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icial effects in COVID-19 infected cases. Considering the low systemic toxicity of intermittent oral intake of aluminum salts as food supplements and the fact that pandemic control is still not achieved, the use of aluminum salts is promising.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate serum Pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) levels in Sars-CoV-2 virus infection (COVID-19) patients and to investigate whether PTX-3 predicts the disease prognosis.

This study was conducted on 88 confirmed COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized due to symptomatic pneumonia between April 15 2020 and August 15 2020. The patients were divided into two groups as survived patients and non-survived patients. Both groups were compared according to demographic features, comorbid conditions and measurement of the PTX-3 and other laboratory parameters of the patients.

Of 88 patients with COVID-19, 59 (67%) were discharged with complete cure and 29 (33%) resulted in death. 46 (52.3%) of the patients were men. PTX-3 median value [IQR] was 3.66 ng/mL (0.9-27.9) in all patients, 3.3 ng/mL (0.9-27.9) in survivors and 3.91 ng/mL (1.9-23.2) in non-survivors which was significantly higher (p= 0.045). As a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis the cut-off value of PTX-3 for predicting mortality in patients was 3.73 with 65% sensitivity and 65% specificity (AUC 0.646, 95% CI 0.525-0.767, P= 0.045). Also, we found significant cut-off values with respect to D-Dimer, D-Dimer/ PTX-3, high-sensitivity troponin, high-sensitivity troponin/ PTX-3, lymphocyte, PTX-3/ lymphocyte, procalcitonin, procalcitonin/ PTX-3, CRP, and CRP/ PTX-3 (P<0.05).

In this study, as far as we know, for the first time, we have shown PTX-3 as the new mortality biomarker for COVID-19 disease.

In this study, as far as we know, for the first time, we have shown PTX-3 as the new mortality biomarker for COVID-19 disease.

We aimed to investigate the factors affecting mortality of patients aged ?65 years who were hospitalized with the diagnosis of new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19).

This is a retrospective study of ?65 years paients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized in Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty between March 11 and May 28, 2020. Demographic, clinical, treatment and laboratory data were extracted from electronic medical records. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression methods to explore the risk factors for in hospital death.

218 patients (112 men, 106 women) were included, of whom 166 were discharged and 52 died in hospital. With univariate analysis, various clinical features and laboratory variables were found to be significantly different (ie P <0.05). In multivariate logistic regression analysis; present malignancy (odds ratio [OR]= 4.817, 95% confidence interval [CI]= 1.107-20.958, p0.036), dyspnea (OR=4.652, 95% CI=1.473-14.688, p0.009), Neutrophil/lymphocyte r order to be more successful in the future cases.Background This study aimed to determine the frequency of relapse, the risk factors for relapse, and the correlation of relapse with immunosuppressive regimens in patients with granulomatosis polyangiitis (GPA). Method The demographic characteristics, the clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings, the immunosuppressive treatment regimens, and the remission and relapse rates of 50 patients with GPA were obtained retrospectively from medical records. Results The mean relapse-free survival rates at years1, 3, and 5 were 82%, 60%, and 50%, respectively. Increased relapse rates were observed in patients who had cavitary lung lesions (52.2% vs. 22.2%, p=0.04) and in those who had elevated serum creatinine levels (1.8 vs. selleck chemicals llc 0.9, p=0.00). The patients received two different types of remission induction therapies;36% of them received the combination therapy involving cyclophosphamide (CYC) and rituximab (RTX) and 62% received CYC alone. Relapse was observed in 22.3% of the patients who received the combination remission induction therapy and in 61.3% of the patients who received CYC alone (p=0.003). Conclusion An increased risk of relapse was observed in patients who had cavitary lung lesions and in those who had elevated serum creatinine levels. The combined use of RTX and CYC for the remission therapy in GPA reduced the relapse rates compared with the use of CYC alone.

Point-of-care ultrasound imaging of the inferior vena cava distensibility index is a potential indicator for determining fluid overload and dehydration in mechanically ventilated patients. Data on inferior vena cava distensibility index and inferior vena cava distensibility variability are limited in mechanically ventilated pediatric patients. That is why our aim in this study was to measure the inferior vena cava distensibility index, and to obtain mean values in pediatric patients, ventilated in the operating room before the ambulatory surgical procedure started.

This cross-sectional study was performed between February 2019-February 2020. Ultrasonographic measurements were performed on a total of 125 children.

In a period of 13 months, the measurements were done in total of 125 children, of which 120 (62.5% male) met the criteria and were included in the study. Overall inferior vena cava distensibility index (%) mean ± SD 6.8 ± 4.0, median (min-max) 5.7 (1.4-19.6), IQR 3.8-8.7. Overall inferior vena cava distensibility variability (%) mean ± SD 6.5 ± 3.7, median (min-max) 5.5 (1.4-17.8), IQR 3.7-8.4.

Our study is the largest series of children in the literature in which inferior vena cava distensibility index measurements were investigated.

Our study is the largest series of children in the literature in which inferior vena cava distensibility index measurements were investigated.[Background/Aim] Damage to elastin fibres in coronary media might lead to coronary artery ectasia (CAE). This study evaluated whether CAE can be distinguished by detecting circulating soluble elastin (s-elastin), which is a degradation product of elastin fibres, and elastase, which is the main enzyme of elastin fibres. [Materials and Methods] Fifty-eight patients with CAE, 58 with coronary heart disease (CHD), and 61 with relatively normal coronary arteries were included. Circulating s-elastin and elastase were measured, and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to demonstrate their respective optimal cut-off values for predicting CAE. [Results] The concentrations of s-elastin and elastase were higher in the CAE group than in the CHD and relatively-normal-coronary groups. Their cut-off values for screening for CAE were 13.148 ng/mL and 25.549 ng/mL, respectively; sensitivity, 0.690 and 0.773, respectively; and specificity, 0.862 and 0.571, respectively. A combination of s-elastin and elastase in series (one of the two higher than its cut-off value) had a better sensitivity for screening for CAE, whereas their combination in parallel (both higher than their cut-off values) had a better specificity.