Blood and tissue levels of persistent organic pollutants and genetic susceptibility in patients with breast cancer.

We investigated possible associations between the internal concentrations of POPs and correlations between blood and tumor tissue concentrations in patients who underwent surgery for breast cancer and breast reduction as controls. Genetic variations in CYP1A1, GSTP1, GSTM1, and GSTT1 and hOGG1 were evaluated to determine whether they represent risk factors for breast cancer. Certain POPs have been found to be associated with breast cancer development. GST-P1 polymorphism represented a significant risk for breast cancer with unadjusted OR. However, the GSTT1 null polymorphism represented a significant risk for breast cancer when OR adjusted for age and smoking status. CYP1A1 polymorphism was a significant risk factor for breast cancer, regardless of whether the OR was adjusted. These results suggest that exposure to certain POPs, GSTT1 and CYP1A1 polymorphisms, age, and smoking status are risk factors for breast cancer. In addition, the blood concentrations of some POPs represent surrogates for breast tissue concentrations.

The relationship between lymphocyte DNA damage, coronary artery disease, and blood trace elements.

Somatic DNA damage and causative factors (occupational exposures, foods, habits, etc.) are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, although knowledge about their role in coronary artery disease (CAD) is still insufficient. This study aimed to determine the effects of lymphocyte-DNA damage and blood trace element concentrations on CAD. The single-cell alkaline comet was used in the measuring of the lymphocyte DNA damage in blood samples obtained from patients (n = 99) whose CAD grade was determined by the syntax score while the angiographic intervention was carried out. Blood trace element (n = 14) concentrations were monitored by the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) after microwave digestion. The relationship between the DNA damage frequencies of the participants and their syntax scores, blood trace element concentrations, and other demographic and clinic parameters were statistically analyzed. Significant correlations were detected between comet data and syntax score (r = 0.858, P < .001), age (r = 0.337, P < .001), blood-urea (r = 0.360, P < .001), creatinine (r = 0.388, P < .001), HbA1c (0.218, P < .05), ECG-QRS time (r = 0.286, P < .01), ECHO-EF (r = -0.377, P < .001), and platelet (r = -0.222, P < .05). The DNA damage frequencies of the groups formed according to their CAD scores were significantly different from the control group (P < .001) and also each other (P ≤ .01). Comet frequencies and CAD grades were found to be correlated with aging (P < .05). DNA damage frequency and syntax score values were significantly (P < .05) higher in males compared to females. Syntax scores were correlated with aging (r = 0.348, P < .01), ECHO-EF (r = 0.374, P < .001), blood-urea (r = 0.398, P < .001), creatinine (r = 0.433, P < .001), glucose (0.218, P < .05), and HbA1c (r = 0.200, P < .05). Significant correlations were observed between trace elements and demographic values, blood parameters, diseases, angio parameters, ECHO, and ECG parameters. It was observed that the concentrations of trace elements detected in the blood were 93.4% correlated with each other. Lymphocyte DNA damage is a strong biomarker for the atherosclerotic indicator of CAD. Aging is an effective factor both in the DNA damage frequency and CAD risk index. Creatinine and urea are factors that have the power to change the CAD risk index and DNA damage frequency. The higher DNA damage and CAD risk were monitored in males compared to females. The relationship between some biomarkers and blood trace element concentrations showed that further studies are needed to more accurately evaluate the relationship between trace elements, DNA damage frequencies, and CAD.

Evaluation of distal tibial epiphysis and calcaneal epiphysis according to the Vieth method in 3.0 T magnetic resonance images: a pilot study.

In forensic medicine practice, age estimation-both in living and deceased individuals-can be requested due to legal requirements. Radiologic methods, such as X-rays, for the estimation of bone age have been discussed, and ethical concerns have been raised. Given these factors, radiologic methods that reduce radiation exposure have gained importance and have become one of the research topics in forensic medicine. In this study, the MR images of the ankles of patients aged between 8 and 25 years, obtained with a 3.0 T MR scanner, were evaluated retrospectively according to the staging method defined by Vieth et al. In the study, the ankle MR images of 201 cases (83 females and 118 males) with sagittal T1-weighted turbo spin echo and T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery sequences were evaluated independently by two observers. According to the results of our study, the intra- and inter-observer agreements are at a very good level for both the distal tibial and calcaneal epiphyses. All the cases detected as stages 2, 3, and 4 in both sexes for both the distal tibial and the calcaneal epiphyses have been determined to be under the age of 18 years. According to the data obtained from our study, we consider that stage 5 for males and stage 6 for both sexes in the distal tibial epiphysis and stage 6 for males in the calcaneal epiphysis can be used to estimate the age of 15 years. As far as we know, our study is the first to evaluate ankle MR images with the method defined by Vieth et al. Further studies should be conducted to evaluate the validity of the procedure.

