Development of an optimum proliferation medium via the graph kernel statistical analysis method for genetically stable in vitro propagation of endemic Thymus cilicicus (Turkey)

Thymus cilicicus is an endemic Eastern Mediterranean element that has aromatic-medicinal properties. Its natural population spreads across gravelly ground and open rocky areas of South and Southwest Anatolia. The current study on in vitro propagation of T. cilicicus focused deeply on environmental applications such as the development of an optimum medium composition for efficient and genetically stable micropropagation and improved preservation procedures for long-time conservation of elite germplasms for further studies. For this purpose, MS and OM media were used individually and in combination with cytokinins, charcoal, AgNO3, Fe-EDDHA, and H3BO3. The raw data were statistically analyzed via the graph kernel method to optimize the nonlinear relationship between all parameters. The optimal proliferation medium for T. cilicicus was OM supplemented with a combination of 10 g L-1 charcoal and 1 mg L-1 KIN and the calculated averages of the best regeneration rate, the best shoot number and the best shoot length were 96.89%, 3 and 1.24 respectively on this medium. The determination of genetic stability of in vitro grown plants on the optimum medium compositions obtained by the graph kernel method was carried out with the use of the ISSR-PCR technique. All the ISSR primers produced a total of 192 reproductive band profiles, none of which were polymorphic. Furthermore, the micropropagated plants were successfully rooted and acclimatized to greenhouse conditions. In this study, we present a graph kernel multiple propagation index which considers all the possible parameters needing to be analyzed. Such an index is used for the first time for the determination of the optimum proliferation medium

Gastroenterology Cases of Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis

Rarely, leukocytoclastic vasculitis can result from ischemic colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cryoglobulinemia. There is no established standard for the treatment of leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with gastroenterologic diseases. This paper presents three cases of leukoytoclastic vasculitis, each of which is associated with a different gastroenterologic condition: ischemic colitis, Crohn’s disease, and chronic hepatitis C. Each condition went into remission by treatment of leukocytoclastic vasculitis, regardless of the underlying disease

Athletic performance, sports experience, and exercise addiction: an association study on ANKK1 gene polymorphism rs1800497

IntroductionExercise addiction is a phenomenon being able to affecting the athletic performance. The gene, ANKK1 and the polymorphism NM_178510.2:c.2137G > A (rs1800497) has been linked to the exercise addiction. However, further studies on diverse populations and sport branches are needed to totally explore the possible association of this polymorphism with the athletic performance. Thus, the present study aims to decipher any possible relations of the rs1800497 polymorphism with the athletic performance/personal best (PB) and sport experience of elite athletes.MethodsSixty volunteer elite athletes (31 sprint/power and 29 endurance) and 20 control/sedentary participated in the study. The polymorphism was genotyped using whole exome sequencing approach and PB were determined according to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) score.ResultsOur results underlined that there were not any significance differences for both allele and genotype frequencies between the groups in terms of athletic performance, although the frequency of allele G was higher (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, sport experience significantly associated with the rs1800496 polymorphism (p < 0.05).DiscussionIn conclusion, genotype G/G could be inferred to be linked to the higher sport experience and athletic performance. Still, further studies with higher number of participants are needed to conclude the association of this polymorphism with athletic parameters

Proanthocyanidin to prevent formation of the reexpansion pulmonary edema

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We aimed to investigate the preventive effect of Proanthocyanidine (PC) in the prevention of RPE formation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Subjects were divided into four groups each containing 10 rats. In the Control Group (CG): RPE wasn't performed. Then subjects were followed up for three days and they were sacrificed after the follow up period. Samplings were made from tissues for measurement of biochemical and histopathologic parameters. In the Second Group (PCG): The same protocol as CG was applied, except the administration of PC to the subjects. In the third RPE Group (RPEG): Again the same protocol as CG was applied, but as a difference, RPE was performed. In the Treatment Group (TG): The same protocol as RPEG was applied except the administration of PC to the subjects.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In RPEG group, the most important histopathological finding was severe pulmonary edema with alveolar damage and acute inflammatory cells. These findings were less in the TG group. RPE caused increased MDA levels, and decreased GPx, SOD and CAT activity significantly in lung tissue.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>PC decreased MDA levels. Oxidative stress plays an important role in pathophysiology of RPE and PC treatment was shown to be useful to prevent formation of RPE.</p

Effect of time to diagnostic testing for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening abnormalities on screening efficacy: A modeling study

Background: Patients who receive an abnormal cancer screening result require follow-up for diagnostic testing, but the time to follow-up varies across patients and practices. Methods: We used a simulation study to estimate the change in lifetime screening benefits when time to follow-up for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers was increased. Estimates were based on four independently developed microsimulation models that each simulated the life course of adults eligible for breast (women ages 50–74 years), cervical (women ages 21–65 years), or colorectal (adults ages 50–75 years) cancer screening. We assumed screening based on biennial mammography for breast cancer, triennial Papanicolaou testing for cervical cancer, and annual fecal immunochemical testing for colorectal cancer. For each cancer type, we simulated diagnostic testing immediately and at 3, 6, and 12 months after an abnormal screening exam. Results: We found declines in screening benefit with longer times to diagnostic testing, particularly for breast cancer screening. Compared to immediate diagnostic testing, testing at 3 months resulted in reduced screening benefit, with fewer undiscounted life years gained per 1,000 screened (breast: 17.3%, cervical: 0.8%, colorectal: 2.0% and 2.7%, from two colorectal cancer models), fewer cancers prevented (cervical: 1.4% fewer, colorectal: 0.5% and 1.7% fewer, respectively), and, for breast and colorectal cancer, a less favorable stage distribution. Conclusions: Longer times to diagnostic testing after an abnormal screening test can decrease screening effectiveness, but the impact varies substantially by cancer type. Impact: Understanding the impact of time to diagnostic testing on screening effectiveness can help inform quality improvement efforts. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(2); 158–64. 2017 AACR

