[Evaluation of reduced susceptibility to vancomycin among MRSA strains isolated from clinical specimens]. / Klinik orneklerden izole edilen MRSA suslarinda vankomisine karsi azalmis duyarliligin arastirilmasi.

In this study, a total of 390 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from clinical specimens between April 2004 and June 2008, in a university hospital in Zonguldak (located at Black Sea region), Turkey, were evaluated retrospectively for reduced susceptibility to vancomycin. Brain heart infusion (BHI) plates containing 4 and 6 microg/ml of vancomycin were used to screen for vancomycin intermediate S. aureus (VISA) strains. Additionally, vancomycin minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the isolates were determined by agar dilution method. No growth was observed on the screen plates after 24 and 48 hours of incubation. None of the isolates revealed MIC values equal to or higher than 2 microg/ml; MIC90 and MIC50 values were 1 microg/ml. Although VISA isolates were not detected in this study, no data was obtained for heterogeneous VISA isolates since macro-E test or population analysis were not performed. It was concluded that systematic surveillance of MRSA isolates is of particular importance to investigate the presence of VISA/hVISA isolates which may lead to treatment failures and hospital epidemics.

[Detection of Entamoeba histolytica in stool specimens with the ELISA method]. / Diski Orneklerinde ELISA Yöntemi ile Entamoeba histolytica'nin Saptanmasi.

In this study, carried out between November 2006 and September 2007, amebic cysts were observed in 44 (0.37%) out of a total of 1720 stool specimens which were examined by direct microscopy. Entamoeba histolytica specific antigen was investigated with ELISA in the specimens in which cysts were observed. Specific antigen was detected in 26 (59.1%) of these specimens. The diagnosis of amoebiasis for the patients whose ELISA tests were positive was confirmed and the appropriate therapy was immediately begun. This prediagnosis was abandoned for patients whose test results were "negative". Because of the low sensitivity of direct microscopy in confirming the prediagnosis of amoebiasis, it is necessary to perform ELISA on the specimens in order to determine whether the patient should be treated or to prevent patients from being given an unnecessary treatment.

The comparison in terms of early complications of a new technique and percutaneous method for the placement of CAPD catheters.

BACKGROUND: Starting continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) immediately after insertion of a peritoneal dialysis catheter is essential in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In relation to the insertion methods, various mechanical and infectious complications may arise. In this study, we aimed to compare early complications of the laparoscopic tunneling method of CAPD placement that we developed recently in order to minimize the complications, with those of the conventional percutaneous method. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Included in this study were 12 consecutive patients with ESRD to whom we introduced catheters for CAPD by way of laparoscopic tunneling between April 2003 and July 2003 and followed up for at least 6 months, and 30 patients to whom the catheters were placed percutaneously in the same time period with the same follow-up time. The complications seen during the first 6 months after catheter placement with these two different methods were compared. RESULTS: In all of the subjects, dialysis was started soon after catheter placement. No peroperative morbidity was seen in any of the patients. While with laparoscopic tunneling method no mechanical problem was seen, the percutaneous method resulted in early leakage in 10%, pericatheter bleeding in 3.3%, and hernia in 3.3% of the patients. As infectious complications, peritonitis occurred as one episode/36 patient-months in laparoscopic tunneling and one episode/22.5 patient-months in percutaneous method; catheter insertion site infection was seen in none in the laparoscopic method, while one episode/90patient-months was seen with the percutaneous method. Tunnel infection did not arise in any of the subjects. CONCLUSION: The authors of this study think that the peritoneal tunneling method for introducing CAPD, which has been recently developed and began to be routinely used by them, is rather safe in terms of early complications.

Synthesis and characterization of polymeric soybean oil-g-methyl methacrylate (and n-butyl methacrylate) graft copolymers: biocompatibility and bacterial adhesion.

Peroxidation, epoxidation, and/or perepoxidation reactions of soybean oil under air at room temperature resulted in cross-linked polymeric soybean oil peroxides on the surface along with the waxy soluble part, sPSB, with a molecular weight of 4690, containing up to 2.3 wt % peroxide. This soluble polymeric oil peroxide, sPSB, initiated the free radical polymerization of either methyl methacrylate (MMA) or n-butyl methacrylate (nBMA) to give PSB-g-PMMA and PSB-g-PnBMA graft copolymers. The polymers obtained were characterized by (1)H NMR, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and gel permeation chromatography techniques. Polymeric oil as a plasticizer lowered the glass transition of the PSB-g-PMMA graft copolymers. PSB-g-PMMA and PSB-g-PnBMA graft copolymer film samples were also used in cell culture studies. Fibroblast and macrophage cells were strongly adhered and spread on the copolymer film surfaces, which is important in tissue engineering. Bacterial adhesion on PSB-g-PMMA graft copolymer was also studied. Both Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli adhered on the graft copolymer better than on homo-PMMA. Furthermore, the latter adhered much better than the former.