Cell free DNA as a new prognostic biomarker for COVID-19, A prospective cohort study.

Predicting the need of hospitalization and intensive care in COVID-19 patients has been challenging with current diagnostic tests since the beginning of the pandemic. We aimed to test cell free DNA (cfDNA) as a novel biomarker for COVID-19 disease severity and mortality. cfDNA concentration was quantified by RT-PCR based test. One hundred and sixty-eight patients(85 outpatients, 61 inpatients,22 ICU) included the study. Mean initial plasma cfDNA levels were significantly different (p < 0.01) in outpatients (1.190,66 ng/ml), inpatients (8.258,10 ng/ml) and ICU patients (84.806,87 ng/ml). ROC analysis showed with 95 % specificity that patients with initial cfDNA concentrations ≥6.389 ng/ml need to be hospitalized and those ≥26.104 ng/ml require ICU referral. cfDNA concentration was correlated with neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte level, CRP, AST, LDH, CK, fibrinogen, ferritin and D-dimer. Plasma cfDNA levels on admission, well correlating with disease severity and mortality in COVID-19 that found as a useful biomarker.

Diagnostic Role of Opsonic Activity in Acinetobacter baumannii Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia.

In this study, we investigated the diagnostic value of opsonic activity against Acinetobacter baumannii in Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) among 50 patients, compared to 102 negative and positive controls. Out of the 50 patients, only 33 (66 %) were diagnosed with VAP using the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS). The opsonic activity assay demonstrated three key findings: (i) 95 % sensitivity and 91.7 % specificity, with a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) area of 0.976 for distinguishing A. baumannii culture positives from negatives; (ii) 95 % sensitivity and 78.7 % specificity, with a 0.915 ROC area, in differentiating VAP/blood culture positive patients from colonized/negative groups; (iii) An ROC area of 0.553 for VAP and colonization, as identified by CPIS alone, indicating an indeterminate threshold. These results highlight that CPIS, microbiological, and clinical evaluations were not correlated, suggesting that opsonic activity against A. baumannii could be a potential VAP diagnostic tool, with the need for large-scale validations.

Comparison of stiffness, elasticity and resilience values of ACL with autografts used instead of ACL in terms of texture analysis.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are one of the most extensively studied injuries in the field of orthopedics, but despite the extensive research, graft selection for ACL reconstruction remains a matter of debate. The present study aims to evaluate the stiffness and elasticity of native ACLs using texture profile analysis and compare results with those of autografts used in ACL reconstruction. Methods: Included in the study were dissected 12 cadavers from which grafts were recovered. The graft characteristics, such as stiffness, elasticity and resilience, were measured using a TA.XT Plus Texture Analyzer. Findings: Among the grafts studied, Achilles' tendon graft (0.70; 0.64) had the highest resilience in both males and females, while the greatest elasticity was identified in the patellar tendon graft (Male: 93 %; Female: 94 %) in all subjects. The highest stiffness value in males was recorded for the quadriceps tendon graft (2928.76 N), while the highest stiffness value in females was recorded for Achilles' tendon graft (2204.61 N). Interpretation: According to the study data, the autografts that may be considered as an alternative to ACL were, listed in order of strength from high to low, the quadriceps, Achilles', patella and hamstring tendons in men, and the Achilles', quadriceps, patellar and hamstring tendons in women. It is worthy of note that the hamstring tendon graft, which is the most frequently preferred autograft in ACL reconstruction, was found to be the lowest in all parameters in both groups.

Talaromyces marneffei infection in an HIV infected patient with hematological malignancy - first report from Turkey.

