Role of cystatin C levels as an inflammatory marker in predicting endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: Endometriosis is a common chronic inflammatory disease associated with infertility and pelvic pain. Diagnosis is based on the appearance of endometriotic lesions at the time of surgery. Our study aimed to determine whether cystatin C can be used as a predictor of endometriosis and to investigate its potential role in doing so. METHODS: The study included 45 patients with endometriosis between the ages of 18 and 40 years whose pathology results were compatible with endometriosis and were operated on, and a control group of 45 healthy women. These two groups were compared in terms of serum cystatin C levels, demographic-clinical characteristics, operation results, and other laboratory values. RESULTS: The cystatin C and hs-CRP levels of the endometriosis patients were found to be significantly higher than the control subjects (p<0.005). Whether the endometriosis disease could be detected for serum cystatin C levels was determined by the receiver operating characteristic analysis and the most appropriate positive cutoff value for cystatin C was found to be 5.14 ng/mL (86.7% sensitivity and 77.8% specificity). In the linear regression analysis, it was observed that the probability of endometriosis increased 2.5 times when cystatin C levels increased above the threshold value of 5.14 ng/mL (OR: 2.5; 95%CI 2.24-2.76). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that the serum cystatin C levels can be used as a guide for diagnosis in patients with advanced endometriosis. However, more research is needed to prove its reliability and accuracy in order to put it into practice.

Does mid-luteal progesterone predict pregnancy in intrauterine insemination cycles following sequential clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin treatment?

This study aimed to determine whether serum mid-luteal progesterone (MLP) levels measured in the current treatment cycles of infertile women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and intrauterine insemination following the sequential use of clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin may predict pregnancy. A total of 107 consecutive anovulatory women were included in this prospective cohort study. Patients with other causes of infertility were also excluded from the study. None of the patients received progesterone treatment for luteal phase support. The data recorded for each woman included age, body mass index, infertility type and duration, basal hormone levels, and previous and current cycle characteristics with MLP levels. Ovulation was confirmed using MLP and sonographic evaluation in all patients. An MLP level of > 3 ng/mL was regarded as a sign of ovulation. After treatment, the patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of pregnancy, and the obtained data were compared between the groups. There were no significant differences in age, body mass index, or basal hormone levels between the 2 groups (all P > .05). However, the duration of infertility was significantly shorter in the pregnancy group (P = .003). The anovulation rate in this cohort was 18.7% (n = 20). A total of 15 (14%) were examined. MLP levels were 25.1 ± 13.8 ng/mL and 18.3 ± 14.5 ng/mL in the pregnant and nonpregnant groups, respectively (P:.089). Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, it was determined that there was no predictive value of the mid-luteal phase progesterone level for pregnancy in patients in whom ovulation was detected. Mid-luteal serum progesterone levels did not predict pregnancy in infertile women who underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with sequential clomiphene citrate plus gonadotropin treatment and intrauterine insemination.

TLR4, MyD88, and TNF-α Expression in the Lungs of Akkaraman and Romanov Lambs in Response to LPS and LTA.

Toll-like receptors are involved in the recognition of bacterial toxins, which cause infection in the respiratory system. This study aimed to evaluate microanatomical and histological alterations in the lungs of 24 healthy Akkaraman and Romanov lambs after the administration of lipoteichoic acid (LTA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and LTA + LPS and investigate the gene, protein, and immune expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, and TNF-α molecules, known to have immune functions. Microanatomical examinations showed thickened peribronchial and alveolar walls in the lungs of groups LTA, LPS, and LTA + LPS of both breeds due to immune cell infiltration. TLR4, MyD88, and TNF-α immunoexpressions were positive to varying degrees in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the bronchial and bronchiolar luminal epithelial cells, alveolar epithelial cells, and alveolar macrophages. TLR4 and TNF-α protein expressions were statistically different in the LPS-treated Romanov lambs, compared to the other groups. Among the Akkaraman lambs, TLR4 gene expression was significantly higher in group LPS, and among the Romanov lambs, TLR4, MyD88, and TNF-α gene expressions were significantly higher in group LTA + LPS. Therefore, TLR4, MyD88, and TNF-α molecules, involved in the immune response, were found to be expressed at different levels against LTA and LPS in the lungs of two different sheep breeds.

