Author affiliations:
1 Duygu Temiz Karadağ, MD; Kocaeli University, Faculty
of Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Kocaeli, Turkey
1Andac Komac, MD; Kocaeli University, Faculty of
Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Kocaeli, Turkey
2 Yesim Erez, MD; Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of
Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, İzmir, Turkey
2 Ahmet Merih Birlik, MD; Dokuz Eylül University,
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, İzmir, Turkey
3 Alper Sari, MD; Hacettepe University, Faculty of
Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Ankara, Turkey
3Ali Akdogan, MD; Hacettepe University, Faculty of
Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Ankara, Turkey
3Bayram Farisogullari, MD; Hacettepe University,
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Ankara, Turkey
4 Gezmis Kimyon, MD: Hatay Mustafa Kemal University,
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Hatay, Turkey
5 Emrah Koc, MD: Cukurova University, Faculty of
Medicine, Department of Rheumatology Adana, Turkey
5 Didem Arslan,MD: Cukurova University, Faculty of
Medicine, Department of Rheumatology Adana, Turkey
6 Ahmet Karatas, MD; Firat University, Faculty of
Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Elazig, Turkey
6Suleyman Serdar Koca, MD: Firat University, Faculty
of Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Elazig, Turkey
7 Nilgun Kasifoglu, MD; Eskisehir Osmangazi
University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Eskisehir,
Turkey
1Ayten Yazici, MD; Kocaeli University, Faculty of
Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Kocaeli, Turkey
8 Kadir Mutlu Hayran, MD; Hacettepe University,
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Preventive Oncology, Ankara, Turkey
1Ayse Cefle, MD; Kocaeli University, Faculty of
Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Kocaeli, Turkey
Correspondence to: Dr. Duygu Temiz Karadag (MD), Kocaeli
University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Kocaeli,
Turkey. Tel: +90 2623038914: mobile: +90 5062048802 e-mail:dr_dtemiz@hotmail.comORCID:0000-0002-5891-2032
Statements and Declarations: We hereby state that this
manuscript is original, and no part of the manuscript has either been
published before or is under consideration for publication elsewhere.
This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any
of the authors. This study was approved by the Kocaeli University School
of Medicine Ethics Committee, Kocaeli, Turkey, with study number
KOU/GOKAEK 2017/347. Consent was obtained from all participants.
Actelion company contributed financially to the study to be used during
the purchase of the study kits. No other disclosures relevant to this
article were reported. None of the authors have financial or
non-financial conflicts of interest to disclose.