[Should Tetanus Vaccine Booster be Given Earlier in Individuals Living with HIV?] / HIV ile Yasayan Bireylerde Tetanos Asisinin Rapeli Daha Erken Yapilmali Mi?

The incidence rate of tetanus has dramatically decreased following the discovery of the tetanus vaccine. A decennial booster dose is necessary to maintain the protective antibody levels after the primary vaccination schedule. The recommendations for the tetanus booster doses in adult "people living with acquired immune deficiency virus (HIV)" (PLWH) is similar to those for the general population. However, the duration of protective antibodies in PLWH is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting the response of HIV-infected individuals to tetanus vaccine and to evaluate the role of tetanus antitoxin level in determining the timing of the booster dose. PLWH attending the Adult Vaccination Unit of Ege University Faculty of Medicine Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Department were tested for tetanus antibodies from 30 October to 30 November 2020. Demographic information and the history of primary vaccination and booster doses were derived from medical files. Tetanus antibodies were detected with "enzyme immunoassay (EIA)" method with Clostridium tetani toxin 5S IgG-"enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)" kit (Nova Lisa, Novatec Immundiagnostica, Germany). Antibody levels <0.01 IU/ml were considered negative, 0.01-0.5 IU/ml weak positive, 0.51-1.0 IU/ml positive and > 1.1 IU/ml strong positive. A level ≥ 0.50 IU/ml was considered as protective. The study included 146 PLWH [men (n= 126) and women (n= 40)]. The mean age was 39.5 ± 11.20 years (range: 18-65). Protective antibody level was detected in 114 (78.1%) participants. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis revealed that the ideal lower limit of CD4+ T cell count during booster vaccination for a person to develop protective antibody level was calculated as ≥ 218 cell/mm3. In the multivariate analysis, it was found that age <50 years (OR= 16.4, 95% CI= 4.9-55.2), the absence of AIDS at the time of diagnosis (OR= 6.7, 95% Cl= 1.05-17.4) and CD4+ T cell count ≥ 218 cells/mm3 at the time of vaccination (OR= 4.2, 95% CI= 1.05-17.4) were associated with protective levels of antibody. Protective levels of tetanus antibodies in PLWH are lower than the general population. It should be considered that the booster dose may be required earlier, especially in PLWH who are > 50 years old, with CD4+ T lymphocyte count <200 cells/mm3 during previous booster vaccination and who had AIDS at the time of the diagnosis.

[Comparison of Two Anti-HIV Confirmatory Assays: Recombinant HIV 1/2 Line Immunoassay and Geenius HIV 1/2 Confirmatory Test]. / Iki Anti-HIV Dogrulama Testinin Karsilastirilmasi: Rekombinant HIV 1/2 "Line Immunoassay" ve Geenius HIV 1/2 Dogrulama Testi.

The main purpose in the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is to rapidly and accurately identify people with HIV infection. It is recommended that samples that are repeatedly reactive should be verified/supported according to the classical algorithms of international and national guidelines. The recombinant "line immunoassay test (LIA)", which has been used for many years, is studied with the accumulated samples to be cost and labor-effective. In this study, the supplemental recombinant HIV 1/2 LIA (INNO-LIA®, Fujirebio, Ghent, Belgium) used to confirm and differentiate the diagnosis of HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections, and an immunochromatographic supplemental test (Geenius™ (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Marnes-la-Coquette, France) which can provide faster results were compared. One hundred fifty serum samples sent to Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital Medical Virology Laboratory with anti-HIV 1/2 and p24 antigen positive and indeterminant results and three HIV-1 positive external quality control samples were included in the study. Samples were tested both with the Geenius™ HIV 1/2 (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Marnes-la-Coquette, France) and recombinant HIV 1/2 LIA (INNO-LIA®, Fujirebio, Ghent, Belgium). HIV 1 viral load was evaluated by using Abbott real-time HIV-1 test in Abbott m200sp system (Abbott Molecular, Wiesbaden, Germany) in plasma samples. In both assays, the results were consistent in 147 samples (96.08%). Six samples that have discordant results were as follows: one sample was LIA HIV-1 positive and Geenius indeterminate, two samples were LIA indeterminant and Geenius HIV-1 positive, and in three samples, LIA was indeterminate and Geenius negative. In two EIA reactive samples (2/97, 2.06%) and three EIA negative samples (3/53, 5.66%) LIA results were indeterminant. Geenius test, on the other hand, correctly identified HIV positive and negative samples. The immunochromatographic test could be used in the diagnostic algorithm of HIV infection, due to its short application time, not being labor intensive, its ability to distinguish HIV-1/2, its high sensitivity/specificity compared to LIA, and the compliance with LIA. However, it should be noted that in acute HIV infection, all analytical antibody tests, become reactive later than the fourth generation enzyme immunoassays.

