Association of HOTAIR rs1899663 G>T Polymorphism with Colorectal Cancer in the Turkish Population: A Case–Control Study

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs increase the overexpression of oncogenes. Cancer development and metastasis of cancer may occur as a result of overexpression of oncogenes. Polymorphisms in the genes (such as HOTAIR, etc.) in which long noncoding RNAs are synthesized affect the expression of these genes. Therefore, these polymorphisms may play a role in cancer development and cancer metastasis. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between HOTAIR gene rs1899663 G>T polymorphism with colorectal cancer. METHODS: The current study examined the HOTAIR gene rs1899663 G>T polymorphism in 100 patients with colorectal cancer and 93 healthy persons by a real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The G and T allele frequencies of the HOTAIR rs1899663 polymorphism were significantly different between the case and control groups (P = .01). The persons carrying the G allele had a protective effect against colorectal cancer, while individuals carrying the T allele were predisposed to colorectal cancer (P = .001). Four of 5 colorectal cancer recurrence patients had the TT genotype (P = .02). CONCLUSION: This research is the first to demonstrate the relationship between colorectal cancer and the HOTAIR gene rs1899663 polymorphism in the Turkish population, which is a Caucasian population. Our results suggest that the rs1899663 G allele has a protective role for colorectal cancer in the Turkish population. However, it would be appropriate to conduct this research with a larger sample to confirm this result in the Turkish population

A rapid diagnostic approach for gastric and colon cancers via Fourier transform mid–infrared spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics from paraffin–embedded tissues

This paper describes the feasibility of Attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform mid–infrared (ATR–MIR) spectroscopy method coupled with chemometrics for the rapid diagnostic approach and screening spectral changes for gastric and colon cancers from paraffin–embedded tissues. A total number of 82 tissue samples were analyzed by a simple ATR–MIR method combined with PCA, HCA, SIMCA and LDA methodologies. Spectral analyses showed significant differences for the molecular contents particularly about the lipid, nucleic acid, protein and other biomolecules in the samples of gastric cancer (GC) and colon cancer (CC) groups from their control/healthy groups. Significant changes in the characteristic of these molecules were only observed for cancer groups based upon the increment in their biosynthesis, and they could be utilized as diagnostic spectral biomarkers. Under the optimum conditions, SIMCA provided excellent classification for diseased and control groups, with 5% significance level. As well, 97.75% of the studied tissue samples were correctly discriminated on the basis of their origin by LDA. Consequently, the findings of this study highlighted the rapid diagnosis of gastric and colon cancer cases from paraffin–embedded tissues via ATR–MIR spectroscopy complemented with chemometrics

Radiotherapy for benign diseases in Turkey: a patterns of care survey of the Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology (TROD 05-002).

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the patterns of radiotherapy (RT) care in cases of benign diseases in Turkey. Methods: A questionnaire survey was sent to all radiation oncology (RO) departments in Turkey. The number of patients treated for benign disease between 2015 and 2020 was requested. A list of benign conditions was given, and information on the number of patients per disease, single and total doses prescribed, weekly fractions, radiation type, energy, and device was requested. Results: Of the 138 RO departments, 29 (21%) responded. The data received concerned 15 (52%) university, 10 (34%) public, and four (14%) private hospitals. A total of 130,846 patients were treated with RT in these departments. Of these patients, 6346 (4.85%) were treated for benign conditions. The most common benign diseases treated with RT were meningioma (35%), plantar fasciitis (19%), schwannoma (16%), arteriovenous malformation (11%), and pituitary adenoma (7%). Most centers performed RT for paraganglioma, heterotopic ossification, vertebral hemangioma, and Graves’ ophthalmopathy, but none treated arthrosis. Wide variations were observed across the departments. Radiosurgery for intracranial pathologies was performed intensively in four centers. By contrast, RT for plantar fasciitis was predominantly treated in five centers, one of which had more than 1000 patients. Conclusion: The ratio of patients who underwent RT for benign diseases in Turkey among all patients who underwent RT was 4.85%. The common pattern of RT in 72% of patients was radiosurgery for intracranial benign diseases, followed by low-dose RT for plantar fasciitis in 19%