Ayşe Aynali

Thiol/disulfide homeostasis: A prognostic biomarker for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer?

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate oxidative stress and thiol/disulfide status with a novel automated homeostasis assay in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Thirty-five patients with advanced NSCLC, who had been newly diagnosed and previously untreated, and 35 healthy subjects were chosen for the study. We measured plasma total thiol (–SH+–S–S–), native thiol (thiol) (–SH), and disulfide (–S–S–) levels in the patients with NSCLC and the healthy subjects. The thiol/disulfide (–SH/–S–S–) ratio was also calculated. Results: Statistically significant differences between the patient group and the control group were detected for the thiol/disulfide parameters. The mean native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels were significantly lower in the group with advanced stage NSCLC. The cut-off value was 313 and 13.8 for native thiol and disulfide, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was significantly shorter in patients with low native thiol and disulfide levels according to the cut-off value (respectively, P = 0.001; P = 0.006). Native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels were correlated with Karnofsky performance status (KPS), OS, and age. Additionally, hierarchical regression analyses showed gender, KPS, lung metastases, and plasma native thiol levels were the determinants of OS in the final model. Conclusion: These results suggest that in advanced stage NSCLC, the native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels decrease, while the native thiol/disulfide ratio does not change. Low levels of thiol/disulfide parameters are related to tumor aggressiveness and may predict a poor outcome for patients with NSCLC.

The Serum Levels of Resistin and Its Relationship with Other Proinflammatory Cytokines in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Objective The present study aims to analyze the levels of resistin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and also investigate a potential relationship between resistin levels and TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and CRP levels in patients with AD. Methods The study included fifty patients with AD and 30 healthy controls with normal cognitive functions. The serum resistin, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and CRP levels were assessed. We performed a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to evaluate the general cognitive performance. Results The mean serum resistin, IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in patients with AD compared with the controls (p=0.026, p=0.002, p=0.003, and p=0.038, respectively). The IL-6 and CRP levels did not differ between the groups (p=0.874 and p=0.941). The resistin levels were positively correlated with the levels of CRP and IL-18 (r=0.526, p<0.001; r=0.402, p=0.004, respectively). MMSE scores and inflammatory markers were not correlated (p>0.05 for all). Conclusion Serum resistin levels were significantly increased and correlated with some inflammatory markers in AD patients, suggesting that resistin might play a role in the inflammatory process of AD.

Telomerase activity in patients with stage 2–5D chronic kidney disease☆

BACKGROUND Molecular mechanisms of increased cardiovascular mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with biological age are not well understood. Recent studies support the hypothesis that common factors responsible for this phenomenon are cellular aging and telomere dysfunction. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between telomerase activity and CKD stages. METHODS The study included 120 patients who were followed-up for CKD stage 2-5D, composed of 30 patients of each stage and 30 healthy volunteers without any known disease who were admitted to our hospital for routine check-ups. Telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was measured using the TRAP assay. RESULTS A significant difference was observed for telomerase activity in PBMC between groups. The detected levels were lowest in the healthy control group (0.15±0.02), and highest in CKD stage 5D patients (0.23±0.04). In CKD patients, telomerase activity in PBMC was positively correlated with the CKD stage, serum creatinine, potassium and parathormone levels, and negatively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), body mass index (BMI), platelet count and serum calcium levels. According to the linear regression analysis, independent predictors for high telomerase activity in CKD patients were eGFR and BMI. CONCLUSION Telomerase activity in PBMC increases with advancing CKD stage in CKD patients. Increased telomerase activity in PBMC is associated with eGFR and BMI.

The comparison of antinuclear antibody positivity and thiol/disulfide levels / Antinükleer antikor pozitifliği ve tiyol/disülfid düzeylerinin karşılaştırılması

Abstract Objective: There is also a growing body of evidence showing that an abnormal thiol disulphide homeostasis state is involved in the pathogenesis of certain diseases. In the present study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship among ANA positivity and dynamic thiol/ disulphide homeostasis in serum samples Methods: Serum samples were collected from ANA-positive and ANA-negative individuals. The indirect immunofluorescence antinuclear antibody test (HEp 20-10, EUROIMMUN, Germany) was used. The serum thiol/disulfide levels were measured with the fully automated new method. Results: No statistically significant difference was detected between thiol/disülfide levels in individuals who were negative and those who were positive for ANA (p>0.05). Besides, among the ANA patterns was not found statistically significant difference for thiol/disulfide levels (p>0.05). However, serum native thiol, total thiol and disülfide levels were decreased with aging. The native thiol, total thiol levels and native thiol/disulfide, total thiol/disulfide, native thiol/total thiol ratio was found statistically significant difference among the different age groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Determination of thiol/disulfide homeostasis can not provide valuable information on normal or abnormal biochemical processes in ANA-positive individuals. However, determination of thiol/disulfide homeostasis which could be a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of some age-related diseases. Ozet Amaç: Bazı hastalıkların patogenezinde, tiyol/ disülfid seviyelerinde gözlenen anormalliklerin rolünün olduğu düşünülmektedir. Bu çalışma, ANA pozitif serum örneklerinde gözlenen tiyol/disülfid seviyelerinin prognoz ile ilgili bir ipucu sağlayıp sağlayamayacağı hakkında fikir elde etmek için planlanmıştır. Metod: Bu çalışma için ANA test sonucu pozitif ve negatif olan kişilerin serum örnekleri toplanmıştır. ANA testi için İndirekt immünfloresans antinükleer antikor testi (HEp 20-10, EUROIMMUN, Almanya) kullanılmıştır. Serum tiyol/disülfid seviyeleri ise tam otomatik yeni bir yöntem ile ölçülmüştür. Bulgular: ANA-pozitif ve ANA-negatif serum örneklerinde çalışılan tiyol/disülfid düzeyleri arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark gözlenmemiştir (p>0.05). Ayrıca, ANA paternleri arasında da tiyol/disülfid düzeyleri arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark gözlenmemiştir (p>0.05). Ancak, serum nativ tiyol, total tiyol ve disülfid seviyelerinin yaşla birlikte azaldığı gözlenmiştir. Sonuç: Çalışmamızda, tiyol/disülfid düzeyleri, ANA-pozitif bireylerde normal veya anormal biyokimyasal süreçler hakkında bize ayırt edici bir ipucu sağlamamıştır. Ancak, elde etmiş olduğumuz veriler ışığında tiyol/disülfid düzeylerinin yaşa bağlı hastalıkların patogenezinde önemli bir faktör olabileceği ve bunun yapılacak yeni ve kapsamlı çalışmalar ile ayınlatılabileceği sonucuna varılmıştır.

