In order to characterize human colorectal cancer, much attention has been paid to enzyme studies. However, little is known about the correlation between the levels of key enzymes of purine nucleotide pathway and some clinical and biological indicators of tumor invasiveness and aggressiveness. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) and 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT) were measured in cancerous and cancer-free adjacent large bowel tissues from 38 patients with colorectal carcinoma. We have analyzed the relationship between the enzyme levels and some clinical and pathological parameters. The enzymes' activities were markedly higher in primary tumors than in corresponding normal mucosae. The ADA level in tumor tissue was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, histologic type, tumor location, and patient's age, whereas the 5'-NT level showed a significant correlation with tumor grade and tumor location. ADA activity in tumor tissues was significantly higher in patients whose clinical course remained stable than in those with recurrent diseases. The purine metabolism and salvage pathway activity of purine nucleotides are accelerated in the cancerous human colorectal tissue. Although our findings suggest that these enzymes' activities are most likely related to the same histomorphological architecture of the tumor, the authors believe that long-term follow-up studies are needed to evaluate the prognostic value of purine enzymes for colorectal cancer.

W e read with great interest the report by Casella et al. 1 regarding the levels of urokinase (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) in urine from patients with bladder carcinoma. The authors concluded that enhanced levels of uPA and uPAR are present in patients with transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder but that only uPA levels are risk-related. To our knowledge, we were the first to report that suPAR, the soluble form of uPAR, is present in urine and that the measurement of suPAR in urine from patients with malignant disease may have clinical significance. 2 In that study, we demonstrated that in contrast to serum levels, urine levels of suPAR fluctuate considerably across multiple samplings. In fact, fivefold disparities in these levels between samples obtained from the same individual within 6 hours of each other were not uncommon. We also demonstrated that the ratio of urine suPAR concentration to urine creatinine concentration was considerably more stable, even over extended periods (i.e., on the order of 1 month). These findings were confirmed in subsequent studies. 3 Therefore, we would like to express our concern regarding the validity of the suPAR concentration data used in the study performed by Casella and colleagues. REFERENCES1. Casella R, Shariat SF, Monoski MA, Lerner SP. Urinary levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its receptor in the detection of bladder carcinoma. Cancer. 2002;95:2494 -2499

Plants have been used for many purposes in different communities. Plants used in alternative medicine since ancient times have been the main material in the treatment of many diseases. In this context, it is very important to determine the biological potential of plants. In our study, total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index and DPPH free radical scavenging activity of Euphorbia eriophora Boiss. were determined. The aerial parts of the plant were extracted with ethanol in a Soxhlet device. TAS, TOS and OSI values of the plant extract were determined using Rel Assay kits. In addition, the free radical scavenging activity of the plant extract was measured by the DPPH method. As a result of the studies, the TAS value of the plant extract was 5.390±0.227, the TOS value was 20.971±0.348, and the OSI value was 0.390±0.014. The DPPH activity of the plant extract was determined to have an inhibition value of 68.721±1.694% at 2 mg/mL concentration. As a result, in our study, it was determined that E. eriophora has antioxidant potential and can be used as a natural antioxidant agent in this context.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the primary staging of gastric cancer in the comparison of ceCT as routine staging method and evaluate influencing parameters of 18F-FDG uptake. Methods: Thirty-one patients (mean age: 58.9±12.6) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT for primary staging of gastric cancer between June 2011 and June 2012 were included to the study. 18F-FDG PET/CT findings were compared with pathological reports in patients who underwent surgery following PET/CT. 18F-FDG PET/CT findings of primary lesions, lymph nodes and adjacent organs were compared with ceCT findings and pathological reports. Since 6 patients were accepted as inoperable according to 18F-FDG PET/CT and/or ceCT and/or laparotomy and/or laparoscopy findings, pathological confirmation could not be possible. Results: In the postoperative TNM staging of patients, while 1 (4%), 1 (4%), 4 (16%), 2 (8%), 12 (48%) and 5 (20%) patients were staged as T0, Tis, T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively, 8 (32%), 6 (24%), 6 (24%) and 5 (20%) patients were N0, N1, N2 and N3 respectively. 18F-FDG PET/CT was totally normal in 2 patients. While primary tumors were FDG avid in 27 patients, in 17 and 6 patients FDG uptake was observed in perigastric lymph nodes and distant organs, respectively. Mean SUVmax of FDG avid tumors was calculated as 13.49±9.29 (3.00-44.60). However, SUVmax of lymph nodes was computed as 9.28±6.92 (2.80-29.10). According to sub-analysis of histopathological subtypes of primary tumors, SUVmax of adenocarsinomas was calculated as 15.16 (3.00-44.60), of signet ring cells as 9.90 (5.50-17.70), of adenocarcinomas with signet ring cell component as 11.27 (6.20-13.90) (p=0.721). In the comparison with histopathological examination while ceCT was TP, TN, FN in 23, 1 and 1 patients, 18F-FDG PET/CT was TP, FP, FN in 20, 1 and 4 patients, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPD and NPV of ceCT in the detection of lymph node metastasis was calculated as 83.3%, 75%, 80%, 87.5% and 66.6%, respectively. These parameters for 18F-FDG PET/CT were 64.7%, 100%, 76%, 100% and 57.1%.Conclusion: Despite lower sensitivity than ceCT, diagnostic power of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the preoperative staging of gastric cancer is acceptable. Because of its high PPV, it might be beneficial in the evaluation of patients with suspected lymph nodes. The role of 18F-FDG PET/CT seems to be limited in the early stage and signet ring cell carcinomas due to lower 18F-FDG uptake.

