[Investigation of the Relationship Between TNF-α, IL-12A, IL-12B and IFN-γ Gene Polymorphisms and Chronic Hepatitis C]. / TNF-α, IL-12A, IL-12B ve IFN-γ Gen Polimorfizmleri ile Kronik Hepatit C Arasindaki Iliskinin Arastirilmasi.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is still an important public health problem worldwide. Cytokines play an important role in the prognosis of HCV infections. Polymorphisms in the cytokine genes can affect the gene expression and change the clinical course of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between chronic hepatitis C and TNF-α rs1799964 (-1031 T/C), IL-12A rs568408 (3'UTR G/A), IL-12B rs3212227 (3'UTR A/C) and IFN-γ rs2430561 (+874 A/T) gene polymorphisms. A hundred patients with chronic hepatitis C and 100 healthy people as control group were included in the study. Approximately 2 ml peripheral blood was taken from the patient and control groups into tubes with EDTA and genomic DNA was obtained using the DNA isolation kit. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in TNF-α (rs1799964), IL-12A (rs568408), IL-12B (rs3212227) and IFN-γ (rs2430561) genes were investigated by using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (Rt-PCR) method. The data obtained were analyzed in SPSS package program. There was no statistically significant relationship between chronic hepatitis C and TNF-α and IFN-γ polymorphisms in terms of genotype and allele distributions (p> 0.05). However, it was found that the relationship between IL-12A (G/A) and IL-12B (A/C) polymorphisms was significant (p< 0.05). The frequencies of IL-12A GA (OR= 4.828, 95% CI= 1.452-16.046, p= 0.010) and AA genotypes (OR= 4.436, 95% CI= 1.398-14.077, p= 0.011) and A alele (OR= 1.602, 95% CI= 1.020-2.518, p= 0.040) were found to be higher in the patient group. When the relationship between chronic hepatitis C and IL-12B gene polymorphism was examined, it was determined that the frequencies of AC (OR= 2.060, 95% CI= 0.836-5.076, p= 0.116) and CC (OR= 3.020, 95% CI= 1.242-7.345, p= 0.015) genotypes and C allele (OR= 1.750, 95% CI= 1.152-2.659, p= 0.008) were high in the patient group. In addition, TNF-α TC/CC, IL-12A GA/AA, IL-12B AC/CC and IFN-γ TT genotypes were found to be 7.5 times higher in the patient group than the control group (OR= 7.500, 95% CI= 1.532-36.714, p= 0.013). Our results showed that IL-12A (3'UTR G/A) and IL-12B (3'UTR A/C) gene polymorphisms and TNF-α TC/CC, IL-12A GA/AA, IL-12B AC/CC and IFN-γ TT interactions may be effective in the risk of the chronicity of hepatitis C. However, further studies are needed to determine the role of polymorphisms in these cytokine genes in HCV infections.

The determination of the knowledge level and behavior of Turkish women from various occupations about human papillomavirus, cervical cancer, and pap smear test.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women. Early diagnosis and effective treatment are possible with Pap smear test. However, women should be informed about human papilloma virus (HPV), cervical cancer, and Pap smear test to protect against cervical cancer. AIM: The aim of this study is to identify knowledge level and behavior of women from various occupations, who reside in a city in the south of Turkey, about HPV, cervical cancer, and Pap smear test. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted with 753 women consisting of 228 nurses, 28 doctors, 135 teachers, 20 academicians, 21 policewomen, and 321 homemakers. The data were collected with face-to-face interview method using survey form and attitude scale related to early diagnosis of cervical cancer. RESULTS: Of the women whose age average is 34.7 ± 7.51, 79% are married, 52.9% have middle income, 62.5% live in towns, and 58.6% are primary school graduates. It was determined that 69.2% of these women had gynecological examination, 27.8% had Pap smear test, and 1.3% had HPV vaccination. About 59.5% of these women stated not having heard of HPV, 61.3% of HPV vaccination, and 41.9% that HPV causes cervical cancer. Those women who have a good education and income level and who live in the city are found to have higher knowledge levels of HPV, HPV vaccination, Pap smear test, and cervical cancer (P < 0.05). Among the occupational groups, it was determined that the nurses are the ones who have least gynecological examination had and the doctors are the ones who have the most number of Pap smear tests had. It was found that average point that women got from the attitude scale of early diagnosis of cervical cancer was 101.91 ± 10.77 that the doctors and nurses had the highest points, 105.29 ± 11.65 and 103.15 ± 9.92, respectively, and that police officers had the lowest points by 93.42 ± 16.50. CONCLUSION: It was determined that the knowledge level and attitudes of the participant women about HPV, cervical cancer, and Pap smear test were insufficient.

[Investigation of the association between chronic hepatitis B and C infections and TNF-α (-308) gene polymorphism]. / Kronik hepatit B ve C enfeksiyonlari ile TNF-α (-308) gen polimorfi zmi arasindaki iliskinin arastirilmasi.