Doğurganlık Yaş Grubundaki Kadınlarda Rubella IgM ve IgG Seroprevalansı

Ozet Amac: Bu calismanin amaci, Isparta’da dogurganlik cagindaki kadinlarda rubella IgM ve IgG seroprevalansinin arastirmasidir. Materyal-Metot: Suleyman Demirel Universitesi Tip Fakultesi Hastanesine, 1 Ocak – 31 Aralik 2013 tarihleri arasinda basvuran, 15-49 yas arasi kadinlarda rubella IgG ve IgM seroprevalansi belirlenmistir. Rubella IgM ve rubella IgG antikorlari (Vitros, Johnson&Johnson, ABD) kemiluminesans yontemi ile serum orneklerinde olculmustur. Rubella IgG avidite testi (VIDAS, bio- Merieux, Fransa) Enzyme-Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) yontemi ile serum orneklerinde olculmustur. Bulgular: Calismaya dahil edilen kadinlarin yas ortalamasi 29.37 ± 5.93’ dur. Rubella IgM antikorlari % 1.8 oraninda pozitif, % 1.4 oraninda sinirda deger, % 96.8 oraninda negatif olarak bulunmustur. Rubella IgG antikorlari % 96.2 oraninda pozitif, % 0.7 oraninda dusuk pozitif, % 3.1 oraninda negatif olarak bulunmustur. Rubella IgG avidite test sonuclarinin tamami yuksek bulunmustur. Sonuc: Isparta, Suleyman Demirel Universitesi Arastirma ve Uygulama Hastanesi’ne basvuran dogurganlik cagindaki kadinlarin % 3.8 oraninda rubellaya karsi duyarli oldugu ve konjenital rubella sendromlu cocuk dogurma acisindan risk altinda oldugu tepit edilmistir. Sonuc olarak dogurganlik cagindaki kadinlarda rubella antikorlari taranmali ve cocukluk caginda asilanmayan veya daha once enfeksiyon gecirmeyenlere asi onerilmelidir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Rubella Igg, Rubella Igm, Seroprevalans.

Nöroloji Yoğun Bakım Ünitesinde Yatan Hastalardan İzole Edilen Hastane İnfeksiyonu Etkenleri = Microorganisms Isolated From Hospital Infections Among Patients In Neurology Intensive Care Unit

Bu calismada Suleyman Demirel Universitesi Noroloji Yogun Bakim Unitesinde (NYBU) yatan hastalarda yatislari suresince gelisen hastane infeksiyonlarinin (HI) etkenlerinin ve infeksiyon bolgelerinin tanimlanmasi ve infeksiyon kaynaklarinin aydinlatilmasi amaclanmistir. Ekim 2007-Mart 2008 arasinda 6 yatakli NYBU’sinde en az 48 saat yatan 52 hastadan yatislarinda ve yatistan 48 saat sonra bogaz, burun ve gaita kulturu alinarak hastalarin floralari degerlendirildi. Yatislari suresince hastalar, hasta ve laboratuar verilerine dayali olarak izlenmis, tanimlamalar Centers for Disease Control and Prevention olcutlerine gore yapilmistir. Calisma suresince 52 hastanin 31’inde 86 infeksiyon atagi tespit edilmistir. En fazla izole edilen mikroorganizmalar Escherichia coli (%16,3) ve Pseudomonas aeruginosa (%15.2) iken bunlari koagulaz negatif stafilokoklar(%14.1) izledi. E.coli ve P.aeruginosa en fazla trakeal aspirat ve idrar kulturlerinden izole edilirken KNS’ler en fazla kan kulturlerinden izole edilmisti. Izlem suresince hastane infeksiyonu atagi tespit edilmis olan 31 hastanin 4’unde (%12.9) ayni tur mikroorganizmanin hastanin yatisinda alinan kulturlerinden en az birinden uretilmis olmasi hastane infeksiyonlarinin gelismesinde hastanin flora bolgelerinin kolonizasyonunun da onemli oldugunu dusundurmustur.