Middle-term outcomes in renal transplant recipients with COVID-19: a national, multicenter, controlled study.

Background: In this study, we evaluated 3-month clinical outcomes of kidney transplant recipients (KTR) recovering from COVID-19 and compared them with a control group. Method: The primary endpoint was death in the third month. Secondary endpoints were ongoing respiratory symptoms, need for home oxygen therapy, rehospitalization for any reason, lower respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, biopsy-proven acute rejection, venous/arterial thromboembolic event, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection/disease and BK viruria/viremia at 3 months. Results: A total of 944 KTR from 29 different centers were included in this study (523 patients in the COVID-19 group; 421 patients in the control group). The mean age was 46 ± 12 years (interquartile range 37-55) and 532 (56.4%) of them were male. Total number of deaths was 8 [7 (1.3%) in COVID-19 group, 1 (0.2%) in control group; P = 0.082]. The proportion of patients with ongoing respiratory symptoms [43 (8.2%) versus 4 (1.0%); P < 0.001] was statistically significantly higher in the COVID-19 group compared with the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of other secondary endpoints. Conclusion: The prevalence of ongoing respiratory symptoms increased in the first 3 months post-COVID in KTRs who have recovered from COVID-19, but mortality was not significantly different.

The Longitudinal Evolution of Post-COVID-19 Outcomes Among Hemodialysis Patients in Turkey.

Introduction: Hemodialysis (HD) patients have increased risk for short-term adverse outcomes of COVID-19. However, complications and survival at the post-COVID-19 period have not been published extensively. Methods: We conducted a national, multicenter observational study that included adult maintenance HD patients recovered from confirmed COVID-19. A control HD group without COVID-19 was selected from patients in the same center. We investigated the characteristics and outcomes in the follow-up of HD patients and compare them with the non-COVID-19 group. Results: A total of 1223 patients (635 patients in COVID-19 group, 588 patients in non-COVID-19 group) from 47 centers were included in the study. The patients' baseline and HD characteristics were almost similar. The 28th-day mortality and mortality between 28th day and 90th day were higher in the COVID-19 group than non-COVID-19 group (19 [3.0%] patients vs. none [0%]; 15 [2.4%] patients vs. 4 [0.7%] patients, respectively). The presence of respiratory symptoms, rehospitalization, need for home oxygen therapy, lower respiratory tract infection, and arteriovenous (AV) fistula thrombosis was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group in both the first 28 days and between 28 and 90 days. In the multivariable analysis, age (odds ratio [OR] [95% CI]: 1.029 [1.004-1.056]), group (COVID-19 group vs. non-COVID-19 group) (OR [95% CI]: 7.258 [2.538-20.751]), and vascular access type (tunneled catheter/AV fistula) (OR [95% CI]: 2.512 [1.249-5.051]) were found as independent parameters related to 90-day mortality. Conclusion: In the post-COVID-19 period, maintenance HD patients who have had COVID-19 have increased rehospitalization, respiratory problems, vascular access problems, and high mortality compared with the non-COVID-19 HD patients.

Seasonal variation of total phenolic, antioxidant activity and minerals in fresh tea shoots (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis).

Seasonal variation of total phenolics, antioxidant activity and minerals in fresh tea shoots, consisting of one apical bud and two adjoining leaves sampled from Muradiye, Tuglali, Gundogdu, Enstitu 9, Hamzabey, Hayrat and Pazar 20 clones grown in Eastern Black Sea region in Turkey was investigated during three harvest season (May, July and September) in both 2006 and 2007 years. The total phenolics of all clones were lower in cool months of May in both years (average 33.00-90.27 mg GAE/g dry weight basis). Thereafter, the levels of total phenolics increased throughout the warmer months from July to September. Antioxidant activity determined by beta-carotene bleaching assay showed similar trends which increased from 1st harvest (May) to 3rd harvest (September). All clones showed nearly 100% antioxidant activity at 2nd and 3rd harvest season which higher than standard synthetic antioxidant BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole). However, seasonal variation of minerals (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn) showed different results according to clones used. These results seem to suggest that the harvest time is crucial to determining the antioxidant potential of fresh tea shoots.

Total phenolic content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of some medicinal plants.

Crude extracts from Inula aucherana, Fumaria officinalis, Crocus sativus, Vicum album, Tribulus terestris, Polygonatum multiflorum, Alkanna tinctoria and Taraxacum officinale were screened for their in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Total phenolic content of extracts from these plants were also determined. beta-carotene bleaching assay and Folin-Ciocalteu reagent were used to determine total antioxidant activity and total phenols of plant extracts. Antimicrobial activity was determined by using disk diffusion assay. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content varied among plants used and Viscum album and Crocus sativus had the highest antioxidant (82.23%) and total phenolic content (42.29 mgGAE/g DW), respectively. The methanol extracts from Vicum album and Alkanna tinctoria showed antimicrobial activity against 9 out of 32 microorganisms, however extract from Inula aucherana showed antimicrobial activity against 15 out of 32 microorganisms. The results provided evidence that the studied plant might indeed be potential sources of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.