LPS- and LTA-Induced Expression of TLR4, MyD88, and TNF-α in Lymph Nodes of the Akkaraman and Romanov Lambs.

Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated inflammatory processes play a critical role in the innate immune response during the initial interaction between the infecting microorganism and immune cells. This study aimed to investigate the possible microanatomical and histological differences in mandibular and bronchial lymph nodes in Akkaraman and Romanov lambs induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and study the gene, protein, and immunoexpression levels of TLR4, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) that are involved in the immune system. Microanatomical examinations demonstrated more intense lymphocyte infiltration in the bronchial lymph nodes of Akkaraman lambs in the LPS and LTA groups compared to Romanov lambs. TLR4, MyD88, and TNF-α immunoreactivities were more intense in the experimental groups of both breeds. Expression levels of MyD88 and TNF-α genes in the bronchial lymph node of Akkaraman lambs were found to increase statistically significantly in the LTA group. TLR4 gene expression level in the mandibular lymph node was found to be statistically significantly higher in the LTA + LPS group. In conclusion, dynamic changes in the immune cell populations involved in response to antigens such as LTA and LPS in the lymph nodes of both breeds can be associated with the difference in the expression level of the TLR4/MyD88/TNF-α genes.

Association of TMEM8B and SPAG8 with Mature Weight in Sheep.

Signature of selection studies have identified many genomic regions with known functional importance and some without verified functional roles. Multiple studies have identified Transmembrane protein 8B (TMEM8B)rs426272889 as having been recently under extreme selection pressure in domesticated sheep, but no study has provided sheep phenotypic data clarifying a reason for extreme selection. We tested rs426272889 for production trait association in 770 U.S. Rambouillet, Targhee, Polypay, and Suffolk sheep. TMEM8Brs426272889 was associated with mature weight at 3 and 4 years (p < 0.05). This suggested selection for sheep growth and body size might explain the historical extreme selection pressure in this genomic region. We also tested Sperm-associated antigen 8 (SPAG8) rs160159557 encoding a G493C substitution. While this variant was associated with mature weights at ages 3 and 4, it was not as strongly associated as TMEM8Brs426272889. Transmembrane protein 8B has little functional information except as an inhibitor of cancer cell proliferation. To our knowledge, this is the first study linking TMEM8B to whole organism growth and body size under standard conditions. Additional work will be necessary to identify the underlying functional variant(s). Once identified, such variants could be used to improve sheep production through selective breeding.

The EDN2 rs110287192 gene polymorphism is associated with paratuberculosis susceptibility in multibreed cattle population.

Paratuberculosis (pTB), also known as Johne's disease (JD), is a contagious, chronic, and granulomatous inflammatory disease of the intestines of ruminants which is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) infection, resulting in billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide. Since, currently, no effective cure is available for MAP infection, it is important to explore the genetic variants that affect the host MAP susceptibility. The aim of this study was to analyze a potential association between EDN2 synonymous gene mutations (rs110287192, rs109651404 and rs136707411), that modifies susceptibility to pTB. EDN2 rs110287192, rs109651404 and rs136707411 mutations were genotyped in 68 infected and 753 healthy animals from East Anatolian Red crossbred, Anatolian Black crossbred and Holstein breed cattle by using Custom TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays. For pTB status, serum antibody levels S/P ≥ 1.0 were assessed in carriers of the different EDN2 genotypes. EDN2 rs110287192 mutation showed a significant association with bovine pTB (adj. p < 0.05). For rs110287192 locus, the odd ratios for GG and TG genotypes versus TT genotypes were 1.73; (95% CI = 0.34-8.59) and 0.53 (95% CI = 0.12-2.37) respectively, which indicated that proportion of TG heterozygotes were significantly higher in control animals as compared to pTB animals. On the other hand, while rs136707411 mutation showed a suggestive association with pTB status in the examined cattle population (nominal p < 0.05); no association was detected between rs109651404 genotypes and pTB status. Selecting animals against rs110287192-GG genotype may decrease the risk of pTB in cattle of the Bos taurus taurus subspecies.

