Cemil Gülüm

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by increased platelet destruction and impaired platelet production. The role of T-cell subsets and platelet surface markers in ITP pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. To evaluate T-cell subpopulations and platelet surface marker expression in patients with chronic ITP compared with healthy controls using flow cytometry. This prospective case-control study included 26 chronic ITP patients and 25 healthy controls from the Hematology Department of Mersin University Hospital. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to assess CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD25+, CD45RA+, CD62L-, and platelet surface markers including CD41, CD42, and CD61. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 22. ITP patients demonstrated significantly lower platelet counts (97,038 ± 64,596 vs. 256,920 ± 48,873/µL, p < 0.001) and higher mean platelet volume values (11.67 ± 1.46 vs. 10.46 ± 0.77 fL, p = 0.001) compared with healthy controls. CD45RA+/CD4 + ratios were significantly lower in ITP patients (10.52 ± 5.88 vs. 14.45 ± 7.21%, p = 0.038). CD62L- expression was also decreased in the ITP group (51.50 ± 12.16 vs. 60.68 ± 8.40%, p = 0.003). Among platelet surface markers, CD41 and CD61 expressions were significantly reduced in ITP patients compared with controls (p < 0.001 for both). Although CD42 expression did not differ significantly between the overall groups, subgroup analysis demonstrated significantly lower CD42 expression in patients with platelet counts below 30,000/µL (p < 0.001). This study demonstrates alterations in T-cell differentiation markers and platelet surface glycoproteins in patients with chronic ITP. Reduced CD45RA+/CD4 + ratios, altered CD62L expression, and decreased CD41 and CD61 levels suggest ongoing immune dysregulation and abnormal platelet biology in these patients. Further longitudinal and functional studies are needed to clarify the mechanistic and clinical significance of these findings.

Background/Objectives: Coronary artery disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by progressive atherosclerosis and heterogeneous clinical presentations ranging from acute coronary events to stable ischemic conditions. Galectin-3 is a β-galactoside-binding lectin involved in inflammatory responses, fibrosis, and tissue remodeling, and has been investigated as a potential biomarker in cardiovascular diseases. However, its diagnostic significance across different clinical stages of coronary artery disease remains unclear. Methods: This prospective study included 180 participants who underwent coronary angiography and were classified into three groups: control (n = 60), acute coronary syndrome (n = 60), and chronic coronary syndrome (n = 60). Serum Galectin-3 concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Group comparisons were performed using non-parametric statistical tests. Correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and multivariable logistic regression were conducted to evaluate diagnostic performance and independent associations. Results: Galectin-3 concentrations were significantly higher in both acute coronary syndrome and chronic coronary syndrome groups compared with the control group (p < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was observed between the two disease groups. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated limited diagnostic performance for identifying acute coronary syndrome (area under the curve 0.617, sensitivity 96.7%, specificity 43.3%, p = 0.027) and poor diagnostic performance for chronic coronary syndrome (area under the curve 0.541, sensitivity 91.7%, specificity 30.0%, p = 0.436). In multivariable analysis, Galectin-3 was not identified as an independent predictor of either clinical condition. Age and smoking were independently associated with acute coronary syndrome, while age and male sex were independently associated with chronic coronary syndrome. Conclusions: Galectin-3 levels are elevated in patients with coronary artery disease and appear to reflect the inflammatory burden associated with atherosclerosis. However, its diagnostic discrimination between different clinical stages of coronary artery disease remains limited. Larger prospective studies are required to clarify its clinical value.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) success relies on timely engraftment and immune reconstitution. While neutrophil and platelet recovery are w

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer is a common urological malignancy characterized by high recurrence and progression rates. There is a critical need for non-invasive biomarkers to support early detection and disease monitoring. Raftlin, a lipid raft-associated scaffold protein involved in immune regulation and signal transduction, has recently gained attention in cancer biology. The aim of this study was to investigate serum Raftlin levels and the rs690037 polymorphism of the Raftlin gene in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted, including 30 patients diagnosed with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and 50 healthy controls. Serum Raftlin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the rs690037 polymorphism was analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Gender-stratified analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were performed. Clinical and pathological characteristics including tumor stage, grade, and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer risk groups, were analyzed. RESULTS: Serum Raftlin levels were significantly elevated in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients compared to healthy controls (p<0.001). Gender-stratified analysis confirmed this association was independent of gender (males: p<0.001; females: p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.987 (95%CI 0.966–1.000), with an optimal cut-off of 5.28 ng/mL providing 96.7% sensitivity and 98.0% specificity. Trends toward higher Raftlin levels were observed in more aggressive disease features. No significant association was found between the rs690037 polymorphism and disease presence. CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that serum Raftlin levels are significantly elevated in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and show high discriminatory ability. While preliminary findings suggest potential as a non-invasive biomarker, validation in larger, independent cohorts is required before clinical implementation.

