SummaryBackground: Some patients evaluated for chest pain with angiographically normal coronary arteries show coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP) on angiography. Slow flow of dye in epicardial coronary arteries is also not an infrequent finding in patients during routine coronary angiography. The precise pathophysiology of CSFP is not known yet.Hypothesis: This study investigates the presence of platelet function disorders in patients with CSFP.Methods: The patient group included 24 patients with CSFP detected by coronary angiography via the TIMI "frame count" method, and a control group included 23 patients with normal coronary flow. Platelet aggregability induced by use of ristocetin, collagen, and adenosine diphosphate (ADP), was measured from all blood samples in both control and patient groups.Results: The ratio of platelet aggregability increased significantly in patients with CSFP compared with patients with normal coronary flow (ristocetin 57.6 ± 15 vs. 45.4 ± 17.1, collagen 62.9 ± 16.4 vs. 48.9 ± 25.3, ADP 59.4 ± 18 vs. 42.4 ± 15.2, p < 0.05).Conclusion: Platelet aggregability is increased in patients with CSFP.

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Heparin has an apoptotic effect beside its anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and antiproliferative effects. In this study, the authors detected the percentages of apoptotic lymphoblasts and the expressions of apoptotic Fas protein and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein with flow cytometry in vitro after the incubation of lymphoblasts with heparin. Eleven newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) children were included in the study. Lymphoblasts were incubated in all different levels of heparin concentrations (0, 10, and 20 U/mL) and the percentages of apoptotic lymphoblasts and the percentages of Fas protein and Bcl-2 proteins were simultaneously measured by flow cytometry at 0, 1, and 2 h. At 0, 1, and 2 h, apoptosis was determined when heparin was added in 10- and 20-U/mL concentrations (p <.05). The apoptotic effect of heparin on lymphoblasts was higher at the first hour than at 0 and 2 h in 10- and 20-U/mL heparin concentrations (p <.01). The highest apoptosis was detected in the 20-U/mL heparin concentration at the first hour. The expression levels of Fas protein on lymphoblasts were higher at the first hour than at 0 and 2 h in 10- and 20-U/mL heparin concentrations (p <.001). The highest expression of Fas protein was observed in the 20-U/mL heparin concentration at the first hour. The expression levels of Bcl-2 protein on lymphoblasts were lower at the first hour than at 0 and 2 h in 10- and 20-U/mL heparin concentrations (p <.001). The lowest expression of Bcl-2 protein was detected in the 20-U/mL heparin concentration at the first hour. Increased concentrations of heparin had an increasing effect on the percentages of apoptotic lymphoblasts. The expression percentages of Fas protein on lymphoblasts also increased, whereas the expression percentages of Bcl-2 protein on lymphoblasts decreased (p <.05). These results suggest that low-dose heparin may cause significant apoptosis of lymphoblasts in newly diagnosed ALL patients.

Background/Aim: Pterygium is a relatively frequent ocular surface disease with an unexplained etiopathogenesis. Our study was carried out with the aim to identify the presence of inflammatory cells and mediators such as T-lymphocyte subgroups (CD4 and CD8), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) in pterygium tissue. Methods: Pterygium tissue, obtained from 24 patients, and normal conjunctival tissue, from the nasal bulbar conjunctiva obtained from 14 patients operated for ocular perforations or vitrectomy, were separated into epithelial and stromal components under the microscope and suspended with phosphate-buffered saline solution to form a suspension. Cell suspensions were treated with specific antibodies for ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and HLA-DR and T-lymphocyte subgroups and evaluated with flow cytometry. The obtained data were compared statistically. Results: When compared to the control tissue samples, higher rates of ICAM-1-positive cells, VCAM-1-positive cells and HLA-DR-positive cells were recorded in pterygium tissue samples. CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes were also found to be at higher levels when compared to the control group. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: When compared with normal conjunctival tissue, pterygium tissue had increased levels of T-lymphocyte infiltration and inflammatory markers demonstrating the possible contribution of cellular immunity to the pathogenesis.