[Investigation of congenital CMV infection with the presence of CMV DNA in saliva samples of new born babies]. / Yenidogan bebeklerin tükürük örneginde CMV DNA varligi ile konjenital CMV enfeksiyonunun arastirilmasi.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), is the most common cause among congenital infections and is the most seen etiology in long-term sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and neurological impairment. Congenital CMV infection (CCMV) was reported in 0.15-2.2% of live-borne neonates in studies from different countries. A significant proportion of infected infants are asymptomatic after birth and might only be detected by routine screening methods during the new born period. The aim of this study was to screen the saliva of live-born neonates with areal-time PCR based method for the detection of CCMV in our hospital. Saliva samples collected in half an hour after birth by dry dacron swabs and were evaluated for CMV DNA (Rt-PCR, Abbott Molecular USA) from 1000 babies born in Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital Obstetrics Clinic between October 2015-October 2017. For the confirmation of CCMV, saliva positive newborns were evaluated with the same method for CMV DNA from their urine or blood within 21 days. All newborns were screened for sensorineural hearing tests. Subjects were 497 girls (49.7%) and 503 boys (50.3%), with a mean weight of 3116.8 g and mean of 37.61 birth week. CMV DNA was positive in the saliva of 16 newborns (1.6%). Fourteen newborns were weakly positive for CMV DNA in their saliva and were not confirmed for CCMV infection. Congenital CMV was confirmed in only two (0.2%) with the CMV DNA results in urine and/or blood samples. One of the two newborns with CCMV was symptomatic and had a neurosensorial hearing loss. The other one was asymptomatic. Saliva samples, taken immediately after birth with a noninvasive and easy method for the detection of CMV DNA is very important for diagnosis of CCMV. Positive samples should be confirmed with CMV DNA in urine or blood samples of these newborns. In this study, detection of positivity in saliva samples that were confirmed with other samples of our newborn population for CCMV was 0.2%. The specific diagnosis for CCMV in newborns with a noninvasive and easy collecting sample is important to avoid sequelae and for public health concerns.

[Evaluation of viral etiology in central nervous system infections from a university hospital point of view in Izmir based on seven years data]. / Santral sinir sistemi enfeksiyonlarinda viral etiyolojinin Izmir'de bir üniversite hastanesinin yedi yillik verileri üzerinden degerlendirilmesi.

The serious diseases of the central nervous system (CNS); encephalitis and meningitis, have high mortality and morbidity rate especially not diagnosed and treated in time. Nucleic acid testing (NAT) is the tool of choice for viral diagnosis in CNS infections. In this study, viral etiological agents found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples sent to our university hospital virology laboratory for laboratory diagnosis of CNS infections were retrospectively evaluated and results were compared with other reports from our country. Viral etiological agents found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples sent to Ege University Faculty of Medicine Department of Medical Microbiology Virology Laboratories for laboratory diagnosis of CNS infection between 01.01.2009-31.12.2015 were evaluated retrospectively. A total of 3778 CSF tests were performed for cell culture of enterovirus (EV) in 487 samples and 3291 tests for nucleic acid testing (NAT) by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1), herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2), varicella zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6) and EV. VZV and EV NAT's were performed during the last one and five years period, respectively. NAT positive results for HSV1, HSV2, CMV, EBV, VZV, HHV6 and EV were 1.80% (24/1333), 0.08% (1/1333), 3.28% (19/580), 4.35% (22/506), 0.46% (1/216), 1.05% (5/478) and 3.37% (6/178), respectively. EV was isolated in 30 (6.20%) of 487 CSF samples by viral culture. Positive samples were mainly from pediatric, neurology and infectious diseases clinics as expected. The number of higher positive results were found in samples sentin december (35.3%), july (12.9%) and november (10.6%). Overall 80% of positive samples belonged to patients over 18 years old. When the results of other studies reported from Turkey are examined, although the positivity rates are generally similar, it is seen that the rates specific to certain factors are higher in selected smaller patient groups like HSV1 and EV. Rapid nucleic acid tests like multiplex PCR and microarray will provide more practical and effective laboratory diagnosis approach in CNS infections, since many more microorganisms may be causative agents.