T.marneffei, encountered mostly in Southeast Asia, leads to a systemic infection, especially in immunocompromised individuals such as HIV-infected patients with low CD4 level. A 32-year-old male patient, residing in Hong Kong for the last two years, admitted with fever, cough, weakness, and weight loss. Physical examination revealed bilateral cervical and axillary multiple lymph nodes and hepatosplenomegaly. Screening of the pancytopenic patient revealed HIV infection. Histopathological examination of the cervical lymph node revealed plasmoblastic lymphoma. Blood and urine cultures remained sterile. Antiretroviral therapy was started. Fungal hyphae were detected in Gram staining of hemocultures taken in the third week due to ongoing fever, and antifungal therapy was started empirically. Red pigment around colonies on Sabouraud dextrose agar and microscopic appearance arose suspicion of Talaromyces spp. T.marneffei was identified by ITS 1-4 sequence analysis. Chemotherapy was started when fungemia was controlled. On the fifth day of chemotherapy, the patient's general condition deteriorated, broad-spectrum antibiotics were started and the patient was transferred to ICU. The cultures remained sterile and he expired five days later. In conclusion, although talaromycosis is not endemic in Turkey, it should be considered in patients with travel history to endemic regions and/or an underlying immunosuppressive disease such as HIV infection.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF OPEN AND CLOSED FLOATING KNEE INJURIES.

Objective: To compare the functional outcomes between floating knee injuries with open femur and tibia fractures and closed floating knee injuries. Methods: Floating knee injuries (followed up and treated in our clinic) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups: floating knee injuries with open femur and tibia fractures (Group 1) and floating knee injuries with closed femur and tibia fractures (Group 2). Patients were compared according to their demographic characteristics and clinical and functional outcomes. Results: Of 52 study patients, 28 had Group 1 injuries and 24, Group 2 injuries. We found a statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay between the two groups (p = 0.01) and a statistically significant difference in Karlström-Olerud functional scores between the groups (p = 0.02). We found osteomyelitis in five (17%) patients in Group 1 and in one (4%) patient in Group 2. Conclusion: Patients with floating knee injuries and open fractures showed poorer outcomes than those with closed fractures. Those with open floating knee injuries show complications more often and longer hospital stays. Level of Evidence III, Therapeutic Studies Investigating the Results of Treatment.

Objetivo: Comparar os resultados funcionais entre lesões do tipo joelho flutuante com fraturas expostas de fêmur e tíbia e lesões de joelho flutuante fechadas. Métodos: As lesões de joelho flutuante acompanhadas e tratadas em nossa clínica foram analisadas retrospectivamente. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos: lesões de joelho flutuante com fraturas expostas de fêmur e tíbia (Grupo 1) e lesões de joelho flutuante com fraturas fechadas de fêmur e tíbia (Grupo 2). Os pacientes foram comparados de acordo com as características demográficas e os desfechos clínicos e funcionais. Resultados: Entre os 52 pacientes do estudo, 28 tiveram lesões do Grupo 1 e 24 do Grupo 2. A diferença no tempo de internação entre os dois grupos foi estatisticamente significativa (p = 0,01). Também houve diferença estatisticamente significativa nos escores funcionais de Karlström e Olerud entre os grupos (p = 0,02). Osteomielite foi identificada em 5 (17%) pacientes do Grupo 1 e em 1 (4%) paciente do Grupo 2. Conclusão: Comparados aos pacientes com lesões de joelho flutuante com fraturas fechadas, aqueles com fraturas expostas têm piores resultados, uma vez que as complicações são mais comuns e a permanência hospitalar é mais longa nestes casos. Nível de Evidência III, Estudos Terapêuticos - Investigação dos Resultados do Tratamento.

[Investigation of Ganciclovir Resistance in Cytomegalovirus Isolates by Phenotypic and Genotypic Methods]. / Sitomegalovirüs Izolatlarinda Gansiklovir Direncinin Fenotipik ve Genotipik Yöntemlerle Arastirilmasi.

Ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus (CMV) strains are reported following long-term antiviral agent use, especially for immune-suppressive patients. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the mutations in the UL97 gene of CMV, which causes ganciclovir (GCV) resistance by genotypic and phenotypic methods in patients who developed CMV infection following hematopoietic cell (HCT) or solid organ transplantation (SOT). Thirty patients who had HCT or SOT in Mediterranean University Hospital and developed CMV infection during routine follow-up with a viral load of CMV over 1000 copies/mL were included in the study. CMV DNA was analyzed by an automated system (Cobas Ampliprep/COBAS TaqMan CMV Test, Roche Diagnostics, Germany) quantitatively. DNA sequence analysis of the regions including codons 420-664 in the UL97 gene region was done by the Sanger sequencing method to detect mutations causing antiviral resistance and compared with defined mutations. In order to investigate antiviral resistance by phenotypic methods, heparinized blood samples of the patients were collected, 'buffy coat (leukocyte layer)' was inoculated into MRC-5 cells by centrifugation method and CMV growth in these cells was controlled with monoclonal antibodies when growth was detected, virus titer was determined and plaque reduction test was applied as recommended. It was determined that 22 of the 30 patients were HCT recipients and eight were SOT (five kidney, three liver) recipients. When the CMV serology pattern of the patients was evaluated before transplantation, 29 (96.7%) patients were found to be seropositive and one (3.3%) patient was found to be seronegative. Totally, nine CMV UL97 mutations were detected in seven (23.3%) pediatric patients who had HCT, including six seropositive and one seronegative case. In addition, one mutation (D605E) not known to cause GCV resistance was detected in a seronegative recipient and three previously unidentified mutations were detected (1474T, F499S, V559A) in a seronegative recipient. Five of the mutations defined were UL97 mutations with a defined clinical resistance against GCV in each of the five recipients (C603W, C592G, H520Q, M460V, A594T). In the plaque reduction test using 3 µM, 12 µM, 48 µM and 96 µM concentrations of GCV in CMV strains, the IC50 value was determined to be ≥ 8 µM for the five CMV strains, and the phenotypic presence of GCV resistance was shown. Clinical resistance associated with CMV UL97 mutation was detected in five (22.7%) of 22 patients who had HCT. GCV resistance was also demonstrated in these patients by phenotypic methods. No UL97 mutation was detected in the patients who had SOT.

[P323L Mutation in a Case with Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 PCR Positivity]. / Uzamis SARS-CoV-2 PCR Pozitifligi Olan Olguda P323L Mutasyonu.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) emerged in the last months of 2019 and caused a pandemic effecting the whole world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19 has changed by various mutations since the day it was first identified, causing the pandemic to continue. Age, male gender, obesity, and comorbidity, which are general risk factors for COVID-19, can also cause prolonged PCR positivity. In this report, a case of 37-year-old male who is working in the hospital's COVID-19 molecular diagnostics laboratory was presented. He was vaccinated with three doses of inactivated vaccine, CoronaVac (Sinovac Biotech, Beijing-China), within the context of the vaccination program carried out in Türkiye. His first SARS-CoV-2 positivity was detected on 12.01.2021, four months after the last vaccination, and he continued to be detected positive for SARS-CoV-2 throughout a period of 39 days by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) tests performed with 2-3-day intervals. The patient has a 20-pack/year smoking history and his body mass index (BMI) was 29.8 kg/m2 at the time of his COVID-19. The case, which was clinically defined as mild COVID-19 with symptoms including back and headache, cough, fever (38.5°C), and loss of taste-smell, and without any additional complications or respiratory distress during the disease process. In the radiological examination, the lung was found within normal ranges. Prophylactic enoxaparin sodium anti-xa IU/0.6 ml was administered to the patient due to his cardiovascular risk, and no additional treatment was given. Whole genome sequencing was performed from nasopharyngeal swab samples of the patient at the beginning and 16th day of the infection to investigate the the specific genomic features and mutation pattern of the virus in the host over time, due to the prolonged SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity. Library preparation for the whole next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed by the SARS-CoV-2 Panel, Paragon CleanPlex kit (Paragon Genomics, USA), and indexing of the library was done by Clean-Plex Dual-Indexed PCR Primers for Illumina Set B kit (Paragon Genomics, USA). NGS analysis was performed on the Illumina Miniseq (Illumina, USA) platform. As a result of the bioinformatics evaluation, both samples were determined as SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant (Nextclade; 21J-Delta variant, Pango lineage; AY.43). Remarkably, the SARSCoV-2 sequences in the two samples taken 15 days apart; several identical mutations; such as D614G in the S gene, P323L in the ORF 1b gene region, and P1228L in the Nsp3 gene region, were detected. Besides that, when compared to the first sample, three additional mutations (P383L, P539S, L838I) were observed in the sequence of the second sample, which led to three amino acid changes, the clinical significance of which has not yet been determined in the literature. It is thought that; these mutations that change amino acid expression, as well as the other three mutations detected, may contribute to the improvement of the fitness of the virus and may be one of the factors responsible for the prolonged SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity. Additional data to be obtained by further epidemiological sequencing studies will shed light on this issue.

