Killer Treg restore immune homeostasis and suppress autoimmune diabetes in prediabetic NOD mice

We hypothesized that regulatory T cells (Treg) effectively target diabetogenic cells, and reinforcing their killing capacity will attenuate the course of disease. For proof of concept, Fas-ligand (FasL) protein was conjugated to CD25⁺ Treg (killer Treg) to simulate the physiological mechanism of activation-induced cell death. Cytotoxic and suppressive activity of killer Treg was superior to naïve Treg in vitro. Administration of 3-4 × 10⁶ Treg prevented hyperglycemia in 65% prediabetic NOD females, however only killer Treg postponed disease onset by 14 weeks. CD25⁺ Treg homed to the pancreas and regional lymph nodes of prediabetic NOD females, proliferated and ectopic FasL protein induced apoptosis in CD25⁻ T cells in situ. This mechanism of pathogenic cell debulking is specific to killer Treg, as FasL-coated splenocytes have no immunomodulatory effect, and only killer Treg prevent the disease in 80% of NOD.SCID recipients of effector:suppressor T cells (10:1 ratio). All immunomodulated mice displayed increased fractional expression of FoxP3 in the pancreas and draining lymph nodes, which was accompanied by CD25 only in recipients of killer Treg. A therapeutic intervention that uses the affinity of Treg to reduce the pathogenic load has long-term consequences: arrest of destructive insulitis in mice with established disease prior to β-cell extinction.     

Investigation of intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs) gene expressions in patients with Barrett's esophagus

The adhesion molecules play a major role in inflammation as well as in neoplastic diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the expressions of the adhesion molecules, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), ICAM-2, and ICAM-3, in Barrett’s esophagus, recognized as a premalign lesion for esophageal cancer and related to inflammation. Eighteen patients with Barrett’s esophagus according to endoscopy and 25 volunteers without Barrett’s esophagus disease were included in the study. Tissue samples were supplied by biopsy and used for both gene expression and immunohistochemical analysis. The significance of the differences between the two groups was assessed by Student’s t test. The ICAM-1 expression level was fivefold higher in the patient group compared with that of the control. There was an increase in the serum level of ICAM-1 in patients compared to that of the controls, but this increase was not significant. ICAM-2 levels were also increased in the patient group, but it was not significant. There was no difference between controls and patients in ICAM-3 levels. Significantly higher levels of ICAM-1 gene expression make us think that ICAM-1 may play an important role in Barrett’s esophagus. We think that more studies, with larger patient groups and preferably detailed histopathological and clinical evaluations, are needed to explain the severity of ICAM-1, ICAM-2, and ICAM-3 molecules in Barrett’s esophagus.     

Employment and Comparison of Different Artificial Neural Networks for Epilepsy Diagnosis from EEG Signals

In this study, it has been intended to analyze Electroencephalography (EEG) signals by Wavelet Transform (WT) for diagnosis of epilepsy, to employ various Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for the signals’ automatic classification. Furthermore, carrying out a performance comparison has been aimed. Three EEG signals have been decomposed into frequency sub bands by WT and the feature vectors have been extracted from these sub bands. In order to reduce the sizes of the extracted feature vectors, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method has been applied when necessary and these feature vectors have been classified by five different ANNs as either epileptic or healthy. The performance evaluation has been carried out by conducting ROC analysis for the used ANN models that and their comparisons have also been included.     

Associação entre Parâmetros Plasmático de Tiol e Níveis de Troponina em Pacientes com Síndrome Coronariana Aguda e Predição de Arritmia Ventricular Hospitalar

BackgroundVentricular arrhythmias (VAs) are the main cause of in-hospital mortality and morbidity in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and its relationship with thiol is not known.ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between plasma thiol levels and troponin levels in patients with ACS and to estimate in-hospital VA development during hospital stay.MethodThe study included 231 consecutive ST-segment elevation ACS (STE-ACS) and non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS) patients. After application of exclusion criteria, 191 patients were included in the statistical analysis. Patients were classified into two groups: STE-ACS group (n=94) and NSTE-ACS group (n=97). Plasma thiol, disulphide and troponin levels were measured and troponin-to-native thiol ratio (TNTR) was calculated. A two-sided p value of less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.ResultsPlasma native thiol, total thiol, disulphide and their ratios were similar between the groups. TNTR was significantly higher in the STE-ACS group compared to the NSTE-ACS group. Troponin and thiol levels correlated negatively and significantly. Native thiol was found to be an independent predictor of VA development in STE-ACS patients and in all ACS patients. TNTR was found to be an independent predictor of VA development in NSTE-ACS patients and in all ACS patients.ConclusionPlasma thiol levels can be used to identify ACS patients at high risk for in-hospital VA development. Correlation between troponin and thiol levels may suggest that thiols may be an important marker for diagnosis and prognosis of ACS with the help of future studies.     

Why were Turks unwilling to accept the A/H1N1 influenza-pandemic vaccination? People's beliefs and perceptions about the swine flu outbreak and vaccine in the later stage of the epidemic

This study investigated the acceptability of the A/H1N1 influenza vaccination and related factors among 1137 adults in the later stage of the A/H1N1 outbreak in Turkey. Having already been vaccinated or intending to get vaccinated were related to trust in the vaccine effectiveness, perceived risk of the side effects, and benefits of getting vaccinated. Perceived long term consequences of the A/H1N1 infection, perceptions of the A/H1N1 information in media, and barriers for getting vaccinated were related to intention whereas anticipated epidemic situation in Turkey, being chronically ill, and being not married were related to having already been vaccinated.     

Efficacy of eprinomectin against Toxacara canis in dogs

This study was made to investigate efficacy of eprinomectin against to Toxocara canis in dogs. In the study, 20 stray dogs naturally infected with T. canis were divided into two groups as treatment (ten dogs) and control (ten dogs). Eprinomectin (100 μg/kg, Eprinex 250 ml) was given to treatment group dogs orally, and eggs per gram were determined in the faeces on the day of pre-treatment and the second, fourth, sixth, eighth and tenth days of post-treatment. No side effects associated with nervous, respiratory, gastrointestinal systems and some haemotological parameters were observed. In conclusion, eprinomectin was determined to be 100% effectual against T. canis.     

Partial trisomy for short arm of chromosome 5

We present two unrelated cases of partial trisomy for the short arm of chromosome 5, the first such cases reported in Japan. The features are characterized by hypertelorism, low set ears, arachnodactyly, laryngostenosis, hypotonia and some cerebral malformation. The characteristic facial expression and arachnodactyly are the key features used to diagnose this disorder. A high-resolution chromosome banding technique showed that the karyotype of the first patient was 46, XX, inv dup(5) (p13.1 ← p15.3) de novo and that of the second patient was 46, XX, dir dup(5) (p13.3 ← p15.2) de novo. The similar symptoms in the two cases, despite the difference in karyotypes, were caused by duplication of 5p including segment 5p13. This would be a key site for this disorder.