The aim of this study was to assess the possible influence of genetic polymorphisms in hOGG1, XRCC1, XRCC3, XPD, XPG and APE1 on the observed DNA damage in a group of Turkish myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. A total of 39 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and 78 age-matched healthy control subjects were included in our study. Polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed for the detection of DNA repair gene variants. No significant differences in DNA repair enzymes APE1, XRCC1 and XPG were found between MDS patients and controls. On the other hand, XRCC3, XPD and hOGG1 were associated with an increased risk of MDS (p=0.004, p=0.000, p=0.017, respectively). Specifically, Thr/Met genotype was more relevant in patients (p=0.026) in XRCC3; in hOGG1, Cys+ genotype was found higher in patients (p=0.017); and in XPD, Gln/Gln genotypes were found higher in the patient (p=0.001). In conclusion, XRCC3, XPD and hOGG1 genotypes are associated with an increased MDS risk, suggesting their possible involvement in the pathogenesis and biology of this disease.

ÖzetAmaç:Bu çalışmanın amacı hipotiroidi ve hipertiroidi tanısı almış, ekokardiyografik ve klinik olarak herhangi bir kardiyak problemi bulunmayan hastalarda NT-proBNP düzeyinin erken dönem kardiyak disfonksiyonunun belirteci olarak kullanımını araştırmaktır. Yöntem: Hastanemizin İç Hastalıkları polikliniklerine başvuran tiroid hastalığı konmuş 13'ü erkek, 40'ı kadın toplam 53 hasta ile 40 sağlıklı kontrol çalışmaya dahil edildi. Çalışmaya alınan hastaların daha öncesine ait bilinen bir hastalık öyküsü yoktu ve yeni tanı almış aşikar hipotiroidi ve hipertiroidi hastalarıydı. Hasta ve kontrol gruplarının kan örneklerinde rutin biyokimyasal parametrelere, tiroid fonksiyon testlerine ve NT-proBNP düzeylerine bakıldı, elektrokardiyogram çekildi ve ekokardiyografi yapıldı. Bulgular: Çalışmaya alınan hastaların 28'inde hipotiroidi, 25'inde hipertiroidi mevcuttu. Hipotiroid grubun yaş ortalaması daha yüksekti. Hipertiroidi ve hipotiroidili hasta grubunda NTproBNP ortalaması kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı derecede yüksekti (p=0.019). Bu iki hasta grubu ayrı ayrı kontrol grubu ile karşılaştırıldığında NT-proBNP düzeyi hipotiroidili (p=0.0096) ve hipertiroidili (p=0.0415) hastalarda kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı olarak yüksek bulundu. Sonuç:Artmış NT-proBNP düzeyi kalp yetersizliği ve koroner arter hastalığında kötü prognozu gösteren önemli bir belirteçtir. Bu nedenle artmış NT-proBNP düzeyi aşikar hipotiroidi ve hipertiroidisi olan hastalarda erken dönem kardiyak disfonksiyonu belirlemede değerli bir belirteç olabilir. Abs tractAim: The aim of this study was to investigate N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as a marker of early cardiac dysfunction in patients with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism without any clinical and echocardiographic cardiac problem. Methods:A total of 53 patients (13 male and 40 female), who were newly diagnosed with thyroid disease and 40 healthy controls who attended our internal medicine outpatient clinic, were included in the study. The patients had no history of any disease and, all of them were with newly diagnosed overt hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Routine biochemical tests, and thyroid function tests were done and NT-proBNP levels were measured. Electrocardiograms and echocardiograms were performed. Results: There were 28 patients with hypothyroidsm and 25 patients with hyperthyroidism in the study group. The mean age of hypothyroidism group was higher than that of hyperthyroidism group. The mean NT-proBNP levels were significantly higher in the patient group when compared to the control group (p=0.019). When the two groups of patients were compared with the control group separately, the level of NT-proBNP was significantly higher in hypothyroidism group (p=0.0096) and hyperthyroidism group (p=0.0415). Conclusion: Elevated NT-proBNP levels are an important marker that suggests worse prognosis in heart failure and coronary artery disease. Elevated serum NT-proBNP levels might be a valuable marker to detect early cardiac dysfunction in patients with overt hypothyroidism ...

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Aim: Cardiac fibrosis, a pathological phenomenon in cardiac remodeling, is associated with heart diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of Galectin-3 with N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) levels in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: A total of 50 patients with HF (patient group) and 30 subjects with normal ejection fractions (control group) were enrolled in this study. Serum galectin-3 levels and plasma NT-pro-BNP were measured in all subjects. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded. The Galectin-3 and NT-pro-BNP levels were compared between the groups. Results: Patients with HF had significantly higher Galectin-3 and NT-pro-BNP levels than control subjects (37.5 (18.0-80.0) versus 12.00 (8.00-14.00), P<0.001; 467.0 (1157.5-5107.2) versus 50.0 (35.0-102.0), P<0.001, respectively). Galectin-3 was correlated with serum glucose, creatine, left atrial diameter, ejection fraction and NT-pro-BNP in the HF patients. There was a positive and significant correlation between the NT-pro-BNP and Galectin-3 levels (r=0.742, P=0.001). In addition, there was an inverse and significant correlation between the ejection fraction and Galectin-3 levels (r=-0.556, P=0.001). Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that galectin-3 and NT-pro-BNP levels are significantly higher in patients with systolic HF. Galectin-3 was positively and significantly correlated with the NT-pro-BNP and inversely correlated with ejection fraction.

Aim: Fetuin-A is a natural inhibitor of tyrosine kinase activity and autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor. It is thought that fetuin-A plays an essential role in adjusting postprandial glucose level plays, insulin sensitivity, weight gain, and fat accumulation. In this study, we investigated the effect of insulin use on fetuin-A level in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus. Also compared fetuin-a levels between healthy individuals and type 2 diabetes patients. Material and Methods:The cross-sectional study was performed between May 2013 and July 2013. Sixty-nine patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (37.7% oral antidiabetic agents and 62.3% insulin users) and 20 healthy individuals were included in the study. Diabetic group was divided into two subgroups as insulin group and oral antidiabetic agent group. We studied fetuin-A levels in these individuals. Additionally, we compared other biochemical parameters as ALT, AST, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, VLDL, triglycerides, urea and creatinine in the diabetic group and control group as well diabetic year in subgroups of the diabetic group. Results:The mean age in the diabetic group was significantly higher than the control group (54.97 ± 6.13 and 49.95 ± 8.82, respectively, p=0.025). ALT levels in the diabetic group were higher than the control group (p=0.018), but there was no statically significant difference between the two groups in terms of other biochemical parameters (p>0.05). Fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels in the insulin group were significantly higher than the oral antidiabetic agent group (p=0.004 and p<0.001, respectively). Additionally, the diabetic year in insulin group was significantly higher in the insulin group than the oral antidiabetic agent group (p<0.001). The mean fetuin-A level was 65.5 ± 27.8 ng/mL in the control group and 86.3 ± 26.1 ng/mL in the diabetic group, as well fetuin-A levels were significantly lower in the control group than the diabetic group (p=0.003). Besides, the mean fetuin-A level was 88.6 ± 23.3 ng/mL in the oral antidiabetic agent group and 84.8 ± 27.8 ng/mL in the insulin group, but it was not statistically significant (p=0.570).