Cytokines and genetic factors play important roles in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infections. Variations in cytokine genes may effect the gene expression and may lead to changes in the clinical manifestations of diseases. One of the single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) gene is the polymorphism at -308. position which was investigated in many studies by means of its relationship between CHB and CHC infections, however their results are incompatible. Furthermore, there is no sufficient data on this subject in our country. This study was aimed to determine the relationship between TNF-α(-308) gene polymorphism with CHB and CHC infections. A total of 271 patients with chronic hepatitis and 181 healthy subjects were included in the study. Of them 167 were CHB cases (67 female, 100 male; age range 18-74 years, mean age: 40.23 ± 13.09) and 95 controls for CHB group (46 female, 49 male; mean age: 36.41 ± 15.0 years), while 104 were CHC cases (63 female, 41 male; age range: 25-79 years, mean age: 52.8 ± 12.6) and 86 controls for CHC group (41 female, 45 male; mean age: 36.4 ± 14.9 years). After the isolation of genomic DNA from blood samples of the patient and control groups, TNF-α(-308)G/A (rs 1800629) polymorphism was investigated by using the real-time polymerase chain reaction from the obtained DNAs. Among CHB group, TNF-α(-308) GG, GA, AA genotypes were detected in 126 (75.4%), 38 (22.8%) and 3 (1.8%) of the patients, respectively, while these numbers were 84 (88.4%), 11 (11.6%) and 0 (0%) in control group, respectively. Among CHC group, TNF-α(-308) GG, GA, AA genotypes were detected in 37 (35.6%), 28 (26.9%) and 39 (37.5%) of the patients, respectively, while these numbers were 38 (44.2%), 8 (9.3%) and 40 (46.5%) in control group, respectively. The frequency of GA genotype was significantly higher in both patient groups compared to the control groups (p=0.024 for CHB and p= 0.006 for CHC). When the distribution of allele frequencies of TNF-α(-308)G/A polymorphism was evaluated in the patients and control groups, it was noted that G allele was found to be high in CHB patients comparing with controls (94.2% vs 86.8%), however A allele was identified to be lower than controls (5.8% vs 13.2%) (p= 0.008). In contrast, there was no significant difference in terms of allele frequency compared with CHC patients and the control group (p= 0.969). In conclusion, our data in accordance with the results of many studies in literature, determined that TNF-α(-308) polymorphisms can influence the chronicity of hepatitis B and C infections. Further studies on this subject would contribute to the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of chronic hepatitis B and C diseases.

[Identification of Mycobacterium species from BACTEC MGIT™ positive cultures with Oligo-FISH and PNA-FISH methods]. / BACTEC MGIT™ Pozitif Kültürlerden Mycobacterium türlerinin Oligo-FISH ve PNA-FISH Yöntemleriyle Tanimlanmasi.

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of mycobacteria is very important in the prevention and effective treatment of tuberculosis which is still a serious public health problem. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method using rRNA targeted probes allows for precise and accurate identification of mixed microorganisms from cultures and directly from clinical samples within a few hours without the need for culture methods. In this study it was aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of two different FISH methods (Oligo-FISH and PNA-FISH) with the conventional culture methods for the identification of Mycobacterium spp. grown in BACTEC MGIT™ (Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube) system. A total of 60 MGIT (BD, USA) positive, 52 MGIT negative samples and 10 different reference strains were included in the study. 16S rRNA targeted oligonucleotide probes (Myc657: Mycobacterium subdivision, Eub338: Positive control, NonEub: Negative control) were used for oligo-FISH, and 16S rRNA targeted peptide nucleotide probes (MTC: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, NTM: Non-tuberculosis Mycobacterium, BacUni: Positive control) for PNA-FISH. Ehrlich-Ziehl-Neelsen staining (ARB) and Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) culture methods were performed as conventional methods as well as MGIT 960 culture system. Of MGIT positive 60 samples (44 sputum, 4 tissue, 4 urine, 3 bronchoalveolar lavage, 3 CSF, 1 abscess, 1 peritoneal fluid), 29 (48.3%) were found positive for ARB and 44 (73.3%) with LJ culture methods giving a total of 59 positive results. Fifty-eight (96.6%) of those isolates were identified as MTC, and one (1.7%) as NTM by conventional methods. By using Oligo-FISH, 95% (57/60) of the isolates were identified as Mycobacterium spp., while three samples (5%) yielded negative result. By using PNA-FISH, 54 (91.5%) isolates were identified as mycobacteria, of them 53 (90%) were typed as MTC and 1 (1.7%) as NTM. Five isolates that were found positive with Oligo-FISH, but negative with PNA-FISH, yielded positive result with PNA-FISH method performed with minor modifications. It was determined that both FISH methods are more rapid (approximately 2-2.5 hours) and practical than the conventional culture methods and also PNA-FISH was more practical than Oligo-FISH. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the probes used for Oligo-FISH, were 96.6%, 100%, 100% and 96.4%, respectively. Those values for the probes used for PNA-FISH, were 91.5%, 100%, 100% and 91.4%, respectively (p< 0.0001). The compatibility of the methods was calculated with kappa statistical analysis, assigning perfect concordances between Oligo- and PNA-FISH methods, as well as between conventional and both of the FISH methods (κ: 0.964, 0.929, 0.964; p= 0.001). The coverage of oligonucleotide and PNA probes was also checked by using 16S rRNA gene sequence database retrieved from the SILVA 102. It was determined that the rates of coverage were 86.5% for Eub338, 41.7% for Myc657, 84.2% for BacUni, 76.3% for MTC (100% for only M.tuberculosis and M.bovis) and 25.8% for NTM probes. In conclusion, Oligo- and PNA-FISH methods seem to be successful for rapid and accurate identification of Mycobacterium spp. from MGIT positive cultures in routine mycobacteriology laboratories without the need for expensive methods.

