Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T Akoğlu.
We report a case of incomplete Behçet's syndrome with two major criteria plus interstitial pneumonia. The patient had also hypoplastic bone marrow and disseminated intravascular coagulation developed during the terminal stage.
Antibodies to 10-nm intermediate filaments (anti-IF) were determined in the sera of 30 patients with Behçet's disease (BD), in addition to C-reactive protein and C9, and an attempt has been made to determine whether the presence of anti-IF indicate disease activity. The vimentin type of anti-IF was found to be positive in 14 out of 30 patients with BD (47%), whereas it was positive in 35% of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (20 cases), 16% of the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (19 cases) and in only 9% of the normal controls. The anti-IF were predominantly IgG class and the titers in BD were significantly higher than those in normal controls. Out of the 14 patients with anti-IF, 10 showed significantly increased levels of serum C9 and 8 showed increased levels of CRP activity. Only one patient showed increased C9, but was negative for anti-IF and CRP. The presence of anti-IF in the patients' sera was found to be a more sensitive indicator, though not specific, for the clinical assessment of disease activity.
A total of 1,582 subjects from 10 villages of different ethnic populations were screened for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (GdB-, Mediterranean variant) and hemoglobin S gene, and the coincidence of both abnormalities was determined. Although the prevalence of both abnormalities was found to be highest in an Eti-Turk group living in the Tarsus area, coincidence was not significant. In a single village of Adana Eti-Turks, however, coincidence was found to be significant, although neither the frequency of G6PD deficiency nor the existence of hemoglobin S gene was highest in that village.
A 40-year-old man presented with palpable purpura and symmetrical polyarticular arthritis. Histological examination of the synovial membrane and fluid unexpectedly disclosed Strongyloides stercoralis infestation of the ankle joint.
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Erythrocyte membrane Na+/K+, Ca2+/Mg2+ and Mg2+ ATPase activities in addition to the calmodulin-activated Ca2+/Mg2+ ATPase enzyme were measured in both G6PD-deficient and normal individuals. Although all three membrane ATPase activities were somewhat higher in the G6PD-deficient erythrocytes, only activated Ca2+/Mg2+ ATPase activity was significantly increased. The effect of primaquine on the membrane ATPases was also compared with other ATPase inhibitors. Primaquine was ineffective on erythrocyte membrane ATPase in-vitro. However, sera containing primaquine metabolite(s) were inhibitory to Ca2+/Mg2+ and Mg2+ ATPase systems of only G6PD-deficient erythrocytes. Other ATPase inhibitors showed a similar inhibitory effect in G6PD-deficient and normal erythrocytes, indicating a specific influence of primaquine on ATPase system in G6PD deficiency. It is suggested that this effect of primaquine may be an additional factor for haemolysis observed in the people with GdB- type of G6PD deficiency among the Mediterranean populations.
Leucocyte migration inhibition (LMI) by paired samples of autologous serum and synovial fluid IgG as well as homologous IgG and also heat-aggregated forms of all three IgGs was studied for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and compared with the response to these antigens by leucocytes from healthy individuals. Autologous and homologous serum IgGs did not markedly affect leucocyte migration, whereas synovial fluid IgGs caused occasional pronounced LMI with autologous (rheumatoid) leucocytes. Although aggregated IgG produced LMI in both RA patients and controls, the means of the migration indexes were significantly different between both groups. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from RA patients and healthy controls were also cultured with both native rheumatoid and normal IgG; only supernatants from RA cells incubated with rheumatoid IgG showed LMI activity, in contrast to the other culture supernatants. These results indicate that LMI to native IgG in RA may represent a form of specific cell-mediated immunity, although LMI to aggregated IgG might be explained by non-specific factors.
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The prevalence of red cell G6PD deficiency was studied by a fluorescence screening test in 5 different ethnic populations of Cukurova province. Analyses were performed on samples from the parents of each family unit. The frequency of occurrence in the population was calculated using family trees. 4 551 subjects representing 17 225 offspring from 18 villages were screened and a high incidence of G6PD deficiency was found in the Arabic speaking ethnic groups from Adana (10.4%) and Anthiochus regions (8.1%), whereas the deficiency was only 3.1% in Armenians, 0.8% in mixed villages and 0.5% in Turcomans. This study reveals that the high frequency of this deficiency found in some ethnic populations must be taken into account prior to the treatment of malaria with primaquine.
Evaluation of chimeric status following allogenic BMT is an important tool for monitoring the replacement of host cells with donor cells and for determining the risk of relapse. Polymorphic DNA sequences can be used as powerful markers in identification of donor/recipient genotype differences, even between close relatives. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of three variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) loci and five single-locus polymorphisms (SLP) was used to identify chimerism in 40 recipient-donor pairs. Mixed chimerism was present in 11 patients, and complete chimerism in 29. This PCR method is a rapid and sensitive assay to detect engraftment and evaluate relapse potential, and thus is very useful in the clinical management of BMT patients.