Maternal second trimester blood levels of selected heavy metals in pregnancies complicated with neural tube defects.

PURPOSE: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are the most common malformations of the central nervous system (CNS). There is continuing research for the identification of risk factors and interventions for prevention of NTDs. The aim of this study was to investigate the maternal second trimester blood levels of selected heavy metals namely, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) and their possible relation with the occurrence of NTDs. METHODS: Twenty-one healthy second trimester pregnant women with fetuses affected with NTD (cases) were matched with 21 healthy pregnant women with unaffected fetuses (controls) with respect to age, body mass index (BMI), and gestational age. Maternal blood levels of heavy metals were measured after an overnight fasting period. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in terms of maternal blood levels of As, Cd, Hg, and Ni between NTD-affected and unaffected pregnancies. The blood Pb and Mn levels were found to be higher in pregnant women with a fetus affected with NTD when compared with pregnant women with unaffected fetuses (for Pb, in cases 12.3 ± 5.5 µg/L, in controls 7.8 ± 2.4 µg/L; for Mn in cases 3.6 ± 1.4 µg/L, in controls 2.4 ± 1.0 µg/L, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: High maternal second trimester blood levels of Pb and Mn during pregnancy are associated with NTDs in the newborn.

The role of oxidative stress markers in development of endometrial polyp.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of the oxidative stress markers in patients with endometrial polyp. METHODS: A total of forty nine patients between 28-47 years of ages who have a suspect evidence of endometrial polyp on transvaginal sonography were enrolled for the study. Hysterosonography was applied all of the patients and patients then were divided into two groups in terms of their hysteroscopic findings. Group 1(control group, n=27) defined who has no endometrial pathology and group 2 (study group, n=22) defined has one or more endometrial polyp on hysteroscopy with guided biopsy. The diagnosis was established by histopathological examination polyps. The parameters compared between groups were; age, body mass index, catalase (CAT), xsantine oxidase (XO), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of age and BMI. Catalase, xsantine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels were statically significantly different between the groups (p < 0,05). The mean of polyp diameter size were 17.95 ±0.45 mm and the number of the polyp per patient was 1.54 ± 0.67. CONCLUSION: According to our study, serum catalase, xsantine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels may be discriminative parameters for patients with endometrial polyp.

Ovar-DRB1 haplotypes *2001 and *0301 are associated with sheep growth and ewe lifetime prolificacy.

BACKGROUND: The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is an organized cluster of tightly linked vertebrate genes with immunological and non-immunological functions. While the important MHC gene DRB1 has been examined in regard to many sheep infectious disease traits, only one study, based on microsatellite markers, has previously examined DRB1 and sheep production traits. Furthermore, to our knowledge no studies have examined DRB1 relationship with lifetime ewe prolificacy traits. Therefore, we analyzed association between the presence of DRB1 SNP haplotypes with internationally recognized standard names and production traits including growth and lifetime prolificacy in 370 Rambouillet, Columbia, and Polypay sheep. RESULTS: The DRB1 *2001 haplotype was associated with increased weaning and mature weights, as well as average daily gain (Sidák P<0.05; corrected for the number of haplotypes tested). Interestingly, the *2001 haplotype also showed a trend toward association with increased total number of lifetime lambs born (Sidák P=0.084) and number of lambs born alive (Sidák P=0.084). In contrast, the DRB1 *0301 haplotype was associated with decreased mature weight (Sidák P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Since the *2001 haplotype was present in all three breeds, these results suggest there is at least one functional mutation in the region that influences growth and prolificacy traits that may be broadly present across several breeds. Furthermore, combined use of the similar *2001 and *0301 multi-marker haplotypes that nonetheless have opposing directions of production trait associations will enhance mutation discovery in this region. If undesirable alleles for underlying mutations can be identified, selective pressure against one or a small number of undesirable alleles may improve production with limited impact on MHC genetic diversity and infectious disease susceptibility.