[Determination of cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B genotypes in different geographical regions and different patient groups in Turkey]. / Türkiye'de farkli cografi bölgelerde ve farkli hasta gruplarindaki sitomegalovirus izolatlarinin glikoprotein B genotiplerinin belirlenmesi.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common virus found all around the world, usually causes asymptomatic infections in immunocompetent hosts, however it may lead to serious complications in immunodeficient patients and in the fetus. CMV is divided into four genotypes according to the polymorphisms in UL55 gene that encodes for envelope glycoprotein B. Nucleotide polymorphisms of CMV gB gene can affect the cell tropism of the virus and host immune response and believed to have important changes in the pathogenesis of CMV. The aim of this study was to determine the gB genotypes of CMV isolates from different patient groups selected from different regions of Turkey. A total of 136 clinical specimens from patients (66 female, 70 male; age range: 0-65 years, mean age: 24.03 ± 17.17) who were diagnosed to have CMV infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or antigenemia tests, between 2001-2014, in the medical school hospitals of Akdeniz, Ege, Istanbul Cerrahpasa and Erciyes Universities (located at Mediterranean, Aegean, northwest and central Anatolia regions, respectively), were included in the study. The patient group consisted of 80 renal transplant (RT) recipients, 35 stem cell transplant (SCT) recipients, 13 newborns, seven heart transplant (HT) recipients and one pregnant woman. CMV gB genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) method, and DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were performed for the randomly selected 15 isolates with different genotypes. Among 136 (135 plasma, 1 amnion fluid) samples, the most frequent genotype was gB1 (n= 44, 32.4%), followed by gB2 (n= 39, 28.6%), gB3 (n= 36, 26.5%) and gB4 (n= 8, 5.9%); however nine (6.6%) samples could not be genotyped. When analysis were interpreted according to the patient groups, it was determined that the genotypes in RT recipients were gB1 32.3%, gB2 28.7%, gB3 26.5% and gB4 5.9%; in SCT recipients gB1 34.3%, gB2 28.6%, gB3 22.9% and gB4 5.7%; in HT recipients gB3 57.1%, gB1 14.3% and gB2 14.3%; in newborns gB1 38.4%, gB3 30.8%, gB2 15.4% and gB4 7.7%, and gB2 genotype in the pregnant woman. As our study was a descriptive study to determine the genotypes of CMV gB, the relationship between the genotypes and the variants such as viral load, symptomatic disease and prognosis were not analyzed. As a result, the isolation of different gB genotypes in various case groups from four distinctive provinces, underlines the diversity of CMV gB genotypes in Turkey.

[Meningoencephalitis caused by West Nile virus in a renal transplant recipient]. / Böbrek nakli alicisinda Bati Nil virusuna bagli meningoensefaliti.

West Nile virus (WNV) infection which is asymptomatic or mild in normal population, it may cause serious clinical conditions leading to death in eldery and immunosupressed patients. The virus is mainly transmitted by mosquito bites, however transfusion, transplantation, transplasental and nosocomial ways have also been reported to be responsible for viral transmission. It is known that WNV may cause life-threatining conditions such as central nervous system (CNS) infections especially in bone marrow and solid organ transplant recipients. In this report, the first case of WNV encephalitis in an immunosuppressed patient with renal transplant in Turkey was presented. A 25-year-old male patient admitted to our hospital with the complaints of generalized myalgia, nausea and vomiting, after the 24. day of renal transplantation from a live donor. Since he developed diffuse tonic clonic seizures during his follow up, he was diagnosed as meningoencephalitis with the results of cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MR) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biochemistry. Bacterial and fungal cultures of blood and CSF yielded negative results. CMV antigenemia test and CMV IgM in blood, and nucleic acid tests for CMV, EBV, HSV-1/2, VZV, HHV-6, enterovirus and parvovirus in CSF were also negative. However, WNV RNA was detected in CSF by an in-house reverse transcriptase (RT) nested PCR method. The sequence analysis (GenBank BLAST) of the virus showed that it had 99% similarity with Lineage-1 WNV strains. To define the transmission way of the virus to the recipient, WNV-RNA was searched in the renal biopsy sample and found negative by RT nested PCR. The clinical condition of the patient was improved with supportive therapy and by the de-escalation of immunosuppressive drugs [Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF; 1 g/day), cyclosporin (1 mg/kg/day)]. However WNV meningoencephalitis recurred one month later. The patient presented with fever, myalgia, confusions, leukocytosis, anemia, and repeating WNV-RNA positivity in CSF. This time cyclosporin was stopped, MMF was given in low dose (1 g/day), and high dose parenteral acyclovir and intravenous immunoglobulin (400 mg/kg/day, 7 days) were initiated. The patient recovered completely after 10 days without any neurological abnormalities. In conclusion, especially in endemic areas, WNV should be considered in the differential diagnosis of CNS infections develop in solid organ transplant cases and patients with other immunodeficiencies who present with fever, generalized myalgia, gastrointestinal symptoms and/or neurological disorders.