Evaluation of Autografts Used in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Terms of Tensile Strength.

Introduction Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries increase the likelihood of chronic knee problems in later years, including early onset osteoarthritis. Therefore, ACL treatment is important in preventing knee problems from developing. The treatment of choice for ACL tears is surgery (ACL reconstruction), and the most popular tendons for ACL reconstruction are the patellar tendon, hamstring tendon (semitendinosus and gracilis tendons), and bone-patellar tendon-bone. The present study compares the tensile strength of autografts used in ACL reconstruction to identify the optimum autograft for ACL in terms of mechanical properties. Methods Cadavers were dissected, and the Achilles tendons, quadriceps tendons, hamstring tendons (semitendinosus and gracilis tendons), patellar tendon grafts, and ACLs were harvested. Tensile tests of each tendon graft were performed using a Shimadzu Autograph AG-IS 100 kN tester (Shimadzu, Kyoto, Japan). Results The mean difference in tensile strength between ACL and other grafts was lowest for the quadriceps in both males and females (p ˂ 0.001), meaning that ACL and quadriceps grafts are more compatible than other tendon grafts in terms of tensile strength. Conclusion The present study found the lowest mean difference in tensile strength to be between the ACL and the quadriceps tendon, suggesting that the use of the quadriceps tendon in ACL reconstruction will yield more positive outcomes.

First case of Rhinocladiella mackenziei brain abscess in Turkey: Case report and review of the literature.

Rhinocladiella mackenziei is a highly neurotropic fungus, mainly reported from the Middle East. However, in recent years, there have been some cases from outside this region. We described an additional fatal case of R. mackenziei cerebral infection for the first time from Turkey and made a literature review of all previously reported cases. During 34 years (1988-2022), there have been 42 R. mackenziei brain abscess cases. Most patients have been reported from Saudi Arabia (n = 14, 33.3%). It is noteworthy that 40.5% of patients, including our case, were immunocompetent at initial diagnosis and mostly presented with a single lesion (n = 10, 23.8%). The most frequent comorbidities were solid organ transplant (n = 9, 21.4%), diabetes mellitus (n = 6, 14.3%), malignancy (n = 6, 14.3%) and prior surgery (n = 3, 7.1%). The most commonly used initial antifungal regimen were amphotericin B together with itraconazole (n = 9, 21.4%), combinations of lipid preparations of amphotericin B, voriconazole and/or posaconazole (n = 9, 21.4%) and amphotericin B alone (n = 8, 19%). Although both surgical procedures and antifungal medication in the majority of patients were performed, mortality rates remained high (90.4%). The area at risk of R. mackenziei cerebral abscess cases extends to other countries. Clinicians should be aware of this emerging disease and take a detailed travel history in patients with atypical and undocumented brain abscesses. Our case confirms the hypothesis that this fungus might spread more widely than previously predicted regions.

One-Year Post-Vaccination Longitudinal Follow-Up of Quantitative SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Spike Total Antibodies in Health Care Professionals and Evaluation of Correlation with Surrogate Neutralization Test.

