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Febrile neutropenia (FEN) was reported in patients with solid malignancies at a rate of 5-10% and in patients with hematological malignancies at a rate of 20-25%. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effects of mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) (rs1800450) and suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS1) (rs33989964) gene variants on patients with FEN.A total of 123 patients who applied to pediatric emergency department between December 2019-12/2020 included in the study. Thirteen patients were excluded from the study due to the inability to obtain DNA. Demographic-clinical features at initial diagnosis and genotype distributions were recorded. The control group consisted of volunteers with the same ethnicity, age and gender, no active infection, and no consanguinity.CA/CA genotype of SOCS1 was found to be significantly higher in the healthy control group (p = 0.028). AB/BB genotype of MBL2 was significantly higher in FEN patients with a MASCC score of high risk, AA genotype was found to be higher in patients with low risk (p = 0.001). While the rate of microbiologically documented infection (MDI) was significantly lower in patients with the AA genotype of MBL2, it was significantly higher in patients with AA/BB genotypes (p = 0.025). MDI rate in patients with the del/del genotype of SOCS1 was found to be significantly lower than in patients with CA/CA + CA/del genotypes (p = 0.026).In this study, it was revealed that low expression-related MBL2 genotypes were riskier for FEN and also, gene variants associated with high SOCS1 transcription were both protective against FEN and increased the rate of culture-negativity.

Background Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare disease presenting with variable and various clinical findings. PNH might be overlooked and diagnosis may be delayed due to low awareness about PNH. This is the first multicenter study in Turkey, investigating the efficiency of diagnostic screening of PNH by multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM) according to consensus guidelines. Methods We evaluate the efficiency of consensus clinical indications for PNH testing with FCM in 1689peripheral blood samples from 20 centers between January 2014 and December 2017. Results Overall, at the 20 centers contributing to this study, PNH clone were detected in 62/1689 samples (3.6%) by FCM test. 75.8% (n = 47) of patients with PNH clone had aplastic anemia, 3.2% (n = 2) had Coombs (-) hemolytic anemia, 6.5% (n = 4) had unexplained cytopenia, 3.2% (n = 2) had MDS with refractory anemia, 1.6% (n = 1) had hemoglobinuria and 9.7% (n = 6) had others (elevated LDH, splenomegaly, etc.). In contrast, we detect no PNH clone test in patients who were screened for unexplained thrombosis. Conclusions Our study showed that current clinical indications for PNH testing are highly efficient and diagnostic screening of suspected patients for PNH with FCM is recommended. However, advanced screening algorithms are required for patients presenting with unexplained thrombosis and normal complete blood count.

The IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra or IL-1RN) is a member of the IL-1 superfamily that functions as a competitive antagonist of the cell surface IL-1 receptor, thereby regulating various immune and inflammatory responses related to IL-1. IL-1 induces tumor growth and metastasis, while IL-1RN inhibits the secretion of IL-1α and IL-6 in cancer cells. Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a potent anti-inflammatory cytokine, can be secreted by many types of immune cells. In this study, it was aimed to reveal the effects of IL-1RN and IL-4 VNTR polymorphisms on disease development and survival in patients with multiple myeloma (MM).In this study, 244 patients diagnosed with MM in hematology clinic between January 2010 and January 2021, and 179 healthy individuals were included. The genotypes of the IL-1RN VNTR polymorphism were statistically compared before treatment between patients having undergone stem cell transplantation and healthy controls, as were the genotypes of IL-4 VNTR polymorphism. Additionally, the statistically significant effects of these genotypes on survival were examined.In the statistical analysis of the distribution of IL-1RN VNTR gene variants, 1/3 and 1/4 genotypes were found to be significantly higher in patients with MM compared to the healthy controls (p = 0.035). There was no significant difference between the MM patient group and the healthy controls in terms of IL-4 VNTR genotype distribution. PFS of patients with IL-1RN VNTR non-2-allele carrier genotypes was significantly shorter, but no significant effect was found on OS (p = 0.03, p = 0.786, respectively). Patients with IL-1RN VNTR non-2-allele carrier genotypes had 1.718-fold increased risk of shorter PFS.In conclusion, with this study, the effects of IL-1RN VNTR and IL-4 VNTR polymorphisms on MM were evaluated for the first time in the literature. This study will shed light on ones on cytokine-MM relationship and epigenetic mechanisms.

