Crimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick‐borne disease caused by the arbovirus Crimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV). The CCHFV has a single‐stranded RNA genome of negative sense. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key players in virus‐host interactions and viral pathogenesis. We investigated the miRNA gene expression profiles in patients with CCHF using microarray for the first time in the world. Microarray analysis was performed using mirBase Ver 21 (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA). All statistical analyses were performed across the case‐control, fatal‐control, and fatal‐nonfatal case groups using Genespring (Ver 3.0). Fifteen miRNAs were statistical significant in patients with CCHF compared with the controls (5 were upregulated, 10 were downregulated). Seventy‐five and sixty‐six miRNAs are in fatal compared with control and nonfatal case, respectively (fold change ([FC] ≥50) were statistically significant. In this study, the target genes of important miRNAs were identified and Gene Ontology analyses were performed across all groups. As a result of this study, we propose that the detection of miRNAs in patients with CCHF will allow the determination of therapeutic targets in diseases. CCHF is an important public health problem that can often be fatal. In this study, we investigated miRNA expression in case‐control, fatal‐control, and fatal‐nonfatal case groups. Significant miRNAs associated with fatality were detected in CCHF. This study will serve as a source of data for the development of an antagomir‐based therapy against CCHF using miRNAs in the future.

Aim: Identification of microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with atherosclerosis may unravel novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers. We studied miRNAs differentially expressed between coronary atherosclerotic plaques (CAP) and healthy arteries. Materials & methods: Paired CAP and internal mammary arteries (IMA) were collected from 14 coronary artery disease patients. The miRNA profiles between diseased (CAP) and healthy (IMA) tissues were compared using microarrays and quantitative PCR. Results: Thirty-one miRNAs were differentially expressed between CAP and IMA. Among these, miR-486-5p showed a high level of regulation (12-fold), had predicted interactions with atherosclerosis-associated genes and correlated with triglyceride levels and arterial stenosis. Regulation of miR-486-5p was validated by PCR (p = 0.004). Conclusion: The miRNAs are regulated in the atherosclerotic plaque. We highlight miR-486-5p whose role in atherosclerosis requires further investigation.

Coronary artery disease (CAD), which is now regarded as a chronic inflammatory disease, is the leading cause of death worldwide. Nuclear factor (NF)-jB is a transcription factor that plays an important role in the regulation of the immune system. NF-jBIA is the inhibitory version of NF-jB. This study is the first investigation of the association between CAD and NF-jBIA-297 C/T, -826 C/T, -881 A/G polymorphisms in a Turkish population using PCR-RFLP method. The study population comprised 201 cases with CAD and 201 healthy controls. There was no significant difference in NF-jB1A-297 C/T and -881 A/ G in allele and genotype frequencies between case and control populations. The genotype frequency of NF-jBIA-826TT in the patients with CAD was significantly higher than that of the controls (p = 0.015, adjusted OR = 7.09, 95% CI = 1.95-25.70). The patients with CAD also had significantly higher carriage rate of NF-jBIA-826T allele than the controls (p = 0.03, OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.03-1.99). Linkage analysis indicated a close linkage among these three variants of NF-jBIA (for case, v 2 = 85.35 and p < 0.001; for control, v 2 = 21.58 p < 0.001) and TTG, TTA and TCG haplotypes were associated with CAD (adjusted OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 0.88-7.27; p = 0.001, adjusted OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 0.64-4.02; p = 0.04, adjusted OR = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.01-0.

Background: The role of biomarkers for prognostication and diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) is increasing. It has been reported that pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) can be used as a proatherosclerotic marker. The present study was aimed to evaluate whether PAPP-A levels are helpful in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with suspected PE. Methods: 53 consecutive patients evaluated for suspected PE were prospectively enrolled in the study. Serum PAPP-A levels were measured in the blood samples which were taken at admission. Multi-slice computed tomographic angiography was used to verify the diagnosis of PE. Results: PE was detected in 24 out of the 53 patients, while it was excluded in 29 patients by thorax multi-detector computerized tomography scan. No significant difference was detected in mean serum PAPP-A level between groups (5.72 ± 0.31 mg/L vs. 5.67 ± 0.06 mg/L, respectively). Conclusions: Serum PAPP-A level has no role in the evaluation for PE.

Aim. According to our knowledge, there is no definition for the normal choroid plexus (CP) size with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the normal CP size in the adult population. The data for normal size may help to evaluate the early diagnosis of CP pathologies. Methods. The measurements were obtained retrospectively from 380 MRIs. The thickness of CP was evaluated in eight locations from different two planes for each study. The exclusion criterions were; absent or inadequate demonstration of CP and the existence of CP pathologies. Means and ranges of CP thickness were evaluated in different gender, age groups and also in general population. Comparisons were made between genders, age groups and between the thickness from left and right. Results. The mean CP thickness was found 2.22 mm, 4.63 mm and 1.95 mm in body, atrium of lateral ventricles and in fourth ventricles respectively. There was no significative difference between gender and the thickness from left and right. Conclusion. Various CP pathologies can occur in adults. To know the normal CP size may help to early diagnosis of CP pathologies that can be very important.Keywords: Brain, Choroid plexus size, magnetic resonance imaging Özet Amaç. Bizim bilgimize göre erişkinlerde magnetik rezonans görüntüleme (MRG) ile normal koroid pleksus (KP) boyut tanımı yoktur. Bu çalışmanın amacı erişkin popülasyonda normal boyutun değerlendirilmesidir. Bu normal boyut verileri KP patolojilerinin erken tanısına yardımcı olabilir. Yöntem. Ölçümler retrospektif olarak 380 MRG' den elde edildi. KP kalınlığı her çalışmada iki ayrı planda 8 lokalizasyonda değerlendirildi. Dışlama kriterleri; KP'nin görüntülenememesi veya yetersiz görüntülenmesi ve KP patolojilerinin bulunmasıydı. KP kalınlığının ortalaması ve dağılımı farklı cinsiyet ve yaş gruplarında ve aynı zamanda genel populasyonda değerlendirildi. Cinsiyet, yaş grupları ve sağ, sol kalınlıklar arası karşılaştırmalar yapıldı. Bulgular. Ortalama KP kalınlığı lateral ventrikül korpusu, atriumu ve dördüncü ventrikülde sırasıyla 2.22 mm, 4.63 mm ve 1.95 mm olarak bulundu. Cinsiyet ile sağda ve solda kalınlıklar arası anlamlı farklılık yoktu. Sonuç. Erişkinlerde çeşitli KP patolojileri görülebilir. Normal KP boyutunu bilme, çok önemli olabilen KP patolojilerinin erken tanısına yardım edebilir.Anahtar sözcükler: Beyin, Koroid pleksus boyutu, magnetik rezonans görüntüleme Geliş tarihi