Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the predictive value of the serum expression level of Piwi-like 2 (PIWIL2), a stem cell protein, for prostate cancer (PCa). Materials and method: This randomized and prospective study included a total of 60 volunteers between 50 and 75 years old. Cases were assigned to three groups according to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) elevations and pathology reports, with 20 participants in each group. The first group included patients with a PSA level of >4 ng/dL and with PCa, the second group included patients with a PSA level of >4 ng/dL and with benign prostate hyperplasia, and the third group included patients with a PSA level of ≤4 ng/dL and with benign prostate hyperplasia. The levels of serum PSA and PIWIL2 expressions were compared between the groups. Results: The median serum PSA levels were 28.5 (4.6–98.1) ng/mL, 8.89 (4.3–24.1) ng/mL, and 2.4 (0.3–3.8) ng/mL for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The PSA levels were significantly different between the groups (p<0.001). The median PIWIL2 gene expression levels were 2.54 (0.28–9.27), 2.27 (0.6–9.38), and 1.17 (0.26–3.07) for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The PIWIL2 gene expression level was found to be lower in patients with a PSA level of 0.05). Patients diagnosed with cancer were grouped according to the criteria of the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP), and PIWIL2 gene expression was observed to be significantly higher among patients with ISUP of >3 than among those with ISUP of ≤3 (p=0.04). Conclusion: In our study, it was observed that the serum level of PIWIL2 gene expression could not be a diagnostic indicator of PCa; however, it could be a beneficial prognostic indicator particularly for progressed disease. Cite this article as: Tosun H, Demirtaş A, Sönmez G, Tombul ŞT, Akalın H, Özkul Y. Can the expression level of PIWIL2 gene be a serum marker for prostate cancer? A single-center prospective study. Turk J Urol 2019; 45(Supp. 1): S22-S25.

Homeobox (HOX) transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) and HOX genes are reported to be more expressed in various cancers in humans in recent studies. The role of HOTAIR and HOXD genes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is not well known. In this study, expression levels of HOXD8, HOXD9 and HOXD11 from HOXD gene family and HOTAIR were determined from peripheral blood samples of 30 AML and 30 CML patients and 20 healthy volunteers by quantitative Real Time PCR. We determined that the expression levels of HOXD9 and HOXD11 in the AML patients were significantly lower than the control group (p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). There was no significant difference in the expression levels of HOTAIR and HOXD8 when compared to the control group. In the CML patients there was a significant increase in the expression level of HOTAIR when compared to the control group (p=0.002). The expression levels of HOXD9 and HOXD11 were found to be significantly lower than the control group (p<0.001). Our study showed that HOTAIR may not be a biomarker in the diagnosis and is not significantly correlated with the clinicopathological prognostic characteristics of AML. Additionally; it can be said that HOTAIR is oncogenic by suppressing the expression of HOXD9 and HOXD11 but not HOXD8 in CML patients. The expression profiles of HOTAIR may be a potential biomarker in the diagnosis of CML patients in predicting and monitoring drug resistance.

Objective: To investigate the expression levels of genes (SLC6A3, SLC6A4, SLC1A2, SLC18A2, MAOA, COMT, GLYAT, GRM5, DRD4, TPH1, and ADRA2C) associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by pre and post-treatment with methylphenidate to see if they may serve as biomarkers in the etiopathogenesis of diseases. Materials and Methods : Thirty-five ADHD-diagnosed children and 38 healthy controls were included and divided three groups as control, pre-treatment and post-treatment group. After the isolation of mRNA from peripheral blood samples of participants, qPCR was performed using cDNA obtained from mRNA via reverse transcription method. Result: Elevated SLC6A3 and decreased SLC6A4, SLC1A2, SLC18A2, ADRA2C, MAOA, COMT, GLYAT, DRD4 and TPH1 genes' expression levels of childiren with ADHD were detected (p

Many studies have reported that psychiatric disorders may be associated with oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene polymorphisms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between OXTR gene polymorphisms and bipolar disorder (BPD). The study included 100 patients diagnosed with BPD type 1 (BPD I) and 96 healthy controls. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the OXTR gene, including rs53576, rs2254298 and rs2268494, were examined via polymerase chain reaction in blood samples taken from the study participants. Based on the BPD determinants, the patients were divided into 4 subgroups, as those with psychotic features, seasonal patterns, rapid cycling and peripartum onset. The frequency of the rs2268494 A allele was lower in the patients than in the healthy controls (p = .048), that frequency of psychotic mania was higher in patients with the rs53576 GG genotype compared to the A allele carriers (p = .003), and that of the seasonal pattern was higher in those carrying the rs2268494 A allele compared to those carrying the rs2268494 TT genotype (p < .001). OXTR gene polymorphisms may be associated with several clinical determinants of BPD. Multicentre studies involving more subjects are required to verify these findings.

Background Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder. Propranolol is a first-line medication for ET. We aimed to evaluate the effect of propranolol on the expression of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) and DNA polymerase beta (POLB) genes, which are known to be related to neurodegenerative diseases, in patients with ET. Methods Thirty-five healthy volunteers and thirty-five patients followed up with essential tremors were included in a non-randomized control experimental study. Expressions of PARP1 and POLB genes were compared between the control group and the patient group. In addition, pre- and post-treatment gene expression levels and Fahn-Tolosa-Marin tremor scale values of the patient group were compared after 8 weeks of propranolol treatment. The Wilcoxon rank and Mann Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data. Results At baseline, PARP1 expression was significantly lower in the ET group than in the control group. (p<0.001). POLB gene expression was significantly higher in the pre-treatment ET group than in the controls (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in PARP1 expression levels before and after 8 weeks of propranolol treatment. POLB gene expression was significantly higher in the pre-treatment group than in the post-treatment group (p<0.001). Conclusion Propranolol significantly decreased POLB gene expression but there was no significant difference in PARP1 gene expression levels in the patient group, after 8 weeks of propranolol treatment.