The Effect of Enantiomer Elution Order on the Determination of Minor Enantiomeric Impurity in Ketoprofen and Enantiomeric Purity Evaluation of Commercially Available Dexketoprofen Formulations.

In a recent study, opposite enantiomer elution order was observed for ketoprofen enantiomers on two amylose-phenylcarbamate-based chiral columns with the same chemical composition of the chiral selector but in one case with coated while in the other with an immobilized chiral selector. In the present study, the influence of this uncommon effect on method validation parameters for the determination of minor enantiomeric impurity in dexketoprofen was studied. The validated methods with two alternative elution orders for enantiomers were applied for the evaluation of enantiomeric impurity in six marketed dexketoprofen formulations from various vendors. In most of these formulations except one the content of enantiomeric impurity exceeded 0.1% (w/w).

The relationship between plasma levels of clozapine and N-desmethyclozapine as well as M1 receptor polymorphism with cognitive functioning and associated cortical activity in schizophrenia.

Studies that examined the effect of clozapine on cognitive functions in schizophrenia provided contradictory results. N-desmethylclozapine (NDMC) is the major metabolite of clozapine and have procognitive effects via agonistic activity in the M1 cholinergic receptors. The rs2067477 polymorphism in the M1 receptors may play role in cognitive profile in schizophrenia. We investigated the association of plasma clozapine (PClz), NDMC (PNdmc) levels and the rs2067477 polymorphism with cognitive functions and cortical activity measured by functional near infrared spectroscopy during the N-Back task in subjects with schizophrenia (N = 50) who are under antipsychotic monotherapy with clozapine. We found that PClz and PNdmc levels were negatively, PNdmc/PClz ratio was positively correlated with immediate recall score in the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. PNdmc/PClz ratio was positively correlated with cortical activity during the N-back task. M1 wild-type group (CC: wild-type) produced higher cortical activity than M1 non wild-type group (CA: heterozygote / AA: mutant) in cortical regions associated with working memory (WM). These results suggest that individual differences in clozapine's effect on short term episodic memory may be associated with PClz and PNdmc. Higher activity in the M1 wild-type group may indicate inefficient use of cortical resources and/or excessive use of certain cognitive strategies during WM performance.

A Novel Genotyping Method for Detection of the Muscarinic Receptor M1 Gene rs2067477 Polymorphism and Its Genotype/Allele Frequencies in a Turkish Population.

OBJECTIVES: Gene variation in the cholinergic muscarinic receptor 1 (CHRM1) has potential to become a candidate biomarker in the development of several disorders as well as drug response. In this study, a novel polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was developed to determine the C to A single nucleotide polymorphism at position 267 in the CHRM1 gene. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A new reverse primer and a mismatched forward primer were designed to obtain 125 bp PCR products. The PCR products were then digested with the Hae III restriction enzyme to detect the rs2067477 polymorphism that comprises a C to A base change. The novel assay developed was tested in 51 Turkish schizophrenia patients. RESULTS: The genotyping assay was successfully performed in patients with schizophrenia in order to confirm the accuracy and validity of this method. The frequency of CC, CA, and AA genotypes was 72.5%, 25.5%, and 2%, respectively. On the basis of these findings, the allele frequency of C was 0.85 and the allele frequency of A was 0.15. CONCLUSION: This genotyping assay is practical for screening the CHRM1 C267A polymorphism in pharmacogenetic studies. The present polymorphism may be used as a candidate biomarker to determine genetic susceptibility to related diseases and may contribute to the implementation of individualized drug therapy for M1-related diseases.

Genotype and Allele Frequency of CYP3A4 -392A>G in Turkish Patients with Major Depressive Disorder.

