Retrospective Evaluation of Toxoplasma Serology in Patients Admitted to a Training and Research Hospital Between 2017-2021

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to retrospectively evaluate the anti-Toxoplasma IgG, IgM and avidity index results of patients who were requested for Toxoplasma serology in our hospital between 01.01.2017 and 31.12.2021. Methods: Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies are studied with Abbott Architect I2000 SR device that using the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay method (CMIA), according to the company's recommendations. The age, gender, nationality, sending clinic/polyclinic, and pregnancy status information of patients were scanned from the hospital system. Results: In the five-year period between 2017 and 2021, 29.58% of anti-Toxoplasma IgG tests requested from 12694 patients and 0.94% of anti-Toxoplasma IgM tests sent from 12546 patients were found positive. It is striking that the number of test requests is higher in women. IgG positivity is highest in women in the age group of 30-39 (9.97%), and in men in the age group of 60-69 (6.97%). IgM positivity is higher in both women and men in the 20-29 age group (0.48% and 0.38%, respectively). Anti-Toxoplasma IgG was positive in 27.78% and IgM in 0.64% of the pregnant women. IgG positivity in Turkish and Syrian pregnant women were determined as 25.88%; 47.10% and IgM positivity as 0.49% and 1.83%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our anti-Toxoplasma antibody positivity was found to be compatible with studies conducted in different centers in our country. The fact that IgM positivity in women is high in the 20-29 age group, which is the childbearing age, emphasizes the importance of screening before and during pregnancy. Consistent with other studies in the literature, the rate of seropositivity in Syrian pregnant women was found to be higher than Turkish. This is important in terms of showing the effect of socio-cultural behaviors on prevalence.

Cutaneous Alternariasis in a Patient With Renal Transplant.

INTRODUCTION: Alternaria is a common saprophyte, which is usually not pathogenic in humans. Generally, local wounds infections of Alternaria occur with presence of immunosuppression factors such as HIV infection and renal transplant patients. CASE PRESENTATION: We reported a case of wound infection induced by Alternaria spp. in a renal transplant patients. The main interest in this case was the rareness of the cutaneous alternariasis, its clinical aspects and good response to therapy. Recognition of Alternaria spp. as potential opportunistic pathogens is important for differential diagnosis of dermatological lesions, such as granulomatous or ulcerative lesions in immunocompromised patients. CONCLUSIONS: Alternariasis or similar cases may be increased due to the increased number of immunosuppressed patients. From this point of view, skin lesions in these patients must be planned and microbiologically evaluated considering the molds.

Comparison of Helicobacter pylori antibody detection in stool with other diagnostic tests for infection.

For detection of Helicobacter pylori, bacterial culture and histopathological examination are invasive in nature, whereas the fast urease test and urea breath test are non-invasive and indirect methods of detection. Stool antibody tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect genomic DNA are serological methods, which are preferred to invasive examinations. Our aim was to assess diagnostic specifity and sensitivity of stool antibody tests, with histopathological examination as the golden standard and to compare results with fast urease test findings. Biopsy samples of patients in the study were evaluated as examples of invasive methods, and also stool antibody screening were made (HpSA). When urease and HpSA test results were compared with histopathological results, sensitivity and specificity of urease test were 62.2% and 100%, respectively, and 68.9% and 100% for the HpSA test. General accuracy was 80% and 81%, respectively , positive predictive value 100% with each and negative predictive values 66.1% and 67.2% . The differences were not statistically significant, and the confidence intervals were approximately in the same range. Thus results obtained with biopsy urease and HpSA tests were generally similar to those obtained by histopathological examination. A review of national and international literature showed similar findings.

[HSV-1 and HSV-2 seropositivity rates in pregnant women admitted to Izmir Ataturk Research and Training Hospital, Turkey]. / Izmir Atatürk Egitim ve Arastirma Hastanesine basvuran gebelerde HSV-1 ve HSV-2 seropozitiflik oranlari.

In this study, the seropositivity rates of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2, and their distribution according to the age groups in the sera of asymptomatic pregnant women who were admitted to Gynecology and Obstetrics clinics of Izmir Ataturk Research and Training Hospital for routine control, were investigated. IgG and IgM antibodies specific for HSV-1 and HSV-2 were screened by commercial ELISA kits (RADIM SpA-Pomezia, Italia). Total IgG seropositivity rates for HSV-1 and HSV-2 were found as 94.7% (108/114) and 8.2% (13/158), while IgM seropositivities were 0 (0/114) and 1.4% (2/148), respectively. The distribution of HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG seropositivity rates according to the age groups were as follows; 100% (8/8) and 10% (1/10) in 18-20; 92.9% (26/28) and 13.9% (5/36) in 21-25; 93.3% (42/45) and 3% (2/66) in 26-30; 96.6% (28/29) and 8.3% (3/36) in 31-35 and 100% (4/4) and 20% (2/10) in 36-40 years age groups, respectively. HSV-2 IgM antibodies were positive only in 21-25 years age group (2/35; 5.7%). The difference between seropositivity rates of HSV-1 IgG and HSV-2 IgG were found statistically significant (p = 0.000, p < 0.05); whereas the differences between both HSV-1 IgG and IgM and HSV-2 IgG and IgM seropositivity rates in the age groups didn't display statistical significance (p = 0.872, p> 0.05; p = 0.217, p> 0.05). The aim of this letter was to contribute to the seroepidemiological data of HSV prevalance in pregnant women in our region.