Maternal pre- and post-delivery stress levels might be different for vaginal or cesarean deliveries. This study aimed to investigate the effects of type of delivery (vaginal or cesarean) and time of delivery (pre- and post-delivery) on the stress axes of the body, namely the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) and autonomic nervous system (ANS). Ninety-one pregnant women were volunteered to participate this prospective study. In these women, pre- and post-delivery HPA and ANS activities were measured noninvasively by salivary cortisol and heart rate variability (HRV), respectively. HRV was measured by 5-min electrocardiogram recording and time- and frequency-domain parameters were computed. Salivary cortisol concentration and HRV parameters were higher in women having vaginal delivery than those having cesarean delivery (p < 0.05). Cortisol levels did not differ between pre- and post-delivery (p > 0.05) but the time-domain parameters of HRV decreased post-delivery (p < 0.05). No interactions were observed between the types and times of delivery (p > 0.05). HPA and ANS axes had different activity patterns throughout the delivery process and they were higher during vaginal delivery, suggesting that they are integral parts of normal birth process and that cesarean delivery perturbs the activity of both axes.

Amaç: Gece geç saatlerde ekran (sinema) seyretmenin, ertesi gün hipotalamus-hipofiz-adrenal aks (HPA) ve otonom sinir sistemi(OSS) aktivitesi üzerine etkileri bilinmiyor. Bu nedenle, mevcut çalışmanın amacı, uyku kalitesi, OSS aktivitesinin belirteci olan kalphızı değişkenliği (KHD) ve HPA aksının belirteci olan kortizol uyanma yanıtı (KUY) üzerine gece geç saatlerde sinema izlemeninetkilerini incelemekti.Materyal Metod: Bu çalışmada Tıp Fakültesi öğrencileri (n=22), biri kontrol günü ve takiben sinema izleme günü olmak üzere ikiardışık gün takip edildi. Her gün, uyku ölçekleri dolduruldu; KUY ölçümü için uyandıktan sonra 0, 15, 30 ve 60. dakikalarda tükürükörnekleri toplandı ve KHD belirlemek için 5 dakikalık EKG kaydı alındı. Sinema izleme günü, film olarak 140 dk süren “Hızlı ve Öfkeli7” filmi saat 21:00 da hep birlikte izlendi.Bulgular: Gece geç saatlerde sinema izlemek, zaman ve frekans bağımlı KHD parametrelerini, uyku parametrelerini (uyku zamanı,süresi, uyku bozukluğu, uyanma problemleri) ve KUY (ortalama, eğri altında kalan alan) etkilemedi (p>0.05).Sonuç: Sonuçlar, kişinin gece geç saatlerde uyumaya alışkın olması durumunda, gece geç saatlerde sinema izlemenin ertesi sabahHPA ve OSS aktivitelerini etkilemediğini göstermektedir. Ek olarak, bir grup arkadaşıyla birlikte bir film izlemenin, gece geç saatlerdeuyumanın olumsuz etkilerine karşı koyan eğlenceli bir etkinlik olduğu düşünülebilir.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic connective tissue disease of unclear etiopathogenesis characterized by affecting multiple organs and systems. Survivin, an apoptosis inhibitor protein (IAP) family member is involved in apoptosis, cell division, development and differentiation. In the pathogenesis of SLE, increased apoptosis is thought to play a significant role. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between survivin levels and disease activity, etiopathogenesis, and biomarkers related to apoptosis and inflammation in patients with SLE. The study included 36 patients with SLE, 17 patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (SjS) and 29 healthy controls who applied to the department, met the eligibility criteria and were non-consecutively enrolled between September 2019 and March 2020. Blood and urine samples were collected and analyzed using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) method. SLE activity was assessed using SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. SjS activity was assessed using EULAR Sjögren’s Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI). Plasma survivin levels were significantly lower in SLE patients compared to healthy controls (p<0.001). A strong positive correlation was found between plasma survivin levels and apoptotic and inflammatory markers in SLE patients (p0.05). No significant correlation was found between SLEDAI scores and either plasma or urinary survivin levels (p > 0.05). This study shows that survivin holds significant potential in the diagnosis, disease monitoring, and pathophysiological understanding of SLE, providing foundational data for future research.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease associated with increased cardiometabolic risk. Adipokines are implicated in inflammation and metabolic dysregulation in RA; however, clinical data on serum asprosin, a novel glucogenic adipokine, remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate serum asprosin levels in patients with RA and to assess their relationship with disease activity. In this single-center, cross-sectional observational study conducted between June and August 2025, 42 patients with RA and 40 control participants were included. Serum asprosin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Disease activity was assessed using the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, based on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR). Associations between asprosin levels and clinical, laboratory, and serological parameters were analyzed. Serum asprosin levels differed significantly between patients with RA and control participants, with median (interquartile range) values of 12.43 (9.98) and 9.96 (3.47) ng/mL, respectively ( P = .025); however, this association was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, smoking status, and comorbidity in a multivariable regression model (adjusted P = .986). No significant correlations were observed between asprosin and DAS28-ESR, CRP, ESR, RF, or anti-CCP. ROC analysis demonstrated limited discriminatory performance (AUC = 0.643; 95% CI: 0.52–0.767; P = .02). Serum asprosin levels differed between patients with RA and control participants in unadjusted analysis; however, this difference was not retained after adjustment for potential confounders, and no significant association with disease activity or inflammatory markers was identified. These findings suggest that serum asprosin may have limited clinical utility as a standalone biomarker in RA. Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to clarify the potential role of asprosin in RA pathophysiology.