Fibrinogen-Aα THR312ALA Polymorphism is Associated to Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is a condition that occurs after mechanical obstruction of the pulmonary arteries by thrombus. Since the frequency and demographics of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension differ between countries, it is thought that genetic factors may play a role in its development. The aim of this study is to reveal the status of VKORC1, CYP2C9*3, CYP2C9*7, and fibrinogen-Aα THR312ALA gene polymorphisms in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients in Turkey. METHODS: In this prospective cross-sectional study, a total of 46 chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients and 106 healthy volunteers were included. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to determine candidate gene polymorphisms for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. The general population parameters of each locus were calculated, and the relationship between dominant, codominant, and recessive genotype models and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension was analyzed. RESULTS: For the fibrinogen-Aα gene, those with the THR/THR genotype were found to have a 13.51 (95% CI: 2.688-33.333) times less susceptibility rate to the disease than those with the ALA/THR genotype, the susceptibility of THR/ALA genotype to the disease was 5.026 (95% CI: 1.774-14.242) times more than those with ALA/ALA genotype. There was no difference between patient groups for VKORC1, CYP2C9*3 genes (P >.05). Since the CYP2C9*7 patient group was monomorphic for the ILE allele, the patient/control odds ratio and 95% CI could not be calculated. CONCLUSION: This study shows that there is an association between the fibrinogen-Aα gene ALA polymorphism at the amino acid position of 312 and the development of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, but not between the CYP2C9 and VKORC1 gene polymorphisms.

Nail Mineral Composition Changes Do Not Reflect Bone Mineral Changes Caused by Boron Supplementation.

Nails have been found to be a non-invasive and readily available tissue whose mineral content can change because of a change in dietary mineral intake. Thus, this study was undertaken to determine whether boron (B) supplementation would change the concentrations of some mineral elements in nails and whether these changes correlated with changes induced in bone. Female New Zealand White rabbits (aged 8 months, 2-2.5 kg weight) were fed a grain-based, high-energy diet containing 3.88 mg B/kg. The rabbits were divided into four treatment groups: controls receiving no supplemental B (N: 7; C) and three groups supplemented with 30 mg B/L in drinking water as borax decahydrate (Na2B4O7∙10H2O, N: 10; BD), borax anhydrous (Na2B4O7, N: 7; Bah), and boric acid (H3BO3, N: 7; BA). Boron, calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), sulfur (S), and zinc (Zn) concentrations in nails were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Parametric and non-parametric multiple group comparisons and post hoc tests were performed and whether a correlation between nail and tibia and femur mineral elements concentrations were determined. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Boron was not detectable in control nails but was found in the nails of the three B supplemented groups. Boron supplementation markedly increased the Ca concentration in nails with the effect greatest in the BA and BD groups. The P and Mg concentrations also were increased by B supplementation with the effect most marked in the BA group. In contrast, B supplementation decreased the Na concentration with the effect most noticeable in the BD and Bah groups. The Zn concentration in nails was not affected by BA and BD supplementation but was decreased by Bah supplementation. Boron supplementation did not significantly affect the concentrations of Cu, Fe, Mo, K, and S in nails. No meaningful significant correlations were found between nail mineral elements and tibia and femur mineral elements found previously. Nails can be an indicator of the response to boron supplementation but are not useful to indicate changes in mineral elements in bone in response to B supplementation.

