[In Vitro Efficacy of the Venome of Black Scorpion (Androctonus crassicauda) on Leishmania tropica Promastigotes]. / Kara Akrep (Androctonus crassicauda) Venomunun Leishmania tropica Promastigotlari Üzerindeki In Vitro Etkinligi.

Scorpion venom is a substance that shows strong neurotoxic effects with its complex protein content and thus plays an important role for the scorpion in catching and digesting the hunt. Human body stung by a scorpion can show life-threatening systemic effects in a short time, ranging from erythema, pain, edema and local fever to abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diplopia and even coma. Scorpion venome is known to possess antimicrobial activity, and some of its compounds have potent antibacterial and antifungal activities. Leishmaniasis is a common vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Leishmania sp. protozoa and can lead skin, mucosa and fatal internal organs involvement in patients . There is a need for new drugs in the treatment of leishmaniasis, because it has been documented lately that there is a growing resistance against antimonial compounds which have been used in its treatment for decades. Leishmania species are known to be susceptible to antimicrobial peptides that act as ion-channel inhibitors, which are known to be present in scorpion venome. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the anti-leishmanial activity of scorpion venome extract obtained from Androctonus crassicauda species in our country. In this context, Leishmania tropica promastigotes which were thawed from liquid nitrogen in our laboratory and first grown in NNN and then RPMI-1640 media, were exposed to different dilutions of the extract containing A.crassicauda venom and meglumine antimonate used in the standard treatment of leishmaniasis and the efficacies on the promastigotes were compared and measured in vitro. This was followed by XTT cell viability test, which assessed whether anti-leishmanial dose of the extract was lethal for human cells or not. Trials showed that the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of the venome extract and meglumine antimoniate were 18.12 µg/ml (17.33-18.94) and 8.411 µg/ml (7.922- 8.927), respectively. This preliminary study showed that scorpion venome can be lethal on L.tropica promastigotes in vitro, on relatively higher doses compared to meglumine antimonate. Next step will be to determine the anti-leishmanial proteins in the extract and thus to identify new drug candidates with more specific studies.

[Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cases Caused by Leishmania infantum in Sanliurfa Province, Turkey]. / Sanliurfa'da Leishmania infantum'un Etken Oldugu Kutanöz Leysmanyazis (Sark Çibani) Olgulari.

Leishmaniases are a group of vector-borne diseases, and two clinical forms, visceral (VL) and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL, Oriental sore), are seen in Turkey. While VL cases are recorded as 20-25 per year, CL cases are reported around 2000 per year, and nearly half of CL cases were recorded in Sanliurfa province. Therefore, by knowing the epidemiology of the disease in Sanliurfa province, it is possible to develop control measures and reduce the total number of cases across the country. Although Leishmania tropica is known as the main causative agent in Sanliurfa, other Leishmania species have also been identified as a result of mass human movements in the last 10 years. In this study, we aimed to present the first CL cases caused by Leishmania infantum in Sanliurfa. A total of 14 cases, which were admitted with the suspicion of CL and diagnosed as positive by direct microscopy and/or real-time ITS1-PCR using lesion aspiration samples are included in the study. Two or more smears were prepared from the samples taken from the lesions of the patients by fine needle aspiration. One of the smears was stained with Giemsa stain after fixation with methyl alcohol and examined under the light microscope at x1000 magnification for the presence of Leishmania amastigotes. DNA isolation was made from the other unstained preparations with a commercial kit (Qiagen DNeasy, Germany) according to the recommendations of the manufacturer. The real-time ITS1-PCR method was performed by using the Old World species-specific primers and probes. As a result, by the identification of the species with real-time ITS1-PCR, it was determined that the causative agent was L.infantum in five cases, L.major in one case and L.tropica in eight cases. It was learned that four of the cases in which L.infantum was detected as the causative agent were local, one was Syrian and they lived in the city center. Also two of the eight cases, which were identified as L.tropica, were Syrian and six of them were domestic cases and all of them lived in the city center. While all 14 patients included in the study were positive with real-time ITS1-PCR, amastigotes were detected in 10 cases only. The cases of CL presented in this study are the first cases caused by L.infantum reported from Sanliurfa, and are important in terms of concretely demonstrating the effect of mass human mobility and migration on the epidemiology of the infection.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Analysis in HIV and Kaposi's Sarcoma Disease by Microarray Technique.

