Analysis of 89 biallelic polymorphisms in 523 Turkish Y chromosomes revealed 52 distinct haplotypes with considerable haplogroup substructure, as exemplified by their respective levels of accumulated diversity at ten short tandem repeat (STR) loci. The major components (haplogroups E3b, G, J, I, L, N, K2, and R1; 94.1%) are shared with European and neighboring Near Eastern populations and contrast with only a minor share of haplogroups related to Central Asian (C, Q and O; 3.4%), Indian (H, R2; 1.5%) and African (A, E3*, E3a; 1%) affinity. The expansion times for 20 haplogroup assemblages was estimated from associated STR diversity. This comprehensive characterization of Y-chromosome heritage addresses many multifaceted aspects of Anatolian prehistory, including: (1) the most frequent haplogroup, J, splits into two sub-clades, one of which (J2) shows decreasing variances with increasing latitude, compatible with a northward expansion; (2) haplogroups G1 and L show affinities with south Caucasus populations in their geographic distribution as well as STR motifs; (3) frequency of haplogroup I, which originated in Europe, declines with increasing longitude, indicating gene flow arriving from Europe; (4) conversely, haplogroup G2 radiates towards Europe; (5) haplogroup E3b3 displays a latitudinal correlation with decreasing frequency northward; (6) haplogroup R1b3 emanates from Turkey towards Southeast Europe and Caucasia and; (7) high resolution SNP analysis provides evidence of a detectable yet weak signal (<9%) of recent paternal gene flow from Central Asia. The variety of Turkish haplotypes is witness to Turkey being both an important source and recipient of gene flow.

SummaryThe earliest Neolithic sites of Europe are located in Crete and mainland Greece. A debate persists concerning whether these farmers originated in neighboring Anatolia and the role of maritime colonization. To address these issues 171 samples were collected from areas near three known early Neolithic settlements in Greece together with 193 samples from Crete. An analysis of Y-chromosome haplogroups determined that the samples from the Greek Neolithic sites showed strong affinity to Balkan data, while Crete shows affinity with central/Mediterranean Anatolia. Haplogroup J2b-M12 was frequent in Thessaly and Greek Macedonia while haplogroup J2a-M410 was scarce. Alternatively, Crete, like Anatolia showed a high frequency of J2a-M410 and a low frequency of J2b-M12. This dichotomy parallels archaeobotanical evidence, specifically that while bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is known from Neolithic Anatolia, Crete and southern Italy; it is absent from earliest Neolithic Greece. The expansion time of YSTR variation for haplogroup E3b1a2-V13, in the Peloponnese was consistent with an indigenous Mesolithic presence. In turn, two distinctive haplogroups, J2a1h-M319 and J2a1b1-M92, have demographic properties consistent with Bronze Age expansions in Crete, arguably from NW/W Anatolia and Syro-Palestine, while a later mainland (Mycenaean) contribution to Crete is indicated by relative frequencies of V13.

The cutaneous response to intradermal injection of monosodium urate crystals was investigated in 97 Urate crystal suspensions were injected intradermally into the flexor surface of the nonBarnes, S Yurdakul, S Atasoy, A Akcasu, dominant forearm. An equal volume of normal saline was injected into the opposite forearm. The pathergy test was also performed on the non-dominant forearm.4 The erythema which developed at each site was measured by weighing a paper template (using standard paper throughout) of the area at 24 and 48 hours after injection.9 The erythema was thus recorded as the weight of the paper in milligrams. Some patients and controls had erythrocyte sedimentation rate, total and differential leucocyte count, C reactive protein, and prealbumin concentrations estimated before and 24 and 48 hours after the urate injections. Body temperature was also recorded. STUDIES IN ENGLANDThe urate crystals were prepared by a similar method in Professor Dieppe's laboratory (Bristol, UK), and the same clinical methods were used. No haematological or biochemical tests were performed. ResultsNinety seven Turkish and 14 English patients with Behcet's syndrome, and 170 normal or diseased controls who gave informed consent to the investigation were studied. Table 1 shows the different quantities of urate crystals given by intradermal injection. STUDIES IN TURKEYInitially, 10 mg of urate crystals was injected intradermally into the forearm of 25 patients with Behcet's syndrome and 31 healthy controls. It was noted that at 48 hours the mean area of erythema in the patients was significantly greater than in controls (t=2 75, p<0-01), whereas they had been similar at 24 hours (figure). It was also found that the C reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate values before and after injection were significantly raised and the prealbumin concentrations depressed in patients compared with controls. Urate crystal injection was not associated with alterations in C reactive protein concentrations, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, white blood cell counts, or body temperature. Prealbumin concentrations both in female patients and female controls were affected at 24 hours, however. The mean (SD) baseline prealbumin concentrations of 185-0 (50-1)

Blood samples were obtained from 78 randomly selected, healthy, unrelated individuals from both sexes and were examined in order to estimate the allele and genotype frequencies of D1S80 locus. DNA was extracted using Chelex 100 extraction method (1). The amplification was carried out according to the instructions of AmpliFLP D1S80 PCR amplification kit (2). The PCR products were analyzed using a vertical denaturating polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The gels were silver stained. The statistical analysis was done by the gene count method and it revealed no significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg expectations. The complete data including the comparison with various Turkish and different populations (3) is available at http://istanbul.edu.tr/enstituler/ forensic/popgen-02.htm.