Several mushroom species are consumed by collecting from the nature or in cultured form for their nutritional and medical characteristics. The objective of the present study is to determine antioxidant activities, DNA-protective activities, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress indices (OSI) and Fe, Mg, Zn, Cu, Na and Ca content in Auricularia auricula (L.) Underw. and Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd mushroom species. Mushroom ethanol extracts were obtained and antioxidant activities with DPPH method, TAS, TOS and OSI values with Rel Assay Diagnostics kits, and DNA protective activities using pBR322 supercoil DNA were identified. Furthermore, Fe, Mg, Zn, Cu, Na and Ca contents were determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometer. It was determined that antioxidant potential of mushroom ethanol extracts were low compared to the standard and they did not have DNAprotective activities. It was also observed that the mushrooms have variable element content, and have similar TAS, TOS and OSI levels. High OSI values found in both mushroom species showed that these mushroom are unhealthy. Thus, it was recommended to demonstrate caution in consumption of mushrooms collected in these regions. However, it was also considered that the mushroom samples collected from regions with adequate OSI values could be used as antioxidant. IntroductıonThe usage of various foods and natural products for therapeutic purposes has a long history [1]. Since early times, mushrooms have been an important nutrient for humans and have had significant medical values [2,3]. The number of mushroom species is estimated to be around 140,000 and only 10% of these (about 14,000) have been designated [4]. Today, along with the increase in molecular studies, their use in biological warfare as well as in the production of antibiotic and other pharmacological products has increased [5]. In addition to immune system booster, antitumor, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-mutagenic effects, it is also known that mushrooms are effective in prevention and treatment of diseases such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia [6][7][8]. Macro-fungi are a significant nutritional supplement for humans. However, several fungus species accumulate both important nutritional elements and heavy metals in their fruit bodies [9]. Although living organisms need certain elements such as iron, cobalt, copper, manganese, chrome and zinc in trace amounts, excessive amounts of these elements create toxic effects on these living organisms [10]. Thus, regardless of the purpose of it's use, it is of utmost importance to determine metal concentrations in the mushrooms before consumption.Oxidative stress occurs as a result of the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defense produced in living organisms [11]. ROS are highly reactive O 2 metabolites that include superoxideradical, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical. The ROS causes considerable injury to DNA, protein and lipid and it is claimed that this in...