Evaluation of antibody responses in healthcare workers before & after meningococcal vaccine and determination of meningococcal carriage rates.

The rates of nasopharyngeal meningococcal carriage in healthcare workers are unknown. Meningococcal vaccine is recommended for risk groups but healthcare workers are not included in risk groups for many countries. Herein, we aimed to investigate the nasopharyngeal meningococcal carriage rates, basal and after one dose of Men-ACWY-DT vaccine response on the 30th day by evaluating meningococcus IgG antibody levels and decolonization at month six after vaccination among the detected carriers. Nasopharyngeal swab samples were taken before vaccination to evaluate meningococcal carriage in healthcare workers. All participants received a single dose of Men-ACWY-DT vaccine. Serum samples were collected immediately before vaccination and again on day 30 post-vaccination. Antibodies in the stored sera were analyzed using the ELISA method. Participants who were determined to carry meningococci at the initial visit underwent another round of nasopharyngeal swab tests six months post-vaccination to check for decolonization. Between November 2020 and May 2021, we evaluated samples from 100 physicians [52 % females, 28.28 ± 4.45 (min: 24, max: 49)]. The majority of the physicians worked in the emergency department (45 %), followed by the infectious diseases clinic (14 %). Fifty-eight physicians had a history of at least one contact with a meningococcus-infected patient, and 53 (91.4 %) had used prophylactic antibiotics at least once due to this exposure. None of the study group nasopharyngeal swab cultures were positive for Neisseria meningitidis. Before the Men-ACWY-DT vaccine, anti-meningococcus IgG positivity was detected in the serum samples of only 3 (3 %) participants. By day 30 after vaccination, 48 % of participants showed positive for antibodies. As we didn't detect nasopharyngeal carriage in any participants, we didn't evaluate decolonization among carriers six months post-vaccination. Notably, detection of antibodies was evident in about half of the participants on day 30 after receiving a single dose of the Men-ACWY-DT vaccine.

COVID-19 Antibody Levels among Various Vaccination Groups, One-Year Antibody Follow-Up in Two University Hospitals from Western and Central Turkey.

Various clinical outcomes, reinfections, vaccination programs, and antibody responses resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the time-dependent changes in SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses in infected and/or vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals and to provide insights into spike and nucleocapsid antibodies, which fluctuate during infectious and non-infectious states. This cohort study was carried out at the Ege University Faculty of Medicine hospital in Izmir (western Turkey) and the Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine hospital in Kayseri (central Turkey) between December 2021 and January 2023, which coincided with the second half of COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 100 COVID-19 PCR-positive patients and 190 healthcare workers (HCWs). Antibody levels were followed up via quantitative anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike and qualitative anti-nucleocapsid immunoassays (Elecsys™). Antibody levels declined after infection but persisted for at least 6-8 months. Individuals who had received only CoronaVac had higher anti-nucleocapsid antibody levels in the early months than those who received mixed vaccination. However, anti-spike antibodies persisted longer and at higher levels in individuals who had received mixed vaccinations. This suggests that combining two different vaccine platforms may provide a synergistic effect, resulting in more durable and broad-spectrum immunity against SARS-CoV-2. The study provides information about the vaccination and antibody status of healthcare workers in the second half of the pandemic and provides valuable insights into the dynamics of antibody responses to COVID-19 infection and vaccination.

[Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis cases diagnosed by increased CSF/serum measles antibody indices]. / Yüksek BOS/Serum Kizamik Antikor Indeksi ile Tanimlanan Subakut Sklerozan Panensefalit Olgulari

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) caused by persistent defective measles virus strains, is a progressive neurological disorder of children and adolescents. The aim of this letter was to share the data from SSPE-suspected cases who were definitely diagnosed by the detection of increased antibody index in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. A total of 11 patients (mean age: 14.3 years) with suspected SSPE between February 2006 to August 2008, were included in the study. Simultaneously obtained serum and CSF samples from patients were analyzed in terms of albumin, total IgG and measles-specific IgG levels (Measles Virus IgG ELISA for CSF Diagnostics, Euroimmun, Germany). The value of CSQrel (relative CSF/serum quotient) ≥ 1.5 was accepted indicative for intrathecal measles antibody synthesis. Seven (63.6%) of the 11 patients' diagnosis were confirmed with the demonstration of elevated CSF/serum indices (CSQrel range: 2.3-36.9; mean: 12.9). Mean age of those seven cases was 12.3 years (age range: 7-21) and four of them were male. The history of patients with high antibody indices indicated that three of four patients who had measles infection had not been vaccinated against measles. These three unvaccinated patients had measles infection at 3rd, 8th and 30th months of age, respectively, and the period of SSPE development were 15, 6 and 4.5 years, respectively. With this letter we would like to emphasize once more that effective measles vaccination is the only way for the prevention of measles and SSPE and the demonstration of increased measles antibody index in simultaneously obtained serum and CSF samples is crucial for the diagnosis of SSPE.