BACKGROUND: Emergence of Kaposi's Sarcoma in the cases other than HIV, following the use of immunosuppressant drugs, demonstrates that it is related to weak immunity. The fact that this malignancy does not occur in every HIV-positive patient suggests that genetic predisposition may also be effective. Replacement of one of the base pairs of adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine that constitute the DNA sequence in the human genome with another base pair can affect susceptibility to disease, response to treatment, and immunity. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism that could predispose to Kaposi's sarcoma of an HIV-infected patient and to identify which nucleotides such SNPs correspond to, using the microarray technology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The blood samples of individuals, one of whom was diagnosed with Kaposi's Sarcoma HIV (+) visiting the outpatient clinic of infectious diseases polyclinic of Harran University Research and Practice Hospital and of a healthy individual with no Kaposi's Sarcoma, were used in the study. Following the DNA isolation of the blood samples taken from the respective individuals, a SNP analysis was conducted on the microarray device. 204,000 SNPs obtained were scanned later on in the databases in an attempt to identify the SNPs related to Kaposi's Sarcoma. RESULTS: In the 204,000 SNP screenings, we scrutinized the SNPs that differ in the case of Kaposi's Sarcoma [KS (+) and HIV (+)] on the basis of Control [KS(-) and HIV(-)] and HIV+ [KS(-)], and two SNPs of the ENDRA gene, three SNPs of the ADRA1A gene, six SNPs of the STIM1 gene, four SNPs of the EFNB2 gene, and one SNP of the CD209 gene were found to be different. However, when it comes to all SNPs (all the 204.000 SNPs) screened in terms of allele, it was observed that the AA and BB alleles were lower in the patient with Kaposi's Sarcoma [KS (+) and HIV (+)] compared to other groups and AB alleles were found to be higher than others in the patient with Kaposi's sarcoma [KS] (+) and HIV (+)]. CONCLUSION: In the microarray study we have conducted, 204,000 SNPs were screened for Control (HIV-) HIV (+) and HIV (+) patient with Kaposi's Sarcoma. It was found that 32,362 of those SNPs had different alleles in the Kaposi's Sarcoma [KS + HIV (+)] patient, while they had the same ones in the control [KS (-) and HIV (-)] and HIV + [KS (-)] group. 16 of the 32,362 SNPs took place among the genes related to Kaposi's Sarcoma. In the cases of Kaposi's Sarcoma with suspected diagnosis, it can be used as a beneficial laboratory test.

Distribution of sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) species and efficiency of capturing methods in Sanliurfa province, Turkey.

The population dynamics of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) were studied in Sanliurfa province in southeastern Turkey, in the country's largest focus of typical anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis, during 2000-2002. Sand flies were collected at nine different sampling stations, located throughout the city, representing a cross section of urban and rural habitats. In total, 29,771 sand flies were collected, 45.35% of which were Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli. In this study, the overall sand fly species diversity, relative abundance of each species, biodiversity, and similarity indices among sampling stations and efficiency of trapping methods were evaluated. Among the sampling stations, Sanliurfa city center and Suruç were shown to have the highest number of sand fly species; Harran-Akcakale and Hilvan habitats produced the largest number of individuals. The greatest similarity rates (80%) in terms of sand fly species were observed between Hilvan and city center, Harran-Akcakale and city center, Harran-Akcakale and Yenice, and Siverek and Viransehir. The lowest similarity rate (16%) was observed between Bozova-Birecik and city center. Comparison of biodiversity and similarity indices between the various sampling stations reveals the distribution of the suspected vector species and provides basic knowledge required to develop logical and effective control strategies. Among the trapping methods used, light traps showed the highest capture efficiency, above aspirators and sticky papers. It was concluded that light traps alone were sufficient to determine the sand fly fauna of the study area. It is recommended that the spatial and temporal dynamics of sand fly populations be monitored throughout the southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) construction period, considering the potential impact the project may have on mean temperature, humidity, and human population movements.

[Is the agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sanliurfa changing? First cases of Leishmania major]. / Sanliurfa'da Sark Çibani Etkeni Degisiyor Mu? Ilk Leishmania Major Vakalari.

Today, almost 2 million new leishmaniasis cases are noted annually; 1.5 million of these are cutaneous (CL), and others are visceral leishmaniasis (VL). In Sanliurfa, CL cases caused by Leishmania tropica but not by other agents such as L. infantum and L. major. L. tropica is a unique parasite species in Sanliurfa and is the causative agent of anthroponotic CL (transmitted from human to vector to human). Our aim was to report 3 new CL cases due to L. major ( 2 autochthonous and 1 imported) identified in Sanliurfa. Lesion aspiration samples taken from patients were inoculated into NNN culture. Following successful isolation in NNN, promastigotes were obtained by mass culture using RPMI + 20% FCS medium. Parasites species were identified as L. major using ITS-1 PCR-RFLP analysis. This is the first report of autochthonous CL cases caused by L. major in Sanliurfa, and it is estimated that the number of such cases will increase in this region. Public health measures should be taken for L. major infections, while researchers should plan field studies to identify the vectors and reservoirs of L. major.