We aimed to investigate changes in serum concentrations of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-gamma during the clinical course of active tuberculosis, to establish the presence of cellular immunity before and after treatment. Blood samples were taken from 18 patients with active tuberculosis before and 2 months after therapy; IL-2 and IFN-gamma concentrations were evaluated. The mean serum IL-2 concentration before therapy was 164.5 pg/ml (range 12-980 pg/ml) and the concentration 2 months after therapy was 92.11 pg/ml (range 1-490 pg/ml). The mean serum IFN-gamma concentrations were 10.83 pg/ml (range 1-22.2 pg/ml) and 4.64 pg/ml (range 1-28.5 pg/ml), respectively. The decrease in concentrations of both cytokines after therapy was statistically significant. Further studies investigating the benefits of adding cytokines to drug treatment for tuberculosis are needed.

Purpose: Helicobacter pylorus (HP) is a Gram-negative spiral-shaped microaerophilic bacterium, which colonizes in the gastric mucosa of humans. The gastric human pathogen HP causes chronic gastritis and ulcers, and has a strong relationship with gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to determine advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) levels, activities of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and catalase (CAT) in two groups. Materials and Methods: For this aim, one group included 30 patients with gastric cancer (Group 1) and the other included 30 subjects with non-gastric cancer and Anti-HP immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody positive (group 2). Anti-HP IgG antibody test values were found as positive in fifty percent of group 1 and all of the group 2 patients. Results: Significantly increased AOOP levels were found in group 1 (p < 0.05) compared to group 2. There were no significant differences between the groups in regard to activities of MPO and CAT. In addition, AOPP level, MPO and CAT activities were similar among the Anti-HP IgG positive and negative subgroups of group 1 patients. Conclusion: The result of this study indicated that gastric cancer patients were characterized by increased protein oxidation, whereas there was no significant difference in oxidative stress parameters and antioxidant enzyme activity between the Anti-HP IgG positive and negative gastric cancer patients.

The effect of the depletion of leucocytes from cardioplegic and initial myocardial reperfusion blood on the inflammatory response and myocardial protection in patients with unstable angina undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was studied. Patients were allocated randomly to a leucocyte-depleted (LD) group or a control group. The LD group received continuous retrograde LD isothermic blood cardioplegia and the control group received isothermic blood cardioplegia. Blood samples were collected at seven time-points before, during and after the procedure. Total leucocyte counts of cardioplegia blood in the LD group were significantly lower than in the control group, but systemic leucocyte and neutrophil counts after CPB did not differ between the groups. The levels of adhesion molecules, cytokines, elastase and malondialdehyde were significantly increased after CPB in both groups and reached peak values 2-6 h after surgery; no other significant differences were found. LD cardioplegia and myocardial reperfusion did not attenuate the endothelial and neutrophil-mediated components of the CPB-induced inflammatory response, which may lead to myocardial reperfusion injury.