Association of clinical outcomes and complications with obesity in patients who have undergone abdominal myomectomy.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the association between complications and clinical parameters with obesity in 273 women who have undergone abdominal myomectomy during the study period. METHODS: The patients were classified into two groups according to body mass index (BMI) (≤30 kg/m(2) and >30 kg/m(2)). Demographic, preoperative and postoperative clinical parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: Demographic, preoperative and postoperative clinical parameters were evaluated. The results showed statistically significant differences between the obese and non-obese groups in terms of age, gravidity, diameter of fibroid (DOF), postoperative hemoglobin, duration of hospital stay, and complications. Patients in the obese group had greater DOF and complications such as hemorrhage, postoperative fever, wound infection and ileus (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on our results, we conclude that obesity adversely affects the clinical outcomes of patients who undergo abdominal myomectomy.

The Predictive Role of Serum Cystatin C Levels in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Adolescents.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation between serum cystatin levels and clinical parameters in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: This prospective case-control study included 89 adolescents with PCOS. Demographic characteristics and hormonal and biochemical parameters were compared between study (89 patients with PCOS) and control (84 subjects without PCOS) groups. Risk factors recorded were age, body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), Ferriman-Gallwey score, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, cystatin C, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance index, free testosterone, and progesterone levels. RESULTS: BMI, WHR, Ferriman-Gallwey score, and triglyceride, LDL, total cholesterol, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, free testosterone, luteinizing hormone, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and cystatin C levels, and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance index scores were significantly higher, and high-density lipoprotein levels were lower in the PCOS patients compared with healthy subjects (P < .05). We also found positive correlations between the cystatin C levels and BMI, WHR, estradiol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and LDL levels in the study group. CONCLUSION: The serum cystatin C level is a promising marker for diagnosing adolescent patients with PCOS and suggests an inflammatory etiology for these patients. Further studies with more participants should examine this potential association with inflammation.

The association between clinical parameters and uterine fibroid size in patients who underwent abdominal myomectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if there is an association between neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and tumor markers in patients with uterine fibroids. METHODS: A total of three hundred and fifty seven patients who operated for myomectomy were enrolled this retrospective case control study. Risk factors evaluated were; age, uterine fibroid type, body mass index (BMI), gravidity, parity, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin difference, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), cancer antigen 125 (CA 125), cancer antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3), carsino embryonic antigen (CEA) levels. Patients divided two groups with regard to the diameter size of the removed fibroids. Group 1 (n=211) determined as the patients whose diameter size of the removed fibroids ≤ 5 cm and group 2 (n=146) determined as patients with > 5 cm diameter size. Groups were compared in terms of their age, bmi, gravidity, parity, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin difference, nlr, afp, ca 125, ca 19-9, ca 15-3, cea levels. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in group 1 (n=211) were 38.02 ± 5.38 years and in group 2 were (n=146) 37.80 ± 6.06 years (p = .751). There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of age, bmi, uterine fibroid types, cea and afp levels (p > 0.05). Gravidity, parity, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin differences, nlr, ca 125, ca 19-9, ca 15-3 levels were statically significantly different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: According to this study, we think that multiple parameters affect developing uterine fibroids.

