Role of Nerve Growth Factor [NGF] and Glial Cell Line.Derived Neurotrophic Factor [GDNF] in Tic Disorders

Objectives: Tic disorders are associated with neurodevelopmental origin, changes in dopaminergic neurons, and the formation of immunoreactivity, it is thought that neurotrophic factors may be crucial in the emergence of tic disorders. In this study, we targeted to explore role of neurotrophic factors in tic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate serum Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor [GDNF] and Nerve Growth Factor [NGF] levels in patients with tic disorder and healthy controls

Methods: Thirty-four children, constituted the case group, were diagnosed with tic disorder. The control group included 34 healthy children. Development and Well-Being Assessment [DAWBA] [structured interview] and Yale Global Tic Severity Rating Scale [YGTSRS] was applied to the patients. NGF and GDNF levels were measured with ELISA kit

Results: In case group, serum NGF and GDNF levels were found to be significantly higher in females than males [p = 0.042, p = 0.031]. It was determined that serum NGF and GDNF levels were correlated with each other [r = 0.803, p <0.001] and there were no correlations between other parameters. There was no significant difference in NGF and GDNF in patients with tic disorder, compared to healthy controls

Conclusions: The absence of this relationship does not exclude the hypothesis that neurotrophic factors may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of tic disorders

Increased Serum Level of P-Selectin in Patients with Lichen Planus

Lichen planus (LP) is a common, pruritic and inflammatory disease of the skin, hair follicles and mucous membranes. Immunologic mechanisms, especially cell-mediated immunity, play a major role in triggering the clinical expression of the disease. P-selectin is an adhesion molecule present within endothelial cells and mediates endothelial-leukocyte interactions. Therefore, it is considered that P-selectin plays an important role in LP. The aim of our study is to research the relation between P-selectin and LP. Serum P-selectin levels were determined with the enzyme- linked immunosorbent sandwich assay method in sera from 40 LP patients and 40 healthy controls. The serum levels of P-selectin were statistically significantly higher in the patients than in healthy controls (p < 0.05), in female patients (39.32 +/- 11.34 pg/ml) than in male patients (31.93 +/- 9.83 pg/ml) (p < 0.01), and in the patients with eruptive form (40.27 +/- 9.32 pg/ml) than in those with the localised (32.83 +/- 9.93 pg/ml) and hypertrophic (31.72 +/- 8.39 pg/ml) forms (both p < 0.01). In conclusion, we found a meaningful relation between LP and serum P-selectin levels.