Numerous vaccines have been generated to decrease the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19. This study aims to evaluate the immunogenicity of the heterologous boosts by BioNTech against homologous boosts by CoronaVac at three-month intervals in two health care worker (HCW) cohorts, with or without prior COVID-19, for one year post-vaccination. This is a prospective cohort study in which the humoral responses of 386 HCWs were followed-up longitudinally in six main groups according to their previous COVID-19 exposure and vaccination status. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike-RBD total antibody levels were measured and SARS-CoV-2 neutralization antibody (NAbs) responses against the ancestral Wuhan and the Omicron variant were evaluated comparatively using international standard serum for Wuhan and Omicron, as well as with the aid of a conversion tool. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike-RBD total Ab and Nab difference between with and without prior COVID-19, three months after two-dose primary vaccination with CoronaVac, was statistically significant (p = 0.001). In the subsequent follow-ups, this difference was not observed between the groups. Those previously infected (PI) and non-previously infected (NPI) groups receiving BioNTech as the third dose had higher anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike total Ab levels (14.2-fold and 17.4-fold, respectively, p = 0.001) and Nab responses (against Wuhan and Omicron) than those receiving CoronaVac. Ab responses after booster vaccination decreased significantly in all groups at the ninth-month follow-up (p < 0.05); however, Abs were still higher in all booster received groups than that in the primary vaccination. Abs were above the protective level at the twelfth-month measurement in the entire of the second BioNTech received group as the fourth dose of vaccination. In the one-year follow-up period, the increased incidence of COVID-19 in the groups vaccinated with two or three doses of CoronaVac compared with the groups vaccinated with BioNTech as a booster suggested that continuing the heterologous CoronaVac/BioNTech vaccination, revised according to current SARS-CoV-2 variants and with at least a six-month interval booster would be an effective and safe strategy for protection against COVID-19, particularly in health care workers.

Enhanced dataset synthesis using conditional generative adversarial networks.

Biomedical data acquisition, and reaching sufficient samples of participants are difficult and time ans effort consuming processes. On the other hand, the success rates of computer aided diagnosis (CAD) algorithms are sample and feature space depended. In this paper, conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN) based enhanced feature generation is proposed to synthesize large sample datasets having higher class separability. Twenty five percent of five medical datasets are used to train CGAN, and the synthetic datasets with any sample size are evaluated and compared to originals. Thus, new datasets can be generated with the help of the CGAN model and lower sample collection. It helps physicians decreasing sample collection processes, and it increases accuracy rates of the CAD systems using generated enhanced data with enhanced feature vectors. The synthesized datasets are classified using nearest neighbor, radial basis function support vector machine and artificial neural network to analyze the effectiveness of the proposed CGAN model.

Duration of infectious shedding of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and its relation with symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: SARS-CoV-2 infections with Omicron variants have a high capability of human-to-human transmission. Nevertheless, the duration of isolation for mild cases was shortened to 5 to 7 days. We aimed to detect the duration of viral shedding among healthcare workers (HCWs) with Omicron by using viral culture. METHODS: We prospectively included newly diagnosed nonsevere, symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 positive HCWs. Nasopharyngeal swab samples were obtained consecutively on days 5, 7,10, and 14 of onset of symptoms. The samples were examined by nucleic acid amplification test and viral culture. RESULTS: In total, 55 non-severe patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant were included. The mean age of the population was 34 years (range, 23 to 54) and 78% (43/55) were female. The PCR positivity rate on days 5, 7, 10, and 14 was 96.4% (53/55), 87.3% (48/55), 74.545% (41/55), and 41.8% (23/55) consecutively, whereas the viral culture positivity rates were 83% (44/53), 52% (26/50), 13.5% (7/52), and 8% (4/50). Among the patients who became symptom-free, the viral culture positivity rates were 100% (4/4), 58% (7/12), 11% (3/27), and 5% (2/41). DISCUSSION: We showed that among the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infected patients, viral shedding continues for ≥10 days in 13.5% of all cases and 11% in symptom-free cases. The decision for cessation of isolation according to the presence of symptoms could be reconsidered until further studies disapprove of our results. Meanwhile, the infected HCWs who give care to high-risk patients for severe COVID-19 might extend their isolations ≤10 days after the onset of symptoms, regardless of their symptoms.

Development of a Nanoplate-Based Digital PCR Test Method for Quantitative Detection of Human Adenovirus DNA.