Increased oxidative stress markers may be a promising indicator of risk for primary ovarian insufficiency: a cross-sectional case control study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (INOS), myeloperoxidase (MPO), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total oxidative status (TOS) in women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) and to compare them with healthy fertile women. We also examined the possible risk factors associated with POI. METHODS: This cross-sectional case control study was conducted in Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Education and Research Hospital. The study population consisted of 44 women with POI (study group) and 36 healthy fertile women (control group). In all patients, serum levels of INOS, MPO, TAS, and TOS were determined. INOS and MPO levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay whereas colorimetric method was used for evaluating TAS and TOS levels. Age, body mass index (BMI), obstetric history, smoking status, family history, comorbidities, sonographic findings, complete blood count values, C-reactive protein and baseline hormone levels were also analyzed. Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables between the groups; categorical data were evaluated by using Pearson χ2 or Fisher exact test, when appropriate. Binary logistic regression method was used to identify risk factors for POI. RESULTS: We found significantly elevated levels of INOS (234.1±749.5 versus133.8±143.0; p=0.005), MPO (3,438.7±1,228.6 versus 2,481.9±1,230.1; p=0.001), and TOS (4.3±1.4 versus 3.6±1.4; p=0.02) in the sera of the study group when compared to the BMI-age matched control group. However, difference in serum levels of TAS were not significant between the 2 groups (1.7±0.2 versus 1.6±0.2; p=0.15). Logistic regression method demonstrated that BMI <25 kg/m2, nulliparity, family history of POI, smoking, and elevated serum levels of INOS, MPO, and TOS were independent risk factors for POI. CONCLUSION: We found an increase in INOS, MPO, and TOS in women with POI. These serum markers may be promising in early diagnosis of POI. Further large-scale studies are required to determine whether oxidative stress markers have a role in diagnosing POI.

Preliminary study of FMO1, FMO5, CYP21, ESR1, PLIN2 and SULT2A1 as candidate gene for compounds related to boar taint.

An association study between polymorphisms of six genes and boar taint related compounds androstenone, skatole and indole was performed in a boar population (n=370). Significant association (P<0.05) was detected for SNP of FMO5 (g.494A>G) with all boar taint compounds, SNP of CYP21 (g.3911T>C) with skatole and indole, and SNP of ESR1 (g.672C>T) with androstenone and indole. mRNA expression of CYP21 and ESR1 was higher in CAB (castrated boar) compared to non-castrated boars; whereas, the expression of FMO5 and ESR1 was higher in LBT (low boar taint) compared to HBT (high boar taint) in liver tissue. FMO5, CYP21 and ESR1 proteins were less detectable in HBT compared with LBT and CAB in liver tissues. These findings suggest that FMO5, CYP21 and ESR1 gene variants might have effects on the boar taint compounds.

Intracellular glutathione content, developmental competence and expression of apoptosis-related genes associated with G6PDH-activity in goat oocyte.

PURPOSE: To associate glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity in goat oocytes with intracellular glutathione (GSH) content, meiotic competence, developmental potential, and relative abundance of Bax and Bcl-2 genes transcripts. METHODS: Goat oocytes were exposed to brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) staining test and categorized into BCB(+) (blue-cytoplasm), and BCB(-) (colorless-cytoplasm) groups. A group of oocytes were not exposed to BCB test and was considered as a control group. After maturation in vitro, a group of oocytes were used for determination of nuclear status and intracellular GSH content while another group was subjected to parthenogenetic activation followed by in vitro embryo culture. RESULTS: We found that BCB(+) oocytes not only yielded higher rate of maturation, but also showed an increased level of intracellular GSH content than BCB(-) and control oocytes. Furthermore, BCB(+) oocytes produced more blastocysts than BCB(-) and control oocytes. Our data revealed that the expression of anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) and pro-apoptotic (Bax) genes were interacted with G6PDH-activity in mature oocyte, their surrounding cumulus cells, and blastocyst-stage embryos. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that selection of goat oocytes based on G6PDH-activity through the BCB test improves their developmental competence, increases intracellular GSH content, and affects the expression of the apoptosis-related genes.

