The Association between Melatonin Levels and Sleep Quality in Patients with Pruritus: A Potential Biomarker on a Candidate Future Treatment.

Background: Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and has immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory roles.

Aims: The aim of this study is to assess melatonin levels and investigate the association with pruritus severity, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms in dermatoses with nocturnal pruritus.

Methods: The study was a prospective study with 82 participants, including 41 patients and 41 healthy volunteers.

Evaluation of fecal calprotectin as a marker of gastrointestinal inflammation in rosacea: A case-control study.

A higher incidence of gastrointestinal diseases has been well established in patients with rosacea. However, no screening tool has been introduced for gastrointestinal disease development in rosacea. Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a calcium-binding protein, mainly derived from polymorpho-nuclear cells, such as neutrophils.

Appraising diagnostic performance of ELF test by pathological staging and digital quantification of liver fibrosis.

Introduction And Objectives: A crucial issue when appraising the performance of non-invasive markers is the limitations of the reference standard they are compared to. Digital image analysis (DIA) was suggested as a reproducible approach expressing fibrosis numerically as a proportionate area (PA) (%). We aimed to evaluate ELF test with direct reference to PA (%), thereby explore the improvement in accuracy to discriminate significant fibrosis which may actually have been underestimated by categorical pathological staging.

Evaluation of salivary gland ultrasonography in primary Sjögren's syndrome: does it reflect clinical activity and outcome of the disease?

Objectives: To evaluate associations between salivary gland ultrasonography (SGUS) and clinical characteristics, disease activity and outcome in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS).

Methods: The parotid and submandibular salivary glands were examined by ultrasonography using two different scoring systems proposed by Hocevar et al. and Milic et al.

Sequential Measurements of Pentraxin 3 Serum Levels in Patients with Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: A Nested Case-Control Study.

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the dynamics of pentraxin 3 (PTX3) compared with procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with suspicion of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Materials And Methods: We designed a nested case-control study. This study was performed in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary care academic university and teaching hospital.

Th17-Inducing Conditions Lead to in vitro Activation of Both Th17 and Th1 Responses in Behcet's Disease.

Objectives: Interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been associated with the pathogenesis of various autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of Th17-related immunity in an innate immunity-dominated vasculitis, namely Behcet's disease (BD).

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 37 patients (age: 38.

Immune and inflammatory gene expressions are different in Behçet's disease compared to those in Familial Mediterranean Fever.

Objective: The immune classification of Behçet's disease (BD) is still controversial. In this study, we aimed to compare the immune/inflammatory gene expressions in BD with those in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), an autoinflammatory disorder with innate immune activation.

Material And Methods: CD4+ T cells and CD14+ monocytes were isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of Behçet's disease patients (n=10), FMF (n=6) patients, and healthy controls (n=4) with microbeads, and then, the mRNA was isolated.

Sequencing of 16S rRNA reveals a distinct salivary microbiome signature in Behçet's disease.

Behçet's disease (BD) is characterized by recurrent oro-genital ulcers, mucocutaneous lesions, and serious organ involvement. We investigated the salivary microbiome in BD using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 region. Stimulated saliva samples were collected from 31 BD patients and 15 healthy controls, and in 9 BD patients, a second saliva sample was collected following dental and periodontal treatment.

Epigenome-wide scan identifies a treatment-responsive pattern of altered DNA methylation among cytoskeletal remodeling genes in monocytes and CD4+ T cells from patients with Behçet's disease.

Objective: The pathogenesis of Behçet's disease (BD), an inflammatory disease with multisystem involvement, remains poorly understood. This study was undertaken to investigate whether there are DNA methylation abnormalities in BD that might contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease.

Methods: We examined genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in monocytes and CD4+ T cells from 16 male patients with untreated BD and age, sex, and ethnicity-matched healthy controls.

Pro-inflammatory cytokine and caspase-1 responses to pattern recognition receptor activation of neutrophils and dendritic cells in Behcet's disease.

Objective: Activated innate immunity is implicated in the pathogenesis of Behcet's disease (BD). To clarify the mechanisms of innate immune responses, we investigated inflammasome activation in dendritic cells (DCs) and neutrophils, following stimulation with two different pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) RIG-1-like (RLR) and NOD-like (NLR) in patients with BD.

Methods: Sixteen active BD patients with mucocutaneous lesions and 17 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study.

Salivary levels of HNP 1-3 are related to oral ulcer activity in Behçet's disease.

Background: Saliva contains antimicrobial peptides derived from oral epithelium as well as neutrophils in the innate immune response. The aim of this study was to examine the association between salivary human neutrophil peptide (HNP) 1-3 levels originating from neutrophils and oral ulcers in patients with Behçet's disease (BD).

Methods: Ninety-five patients with BD (F/M: 39/56; mean age: 38.

Salivary levels of antimicrobial peptides Hnp 1-3, Ll-37 and S100 in Behcet's disease.

Background: Oral ulcer is the cardinal clinical sign and increased neutrophilic activity is a part of the pathogenesis in Behcet's disease (BD). Saliva, as a part of the innate immune response, contains antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are derived from both oral epithelial cells and neutrophils. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between salivary levels of AMPs HNP 1-3, LL-37 and S100 and disease course in patients with Behcet's disease (BD).

Caspase-cleaved fragments of cytokeratin 18 in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background: During hepatocyte apoptosis, intermediate filament protein cytokeratin 18 is cleaved by caspases at Asp396 which can be specifically detected by the monoclonal antibody M30 (M30-antigen). In this study, we sought to determine whether serum M30-antigen levels can serve as a useful biomarker of liver injury in the clinical spectrum of HBV infection.

Methods: Serum M30-antigen levels were measured in inactive HBV carriers (n=54), patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB, n=47), patients with HBeAg-positive CHB (n=42) and healthy controls (n=29).

The prevalence of the mutation in codon 249 of the P53 gene in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Turkey.

Unlabelled: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in the worldwide. Aflotoxins, products of Aspergillus Flavus found in the high humidity environments induce HCC in humans by causing mutations in oncogenes such as codon 249 mutation of p53 in hepatocytes. In turkey, aflatoxins are found to be increased in some foods in certain areas, such as Istanbul which have high humidity.

Serum levels of adipokines in patients with chronic HCV infection: relationship with steatosis and fibrosis.

Background And Aims: Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis are common histological findings in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In this study we sought to determine whether serum levels of three adipokines (leptin, adiponectin and resistin) show any biochemical correlation with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in patients with chronic HCV infection.

Methods: We examined a total of 51 patients with chronic HCV infection (22 males and 29 females, mean BMI: 27.

Association of polymorphisms of NOD2, TLR4 and CD14 genes with susceptibility to gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Background: The clinical course of Helicobacter pylori infection is highly variable and is influenced by both microbial and host factors, including the genetic composition of the infecting strains and variations in the host immune responses. A genetic risk profile for gastric cancer has been identified, but genetic susceptibility to develop gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between NOD2, TLR4 and CD14 genetic polymorphisms and the development of gastric MALT-lymphoma.

Determination of hepatitis B genotypes in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection in Turkey.

Background/aims: There are significant variations in the geographic distribution of hepatitis B virus genotypes throughout the world, and some genotypes are associated with different clinical outcomes. Eight genotypes of human hepatitis B virus (designated A-H) have been described to date. To determine the hepatitis B virus genotypes in Turkish patients with chronic liver disease and compare the results with clinical characteristics of the patients.