Objective: Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) assay is an advanced PCR technique that allows for the simultaneous detection and absolute quantification of diverse pathogens.Commercially validated kits available for detecting all subtypes of human adenovirus (HAdV) are limited. This study aimed to demonstrate the development of an in-house nanoplate-based dPCR assay with high sensitivity, even at low copy numbers. Materials and Methods: In this methodological study, the standardized HAdV DNA was prepared by amplifying the specific hexon gene region with real-time PCR and purifying the HAdV DNA using magnetic beads from HAdV-positive extractions. Dilutions were tested in triplicate during three independent runs to determine the dynamic range, the limit of detection (LoD), the limit of quantification (LoQ), precision, and reproducibility. The primer and probe sequences used in the study were selected based on a literature review to ensure the detection of all HAdV serotypes in a single run. The selected primers were verified using the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NBCI) nBLAST tools, and the target sequence was determined using the BioEdit software. The DNA concentration of the stock solution was measured using a Qubit fluorometer. The estimated copy number of the stock solution per milliliter was calculated based on the length of the amplified base sequence and fluorometer measurement. Results: The dynamic range of the test was determined to be from 770.4 to 0.9476 cp/µl, with the LoD and LoQ values both being 0.9476 cp/µl. The coefficient of determination (r 2) value of the test was 0.9986. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the dPCR method could be an ideal tool for the diagnosis and absolute quantification of human adenoviruses, especially in low copy numbers. In order to determine the reproducibility of the test and validate the method for field use, it needs to be developed and adapted in various laboratories and supported by clinical studies.

Comparative analysis of open and closed floating knee injuries / Análise comparativa de lesão de joelho flutuante aberta e fechada

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare the functional outcomes between floating knee injuries with open femur and tibia fractures and closed floating knee injuries. Methods: Floating knee injuries (followed up and treated in our clinic) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups: floating knee injuries with open femur and tibia fractures (Group 1) and floating knee injuries with closed femur and tibia fractures (Group 2). Patients were compared according to their demographic characteristics and clinical and functional outcomes. Results: Of 52 study patients, 28 had Group 1 injuries and 24, Group 2 injuries. We found a statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay between the two groups (p = 0.01) and a statistically significant difference in Karlström-Olerud functional scores between the groups (p = 0.02). We found osteomyelitis in five (17%) patients in Group 1 and in one (4%) patient in Group 2. Conclusion: Patients with floating knee injuries and open fractures showed poorer outcomes than those with closed fractures. Those with open floating knee injuries show complications more often and longer hospital stays. Level of Evidence III, Therapeutic Studies Investigating the Results of Treatment.

RESUMO Objetivo: Comparar os resultados funcionais entre lesões do tipo joelho flutuante com fraturas expostas de fêmur e tíbia e lesões de joelho flutuante fechadas. Métodos: As lesões de joelho flutuante acompanhadas e tratadas em nossa clínica foram analisadas retrospectivamente. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos: lesões de joelho flutuante com fraturas expostas de fêmur e tíbia (Grupo 1) e lesões de joelho flutuante com fraturas fechadas de fêmur e tíbia (Grupo 2). Os pacientes foram comparados de acordo com as características demográficas e os desfechos clínicos e funcionais. Resultados: Entre os 52 pacientes do estudo, 28 tiveram lesões do Grupo 1 e 24 do Grupo 2. A diferença no tempo de internação entre os dois grupos foi estatisticamente significativa (p = 0,01). Também houve diferença estatisticamente significativa nos escores funcionais de Karlström e Olerud entre os grupos (p = 0,02). Osteomielite foi identificada em 5 (17%) pacientes do Grupo 1 e em 1 (4%) paciente do Grupo 2. Conclusão: Comparados aos pacientes com lesões de joelho flutuante com fraturas fechadas, aqueles com fraturas expostas têm piores resultados, uma vez que as complicações são mais comuns e a permanência hospitalar é mais longa nestes casos. Nível de Evidência III, Estudos Terapêuticos - Investigação dos Resultados do Tratamento.

