the relationship between COVID-19 perceived risk and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare professionals. Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included a total of 580 healthcare professionals. Results: The healthcare professionals COVID-19 Perceived Risk Scale (CPRS) and Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccine Scale (ATV-COVID-19) mean scores were 31.36+5.16 and 3.00+5.16 and 3.00+0.61, respectively. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between their CPRS and ATV-COVID-19 mean scores. Conclusions: The healthcare professionals had a high COVID-19 perceived risk and moderately positive attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine

TURKISH VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY STUDY OF CANCER EMPOWERMENT SCALE

Background: The present study aims to adapt "Cancer Empowermwnt Scale" to Turkish and to test its validity and reliability. Subjects and methods:This methodological study consisted of 286 cancer patients receiving treatment. Cancer Empowerment Scale (CES) were used in this study. Results:The scale\u27s content validity index was found as .96. Total Cronbach\u27s alpha coefficient of the scale is 0.93. Cronbach\u27s alpha coefficient is 0.92 for personal strength dimension, 0.95 for social support dimension, 0.87 for healthcare and 0.94 for community support. Item factor loads were found to range between 0.40 and 0.87 and item total correlation coefficients were found to be between 0.32 and 0.59. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) conducted supported the 4 factor structure of the scale. CFA results showed good fit index values. Conclusions: Turkish version of Cancer Empowerment Scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool to evaluate the empowerment states of cancer patients. With this scale, it is thought that by evaluating the empowerment status of cancer patients and determining the deficiencies in this issue, it will provide supportive interventions to patients in clinical practice according to their needs

TURKISH VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY STUDY OF CANCER EMPOWERMENT SCALE

Background: The present study aims to adapt "Cancer Empowermwnt Scale" to Turkish and to test its validity and reliability. Subjects and methods:This methodological study consisted of 286 cancer patients receiving treatment. Cancer Empowerment Scale (CES) were used in this study. Results:The scale\u27s content validity index was found as .96. Total Cronbach\u27s alpha coefficient of the scale is 0.93. Cronbach\u27s alpha coefficient is 0.92 for personal strength dimension, 0.95 for social support dimension, 0.87 for healthcare and 0.94 for community support. Item factor loads were found to range between 0.40 and 0.87 and item total correlation coefficients were found to be between 0.32 and 0.59. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) conducted supported the 4 factor structure of the scale. CFA results showed good fit index values. Conclusions: Turkish version of Cancer Empowerment Scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool to evaluate the empowerment states of cancer patients. With this scale, it is thought that by evaluating the empowerment status of cancer patients and determining the deficiencies in this issue, it will provide supportive interventions to patients in clinical practice according to their needs

Serum Adipokine and Ghrelin Levels in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Adipokines and ghrelin play role in insulin resistance, the key pathophysiological abnormality in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases. In the present study, relationship between nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and serum adipokine and ghrelin levels was investigated. Thirty seven patients with biopsy-proven NASH and 25 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Ten of NASH patients (27%) had diabetes mellitus (n = 5) or impaired glucose tolerance (n = 5). Body mass index (BMI) was less than 30 kg/m(2) in 67.6% of patients, while in the remaining 32.4% it was more than 30 kg/m(2). Serum adiponectin, leptin, TNF-α, and ghrelin were determined. Serum leptin (15.49 ± 4.84 vs 10.31 ± 2.53) and TNF-α (12.1 ± 2.7 vs 10.31 ± 2.56) levels were significantly higher in the NASH group compared to in the control group (P < .001 for each). Nevertheless, adiponectin (11.1±2.1 vs 17.3±2.8) and ghrelin (6.46±1.1 vs 7.8±1.1) levels were lower in the NASH group than in the control group (P < .001 for each). Serum levels of the adipokines and ghrelin, however, were comparable in the subgroups of patients regardless of whether BMI was < 30 or > 30 or glucose tolerance was impaired or not (P > .05). Additionally, neither adipokines nor ghrelin was correlated with histopathological grade and stage (P > .05). In conclusion; there is a significant relationship between NASH and adipokines and ghrelin independent from BMI and status of the glucose metabolism. These cytokines that appear to have role in the pathogenesis of NASH, however, do not have any effect upon the severity of the histopathology

Lycopene Prevents Development of Steatohepatitis in Experimental Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Model Induced by High-Fat Diet

We investigated the preventive effect of lycopene on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-induced by high-fat diet in rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups. They were fed standard diet, high-fat diet (HFD), high-fat diet plus lycopene at a dose of 2 mg/kg body weight and the high-fat diet lycopene at a dose of 4 mg/kg BW for a period of 6 weeks. Inflammation, steatosis, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP 2E1) expression increased significantly in the rats fed HFD and decreased in the rats administered by lycopene. Significantly elevated levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), tumor necrosis factor (TNF α), and serum and liver malondialdehyde (MDA) were observed in rats fed the high-fat diet as compared to the control rats (P < .01). Supplementation with lycopene lowered serum MDA and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) levels and elevated liver GSH level (P < .001). Insulin resistance was higher in the rats fed HFD than in rats supplemented with lycopene. The data indicate that supplementation with lycopene can reduce high-fat diet-induced oxidative stress to the cells