Hepatitis E Infection in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis E virus is a re-emerging pathogen with an increase in human cases that can lead to chronic infection in immunosuppressed patients. Turkey is located between Asia and Europe, 2 regions with distinct epidemiological and clinical features of hepatitis E virus infection. This multicenter cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of hepatitis E virus infection in liver and kidney transplant recipients in Turkey and to determine the role of possible transmission factors. METHODS: A total of 485 plasma samples of solid organ recipients were collected from 7 transplantation centers in Turkey. Samples were tested for anti-hepatitis E virus immunoglobin M, immunoglobin G, and hepatitis E virus ribonucleic acid. Water- and food-related risk factors were evaluated by a questionnaire. RESULTS: Samples of 300 kidney and 185 liver recipients were collected. Hepatitis E virus ribonucleic acid was tested in 472 samples and none were positive. Anti-hepatitis E virus immunoglobin G and immunoglobin M were detected in 84 (17.3%) and 3 (0.6%) patients, respectively. Seropositivity was associated with older age, male gender, being a liver recipient, and being infected with hepatitis B virus and/or hepatitis C virus. None of the patients under the age of 30 were seropositive. Hepatitis E virus immunoglobin G prevalence was higher in the Central East and Southeast Anatolia. Eating raw meat was the only independent variable associated with hepatitis E virus seropositivity. CONCLUSION: This is the first prevalence study of hepatitis E virus infection in solid organ recipients in Turkey. Anti-hepatitis E virus immunoglobin G prevalence was 17.3% which was higher than the previously reported rate in blood donors. Seropositivity was significantly higher in liver recipients. Despite the high antibody prevalence, none of the patients were viremic.

Sensitivity Affected by Disease Severity and Serum Sampling Time: a Performance Evaluation of Six SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Immunoassays.

Comparative validation and clinical performance data are essential for the reliable interpretation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody test results. This study aimed to assess the performance of six SARS-CoV-2 IgG immunoassays in the context of different disease severities. Four automated chemiluminescence immunoassays (Access [Beckman Coulter], Architect [Abbott], Atellica-IM [Siemens], and Elecsys [Roche]) as well as two ELISA assays (SARS-CoV-2 IgG-S1-based and NCP IgG [Euroimmun]) were evaluated using samples from 143 patients as well as 50 pre-pandemic control serum samples. Accuracy and precision tests were performed for validation purposes. Overall sensitivity ranged between 73.38-88.65% and was higher in spike protein-based assays, while the specificity was ≥98% in all immunoassays. The clinical performance of the immunoassays differed depending on disease severity and target antigen. For instance, the IgG response was lower for samples taken <20 days post-symptom onset (87.30%) compared with those taken ≥20 days post-symptom onset (94.80%). Moreover, moderate disease levels led to the highest levels of IgG. Higher levels of antibodies were detected in the clinically moderate disease group. In asymptomatic and mild groups, more antibody positivity was detected with spike protein-based assays. All the assays tested could be used to detect SARS-CoV-2 IgG. However, spike-based assays revealed relatively higher sensitivity rates than nucleoprotein-based assays, particularly in cases of asymptomatic and mild disease.

Predictive value of FibroScan in detecting liver fibrosis in HBeAg negative patients with chronic hepatitis B whose HBV DNA 2000-20000 IU/ml with ALT 1-2 times the upper limit of normal and those with HBV DNA >20000 IU/ml and normal ALT.

