Airway inflammatory markers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and healthy smokers

Background: Cigarette smoke with its toxic ingredients leads to chronic inflammations in the airways.Objectives: In this study, the effect of cigarette smoke on the levels of inflammatory markers, interleukin.6 (IL.6), interleukin.8 (IL.8), and tumor necrosis factor.alpha (TNF.ƒ¿) in induced sputum was investigated.Materials and Methods: Twenty patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (group I), 20 healthy smokers (group II), and 20 healthy nonsmokers (group III) were included in the study. The levels of IL.6, IL.8, and TNF.ƒ¿ in induced sputum were measured in these groups, and comparison analysis between the groups and correlation analysis for smoking load (pack.years) and spirometric parameters were performed.Results: Mean age of the patients in groups I, II, and III were 61.2 } 1.7, 58.2 } 1.6, and 59.1 } 5.4 years, respectively (P > 0.05). Smoking loads of group I and group II were 38.6 } 2.1 and 29.5 } 2.3 pack.years, respectively (P < 0.05). All cytokine levels were significantly higher in group I than groups II and III (P < 0.05). In addition to this, mean cytokineslevels were significantly higher in group II than group III (P < 0.05). Smoking load of group II subjects was positively correlated with IL.6, IL.8, and TNF.ƒ¿ in induced sputum (P < 0.05).Conclusions: We found that inflammatory marker levels in induced sputum were significantly higher in COPD patients and smokers than nonsmokers. Moreover, there was a moderate positive correlation between IL.6, IL.8, and TNF.ƒ¿ levels and smoking load in the healthy smokers. We think that further studies are needed to determine whether higher levels of cytokine levels in sputum might be helpful in predicting the healthy smokers who will develop COPD in future.Key words: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, inflammatory markers, induced sputum, IL.6, IL.8, TNF.ƒ

Noninfectious causes of diffuse pulmonary infiltrations in chronic renal failure: metastatic pulmonary calsification

Metastatic pulmonary calsification (MPC) is a metabolic lung disease characterized by the deposition of calcium in pulmonaryparenchyma. It may occur due to many bening or malign pathologies. Especially it is most commonly seen in patients with endstage chronic renal failure received renal replacement treatment. The case we report here involved a history of renal transplantationabout 22 months ago. His thorax computed tomography had demonstrated bilateral disseminated infiltrations with ground-glass densities predominantly in the upper lobes and it was seen partially preserved subpleural areas and basal zones. Thehistopathological results in transbronchial lung biopsy indicated metastatic pulmonary calsification. We wanted to discuss patientwith the accompaniment of literature

BIST’TE ANA METAL SANAYİ ENDEKSİNDE FAALİYET GÖSTEREN İŞLETMELERİN FİNANSAL PERFORMANS ÖLÇÜMÜ: 2011-2015 DÖNEMİ

Bir işletmenin varlığını devam ettirebilmesi ve büyümesi rakipleriyle mücadele edebilme yeteneğine, yani rekabet gücüne bağlıdır. İşletmenin rekabet gücünün sağlıklı biçimde tespit edilebilmesi de söz konusu işletmenin finansal performansının ölçülmesi ve analiz edilmesi ile gerçekleşmektedir. Bu araştırmanın amacı, BIST Ana Metal Endeksinde (XMANA) yer alan işletmelerin finansal performanslarının değerlendirilmesidir. Çalışmanın uygulamasında BIST Ana Metal Endeksinde yer alan firmaların likidite oranları, faaliyet oranları, finansal yapı, kârlılık ve borsa-performans oranlarından sık kullanılan oranlar belirlenerek TOPSİS Analizi ile karşılaştırma yapılmıştır. Uygulanan analiz sonucunda sektörde faaliyet gösteren firmaların finansal performanslarının farklılık gösterdiği ve işletmelerin 2011-2015 dönemleri arasında performanslarında değişkenlik olduğu görülmüştür. Anahtar Kelimeler: Finansal Performans, Rasyolar, TOPSİS Analizi

Biomarkers of Immunotoxicity for Environmental and Public Health Research

The immune response plays an important role in the pathophysiology of numerous diseases including asthma, autoimmunity and cancer. Application of biomarkers of immunotoxicity in epidemiology studies and human clinical trials can improve our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the associations between environmental exposures and development of these immune-mediated diseases. Immunological biomarkers currently used in environmental health studies include detection of key components of innate and adaptive immunity (e.g., complement, immunoglobulin and cell subsets) as well as functional responses and activation of key immune cells. The use of high-throughput assays, including flow cytometry, Luminex, and Multi-spot cytokine detection methods can further provide quantitative analysis of immune effects. Due to the complexity and redundancy of the immune response, an integrated assessment of several components of the immune responses is needed. The rapidly expanding field of immunoinformatics will also aid in the synthesis of the vast amount of data being generated. This review discusses and provides examples of how the identification and development of immunological biomarkers for use in studies of environmental exposures and immune-mediated disorders can be achieved

