Effect of TLR10 (2322A/G, 720A/C, and 992T/A) polymorphisms on the pathogenesis of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever disease.

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne disease caused by the Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are type 1 transmembrane proteins of immune cells that play a critical role in innate and adaptive immunity. The present study first time aims to investigate the relation between TLR10 gene polymorphisms (720A/C, 992T/A, and 2322A/G), severity/non-severity, fatality/non-fatality, and CCFH disease by using PCR-RFLP assay in a Turkish population. TLR10 720A/C polymorphism was determined to be statistically significant both genotype and allele frequency (P = 0,011, P = 0.015, respectively). TLR10 992T/A polymorphism was found statistically significant relationships between patient and control (P = 0.026) and individual with AA genotype have approximately three times greater risk than TT genotype (OR = 2.93). There was not a significant difference in 2322A/G genotype distribution (P = 0.152). There were also statistically significant associations between both TLR10 992T/A and 2322A/G polymorphism and patient mortality (P = 0.001 and P = 0.008, respectively). We have not found statistically any linkage among TLR10 haplotype, but individual AAA and GAT haplotype have higher risk than individual AAT haplotype (OR = 3.22, OR = 1.93, respectively). Consequently, this study shows that pathogenesis of CCHF disease is associated with the TLR10 720A/C and 992T/A polymorphisms. There is a statistically significant association in fatal/non-fatal patients with TLR10 720A/C and 992T/A. The TLR10 992AA genotype might increase and TLR10 720CC genotype might decrease susceptibility to pathogenesis of CCHF disease. TLR 10 polymorphisms may be also an important biomarker for CCHF susceptibility and fatality rate.

Morphology and molecular phylogeny of four Frontonia species from Turkey (Protista, Ciliophora).

In this study, Frontonia leucas, Frontonia acuminata, Frontonia angusta, and Frontonia anatolica species isolated from aquatic environments of Van in Turkey were investigated in detail using morphological, morphometrical, and molecular methods. Although there were minor differences, the Frontonia populations were morphologically similar to the other previously reported populations of the 4 species. Frontonia leucas differed from the other populations by the following combination of characters: about 200 somatic and only 3 vestibular kineties, and a single micronucleus. The Turkish population of Frontonia acuminata had just 4 vestibular kineties and the large micronucleus was always located to the anterior of the carrot-shaped macronucleus. The ratio of the oral apparey size to the cell size of Frontonia angusta in this study was about 18%, with 3 vestibular kineties, and 1 excretory pore. Phylogenetic trees based on small-subunit rRNA gene sequences were constructed using Bayesian inference and maximum-likelihood. Frontonia anatolica was more closely related to Apofrontonia dohrni and Paramecium spp. than to its congeners, while F. acuminata, like F. terricola, was also more closely related to the family Stokesiidae. The results indicated that Frontonia is a non-monophyletic genus consisting of 3 groups. We presented the systematic relationships of the genera and families of Peniculida with new data of genus Frontonia herein.

Toll-like receptor 8 and 9 polymorphisms in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever. The clinical course and outcome of the CCHF infection are different in humans. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of pathogen recognition receptors. TLR8 and TLR9 contribute to the recognition of viruses. We investigated frequency of TLR8 Met1Val, TLR8 -129C/G, TLR9 -1486T/C and TLR9 2458G/A polymorphisms in CCHF patients and healthy controls. Our study was conducted between June 1 and August 31, 2007 in Cumhuriyet University Hospital, Turkey. TLR genotypes were detected using the PCR-RFLP assay in 85 CCHF patients and 171 healthy controls. We found that heterozygous plus homozygous mutant genotypes frequency for TLR8 Met1Val and for TLR9 -1486T/C were significantly higher in CCHF patients than controls (p = 0.038 and p = 0.009, respectively). The frequency of TLR8 -129G/G genotype in the fatal CCHF patients was significantly higher than that of the non-fatal patients (p = 0.026). The frequency of TLR9 -1486C/C genotype was significantly higher in fatal CCHF patients than in healthy controls (p = 0.009) and in patients with severe disease compared to non-severe disease (p = 0.044). Our findings suggest that TLR8 Met1Val, TLR8 -129C/G, and TLR9 -1486T/C polymorphisms are important on clinical course of CCHF disease.