Systemic immune-inflammation index as a novel predictor of atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the predictive role of systemic immune-inflammation index on postoperative new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: A total of 722 patients undergoing elective off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting between January 2017 and September 2021 were included in this study and divided into two groups as the atrial fibrillation group (n=172) and the non-atrial fibrillation group (n=550). Both groups were compared in terms of patients' baseline clinical features, operative and postoperative variables, and preoperative hematological indices derived from the complete blood count analysis. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses were performed to detect the independent predictors of postoperative new-onset atrial fibrillation. RESULTS: The median age and length of hospital stay in the atrial fibrillation group were significantly higher than those in the non-atrial fibrillation group. The median values of white blood cell, platelet, neutrophil, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and systemic immune-inflammation in the atrial fibrillation group were significantly greater than in those in the non- atrial fibrillation group. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age, platelet, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and systemic immune-inflammation were independent predictors of postoperative new-onset atrial fibrillation. receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that systemic immune-inflammation of 706.7×103/mm3 constituted cut-off value to predict the occurrence of new-onset atrial fibrillation with 86.6% sensitivity and 29.3% specificity. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed for the first time that systemic immune-inflammation predicted new-onset atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Systemic immune-inflammation index as a novel predictor of atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the predictive role of systemic immune-inflammation index on postoperative new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: A total of 722 patients undergoing elective off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting between January 2017 and September 2021 were included in this study and divided into two groups as the atrial fibrillation group (n=172) and the non-atrial fibrillation group (n=550). Both groups were compared in terms of patients' baseline clinical features, operative and postoperative variables, and preoperative hematological indices derived from the complete blood count analysis. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses were performed to detect the independent predictors of postoperative new-onset atrial fibrillation. RESULTS: The median age and length of hospital stay in the atrial fibrillation group were significantly higher than those in the non-atrial fibrillation group. The median values of white blood cell, platelet, neutrophil, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and systemic immune-inflammation in the atrial fibrillation group were significantly greater than in those in the non- atrial fibrillation group. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age, platelet, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and systemic immune-inflammation were independent predictors of postoperative new-onset atrial fibrillation. receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that systemic immune-inflammation of 706.7×103/mm3 constituted cut-off value to predict the occurrence of new-onset atrial fibrillation with 86.6% sensitivity and 29.3% specificity. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed for the first time that systemic immune-inflammation predicted new-onset atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Diagnostic Value of Galectin-3 for Identifying Acute Pulmonary Embolism in the Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common disease associated with high mortality and morbidity. Diagnosing PE is challenging due to diverse clinical presentations and the lack of specific biomarkers. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that plasma galectin-3 (Gal-3) levels might reflect the severity of acute PE and be useful for diagnostic assessment. METHODS: In this prospective study, 150 patients (100 patients with PE and 50 control patients) were included. Patients were stratified into high-risk, medium-risk, and low-risk groups according to the Wells and revised Geneva scoring systems, and Gal-3 levels were compared among the groups. PE was diagnosed by means of computed tomography pulmonary angiography. RESULTS: In this study, of the 100 PE patients included in the study, 69 patients recovered and were discharged and 31 patients died. Median Gal-3 value in the PE group was 27.0 ng/mL (range 11.5-35.0 ng/mL), whereas the median Gal-3 value in the control group was significantly lower at 8.8 ng/mL (range 1.0-21.0 ng/mL) (p < 0.001). When the Gal-3 values of the PE group and the control group were evaluated with the receiver operator characteristic curve, the area under the curve was calculated as 0.99 (95% confidence interval 0.979-1). At a Gal-3 cutoff value of 13.55 ng/mL, which was determined to be the most appropriate value for PE diagnosis, the sensitivity was 98% and the specificity was 92%. CONCLUSIONS: A biomarker that rapidly and accurately diagnoses acute PE in the emergency department can be an extremely useful tool. We concluded that plasma Gal-3 levels can be regarded as a promising marker of acute PE.

Multi-inflammatory Index as a Novel Mortality Predictor in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients.

AIM: Systemic inflammation has a crucial role in the pathogenesis and mortality of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Multi-inflammatory index (MII) is a novel index related with systemic inflammation. In this study, we investigated the relationship between MII and in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of COVID-19 patients followed-up in the ICU of our institution between 01.04.2020 and 01.10.2021. Patients were classified into two groups according to mortality status as survivors and non-survivors. Various inflammatory parameters of the groups were compared and their efficacy in predicting mortality was investigated. RESULTS: Out of 348 study patients, 86 cases (24.7%) were in the survived group and 262 cases (75.3%) were in the dead group. The median age of the mortal group was significantly higher than that of the survived group (65.5 vs 76, P < .001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that among all the included inflammatory parameters, MII showed the best efficacy for predicting mortality (OR: 0.999; 95% CI: 0.9991-0.9998; P = .003). CONCLUSION: MII, a new combination of Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), is a simple and practical biomarker that can help us in the prediction of mortality in COVID-19 patients followed-up in the ICU.

