Recent studies have shown that derangements in kynurenine pathway metabolite levels are associated with various pathologies such as neurodegenerative diseases, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. Therefore, reliable, accurate, fast, and multiplex measurement methods for kynurenines have become increasingly important. This study aimed to validate a new mass spectrometric method for analyzing tryptophan metabolites. A tandem mass spectrometric method, including protein precipitation and evaporation steps, was developed to measure serum levels of tryptophan, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid. Samples were separated using a Phenomenex Luna C18 reversed-phase column. The kynurenine pathway metabolites were detected by tandem mass spectrometry. The developed method was validated according to Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines and applied to hemodialysis samples. The developed method was linear at the concentrations of 48.8 – 25,000, 0.98 – 500, 1.2–5000, 1.2–5000, and 0.98–250 ng/mL for tryptophan, kynurenic acid, kynurenine, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, and 3-hydroxykynurenine, respectively. The imprecisions were less than 12 %. The median serum concentrations of tryptophan, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid were 10530, 1100, 218, 17.6, and 25.4 ng/mL in pre-dialysis blood samples, respectively. They were 4560, 664, 135, 7.4, and 12.8 ng/mL in post-dialysis blood samples, respectively. A fast, simple, cost-effective, accurate, robust, and validated tandem mass spectrometric method was developed, and the method was successfully used for the quantitation of kynurenine pathway metabolite concentrations in hemodialysis patients.

Resistance to therapeutic agents and the highly toxic side effects of synthetic drugs has spurred new research in the treatment of colon cancer, which has high morbidity and mortality ratios. This study aims to clarify the molecular mechanisms of the anticarcinogenic properties of methanol extract of Viburnum opulus L. (EVO)and its main active compound, trans-p -coumaric acid ( p -CA), on human colon cancer cells (DLD-1, HT-29, SW-620, Caco-2) and healthy colon epithelial cells (CCD-18Co). The effects of EVO on controlled cell death (apoptosis) and the cell division cycle were determined by flow cytometry. Alteration in mRNA and protein expressions of switch genes in colorectal carcinoma (APC, MLH1, TP53, SMAD4, KRAS, and BRAF) were determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Our results show that EVO possesses a strong reducing capacity and free-radical scavenging activity. HPLC analyses prove that p -CAis the main compound of EVO. EVO and p -CA inhibit the proliferation of human colon cancer cells DLD-1 and HT-29 in a dose-dependent manner. EVO increases apoptosis of DLD-1 cells and halts the cell cycle in the G2 stage in HT-29 cells. mRNA and protein expressions of p53 and SMAD-4 are upregulated, while BRAFs are downregulated. The results were directly proportional to p -CA. EVO and p -CA up- and downregulate switch genes and protein expressions of DLD-1 cells, which alter the expression of 186 other genes. This is the first study of pharmacological exploration of V.opulus in human colon cancer. Its antiproliferative effects may be due to the presence of p -CA.

Objectives: Our aim was to validate a mass spectrometric creatinine method and compare this method with Jaffe and enzymatic serum creatinine methods. Methods: 90 samples were included. The levels were classified into three groups according to serum creatinine results as Group 1: Lower (n=30) (0.16–0.59 mg/dL), Group 2: Normal (n=30) (0.62–1.18 mg/dL) and Group 3: Higher (n=30) (1.33–3.88 mg/dL). Jaffe and enzymatic creatinine measurements were performed on the Beckman Coulter AU5800 autoanalyzer. Results: Serum creatinine was linear from 0.039 up to 10 mg/dL, CV and bias values were ranged between 1.9–3.8% and 2–15%. Correlation coefficients were 0.990 (95% confidence interval 0.984–0.993), 0.992 (95% confidence interval 0.988–0.995) and 0.994 (95% confidence interval 0.991–0.996) for LC-MS/MS-Enzymatic, LC-MS/MS-Jaffe and Enzymatic-Jaffe, respectively. Conclusions: Although, Jaffe method for serum creatinine measurement is still much more practical and cheap, so in use for routine practice, tandem mass spectrometric detection of serum creatinine can be used as an accurate and specific method for verification of discordant clinical results, existence of possible interferences and serum levels under 0.5 mg/dL creatinine results such as pediatric or pregnant populations.