[Investigation of IL-1 beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist and IL-8 gene polymorphisms in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C]. / Kronik hepatit B ve C hastalarinda IL-1 beta, IL-1 reseptör antagonisti ve IL-8 gen polimorfizmlerinin arastirilmasi

The host immune response is closely related to the prognosis of disease and viral persistence in hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Although it is well known that cytokines and genetic factors play important roles in the pathogenesis of chronic HBV and HCV infections, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study was conducted to determine the role of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) and IL-8 gene polymorphisms in chronic hepatitis B and C infections. A total of 361 subjects, 171 with chronic hepatitis B (62 female, 109 male; age range: 18-74 yrs) and 104 with chronic hepatitis C (63 female, 41 male; age range: 25-79 yrs), and a control group of 86 healthy subjects (41 female, 45 male; age range: 18-72 yrs) were included in the study. Following the DNA extractions from peripheral blood leukocytes of the study groups, single nucleotide polymorphisms of IL-1ß -31, -511, +3954; IL-1RA and IL-8 -251, -353, -738, -845 gene regions were investigated by using specific primers with real-time PCR method. It was found that the genotype frequency of IL-8 -251 AT (OR: 7.895, p= 0.003) and IL-8 -738 TA (OR: 6.317, p= 0.007) in patients with chronic hepatitis B and the genotype frequency of IL-1ß-31 CT (OR: 6.757, p= 0.001), IL-1ß -511 CT (OR: 4.060, p= 0.004), IL-8 -251 AT, (OR: 13.622, p= 0.001), IL-8 -738 TA (OR: 14.058, p= 0.001), and IL-8 -845 TC (OR: 2.539, p= 0.004) in patients with chronic hepatitis C was significantly higher than the control group. When the allelic frequency was compared between chronic hepatitis B patients and the control group, it was determined that IL-1ß +3954 T allel increased the disease risk 1.5 times (p< 0.05), however, no statistically significant difference was detected for the other allels. It was also determined that IL-8 -845 C allel increased the disease risk 0.6 times in chronic hepatitis C (p< 0.05) and no statistically significant difference was detected for the other allels (p> 0.05). In conclusion, IL-1ß -31, -511 and IL-8 -251, -738, -845 gene polymorphisms may play a role in the chronicity of hepatitis B and C infection. In order to determine the importance of this cytokine polymorphisms in hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections, large-scale studies with different patient groups such as carriers, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma should be conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease process.

[The determination of intestinal parasites, physical growth and hygiene behaviors of children in the Mersin City Social Service Child Care Centre]. / Mersin Ili Sosyal Hizmetler Cocuk Yuvasi ve Yetistirme Yurdundaki Cocuklarda Bagirsak Parazitleri, Fiziksel Büyüme ve Hijyen Aliskanliklarinin Belirlenmesi.

Intestinal parasites are still a major health problem in our country. The aim of this study was the determination of intestinal parasites, physical growth and hygiene behavior of a total of 106 children living in the Mersin City Social Service Child Care Centre and who could participate in this research. A questionnaire form was used to determine the socio-demographic features and hygienic behavior of the children, and their weight and height were measured in order to determine their physical growth. Stool samples taken from children were examined under microscope after being processed with native-Lugol, formol-ether-acetate technique, and the modified Kinyoun's acid-fast staining method. One or more parasites were found in 43.4% of the children. Giardia intestinalis (17%) was found to be the most common parasite, followed by Entamoeba histolytica plus Entamoeba coli (3.8%), Entamoeba coli (2.8%), Endolimax nana (2.8%), and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts (2.8%). According to the WHO/NCHS standards, 16.1% of children were found to be short in height, 17% of children were low in weight, and 14.1% of children were very thin. No statistical difference was found between the parasites in children and physical growth, or hygienic behavior (p > 0.05).

Antimicrobial activity of some thiourea derivatives and their nickel and copper complexes.

Five thiourea derivative ligands and their Ni(2+) and Cu(2+) complexes have been synthesized. The compounds were screened for their in vitro anti-bacterial activity using Gram-positive bacteria (two different standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Esherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus vulgaris, Enterobacter aerogenes) and in vitro anti-yeast activity (Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis). The minimum inhibitory concentration was determined for all ligands and their complexes. In vitro anti-yeast activity of both ligands and their metal complexes is greater than their in vitro anti-bacterial activity. The effect of the structure of the investigated compounds on the antimicrobial activity is discussed.