Positive effect of curcumin on experimental peridontitis via suppression of IL-1-beta and IL-6 expression level.

This study examined the effect of curcumin on T-helper (Th17) and T-regulatory (Treg) cells regarding the mRNA of cytokines/mediators in the gingiva. Thirty-five male albino Wistar rats were divided into four groups: Group 1: periodontitis (n = 9); Group 2: periodontitis with curcumin treatment (n = 8); Group 3: periodontally healthy with curcumin treatment (n = 10); and Group 4: periodontally healthy (n = 8). Curcumin was administered via oral gavage (30 mg/kg/day) for a total of 15 days. The gingival tissues were investigated regarding mRNA expressions of Th17/Treg cytokines with qRT-PCR. The distributional properties of the data were evaluated using the Anderson-Darling normality test. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were employed for multiple group comparisons. Partial least squares regression discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to evaluate the degree of contribution of each mRNA to the separation of treatment groups. When the periodontitis groups were compared, curcumin treatment resulted in lower IL-1ß (Group 2 median: 0.002, Group 1 median: 0.12) and IL-6 (Group 2 median: 0.031, Group 1 median: 0.078) and higher IL-17 (Group 2 median: 1.07, Group 1 median: 0.583) relative mRNA expression in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p < 0.001). Group 3 also had higher IL-10 relative expression (median: 0.067) than Groups 1 and 4 (median: 0.028, 0.007, respectively. p < 0.001). These results indicate that curcumin might be a promising agent for the prevention and/or treatment of periodontal diseases due to its decreasing effect on IL-1ß and IL-6 mRNA expression.

Borate and boric acid supplementation of drinking water alters teeth and bone mineral density and composition differently in rabbits fed a high protein and energy diet.

The reported beneficial effects of boron on mineralized tissues in animals and humans vary. Thus, a study was performed to assess whether the variability was the result of different forms of boron supplementation, method of supplementation, and increased adiposity of the rabbit experimental model. Thirty-one female New Zealand White rabbits, (aged 8 months, 2-2.5 kg weight) were fed a grain-based high energy diet containing 11.76 MJ/kg (2850 kcal/kg) and 3.88 mg boron/kg. The rabbits were randomly divided into four treatment groups: Control group was not supplemented with boron (n:7; C), and three groups supplemented with 30 mg boron/L in drinking water in the forms of borax decahydrate (Na2O4B7 10H2O, n:10; BD), borax anhydrous (Na2O4B7, n:7; Bah) or boric acid (H2BO3, n:7; BA). Cone beam micro computed tomographic (micro-CT), histological and elemental analysis was used to evaluate the bones/teeth. Results of the experiments demonstrated that boron supplementation had beneficial effects on mineralized tissue but varied with the type of treatment. Mineral density of the femur was increased by the Bah and BA treatments (p < 0.001), but only BA increased mineral density in the tibia (p = 0.015). In incisor teeth, mineral density of dentin was increased by all boron treatments (p < 0.001), and mineral density of enamel was increased by the BD and Bah treatments. Mineral analysis found that all boron treatments increased the boron concentration in tibia and femur. In the tibia, both the BD and Bah treatments decreased the iron concentration, and the BD treatment decreased the magnesium concentration. Sodium and zinc concentrations in the tibia were decreased by the Bah and BA treatments. The boron treatments did not significantly affect the calcium, copper, molybdenum, potassium phosphorus, and sulfur concentrations. The findings show that boron supplementation can have beneficial effects on mineralized tissues in an animal model with increased adiposity, which is a model of increased inflammatory stress. However, this effect varies with the form of boron supplemented, the method of supplementation, and the mineralized tissue examined.

Role of ultrasound simulators in the training for Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST).