Relationship between admission neutrophil/lymphocyte, thrombocyte/lymphocyte, and monocyte/lymphocyte ratios and 1-year mortality in geriatric hip fractures: Triple comparison.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients with hip fractures have a high post-operative 1-year mortality rate. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), thrombocyte/lymphocyte ratio (TLR), and monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR) with mortality. METHODS: The data of 350 patients who suffered femoral intertrochanteric fractures between January 2015 and January 2020 were examined, and the demographic data of 124 patients who met the study criteria were evaluated. During the 1-year follow-up, 92 patients (74%) who continued their lives and 32 patients (25%) who died were divided into two groups: Group 1 (survivors) and Group 2 (non-survivors). NLR, TLO, MLO, presence of comorbidities, age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification, length of hospital stay, fracture type, and fracture pattern values were statistically compared between the two groups. RESULTS: NLR, TLR, and MLR are the laboratory parameters assessed within the scope of the study. Preoperatively, the mean NLR was 6.59 (1.61-26.29), mean TLR was 197.94 (86-516), and mean MLR was 0.73 (0.19-15.68). In this study, a significant relationship was found between NLR, TLR, and MLR values and the occurrence of post-operative 1-year mortality (p=0.01). In addition, the result was significant in the correlation between these parameters. Cutoff values were found to be 7.53 for NLR, 192 for TLR, and 0.54 for MLR in receiver operator characteristic curve analysis (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: NLR, TLR, and PLR are significant predictors of 1-year mortality in patients aged over 60 years with hip fractures.

Which is superior in the treatment of AO Type 42A tibial shaft fracture? A comparison of talon intramedullary nailing and conventional locked intramedullary nailing.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of conventional locked intramedullary nailing (IMN) and talon IMN in AO Type 42A tibial fractures. METHODS: A total of 93 patients with AO Type 42A fracture were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups: Those treated with conventional IMN (Group 1), and those treated with talon distal locked nailing (Group 2). The patients were statistically compared in terms of age, sex, mechanism of injury, follow-up time, time to union, smoking status, presence of open fracture, presence of concomitant fibula fracture, development of malunion and nonunion, and the number of intraoperative fluoros-copy shots captured. All patients were evaluated with American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and Tegner Lysholm scores for clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 93 patients (68 men and 35 women) participated in the study. Group 1 consisted of 35 (71.4%) men and 14 (28.6%) women, a total of 49 patients, while Group 2 consisted of 33 (75%) men and 11 (25%) women, a total of 44 patients. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, sex, mechanism of injury, follow-up times, smoking status, concomitant fibula fracture, presence of malunion, and presence of open fracture (p>0.05). However, there were significant differences between both groups in terms of time to union, nonunion rate, and the number of fluoroscopy shots captured (p<0.05). American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and Tegner Lysholm score were analyzed and compared, no statistically differences were found (p=0.786 and p=0.764). CONCLUSION: Although talon IMN reduces radiation exposure, locked conventional IMN has lower nonunion rates and achieves union faster.

How does tranexamic acid affect blood transfusion and bleeding amount in pelvis-acetabulum fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation?

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate intravenous tranexamic acid's (TA) effect on blood loss and transfusion ratios in pelvis-acetabulum fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation. METHODS: Patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation due to pelvis-acetabulum fractures between January 2017 and January 2019 constituted this study's target population. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, patients were divided into two groups: Those who were perioperatively given 15 mg/kg TA (i.e., Group 1) and those who were not (i.e., Group 2). Data including age, gender, mechanism of injury, fracture type, presence or absence of additional injuries, the time interval between admission and surgery, incision site, pre-operative and post-operative hemoglobin levels, intraoperative estimated blood loss (EBL), number of blood units transfused, and complications were recorded. Two groups were compared regarding these parameters. RESULTS: The study cohort included 58 patients. There were 30 patients in Group 1 and 28 patients in Group 2. Our analysis revealed that the number of blood units transfused was significantly higher in Group 2 than Group 1 (p=0.016). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding intraoperative EBL, pre-operative and post-operative hemoglobin levels, and the time interval between admission and surgery. CONCLUSION: Administration of intravenous TA reduces blood transfusion requirement in patients with pelvis-acetabulum fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation. This approach can prevent potential blood transfusion-related complications.