Objective: In hepatitis B infection, it is difficult to make a treatment decision in patients with slightly elevated transaminases and HBV DNA level between 2000 and 20000 IU/ml, and in those with normal ALT, despite high levels of HBV DNA. Objectives: In HBeAg negative patients whose HBV DNA levels were between 2000 and 20000 IU/ml with ALT 1-2 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) and those with HBV DNA >20000 IU/ml and normal ALT, the concordance between liver fibrosis in biopsy and liver stiffness measured by transient elastography with FibroScan® (FS) was investigated, and diagnostic value of FS to predict the liver fibrosis was tested. Methods: The patients were selected from the outpatient hepatology clinics between the dates of November 2014 and October 2016 among those who were taken liver biopsy. Transient elastography was obtained within 3 months after liver biopsy. The diagnostic value of FS in detecting advanced fibrosis or moderate to advanced (MTA) fibrosis was investigated for each group. Results: In 38 patients with HBV DNA 2000-20000 IU/ml and ALT 1-2×ULN, advanced fibrosis was detected in only one patient (2.6%) on liver biopsy, sensitivity of FS to show advanced fibrosis is 100%, specificity 78.3%, and diagnostic accuracy rate 79%. The area under curve was determined to be 0.892. In detecting MTA fibrosis, these values are 100%, 62%, 71%, and 0.810, respectively. Of 79 patients with HBV DNA >20000 IU/ml and normal ALT, five had advanced (5.5%) and 18 had MTA (23%) fibrosis. Sensitivity of FS in detecting advanced fibrosis was 100%, specificity 87.8%, and accuracy 88.6%, and these values for MTA fibrosis were 85.7%, 81%, and 82.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Because of false negativity in a few patients with HBV DNA >20000 IU/ml in detecting MTA, FS may be combined with other non-invasive techniques. Negative predictive values of FS in predicting advanced or MTA fibrosis were very high, while positive predictive values were low. However, FS may save several patients from liver biopsy.

The comparison of seroconversion rates among different varicella vaccines administered Turkish children; MAV/06 and vOka.

Varicella is a vaccine-preventable disease, and the incidence of varicella has declined since the introduction of varicella vaccine campaigns. A wild type of varicella zoster virus (VZV) was isolated from a 33-month-old child with varicella in Korea in 1989, a different strain (MAV/06). A live-attenuated varicella vaccine containing strain (MAV/06), Suduvax®, was developed in South Korea in 1994. Turkey introduced the varicella vaccine containing the MAV/06 strain (Varicella Vaccine-GCC, Green Cross, South Korea) in January 2019. Therefore, we aimed to compare the seroconversion rates among MAV/06 vaccine- and vOka-administered children. We prospectively collected blood samples from 98 received vOKA and 98 received MAV/06 children 6 weeks after administration, and seroconversion rates were determined by an indirect fluorescence assay (Anti-VZV IIFT IgG, Euroimmun, Germany). Seroconversion rate was significantly higher in vOka group than MAV/06 group (82.7% vs. 64.3%; p = .004). Of the children vaccinated with vOka strain, 17 children did not develop antibodies, 12 were weakly positive, and the remaining 69 children were strongly positive. Of the children who were administered MAV/06 strain, 35 were negative, 20 were weakly positive, and 43 were strongly positive. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that MAV/06 varicella vaccine had lower seroconversion rates and the strong seropositive cases were less common than vOka-administered children. Larger and prospective studies are needed.

Hepatitis E virus IgG seroprevalence in liver transplant patients: A retrospective single-center experience.

Background and Aim: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) may cause chronic liver disease in solid organ transplant recipients. We determined HEV seroprevalence and associated factors in liver transplant recipients. Materials and Methods: Patients followed at the outpatient clinic of liver transplantation between January 2019 and January 2020 were screened retrospectively for HEV serology (HEV immunoglobulin M [IgM] and HEV immunoglobulin G [IgG]). Results: Of the 150 patients (male/female, 104/46; age, 55.4±13.2 years), anti-HEV IgG was positive in 31 (20.7%), and anti-HEV IgM was negative in all. The mean time after liver transplantation (72 [48%] deceased and 78 [52%] living donors) was 81±78.5 months. Drinking water consisted of carboy and tap water in 88 (58.7%) and 62 patients (41.3%), respectively. Of the patients, 120 (80%) and 30 (20%) lived in urban and rural areas, respectively. On comparison, the difference between positive and negative anti-HEV IgG groups in terms of age, place of birth, water supply, and donor type was statistically significant (p=0.007, p=0.000, p=0.034, and p=0.049, respectively). Conclusion: HEV seroprevalence was more frequent in liver transplant recipients compared with the normal population. Older age, water supply, and place of birth were risk factors for HEV seroprevalence.

