Lack of association between the Thr431Asn and Arg83Lys polymorphisms of the ROCK2 gene and diabetic retinopathy.

Yazan: admin Tarih: Oca 25th, 2011 | Kategori:: Diabetic Retinopathy

Curr Eye Res. 2010 Dec;35(12):1128-34. Epub 2010 Oct 20.

Demiryurek AT, Erbagci I, Oztuzcu S, Alasehirli B, Ozkara E, Seker M, Sönmez A, Ozsan M, Camci C.

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey. demiryurek@gantep.edu.tr

Abstract

PURPOSE: To analyze the genotype distributions and allele frequencies for ROCK2 Thr431Asn and Arg83Lys polymorphisms among the diabetic retinopathy patients in a Turkish population.

METHODS: In this case-control study, 335 patients with diabetes mellitus were recruited and divided into three groups according to non-proliferative (n = 127), proliferative (n = 85) diabetic retinopathy, and no retinopathy (n = 123, served as a diabetic control group). Genomic DNA from the patients, and the nondiabetic healthy control cases (n = 132) was analyzed by real-time PCR using a Light-Cycler.

RESULTS: Neither genotype distributions nor the allele frequencies for the Thr431Asn or Arg83Lys polymorphisms showed a significant difference between the groups. The haplotypes were also not significantly associated with diabetic retinopathy.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there were no evidence for an association of ROCK2 gene Thr431Asn and Arg83Lys polymorphisms with diabetes or diabetic retinopathy in the Turkish population.


TNF-alpha promoter polymorphisms in multiple sclerosis: no association with -308 and -238 alleles, but the -857 alleles in associated with the disease in Turkish patients.

Yazan: admin Tarih: Şub 25th, 2010 | Kategori:: Multiple sclerosis

Akcali A, Pehlivan S, Pehlivan M, Sever T, Akgul P, Neyal M.

Department of Neurology, Gaziantep University School of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.

Summary Dysregulation in the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines is one of the milestones in multiple sclerosis (MS) development and progression. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), a proinflammatory cytokine is believed to play an important role in MS pathogenesis. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between TNF-alpha promoter region (TNF-alpha-238, -308 and -857) and susceptibility to MS and clinical course of the disease. Eighty-six relapsing remitting MS patients and 150 sex-, age- and ethnic-matched controls were enrolled in the study. Genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP method. We observed a statistically significant increase in TNF-alpha 857 CC genotype in MS patients than controls (P < 0.001) while TNF-alpha 857 CT genotype showed a significant negative correlation with MS patients (P = 0.033). No differences in the distribution of the TNF-alpha-238 and -308 alleles were observed. None of the three polymorphisms (-238, -308 and -857) did not show relation with disease duration, Expanded Disability Status Scale or age of onset. On the other hand, significant difference of TNF -857 CC genotype was identified with the low disease index (P = 0.025). Although the study group is small, the results indicate that TNF-alpha 857 CC genotype may cause susceptibility to MS in the Turkish population.


Nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms in children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome.

Yazan: admin Tarih: Nis 29th, 2009 | Kategori:: Nitric oxide synthase

Pediatr Int. 2009 Feb;51(1):75-8.

Department of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey.

AIMS: Nitric oxide (NO) attenuates many functions within the kidney, and all NO synthase (NOS) isoforms are constitutively expressed in the kidney. But the exact role of NO in renal diseases is still debatable. The aim of the present study was to investigate endothelial (eNOS), and neuronal (nNOS) NOS gene polymorphisms in children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six Turkish children with clinical MCNS, ranging in age from 2 to 10 years, were compared with 114 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. The glu 298 Asp (G/T) polymorphism of the eNOS, and C276T (C/T) polymorphism of nNOS genes were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The distribution of GG, TG, and TT genotypes for eNOS was 52%, 33% and 15% in MCNS compared with 61%, 26% and 13% in the controls (P > 0.05). The distribution of CC, TC, and TT genotypes for nNOS was 16%, 66% and 18% in MCNS compared with 10%, 43% and 47% in the controls. TT genotype distribution of nNOS was found to be lower in patients (P = 0.003). The eNOS and nNOS gene polymorphisms were not associated with gender, positive family history, frequency of relapses, or response to steroid. CONCLUSIONS: The present study is the first to investigate eNOS and nNOS gene polymorphisms in children with MCNS. The nNOS gene polymorphism may be associated with MCNS in children, but further studies in a larger population with different glomerular diseases are needed to confirm the results.