Context The AETHERA trial reported an increased progression-free survival (PFS) when brentuximab vedotin (BV) was used as maintenance therapy in high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Objective To determine the impact and safety of BV as maintenance after ASCT in real-world patients. Design Patients with relapsed/refractory HL started on BV consolidation therapy after ASCT due to high risk of relapse, between January 2016 and July 2019, from 25 institutions, were retrospectively analyzed. Setting All patients were followed by the bone marrow transplantation team of their hospital. Patients or Other Participants Seventy-five patients were included in the study. The median follow-up time was 26 months. The most common high-risk features were primary refractory or relapsed disease Interventions BV consolidation was initiated within 6 months of ASCT and administered at a dose of 1.8 mg/kg intravenous infusion over 30 min every 3 weeks for up to 16 cycles in an outpatient setting. Main Outcome Features The primary endpoint of the study was PFS; secondary endpoints were safety and overall survival (OS). Results At the time of analysis, 42 patients completed consolidation courses, and BV was discontinued in 33 patients. Fifty patients had an ongoing response (CR in 41, PR in six, and SD in three patients), 25 had progressed. Ten died in the follow-up, eight with progressive disease and two due to infection while in CR. The 2-years PFS and OS rates were 67.75% (95% CI:0.55–0.77) and 87.61% (95% CI:0.76–0.94), respectively. Seventeen patients (23%) received BV in the pre-ASCT treatment lines, and there was no survival difference between the BV naive and BV exposed groups. The most common adverse events were neutropenia (27%) and peripheral neuropathy (21%). Sixteen patients (21.3%) experienced grade 3 or 4 toxicity. BV was discontinued due to AE in 12 patients. Conclusions Consolidation with BV after ASCT can achieve a 2-year PFS of 67.75% (95% CI: 0.55–0.75) with an acceptable toxicity profile.

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) is a potentially life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We retrospectively evaluated the incidence, risk factors, treatment and survival for HSOS after allo-HSCT in Turkey. We also reported our experience of defibrotide (DF) for HSOS prophylaxis in high-risk (HR) patients. Across Turkey, 1153 patients from 10 centers were enrolled in the study. We evaluated the medical records of patients who were treated with allo-SCT between January 2012 and December 2015. The study included 1153 patients (687 males/466 females) with median age of 38 (15?71) years. The incidence of HSOS was 7.5 % (n = 86). The incidences of HSOS in the HR/DF+, HR/DF- and standard risk (SR) group were 8%, 66.7 % and 6.2 %, respectively. The rate of HSOS development was not statistically different between HR/DF + and SR group (p = 0.237). HSOS prophylaxis (defibrotide) was significantly decreased HSOS-related mortality (p = 0.004). The incidence of HSOS was found similar to literature in this large Turkish cohort. Defibrotide prophylaxis appears to be associated with low incidence of HSOS development and reduced HSOS-related mortality. Although these results are promising, future studies are needed to support the efficacy of defibrotide prophylaxis in patients with risk of HSOS. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd, We thank to Raika Durusoy for statistical analysis and data interpretation.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of science and technology course integrated with cartoons on students’ achievement and attitudes. Design of this study is pre-test, post-test experimental design. The sample of this study is 64 seventh grade students (control group=32, experimental group=32) in one of the public elementary school in Isparta. Children’s attitude towards the environment and knowledge scale developed by Leeming and Dwyer(1995) was applied to both of the groups before and after application. Paired sample t test results showed all significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores for both experimental and control group with respect to attitude and achievement. When post test scores of experimental and control group were compared, results revealed statistically significant difference between experimental and control group with respect to achievement(p=.00) and attitude(p=.00). As a conclusion, using cartoons in science courses, increases the academic achievement and provides contribution to their attitudes.

Background: We analyzed the relationship between matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, -7, and -13 gene expression and polymorphisms and disease susceptibility and prognosis in patients who had undergone surgery for nonesmall-cell lung cancers. Materials and methods: The study group consisted of 132 patients who had undergone radical surgery for nonesmall-cell lung cancers. The control group consisted of 80 healthy volunteers. We isolated deoxyribonuclease samples for use in analyzing gene polymorphisms from pathology blocks for the patient group and from blood samples for the control group. We identified MMP gene polymorphisms with polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Results were compared with those of the control group to evaluate disease susceptibility, correlation with other clinical parameters, and with survival and prognosis by using appropriate statistical methods. Results: When we compared polymorphisms pertaining to MMP genes in healthy controls and lung tumor DNA, we observed a decrease in the MMP-2 (� 735) polymorphism GG genotype and increases in the MMP-13 (A77G) polymorphism AG and GG genotypes (P ¼ 0.008, P ¼ 0.047, and P ¼ 0.047, respectively). For the MMP-7 (� 181) polymorphism, the genotype did not differ significantly for disease susceptibility. Median overall survival time was 25.5 mo in the MMP-13 AA/AG genotypes and 9.3 mo in the GG genotype. Conclusions: Decreases in the MMP-2 (� 735) polymorphism GG genotype and increases in the MMP-13 (A77G) polymorphism AG and GG genotypes increase the risk for lung cancer. Furthermore, the presence of the MMP-13 (A77G) polymorphism GG genotype is an unfavorable prognostic factor.