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to investigate the efficacy of ultrasound simulators in the training of the health staff working in the emergency department of a university hospital on Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST). METHODS: This study was conducted on emergency medicine residents, medical interns and paramedics of the emergency department of Selçuk University Medical Faculty, prospectively. The participants were given theoretical and practical training on FAST using the SonoSim® USG simulator. At the end of the training, all participants were requested to perform FAST for the pre-selected scenarios for five patients to find the ideal diagnostic window for each patient and declare the diagnosis. RESULTS: This study included 60 participants, including emergency medicine residents, medical interns and paramedics, each having 20 members. The rate of obtaining the correct image was 99.5%, and the rate of diagnosing correctly was 94% among resident physicians. For interns, these rates were 98.5% and 88%, respectively. For paramedics, the rates were 98% and 81.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: It was observed that the theoretical knowledge level of the trainees did not affect the ability to obtain a correct image in the simulator. However, the skills of the trainees for correctly diagnosing via FAST were directly proportional to their theoretical knowledge levels. Our findings suggest that a short theoretical training followed by a simulator-guided practice would easily provide a sufficiency for FAST for the health workers.

SDF-1 modulates periodontal ligament-Mesenchymal Stem Cells (pdl-MSCs).

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In this in vitro study, the effects of Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) was evaluated on the periodontal ligament-Mesenchymal Stem Cells (pdl-MSCs) functions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Real-time cell analyzer-single plate (RTCA-SP) was employed for proliferation, and RTCA-dual purpose (DP) was utilized for pdl-MSCs migration potential treated with different SDF-1 concentrations (0, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, 200, and 400 ng/ml). Based on the dose-response findings, 10 ng/ml SDF-1 was used for further mRNA experiments. RNAs isolated at 6 and 24 h were checked using quantitative RT-PCR for mineralized tissue-associated genes including type I collagen (COL I), osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). cRNA was synthesized for 6 h, and whole-genome array analysis was performed for over 47.000 probes. Data were subjected to quantile normalization before analysis. RESULTS: Increased proliferation and migration were observed in pdl-MSCs treated with 0.1, 1, and 10 ng/ml SDF-1. Increased COL I was observed at both time points: 6 and 24 h. While there was no significant change for OCN, OPN, and Runx2 at 6 h, SDF-1 up-regulated OCN and OPN, but down-regulated Runx2 mRNA expressions at 24 h. IL-8 and ESM1 genes were differentially expressed over twofold when the pdl-MSCs were exposed to SDF-1 at whole-genome array analysis. IL-8 induction was confirmed with RT-PCR. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study displayed that SDF-1 modulated pdl-MSCs which were important for periodontal regeneration, inducing migration and proliferation, and regulating extracellular matrix synthesis in favor of the formation of new attachment.

Effect of diode laser application as an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy on the reduction of red complex microorganisms in type 2 diabetics with chronic periodontitis.

Bactericidal and detoxification effects of diode laser (DL) have been reported in periodontal treatment. The objective of this study was investigating the additional effect of DL with nonsurgical periodontal treatment on the red complex bacteria in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with chronic periodontitis (CP). Sixty type 2 DM patients with chronic periodontitis (CP) were randomly assigned in two parallel groups to receive scaling root planning (SRP, n = 30) or SRP followed by DL periodontal pocket irradiation (SRP + DL, n = 30). Recording of clinical parameters and subgingival plaque sampling were performed at baseline, and post therapy (1 and 3 months after treatment). Amounts of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia were evaluated with quantitative RT-PCR. Significant reductions for numbers of all three bacterial species were observed at 1 and 3 months compared with baseline for both treatments (p < 0.001), but no significant differences were found between two groups regarding bacterial reductions at these follow-up time points. No additional benefit of DL as an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy was recognized in the reduction of P. gingivalis, T. denticola, and T. forsythia for type 2 DM patients with CP. Further studies are required to clarify the effects of diode laser on the other periodontopathogens.

Salivary Del-1, IL-17, and LFA-1 levels in periodontal health and disease.

OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND: Developmental endothelial locus-1 (Del-1), lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), and interleukin 17 (IL-17) play critical roles in transendothelial migration of neutrophils in periodontal diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate salivary Del-1, IL-17, and LFA-1 protein levels in patients with gingivitis (G), chronic periodontitis (CP), and generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAP). METHODS: A total of 180 systemically healthy, non-smoking patients (45 periodontally healthy (H) and 45 G, 50 CP, and 40 GAP) individuals (between March 2014 and February 2016) were included in this study according to Armitage's (1999) classification. Clinical periodontal parameters, including clinical attachment level, probing depth, plaque index, and gingival index, were recorded. Del-1, IL-17, and LFA-1 protein expression levels were measured in unstimulated saliva samples collected from patients by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for multiple comparisons and post hoc statistical analyses, respectively. ROC curve analysis was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of Del-1, IL-17, and LFA-1 in distinguishing periodontal disease from health and gingivitis. RESULTS: It was found a high level of IL-17 and a low level of Del-1 in the CP and GAP, as compared to the G and H groups (P < .001). Nevertheless, we found LFA-1 levels were higher in the GAP than in the CP or G groups (P = .00). Consistently, LFA-1 levels were lower in the H and G groups than in the CP and GAP groups (P = .00). The combination of three biomarkers was found as the best predictor yielded exhibited the highest AUC [0.893, 0.845-0.94 (%95 CI) P < .001] in discriminating periodontal disease from health and gingivitis. CONCLUSION: Salivary Del-1, LFA-1, and IL-17 levels might be useful markers for determining the clinical health and disease status of patients with periodontitis. However, further studies that evaluate the level of salivary Del-1, LFA-1, and IL-17 before and after periodontal therapy are required to understand the exact roles of these cytokines during the periodontal healing period.

The Association Between Some Macro and Trace Elements in Saliva and Periodontal Status.

Changes in the macro and trace element composition of saliva might be indicative for pathological changes in periodontal tissues. However, there is a lack of evidence in the literature showing associations between mineral elements and periodontal status. The aim of this study was to determine whether such associations occur. Totally, 190 systemically healthy non-smoker participants (mean age 32.2 ± 6.02; 50 periodontally healthy, 50 gingivitis, 50 chronic periodontitis, and 40 aggressive periodontitis individuals) were included in this cross-sectional study. Salivary levels of some macro and trace elements were measured by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Kruskal-Wallis's test was used for statistical analysis. Statistically significant differences were found in sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), vanadium (V), chromium Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), rubidium (Rb), strontium (Sr), and selenium (Se) concentrations among the groups. Significant increases in the essential minerals Na, Mg, K, Ca, Fe, and Se occurred in both periodontitis groups when compared to the gingivitis and periodontally healthy groups. Lower Se, Sr, Fe, Mn, and V concentrations were found in the aggressive periodontitis group than in the chronic periodontitis group. The results of this study demonstrated that assessment of mineral element concentrations in saliva might be useful in assessing periodontal health and disease. However, further studies are required to determine whether the change in a specific mineral element is the result of periodontal disease or is involved in its pathogenesis.

Vestibular functions in patients with tinnitus only.

OBJECTIVE: Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the ears or head without any external or internal acoustic stimulation, and it is usually associated with hearing loss. In addition, it has been reported that there is a relationship between vestibular problems and sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vestibular function in patients with tinnitus without hearing loss. METHODS: A total of 32 patients who complained only of tinnitus without hearing loss and 30 control subjects without tinnitus or hearing loss were included in this study. Oculomotor and caloric tests were performed on all subjects with videonystagmography. The tinnitus handicap inventory questionnaire, side and duration of tinnitus were recorded in all patients. RESULTS: The caloric test was abnormal in 13 of 32 (40.6%) patients in the tinnitus group and was normal in all of the control group. Abnormal caloric responses in patients with severe tinnitus were more frequent than in patients with mild or moderate tinnitus. There was a statistically significant difference in the optokinetic gain values between the tinnitus and control groups. CONCLUSION: A relationship between tinnitus and abnormal caloric responses was determined. Tinnitus may be the first symptom of vestibular dysfunction.