OBJECTIVE: Although many genes associated with prostate cancer have been identified, there are still many cases of prostate cancer whose genetics have not been identified. The urokinase-type plasminogen activator gene is thought to play a key role in cancer invasion and metastasis. The Pro141Leu polymorphism may be involved in the development of prostate cancer, although genetic evidence is lacking.

Objectives: Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is the most common congenital hemolytic anemia in Northern Europe and North America. Damaged or deficient proteins in the erythrocyte membrane cause the condition, leading to a decrease in the surface area and volume of erythrocytes. Specialists traditionally use the osmotic fragility test (C-OF) for diagnosis. Researchers have developed new methods for flow cytometry-based tests that are the eosin-5-maleimide binding (EMA) and osmotic fragility (FC-OF) tests. In this study, we aimed to determine and compare the power of discrimination of FC-OF, EMA, and C-OF tests. Another purpose is to investigate the effect of incubation. Methods: We performed both real-time and incubated C-OF, EMA, and FC-OF on 20 patients diagnosed with HS and 30 healthy controls. We diagnosed HS based on family history, spherocytes, and clinical and lab findings. Results: We found that the success of all tests in the classification was statistically significant (p<0.001). The discriminatory power of C-OF was not different from that of EMA and FC-OF. FC-OF discriminated better than EMA. Incubation increased C-OF performance and decreased EMA and FC-OF performance. Conclusions: We think FC-OF should be preferred. Because it has higher discrimination power, specificity, and sensitivity. It gives faster results, costs less, and needs less labor. The lack of flow cytometer devices in every center is the biggest handicap of FC-OF and EMA. But we think that the FC-OF method can be adapted to hemogram devices available in every center in the future.

Amaç: COVİD- 19 ilk kez Wuhan’da bir hastada izole edilen ve tanımlanan Şiddetli Akut Solunum Sendromu Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virüs enfeksiyonun sonucudur. Viral patogenez henüz tam olarak bilinmiyor olmakla birlikte, viral enfeksiyonun hava yolu epitel hücrelerine ve alveoler hücrelere sitopatik olduğu düşünülmektedir. Ayrıca SARS-COV’a benzer şekilde immün aracılı hasar da COVİD- 19’un patogenezinde kritik rol oynadığı düşünülmektedir. Çoğu hastada hastalık hafif–orta düzeyde semptomlarla seyreder. En sık bulgular; ateş, kuru öksürük, kırgınlık, baş ağrısı, boğaz ağrısı ve miyaljiyi içeren üst solunum yolu enfeksiyonu bulgularıdır. Hastaların %20’si ağır akciğer hasarı bulguları gösterir. COVİD- 19’da tanıda Polimeraz Zincir Reaksiyonu (PCR), serolojik inceleme, görüntüleme metodları ve rutin laboratuvar tetkikleri kullanılır. COVİD-19 tanısına yönelik laboratuvar parametrelerinin belirlenmesinin şüpheli vakaların tanınması, erken izolasyonu ve erken tedavisine yardımcı olacağı düşünülmektedir. Bu nedenle, hasta ve sağlıklı kontrol gruplarında tam kan sayımı ve biyokimyasal parametreler değerlendirilmesi amaçlandı. Materyal ve Metot: Çalışmaya COVİD-19 polikliniğine erken evre şikayetlerle başvuran, PCR testi pozitif olan 50 hasta ve 50 sağlıklı birey dahil edildi. Biyokimyasal parametreler retrospektif olarak değerlendirildi. İstatistik analiz; SPSS Statistics (IBM Corporation, Somers, NY) yazılımının 17. sürülümü ile yapıldı. Bulgular: Lenfosit sayısı, monosit sayısı ve CRP parametreleri açısından hasta ve kontrol grubu arasında anlamlı farklılık bulundu. Lenfosit sayısı hasta grubunda daha düşük seyrederken, monosit sayısı ve CRP düzeylerinin daha yüksek olduğu belirlendi. Sonuç: Elde ettiğimiz veriler doğrultusunda; hafif semptomlarla başvuran hastalarda özellikle lenfosit ve monosit sayısı, CRP değerlerinin tanı ve hastaların takibi açısından destek sağlayabileceği değerlendirilmektedir.

Multiple Miyelom (MM) kemik iliğindeki plazma hücrelerinin üretimini etkileyen bir kanser türüdür. B hücrelerinin farklılaşması sonucu oluşan, immunglobulin (antikor) üreten plazma hücreleri miyelom hücresine dönüşünce, antikor yerine monoklonal protein (M-protein) üretirler. Miyeloma hücreleri genellikle CD45 ekspresyonu göstermezler. Bu makalede akım sitometrik immünfenotipleme çalışmasında CD45(+) ve CD45(-) hücreleri birlikte taşıyan bir multiple miyelom vakası sunulmaktadır.