Evaluation of angiogenic apelin/apelin receptor axis in normal prostate, high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostatic adenocarcinoma.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in American men. Apelin is an endogenous peptide identified as the ligand of the G protein-associated apelin receptor. Apelin and apelin receptor have many tissues distribution and they participate in pathological processes, such as cancer. Apelin stimulates cancer angiogenesis. However, there are insufficient data in the literature regarding the role of apelin/apelin receptor in normal tissue, highgrade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and prostatic adenocarcinoma tissues. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the apelin and apelin receptor expression levels in tissues of normal prostate tissue, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and prostatic adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 38 samples of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy were used. Among 38 samples; 20 patients were with prostatic adenocarcinoma, 18 patients were with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and adjacent normal prostatic tissue areas. The immunolocalisation of apelin and apelin receptor in these tissues were determined immunohistochemically. RESULTS: Apelin and apelin receptor expressions were higher in prostatic adenocarcinoma than normal prostate tissue and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Apelin receptor expression was also increased in high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia compared to normal tissue. CONCLUSION: Apelin and apelin receptor are increase in the process of prostate carcinogenesis. This increase may adversely affect the clinical course of prostate cancer patients by stimulating angiogenesis, which is important for invasion and metastasis in prostate cancer.

Magnetically driven suppression of nematic order in an iron-based superconductor.

A theory of superconductivity in the iron-based materials requires an understanding of the phase diagram of the normal state. In these compounds, superconductivity emerges when stripe spin density wave (SDW) order is suppressed by doping, pressure or atomic disorder. This magnetic order is often pre-empted by nematic order, whose origin is yet to be resolved. One scenario is that nematic order is driven by orbital ordering of the iron 3d electrons that triggers stripe SDW order. Another is that magnetic interactions produce a spin-nematic phase, which then induces orbital order. Here we report the observation by neutron powder diffraction of an additional fourfold-symmetric phase in Ba1-xNaxFe2As2 close to the suppression of SDW order, which is consistent with the predictions of magnetically driven models of nematic order.

Lateral premalleolar bursitis as a result of sitting on the foot.

Lateral premalleolar bursitis develops on the dorsolateral aspect of the foot in people who sit on their feet for prolonged periods. Twenty-nine premalleolar bursae in 21 patients were diagnosed. The patients presented with one or more of the complaints of swelling, pain and difficulty in wearing shoes. One bursa was infected. Initial treatment was non-surgical. With avoidance of the sitting position, the problem resolved in eight of the sixteen patients who were followed. Four bursae were injected with cortisone, three without success. Six bursae were surgically excised, and four of them, with a minimum of one year follow-up were doing well.

Carpal tunnel release using a short palmar incision and a new knife.

A new knife with its own battery powered light source (Knifelight, Stryker Instruments, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA) was used for carpal tunnel release in 31 wrists of 25 patients. Under local anaesthesia, a short palmar incision was used and the carpal tunnel contents were visualized during division of the flexor retinaculum. The mean operation time was 11 minutes and no major complications were seen. The patients could use their hands for self-care after 3 days and returned to work at a mean of 23 days. At a minimum follow-up of 6 months, all but one of the patients were satisfied with the final result. Mild scar tenderness was seen in two patients and pillar pain in one patient.

Adenosine deaminase and guanosine deaminase activities in sera of patients with viral hepatitis.

In order to investigate purin and primidin metabolism pathways in hepatitis, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and guanosine deaminase (GDA) activities in sera of patients with different types and manifestations of viral hepatitis disease (A, B, C, D, E, chronic, acute) were investigated and compared with the control group of healthy individuals. Hepatitis cases were classified with respect to their serological findings and clinics. When compared all the hepatitis cases with the controls, levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase enzymes, as well as ADA and GDA, were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.01). Levels of ADA and GDA in hepatitis cases were determined as 26.07 11.98 IU/l and 2.37 1.91 IU/l, respectively. When compared their ADA and GDA levels amongst the classified hepatitis groups, there was no difference in ADA levels amongst cases (p>0.05). However, GDA levels in hepatitis A group were closed to the controls. Increase in serum ADA activities in hepatitis forms may be dependent on and reflect the increase in phagocytic activity of macrophages and maturation of T-lymphocytes, and may be valuable in monitoring in viral hepatitis cases.