Risk factors and consequences of post-transplant diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical course as well as risk factors and prognosis of post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). METHODS: Five hundred fifty-five kidney transplant recipients were retrospectively evaluated. PTDM was defined as fasting blood glucose ≥140 mg/dL on at least two consecutive measurements or requirement of oral antidiabetic drug or insulin. Patients with PTDM were divided into subgroups according to time of onset (early; <90 d vs. late, ≥90 d) and duration of diabetes (transient, <90 d vs. sustained ≥90 d). RESULTS: The frequency of PTDM was 18.3%. In multivariate analysis age (p < 0.001), hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (p < 0.05) and tacrolimus use (p < 0.001) were independent risk factors. Among 220 HCV+ patients, liver biopsy was performed in 158, the histological grade (3.3 ± 2.8 vs. 4.4 ± 3.1) and stage (0.9 ± 1.1 vs. 1.4 ± 1.2) were significantly more severe in patients with PTDM than in non-diabetics. Incidence of PTDM in patients with severe fibrosis was 46.7%; 19.2% in nil or mild fibrosis (p < 0.05). Patient and graft survival were significantly worse, and cardiovascular events and life-threatening infection episodes were more frequent in PTDM. Half of the patients had early PTDM, while 30.3% of patients with PTDM showed transient nature. Five- and 10-yr death censored graft survival rates were worse in transient subgroup compared with sustained patients with diabetes (log rank 0.025) whereas there was no difference in outcome between early and late subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Age, tacrolimus, and HCV are independent risk factors for PTDM. PTDM has a negative impact on both patient and graft survival, irrespective of the time of onset and duration of diabetes.

[Evaluation of immunoblot-based assay for detecting Epstein-Barr virus viral capsid antibodies]. / Epstein-Barr virus viral kapsid antikorlarinin saptanmasinda immünoblot yönteminin degerlendirilmesi.

Various attempts have been made to improve Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serodiagnosis by developing more practical and objective methods than immunofluorescence-based assays. In the present study, the performance of immunoblot-based assays were evaluated by comparing the results obtained by the gold standard immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) test for the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies against EBV viral capsid antigen (anti-VCA). Serum samples of 277 patients admitted to Ege University Hospital for routine EBV diagnosis were included in the study. The age range of the patients was 3 months-89 years (mean 28 years) and 104 of them were females and 173 were males. All the samples were assayed by commercial immunoblot (Euroline IgM and IgG; Euroimmun, Germany) and IFA (EBV-CA IgG and IgM, Euroimmun, Germany) methods. Crosstabulation, chi-square test and phi (phi) measures in SPSS 16.0 statistical package programme were used for data analysis. Of the 216 samples that were interpreted as positive with immunoblot-based IgM assay, only 34 (15.7%) were confirmed as positive with IFA, whereas 162 (75%) were negative, and 20 (9.3%) were equivocal (phi = 0.167; low correlation). Of the 85 samples that were anti-VCA IgG positive with immunoblot assay, 82 (96.5%) were positive, 2 (2.3%) were negative and 1 (1.2%) were equivocal with IFA (phi = 0.441; significant correlation). When the indeterminate results obtained by IFA test were excluded from the evaluation, the correlation between immunoblot VCA IgG and IFA IgG was 85.4% (88/103) and between immunoblot VCA IgM and IFA IgM was 27.3% (69/253). When the intensities of bands were evaluated for IgM testing, it was noted that as the intensity of the bands increased (1+ to 3+), IFA VCA IgM reactivity rates increased (from 9.9% to 29.5% for p19 band; from 24% to 85.7% for gp125 band). For immunoblot VCA IgM testing, 165 samples were found to be positive only for VCA p19 band. Of these samples, 135 (81.8%) were negative, 15 (9.1%) were positive and 15 (9.1%) were equivocal with IFA. It is observed that even though immunoblot assays with automated blotting and scanning systems can be a convenient alternative to immunofluorescence assay, the rate of false positivity obtained for VCA IgM was high (75%). It was concluded that in laboratories which apply immunoblotting as a primary screening test for EBV serodiagnosis, the positive VCA IgM results (particularly isolated p19 band positivity) and the presence of low intensity bands, should be confirmed by IFA testing.

