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The immune system has a variety of regulatory/suppressive processes, which are decisive for the development of a healthy or an allergic immune response to allergens. NK1 and NK2 subsets have been demonstrated to display counterregulatory and provocative roles in immune responses, similar to Th1 and Th2 cells. T regulatory cells suppressing both Th1 and Th2 responses have been the focus of intensive research during the last decade. In this study, we aimed to investigate regulatory NK cells in humans, by characterization of NK cell subsets according to their IL-10 secretion property. Freshly purified IL-10-secreting NK cells expressed up to 40-fold increase in IL-10, but not in the FoxP3 and TGF-β mRNAs. PHA and IL-2 stimulation as well as vitamin D3/dexamethasone and anti-CD2/CD16 mAbs are demonstrated to induce IL-10 expression in NK cells. The effect of IL-10+ NK cells on Ag-specific T cell proliferation has been examined in bee venom major allergen, phospholipase A2- and purified protein derivative of Mycobecterium bovis-induced T cell proliferation. IL-10+ NK cells significantly suppressed both allergen/Ag-induced T cell proliferation and secretion of IL-13 and IFN-γ, particularly due to secreted IL-10 as demonstrated by blocking of the IL-10 receptor. These results demonstrate that a distinct small fraction of NK cells display regulatory functions in humans.

In this first celiac disease prevalence study in Turkey, we found that celiac disease is highly prevalent in healthy schoolchildren. Children with iron deficiency anemia and malnutrition should be evaluated more carefully with the understanding of the high celiac disease prevalence in Turkey.

Objective: Oral candidiasis, in the form of Candida-associated denture stomatitis, represents a common disease in a large percentage of denture wearers, and Candida albicans remains the most commonly isolated species. In this study, we aimed to evaluate biofi lm production, coagulase and hemolytic activity of Candida species isolated from denture stomatitis patients. Materials and Methods:This study included 70 patients (31 female, 39 male). Forty-eight of the patients were found to have a positive culture. A total of 48 Candida isolates representing fi ve species, C. albicans (n=17), C. glabrata (n=10), C. krusei (n=9), C. kefyr (n=7) and C. parapsilosis (n=5), were tested. Their coagulase activities were evaluated by a classical tube coagulase test with rabbit plasma. A blood plate assay on 3% enriched sheep blood Sabouraud-dextrose agar (SDA) was used to determine their in vitro hemolytic activities. Biofi lm production was determined by a visual tube method.Results: Twenty-one Candida isolates exhibited coagulase activity, and the coagulase activities of the C. albicans (64.7%) isolates were higher than other species. C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. kefyr and C. krusei species demonstrated beta hemolysis. C. parapsilosis strains failed to demonstrate any hemolytic activities. Fifteen (88.0%) of the C. albicans strains were biofi lm positive. Six (35.2%) of these strains were strongly positive, 8 (47.0%) C. albicans strains were moderately positive and 1 (5.8%) C. albicans strain was weakly positive. Sixteen (51.6%) of the non-albicans Candida strains were biofi lm positive while 15 (48.3%) did not produce biofi lms. Conclusion:The results of this present study indicate coagulase, hemolytic activity and biofi lm production by Candida spp. isolated from patients with denture stomatitis. Investigations of these virulence factors might be helpful in gaining information about the possible virulence of oral Candida species related to denture stomatitis.

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Interactions between the CXCR4 chemokine receptor in breast cancer cells and the ligand CXCL12/SDF-1alpha are thought to play an important role in breast cancer metastases. In this pilot study, CXCR4 expression along with other biomarkers including HER2-neu and EGFR, were measured in primary tumor samples of patients with operable breast cancer to test whether any of these biomarkers alone and in combination could indicate breast cancer with high likelihood of metastasizing to bone marrow. Cytokeratin (CK) positive cells in bone marrow were identified by flow-cytometry following enrichment with CK 7/8 antibody-coupled magnetic beads. Primary tumors (n = 18) were stained with specific antibodies for CXCR4, HER2-neu, EGFR, and PCNA using an indirect avidin-biotin horseradish peroxidase method. The majority of the patients had T2/T3 tumors (72%), or lymph node involvement (67%) as pathologic characteristics that were more indicative of high-risk breast cancer. High CXCR4 cytoplasmic expression was found in 7 of 18 patients (39%), whereas 6 of 18 patients (33%) were found to have CK positivity in bone marrow. The median number of CK(+) cells was 236 (range, 20-847) per 5 x 10(4) enriched BM cells. The presence of CK(+) cells in bone marrow was found to be associated with increased expression of CXCR4 alone or in addition to EGFR and/or HER2-neu expression (P = 0.013, P = 0.005, and P = 0.025, respectively) in primary tumors. Furthermore, three patients with high CK positivity (>236 CK(+) per 5 x 10(4) enriched bone marrow cells) in bone marrow exclusively expressed high levels of CXCR4 with EGFR/HER2-neu (P = 0.001). Our data suggest that high CXCR4 expression in breast cancer may be a potential marker in predicting isolated tumor cells in bone marrow. CXCR4 coexpression with EGFR/HER2-neu might further predict a particular subset of patients with high CK positivity in bone marrow.

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ObjectivesResidual methyl methacrylate (MMA) may leach from the acrylic resin denture bases and have adverse effects on the oral mucosa. This in vitro study evaluated and correlated the effect of the leaching residual MMA concentrations ([MMA]r) on in vitro cytotoxicity of L-929 fibroblasts. Material and MethodsA total of 144 heat-polymerized acrylic resin specimens were fabricated using 4 different polymerization cycles: (1) at 74ºC for 9 h, (2) at 74ºC for 9 h and terminal boiling (at 100ºC) for 30 min, (3) at 74ºC for 9 h and terminal boiling for 3 h, (4) at 74ºC for 30 min and terminal boiling for 30 min. Specimens were eluted in a complete cell culture medium at 37ºC for 1, 2, 5 and 7 days. [MMA]r in eluates was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. In vitro cytotoxicity of eluates on L-929 fibroblasts was evaluated by means of cell proliferation using a tetrazolium salt XTT (sodium 3´-[1-phenyl-aminocarbonyl)-3,4-tetrazolium]bis(4-methoxy-6-nitro)benzenesulphonic acid) assay. Differences in [MMA]r of eluates and cell proliferation values between polymerization cycles were statistically analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis, Friedman and Dunn's multiple comparison tests. The correlation between [MMA]r of eluates and cell proliferation was analyzed by Pearson's correlation test (p<0.05). Results[MMA]r was significantly (p≤0.001) higher in eluates of specimens polymerized with cycle without terminal boiling after elution of 1 and 2 days. Cell proliferation values for all cycles were significantly (p<0.01) lower in eluates of 1 day than those of 2 days. The correlation between [MMA]r and cell proliferation values was negative after all elution periods, showing significance (p<0.05) for elution of 1 and 2 days. MMA continued to leach from acrylic resin throughout 7 days and leaching concentrations markedly reduced after elution of 1 and 2 days. ConclusionDue to reduction of leaching residual MMA concentrations, use of terminal boiling in the polymerization process for at least 30 min and water storage of the heat-polymerized denture bases for at least 1 to 2 days before denture delivery is clinically recommended for minimizing the residual MMA and possible cytotoxic effects.