Objectives: Data generation in clinical settings is ongoing and perpetually increasing. Artificial intelligence (AI) software may help detect data-related errors or facilitate process management. The aim of the present study was to test the extent to which the frequently encountered pre-analytical, analytical, and postanalytical errors in clinical laboratories, and likely clinical diagnoses can be detected through the use of a chatbot. Methods: A total of 20 case scenarios, 20 multiple-choice, and 20 direct questions related to errors observed in pre-analytical, analytical, and postanalytical processes were developed in English. Difficulty assessment was performed for the 60 questions. Responses by 4 chatbots to the questions were scored in a blinded manner by 3 independent laboratory experts for accuracy, usefulness, and completeness. Results: According to Chi-squared test, accuracy score of ChatGPT-3.5 (54.4 %) was significantly lower than CopyAI (86.7 %) (p=0.0269) and ChatGPT v4.0. (88.9 %) (p=0.0168), respectively in cases. In direct questions, there was no significant difference between ChatGPT-3.5 (67.8 %) and WriteSonic (69.4 %), ChatGPT v4.0. (78.9 %) and CopyAI (73.9 %) (p=0.914, p=0.433 and p=0.675, respectively) accuracy scores. CopyAI (90.6 %) presented significantly better performance compared to ChatGPT-3.5 (62.2 %) (p=0.036) in multiple choice questions. Conclusions: These applications presented considerable performance to find out the cases and reply to questions. In the future, the use of AI applications is likely to increase in clinical settings if trained and validated by technical and medical experts within a structural framework.

Objective: Hemoglobinopathies are a common public health problem in Turkey. In the screening of these disorders in population, cation-exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is accepted as the gold standard method. In this study, the aim was to assess four different HPLC devices used in hemoglobinopathy screening. Materials and methods: A total of 58 blood samples were analyzed with four different HPLC methods (Bio-Rad variant II, Agilent 1100, Tosoh G8 and Trinity Ultra2 trademarks). Results: The comparison study demonstrated a good correlation between the results of each HPLC analyzer and the reference value obtained by averaging all the HbA ₂ results belonging to the methods tested in the study [ (Tosoh G8 (r=0.988), Bio-Rad variant II (r=0.993), Agilent 1100 (r=0.98) and Trinity Ultra2 (r=0.992) ]. HbA ₂ determination in the presence of HbE was interfered in both Bio-Rad variant II and Tosoh G8. Conclusion: The analyzers were found to have compatible HbA ₂ results but with accompanying different degrees of proportional and systematic biases. HPLC analyzers may be affected by different hemoglobin variants at different HbA ₂ concentrations, which is an important point to take into consideration during the evaluation of HbA ₂ results in thalassemia screening.

Amaç: Homositrulin (Hcit), lizin kalıntılarının karbamilasyonundan kaynaklanan modifiye bir amino asittir ve inflamatuar hastalıklarda potansiyel bir biyobelirteç olabileceği düşünülmektedir. Behçet hastalığı (BH) otoinflamatuar bir hastalıktır, hastalığın tanısı klinik bulgulara dayanır. Amacımız aktif, inaktif BH olan bireylerde ve sağlıklı kişilerde Hcit düzeylerini araştırmak ve Hcit düzeyleri ile BH'nin patogenezi ve aktivasyonu arasındaki ilişkinin aydınlatılmasına katkıda bulunmaktı. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya 26 aktif, 34 inaktif BH tanısı alan birey ve 30 sağlıklı gönüllü dahil edildi. Serum Hcit ve lizin seviyeleri, tandem kütle spektrometrik yöntem (LC-MS/MS) ile ölçüldü. Serum yüksek hassasiyetli-CRP (hs-CRP) seviyeleri IMMAGE 800 sistemi (Beckman Coulter, Brea, ABD) ile ölçüldü. Hastaların çeşitli hematolojik ve biyokimyasal parametreleri sırasıyla Beckman Coulter LH 780 ve Beckman-Coulter AU 5800 cihazları ile ölçüldü. Bulgular: Hcit/lizin oranı (μmol Hcit/mol lizin) Behçet hastalarında [844.6(453.8-5975.4)] sağlıklı kontrollerden [334.9(117-509.3), (p<0.002)] istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde yüksekti ve aktif grupta [1307.0(453.8-5975.4)], inaktif gruba göre [666.5(462.6-1777.2), p=0.005] istatiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde yüksekti. Ayrıca, Hcit/lizin oranları, hs-CRP düzeyleri ile pozitif koreleydi (r= 0.353, p=<0.001). Sonuç: Bulgularımız, Behçet hastalarında serum Hcit düzeylerinin yüksek olduğunu ve serum Hcit düzeylerinin inflamatuar yük ile korele olduğunu gösterdi. Artmış Hcit konsantrasyonları, BH'de otoinflamatuar süreç ve vasküler hasar ile ilişkili olabilir.