Background Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a member of innate immunity and acts with MASP (MBL-associated serine protease) to activate the lectin pathway of the complement system. MBL gene polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to infectious diseases. This study investigated whether MBL2 genotype, serum MBL levels, and serum MASP-2 levels affect the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods and results Pediatric patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were included in the study. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter and exon 1 in the MBL2 gene (rs11003125, rs7096206, rs1800450, rs1800451, rs5030737) were identified by a PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphisms analysis. Serum MBL and MASP-2 levels were measured by ELISA. COVID-19 patients were divided into asymptomatic and symptomatic. Variables were compared between these two groups. A total of 100 children were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 130 ± 67.2 months. Of the patients, 68 (68%) were symptomatic, and 32 (32%) were asymptomatic. The polymorphisms in the − 221nt and − 550nt promoter regions did not differ between groups (p > 0.05). All codon 52 and codon 57 genotypes were determined as wild-type AA. AB genotypes were found 45.6% in symptomatic patients while 23.5% in asymptomatics. Moreover, BB genotype was detected 9.4% in symptomatic and 6.3% in asymptomatic patients (p < 0.001). B allele was more frequent in symptomatic patients (46.3%) compared to asymptomatic patients (10.9%). (p < 0.001). Serum MBL and MASP-2 levels did not differ statistically between the groups (p = 0.295, p = 0.073). Conclusion These findings suggest that codon 54 polymorphism in the MBL2 gene exon-1 region can be associated with the symptomatic course of COVID-19.

Neuroblastoma (NB), a common pediatric cancer, is often associated with poor prognosis due to resistance to conventional therapies. Abemaciclib, a selective inhibitor of CDK4/6, is known for its ability to block cell cycle progression and induce cell death in various cancer types. In this study, we explore its potential therapeutic impact on NB by assessing its effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and the regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) that are related to NB progression. Antiproliferative effect of abemaciclib, doxorubicin, cisplatin, and temozolomide (TMZ) were detected by MTT method. Combinations of abemaciclib–doxorubicin, abemaciclib–cisplatin, and abemaciclib–TMZ were also investigated by applying IC50 doses of the drugs for 24 h. ELISA and flow cytometry were performed for apoptosis detection, and for cell cycle analysis, flow cytometry was used. The expression levels of eight apoptosis, threee tumor suppressors, two oncogenes, and nine cell cycle‐related genes were analyzed by quantitative PCR. Moreover, the expression levels of five NB‐related miRNAs were determined. IC50 doses of abemaciclib, doxorubicin, cisplatin, and TMZ were found to be 4.757, 1.958, 34.21, and 240.7 uM in the 24 h, respectively. The combination of the drugs increased apoptosis and decreased cell migration and colony formation rates. The highest expression level difference was observed in PUMA when control and dose groups were compared. Increased expression levels of hsa‐mir‐18a‐5p and hsa‐miR‐124‐3p were detected in all drug‐treated groups compared to the control group. Our results highlight the potential of abemaciclib as a promising treatment strategy for NB, particularly when used in combination with other therapies to overcome resistance and improve clinical outcomes.

Objectives: There are several hypotheses on the effects of the rs1738074 T/C single nucleotide polymorphism in the TAGAP gene; however, there has been no study on Turkish pediatric patients. We aimed to investigate the association of celiac disease (CD) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) comorbidity with the polymorphism in the TAGAP gene of Turkish pediatric patients. Methods: Totally, 127 pediatric CD patients and 100 healthy children were included. We determined the polymorphism by the allele-specific polymerase chain reaction method. We used IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0 and Arlequin 3.5.2 for the statistical analyses. The authors have no conflict of interest. Results: It was determined that 72% (n=154) of only CD patients had C allele, whereas 28% (n=60) had T allele. Of the patients with celiac and T1DM, 42.5% (n=17) and 57.5% (n=23) had T and C alleles, respectively. Of the individuals in control group, 67% (n=134) had C allele, whereas 33% (n=66) had T allele. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the genotype and allele frequencies between the patient and control groups (p>0.05). There was no significant association between the disease risk and the polymorphism in our study group.