Dipolar quantum solids emerging in a Hubbard quantum simulator.

In quantum mechanical many-body systems, long-range and anisotropic interactions promote rich spatial structure and can lead to quantum frustration, giving rise to a wealth of complex, strongly correlated quantum phases1. Long-range interactions play an important role in nature; however, quantum simulations of lattice systems have largely not been able to realize such interactions. A wide range of efforts are underway to explore long-range interacting lattice systems using polar molecules2-5, Rydberg atoms2,6-8, optical cavities9-11 or magnetic atoms12-15. Here we realize novel quantum phases in a strongly correlated lattice system with long-range dipolar interactions using ultracold magnetic erbium atoms. As we tune the dipolar interaction to be the dominant energy scale in our system, we observe quantum phase transitions from a superfluid into dipolar quantum solids, which we directly detect using quantum gas microscopy with accordion lattices. Controlling the interaction anisotropy by orienting the dipoles enables us to realize a variety of stripe-ordered states. Furthermore, by transitioning non-adiabatically through the strongly correlated regime, we observe the emergence of a range of metastable stripe-ordered states. This work demonstrates that novel strongly correlated quantum phases can be realized using long-range dipolar interactions in optical lattices, opening the door to quantum simulations of a wide range of lattice models with long-range and anisotropic interactions.

On the origins of life's homochirality: Inducing enantiomeric excess with spin-polarized electrons.

Life as we know it is homochiral, but the origins of biological homochirality on early Earth remain elusive. Shallow closed-basin lakes are a plausible prebiotic environment on early Earth, and most are expected to have significant sedimentary magnetite deposits. We hypothesize that ultraviolet (200- to 300-nm) irradiation of magnetite deposits could generate hydrated spin-polarized electrons sufficient to induce enantioselective prebiotic chemistry. Such electrons are potent reducing agents that drive reduction reactions where the spin polarization direction can enantioselectively alter the reaction kinetics. Our estimate of this chiral bias is based on the strong effective spin-orbit coupling observed in the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect, as applied to energy differences in reduction reactions for different isomers. In the original CISS experiments, spin-selective electron transmission through a monolayer of double-strand DNA molecules is observed at room temperature-indicating a strong coupling between molecular chirality and electron spin. We propose that the chiral symmetry breaking due to the CISS effect, when applied to reduction chemistry, can induce enantioselective synthesis on the prebiotic Earth and thus facilitate the homochiral assembly of life's building blocks.

Effect of final irrigation protocols with chitosan nanoparticle and genipin on dentine against collagenase degradation: An ex-vivo study.

AIM: Endodontic irrigants may affect the mechanical and chemical properties of dentine. This study evaluated the effects of various final irrigation protocols including the use of chitosan nanoparticle (CSnp) and cross-linking with genipin on the (1) mechanical and (2) chemical properties of dentine against enzymatic degradation. METHODOLOGY: CSnp was synthesized and characterized considering physiochemical parameters and stability. The root canals of 90 single-rooted teeth were prepared and irrigated with NaOCl. Dentine discs were obtained and divided into groups according to the following irrigation protocols: Group NaOCl+EDTA, Group NaOCl+CSnp, Group NaOCl+EDTA+CSnp, Group NaOCl+CSnp+Genipin, Group NaOCl+EDTA+CSnp+Genipin and Group distilled water. (1) Mechanical changes were determined by microhardness analysis using Vickers-tester. (2) Chemical changes were determined by evaluating molecular and elemental compositions of dentine using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis and scanning electron microscope (SEM)/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, respectively. All analyses were repeated after the discs were kept in collagenase for 24 h. Data were analysed with repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni correction for microhardness analysis, and Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests for FTIR and SEM/EDS analyses (p = .05). RESULTS: (1) Collagenase application did not have a negative effect on microhardness only in Group NaOCl+EDTA+CSnp+Genipin when compared with the post-irrigation values (p > .05). Post-collagenase microhardness of Group NaOCl+EDTA+CSnp and Group NaOCl+CSnp+Genipin was similar to the initial microhardness (p > .05). (2) After collagenase, Amide III/ PO 4 3 - ratio presented no change in Group NaOCl+EDTA+CSnp, Group NaOCl+CSnp+Genipin and Group NaOCl+EDTA+CSnp+Genipin (p > .05), while decreased in other groups (p < .05). Collagenase did not affect CO 3 2 - / PO 4 3 - ratio in the groups (p > .05). There were no changes in the groups in terms of elemental level before and after collagenase application (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: CSnp and genipin positively affected the microhardness and molecular composition of dentine. This effect was more pronounced when CSnp was used after EDTA.

