A comparative analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic response: The case of Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 has spread worldwide and leads to an increased risk of mortality. We aimed to analyze what actions have been effective in fighting COVID-19 in Turkey with a comparison to pandemic-affected countries. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cross-sectional study. The Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health official web page includes data reported daily from 11 March to 26 April. Global COVID-19 data were recorded daily from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/. Data were analyzed for 31 days according to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, intubation and mortality rates. Segmented regression analysis was used. The results from COVID-19-affected countries were compared with the results from Turkey for the first 65 days. RESULTS: In total, 889.742 tests were performed (positive=110.130 [12.37%]). The mortality rate was 2.55% (n=2805) on 27 April 2020. The annual percent change (APC) values of the cases showed 5 segments ([23.1], [14.7] [11.4], [3.7], [0.7]; each p=0.001). ICU admission showed 4 segments (APC: [3.1, p=0.001], [-2.2, p=0.10], [-7.6, p=0.001], [-4.5, p=0.001]). The decline of APC for intubation rates showed 5 segments (APC: [1.1, p=0.10], [-1.1,p=0.001], [-2.0, p=0.001], [-0.4, p=0.40], [-2.7, p=0.001]). The mortality rates showed 4 segments (APC: [-6.3, p=0.001], [8.4, p=0.001], [0.2, p=0.30], [1.4, p=0.001]). Deaths were reported per 1 million individuals for the first 65 days: Spain 11.6%, Italy 11.4%, UK 11.3%, France 11.1%, USA 10.3%, Germany 8.4%, Iran 8.2%, Turkey 7.5%, South Korea 4.1% and China 2.4%. CONCLUSION: Public health policies and protocols to combat COVID-19 helped control the spread and decrease positive cases and mortality rates in Turkey. Turkey managed COVID-19 better than Spain, Italy, UK, France, USA and Turkey managed COVID-19 similarly to Germany and Iran. China and South Korea were best at managing COVID-19.

PTEN loss is a predictive marker for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab-based therapies.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the response to trastuzumab in breast cancer patients in terms of the potential roles of several oncogenic pathways (phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)) in relation to HER2 status. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded primary tumor tissues of 100 HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer patients who received trastuzumab were analyzed with immunohistochemistry for p85 (PI3K) and PTEN. The relationship between variables was tested via chi-square, Fischer's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test, where appropriate. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method and survival curves of subgroups were compared with the log-rank test. Results: The level of immunohistochemical expression of PI3K was 42%. Loss of PTEN was observed in 43% of the patients. PTEN-expressing tumors had statistically higher response rates for trastuzumab than tumors not-expressing PTEN (p=0.012). PI3K expression had no significant effect on trastuzumab response. Median PFS for PTEN-expressing and not-expressing tumors were 15.3 months (95% CI, 12.6-34) and 12.1 months (95% CI, 7.9-16.2), respectively (p=0.04). The level of PI3K expression had no effect on PFS and OS in our patient population. CONCLUSIONS: Loss of PTEN predicted poorer response to trastuzumab treatment and shorter PFS but not OS. We could not find an effect of PI3K expression on the above-mentioned parameters.

Evaluation of the predictive power of laboratory markers in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the predictive value of preoperative laboratory findings in acute appendicitis in geriatric patients aged >65 years. METHODS: We enrolled a total of 4121 patients. A retrospective evaluation of the demographic features was made using preoperative laboratory values such as the white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts; platelet counts; the mean platelet volume and bilirubin values; and postoperative pathological data of the patients from the electronic file system. The neutrophil-to-WBC and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios were calculated. Patients were divided into two groups, as geriatric (≥65 years old, n=140) and non-geriatric (<65 years old, n=3981). RESULTS: The white blood cell and lymphocyte counts, and the neutrophil-to-WBC ratio, were significantly higher in the non-geriatric group (p<0.001, p=0.013, and p=0.021, respectively). The neutrophil and platelet counts were higher in the non-geriatric group, but this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.073 and p=0.072, respectively). A higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was determined in the geriatric group, but the difference was not significant (p=0.176). According to the optimumal cutoff value of 12.11×103/µL for WBC, specificity and sensitivity values of 65.4% and 57.9% were calculated, respectively; the AUC value was 0.632±0.024 (p<0.001). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to calculate the optimum cutoff values of neutrophil-to-WBC ratio, lymphocyte, and the mean platelet volume, but the diagnostic accuracy of these tests was inadequate with an AUC of <0.6. CONCLUSION: WBC values >12.11×103/µL were predictive of acute appendicitis in geriatric patients. The other parameters were not predictive, and further studies are required.

Clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis and survival outcome of gastric cancer in young patients: A large cohort retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the survival outcome of patients with gastric cancer ≤40 years of age and to compare them to older patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: The study included gastric cancer patients treated between1990 and 2014. Patient demographics, tumor histopathological characteristics and outcome were registered. Patients were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology. Two subgroups of patients were created based on age: group 1 (40 years and less at the time of diagnosis, and group 2 (patients older than 40 years). Categorical and continuous variables were analyzed with x2 and Mann-Whitney U tests, respectively. Overall survival (OS) rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Diffuse adenocarcinoma was more common in the young group (48.9%) than in the older group (28.9%) (p<0.0001). No statistically significant survival difference was noted between younger (11 months) and older patients (12 months) (p=0.79]. Early stage (p<0.0001), absence of perineural invasion (PNI) (p<0.0001), absence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (p<0.0001), and non-cardia tumors (p<0.0001) were associated with better OS rates in univariate analysis. Non-cardia tumors (p=0.016) and stage (p=<0.0001) were independent prognostic factors of survival outcome in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that young and older patients with gastric cancer have similar outcomes in terms of OS.

Can C-reactive protein levels increase the accuracy of the Ranson score in predicting the severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis? A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an acute inflammatory disorder of the pancreas, and its severe form affects nearly all systems of the body. The purpose of this study is to assess the Ranson score and the C-reactive-protein level as a novel model for prediction of the disease severity and mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of the C-reactive-protein for the prediction of severe AP. We recorded the Ranson score and C-reactive-protein values in AP patients and determined the severity of the disease using the revised Atlanta classification. Four groups of criteria sets were created: Group 1: Ranson ≥3; Group 2: C-reactive-protein ≥150 mg/L; Group 3: Ranson ≥3 and C-reactive-protein ≥150 mg/L; Group 4: Ranson ≥3 or C-reactive-protein ≥150 mg/L. Identification of AP severity was accepted as the reference parameter for statistical analysis. Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages. The differences were considered as significant if the p value <0.05. RESULTS: Six hundred and thirty-eight patients with AP were included in our study. We recovered a statistically significant difference in our assessment of the prediction of the severity of AP among the various groups (p=0.001). Our analysis revealed that group 4 had the highest sensitivity of 90.1% and 93.5% to differentiate moderately severe and severe AP from mild AP, respectively. Group 3 had the highest specificity of 97.1% for both moderately severe and severe AP. CONCLUSION: With the use of our new model, C-reactive-protein levels increase the efficacy of the Ranson score for predicting the severity of AP.

Real-Time Elastography for Differentiation of Breast Lesions.

BACKROUNG: To investigate the diagnostic performance of the elastography-based strain index ratio in the differential diagnosis of malignant and benign breast lesions. MATERIAL/METHODS: Seventy-nine breast masses that were classified as BI-RADS category 3, 4, and 5 on B-mode ultrasonography (US) were further prospectively evaluated by real-time sonoelastography (RTE). To obtain an optimal cut-off value of the strain ratio for differentiating between malignant and benign breast lesions, RTE findings were compared with histopathology of core needle biopsy samples or with ultrasound follow-up data of the analyzed masses. RESULTS: Seventy-nine breast lesions [BI-RADS category 3 (n=15), BI-RADS category 4 (n=34), and BI-RADS category 5 (n=30)] were classified as malignant (n=36) or benign (n=43). The mean strain index value was 6.59±3.44 (range 0.6-14) for malignant lesions and 2.79±2.16 (range 0.6-8.7) for benign lesions, respectively (p<0.05). As regards the detection of malignant lesions, US was characterized by sensitivity and specificity of 100% (CI 95%; 88-100) and 90% (CI 95%; 76-97), respectively. When an optimal value of the strain ratio (4.25) was obtained by ROC curve analysis, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing malignant lesions were 86% (CI 95%; 70-95) and 76% (CI 95%; 60-87), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: RTE can play an important role in the differentiation between malignant and benign breast masses, but it should be used in conjunction with ultrasonography.

D-Dimer and Carcinoembryonic Antigen Levels: Useful Indicators for Predicting the Tumor Stage and Postoperative Survival.