Elevation of IL-6 in the allergic asthmatic airway is independent of inflammation but associates with loss of central airway function

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airway that is characterized by a Th2-type of immune response with increasing evidence for involvement of Th17 cells. The role of IL-6 in promoting effector T cell subsets suggest that IL-6 may play a functional role in asthma. Classically IL-6 has been viewed as an inflammatory marker, along with TNFα and IL-1β, rather than as regulatory cytokine.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To investigate the potential relationship between IL-6 and other proinflammatory cytokines, Th2/Th17 cytokines and lung function in allergic asthma, and thus evaluate the potential role of IL-6 in this disease.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cytokine levels in induced sputum and lung function were measured in 16 healthy control and 18 mild-moderate allergic asthmatic subjects.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The levels of the proinflammatory biomarkers TNFα and IL-1β were not different between the control and asthmatic group. In contrast, IL-6 levels were specifically elevated in asthmatic subjects compared with healthy controls (p < 0.01). Hierarchical regression analysis in the total study cohort indicates that the relationship between asthma and lung function could be mediated by IL-6. Among Th2 cytokines only IL-13 (p < 0.05) was also elevated in the asthmatic group, and positively correlated with IL-6 levels (r_S= 0.53, p < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In mild-moderate asthma, IL-6 dissociates from other proinflammatory biomarkers, but correlates with IL-13 levels. Furthermore, IL-6 may contribute to impaired lung function in allergic asthma.</p

Targeting IL-1β and IL-17A driven inflammation during influenza-induced exacerbations of chronic lung inflammation.

For patients with chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exacerbations are life-threatening events causing acute respiratory distress that can even lead to hospitalization and death. Although a great deal of effort has been put into research of exacerbations and potential treatment options, the exact underlying mechanisms are yet to be deciphered and no therapy that effectively targets the excessive inflammation is available. In this study, we report that interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) are key mediators of neutrophilic inflammation in influenza-induced exacerbations of chronic lung inflammation. Using a mouse model of disease, our data shows a role for IL-1β in mediating lung dysfunction, and in driving neutrophilic inflammation during the whole phase of viral infection. We further report a role for IL-17A as a mediator of IL-1β induced neutrophilia at early time points during influenza-induced exacerbations. Blocking of IL-17A or IL-1 resulted in a significant abrogation of neutrophil recruitment to the airways in the initial phase of infection or at the peak of viral replication, respectively. Therefore, IL-17A and IL-1β are potential targets for therapeutic treatment of viral exacerbations of chronic lung inflammation

A Micro Based Study on Bank Credit and Economic Growth: Manufacturing Sub-Sectors Analysis

This study examines the relationship between bank credits and performance and growth of manufacturing sub-sectors. Industrial Production Index was used for a different approach as a dependent variable. Indications of the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound co-integration test support the theory that bank credits are more effective than loan rates on industrial production of sub-sectors. Moreover, the increase in bank credit leads to the rise of industrial production in all the sub-sectors, except Machinery. According to the Toda Yomamato causality test results, there are different degrees of causalities in means of the importance of bank loans for industrial production. On the other hand, in all sub-sectors except machinery and chemical sub-sectors, causality relations were observed at different grades beginning from loan interest rates to industrial production. As a result, this study concludes with the evidence of supply leading hypothesis via the financial sector leads and causes economic growth

How Does Transparency Affect Bank Risk and Performance? Evidence from Turkey

Purpose: The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of transparency on the performance of banks, which are among the most important units of the financial sector. Methodology: The Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) analysis was applied using the annual data from 22 deposit banks operating in Turkey. Four models related to profitability, credit risk, deposits, and stock returns were established by calculating a transparency score derived on the basis of 106 criteria for each year and for each bank. Findings: According to the GMM results, it was observed that transparency, credit risk, and profitability were negatively correlated, while stock returns had a positive relationship. Research limitations: There are not enough public-traded banks, especially in the stock returns section. Although this research has the largest sample size among the studies conducted to date, all banks in Turkey could not be included in its scope. Value: The analysis reveals the importance of reporting and sharing information from banks. Banks should set a transparency criterion, and a transparency score should be established using the researched criterion