The central dogma of biological homochirality: How does chiral information propagate in a prebiotic network?

Biological systems are homochiral, raising the question of how a racemic mixture of prebiotically synthesized biomolecules could attain a homochiral state at the network level. Based on our recent results, we aim to address a related question of how chiral information might have flowed in a prebiotic network. Utilizing the crystallization properties of the central ribonucleic acid (RNA) precursor known as ribose-aminooxazoline (RAO), we showed that its homochiral crystals can be obtained from its fully racemic solution on a magnetic mineral surface due to the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect [Ozturk et al., arXiv:2303.01394 (2023)]. Moreover, we uncovered a mechanism facilitated by the CISS effect through which chiral molecules, such as RAO, can uniformly magnetize such surfaces in a variety of planetary environments in a persistent manner [Ozturk et al., arXiv:2304.09095 (2023)]. All this is very tantalizing because recent experiments with tRNA analogs demonstrate high stereoselectivity in the attachment of L-amino acids to D-ribonucleotides, enabling the transfer of homochirality from RNA to peptides [Wu et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 143, 11836 (2021)]. Therefore, the biological homochirality problem may be reduced to ensuring that a single common RNA precursor (e.g., RAO) can be made homochiral. The emergence of homochirality at RAO then allows for the chiral information to propagate through RNA, then to peptides, and ultimately through enantioselective catalysis to metabolites. This directionality of the chiral information flow parallels that of the central dogma of molecular biology-the unidirectional transfer of genetic information from nucleic acids to proteins [F. H. Crick, in Symposia of the Society for Experimental Biology, Number XII: The Biological Replication of Macromolecules, edited by F. K. Sanders (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1958), pp. 138-163; and F. Crick, Nature 227, 561 (1970)].

Investigation of the efficacy of systemic N-Acetyl Cysteine therapy preventing nasal mucositis following radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the main methods used in the treatment of head and neck cancers but may cause mucosal side effects in the tumor area and surrounding structures. These include nasal mucosal disorders and chronic rhinosinusitis due to disruption of the mucociliary system. This situation seriously affects the quality of life of the patients and there is no accepted effective method for its treatment yet. In our study, we aimed to examine the side effects of RT on the nasal mucosa and mucociliary system and to investigate histopathologically and immunohistochemically the effectiveness of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) in preventing these side effects of RT. METHODOLOGY: The study was carried out with 30 female Sprague Dawley rats devided in three groups. No intervention was made in the control group. On the second day of the experiment, 30 Gy radiotherapy was applied to the head area in the RT group. NAC was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 1 g/kg/day for 14 days from the first day of the study to the RT+ NAC group. On the second day, 30 Gy of radiotherapy was applied to the head area 1 hour after the NAC application. On the 14th day, 1 hour after NAC was applied to the RT+NAC group, all animals were sacrificed. The nasal mucosa samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and the intensity and extent of staining sentan in the nasopharyngeal tissue samples were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining using anti-SNTN antibody. RESULTS: The loss of cilia in the nasal tissue was lower in the RT+NAC group than in the RT group. The intensity and extent of staining in the nasopharyngeal tissue of Sentan was higher in the RT+NAC group than in the RT group. Mucosal neutrophil and mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration in the nasal tissue, vascular dilatation, hyperemia and hemorrhage, erosion and shedding of the mucosal epithelium, mucosal ulceration were found to be similar in the RT+NAC group and the control group. It was milder in the RT+NAC group than in the RT group, but not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy caused pathological changes in the nasal mucosa, caused loss of cilia and a decrease in the level of Sentan, the cilia apical protein. The results of our study showed that NAC treatment can reduce the side effects of RT on the nasal mucosa. It also showed that NAC was effective in preventing the loss of cilia, which is the building block of the mucociliary system, and improving the expression of Sentan.

