Some studies have shown that augmenting buspirone with antidepressant has similar efficacy as the combination with two antidepressants in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Some researchers assume that the antidepressant boosting effect of buspirone is revealed under a poop-out state, which means a phenomenon where some patients having an initial response to an antidepressant may worsen or not improve any more even though they continue treatment because of serotonin depletion. Loudness dependence of auditory evoked potential (LDAEP) is a reliable marker of central serotonergic activity, and is inversely correlated with central serotonergic activity. Thus LDAEP will be a biological marker for prediction of treatment response with buspirone augmentation with SSRI because it can measure central serotonergic activity such as serotonin depletion. Two cases will be introduced and the literature evidence about whether LDAEP can predict the treatment response of buspirone augmentation in patients with MDD will be reviewed.OBJECTIVE This study investigates the association between mental disorders and interferon nontreatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a large national sample. METHODS Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we conducted a nationwide population-based study. Each case was matched to five controls by age, sex, urbanization, and income. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess odds of HCV nontreatment in different mental disorders. RESULTS From 1999 to 2013, we identified 92,970 subjects with HCV infection and 15,495 HCV cases (16.7%) had received IFN therapy. Other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the medical diseases and mental disorders were significantly different between IFN and non-IFN treated HCV patients. After adjusting for medical diseases, depressive disorder and anxiety disorder was positively associated with receiving IFN therapy. Patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and alcohol use disorders were significantly less likely to receive interferon. Antidepressant exposure (cumulative daily exposure or cumulative daily dose) was associated with lower odds of IFN treatment. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/jph203.html CONCLUSION Our nationwide cohort study demonstrated that INF nontreatment rate was lower in certain mental disorders. Antidepressant exposure might lower the chance of receiving IFN treatment. Our results may help to identify and to overcome the obstacles for HCV treatment and further apply to DAAs regimen.BACKGROUND/AIM Tuberculosis is still one of the most contagious diseases around the world. Key factors of tuberculosis control are rapid diagnostic, efficient treatment and prevention of contamination by surveillance and monitoring. However, culture is the gold standard method for laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis; the results are several weeks to obtain. In order to prevent contamination of tuberculosis, diagnosis must be made in short time and treatment should be started as soon as possible The aim of this study is to optimize the loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method, which provides a much faster and more sensitive result than PCR method and allows the replication of target nucleic acid sequences under isothermal conditions without the need for laboratory infrastructure. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sputum samples were homogenized with 5% trypsin solution in CaCl2 to obtain DNA. DNA was purified using QIAGEN QIAamp DNA mini kit. LAMP primers were design using Primer explorer V5 program according to IS6110 gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. NEB Bst 3.0 DNA polymerase kit was used for LAMP reactions. Besides, LAMP reactions were compared with TaqMan based RT-PCR method using NEB's Taq polymerase kit. Finally, for visualization of LAMP products, lateral flow dipsticks that produced by Milenia Biotec, colorimetric 2X LAMP master mix that produced by NEB and %2 w/v agarose gel electrophoresis methods were used. RESULTS Optimum amplification temperature for LAMP was found to be 71.4 °C. The detection limit of the method was 102 CFU/ml and sensitivity was determined 100% compared to five different Mycobacterium species. CONCLUSION The current study indicated that the LAMP-LFD and colorimetric LAMP protocol optimized with sputum samples can be reliable used as a rapid, sensitive and specific assay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in the field.OBJECTIVE Muslims worship by fasting from pre-dawn (suhoor) until sunset (iftar) for 30 days in the religious month of Ramadan. In addition to prolonged hunger, patients fasting with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism take their doses of levothyroxine (LT4) outside of daytime fasting hours. The purpose of our study is; to compare the values of hypothyroid patients which have been obtained through thyroid function tests both before and after Ramadan. SUBJECT AND METHODS Ninety-seven patients; who are ranging from 18 to 65 years old, who were followed with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, who fasted during Ramadan, and who had no change of their LT4 dose for at least for 6 months were included in the study. RESULTS The median serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level of patients prior to fasting was 2.19 mIU/L, while median serum TSH after fasting was 2.73 mIU/L. Serum TSH values after Ramadan increased significantly compared to those prior to Ramadan (p=0.004). CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates a significant increase in serum TSH levels after Ramadan but no significant change in serum free thyroxine (fT4) levels in hypothyroidism patients who are fasting. It may be appropriate to take precaution by making a small increase in LT4 dose before Ramadan in some hypothyroid patients wishing to fast.BACKGROUND/AIM Peritoneal sclerosis may be observed in varied manifestations; however, the most serious form is the encapsulated peritoneal sclerosis. We researched the effect of rituximab on peritoneal fibrosis in an experimental rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS 24 Wistar albino rats were divided into 4 equal groups. During weeks 0-3; Group I received isotonic saline (IS) solution, group II, Group III and Group IV received Chlorhexidine gluconate (CG) via intraperitoneal (i.p.) route. In the next 3 weeks nothing adminestred to both Group I and Group II but IS solution was adminestred to Group III via i.p. route and 375 mg/m2/week rituximab was applied intravenously on days 21, 28 and 35 to Group IV. Fibrosis, peritoneal thickness and inflammation were evaluated. Immunohistochemical methods used for the detection of matrix MMP-2, TGF-ß1, and VGEF expressions. RESULTS The rituximab group had significantly lower fibrosis and peritoneal thickness scores than the group II and III (p less then 0.001). TGF-ß1 and VEGF expressions were significantly lower in the rituximab group than in the group II and III (p less then 0.