Polymorphisms of eNOS, catalase, and myeloperoxidase genes in prostate cancer in Turkish men: preliminary results

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common type of neoplasm in European males. Genetic and epigenetic factors contribute to PCa development and progression. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between PCa and polymorphisms in the genes encoding endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), catalase (CAT), and myeloperoxidase (MPO). In total, 193 patients were included in the study. Patients were divided into three groups: PCa (78), benign prostate hyperplasia (40), and control males (75). The parameters assessed included body mass index (BMI), smoking habits, presence of prostatism, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, Gleason scores of prostate specimens, as well as polymorphisms in eNOS-G894T, CAT-262T, and MPO G-463T genes. BMI and smoking status of controls and patient groups showed no significant difference. CAT-262T gene polymorphism was found to be homozygous in 35.4% of PCa patients, which was 4.02-fold that in the controls (P = 0.006). There was no statistically significant difference in eNOS-G894T and MPO G-463T gene polymorphisms between any of the groups. In conclusion, we found catalase levels to be associated with PCa diagnosis and PSA value. We did not find any significant differences between groups for other polymorphisms, but we believe that further studies with a large sample size may be needed before drawing definite conclusions

Emergence of West Nile virus infections in humans in Turkey, 2010 to 2011

In 2010, 47 human cases of West Nile virus (WNV) infection, including 12 laboratory-confirmed and 35 probable cases, were identified in Turkey. These were the first cases detected during routine surveillance. The patients were from 15 provinces, mainly located in the western part of the country. Incidence was 0.19/100,000 with a maximum of 1.39 in Sakarya province. Forty of the total 47 cases showed neuroinvasive manifestation. Median age was 58 years with a range of four to 86. Ten of the patients died. Enhanced surveillance in humans and animals and mosquito control measures were implemented. The WNV infections were included in the national notifiable diseases list as of April 2011. In 2011, three probable and two confirmed cases of WNV infection were diagnosed in provinces where infections had been detected in the previous year, supporting a lower activity than 2010. However, detection of WNV infections in humans in 2010 and 2011 consecutively, may indicate that WNV has become endemic in the western part of Turkey. Field epidemiological studies were undertaken to understand more about the nature of infection in Turkey