C-PEPTIDE AS AN INFLAMMATORY MARKER IN OBESE WOMEN.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) is a component of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome and it increases in the presence of chronic inflammation. Lately, "neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio" (NLR) has been used as an indicator of inflammation. This study evaluates the association between IR and NLR in obese women. Material and methods: Obese female patients who were followed up in a university hospital for the last two years were included in the study. Homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR), C-peptide, NLR, bioelectrical impedance measurements of 83 patients were analyzed. Results: The C-peptide levels of our patients showed a highly significant correlation with HOMA-IR (p<0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between fasting plasma C-peptide levels and NLR (r=0.36 and p<0.003) in obese women. The increase in C-peptide levels had a significant effect on the increase in NLR (r2=0.31, p=0.002), however insulin had no similar effect on NLR (r2=0.01, p=0.544). Conclusion: Plasma C-peptide levels are better correlated with NLR compared to other parameters of IR. C-peptide may be used as an efficient laboratory marker with high relevance in IR and chronic inflammatory conditions in obese women.

The success of dorsal onlay buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty in challenging urethral stricture cases after multiple failed urethrotomies.

Background: Urethroplasty is the gold standard treatment procedure for male patients with urethral stricture and is becoming increasingly popular among urologists worldwide. Procedure success rates have risen with increased experience. Aims: Here we aimed to examine the results of urethroplasty in challenging cases of urethral stricture and its effect on sexual function. Patients and Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from the patients who had undergone urethroplasty after multiple failed direct vision internal urethrotomy (DVIUs) from 2017 to 2020. All patients were monitored for a minimum of 12 months. Outcomes of urethroplasty were analyzed according to stricture location, length, and the number of prior DVIUs. Penile length and sensation, erectile, and ejaculatory function of the patients were evaluated pre- and postoperatively. Results: The patient cohort consisted of 36 males with a mean age of 63 ± 3.2 years. The most prevalent stricture etiology was iatrogenic (83%). Patients who underwent three or more DVIUs before urethroplasty and stricture length >4 cm were included in the analysis. Accordingly, the overall success rate was 83% (30/36). When the success rate and the IIEF5 scores were assessed separately, there was no significant relationship between the number of DVIUs (P > 0.05). Similarly, no significant relationship was also found with the stricture length (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Appropriate and correctly applied surgical technique does not impair sexual activity, even in patients with severe urethral stricture, regardless of the length or location of the stricture and the number of prior endoscopic procedures.

Swallowing-induced supraventricular arrhythmia: A different perspective to mechanism.

Atypical presentations of supraventricular arrhythmias constitute a diagnostic challenge which are not frequently reported in literature. Swallowing-induced supraventricular arrhythmia (SI-SVA), which was first described in 1926, is an intriguing presentation of supraventricular tachycardia and occurs during a wet or solid swallow. A 67-year-old man presented to our outpatient clinic complaining from recurrent episodes of sensation of palpitations and short duration pressure on his chest while swallowing since the last 2 weeks. Ambulatory rhythm Holter monitoring was suggestive of atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial tachycardia attacks during swallowing. In addition, electrocardiography performed during solid food swallowing, showed short duration of AF consistent with the patient's symptoms. The patient was successfully treated with amiodarone. The main cause of SI-SVA is not known. Cross-talk of nerves during the impulse propagation might be the underlying cause of this phenomenon.