Role of CRP, TNF-a, and IGF-1 in Delirium Pathophysiology.

INTRODUCTION: Delirium is a common and life-threatening neuropsychiatric syndrome. Diagnosing delirium can be challenging, which increases mortality and mortality rates and health care costs. The biologic model of delirium is not definite yet, but evidence supports a cholinergic deficiency model. Delirium may be the result of processes and drugs that trespass a compromised blood-brain barrier. We aimed to evaluate the possible diagnostic utilization and the role of certain biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), in delirium etiology. METHODS: A total of 93 inpatients that planned to undergo cardiovascular surgery were informed; 35 of them completed the study. Medical history and current cognitive status were evaluated pre-operatively. Participants were followed using Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 Turkish (DRS-R98-T) for delirium symptoms, and blood samples were collected post-operatively. RESULTS: Delirium was developed more in participants who had worse pre-operative cognitive status. Also, low pre-operative IGF-1 levels were detected in the delirium group. Pre-operative CRP and TNF-α levels were not different between groups. CONCLUSION: Low IGF-1 levels can be used to predict delirium after surgery. However, the complex nature of cytokines and delirium itself make it difficult to utilize cytokines to predict delirium instead of psychometric tools.

Age-associated differential production of IFN-γ, IL-10 and GM-CSF by porcine alveolar macrophages in response to lipopolysaccharide.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the age-related production variation of T helper (Th)-type cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ and IL-10), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and nitric oxide (NO) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated porcine alveolar macrophages (AMs) in a time-dependent manner. For this purpose, AMs were isolated from 5-days (newborn), 40-days (post-weaned) and 120-days (young) old pigs. Cells were incubated for 24h in the absence or presence of increasing concentrations of LPS (0.0, 0.01, 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 µg/mL). IL-10, IFN-γ and GM-CSF mRNA expression was upregulated in a dose-dependent manner for all age groups (P<0.05). Age-related differences included a significantly increased IL-10 mRNA and protein production in newborn piglets compared to post-weaned and young pigs. IL-10 production pattern was similar with a higher peak between 12 and 36 h post-induction in all age groups. In contrast, IFN-γ mRNA and protein level was significantly elevated in young pigs 12h and 24h post-induction, respectively, while the time course production of IFN-γ was mostly consistent in newborn and post-weaned piglets. GM-CSF mRNA expression was significantly lower in newborn piglets than in post-weaned and young pigs. The kinetic of GM-CSF expression peaked at 12h in young and post-weaned pigs and at 24h in newborn piglets. IL-4 mRNA levels were very low and no apparent change of IL-2 expression was observed following LPS stimulation in all age groups. Only very low levels of NO were detected in the cell supernatants of young pigs. Collectively, these studies suggest age-related differences in time-dependent production of IL-10, IFN-γ and GM-CSF by porcine AMs with potential immunoregulatory consequences to be explored further.

Synthesis, conformational and spectroscopic characterization of monomeric styrene derivatives having pendant p-substituted benzylic ether groups.

Three derivatives of styrene monomer, 4-chlorophenyl-4-vinylbenzyl ether (I), 4-methoxyphenyl-4-vinylbenzyl ether (II) and 4-ethylphenyl-4-vinylbenzyl ether (III) were synthesized. The synthesized two novel compounds (I and III) and one with undefined structural features were identified by experimental spectroscopic techniques and density functional approach. The optimized geometrical structure, vibrational and electronic transitions along with chemical shifts of those compounds were presented in this study. The vibrational spectra of investigated compounds were recorded in solid state with FT-IR spectrometry in the range of 4000-400 cm(-1). The computational vibrational wavenumbers and also ground state equilibrium conformations were carried out by using density functional method with 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. Assignments of the fundamental vibrational modes were examined on the basis of the measured data and total energy distribution (TED) of the vibrational modes, calculated with scaled quantum mechanical (SQM) method. Isotropic chemical shift of hydrogen and carbon nuclei were investigated via observed (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra in deuterated DMSO solution and predicted data applied with gauge-invariant atomic orbitals (GIAOs) method. The UV absorption spectra of monomers were observed in the range of 200-800 nm in ethanol, and time dependent DFT method was used to obtain the electronic properties. A detailed description of spectroscopic behaviors of compound was given based on the comparison of experimental measurements and theoretical computations.

