Investigating the Potential of Lipids for Use as Biomarkers for Glioblastoma via an Untargeted Lipidomics Approach

Objective@#: The types and functions of lipids involved in glioblastoma (GB) are not well known. Lipidomics is a new field that examines cellular lipids on a large scale and novel aplication of lipidomics in the biomedical sciences have emerged. This study aimed to investigate the potential of blood lipids for use as biomarkers for the diagnosis of GB via untargated lipidomic approach. Gaining a deeper understanding of lipid metabolism in patients with GB can contribute to the early diagnosis with GB patiens and also development of novel and better therapeutic options. @*Methods@#: This study was performed using blood samples collected from 14 patients (eight females and six males) and 14 controls (eight females and six males). Lipids were extracted from blood samples and quantified using phosphorus assay. Lipid profiles of between patients with GB and controls were compared via an untargeted lipidomics approach using 6530 Accurate-Mass Q-TOF LC/MS mass spectrometer. @*Results@#: According to the results obtained using the untargeted lipidomics approach, differentially regulated lipid species, including fatty acid (FA), glycerolipid (GL), glycerophospholipid (PG), saccharolipid (SL), sphingolipid (SP), and sterol lipid (ST) were identified between in patients with GB and controls. @*Conclusion@#: Differentially regulated lipids were identified in patients with GB, and these lipid species were predicted as potential biomarkers for diagnosis of GB.

Thyroid diseases in pregnancy: the importance of anamnesis

Objective: Primary objective of our study was to evaluate the efficiency of detailed medical history and thyroid examination of the pregnant women presenting to our clinic from Rize province and nearby which was an endemic goiter region. It was aimed to investigate the frequency of thyroid diseases, pregnancy outcomes and the efficiency of screening with thyroid function tests during the first trimester of pregnancy as secondary endpoint

Methods: A prospective clinical study was conducted with 998 pregnant women between the ages of 17-48 years. In the first step of our study, a detailed medical history was obtained and a detailed thyroid gland examination was performed in all the patients [n=998]. In the patients diagnosed with thyroid disease or considered to have thyroid disease with these results [n=107], thyroid diseases were evaluated with thyroid function tests and imagining methods. Analyses of socio-demographic data and nutrition were also made. In the second step, thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH], free T3 and free T4 tests were performed in the first antenatal examination of the pregnant cases considered not to have thyroid disease after medical history and examination [n=891]. Parameters of thyroid peroxidase antibodies [TPOAb], thyroglobulin antibodies [TgAb] and TSH receptor auto antibodies [TRAb] were investigated in the cases whose TSH, sT3 and sT4 levels were different than the reference values after examination of the endocrinologist. Thyroid ultrasonography was performed. Urinary iodine levels in 24 hour urine were investigated

Results: During pregnancy, the incidence of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in the whole study group were 2.8% [28/998] and 4.3% [43/998], respectively, 6.7% of the patients [67/998] had a diagnosis of thyroid disease before pregnancy. Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism depending on the TSH screening results were 1.9% [17/891] and 1.1% [10/891] respectively and the incidence of overt hyperthyroidism and overt hypothyroidism were 0.2% [2/891] and 0.2% [2/891] in the pregnant cases considered not to have thyroid disease with medical history and examination

Conclusion: Detailed medical history and family history obtained during the first trimester of pregnancy helped us to identify 6.7% of thyroid diseases among the pregnant women. This result effectively emphasizes the importance of detailed first prenatal examination regarding the thyroid

Effect of laurus nobilis L. essential oil and its main components on alpha-glucosidase and reactive oxygen species scavenging activity

The present study was designed to determine the effects of the essential oil of Laurus nobilis L. [Lauraceae] and its three main components on alpha-glucosidase and reactive oxygen species scavenging activity. The chemical composition of the essential oil from Laurus nobilis L. leaves was analyzed by GC/GC-MS and resulted in the identification of 29 compounds, representing 99.18% of the total oil. 1,8-cineole [68.82%], 1-[S]-alpha-pinene [6.94%], and R-[+]-limonene [3.04%] were determined to be the main components. The antioxidant features of the essential oil and its three main components were evaluated using inhibition of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl, and superoxide radicals, inhibition of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation assays. The results show that the DPPH, hydroxyl, and superoxide radical as well as hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities of the essential oil are greater than the positive controls and the three main components of the oil when tested independently. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation by the oil occurred less frequently than with 1,8-cineole and R-[+]-limonene alone, but the effects were more pronounced than those seen with 1-[S]-alpha-pinene and the positive controls. An alpha-glucosidase inhibition assay was applied to evaluate the in-vitro antidiabetic activity of the essential oil. IC[50]-values were obtained for laurel essential oil, 1, 8-cineole, 1-[S]-alpha-pinene, and R-[+]-limonene: 1.748 micro L/mL, 1.118 micro L/mL, 1.420 micro L/mL and 1.300 micro L/mL, respectively. We also found that laurel essential oil and 1, 8-cineole inhibited the alpha-glucosidase competitively while 1-[S]-alpha-pinene and R-[+]-limonene were uncompetitive inhibitors

effects of electromagnetic waves on the growth of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of electromagnetic radiation of a digital Global System for Mobile Communication mobile telephone [900 MHz] on Entamoeba histolytica [E. histolytica] and Entamoeba dispar [E. dispar] [cysts or trophozoites, or both] in a 24-hour period. This study was carried out from April 2004 to May 2004 at the Department of Parasitology, Medical Faculty of Dokuz Eylul University in Izmir, Turkey. The cultivated isolate tubes, which were exposed to electromagnetic field at 37OC, were evaluated as study group, whereas the tubes without exposure were assessed as control group. Finally, only living parasites in all tubes were counted using a hemacytometer. The effect of the temperature was evaluated for both control and study groups. The influence of electromagnetic field and temperature was assessed separately for the study group. The parasite number of E. histolytica decreased after exposure at 37OC and room temperature [p=0.009] compared to the decrease in the control group [p=0.009]. The parasite number of E. dispar also decreased after exposure at 37OC and room temperature [p=0.009]. In comparison to control tubes, this was a significant decrease [p=0.008]. In the case of exposure of E. histolytica the results did not reveal any significant difference between temperature degrees to magnetic field [p=0.459] and E. dispar [p=0.172]. Our findings show that exposure to electromagnetic field for a certain period of time may cause damage that can lead to death in single-cell organisms