Effects of antimonial therapy on serum zinc, copper and iron concentrations in patients with cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Turkey.

The effects of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) infections on total content of the essential trace elements and alterations of these elements content during antimonial therapy, serum iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), were determined in 40 patients with CL. 32 healthy subjects were selected as control group. Pentavalent antimonial compounds (Glucantime) were given intramuscularly (20 mg/kg/day) for three weeks in patients group. Serum Cu and Zn levels were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry and Fe levels were determined by colorimetrically. Before antimonial therapy; Cu levels were found significantly higher. However, Zn and Fe levels were found significantly lower in the patients group than those of controls. Cu levels were found tended to decrease, while Zn and Fe levels tended to increase during antimonial therapy. There was a negative correlation between serum Cu and Zn levels in CL patients (r = -0.322, p < 0.05). The findings showed that CL affects the essential trace element content and these changes began to disappear during antimonial therapy.

2- to 10-year follow-up study of acetabular revisions using allograft bone to repair bone defects.

The failure rates of revision of acetabular components have been high; however, long-term success has been reported with the use of particulate allografts or autografts with large-diameter prosthetic cups to correct bone deficiencies when host-cup contact is at least 30% to 50%. The purpose of this study was to review 2- to 10-year follow-up data on complex acetabular revisions in which contact between allograft bone and the prosthetic cup was at least 50%. In the 47 hips monitored clinically and radiographically for a mean of 5 years, results were classified as excellent in 37%, good in 26%, fair in 17%, and poor in 19%. The mean Harris hip score was 82.5 (range, 39-100). The prosthetic cups migrated in 3 hips, but 2 stabilized within 1 year. Three cups had complete radiolucent lines without migration; the lines did not correlate with location of the allografts. Although bone ingrowth into porous surfaces from allografts is debatable, the results of the study show that massive allograft reconstruction of the acetabulum can provide both immediate and long-term stability of the prosthetic cup and restore bone stock.

Alterations of serum selenium, zinc, copper, and iron concentrations and some related antioxidant enzyme activities in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis.

The aim of this study was to measure the alterations in serum selenium (Se), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) concentrations and their carrier proteins, ceruloplasmin (Cp), transferrin (Tf) albumin, and related antioxidant enzyme activities, erythrocyte Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) activities in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Erythrocyte Cu-Zn SOD activities, serum Cu concentrations, and Cp levels were found to be significantly higher in the patients group than those of controls. However, GSH-Px and CAT activities and Se, Zn, Fe, and Tf levels were lower in patients than in the control subjects. There were positive important correlation's between Cu-Zn SOD and Cp, Cu-Zn SOD and Cu, Cp and Cu, GSH-Px and Se, and Fe and CAT in the patients group. Our results showed that serum essential trace elements Se, Zn, Cu, and Fe concentrations and their related enzymes Cu-Zn SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT activities change in CL patients. The changes may be a part of defense strategies of organism and are induced by the hormonelike substances.

Oxidative stress and antioxidative status of plasma and erythrocytes in patients with vivax malaria.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the oxidative stress and antioxidative status of plasma and erythrocytes in patients with vivax malaria and healthy persons. DESIGN AND METHODS: Activities of antioxidative enzymes, rates of pathways of hexose monophosphate shunt and purine salvage, levels of lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione, methemoglobin and sulfhemoglobin of erythrocytes were determined. Lipid peroxidation and levels of antioxidant substances were measured. RESULTS: Antioxidants levels and antioxidative enzymes activities were lower and lipid peroxidation, purine salvage rate were higher in patients group than controls. Erythrocyte glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) activity was not different from that of healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Oxidative mechanisms were observed to be dominant compared with antioxidative mechanisms in patients with vivax malaria. Therefore, oxidative stress may be produced and maintained by the host defense mechanisms against malarial infection.