Expression of Toll-like receptors and downstream genes in lipopolysaccharide-induced porcine alveolar macrophages.

The aim of the present study was to determine the age-related kinetic changes of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and downstream genes expression, and secretion of cytokine in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated porcine alveolar macrophages (AM). For this purpose, AMs were isolated from 5-day-old newborn piglets and 120-day-old young pigs. mRNA expression and cytokine measurement was determined by quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. First, AMs were incubated for 24 h in the absence or presence of increasing concentrations of LPS. Results showed the up-regulation of TLRs 2, 4, 5 and 9 mRNA from all concentrations of LPS used, as compared to non-stimulated cells, and TLR4 was the highest expression in both ages (P<0.05). Furthermore, quantitative analysis demonstrated increased expression of mRNAs encoding TLRs 2, 4, 5 and 9, LBP, CD14, MD2, MyD88, IRAK4 and TRAF6 in both ages in a time-dependant manner (P<0.05). Overall, LPS inducible mRNA for TLR4, LBP, CD14 and MyD88 had higher expression in newborn piglets compared with those of young pigs (P<0.05). The level of cytokine protein IL6 and TNFα in supernatant fluid significantly varied with time of incubation and age of animals. Their concentration increased immediately at 1 h after LPS stimulation and remained significantly higher up to 48 h in both ages. Production of pro-inflammatory cytokine protein IL6 and TNFα in supernatant was significantly higher in young pigs than those of piglets. This study suggests that differential age-related changes in the expression of TLRs and downstream genes, and pro-inflammatory cytokine could contribute to a different age-related innate immune response during pulmonary infection. Further investigation is warranted to determine the precise effects of LPS on porcine AMs by means of a functional study across a wider age range.

Is hyperandrogenemia protective for fibrocystic breast disease in PCOS?

The aim of this study is to evaluate the fibrocystic breast disease rates and its association with different clinical, endocrine and metabolic parameters between main polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) phenotypes. One hundred thirty two consecutive women were included in the study. Body mass index, serum follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone, estradiol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, fasting glucose, low density lipoprotein (LDL-C), total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, insulin, insulin sensitivity and fibrocystic breast disease rates were compared among different phenotypes of PCOS. Group 1: Polycystic ovaries (PCO)-anovulation (n = 32), Group 2: Hyperandrogenemia (HA)-anovulation (n = 28), Group 3: HA-PCO (n = 29), Group 4: HA-PCO-anovulation (n = 43). There were statistically significant differences between the different phenotype groups in terms of waist-hip ratio (p = 0.006), serum LDL-C (p = 0.008), LH (p = 0.002), estradiol (p = 0.022), fasting glucose (p = 0.001), progesterone (p = 0.007), free testosterone levels (p < 0.001) and Ferriman-Gallwey (FG) scores (p < 0.001). Different phenotype groups had significantly different fibrocystic breast disease rates. (p = 0.016). Higher free testosterone >3 pg/dl was protective for fibrocystic disease (RR = 0.316, 95:% CI 0.109-0.912, p = 0.033). Higher FG scores were more protective for fibrocystic disease (RR = 0.005, 95:% CI 0.001-0.042, p < 0.001). Group 3 ovulatory PCOS patients with PCO and hyperandrogenemia phenotype had lower risk to develop fibrocystic disease, while higher rates were observed in group 1 anovulatory-normoandrogenemic PCOS patients. Hyperandrogenemia is protective for fibrocystic diseases in PCOS.