MicroRNAs expression profiles as biomarkers and therapeutic tools in Turkish patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

AIM: In 95 % of Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, chromosomal translocation resulting in the formation of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome (t:9;22) is observed, which in turn leads to the formation of the BCR-ABL fusion gene. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small and non-coding RNAs modulating gene expression via binding to the target mRNAs. We aimed to characterize the expression profiles of various miRNAs in different stages of Ph(+) CML patients. METHODS: This case-controlled study was conducted in 75 CML patients and 25 healthy controls. The subjects were categorized into 4 groups; newly diagnosed patients, treatment-response patients, treatment-failure patients, and healthy controls. Expressions of miRNAs was analyzed by RT-PCR. RESULTS: miR-150 expression was downregulated in the treatment failure patients compared to the control group (p = 0.003212) while miRNA 148b expression up-regulated in the treatment failure patients than the control group (p = 0.038016). miR-10a expression was up-regulated in newly diagnosed and treatment response patients compared to control group (p = 0.003934, p = 0.000292, respectively). It was found that miR-10a expression increased 11.17- fold in newly diagnosed patients and 9.82-fold in treatment response patients than in the control group. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that expression profiles of miR-10a, miR-150, and miRNA 148b were correlated as biomarker and therapeutic tool in Turkish patients with CML (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 30).

Reuse and recycle solutions in refineries by ozone-based advanced oxidation processes: A statistical approach.

Fresh water sources are under pressure globally by the increasing population and consequently increasing production, which increases the water demand day by day. Thus, decreasing the industrial fresh water demand and wastewater production became crucial both for the water availability in the future and for its impact to the environment. This study examined the ozone-based treatments as the possible solution to a refinery to treat the effluent already treated by the traditional techniques to reach the final requirements for reuse and recycle purposes. The screening tests performed by fractional factorial design revealed that the significant parameters for the treatment were ozone feed ratio, H2O2 amount and processing time while pH was found insignificant for this case. Based on the box-Behnken response surface methodology for effluent collected after biological treatment, the significant parameters were optimized as the ozone ratio of 0.9 g/h, H2O2 amount of 47 mg/L and 60 min duration. However, in case of increasing the H2O2 amount to 80 mg/L the duration can be minimized to 37.5 min decreasing the energy and reagent consumption costs by a 37%, reaching a final total organic carbon (TOC) under 4 mg/L, that is the target for reuse possibilities.

Serum uric acid and inflammation in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura: preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the uric acid (UA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty patients with newly diagnosed ITP and 40 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups; group 1 (n = 40) consisted of patients with ITP, and group 2 (n = 40) consisted of healthy subjects. UA and CRP levels were measured in the blood samples from them. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in gender, age and body mass index between two groups (p > 0.05 for all). Compared to group 2, group 1 had significantly higher UA levels (p = 0.002), whereas CRP levels were not significantly different (p > 0.05). In ITP patients, serum UA and CRP levels significantly correlated with low platelet count (r = -0.362, p = 0.022; r = -0.383, p = 0.015, respectively); and UA levels significantly correlated with CRP levels (r = 0.436, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that UA levels increased in patients with ITP and negatively correlated with platelet counts. UA levels might be a mediator of inflammation via enhanced production of inflammatory cytokines; they might also be a potential mediator of low platelet count, and could play a pathophysiological role in the development of ITP.

Is there a difference in mad honey poisoning between geriatric and non-geriatric patient groups?

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the demographic, toxicological characteristics of the mad honey intoxication at ages 65 and above, to analyze the electrocardiographic parameters, and to compare with the mad honey intoxication at ages below 65 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-two patients, who had been treated and followed-up between June 2013 and November 2014 in the Emergency Service of the Findikli State Hospital, Turkey, due to diagnosis of mad honey intoxication, were included in our observational study. Age, gender, toxicological characteristics, laboratory parameters, heart rates, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, laboratory analyses and electrocardiographic data of the patients were recorded and analyzed. Patients with known coronary artery disease, chronic renal failure, arrhythmias, valvular heart disease, history of thyroid disease and electrolyte imbalance were not included in the study. RESULTS: Eighty-two (80.5% was male and the mean age was 53 ± 15 years) patients followed-up due to mad honey intoxication were included in our study. There were 64 (78%) patients aged below 65 years, and 18 (22%) patients aged 65 and above. The mean heart rate was 45 ± 7 beats/min, systolic blood pressure was 83 ± 12 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure was 52 ± 9 mmHg on admission. The onset of symptoms of the patients was found as 0.84 hours on average after mad honey consumption, the average amount of honey consumed was 3.7 ± 1.1 tablespoons, and the mean recovery time of the symptoms was found to be 1.04 hours. The most common presenting symptoms were nausea-vomiting in 82 (100%) patients and dizziness in 73 (89%) patients. Patients were found to consume mad honey mostly for achieving a remission in gastrointestinal complaints (n=18, 22%), and for utilizing its blood pressure lowering properties (n=11, 13.4%), in addition to the dietary consumption. Looking at the heart rates of the patients on admission to the emergency service, 65 (79.3%) patients had normal sinus rhythm/sinus bradycardia, 12 (14.6%) patients had a 1st degree atrioventricular block, 3 (3.7%) patients had nodal rhythm, 1 (1.2%) patient had atrial fibrillation and 1 (1.2%) patient had preexcitation. There were no significant pathological findings in the routine laboratory examinations of patients. It was found that all patients achieved normal sinus rhythm and normal blood pressure values after medical treatment, and were discharged approximately 5.65 hours after observation and follow-up. In our study, prolonged intensive-care need, pacemaker need and mortality caused by mad honey intoxication were not found. In the comparison of data of all patients above and below 65 years of age, there was a statistically significant finding that the geriatric patients consume mad honey mostly for hypotensive purposes and gastrointestinal complaints; in addition, the symptoms were starting early and the recovery period was longer in geriatric patients. CONCLUSIONS: The mad honey poisoning should be considered in previously healthy patients with unexplained symptoms of bradycardia, hypotension, and atrioventricular block. Therefore, diet history should carefully be obtained from the patients admitted with bradycardia and hypotension. And, in addition to the primary cardiac, neurological and metabolic disorders, mad honey intoxication should also be considered in the differential diagnosis. In geriatric patients admitted due to mad honey intoxication, the mad honey is usually consumed to reduce blood pressure and resolve gastrointestinal problems; and, their symptoms begin early, and last longer after mad honey consumption. In terms of other parameters, the geriatric age group has similar characteristics to non-geriatric age group.

