PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF TLR2 AND TLR4 EXPRESSION IN PRETERM NEONATES WITH NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. Despite significant advances made in the prevention and treatment of disease so far, there has not been much change in the rate of mortality and morbidity associated with NEC. Although the factors affecting the development of necrotizing enterocolitis are not yet known precisely, prematurity is thought to be the most important risk factor for the development of NEC. This study aims to determine toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 expression levels in preterm neonates. A total of 50 preterm infants (patient: 42, control: 8) were included in the study. TLR2 and TLR4 expression levels were analysed by the RT-qPCR method. While there was no difference in infants' birth weight (g), gestational age (months), mother's age (years), father's age (years), and WBC (109/L); HGB (g/dL) and RBC (1012/L) were found to be significantly higher in the group with NEC (p<0.05). When TLR2 and TLR4 relative gene expression levels of neonates were evaluated (log2), it was determined that there was a significant difference between the two groups (below 1500 g) (p<0.001). TLR4 relative expression (2^-ddCt, above 1500 g) was higher in the NEC group than in the healthy group, while TLR2 relative expression (2^-ddCt, above 1500 g) was higher in the healthy group. TLR2 and TLR4 have been shown to have prominent roles in the development of NEC in experimental animal models and it would be significant to support this with human studies/animal models for a better understanding of the disease. Thus, it is recommended that future studies be carried out on experimental models that better replicate the human body, and dietary factors should be examined in detail.

INVESTIGATION OF ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE (ADH3) GENE POLYMOPHISM IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ALCOHOLIC PANCRATITIS IN AZERBAIJAN POPULATION

The aim of the study is to determine the single nucleotide polymorphism of the ADH3 gene, which is involved in the development of chronic alcoholic pancreatitis in the Azerbaijani population. Seventy patients (51 with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis, 19 with chronic non-alcoholic pancreatitis) and 90 healthy individuals (55 smokers and 35 non- drinkers) were included in the study. Genomic DNA was isolated from venous blood based on the kit protocol. Genotypes were determined on agarose gel using PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism) methods. To study the specificity of the ADH3 gene polymorphism in alcohol-dependent people, genotypes and alleles were compared in patients with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis (CAP) and "practically healthy " alcohol abusers. It was found that in both groups, the ADH3*1/ADH3*2 genotype predominates. It was also found that in the Azerbaijani population the frequency of ADH3*1 and ADH3*2 alleles is equally divided. From the data obtained, it can be clearly stated that the correlation of the ADH3*1 allele of the ADH3 gene polymorphism with an increased risk of the disease is not detected (p=0.876). When comparing genotypes and alleles in patients with chronic pancreatitis of non-alcoholic origin and non-drinkers, the predominance of the heterozygous ADH3*1 gene in both groups was also revealed without statistical significance (p=0.777). In the Azerbaijani population, the association between the polymorphism of the ADH3 gene genotypes and the development of CAP was not revealed. The predominance of the ADH3*1/ADH3*2 genotype explains the low incidence of both CAP and alcohol-dependent people in the Azerbaijani population.

[OPTIMIZATION OF DIAGNOSTICS OF EXUDATIVE PLEURITIS OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN]

The article describes 143 cases of exudative pleuritis of unknown origin in patients who were diagnosed and treated with any minimally invasive surgical procedures: pleural puncture (PP), video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) with biopsy of the pleura. A different diagnostic methods (cytological, microbiological, histological) used in various diagnostic surgical procedures are analyzed in detail and calculated diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each method. Based on the analysis of cytological, histological and microbiological studies in the performance of VATS concluded relatively high, comparable with the method of open pleural biopsy, diagnostic efficiency, the sensitivity of this method in the scheme of the diagnostic algorithm of EP of unknown origin.