Our results suggest that SFCT is lower in eyes of CHF patients compared to age- and gender-matched healthy individuals.

There were no significant differences between C677T and A1298C genotypes and allele frequencies in the stroke patients and controls. Total plasma homocysteine level was higher in the 677TT and 1298AA genotypes in stroke patients and especially small-vessel disease patient subgroup. Age, number of males, systolic-diastolic blood pressures, creatinine, vitamin B(12) and homocysteine levels were significantly high among stroke patients. Age, sex, systolic blood pressure and HDL-C were determined as risk factors for homocysteine levels. We also determined that the effect of A1298C polymorphism on homocysteine was not as high as that of C677T polymorphism in acute stroke patients. We conclude that the MTHFR genotype may be a modest risk factor for stroke in Turkish population.

The frequencies of C1562T genotypes were found to be CC 67%, CT 30%, and TT 3% in the control group and CC 75%, CT 24%, and TT 1% in the patient group. It was determined that CC genotype frequency increases significantly in patients according to control group. Plasma MMP-9 enzyme activity levels increased in patients with lung cancer compared to the control group. The cut-off value of MMP-9 enzyme activity was determined as 7.76 ng/mL by receiver operating characteristics curve analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 77%, 51%, 75.9%, and 52.6%, respectively. The expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 was found to be higher in lung cancer patients. Finally, we claim that determination of MMP-9 enzyme levels and expression of MMP-2 and -9 and TIMP-1 can be used as a marker in lung cancer.

Objective and design Type 2 diabetes is a pandemic disease characterized by hyperglycemia, ineffective insulin use, and insulin resistance and affecting 1 in 11 people worldwide. Inflammation-related insulin resistance is thought to play an important role in the etiology of the disease. TLR4 is the central receptor of the natural immune system and has an important role as a trigger of the inflammatory response. The IRAK1 and TIRAP are members of the TLR4 pathway and involved in the TLR4-mediated inflammatory response. Genetic variants in the TLR4 gene or in the IRAK1 and TIRAP genes may have an important role in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes by disrupting the inflammatory response. In this direction, we aimed to investigate the relationship among TLR4 and IRAK1, TIRAP gene variants, and type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, and investigate how these variants affect inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-1β). Subjects and methods In our study, a total of seven variations on the genes of TLR4 (rs4986790, rs4986791), IRAK1 (rs1059703, rs3027898, rs7061789), and TIRAP (rs8177374, rs8177400) were genotyped by the MassARRAY ® Iplex GOLD SNP genotyping in 100 type 2 diabetic patients and 100 non-diabetic individual. The TLR4 rs4986790 and rs4986791 variation was confirmed by PCR-RFLP method also. The serum IL1-β, IL6, MCP-1, and TNF-α levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results and conclusionAs a result of our study, no correlation was found among TLR4, IRAK1, and TIRAP gene variants and the risk of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. However, TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-1β levels were also associated with diabetes and insulin resistance (p > 0.05). Although the gene variants were not significant in type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance groups, IRAK1, TLR4, and TIRAP gene variants were found to be associated with TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-1β levels.

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Cynara scolymus is a pharmacologically important medicinal plant containing phenolic acids and flavonoids. Experimental studies indicate antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of C. scolymus but there have been no studies about therapeutic effects of liver diseases yet. In the present study, hepatocurative effects of C. scolymus leaf extract on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative stress and hepatic injury in rats were investigated by serum hepatic enzyme levels, oxidative stress indicator (malondialdehyde-MDA), endogenous antioxidants, DNA fragmentation, p53, caspase 3 and histopathology. Animals were divided into six groups: control, olive oil, CCl4, C. scolymus leaf extract, recovery and curative. CCl4 was administered at a dose of 0.2 mL/kg twice daily on CCl4, recovery and curative groups. Cynara scolymus extract was given orally for 2 weeks at a dose of 1.5 g/kg after CCl4 application on the curative group. Significant decrease of serum alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate-aminotransferase (AST) levels were determined in the curative group. MDA levels were significantly lower in the curative group. Significant increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity in the curative group was determined. In the curative group, C. scolymus leaf extract application caused the DNA % fragmentation, p53 and caspase 3 levels of liver tissues towards the normal range. Our results indicated that C. scolymus leaf extract has hepatocurative effects of on CCl4-induced oxidative stress and hepatic injury by reducing lipid peroxidation, providing affected antioxidant systems towards the normal range. It also had positive effects on the pathway of the regulatory mechanism allowing repair of DNA damage on CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity.

Hypertension is a multifactorial disease, in which genetic factors play an important role. This study was carried out to determine angiotensin-converting enzyme levels and angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism in Turkish hypertensive patients, and to establish whether there is an association of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism with clinical and echocardiographic parameters. We have investigated the association among the allelic distribution of the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene identified by polymerase chain reaction, angiotensin-converting enzyme activity determined spectrophotometrically, cardiac morphology and function assessed by means of echocardiography. Distribution of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene I/D polymorphism and allele frequencies in hypertensive patients was not significantly different from controls. D allele frequency was 51.7% in hypertensives vs. 51.9% in controls and I allele 48.3 vs. 48.1%, respectively. The level of angiotensin-converting enzyme activity was significantly higher in the patients homozygotes for D allele (DD = 59.93 U/l) than in heterozygotes (ID = 39.49) and in homozygotes for I allele (II = 40.28 U/l). In addition to these, the level of angiotensin-converting enzyme activity was significantly lower in the ID and especially II patients receiving ACE inhibitors than the others. Also, it was determined that left atrium diameter was larger in the patients homozygotes for I allele than the others.

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