Comparison of Different Sources of Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Palatal versus Lipoaspirated Adipose Tissue.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the proliferation and differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from palatal adipose tissue (PAT) and lipoaspirated adipose tissue (LAT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATs were obtained from 2 healthy female patients undergoing surgery for gingival recession, and LATs were obtained from 2 healthy female patients undergoing plastic surgery. LAT- and PAT-derived MSCs were confirmed by flow cytometry using MSC-specific surface markers. The multilineage differentiation capacity of the MSCs was analyzed. The expression of immunophenotyping, embryonic, and differentiation markers was compared between both MSC lines. The proliferation of PAT- and LAT-MSCs was evaluated using a real-time cell analyzer, and telomerase activity was determined using an ELISA-based TRAP assay. Stem cells isolated from PAT and LAT were analyzed by real-time PCR and whole genome array analysis. RESULTS: The cells isolated from PAT had MSC characteristics. In addition, PAT-MSCs had significantly higher alkaline phosphatase activity and osteogenic potential than LAT-MSCs. Although the proliferation and telomerase activities of LAT-MSCs were higher than those of PAT-MSCs, the difference was not statistically significant. The level of embryonic stem cell markers (Oct4 and Nanog) was higher in LAT-MSCs than in PAT-MSCs. The whole genome array analysis demonstrated that 255 gene sequences were differentially expressed, with more than a twofold change in expression. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first comparative analysis of the isolation and characterization of MSCs from PAT and LAT. PAT is an accessible source of MSCs, which could be used in periodontal and craniofacial tissue engineering.

Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene polymorphisms are strong predictorsof type 2 diabetes among nonobese diabetics in the Turkish population.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is1397645907a multifactorial disease, determined by environmental and genetic factors. Currently, the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene shows the strongest association with T2D. In this study, we investigated whether TCF7L2 gene polymorphisms are associated with T2D in a Turkish population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSCP, we genotyped six intronic polymorphisms in the TCF7L2 gene, commonly associated with T2D, in 169 individuals with diabetes and 119 healthy controls. RESULTS: We found that rs7903146 C → T substitution in intron 3 (OR: 1.9, P = 0.005) and rs12255372 G → T substitution in intron 4 (OR: 2.1, P = 0.002) were significantly associated with T2D while other SNPs were not associated (P > 0.05). We determined no association between TCF7L2 gene polymorphisms and fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c, or HOMA-IR levels (P > 0.05), except for rs7903146 C → T substitution, which was significantly associated with the fasting glucose level (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that, in the Turkish population, the T allele of the rs7903146 (C → T) and rs12255372 (G → T) polymorphisms in the TCF7L2 gene is an independent risk factor for the development of T2D.

Biostimulation with diode laser positively regulates cementoblast functions, in vitro.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of diode laser biostimulation on cementoblasts (OCCM.30). A total of 40 root plates were obtained from healthy third molar teeth and assigned to the following two groups: (1) control group and (2) laser-treated group. Root plates were placed into the cell culture inserts, and OCCM.30 cells were seeded onto root plates. Cells were irradiated with a low level of diode laser (power: 0.3 W in continuous wave, 60 s/cm2). Proliferation and mineralized tissue-associated gene's and BMP's messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of cementoblasts were evaluated. Total RNAs were isolated on day 3 and integrin-binding sialoprotein (Ibsp), bone gamma-carboxyglutamate protein (Bglap), Type I collagen (Col1a1), osteoblastic transcription factor, runt-related transcription factor (Runx2), and Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)-2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 mRNA expressions were determined using quantitative RT-PCR. von Kossa staining was performed to evaluate biomineralization of OCCM.30 cells. In the proliferation experiment, while there was no significant difference until 96 h, laser irradiation retarded the decrease in cell proliferation trend after 96 h compared to the untreated control group. Statistically significant increase in Ibsp, Bglap, and BMP-2,3,6,7 mRNA expressions were noted in the laser groups when compared to the untreated control group (p < 0.05). Laser irradiation induced mineralized nodule formation of cementoblasts. The results of this study reveal that the biostimulation setting of diode laser modulates the behavior of cementoblasts inducing mineralized tissue-associated gene's mRNA expressions and mineralization. Therefore, biostimulation can be used during regenerative periodontal therapies to trigger cells with periodontal attachment apparatus.