miR-145 suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting stem cells in Ewing sarcoma cells.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the performance of stem cell markers and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in miR-145 transfected EWS cells (TC71, TC106). METHODS: EWS cells were utilized for functional analysis of mir-145. Proliferation, migration, invasion and soft agar colony assay were performed to observe the alterations in migration behavior of transfected cells. Caspase assay was used to investigate the underlying reasons of proliferative inhibition in cells in whichmiR-145 is overexpressed. QRT-PCR was used to determine the role of miR-145 in EMT transcription markers and mir-145 targeted genes, KLF4, SOX2 and OCT4 expression levels. RESULTS: The miR-145 expression has been shown to be down-regulated in EWS. The miR-145 overexpression caused inhibition of proliferation and reduced migration in EWS cells through induction of apoptosis. Mir-145 suppresses EMT capacity and SOX2, KLF4 and OCT4 expression levels. CONCLUSION: This is the first time in the literature we have shown deregulation of miR-145 inhibits EMT process by targeting stem cell properties leading to the inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis in TC71 and TC106 cells. Based on these results, we propose that miR-145, as an important regulator of SOX2, KLF4 and OCT4 carries crucial roles in EWS tumorigenesis and EMT (Tab. 1, Fig. 4, Ref. 26).

Potential therapeutic road for targeting the SARS-CoV-2 at throat.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a serious public health problem for    183 out of 197 countries in the world. Understanding the routes and pathogenesis of the coronavirus is important and it is considered that the studies on host cell receptor Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) may be valuable for the treatment and prevention of the disease. AIM: To evaluate the possibility of inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 at throat. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted. CONCLUSION: In view of the fact that the mouth and nose have higher number of ACE2 expressed cells, they serve as a gateway for the virus to enter. Thus, blocking the gate could be a good choice to reduce or even prevent the transmission. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are double-stranded RNA molecules and could be designed easily and directed against many strains of a virus. Due to their features, siRNAs can provide a potential strategy to interfere with the replication of viral diseases. We think that since oral and nasal epithelial cells are relatively easily accessible it may allow to develop siRNA molecules to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 already at the entry where it continues to replicate for a period (Fig. 1, Ref. 50).

European Academy of Neurology guideline on the diagnosis of coma and other disorders of consciousness.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with acquired brain injury and acute or prolonged disorders of consciousness (DoC) are challenging. Evidence to support diagnostic decisions on coma and other DoC is limited but accumulating. This guideline provides the state-of-the-art evidence regarding the diagnosis of DoC, summarizing data from bedside examination techniques, functional neuroimaging and electroencephalography (EEG). METHODS: Sixteen members of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Scientific Panel on Coma and Chronic Disorders of Consciousness, representing 10 European countries, reviewed the scientific evidence for the evaluation of coma and other DoC using standard bibliographic measures. Recommendations followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The guideline was endorsed by the EAN. RESULTS: Besides a comprehensive neurological examination, the following suggestions are made: probe for voluntary eye movements using a mirror; repeat clinical assessments in the subacute and chronic setting, using the Coma Recovery Scale - Revised; use the Full Outline of Unresponsiveness score instead of the Glasgow Coma Scale in the acute setting; obtain clinical standard EEG; search for sleep patterns on EEG, particularly rapid eye movement sleep and slow-wave sleep; and, whenever feasible, consider positron emission tomography, resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), active fMRI or EEG paradigms and quantitative analysis of high-density EEG to complement behavioral assessment in patients without command following at the bedside. CONCLUSIONS: Standardized clinical evaluation, EEG-based techniques and functional neuroimaging should be integrated for multimodal evaluation of patients with DoC. The state of consciousness should be classified according to the highest level revealed by any of these three approaches.

