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Objectives. In our study we aimed to determine VDR gene polymorphisms in patients with Behçet’s disease (BD) and neuro-Behçet’s disease (NBD) in Turkish population. Methods. PBL obtained from 37 patients with BD, 21 patients with NB, and 30 healthy controls were investigated. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood using the QIAamp Blood Kit. VDR ApaI (rs7975232), VDR FokI (rs2228570), and VDR TaqI (rs731236) genotyping was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction with SimpleProbe melting-curve analysis. Results. The allelic and genotype distributions of FokI and TaqI polymorphisms were not different among Behçet’s disease, neuro-Behçet’s disease, and control subjects in Turkish population (p>0.05). Only the frequency of ApaI A allele in control is higher than that in BD (60% versus 38.5%), and the p value is 0.014, but the power is not enough to conclude that ApaI A allele is protective in BD in our study. Taken together, we found no significant differences between the BD, NBD, and control groups regarding the distribution of ApaI, TaqI, and FokI genotype and alleles frequencies. Conclusions. Future studies with larger patients’ numbers may show differences between VDR polymorphisms and Behçet’s disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. In our studywe aimed to determineVDR gene polymorphisms in patientswith Behc¸et’s disease (BD) and neuro-Behc¸et’s disease (NBD) in Turkish population. Methods. PBL obtained from37 patients with BD, 21 patients with NB, and 30 healthy controls were investigated. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood using the QIAamp Blood Kit. VDR ApaI (rs7975232), VDR FokI (rs2228570), and VDR TaqI (rs731236) genotyping was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction with SimpleProbe melting-curve analysis. Results. The allelic and genotype distributions of FokI and TaqI polymorphisms were not different among Behc¸et’s disease, neuro-Behc¸et’s disease, and control subjects in Turkish population (𝑝 > 0.05). Only the frequency of ApaI A allele in control is higher than that in BD (60% versus 38.5%), and the 𝑝 value is 0.014, but the power is not enough to conclude that ApaI A allele is protective in BD in our study. Taken together, we found no significant differences between the BD, NBD, and control groups regarding the distribution of ApaI, TaqI, and FokI genotype and alleles frequencies. Conclusions. Future studies with larger patients’ numbers may show differences between VDR polymorphisms and Behc¸et’s disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Biochemistry / Turk Biyokimya Dergisi is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Hematology is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Natural killer (NK) cells are essential members of innate immunity and they rapidly respond to a variety of insults via cytokine secretion and cytolytic activity. Effector functions of NK cells form an important first line of innate immunity against viral, bacterial and parasitic infections, as well as an important bridge for the activation of adaptive immune responses. The control of NK-cell activation and killing is now understood to be a highly complex system of diverse inhibitory and activatory receptor–ligand interactions, sensing changes in MHC expression. NK cells have a functional role in innate immunity as the primary source of NK-cell-derived immunoregulatory cytokines, which have been identified in target organs of patients suffering from autoimmune diseases, and play a critical role in early defense against infectious agents. This review focuses on recent research of NK cells, summarizing their potential immunoregulatory role in modulating autoimmunity and infectious diseases. INSET: Key issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences is the property of Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

T cell subgroups are known to play important roles in the pathogenesis of allergic and non-allergic asthma. In this study the expression of the surface markers including CD4, CD8, CCR3, CCR4, CXCR3 and intracytoplasmic cytokine (IFN-g, IL-4 and IL-10) profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in stimulated (PMA/ionomicin) and unstimulated conditions were investigated by flow cytometry. Stimulated Th cells increased their CXCR3+ IFN-g, CXCR3+ IL-4, CCR3+ IFN-g, CCR3+ IL-4, CCR3+ IL-10, CCR4+ IL-10 expressions in allergic asthma; but CXCR3+ IFN-g, CXCR3+ IL-4, CXCR3+ IL-10, CCR3+ IFN-g, CCR3+ IL-4 and CCR3+ IL-10 expression in non-allergic asthma. Cytotoxic T cells in allergic asthma expressed higher CCR3+ IFN-g, CCR3+ IL-4, CCR3+ IL-10, CCR4+ IL-4, CCR4+ IL-10 after stimulation. On the other hand CD8+ CXCR3+ IFN-g and CD8+ CXCR3+ IL-10 expressions increased in non-allergic asthma under the same stimulation. In our study T cells tended to elevate their intracellular cytokine levels in all study groups under both conditions. Comparing patients with allergic and non-allergic asthma, CCR3+ and CCR4+ Type 2 helper T cells produced higher amounts of IL-10 compared to Type 1 CD4+ CXCR3+ cells in allergic asthma. CD4+ CCR4+ cells expressed higher IFN-g and IL-10 levels without any stimulation in patients with allergic and non-allergic asthma respectively. In summary, our results indicate the role of T cells in the pathogenesis of allergic and non-allergic asthma, but also the complexity of the disease which can not be explained by using only the simple Th1/Th2 paradigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]