Detection of parvovirus B19 DNA in the lesional skin of patients with Behçet's disease.

BACKGROUND: There is disagreement in the current evidence for viral aetiologies in the pathogenesis of Behçet's disease (BD). OBJECTIVES: To investigate the presence of B19 DNA in skin lesions of patients with BD, compare with the skin of healthy controls and evaluate its role in the pathogenesis. METHODS: In total, 40 patients diagnosed with BD according to the criteria proposed by the International Study Group for Behçet's Disease and routinely followed up at our centre were enrolled into the study. All the patients selected were in the active phase of disease. Skin and blood samples of patients with BD and of the healthy volunteers were examined for B19 serology, histopathology and genome expression. RESULTS: The quantity of B19 DNA in nonulcerative BD lesions of was significantly different from ulcerative lesions in the study group and from the skin of the healthy controls (P < 0.01). For the nonulcerative lesions, real-time PCR analysis for B19 DNA was found to be 64% sensitive (95% CI 42.5-82.0) and 85% specific (95% CI 62.1-96.6) with a cut-off value of > 154 IU/mL (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that provides evidence for a possible causal link between BD and parvovirus B19, and our data suggest the presence of the virus, particularly in intact, nonulcerative skin lesions of BD. Limitations to this study include the limited number of participants, and the fact that the exact source of B19 DNA was undetected.

Evaluation of serum C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-10 levels as diagnostic and prognostic parameters in patients with community-acquired sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock.

The diagnostic value of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-10 levels in differentiating sepsis from severe sepsis and the prognostic value of these levels in predicting outcome were evaluated and compared in patients with community-acquired sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock in the first 72 h of admission to the hospital. Thirty-nine patients were included in the study. The severe sepsis and septic shock cases were combined in a single "severe sepsis" group, and all comparisons were made between the sepsis (n=21 patients) and the severe sepsis (n=18 patients) groups. Procalcitonin levels in the severe sepsis group were found to be significantly higher at all times of measurements within the first 72 h and were significantly higher at the 72nd hour in patients who died. Procalcitonin levels that remain elevated at the 72nd hour indicated a poor prognosis. C-reactive protein levels were not significantly different between the groups, nor were they indicative of prognosis. No significant differences in the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha were found between the sepsis and severe sepsis groups; however, levels were higher at the early stages (at admission and the 24th hour) in patients who died. Interleukin-10 levels were also higher in the severe sepsis group and significantly higher at all times of measurement in patients who died. When the diagnostic and prognostic values at admission were evaluated, procalcitonin and interleukin-10 levels were useful in discriminating between sepsis and severe sepsis, whereas tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-10 levels were useful in predicting which cases were likely to have a fatal outcome.

The progression of maternal RSV antibodies in the offspring.

The concentrations of maternal anti-RSV IgG antibodies were followed in 49 healthy newborns over the first six months of life. At birth, 41 mothers (83%) tested positive for anti-RSV IgG and all of their babies carried maternal anti-RSV IgG. Anti-RSV IgG positivity dropped to 73% at 1 month, 6% at 3 months, and 2% at 6 months. Between 3 and 6 months, 8% did acquire RSV infection, half of them as acute bronchiolitis and half as non-specific respiratory infection. All of the patients who acquired clinical RSV disease had an antibody concentration of <20 RU/ml which may be the cut off value for protection.

[Salmonella typhimurium in food-producing animals in Bursa]. / Bursa yöresinde besi hayvanlarinda Salmonella typhimurium arastirmasi.

Role of food-producing animals in Salmonella typhimurium infections was investigated in this study. Salmonella typhimurium antibodies with the ratios of 63.3% among the slaughter house staff and 78.1% in the animals slaughtered were established. Multiresistant Salmonella typhimurium bacteria was isolated in the faecal cultures of 3 among 301 animals.

[A serological study of Yersinia enterocolitica]. / Yersinia enterocolitica ile serolojik bir çalisma.

In this study, the incidence of Yersinia enterocolitica was investigated at neighbourhood of Bursa and 13.26 percentage seropositivity was determined.

[Salmonella typhimurium infections in the area of Bursa]. / Salmonella typhimurium enfeksiyonlarinin Bursa yöresindeki durumu.

Salmonella typhimurium infections encountered at the neighbourhood of Bursa since January 1987 were evaluated in regard to the antibiotic resistance and treatment. High proportion of resistance was determined to the antibacterial agents such as ampicillin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline and more sensitivity to ofloxacin, amikacin, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime was established in 383 Salmonella typhimurium strains isolated within two years of period. No antibiotic therapy was required to adult uncomplicated patients. A combination therapy with cefotaxime and amikacin was found to be satisfactory in the newborn cases with septicemia.

[Distribution of Cryptococcus neoformans in pigeon feces]. / Cryptococcus neoformans'in güvercin diskilarindaki dagilimi.

C neoformans has been investigated in fecal droppings obtained from pigeon coops that placed in several suburbs of Bursa City. In sixteen of the 115 samples (13.9%), C neoformans strains has been isolated and studied their morphological and biochemical properties. But no isolation has been obtained from 8 soil samples and 14 samples of chicken dung.

[The distribution of clostridia in soil samples from Bursa]. / Bursa'da toprak örneklerinde Klostridium'larin dagilimi.

In the soil samples taken from different places of Bursa, distribution of the Clostridia were searched by anaerobic jar and immunofluorescence reaction (FAT). In our study, 122 bacteria belonging to 11 Clostridium species were isolated in 35 soil samples. These strains were identified by studying morphological and biochemical properties, lecithinase C and lipase activities, toxin neutralization characteristics. In addition, FAT were used for 4 Clostridium species.