Involvement of protein phosphatase 2A in interferon-alpha-2b-induced apoptosis in K562 human chronic myelogenous leukaemia cells

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha)-2b is known to have antiproliferative effects on hematological malignant cells, especially chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML). However, it can induce cytogenetical remissions in a very small percentage of the patients. Also during interferon therapy, resistance can emerge in the CML clones. K562 is an in vitro model cell line transformed from a Ph positive CML patient. It can be induced to differentiate to granulocytic and/or monocytic lineages with certain molecules. IFN-alpha-2b generally exerts its effects on CML cells by Janus family kinases (Jak/Stat) pathway, mostly through tyrosine kinase system. However, there is almost no data on the relevance of serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein phosphatase (PP) system in the interferon induced signal transduction pathways. In this study, we investigated serine/threonine protein phosphatases in the IFN-alpha-2b induced K562 cytotoxicity. Trypan blue dye exclusion test and MTT assay were utilised for determining cytotoxicity. IC(50) of IFN-alpha-2b on K562 cells was found to be 600IU/ml. However, no differentiation was determined by analysis of cell surface antigen expressions. Serine/threonine protein phosphatase inhibitors calyculin A (Cal A) and okadaic acid (OKA) augmented the IFN-alpha-2b induced cytotoxicity. Apoptosis assay by the mono-oligonucleosome detection and acridine orange/propidium iodide dye revealed marked apoptosis underlying cytotoxicity. Phosphatase enzyme assay revealed a gradual increase in protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity during interferon induced cytotoxicity. Conversely, immunoblots showed no change in the expression of PP2A catalytic and regulatory subunits. In conclusion, PP2A plays a role in IFN-alpha-2b induced apoptosis of K562 cells and should be investigated as a new window furthermore.     

Transmaxillary excision of a rare cavernous hemangioma of the infratemporal fossa

Cavernous hemangiomas that manifest as a primary tumor of the infratemporal fossa are exceedingly rare. We report such a case in a 40-year-old woman. Her lesion was excised via a transantral anterior approach. Although this approach is usually recommended only for biopsy, in selected cases it can be used to excise a lesion without causing any significant complications. We recommend the transantral anterior approach for relatively small, benign lesions that show no evidence of invasion into surrounding tissues because it does not expose the patient to surgical complications such as transient or permanent facial nerve injury or cosmetic deformity.     

Facial Emotion Recognition in Schizophrenia: The Impact of Gender

Objective

Previous studies reported gender differences for facial emotion recognition in healthy people, with women performing better than men. Few studies that examined gender differences for facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia brought out inconsistent findings. The aim of this study is to investigate gender differences for facial emotion identification and discrimination abilities in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

35 female and 35 male patients with schizophrenia, along with 35 female and 35 male healthy controls were included in the study. All the subjects were evaluated with Facial Emotion Identification Test (FEIT), Facial Emotion Discrimination Test (FEDT), and Benton Facial Recognition Test (BFRT). Patients'' psychopathological symptoms were rated by means of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Results

Male patients performed significantly worse than female patients on FEIT total, and negative scores. Male controls performed significantly worse than female controls on FEIT total and negative scores. On all tasks, female patients performed comparable with controls. Male patients performed significantly worse than controls on FEIT, and FEDT.

Conclusion

Women with schizophrenia outperformed men for facial emotion recognition ability in a pattern that is similar with the healthy controls. It could be claimed that male patients with schizophrenia need special consideration for emotion perception deficits.     

Prevalence of oral lesions in 13- to 16-year-old students in Duzce, Turkey

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of oral lesions in 13- to 16-year-old students. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out on students in Duzce, a province in the western Black Sea region of Turkey. A total of 993 children aged between 13 and 16 from eight secondary schools were examined. Oral lesions with recurrent behavior, if observed, were recorded at the time of examination. Venous blood samples were obtained for detecting hemoglobin levels. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty adolescents (26.2%) were diagnosed with at least one oral mucosal lesion at the time of the examination. Thirteen different mucosal alterations were diagnosed, and the most common lesions were angular cheilitis (9%), linea alba (5.3%), and aphthous ulceration (3.6%). The correlation between occurrence of mucosal lesions and sex was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Statistical evaluation of the data revealed a significant relationship only between the presence of angular cheilitis and anemia (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study is the first epidemiologic study of oral mucosal lesions in adolescents in Turkey. Angular cheilitis was the only oral mucosal lesion that had a significant correlation with anemia.