ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to localize estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) in the rat urinary bladder respect to gender. The bladder dome and trigone of 16 Sprague Dawley rats (Male: 8, Female: 8) were evaluated utilizing the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique (RT-PCR) to detect ERbeta signal. Chi square test was used for statistical analysis. ERbeta was present in the bladder of 13 rats and absent in 3. The side of expression was bladder trigone in 13 rats and besides ERbeta (M: 1, F: 2) was also present in the bladder dome of 3. The relationship between the distribution of ERbeta in the bladder and gender was not different. ERbeta is present in the bladder trigone of rats independent of gender. Estrogen action in the bladder trigone is also important in males besides females.
Subject(s)
Estrogen Receptor beta/metabolism , Urinary Bladder/metabolism , Animals , Base Sequence , Chi-Square Distribution , DNA Primers , Female , Male , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The clinical relevance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes are poorly understood and it is unclear if the prevalence of HBV genotypes differs with the various clinical features of HBV carriers. The aim of our study was to examine the prevalence of the HBV genotype in a group of patients with chronic hepatitis B, compared to a group with chronic inactive hepatitos B surface antigen (HbsAg) carriers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: HBV genotypes were determined in 32 patients with chronic hepatitis B and in 12 chronic inactive HBsAg carriers. 35 males and nine females with a mean age of 33.95 +/- 13.04 were studied. Serum samples were examined for the presence of HBV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Samples negative in first round PCR were further amplified with nested PCR. The PCR product was sequenced with the Cy5/5.5 dye primer kit on a Long Read Tower automated DNA sequencer. RESULTS: HBV DNA was detectable in 29 (66%) and 44 (100%) patients by the PCR with universal primers and nested-PCR, respectively. All patients were found to be infected with HBV genotype D. Genotype D was the only detected type found in different clinical forms of chronic HBV infection, in all hepatitis B e antigen (HbeAg)-positive and negative patients, in all patients who had elevated or normal alanine transaminase (ALT) levels and in all ages. CONCLUSION: In the present study we could not find any association between genotype D and distinct clinical phenotypes. Genotype D is the predominant type among hepatitis B carriers residing in our region and is not associated with more severe liver diseases. This genotype did not influence clinical manifestations in carriers with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. However, additional large-scale longitudinal studies are needed to find the relationship of HBV genotypes to liver disease severity and clinical outcomes.
Subject(s)
Alanine Transaminase/metabolism , Hepatitis B virus/genetics , Hepatitis B, Chronic/epidemiology , Hepatitis B, Chronic/genetics , Adult , Alanine Transaminase/blood , Base Sequence , Carrier State , Cross-Sectional Studies , DNA, Viral/analysis , Female , Genotype , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/blood , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/genetics , Hepatitis B virus/isolation & purification , Humans , Liver Function Tests , Male , Middle Aged , Molecular Sequence Data , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Prevalence , Probability , Prognosis , Statistics, Nonparametric , Turkey/epidemiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine any association between anxiety and salivary cortisol levels in oral lichen planus (OLP) patients by the case-control method. DESIGN RELEVANT: Forty patients with OLP were evaluated. The OLP diagnosis was established through a composite of accepted clinical and histopathological characteristics. Forty patients from the register of patients who obtained general dental care were selected as controls. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The saliva samples collected between 9:00 and 9:15 am were analysed for the level of cortisol with Cortisol EIA that used competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Trait and state anxiety levels of 80 patients were measured using the Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS: The mean level of cortisol from 40 saliva samples in study group was 1.46 and 0.93 microg dl(-1) in 40 controls (P=0.001). The mean level for state anxiety in the study group were 48.85 and 39.45 in control group (P=0.001). Trait anxiety levels in study group were 49.77 and 38.51 in control group (P=0.001). We found that salivary cortisol, state and trait anxiety levels in OLP group were significantly higher than in the control group. CONCLUSION: Because of the fact that the level of anxiety and salivary cortisol of OLP patients were high, our findings concluded that this disease is closely related with stress. Thus besides traditional treatment of OLP patients, our findings suggest that psychological support is also needed.