Infections developing in patients undergoing liver transplantation: Recipients of living donors may be more prone to bacterial/fungal infections.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Despite surgical advances in liver transplantation and effective prophylactic strategies, posttransplant infections are the most important cause of morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis and management of infections because of developing immunosuppression is difficult and adversely affects mortality. This study aimed to review bacterial and fungal infections in patients after liver transplantation and to reveal the resistance rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 107 patients who underwent liver transplantation between January 2017 and February 2018 were evaluated retrospectively with regard to demographic characteristics, causes of transplantation, conditions that may lead to infection, postoperative infections, pathogens, and resistance patterns. RESULTS: Of the 107 patients who underwent liver transplantation, 48 (44.8%) had an infection. Bacterial infections were detected in 41% of the patients, and fungal infections were found in 13%. When we compared living and cadaveric transplants in terms of infection development, these rates were found to be 53% and 33%, respectively (p=0.034). No statistically significant results could be obtained when evaluating conditions such as sex, presence of underlying primary disease, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease MELD score, diabetes status, total parenteral nutrition, and risk factors for infection. CONCLUSION: After liver transplantation, infections are often seen in the first month of the postoperative period. Knowing the most common pathogens and resistance states in this process reduces infection-related deaths by providing appropriate treatment regimens at the right time.

HBsAg, Anti-HCV and Anti-HIV Seroprevalance Among Drug Users: a Retrospective Assessment.

INTRODUCTION: Drug abuse and co-occurring infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In regions with high rates of drug usage, infections like hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are highly prevalent. Epidemiological studies on HBV, HCV and HIV infections among users of illicit drugs are scarce in Turkey. The primary aim of this cross-sectional and retrospective study was to determine the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and anti-HIV antibody (anti-HIV) seroprevalences in drug users who applied to a psychiatric outpatient clinic of drug addiction of a university hospital. Secondarily, the assessment of HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-HIV parameters among intravenous drug users was aimed. METHODS: Serum samples of all patients on probation who applied to a psychiatric outpatient clinic of drug addiction of a university hospital between 2013-2017 and sent to the department of medical microbiology for routine serologic testing were included in the study. The serologic results were obtained retrospectively from laboratory records. For the statistical analysis of the data IBM SPSS 20.0 program was used. RESULTS: Among the studied individuals, the ELISA results demonstrated the existence of HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-HIV in 94 out of 4357 patients (2.2%), 27 out of 4451 patients (0.6%) and 10 (0.2%) out of 4464 patients, respectively. According to the records, 17 of the patients reported intravenous drug usage. Among this patient group, three patients were found to be anti-HCV positive and one patient was found to be anti-HIV positive. CONCLUSION: In our study, the prevalence of HCV and HIV was increased in patients with intravenous drug usage, whereas in non-intravenous drug users the prevalence is similar to the normal population. In order to plan prevention and harm reduction services for this high-risk population, more national data is needed on HBV, HCV and HIV rates among this group.

Do Antithymocyte Globulin-Free Acute Rejection Therapies Increase the Risk of Polyoma Nephropathy in Renal Transplant Recipients?

INTRODUCTION: BK virus nephropathy is a serious complication that can lead to allograft kidney loss. Excessive immunosuppression increases the risk. We aimed to evaluate whether there is an increased risk of BK viremia and nephropathy in patients who underwent high-dose immunosuppression because of the development of acute rejection in the early period after kidney transplantation. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was performed between April 2015 and March 2016. Twenty-nine patients who had biopsy-proven acute rejection in the first 3 months were evaluated for BK viremia and nephropathy. Thirty patients who had transplantations at the same period were the control group. Plasma BK-DNA values were examined at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the rejection treatment and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months in the control group. Presence of polyoma nephropathy was examined with surveillance biopsies at the 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: Acute rejection treatment was started on the 12th day after transplantation (2-37 days). Seventeen cellular rejections and 12 humoral rejections were reported by biopsy. Two of the 12 humoral rejections were suspicious. Only pulse steroid (PS) (n = 18); PS, plasmapheresis, and intravenous immunoglobulin (n = 8); PS and intravenous immunoglobulin (n = 2); and PS and plasmapheresis (n = 1) treatments were performed. In 21 patients in the rejection group and 25 patients in the control group, BK-DNA was not positive at all. Two patients had graft loss at 11 and 36 months in the rejection group. Graft losses were secondary to rejection. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with antithymocyte globulin-free regimens after acute rejection episodes did not lead to an increase in BK viremia.

Comparison of immunofluorescence assay and multiplexed microparticle-based immunoassay for detecting Epstein-Barr virus viral capsid antigen antibodies.

A new multiplexed microparticle-based immunoassay was compared with the immunofluorescence assay that is used widely for detecting EBV-specific antibodies in immunocompetent patients. Serum samples of 162 patients submitted for routine EBV diagnosis were tested for viral capsid antigen IgM, viral capsid antigen IgG and serological profile interpretations with both systems. The result concordances were 94.2%, 93.6%, and 92.1%, respectively. Multiplexed microparticle-based immunoassay can be an alternative to immunofluorescence assay especially in laboratories receiving large numbers of samples.