N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide levels in children with allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Persistent upper airway obstruction may lead to increased pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). The aim of this study was to evaluate N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations and PAP values in children with allergic rhinitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-six patients with allergic rhinitis and 22 healthy children were prospectively enrolled in this study. Plasma NT-proBNP levels were measured at first admission and after treatment. Simultaneously, echocardiography was done to assess pulmonary arterial hypertension, and rhinitis symptom scores were recorded. RESULTS: The median age of the study group was 9.0 (5.0‒17.0) years; 26 were female. PAP was found to be normal in all the patients. There was a negative correlation between age and NT-proBNP levels (r = -0.452, P < 0.01). Nasal blockage levels affected NT-proBNP levels mildly (P = 0.067). No significant difference between before and after nasal steroid treatment was observed in NT-proBNP levels. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that NT-proBNP level and PAP may not be affected in children with allergic rhinitis, and primarily this influence may be associated with the severity of nasal obstruction.

Assessing Safety of Pneumatic Tube System (PTS) for Patients with Very Low Hematologic Parameters.

BACKGROUND Preventive interventions save lives during the process of chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies, when a hematology laboratory can ensure accurate results. The use of a pneumatic tube system (PTS) is associated with measurement errors and unnecessary transfusions. The aim of this study was to evaluate pre-analytical errors associated with transportation method (PTS versus hand-delivered) and to investigate whether there are unnecessary transfusion events in pancytopenia leukemia patients with very low hematological parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 140 paired blood collections were performed for hemogram and biochemistry assays. Paired EDTA and serum gel blood samples were collected from 58 cases with acute leukemia on different days. For each pair, one sample was hand-delivered by a courier (Group 1) while the other sample was transported through a PTS (Group 2). RESULTS The hand-delivered method showed that some platelet transfusions were unnecessary for different thrombocyte cut-off values. Calculated unnecessary platelet (PLT) transfusion ratios when using PTS (PLT <30×10³/µL, 16.3%; PLT <25×10³/µL, 16.4%; PLT <20×10³/µL, 80.3%; PLT <15×10³/µL, 48.6%; and PLT <10×10³/µL, 150.0%) were found to be statistically significant (p=0.002, p=0.046, p<0.000, p=0.028, and p<0.000, respectively). In contrast, for RBC transfusion ratios, although the ratios were high in Group 2, we found no significant difference between the two groups; (HGB <8.0 g/dL, 23.3%; HGB <9.0 g/dL, 25.0%, HGB<10.0 g/dL, 19.3%) and (p=0.002, p=0.085, p<0.160, and p=0.235, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Although our results cannot be universally applied, physicians should be careful, skeptical, and suspicious of transfusion decisions in hematology clinics and consider potential analytical and pre-analytical errors in cases of severe cytopenia when using PTS.

Nonsurgical periodontal therapy with/without diode laser modulates metabolic control of type 2 diabetics with periodontitis: a randomized clinical trial.

In order to evaluate whether nonsurgical periodontal treatment with/without diode laser (DL) decontamination improves clinical parameters, the levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) in gingival crevicular fluid and metabolic control (HbA1c) in chronic periodontitis (CP) patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2). Sixty patients with DM2 and CP were randomly assigned into two groups to receive scaling and root planing (SRP, n = 30) or SRP followed by diode laser application (SRP + DL, n = 30). Clinical periodontal and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) parameters were assessed at baseline, 1, and 3 months after periodontal treatment. HbA1c levels were evaluated at baseline and 3 months post-therapy. Total amounts of cytokines and molecules were analyzed by ELISA. Nonsurgical periodontal treatment with/without DL appeared to improve clinical, biochemical parameters, and glycemic control in DM2 patients (BMI < 25 kg/m(2)) with CP. The SRP + DL group provided better reductions in probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) parameters compared to the SRP group (P < 0.05). Significant reductions were found in the total amounts of GCF levels of IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, ICAM, and VCAM after treatment (P < 0.05). HbA1c levels decreased significantly at 3 months after treatment (P < 0.05). SRP + DL reduced HbA1c levels more significantly compared to SRP alone (0.41 vs. 0.22 %, P < 0.05). SRP, especially in combination with DL, shows improvement of glycemic control for DM2 patients with CP.