Action plan to regain unnecessary deferred blood donors due to malaria risk in Turkey

Malaria was expected to be a major problem during blood donation in Turkey due to existence of malaria cases in southeastern region of Turkey. The present study aimed for the first time, to investigate malaria in "donors deferred for malaria risk" and to determine the regional rates of malaria deferral in Turkey. Blood samples were collected from several Blood Banks of southeastern provinces where local malaria cases still exist and from Blood Bank of Ege University Medical School (EUMS) located in western Turkey where malaria is eradicated decades ago. Plasmodium spp. and specific antibodies were investigated by stained smears, antigen detection, PCR and ELISA. Among the donors deferred for malaria risk, Plasmodium spp. were not detected by microscopy, PCR or antigen detection. Seroprevalances were 2% and 3.92% in western and southeastern regions, respectively. Rate of donor deferral for malaria risk was 0.9% in EUMS and deferrals were exclusively because of travel to southeastern Turkey. In southeastern provinces, deferrals were mainly due to malaria like fever history. The present study first time assessed regional rates of donor deferral due to malaria risk in Turkey. Previously, malaria was expected to be a major problem during blood donation in Turkey due to existence of malaria cases in southeastern region of Turkey. The results of the study showed that 97% of the deferrals were unnecessary. In conclusion, to reduce unnecessary donor deferrals in Turkey, in addition to comprehensive questioning for malaria history, the usage of a malaria antibody screening method should be initiated prior to deferral decision.     

Serum levels of soluble CD26 and CD30 and their clinical significance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The aim of this study was to assess serum levels and clinical significance of soluble CD26 (sCD26) and soluble CD30 (sCD30) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Forty-eight patients with RA and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. Serum sCD26 and sCD30 levels were measured using ELISA. Serum sCD26 levels were significantly lower (P?=?0.011), whereas sCD30 levels were higher (P?=?0.008) in patients with RA than controls. Serum levels of sCD30 correlated significantly with clinical and laboratory parameters of disease activity like erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, disease activity scores-28 and health assessment questionnaire score; however, sCD26 levels did not correlate any of these activity parameters. These results suggest that serum sCD30 levels increased and correlated significantly with disease activity, indicating a novel follow-up parameter in RA. Serum levels of sCD26 may be lessen but not related to disease activity in RA.     

Fatigue and correlation with disease-specific variables, spinal mobility measures, and health-related quality of life in ankylosing spondylitis

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate fatigue in Turkish patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and its relationship with disease-specific variables, spinal mobility measures, and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL).

Methods

One hundred and ten patients diagnosed as AS according to the Modified New York Criteria and 40 healthy individuals were included in this study. The Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF) was used in patient and control groups to assess fatigue. The first item of Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) was also used to assess fatigue in the patient group. Evaluation included BASDAI, functional status [BAS Functional Index (BASFI)], and visual analog scale (VAS) of axial and joint pain. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also measured. The generic instrument Short Form 36 (SF 36) was used to assess HR-QoL in the patient group.

Results

Patients with AS had higher total MAF scores and in all MAF subgroup scales than controls. All patient MAF scores were significantly correlated with morning stiffness, number of swollen joints, history of peripheral arthritis, BASDAI, BASFI, BASDAI-fatigue, VAS axial, VAS peripheral, and SF 36 subgroups (p < 0.05). No correlation was observed between all MAF scores and age, body mass index (BMI), disease duration, meteorological measures, and medications in patients.

Conclusions

Patients with AS defined significantly more fatigue when compared with healthy persons. MAF was related to clinical and functional status and HR-QoL of patients with AS. We assume that MAF can be used as a sensitive fatigue measure in patients with AS.     

Rates and patterns of great ape retrotransposition

We analyzed 83 fully sequenced great ape genomes for mobile element insertions, predicting a total of 49,452 fixed and polymorphic Alu and long interspersed element 1 (L1) insertions not present in the human reference assembly and assigning each retrotransposition event to a different time point during great ape evolution. We used these homoplasy-free markers to construct a mobile element insertions-based phylogeny of humans and great apes and demonstrate their differential power to discern ape subspecies and populations. Within this context, we find a good correlation between L1 diversity and single-nucleotide polymorphism heterozygosity (r² = 0.65) in contrast to Alu repeats, which show little correlation (r² = 0.07). We estimate that the “rate” of Alu retrotransposition has differed by a factor of 15-fold in these lineages. Humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos show the highest rates of Alu accumulation—the latter two since divergence 1.5 Mya. The L1 insertion rate, in contrast, has remained relatively constant, with rates differing by less than a factor of three. We conclude that Alu retrotransposition has been the most variable form of genetic variation during recent human–great ape evolution, with increases and decreases occurring over very short periods of evolutionary time.     

ADAMTS-3, -13, -16, and -19 levels in patients with habitual abortion

A disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase domain with thrombospondin-type 1 motifs (ADAMTS) protein superfamily includes 19 secreted metalloproteases. Proteolytic substrates of ADAMTS enzymes have been linked to reproductive function. The aim of this study was to investigate serum ADAMTS-3, -13, -16, and -19 levels in women with habitual abortions compared with those in healthy controls. A total of 86 women were enrolled in this prospective case-control study. ADAMTS-3, -13, -16, and -19 values were recorded and analyzed in association with demographic and clinical parameters. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of demographics. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups with regard to ADAMTS-13 and -19 levels (p > 0.05). However, ADAMTS-3 and -16 were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (p = 0.004 and p = 0.005, respectively). To estimate habitual abortions using an area under receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cutoff values for ADAMTS-3 and -16 were found to be 87.28 ng/mL (sensitivity, 64.44%; specificity 68.29%) and 15.75 ng/mL (sensitivity, 66.67%; specificity 68.29%), respectively. In conclusion, the pregnancy-loss rate seems to be affected by both ADAMTS-3 and -16.