Microparticles are procoagulant membrane vesicles that play role in endothelium dysfunction pathogenesis and are increased in hypertension, acute/chronic vascular pathological events. Here; we aimed to compare MPs levels of hypertensive geriatric patients with healthy age-match-patients, discuss its availability as a cardiovascular biomarker and investigate its relationship with other inflammatory markers. Forty seven hypertensive geriatric patients (M/F;15/32) and 47 healthy controls (M/F;19/28) were included in the study. MPs levels were examined functionally through thrombin generation test (TGT) parameters (MPS Lag time, MPS ETP, MPs Peak, MPS start Tail) and compared with CRP, N/L ratio, ALT, GGT, thrombocyte parameters. Decrease in MPS Lag time, increase in MPS ETS and MPs Peak elevation were accepted as tendency to coagulation which meant an increase in number and function of MPs. No significant difference was found between 2 groups for MPS tests (MPS Lag time, MPS ETP, MPs Peak, MPS start Tail). Platelet count was significantly higher in hypertensive patient group. There was a negative correlation between age and MPs Peak, MPS Lag time. There was a positive correlation between CRP and MPS ETP, MPs Peak values. Our present findings might help to understand the hemostasis via TGT parameters, in the elderly. Contribution of MPs to thrombosis tendency seen with aging and increased number of circulating MPs caused by hypertensive endothelial dysfunction must be taken into consideration. MPs might be accepted as vascular inflammation and damage markers and used as follow up tools of medical treatment of vascular inflammation-related diseases.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to verify the reference intervals for prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), using stored data of ambulatory pre-op subjects with exclusion of certain clinics, according to age and sex. Materials and Methods: Results of test requests (13,600 PT and 14,083 APTT) of subjects aged 15–80 made from outpatient clinics of surgical departments before surgical interventions in 2008 were retrieved from the electronic medical record. Thromborel S and Actin (Dade Behring, Germany) were used on the Sysmex^® CA-1500 coagulation analyzer. Extreme values were determined by using Horn's algorithm after Box-Cox transformation, and the upper and lower reference limits were determined as the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of the cleaned data. Results: The values outside the interval of PT data 10.5–17.0 seconds and the interval of APTT data 20.6–35.8 seconds were excluded from the analysis. There were significant differences among age subsets of PT measurements ( p < 0.0001) and of APTT measurements ( p < 0.0001). Accordingly, the data were tested for gender differences and a significant difference was found in PT ( p = 0.002). APPT results did not differ statistically between men and women. Conclusion: Although we found values different from the limits stated in the kit insert, it would be better to confirm our findings with the direct method, especially in APTT for patients under the age of 40 and over the age of 59, and also for sex differences in PT.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE Analyze the over expression of neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated protein 9 (NEDD-9) deregulated associated with a poor prognosis in various carcinomas. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between the levels of NEDD-9, CA 15-3, and CEA and PET (SUVmax, MTV40, TLG40) with the clinical parameters of patients with breast cancer (BC). METHODS One hundred and eleven patients (82 BC patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT and 29 healthy controls) were evaluated. SUVmax, MTV, and TLG of the primary tumor were compared with the molecular and histopathological subtypes. 18F-FDG, MTV, and TLG were evaluated based on the clinical data, i.e., nodal involvement, distant metastasis, ER and PR status, Ki-67, serum levels of NEDD-9, CA15-3, and CEA. We compared the NEDD-9 in the BC and healthy control groups. RESULTS The mean ± SD of SUVmax in the 82 patients was 13.0 ± 8.6. A statistically significant relationship (p = 0.022) was found between the molecular subtypes and 18F-FDG uptake. The relationship between 18F-FDG uptake and TLG measured in patients <50 years, ER-PR negativity, and HER2 positivity were statistically significant (p=0.015, 0.007, 0.046, and 0.001, respectively). MTV40, TLG40, and CA 15-3 in metastatic patients were statistically significant (p=0.004, 0.005, and 0.003, respectively). NEDD-9 in the BC group was significantly higher than in the healthy group (p=0.017). There was a positive correlation between SUVmax and Ki67 and CA 15-3; MTV40 and CEA; CA 15-3, CEA, SUVmax, and MTV40; a negative correlation was found between CEA, TLG40, and age. CONCLUSION The use of SUVmax, MTV40, and TLG40 parameters with NEDD-9 and tumor markers has been shown to provide a high diagnostic, predictive, and prognostic value for the management of BC. This is considered to be the basis of interventions focused on the treatment objectives related to NEDD-9.

Objective: Using data retrieved from three different hospitals, we established indirect reference intervals of free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) for the Centaur XP or the Immulite 2000 instruments, in separate reference limits at each subset. Methods: We categorized children into seven age groups: 4–7 days, 8–15 days, 16–23 days, 24–61 days, 3–6 months, 7–36 months and 4–6 years. After a Box-Cox transformation was employed, we followed the Horn algorithm to eliminate the extreme values. Results: The remaining FT4 (11,230) and TSH (11,274) tests were statistically analyzed. We determined separate reference limits at each subset with their own 2.5 ^th and 97.5 ^th percentiles. The interaction effect of both hospital and age grouping on FT4 was meaningful, but there was no interaction effect on TSH. Conclusions: Pediatric FT4 and TSH test results should be interpreted via narrowed age groups, especially in the first 3 weeks of neonatal period. Our reference limits may be recommended in pediatric follow-ups, considering the conditions of prematurity, birth-weight or multiple births. Preanalytical and analytical variations related with complex molecular structure of FT4 should be taken into consideration to ensure the validity of the result.