Biomedical subjects

Serif Akman

Publications and source records attributed to Serif Akman.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

MEFV mutations in familial Mediterranean fever: association of M694V homozygosity with arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive recurrent polyserositis with a higher prevalence in some ethnic groups, including Turks. Mutations in the FMF gene (MEFV) were found associated with FMF. The aim of this study was to analyze MEFV gene mutations in FMF patients to gain insight into the mutation phenotype correlation. OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the most frequent mutations (M680I, M694V, V726A, and E148Q) in a group of young male Turkish FMF patients using an amplification refractory mutation system and a commercial kit. RESULTS: M694V mutation was detected in 80% of the patients. After making a strict diagnostic discrimination between arthralgia and arthritis, arthritis was present in 71% of homozygous and 29.4% of heterozygous patients for M694V mutation. Other mutations were not found to correlate with specific symptoms or findings. CONCLUSION: The homozygosity of M694V mutation in the MEFV gene is associated with arthritis in FMF patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

The role of RBC destruction in vascular regions with high turbulence on atherosclerosis.

After intravascular red blood cell (RBC) destruction, released hemoglobin exceeding the binding capacities of haptoglobin and hemopexin would contribute, as free hemoglobin and/or hemin and/or methemalbumin, to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Especially in some regions of vasculature with a high turbulence strong enough to destruct fragile or old RBCs, free hemoglobin concentrations can exceed locally the binding capacities of haptoglobin and hemopexin although their measured venous concentrations are normal. As a very simple model of this possible very local event we analysed free hemoglobin and methemalbumin levels after blood collection into evacuated tubes, and found that the increase of methemalbumin is more significant than free hemoglobin. The measurement of free hemoglobin and methemalbumin concentrations of arterial blood samples just from pre- and post-atherosclerotic lesions can likely shed new light on our understanding of the development of atherosclerosis.

Arteriosclerosis↗

PubMed2004

[Plasma zinc and copper levels in boys with oppositional defiant disorder].

OBJECTIVE: Oppositional defiant disorder consists of negativistic, hostile, or defiant behavior, created in one of three domains of functioning (academic, occupational, or social), and lasting at least six months. Alterations in zinc and copper levels of plasma in animals and humans are associated with behavioral and cognitive abnormalities. The aim of this study is to compare plasma zinc and copper levels between children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and controls. METHOD: Plasma zinc and copper levels were measured in 21 boys with ODD having a mean age of 8.6 +/- 2.0 years and in 24 healthy boys having a mean age of 8.3 +/- 2.1 years by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. An ODD diagnosis was made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). About 61% of the children with ODD had comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. RESULTS: Plasma zinc was significantly lower in ODD children compared to the controls (p < .05). No significant difference in plasma copper measurements was found between the two groups (p >.05). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggested that the plasma copper level in boys with ODD did not differ from that in normal subjects. Although ODD children had a lower plasma zinc level than normal subjects, the mean plasma zinc level was within the normal range for the population. Further studies investigating the Zn and Cu metabolism in ODD are needed.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed2003

The effect of isoprenoid side chain length of ubiquinone on life span.

