Abstract

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a universal health hazard. Inherited and acquired risk factors increase the risk of VTE. We evaluated the relationship between factor V (G1691A, A1090G, and A1299G), prothrombin (PT G20210A), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T) mutations, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1 -675) polymorphism, and VTE in Turkish population. In all, 80 patients with VTE and 104 controls were included. Heterozygous factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation was significantly higher among patients (P = .04) with allele frequency of 6.3% (P = .01). Heterozygous PT G20210A mutation was also significantly higher among patients (P = .001) with allele frequency of 6.9% (P = .003). MTHFR 677TT genotype was significantly higher in patients (P = .009) with allele frequency of 23.8% (P = .005). No significant difference was found in FV A1090G and FV A1299G mutation rate as well as PAI-1 genotypes and their allele frequencies (P > .05). Thus, frequencies of FV G1691A, PT G20210A, and MTHFR C677T mutations are higher in patients with VTE. FV A1090G, FV A1299G mutations, and PAI-1 gene polymorphisms may not be a risk factor for VTE in Turkish population.

Abstract

The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family are key enzymes involved in the breakdown of the extracellular matrix in normal physiological processes, including tissue remodeling, and disease processes, such as arthritis and metastasis. The promoter polymorphism in the MMP2 gene may be responsible for multiple diseases related to extracellular matrix degradation. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between genotypes or haplotypes of -1575 G/A, -1306 C/T, -790 T/G, and -735 C/T promoter polymorphisms and coronary artery disease (CAD) with or without myocardial infarction (MI) history. This study included 298 patients with angiographically confirmed CAD and 299 age matched controls. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood and genotyping was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. No significant associations were found between -1575 G/A, -1306 C/T, and -790 T/G polymorphisms and CAD with or without MI history. However, the frequency of the -735 TT genotype was significantly lower in the controls than in the patients with MI alone when compared with the CC genotype (p = 0.021). Only the distribution of the ACGC haplotype in CAD patients exhibited a significant difference than that in controls (p < 0.05). The distribution of other haplotypes did not differ between CAD patients and controls. The present investigation is the first report to detect an association between MMP2 promoter polymorphisms and CAD with or without MI history in the Turkish population. Further case-control studies in CAD development might be contributed to clarify the role of these polymorphisms.

Abstract

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the skin and visceral organs. Fibrosis associated with SSc is characterized by an increased synthesis of a wide range of extracellular matrix (ECM). TGF-beta is a pluripotent cytokine in a wide range of cell types. In particular it has been found to be a potent inducer of ECM protein synthesis and fibroblast migration. The TGF-beta1 gene is highly polymorphic and two signal sequence polymorphisms at codon 10 and codon 25 are linked to disease outcomes. In this study, we analysed two polymorphic sites of the TGF-beta1 gene, codon 10 and codon 25, in 43 Turkish SSc female patients with interstitial lung involvement and in 75 healty individuals by ARMS-PCR. In our study no significant difference was found in codon 10, codon 25 genotype frequencies between patient with SSc and the control group (p = 0.676, 0.375, respectively). Our findings suggest that codon 10 and 25 polymorphism cannot be related with SSc for Turkish population. 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was used in a Turkish population to determine the frequency of polymorphisms of the nuclear factor-kappa (NF-kappaB1) and NF-kappaBIA genes, which have been shown to be related to several inflammatory diseases and cancer pathogenesis. Total genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples taken from 565 healthy volunteers living in Aydin Province. The genomic regions in question were amplified by PCR, and the polymorphisms in these regions were detected by a PCR-RFLP assay. The frequencies were 10.3% for the NF-kappaB1 -94ins/delATTG del/del genotype, 49.1% for del/ins, and 40.6% for ins/ins. The genotype frequencies of the NF-kappaBIA 3′UTR A –> G genotypes were A/A 19.2%, A/G 42.3%, and G/G 38.5%. Distribution of genotype frequencies was tested by Hardy-Weinberg; the NF-kappaB1 gene was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (chi(2) = 3.402, P > 0.05), the NF-kappaBIA gene was not (chi(2) = 8.293, P < 0.05).

OBJECTIVE: Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease characterized by the growth of hormonally responsive, endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. The present study aims to analyze two vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphisms (-460 C/T and +405 C/G) in Turkish women with and without endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study was undertaken at the Infertility Department of Zekai Tahir Burak Women’s Health Care Education and Research Hospital. The single nucleotide polymorphisms, -460 C/T and +405 C/G, in the 5′-untranslated region of the VEGF gene were tested in 98 affected women and 94 women with no laparoscopic evidence of disease. Endometriosis was also confirmed histologically. Following genomic extraction of genomic DNA, genotyping of the -460 C/T and +405 C/G polymorphisms of the VEGF gene were performed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Nominal data were evaluated by Pearson Chi-square or Fisher’s Exact test, where applicable. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were also calculated. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Demographic data were similar among groups. The genotype and allele frequencies of the -460 C/T polymorphism did not differ significantly between cases and controls. In contrast, the genotype (P < 0.001) and allele frequencies (P < 0.001) of +405 C/G polymorphism showed a significant difference between cases and controls. Regardless of the early or advanced stage, women with endometriosis showed a higher incidence of the +405 GC genotype and +405G allele when compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that VEGF +405 GC genotype and +405G allele may be associated with the risk of developing early and advanced stage endometriosis in the Turkish population.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the 677C > T and 1298A > C MTHFR gene polymorphisms and their metabolic effects on the levels of folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine in the serum of Turkish spina bifida occulta (SBO) patients and healthy individuals in disease. MATERIAL and METHODS: A case-control study was performed to detect 677C > T and 1298A > C MTHFR gene polymorphisms in 39 SBO patients and 34 healthy individuals. The folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine concentrations in the serum of SBO and healthy individuals were evaluated and compared with MTHFR gene polymorphisms. RESULTS: 677 CC/CT/TT MTHFR genotype frequency differences between the SBO patients and controls were not significant (x(2)=3.325, P=0.068; x(2)=1.479, P=0.224; x(2)=0.275, P=0.600; respectively). 1298A > C MTHFR genotype frequency differences between the SBO patients and controls were significant (x(2)=8.477, P=0.004). The frequencies of the Aand C alleles of the 1298A > C polymorphism did not differ in a statistically significant manner between the groups (x(2)=0.576, P=0.448). The biochemical parameters were not significantly different between SBO patients and healthy individuals (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The 677C > T and 1298A > C polymorphisms of the MTHFR gene cannot be regarded as major risk factors for SBO in the Turkish patients 677TT homozygosity may affect the metabolism of homocysteine.

The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene in obese Turkish patients with insulin resistance (IR). Sixty-two obese Turkish patients with IR were enrolled in this study. One hundred healthy people without IR were recruited as the control group. ACE amplification was performed by polymerase chain reaction. The frequency of the DD genotype was significantly higher in obese patients with IR than in control subjects. Of sixty-two patients, 1 (1.6%) had an II genotype, 22 (35.5%) had an ID genotype, and 39 (62.9%) had a DD genotype. The frequency of the I allele in the patient group was significantly lower than in controls. We found that the frequency of the DD genotype was higher in obese Turkish patients with IR. ACE gene I/D polymorphism may be associated with obesity in the Turkish population.