No abstract

While serum NSE, MBP, and S100B values cannot be considered as biomarkers for ASD, GFAP may be a biomarker and is suggested as a possible indicator of autism severity.

SUMMARYAlthough some information is available regarding immune activation in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), little is known about either peripheral blood T cell activation marker expression or the T cell proliferative response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the percentages of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, T cell expression of cellular activation markers (CD25, CD69, HLA-DR), the T cell response to PHA and serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and interleukin (IL)-10 in patients with FMF. Forty patients with FMF were enrolled into the study. Control groups were sex-and age-matched and consisted of 20 healthy blood donors and 15 patients with inactive Behçet's disease. The patients with FMF in an attack period had higher levels of sIL-2R than those in an attack-free period, and also in comparison with both control groups. The levels of sIL-2R were also found to be higher in patients with FMF in an attack-free period than those in both control groups. The mean levels of IL-10 were found to be lower in patients with FMF in an attack-free period than those in an attack period and were also lower than those in the healthy controls. In an acute attack period, the absolute counts of CD3 CD25+ and CD8 + CD69 + T cells in peripheral blood samples were also higher than those in both control groups. Both the percentages and absolute counts of CD4 + CD69+ T cells in peripheral blood samples of patients with FMF in an attack-free period were slightly but significantly higher than those in the healthy controls. In conclusion, our study indicates that the T cell system is abnormally activated in patients with FMF in both the attack and attack-free period and that decreased IL-10 levels may create a tendency to perpetuate subclinical immune activation in the attack-free period.

Objective: Kisspeptin levels have been reported in children with premature thelarche, precocious puberty and adolescent gynecomastia, but there are no reports on kisspeptin levels in the neonatal period. This study aimed to investigate plasma kisspeptin hormone levels in newborns with and without breast enlargement.Methods:Plasma kisspeptin levels and other related biochemical variables were investigated in this prospective study conducted on 40 (20 girls and 20 boys) newborn infants with breast enlargement and on 40 healthy control infants (20 girls and 20 boys). Two-milliliter venous blood samples were taken in hemogram tubes with K2EDTA. Kisspeptin assays were performed using the enzyme-immunoassay method.Results:Mean plasma kisspeptin levels were 0.6±0.2 ng/mL in the study group and 0.5±0.2 ng/mL in the control group. Plasma kisspeptin concentrations were significantly higher in the study group (p=0.039) and also showed a correlation with serum prolactin levels (p=0.006). Significant correlations were also determined between plasma kisspeptin and luteinizing hormone concentrations (p=0.05, r=0.312).Conclusion:The findings of this study suggest that plasma kisspeptin and serum prolactin levels may be involved in the physiopathology of breast enlargement in newborns.

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