OBJECTIVES: Genetic polymorphisms may help for individualized drug dosing and improved therapeutics. CYP3A4 is responsible for the metabolism of more than 50% of the commonly used drugs and metabolizes typical antipsychotic medications and antidepressant drugs. The objective of the study was to assess the genotype and allele frequencies of CYP3A4 -392A>G in Turkish patients with major depressive disorder receiving any SSRIs and to compare these results with the frequencies of other ethnic groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genotyping analyses of CYP3A4 -392A>G was conducted on 84 Turkish patients using the PCR-RFLP technique. RESULTS: The allele frequencies were found as 0.982 (A) and 0.018 (G) for CYP3A4 -392A>G. The genotype frequencies were determined as 0.976 (AA), 0.012 (AG), and 0.012 (GG). The genotype frequencies were consistent with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. CONCLUSION: The genotype and allele frequencies of CYP3A4 -392A>G were determined to be low in Turkish patients with major depressive disorder receiving SSRIs. Furthermore, the results of the study were compared with those of other ethnic groups and they displayed pronounced differences among other ethnic groups, especially black subjects.

Influence of CYP2B6 and CYP2C19 polymorphisms on sertraline metabolism in major depression patients.

BACKGROUND: Genetic polymorphisms in CYP2B6 and CYP2C19 may cause variability in the metabolism of sertraline, a widely used antidepressant in major depressive disorder treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the impact of CYP2B6*4 (785A > G), CYP2B6*9 (516G > T), CYP2B6*6 (516G > T + 685G > A) CYP2C19*2 (685G > A), CYP2C19*17 (-3402C > T) polymorphisms on plasma concentrations of sertraline and N-desmethyl sertraline in major depression patients treated with sertraline [n = 50]. SETTING: Participants were patients who admitted to an adult psychiatry outpatient unit at a university hospital. These were DSM-IV major depression diagnosed patients with a stable sertraline medication regimen [for at least one month]. METHODS: CYP2B6*4 (rs 2279343; 785A > G), CYP2B6*9 (516G > T; rs 3745274), CYP2B6*6 (516G > T + 685G > A) CYP2C19*2 (rs 4244285; 685G > A), CYP2C19*17 (rs 11188072; -3402C > T), polymorphisms were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Plasma concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in patients treated with SERT. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The distribution of CYP2B6*4, *6, *9 and CYP2C19*2, *17 among patient group and the association between genotype and sertraline metabolism. RESULTS: Sertraline, N-desmethyl sertraline, N-desmethyl sertraline/sertraline and dose-adjusted plasma concentrations were statistically compared between individuals with wild-type and variant alleles both for CYP2B6 and CYP2C19 enzymes. The mean N-desmethyl sertraline/sertraline value, was significantly lower in all subgroups with *6 and *9 variant alleles (p < 0.05). Sertraline/C values were significantly higher (p < 0.05) and N-desmethyl sertraline/C values were lower in all subgroups with *6 and *9 variant alleles compared to wild-type subgroup. CONCLUSION: CYP2B6*6 and *9 variant alleles had a significant decreasing effect on sertraline metabolism in major depression patients which might result as variations in sertraline therapy.

Cytogenetic damage in Turkish coke oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Association with CYP1A1, CYP1B1, EPHX1, GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 gene polymorphisms.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations (CA) and cytochalasin-blocked micronuclei (CBMN) in peripheral blood lymphocytes from Turkish coke oven workers and the influence of CYP1A1, CYP1B1, EPHX1, GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 gene polymorphisms on these biomarkers. Cytogenetic analysis showed that occupational exposure significantly increased the CA and CBMN frequencies. Gene polymorphisms, on the other hand, did not affect CA or CBMN in either exposed or control subjects. However, due to the limited sample size, our findings need to be verified in future studies with a larger sample.