First-line treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer

Fluoropyrimidine+cisplatin/oxaliplatin+trastuzumab therapy is recommended for the first-line treatment of HER2-positive metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma. However, there is no comprehensive study on which platinum-based treatment should be preferred. This study aimed to compare the treatment response and survival characteristics of patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer who received fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and leucovorin (mFOLFOX)+trastuzumab or cisplatin and fluorouracil (CF)+trastuzumab as first-line therapy. It was a multicenter, retrospective study of the Turkish Oncology Group, which included 243 patients from 21 oncology centers. There were 113 patients in the mFOLFOX+trastuzumab arm and 130 patients in the CF+trastuzumab arm. The median age was 62 years in the mFOLFOX+trastuzumab arm and 61 years in the CF+trastuzumab arm (P = 0.495). 81.4% of patients in the mFOLFOX+trastuzumab arm and 83.1% in the CF+trastuzumab arm had gastric tumor localization (P = 0.735). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly higher in the mFOLFOX+trastuzumab arm (9.4 months vs. 7.3 months, P = 0.024). The median overall survival (OS) was similar in both groups (18.4 months vs. 15.1 months, P = 0.640). Maintenance trastuzumab was continued after chemotherapy in 101 patients. In this subgroup, the median OS was 23.3 months and the median PFS was 13.3 months. In conclusion, mFOLFOX+trastuzumab is similar to CF+trastuzumab in terms of the median OS, but it is more effective in terms of the median PFS in the first-line treatment of HER2-positive metastatic gastric and GEJ cancer. The choice of treatment should be made by considering the prominent toxicity findings of the chemotherapy regimens

Post COVID-19 irritable bowel syndrome

Objectives: The long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection on the gastrointestinal tract remain unclear. Here, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and post-COVID-19 disorders of gut-brain interaction after hospitalisation for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Design: GI-COVID-19 is a prospective, multicentre, controlled study. Patients with and without COVID-19 diagnosis were evaluated on hospital admission and after 1, 6 and 12 months post hospitalisation. Gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety and depression were assessed using validated questionnaires. Results: The study included 2183 hospitalised patients. The primary analysis included a total of 883 patients (614 patients with COVID-19 and 269 controls) due to the exclusion of patients with pre-existing gastrointestinal symptoms and/or surgery. At enrolment, gastrointestinal symptoms were more frequent among patients with COVID-19 than in the control group (59.3% vs 39.7%, p&lt;0.001). At the 12-month follow-up, constipation and hard stools were significantly more prevalent in controls than in patients with COVID-19 (16% vs 9.6%, p=0.019 and 17.7% vs 10.9%, p=0.011, respectively). Compared with controls, patients with COVID-19 reported higher rates of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) according to Rome IV criteria: 0.5% versus 3.2%, p=0.045. Factors significantly associated with IBS diagnosis included history of allergies, chronic intake of proton pump inhibitors and presence of dyspnoea. At the 6-month follow-up, the rate of patients with COVID-19 fulfilling the criteria for depression was higher than among controls. Conclusion: Compared with controls, hospitalised patients with COVID-19 had fewer problems of constipation and hard stools at 12 months after acute infection. Patients with COVID-19 had significantly higher rates of IBS than controls. Trial registration number: NCT04691895

Prenatal diagnosis of A fetus with distal trisomy 10q and the ımportance of genetic counseling

Hasta, yapılan “triple test“ sonrasında artmış trizomi 21 riski nedeniyle Gazi Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Tıbbi Genetik Anabilim Dalı'na amniosentez yapılmak ü- zere refere edildi. Birinci kuzen akraba evliliği olan çiftin reprodüktif öykülerinde, 3 kez ilk trimestır abortus öyküsü bulunmaktaydı. Hastanın amnion kültürü sonrasında, fetüste distal trizomi 10q saptandı; 46,XX,der(9)t(9;10)(p24;q25)mat. Aileye daha sağlıklı bir genetik danışma verilebilmesi için ebeveyn kromozom analizi sonucunda, annenin dengeli translokasyon taşıyıcısı [46,XX,der(9)t(9;10)(p24;q25)] olduğu saptandı. Bu olgu, kötü obstetrik öyküsü ya da tekrarlayan ilk trimestır düşük öyküsü olan gebelerde prenatal tanı uygulamalarının önem ve değerini göstermektedir.Amniocentesis procedure was performed to a patient, who was referred to Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Medical Genetics Department because of increased Trisomy 21 risk after "triple test". This was a first cousin marriage, and also there was a history of 3 abortions at the first trimester. The amniocentesis result revealed distal trisomy 10q [46,XX,der(9)t(9;10)(p24;q25)mat]. The cytogenetic evaluation of the mother and father was also performed in order to give a robust genetic counselling to the family and the mother was found to carry a balanced translocation; 46,XX, der(9)t(9;10)(p24;q25). This case implies the importance and worth of prenatal diagnostic procedures for the pregnants with a history of bad obstetric history or recurrent first trimester abortuses