Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları
Yayınlar
- MakaleAçık Erişim2025Low Serum and Urine Fetuin-A Levels and High Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index as Risk Factors for Kidney Stone Formation
Icer, Mehmet Arif; Koçak, Tevfik; Icer, Yusuf; Kocyigit, Emine; Agagündüz, Duygu; Gezmen-Karadag, Makbule; Yesil, Suleyman; Budán, Ferenc
Background: Fetuin-A prevents the precipitation of hydroxyapatite in supersaturated solutions of calcium and phosphate; however, its relationship with nephrolithiasis has yet to be clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective and predictive roles of serum and urine fetuin-A levels in nephrolithiasis and their relationships with the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI). Methods: This study involved 75 adult patients with kidney stone disease and 71 healthy adults without kidney stone disease in the control group. Participants had specific anthropometric measurements taken, and three-day food records were kept. The CDAI was calculated by summing six standard antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E, manganese, selenium, and zinc, representing participants' antioxidant profile. In addition to some analyzed serum and urine parameters of the participants, fetuin-A levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results: In patients with kidney stones, both serum and urine fetuin-A levels (676.3 +/- 160.14 ng/mL; 166.6 +/- 128.13 ng/mL, respectively) were lower than in the control group (1455.6 +/- 420.52 ng/mL; 2267.5 +/- 1536.78 ng/mL, respectively) (p < 0.00001). In contrast, the CDAI was higher in patients with kidney stones compared to those without kidney stones (p < 0.001). Besides, several dietary parameters had significant positive correlations with serum and/or urinary fetuin-A. Conclusions: The present study suggests that serum and urinary fetuin-A levels may serve as protective factors against kidney stones and could potentially be used as predictive markers for the development of nephrolithiasis. Furthermore, our results suggest that the CDAI above a certain level may increase the risk of stone formation and that some dietary parameters may affect the levels of this biomarker in serum and urine.
- MakaleYayıncıda açık erişim2025Serum neopterin and kynurenine as predictive and prognostic biomarkers in prostate cancer: the role of dietary inflammatory index and biomarker interactions
Icer, Mehmet Arif; Koçak, Tevfik; Acar-Tek, Nilufer; Yesil, Suleyman; Icer, Yusuf
Background It has been shown that neopterin levels in various body fluids can help predict the diagnosis of different malignancies. Although many studies have investigated the roles of serum neopterin concentrations, tryptophan metabolism, and the dietary inflammation index (DII) in various cancers, the connection between these factors and prostate cancer (PC) remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive and prognostic roles of serum neopterin, and kynurenine levels, along with the kynurenine-to-tryptophan ratio (KTR) and DII in prostate cancer. Methods This study was conducted with 57 newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients, 55 benign prostate hyperplasia patients, and 56 healthy male individuals in the control group, all aged 40 years and older. Participants had specific anthropometric measurements taken, and three-day food records were kept. DII was calculated based on data for thirty-four available nutrients by using food records. Serum levels of neopterin, kynurenine, tryptophan, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results Serum neopterin (11.79 +/- 6.09), kynurenine (1655.48 +/- 1122.04), TNF-alpha (221.59 +/- 232.06) and IFN-gamma (137.68 +/- 107.11) levels were higher in the malignant group than in both the control (2.72 +/- 0.76, 352.40 +/- 69.33, 223.94 +/- 226.67, and 23.03 +/- 7.28, respectively) and benign groups (3.17 +/- 0.74, 377.94 +/- 109.05, 179.61 +/- 224.36, and 25.63 +/- 7.50, respectively) (p < 0.05). Another result of our study is that in the malignant group, serum neopterin levels exhibited significant positive correlations with serum kynurenine (r = 0.80, p < 0.0001), IFN-gamma (r = 0.86, p < 0.0001) and TNF-alpha levels (r = -0.27, p = 0.0453) and DII (r = 0.30, p = 0.0229), while they exhibited weak correlations with serum PSA, and other diet parameters. Additionally, kynurenine was the only parameter showing significant differences in mean values concerning surgical margins (p < 0.05). Conclusions The findings of this study support the hypothesis that serum neopterin and specific tryptophan catabolites (e.g., kynurenine), could serve as predictive and prognostic biomarkers for prostate cancer diagnosis. However, our results do not support the hypothesis that DII and certain dietary factors play a direct role in the development or diagnosis of prostate cancer.
- MakaleAçık Erişim2025Could GSTP1, PTEN and NKX3.1 gene expression be novel markers in the relationship between prostate cancer and epigenetics?
Koçak, Tevfik; Acar-Tek, Nilufer; Yesil, Suleyman; Ergün, Mehmet Ali; Icer, Yusuf
Background: Although numerous treatment modalities exist for Prostate Cancer (PCa) with a complex pathophysiology, a significant worldwide health concern for males, early identification remains the paramount factor influencing disease prognosis. Proposed new biomarkers, including GSTP1, PTEN, and NKX3.1, may provide predictive and prognostic functions, hence enhancing the efficacy of PSA in diagnosing prostate cancer. Epigenetic variables associated with nutrition influence the blood gene expression levels of the new biomarkers GSTP1, PTEN, and NKX3.1. This study aimed to elucidate the correlation between nutrition-related epigenetic variables and the expression of the tumor suppressor genes GSTP1, PTEN, and NKX3.1 in benign prostate and prostate cancer patients. Methods: This study was conducted with 41 newly diagnosed prostate cancer and 42 benign prostate patients, all aged 40 years and older. Participants had specific anthropometric measurements taken, and seven-day food records were kept. Serum levels of novel biochemical markers GSTP1, PTEN, and NKX3.1 were measured using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Expression analyses of tumor-protective GSTP1, PTEN, and NKX3.1 genes were performed on prostate tissues obtained from fresh prostate biopsies taken from the groups and were associated with nutritional status. Results: A significant relationship was found between the serum levels of GSTP1, PTEN, and NKX3.1, which are important in the formation and treatment of prostate cancer, and Gleason grade, tumor stage, and surgical margin status (p < 0.05). However, significant relationships were found between many macro and micronutrients obtained from the dietary pattern and effective in epigenetic pathways and GSTP1, PTEN, and NKX3.1 gene expressions (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The findings of this investigation corroborated the notion that prospective novel markers, including GSTP1, PTEN, and NKX3.1, may serve predictive and prognostic functions in prostate cancer, hence enhancing the efficacy of PSA in its diagnosis. Dietary trends may influence the optimization of many epigenetic processes. Targeted therapeutic nutritional interventions designed to enhance gene expression will facilitate the formulation of prostate cancer prevention methods.