Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common malignancy in the world and accounts for 7.7% of all cancer-related deaths. Early diagnosis of GC is critical in terms of prognosis, and aberrations at ...

Epigenetic alterations are crucial in gastric cancer (GC) development and progression. As these modifications are reversible, targeting them may offer preventive and therapeutic benefits. Origanum onites L. essential oil (OOEO) has demonstrated anticancer properties in various cancers, but its epigenetic effects in GC remain unexplored. OOEO was extracted by water distillation, and its effects on gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) and normal gastric epithelial (GES-1) cells were evaluated. Cytotoxicity was assessed via WST-8 assay, apoptosis by Annexin V staining, DNA damage by γ-H2AX test, and epigenetic modifications by methylation-specific PCR and histone modification analysis. Compared to GES-1 cells, OOEO exhibited cytotoxic activity even at lower concentrations in AGS cells. OOEO treatment induced apoptosis and DNA double-strand breaks and arrested cell cycle at S and G2/M phases compared to the untreated group. OOEO also caused a decrease in promoter methylation of LOX, TIMP3, CDH1 and RARB genes and was found to globally alter 16 histone modifications in AGS cells and 19 histone modifications in GES-1 cells. OOEO contributed to the reorganization of H3K9ac modification in the promoters of CDKN1A, MYC, RUNX3, RASSF1 and CDH1 genes and H3K27me3 modification in the promoters of CDKN1A and MYC genes. OOEO exhibits epigenetic regulatory properties that may contribute to GC prevention and treatment. Its potential in neoadjuvant or combinatory therapies warrants further investigation.

Background/Objectives: Vitamin D helps the mineralization of bone, teeth, and other calcified tissues by regulating calcium–phosphate metabolism. The nuclear activation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene is essential for the effectiveness of vitamin D. The main objective of this study is to determine the role of vitamin D levels and VDR gene variants in dental caries. Methods: This study included 128 3–6-year-old children who were divided into 64 caries-free and 64 carious children. Blood samples were taken, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured. Intraoral examinations were performed to record dmft index values. Genetic testing was performed on 26 children to examine VDR gene variations. Relevant gene regions were amplified using PCR and sequenced via Sanger sequencing in a total of 13 caries-free and 13 carious children. Stats analyses included chi-square/trend tests to compare count data; Student’s T/Mann–Whitney U tests for two-group normally/non-normally distributed data; and the Kruskal–Wallis test for 3+ groups with non-normal data. Results: The results showed that vitamin D levels were relatively low in the caries group, but no statistically significant relationship was found between vitamin D levels and caries. No mutations were detected in the VDR gene in either group, and there was no significant difference observed in terms of the number of ApaI, TaqI, and FokI polymorphisms. Based on these findings, the use of prophylactic vitamin D supplements to prevent caries formation or development cannot be recommended. Conclusions: This study provides important insights into the relationship between vitamin D and dental caries and can contribute to the development of effective preventive strategies for oral and dental health.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a rare pathogenic organism in humans and is encountered mostly in patients with acquired or hereditary iron overload. This case report presents such a case with no known risk factors for iron overload, except heterozygous mutations in MPEG1 and HFE genes, while presenting the first patient with Y. pseudotuberculosis liver abscess in Turkiye. Here we present a 63-years-old male with known long-standing hypertension, type 2 diabetes, peripheral artery disease and chronic kidney disease presenting with right upper quadrant pain, nausea, vomiting and fever, whose imaging studies revealed multiple liver abscesses. While investigating the etiology, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis growth was observed in his abscess aspiration material and blood culture. Genetic analysis conducted after the detection of a ferritin level of 13725 µg/L, showed a heterozygous H63D mutation in HFE. Consequent whole-exon-sequencing reported an additional heterozygous p. Thr73Ala m-tation in MPEG1. Even though, Y. pseudotuberculosis is detected mostly in patients with primary hemochromatosis, even heterozygous carriers of hemochromatosis may present clinically if concomitant comorbidities exist and may pose a challenge not only to clinicians but also to laboratory diagnosticians