The role of GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms in head and neck cancer risk.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a serious health problem worldwide and tobacco smoke is a main causative factor for this malignancy. Interindividual genetic differences in enzymes involved in the metabolism of tobacco smoke carcinogens are one of the most important risk factors in the development of HNC. GSTM1 and GSTT1 enzymes participate in detoxifying of tobacco smoke carcinogens and have deletion polymorphisms. We performed a case control study to investigate a possible association between GSTM1 and GSTT1 variants and HNC risk. A total of 98 HNC cases, all of which were squamous cell carcinoma, and 120 healthy controls were investigated. GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms were genotyped using PCR. There was a significant association between HNC and GSTM1-null genotype (adjusted OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.303-4.26, p = 0.005). The frequency overall of GSTT1-null genotypes was not significant in HNC patients compared with that of GSTT1-positive genotypes (adjusted OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.563-2.397, p = 0.686). No combined effect was observed for GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes. When data were stratified by smoking status, cases having GSTM1-null genotype who were smokers conferred the highest risk (adjusted OR: 4.06, 95% CI: 1.3-12.63). Thus, our results suggest that GSTM1 polymorphism may significantly increase the risk of HNC and there is an additive interaction between GSTM1-null genotype and smoking on HNC risk.

Evaluation of increased proportion of cells with unusually high sister chromatid exchange counts as a cytogenetic biomarker for lead exposure.

Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency and high-frequency cells (HFCs) were analyzed in 50 storage battery plant workers with mean blood lead level (BLL) of 40.14 +/- 9.99 microg/dL. The mean BLL in the control group (n=30) was 9.77 +/-1.67 microg/dL. This difference in mean BLLs between control and exposed group was statistically significant (p<0.05) and reflects clearly the lead exposure in the workers. Urinary aminolevulinic acid (U-ALA) was also determined in both control (3.37+/- 0.89 mg ALA/g creatinine) and exposed groups (12.39+/- 6.18 mg ALA/g creatinine) and U-ALA excretion was statistically higher (p<0.05) in lead-exposed workers. The relationship between biomarkers of lead exposure/effect and HFC percentage was higher than the relationship between biomarkers of lead exposure/effect and SCE frequency. Accordingly, HFC analysis seemed to be more sensitive than the SCE analysis as a cytogenetic biomarker for lead exposure. Additionally, the statistically significant correlation (r2=0.880, p<0.01) between U-ALA excretion and HFC percentage in lead-exposed workers supported the probability of ALA mediated indirect mechanism for lead genotoxicity.

Molecular analysis of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) gene polymorphism in a Turkish population.

delta-Aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) is a cytosolic enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway. ALAD is a polymorphic enzyme showing marked ethnic group differences. In this study, ALAD polymorphism is studied in a Turkish population. Genomic DNA extracted from 230 individuals and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique were used to identify variants. The frequencies of the alleles ALAD1 and ALAD2 in Turkey were 0.887 and 0.113, respectively. This study provides the first analysis of the allele frequency distribution of the ALAD gene in a Turkish population. The results are compared with other world populations.

Influence of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) polymorphism on the frequency of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and the number of high-frequency cells (HFCs) in lymphocytes from lead-exposed workers.

In this study, the cytogenetic response to lead exposure in storage battery manufacturing workers carrying different alleles of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD 1 and ALAD 2) was evaluated. The cytogenetic response was measured by analysis of the frequency of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and the number of high-frequency cells (HFCs) in peripheral blood lymphocytes from workers occupationally exposed to lead. A total of 71 voluntary male workers were enrolled in the study. According to our genotype analysis, 50 workers had the ALAD 1-1 genotype and 21 workers had the ALAD 1-2 genotype. In spite of the statistically insignificant difference in mean values of SCE per cell between ALAD 1-1 and ALAD 1-2 workers, the percentage of HFC (HFC (%)) was statistically (chi2-test, P<0.05) higher in ALAD 1-1 workers. The control group was selected among voluntary male office workers (n = 20) and genotyping was also performed for this group in order to rule out the possibility that ALAD 1-1 subjects had a higher HFC (%) than ALAD 1-2 carriers, independent of the exposure to lead. Accordingly, 11 control workers had the ALAD 1-1 genotoype and 9 workers had ALAD 1-2. The differences in mean values of SCE per cell and HFC (%) were not statistically significant when the two genotypes in the control group were compared. On the basis of this result we suggest that ALAD 1-1 subjects might be more susceptible to cytogenetic effects of lead exposure than ALAD 1-2 subjects. There were no ALAD 2-2 subjects in the exposed and control groups.