Clinical significance of elevated antinuclear antibody test in patients with Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a single center experience.

AIM: There is an increased risk of lymphoma subsequent to autoimmune conditions. Autoimmune disorders may occur in the course of lymphomas. In this study, the association of autoimmunity and related autoantibodies within non-Hodgkin's (NHL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients has been investigated. METHODS: The study enrolled 119 patients affected by NHL and 60 patients affected by HL for the presence of autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases. Afterwards, the results between the two lymphoma groups have been confronted. RESULTS: Autoimmune diseases were diagnosed in eight (6.7%) patients with NHL and three patients with HL (5%) (P=0.651). Thirty-four (28.5%) patients with NHL and 14 (23.3%) patients with HL displayed autoantibody positivity (P=0.083). As regards HL cases, antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected in 12 (20%) and anti PM-Scl in two patients (3.3%). None the patients had anti Jo-1, anti Scl-70, anti Sm, anti nRNP/Sm, anti single-stranded DNA (anti-ssDNA), anti double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA), antihistones, antinucleosomes, anti SS-A, anti SS-B or anti CENP-B autoantibodies. In patients affected by NHL ANA was detected in 16 (13.4%), anti SS-A and anti SS-B in two (1.7%), anti CENP-B in eight (6.7%) and anti PM-Scl in eight patients (6.7%). None of the patients had anti Jo-1, anti Scl-70, anti Sm, anti nRNP/Sm, anti ssDNA, antihistones or antinucleosome antibodies. There was a statistically significant difference between patients with HL and NHL in terms of anti CENP-B positivity (P=0.040). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, ANA and related autoantibodies can frequently be detected during lymphoma treatment. However, the majority of lymphoma patients with positive ANA did not display autoimmune diseases, demonstrating the lack of a strict correlation between the presence of ANA and autoimmune diseases.

The importance of CD7 and CD56 antigens in acute leukaemias.

The prognostic significance of immunophenotypical properties of leukaemic cells is well known. However, the biological and clinical significance of CD7 and CD56 antigen expression in acute leukaemias are not clearly established. In patients with acute leukaemias, we identified CD7 and CD56 expression and analysed their associations with markers expressed early in haemopoietic ontogeny and clinical parameters. Among 22 patients with acute leukaemia [12 acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML), 10 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)], we found CD7 positivity in 15 of 22 patients (68%) and CD56 positivity in four patients (18%). CD7 positivity was observed in seven patients (58%) with AML and in eight patients (80%) with ALL. CD56 positivity was observed in three patients (25%) with AML and one patient (10%) with ALL. Lymphadenopathy was present in five patients and associated with hepatosplenomegaly in three patients with ALL. Splenomegaly and hepatomegaly were present in three patients with AML. Central nervous system involvement was seen in one patient with ALL. Complete remission was achieved in nine patients (41%) (five ALL and four AML). Our data showed that CD7 and CD56 positivity at diagnosis associated with low remission rate and biological aggressiveness in a significant proportion of patients. We suggest the evaluation of CD7 and CD56 in all patients with acute leukaemias at the time of diagnosis in view of poor clinical outcome.

Polyglandular autoimmune syndrome type III accompanied by common variable immunodeficiency.

We identified polyglandular autoimmune (PGA) syndrome type III in a 24-year-old nurse with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). An immune-mediated disorder, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, was diagnosed when she was 15 years old. Clinical examination and laboratory findings revealed a PGA syndrome due to the presence of hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, insufficient growth hormone response and thyroid autoimmunity. The patient had neither adrenal disease nor hypoparathyroidism. Therefore we concluded that this patient has PGA syndrome type III. This is an interesting case, because we could not find any previous report of such coexistence between PGA type III and CVID in a Medline search. Coexistence of these two entities may be a result of autoimmunity and the association of both conditions with human leukocyte antigen.