The international European Academy of Neurology survey on neurological symptoms in patients with COVID-19 infection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although the main clinical features of COVID-19 infection are pulmonary, several associated neurological signs, symptoms and diseases are emerging. The incidence and characteristics of neurological complications are unclear. For this reason, the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) core COVID-19 Task Force initiated a survey on neurological symptoms observed in patients with COVID-19 infection. METHODS: A 17-question online survey was made available on the EAN website and distributed to EAN members and other worldwide physicians starting on 9 April 2020. RESULTS: By 27 April 2020, proper data were collected from 2343 responders (out of 4199), of whom 82.0% were neurologists, mostly from Europe. Most responders (74.7%) consulted patients with COVID-19 mainly in emergency rooms and in COVID-19 units. The majority (67.0%) had evaluated fewer than 10 patients with neurological manifestations of COVID-19 (neuro COVID-19). The most frequently reported neurological findings were headache (61.9%), myalgia (50.4%), anosmia (49.2%), ageusia (39.8%), impaired consciousness (29.3%) and psychomotor agitation (26.7%). Encephalopathy and acute cerebrovascular disorders were reported at 21.0%. Neurological manifestations were generally interpreted as being possibly related to COVID-19; they were most commonly recognized in patients with multiple general symptoms and occurred at any time during infection. CONCLUSION: Neurologists are currently and actively involved in the management of neurological issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey justifies setting up a prospective registry to better capture the prevalence of patients with neuro COVID-19, neurological disease characteristics and the contribution of neurological manifestations to outcome.

Relationship between Chromosomal Aberrations and Gene Expressions in the p53 Pathway in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a neoplasm characterized by excessive accumulation of B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes. We assessed the expressions of 22 genes in the p53 pathway in 30 CLL patients and 15 healthy subjects by a RT2 Profiler PCR (polymerase chain reaction) Array technique and their relation to cytogenetic aberrations detected by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Our Student's t-test results indicated that ATM, ATR, BAX, CASP9, CDK4, CDKN2A, CHEK1, CHEK2, E2F3, MCL1, MDM2, MDM4, PCNA, RB1, P53 and BCL2 genes were statistically significant (p <0.001). For six genes (APAF1, CDKN1A, E2F1, GADD45A, PTEN and PTX3) were not statistically significant. The ATM, ATR, BAX, CASP9, CDK4, CDKN1A, CDKN2A, CHEK1, CHEK2, MDM2, MDM4, PCNA, RB1, P53, E2F1, GADD45A and BCL2 genes were found to be upregulated by the 2-ᐃᐃCt (relative fold change in gene expression) method. The highest up-regulation was detected in CDKN2A and BCL2 genes, 10.22- and 8.51-fold, respectively. On the other hand, the PTX3 gene with a fold regulation of 1.84 was found to the highest downregulation. Overall, the CDNK2A BCL2 and PTX3 genes are related to the mechanism of the disease in the p53 pathway and may be an important predictor of the prognosis of the disease. The BCL2 gene may be associated with increased risk of developing CLL. We suggest that the PTX3 gene may be considered as a marker associated with CLL disease. The CDKN2A gene expression seems to play a protective role in CLL.

CIP2A expression in high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostate adenocarcinoma: a tissue microarray study.

INTRODUCTION: CIP2A is an oncoprotein involved in the progression of several human malignancies. It has recently been described as a prognostic marker in many cancers. The present study aimed to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of CIP2A in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) and prostate cancer (PC), and to analyse the association with the clinicopathological parameters in PC cases to define its role in the development and progression of PC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for CIP2A was performed on the tissue microarray sections of 105 PC, 27 HGPIN and 27 BPH tissues. The CIP2A expression scores were compared with several clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS: CIP2A was expressed in 96,2% of PC, 55,6% of HGPIN and 40,7% of BPH tissues. The expression of CIP2A in PC was significantly higher than in HGPIN (p<0.0001) and BPH (p<0.0001) cases. CIP2A expression score was significantly associated with Gleason score (p=0.032) and lymphovascular invasion (p=0.039). Nevertheless, there was no statistically significant association between the expression of CIP2A and perineural invasion, pT stage, metastasis and recurrence (p>0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that GS, lymphovascular invasion, distant metastasis were independent prognostic factors for PC patients but, CIP2A expression score was not found to be a prognostic factor. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the survival times of patients according to CIP2A expression (p=0.174). CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, the expression of CIP2A protein is increased in PC and its expression may be involved in the development, differentiation, and aggressiveness of PC. However, further studies are needed to confirm our findings and to clarify the role of CIP2A in the development of PC.