Highlights • Epidermal cysts can be located in any part of the body, though mainly on the face, torso, extremities and scalp, but they are rarely localized on the vulva. • Most of the vulvar epidermal cysts described so far have been localized on the clitoris; and circumcision procedures and trauma have been demonstrated as underlying causes. • Our patient, had not been previously exposed to trauma or undergone any surgical intervention. • Vulvar epidermal cyst should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vulvar mass., Introduction Epidermoid cysts can occur in a variety of locations including face, trunk, neck, extremities and scalp. Up to now, those vulvar epidermal cysts reported in the literature were localized on the labia majora and the clitoris. This is the first case of epidermal cyst reported on the labia minora. Presentation of case A 47-year-old, multiparous woman presented with a history of a palpable vulvar mass, without pain but causing difficulty in walking. The large mass was 6 cm in diameter and located in the left labium minus. The labial mass was surgically removed. The final pathologic diagnosis was a vulvar epidermoid cyst. The patient was discharged from hospital without any complications. Discussion Total surgical excision of the mass is more appropriate for definitive histopathological diagnosis and for the prevention of future development of complications. MRI is very important in the localization of the mass and relationship with other tissues regarding treatment planning of larger vulvar masses. Conclusion Epidermal cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a vulvar mass.

European Biotechnology Congress -- APR 26-28, 2018 -- Athens, GREECE WOS: 000454825900063 Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder. Micro RNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNA molecules, can function as either oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Altered miRNA expression has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases. Therefore, we aimed to explore the effects of miR-196a2 T/C (rs11614913) variant profile on susceptibility to AS in a Turkish population. Blood samples were collected from 78 AS patients and 79 controls.

Autologous peripheral blood stem cells transplantation (PBSCT) is a therapeutic option which can be used in various hematological neoplastic disorders; and it can prolong disease free survival and total survival and at times it may be curative. In this study, we investigated variables influencing PBSCT in 91 patients who had undergone PBSCT between 1998 and 2002 in our center, retrospectively. PBSC collection was performed after mobilization with G-CSF or chemotherapy plus growth factor. Only high dose chemotherapy was used for conditioning regimes. The median number of CD34+ was 11.5 x 10(6)/kg. Posttransplant neutrophil engraftment (>500/microL) was requiring a median of 10 days, it was 13 days for platelet engraftment (>20,000/microL). For neutrophil and platelet engraftment, we investigated; sex, age, diagnosis and CD34+ cells, the time interval between diagnosis and transplantation, number of apheresis, conditioning regime, growth factor initiation day as independent variables. In univariate analysis CD34+ cell number (>10 x 10(6)/kg), time interval more than one year between diagnosis and transplantation and BEAM conditioning was found to be significant for neutrophil engraftment. But in multivariate analysis none of them was found to be significant. For platelet engraftment in univariate analysis CD34+ cell number (>7 x 10(6)/kg), primary diagnosis of multiple myeloma initiation day of growth factor (>2 day) was found to be significant. In multivariate analyses only CD34+ cell count was found to be significant (p=0.005). In conclusion, as in previous studies we found that the only predictor of engraftment kinetics was CD34+ cell count.

WOS: 000230188000007, PubMed ID: 15888380

Sorption of metal ions from aqueous solution onto metal-ligand complexes of sporopollenin derivatives has been measured as a function of pH at several temperatures between 20 and 50°C. Novel metal-ligand exchange resins possessing oxime and carboxylic acid sidearm functionality were prepared through the reaction of diaminosporopollenin with dichloro-antiglyoxime and bromoacetic acid. The pH dependencies and sorption isotherms of various metal ions such as Zn(II), Cd(II), and Al(III) on the resin were investigated from aqueous solution. The sorption behavior of these metal-ligand complexes of sporopollenin derivatives and the possibilities of selectively removing and recovering heavy metals are explained on the basis of their chemical nature and complex properties and the results are interpreted in terms of the variations of pH.

Studies have been conducted on the sorption of several heavy metal ions Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Al(III) from aqueous solutions on the new chelating exchangers of sporopollenin (Lycopodium clavatum) as a function of pH at several temperatures between 20 and 50°C. The novel metal-ligand exchange resins possessing oxime and carboxylic acid side arm functionality were prepared through the reaction of diaminosporopollenin with dichloroantiglyoxime and bromoacetic acid. The sorption of all metals increased considerably in the range of pH 6–10 and was observed in sequence as: Cu ≥ Ni > Zn > Cd > Al for carboxylated-diaminoethyl-sporopollenin (DAEC) and Ni ≥ Cu > Zn > Cd > Al for bis-diaminoethyl-glyoxime-sporopollenin (bDAEG). The level of pH of the aqueous medium had a large influence on the sorption capacity, and the uptake of metals, except Al(III), was found to be 90% or more. The metal-form resins afforded complete recovery of the sorbed species by acid stripping. Both resins also showed high stability towards concentrated acids and bases and retained their high capacity for heavy metals.