Relationship Between TLR2 and TLR4 Gene Polymorphisms with Psoriasis

WOS: 000429662600006Objective: Psoriasis is a common, chronic and recurrent disease which can affect skin and also joints. Although the etiopathogenesis of psoriasis has not precisely determined, the most supported mechanism is inflammation triggered by any factor. Toll like receptors (TLRs) family described in recent years is known to play a critical role in host immunity against a wide variety of pathogens. In our study, we aimed to reveal possible relationships of some TLR gene polymorphisms with psoriasis in this patient group. Methods: A hundred patients who diagnosed with psoriasis and 173 healthy controls were included in the study which known to be without inflammatory disease, TLR2 gene Arg677Trp, Arg753Gln, -196-174 del and TLR4 gene Asp299Gly, Thr399Ile polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method, patient and control groups were compared in terms of gene polymorphisms mentioned. Results: In this study, it was determined psosiasis has a statistically significant relationship with GA genotype and A allele in TLR2 Arg753Gln polymorphism. Furthermore, when the patient and control groups were compared for -196-174 del gene polymorphism, it was determined that ins/del genotype had a protective effect. Conclusion: We think that variant alleles in the TLR2 gene may play an important role in the molecular etiopathogenesis of psoriasis

Increased Serum Levels of IL-28 and IL-29 and the Protective Effect of IL28B rs8099917 Polymorphism in Patients with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

WOS: 000384678700007PubMed: 27617784Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is thought to result from decreased T helper type 2 (Th2) responses, leading to the progressive destruction of thyrocytes. IFN-1, -2, and -3 (also known as IL-29, IL-28A, and IL-28B, respectively) are recently described members of the IFN- family and have been shown to decrease the production of Th2 cytokines in vitro. However, the role and mechanism of IFN-1 in HT remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine whether IL29 and IL28B gene polymorphisms are susceptibility genes for the development of HT. Also, we investigated the effects of IL-29 and IL-28 serum levels in the pathogenesis of HT. Using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL28B rs8099917 (IL28 G/T) and IL29 rs30461 (IL29 T/C) were studied in 99 patients with HT and 100 healthy controls. Considering the allelic distribution of the IL28 G/T polymorphism, a higher frequency of the G allele was observed in the control group versus the HT group. Thus, it was suggested that the G allele may be protective against HT pathogenesis (OR = 0.388, 95% CI = 0.217-0.693; p = 0.001). Our findings also demonstrated that there was a statistically significant difference in serum IL-28 and IL-29 levels between case and control groups (p < 0.001). Increased serum levels of IL-28 and IL-29 were found in patients with HT. However, we did not find a relationship between the IL29 gene polymorphism and HT. In conclusion, the IL28B gene polymorphism and serum IL-28 and IL-29 levels seem to play a role in the pathogenesis of HT

Zinc nutrition in wheat-based cropping systems

Zinc (Zn) deficiency is one of the most important micronutrient disorders affecting human health. Wheat is the staple food for 35% of the world's population and is inherently low in Zn, which increases the incidence of Zn deficiency in humans. Major wheat-based cropping systems viz. rice-wheat, cotton-wheat and maize-wheat are prone to Zn deficiency due to the high Zn demand of these crops. This review highlights the role of Zn in plant biology and its effect on wheat-based cropping systems. Agronomic, breeding and molecular approaches to improve Zn nutrition and biofortification of wheat grain are discussed. Zinc is most often applied to crops through soil and foliar methods. The application of Zn through seed treatments has improved grain yield and grain Zn status in wheat. In cropping systems where legumes are cultivated in rotation with wheat, microorganisms can improve the available Zn pool in soil for the wheat crop. Breeding and molecular approaches have been used to develop wheat genotypes with high grain Zn density. Options for improving grain yield and grain Zn concentration in wheat include screening wheat genotypes for higher root Zn uptake and grain translocation efficiency, the inclusion of these Zn-efficient genotypes in breeding programs, and Zn fertilization through soil, foliar and seed treatments

Clinical and molecular evaluation of MEFV gene variants in the Turkish population: a study by the National Genetics Consortium

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a monogenic autoinflammatory disorder with recurrent fever, abdominal pain, serositis, articular manifestations, erysipelas-like erythema, and renal complications as its main features. Caused by the mutations in the MEditerranean FeVer (MEFV) gene, it mainly affects people of Mediterranean descent with a higher incidence in the Turkish, Jewish, Arabic, and Armenian populations. As our understanding of FMF improves, it becomes clearer that we are facing with a more complex picture of FMF with respect to its pathogenesis, penetrance, variant type (gain-of-function vs. loss-of-function), and inheritance. In this study, MEFV gene analysis results and clinical findings of 27,504 patients from 35 universities and institutions in Turkey and Northern Cyprus are combined in an effort to provide a better insight into the genotype-phenotype correlation and how a specific variant contributes to certain clinical findings in FMF patients. Our results may help better understand this complex disease and how the genotype may sometimes contribute to phenotype. Unlike many studies in the literature, our study investigated a broader symptomatic spectrum and the relationship between the genotype and phenotype data. In this sense, we aimed to guide all clinicians and academicians who work in this field to better establish a comprehensive data set for the patients. One of the biggest messages of our study is that lack of uniformity in some clinical and demographic data of participants may become an obstacle in approaching FMF patients and understanding this complex disease