Effect of dentine conditioning with phytic acid or etidronic acid on growth factor release, dental pulp stem cell migration and viability.

AIM: To investigate the effect of several chelating solutions on transforming growth factor (TGF-ß) release from dentine discs and their subsequent impact on cellular behaviour. METHODOLOGY: Human dentine discs were prepared with a standardized diameter and disinfected using 1.5% NaOCl for 5 min. The dentine discs were then exposed to 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 1% phytic acid (IP6), 9% etidronic acid (HEDP) or distilled water (DW). The release of transforming growth factor (TGF-ß) was quantified using ELISA. The proliferation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) on the conditioned dentine discs was analysed using an MTT assay, and the cell morphology was observed by SEM. Migration of DPSCs towards the conditioned dentine discs was measured using a Transwell assay. Data for cell proliferation and migration were analysed using two-way analysis of variance with a Bonferroni post hoc test; a Kruskal-Wallis test was used for analysing TGF-ß release. RESULTS: Both HEDP and IP6 treatment triggered TGF-ß release and cell migration. The greatest TGF-ß release was observed after HEDP treatment as compared with EDTA and DW but there was no significant difference between the groups. In terms of cell migration, HEDP was more effective than EDTA (P < 0.05) whilst IP6 was similar to EDTA. Cell proliferation significantly increased with time after EDTA, DW and IP6 treatment (P < 0.05), whereas HEDP treatment did not induce cell proliferation (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IP6 and HEDP were effective chelating agents on TGF-ß release, and cell migration was as effective as EDTA.

The World Federation of Neurology and the challenges in Environment Neurology.

Since its establishment the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) has manifested a keen interest in the environment and its relation to neurological diseases. Thus, in 2007 the WFN renamed the "Neurotoxicological Research Group" to "Environmental Neurology Research Group". In this short article, we review some recent events which illustrate the WFN involvement in Environmental Neurology as well its concerns about global health matters involving environmental issues.

Aortic stiffness in patients with wilson's disease.

AIM: Wilson's disease (WD) presents with different phenotypes. Neurologic and liver involvement in WD are well documented. Few reports demonstrated cardiac and vascular involvement. Several studies showed an association between serum copper levels and atherosclerosis. Although WD is the prototype disease of copper metabolism, atherosclerosis has not been studied yet. The aim of this study is to assess aortic stiffness in WD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation pressure (AP), augmentation index (AIx), central aortic systolic, diastolic, mean, and pulse pressures were measured using SphygmoCor (AtCor Medical) device in 32 patients with WD and 24 healthy controls. RESULTS: Patients with WD and healthy controls were similar in terms of age sex, body mass index (BMI), and liver and kiney functions. However, patients with WD were anemic and thrombocytopenic. Echocardiographic parameters including left ventricular, atrial dimensions, and systolic and diastolic functions were similar between two groups. Patients with WD and healthy controls were compared. Baseline characteristics including age, sex, and BMI did not differ between groups. Central aortic systolic, diastolic, mean, and pulse pressures were similar between the groups. AP, AIx, and PWV did not differ between groups as well. CONCLUSION: Aortic stiffness in WD was similar in healthy controls.

Serum endocan levels in patients with cardiac syndrome X.