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak in a COVID-19 intensive care unit; a case-control study.

We analysed a carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) outbreak in the coronavirus disease (COVID) ICU. We retrospectively collected data from ICU records. We identified 25 cases between 12 November 2020 and 19 December 2020, and compared them to 42 controls present in the ICU during the same period. The presence of a femoral haemodialysis catheter was strongly associated with invasive CRKP infections (cases, 9 [36%]; controls, 0 [0%]; odds ratio [OR] 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 21 (5; 89)). We found a significant association between old age and CRKP infection with adverse outcomes. Sequence analysis revealed three distinct carbapenemase genes: blaNDM-1, blaOXA-48 and blaKPC-2. We launched rectal swab sampling upon admission to the ICU, cohorted colonized patients and cases and conducted an intensive training programme for newly employed staff. This study revealed that the emergence and dissemination of CRKP in COVID ICUs were associated with increased adverse outcomes. The presence of a femoral haemodialysis catheter was a significant risk factor for CRKP infections.

[Evaluation of the Diagnostic Performance of SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Tests in COVID-19 Patients]. / SARS-CoV-2 Hizli Antijen Testlerinin COVID-19 Hastalarindaki Tanisal Performanslarinin Degerlendirilmesi.

The gold standard in the definitive diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) due to their high sensitivity and specificity in detecting viral ribonucleic acid. However, while leaving two years behind in the pandemic, resources have come to the point of exhaustion in terms of both the economy and the manpower working in the field of health services. Therefore, the need for rapid, simple and accurate tests to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection continues. In this study, it was aimed to compare the performance characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests (RAgT) in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases with the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) method. In Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine COVID-19 Molecular Diagnosis Laboratory, SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive respiratory tract samples with viral loads of <25 Ct (cycle of treshold), 25-29 Ct, 30-35 Ct and 35

Effect of BTN162b2 and CoronaVac boosters on humoral and cellular immunity of individuals previously fully vaccinated with CoronaVac against SARS-CoV-2: A longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: It is essential to know about immune response levels after booster doses of the two different types of vaccines, mRNA, and the inactivated, currently used against COVID-19. For this purpose, we aimed to determine the effects of BNT162b2 (BNT) and CoronaVac (CV) boosters on the humoral and cellular immunity of individuals who had two doses of CV vaccination. METHODS: The study was conducted in three centers (Koc University Hospital, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Hospital, and Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical School Hospital) in Istanbul, Turkey. Individuals who had been previously immunized with two doses of CV and no history of COVID-19 were included. The baseline blood samples were collected 3-5 months after the second dose of CV. Follow-up blood samples were taken 1 and 3 months after administration of third doses of CV, or one dose of BNT boosters. Neutralizing antibody titers were measured by plaque reduction assay. The CD4+ T cell, CD8+ T cell, effector CD4+CD38+CD69+ T cell, and effector CD8+CD38+CD69+ T cell ratios were determined by flow cytometry. The intracellular IFN-γ and IL-2 responses were measured by ELISpot assay. RESULTS: We found a 3.38-fold increase in neutralizing antibody geometric mean titers (NA GMT, 78.69) 1 month after BNT booster and maintained at the third month (NA GMT, 80). Nevertheless, in the CV booster group, significantly lower NA GMT than BNT after 1 month and 3 months were observed (21.44 and 28.44, respectively) (p < .001). In the ELISpot assay, IL-2 levels after BNT were higher than baseline and CV booster (p < .001) while IFN-γ levels were significantly higher than baseline (p < .001). The CD8+CD38+CD69+ and CD4+CD38+CD69+ T cells were stimulated predominantly in the third month of the BNT boosters. CONCLUSION: The neutralizing antibody levels after 3 months of the BNT booster were higher than the antibody levels after CV in fully vaccinated individuals. On the contrary, ratio of the effector T cells increased along with greater IFN-γ activation after BNT booster. By considering the waning immunity, we suggest a new booster dose with BNT for the countries that already had two doses of primary CV regimens.