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Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether functional variants of Catechol-O-Methyltrans-ferase (COMT) (rs4680) and Cannabinoid Receptor 2 (CNR2) (rs2501432) genes play a role in tobacco use disor-der (TUD) or tobacco use disorder and schizophrenia (TUDSch) comorbidity. Methods: This study consisted of 163 participants with TUD, 60 participants with TUDSch, and 106 gender-, age- and ethnicity-matched non-smoker con-trols (HNC). While the TUD and TUDSch were diagnosed according to the DSM-5, the severity of TUD was rated according to the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence. Genotyping of COMT and CNR2 genes was determined using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method (PCR-RFLP). Results: Distributions of genotypes and allele frequencies were compared among the groups. Patients with TUDSch had higher frequency of COMT Val/Val genotype compared to the TUD and HNC groups (p=0.001, p=0.034, respect-tively). Patients with TUD had higher frequency of Val/Met genotype than TUDSch and HNC groups (p=0.001, p=0.033, respectively). The frequency of the Val allele was higher in TUDSch than the HNC group, whereas the frequency of the Met allele was higher in TUD than in the TUDSch group (p=0.047, p=0.001, respectively). Addi-tionally, patients with TUD had higher frequency of TT CNR2 genotype than the HNC group (p=0.019). Conclusion: While the Val/Val genotype of the COMT gene is associated with an increased risk for TUDSch, the Val/Met geno-type is associated with an increased risk for TUD. Additionally, the TT CNR2 genotype was associated with in-creased risk for TUD in the Turkish population.

Objective: Schizophrenia (Sch) and bipolar disorder (BD) are debilitating chronic psychiatric disorders that are both etiologically and clinically heterogeneous. According to the gathered evidence, multiple mental disorders are accompanied by inflammation. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), as a regulatory cytokine, is involved in the immune response as a proinflammatory mediator. Several critical physiological functions are regulated and governed by nitric oxide (NO) in the central nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the association between IFN-γ +874T/A and eNOS 894G/T variants and Sch or BD susceptibility. Methods: Blood samples were collected from patients and healthy subjects. IFN-γ +874T/A and eNOS 894G/T variants were genotyped with the PCR-RFLP. We evaluated the patients with some clinical parameters (the duration of the disorder, age of onset, number of hospitalizations, family history, tobacco smoking or drug, alcohol usage). Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS version. Results: When the genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the IFN-γ +874T/A and eNOS 894G/T in the patients diagnosed with Sch or BD were compared with the control group, there were not found to be significant differences between the groups. When comparing IFN-γ +874T/A and eNOS 894G/T genotype distributions and allele frequencies of Sch or BD patients due to clinical parameters, the genotype distribution of IFN-γ +874T/A in BD patients was significantly different between the groups due to the presence of tobacco smoking (OR: 0.217, 95%Cl: 0.054–0.878; p = 0.032). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that examines the association between the IFN-γ and eNOS gene variants and Sch or BD in a Turkish population. Although IFN-γ +874T/A and eNOS 894G/T variants are not considered as candidate genes for Sch or BD, the results indicated that the BD patients carrying IFN-γ +874T/A AA genotype were less susceptible to tobacco smoking in a Turkish population.

After repeated bacteremia attacks in 53-year-old female patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) under immunosuppressive treatment, Leuconostoc spp. is isolated from blood culture. Leuconostoc spp. is a vancomycin natural resistant Gram-positive bacterium common in nature. Although it is rarely isolated as an agent in infections, it causes various systemic infections especially in immunosuppressive patients. This case is presented for the first isolation of Leuconostoc spp., as an agent of bacteremia in our laboratory., İmmünsüpresif tedavi alan akut myelositik lösemili (AML) 53 yaşındaki kadın hastada tekrarlayan bakteriyemi atakları sonrasında, kan kültürü örneğinden Leuconostoc spp. izole edildi. Doğada yaygın olarak bulunan Leuconostoc spp. vankomisine doğal dirençli Gram pozitif bir bakteridir. Enfeksiyonlarda nadiren hastalık etkeni olarak soyutlansa da özellikle immünsüprese hastalarda çeşitli sistemik enfeksiyonlara neden olmaktadır. Bu olgu laboratuvarımızda ilk kez bakteriyemi etkeni olarak Leuconostoc spp izole edilmesinden dolayı sunulmuştur.