The isoprenoid side chain length of ubiquinone (Q) can have an effect on the life span of mammals. The short living mouse and rat have Q(9), while primates have Q(10) as the major form. Ubiquinones (Qs) having longer hydrophobic tail are likely more imbedded in the mitochondrial inner membrane than the ones having shorter tails. In case of short tail length, ubisemiquinone (Q(*-)) produced during electron transport can be more exposed to the aqueous phase on both sides of the membrane, generate more superoxide radical and damage the neighbouring macromolecules. Considering the inefficient subcellular distribution of exogenous Q, production of transgenic animals synthesizing Qs having longer than 10 isoprenoid units (Q(>10)) can increase their life span.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Peripheral blood telomerase activity in non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein, stabilizing chromosomes by adding telomeric repeats to their ends, is highly expressed in most neoplastic cells and has a critical role in cellular immortalization. In this study, telomerase activity was measured in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). A total of 18 patients with B-cell NHL and 12 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Of the patients 7 (38.9%) were found to have telomerase activity, but no activity was detected in control subjects. No correlation was found between the telomerase activity and the grade of the disease. When the patients were divided into two subgroups as follicular and non-follicular NHL, telomerase activity was detected in 5 of 10 follicular NHL (50%) and 2 of 8 non-follicular NHL (25%) samples, but these results were not found statistically significant. In conclusion, there is detectable telomerase activity in peripheral blood of some patients with NHL, possibly suggesting the existence of neoplastic cells in the circulation or activation of lymphocytes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Renal protection by brief liver ischemia in rats.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we evaluated the beneficial effect of brief ischemia and reperfusion, which was shown to have local effects on liver previously, on kidney as a remote organ in rats. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: group I, sham; group II, renal ischemia for 45 min; and group III, 10 min of brief hepatic ischemia and 10 min of reperfusion after 45 min of renal ischemia. Biochemical determination, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and tissue thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) levels, and histopathologic findings were evaluated at 45 min and 24 hr of reperfusion. RESULTS: Although blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were similar at 45 min in groups II and III, these levels were lower in group III at 24 hr. Creatine clearance values were higher and fraction excretion of sodium values were lower in group II than in group III at 24 hr. Lactate dehydrogenase levels of groups III and II were similarly elevated at 45 min, whereas group III values decreased more rapidly than those of group II at 24 hr. At 45 min of reperfusion, TNF-alpha and tissue TBARS levels were found lower in group III than in group II. Histopathologic parameters including congestion and tubular vacuolization, tubular cell detachment, and necrosis were significantly reduced in group III as compared with results of group II 45 min after ischemia. All histopathologic parameters were defined as statistically better in group II at 24 hr. CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effect of brief ischemia of liver on renal ischemia as a remote organ was confirmed by biochemical, histopathologic, and ultrastructural findings.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Oxidative phosphorylation enzyme complexes in caloric restriction.

Free radicals, generated especially by electron leakage from mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), are accepted as one of the possible causes of aging. Long-term caloric restriction (CR) is known to increase the species specific average and maximum life spans. Thus it provides a means for investigating mechanisms of aging. There is evidence suggesting a decrease in the free radical production with CR. In this study, Blue-Native PAGE (BN-PAGE) technique was used to investigate the effect of CR on the oxidative phosphorylation enzyme complexes. Of the total 30 female Swiss Albino balb/c mice, 15 were used as control and the other 15 as CR group. Alternate day feeding regimen was used in the CR group for 66 weeks beginning at the end of 3rd month. In the control group, 5 (33.3%) mice died, 3 (20%) of them of breast cancer, 2 (13.3%) of unknown causes and no death cases were observed in the CR group during the study. BN-PAGE was performed on the extracts from brain mitochondrial fractions. Complexes II and V were excluded from the study due to some analytical limitations. No difference was found in the levels of complexes I and III between the groups. In the CR group, complex IV level was found increased and the ratio of complex III-IV decreased compared with the control group. Since there is a slight increase (108%) in the level of complex IV in the CR group, our results could suggest possible partial compensation of electron leakage in the upstream complexes in ETC, and the decrease of free radical production with CR.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Electrophoretic evaluation of nasal discharge in patients with allergic rhinitis and vasomotor rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis and vasomotor rhinitis are two common diseases that have similar symptoms and physical findings. This study was designed to assess the efficacy of electrophoretic analysis of nasal discharge for the differential diagnosis of allergic rhinitis and vasomotor rhinitis. METHODS: Two different groups of patients with allergic rhinitis (n = 18) and with vasomotor rhinitis (n = 18) diagnosed by current methods and 10 healthy subjects as a control group were included in this study. Component analyses of proteins in nasal wash were made by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: The mean levels of total protein, 66-kDa proteins and 26-kDa proteins (277.2 +/- 9 microg/mL, 114.5 +/- 9 microg/mL, and 67.0 +/- 4 microg/mL, respectively), in nasal washing samples of patients with allergic rhinitis were found to be higher than in the samples, (222.0 +/- 6 microg/mL, 65.6 +/- 6 microg/mL, and 42.9 +/- 4 microg/mL respectively) obtained from patients with vasomotor rhinitis. The control group showed the lowest rate of these proteins (167.8 +/- 7 microg/mL 34.3 +/- 3 microg/mL, and 25.0 +/- 3 microg/mL, respectively). The differences between mean levels of these proteins in all groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that electrophoretic analysis of nasal discharge can be used for the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis and vasomotor rhinitis. However, further studies are needed to standardize the technique of nasal wash and to determine the range of proteins in nasal secretions that will confirm the diagnosis.

Adolescent↗