BACKGROUND: Endocan is a recently introduced marker of endothelial dysfunction and is also associated with inflammation and atherosclerosis. To date, the relationship between cardiac syndrome X (CSX) and endocan has not been studied. The objective of this study was to compare the serum endocan levels of patients with CSX with those of control subjects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, 50 patients were included in the CSX group and 28 patients in the control group. Patients with pathological conditions that could potentially influence endothelial functions were excluded. Endocan serum concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The mean endocan level of the CSX group was significantly higher than that of the control group (3051.3 ± 1900.5 ng/l vs. 2088.1 ± 522.2 ng/l; p = 0.002). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and smoking status. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, endocan levels greater than 2072 ng/l had a 72% sensitivity and 54% specificity (p = 0.002) for accurately predicting a diagnosis of CSX. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that patients with CSX have higher endocan levels. Therefore, endocan may be valuable in helping uncover the underlying pathogenesis of CSX.

VEGF/BMP-2 loaded three-dimensional model for enhanced angiogenic and odontogenic potential of dental pulp stem cells.

AIM: To investigate the proliferation and differentiation potential of human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in a three-dimensional culture model (TDM) by incorporation of VEGF and BMP-2. METHODOLOGY: TDM was established using fibrin gel (fg) as a soft tissue matrix and demineralized dentine disc (dd) as a hard tissue matrix. DPSCs and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were encapsulated in fibrin gel (fg-VEGF) and then inserted into bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2)-coated demineralized dentine discs (dd-BMP-2). DPSCs were incubated for 28 days in various fg/dd combinations in the absence or presence of VEGF and BMP-2. Proliferation and morphology of DPSCs in fibrin gel were analysed using MTT and Live&Dead assays. Release profiles of VEGF and BMP-2 from fibrin gel and dentine discs were quantified using ELISA, and the expressions of angiogenic and odontogenic differentiation markers were determined with RT-qPCR analysis. Data were analysed statistically using Wilcoxon signed rank tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests with Mann-Whitney U tests and Bonferroni adjustment. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: DPSCs were able to proliferate and showed interconnected cellular elongations in fibrin gel depending on fibrinogen concentration whilst monolayer control group showed typical fibroblast-like cell morphology. Encapsulating of VEGF in fibrin gel and BMP-2 in gelatin that was used to coat dentine discs allowed the controlled releases of growth factors, which induced angiogenic and odontogenic gene expressions by DPSCs. Higher expressions of PECAM as an angiogenic factor, and BSP, DMP-1, OCN and CBFA as odontogenic factors, were observed in TDM as compared to the other fg/dd combinations and the monolayer control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TDM consisting of fibrin gel and dentine matrix allowed cell-cell interactions. TDM was highly effective in delivering both VEGF and BMP-2 that enhanced the angiogenic and odontogenic potential of DPSCs.

Clinical features and molecular genetic analysis in a Turkish family with oral white sponge nevus.

BACKGROUND: Oral white sponge nevus (WSN) is a rare autosomal dominant benign condition, characterized by asymptomatic spongy white plaques. Mutations in Keratin 4 (KRT4) and 13 (KRT13) have been shown to cause WSN. Familial cases are uncommon due to irregular penetrance. Thus, the aim of the study was: a) to demonstrate the clinical and histopathological features of a three-generation Turkish family with oral WSN b) to determine whether KRT4 or KRT13 gene mutation was the molecular basis of WSN. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Out of twenty members of the family ten were available for assessment. Venous blood samples from six affected and five unaffected members and 48 healthy controls were obtained for genetic mutational analysis. Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify all exons within KRT4 and KRT13 genes. These products were sequenced and the data was examined for mutations and polymorphisms. RESULTS: Varying presentation and severity of clinical features were observed. Analysis of the KRT13 gene revealed the sequence variant Y118D as the disease-causing mutation. One patient revealed several previously unreported polymorphisms including a novel mutation in exon 1 of the KRT13 gene and a heterozygous deletion in exon 1 of KRT4. This deletion in the KRT4 gene was found to be a common polymorphism reflecting a high allele frequency of 31.25% in the Turkish population. CONCLUSIONS: Oral WSN may manifest variable clinical features. The novel mutation found in the KRT13 gene is believed to add evidence for a mutational hotspot in the mucosal keratins. Molecular genetic analysis is required to establish correct diagnosis and appropriate genetic consultation.