The purpose of this prospective study is to determine the preoperative plasma D-dimer and serum Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) levels of patients scheduled for curative surgical resection for colorectal cancer and to evaluate the significance of these levels on the prognosis and postoperative survival rate. One hundred sixty-five patients with colorectal cancer, who were scheduled to have elective resection between January 2008 and January 2011, were included in the study. A significant increase was observed in the D-dimer levels, particularly in poorly differentiated tumors. The distance covered by the tumor inside the walls of the colon and rectum (T-stage) was significant for both D-dimer and CEA levels. As the T-stage increased, there was also a significant increase in the D-dimer and CEA levels. A high significance and correlation level was detected between the TNM staging and both D-dimer and CEA. A significant relationship was found between the advanced tumor stage and short postoperative survival rate of patients with colorectal cancer. Therefore, the analysis of preoperative D-dimer and CEA levels can be useful in predicting the stage and differentiation of the tumor and the postoperative survival rate.

Fecal tag CT colonography with a limited 2-day bowel preparation following incomplete colonoscopy.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and patient tolerance of a 2-day limited fecal tag bowel preparation in computed tomographic colonography (CTC) performed for incomplete conventional colonoscopy (CC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five patients who underwent a CTC examination fbecause of incomplete CC were included. A low-residue diet was given for 2 days before CTC. Fecal tagging (FT) was done using a barium sulfate suspension. The quality of the preparation, success of tagging and patient experience with the bowel preparation were investigated. RESULTS: Four hundred fifty bowel segments were evaluated. The number of solid stool balls of 6-9 mm size was 284; the corresponding figure was 93 for solid stool balls ≥ 10 mm. Residual fluid was present in about one-third of the segments. The fecal tagging efficacy for ≥ 6 mm residual stool balls was 92 %. Overall, 16 (21.3 %) patients presented with colonic lesions at CTC. Three out of four colonic mass lesions had not been diagnosed with CC. Most patients reported mild discomfort. CONCLUSION: FT-CTC performed after a limited 2-day bowel preparation seems to be a technically feasible, safe and acceptable procedure that allows a complete a colonic study in incomplete CC patients.

The efficacy of diffusion weighted imaging for detection of acute pancreatitis and comparison of subgroups according to Balthazar classification.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to measure the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values detected by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in acute pancreatitis and compare them with computerized tomography (CT) findings in acute pancreatitis subgrouped by the Balthazar classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population included 50 patients diagnosed with clinical pancreatitis who were evaluated with both multidetector CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 24 h of clinical presentation. We calculated pancreatic ADC values obtained from DWI (b=0 and b=1000 mm2/sn). These values were compared with their normal counterparts (n=24). The patients with acute pancreatitis were subgrouped according to the Balthazar classification. The mean ADC values were calculated in each subgroup, and they were compared with control ADC values. RESULTS: The mean pancreatic ADC values in acute pancreatitis (1.19×10(-3) mm2/sn ±0.32) was significantly lower than in the normal group (1.78×10(-3) mm2/sn ±0.29) (p<0.001). In the subgroup analysis, ADC values in each group were significantly lower than in the control group (p<0.001). In addition, as severity of pancreatitis increased according to the Balthazar classification, lower ADC values were noted. CONCLUSION: DWI with MRI and ADC values are helpful in the diagnosis of all subgroups of acute pancreatitis. Due to the lack of CT findings in grade A patients, DWI may be helpful in the diagnosis in this group as well.

Role of human neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) and Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) overexpression in neoplastic colon polyps.

To explore the role of Human neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) and Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) overexpression in neoplastic polyps and might used as a marker to separate those from non-noeplastic polyps. The study was performed on total 65 cases, 40% (n = 26) of them females and 60% (n = 39) of them males, in Haydarpasa Numune Education and Research Hospital between March 2012 and June 2012. The assessment of immunostained sections was performed by a random principle by one experinced pathologists to the clinico-pathological data. NGAL expression was based on the presence of cytoplasmic and membranous staining. The NGAL intensities of the cases show highly statistically significantly difference according to the pathological results (p < 0.01). The NGAL prevalences of the cases show highly statistically significantly difference according to the pathological results (p < 0.01). The NGAL ID scores of the cases show highly statistically significantly difference according to the pathological results (p < 0.01). We could hypothesize that NGAL and MMP-9 overexpression in neoplastic polyps might be used as a marker to separate those from non-noeplastic polyps. However, in this study, we determined that NGAL overexpression could not distinguish dysplasia from adenocancer. Finally, we suggest NGAL and MMP-9 as an immunohistochemical marker for colonic dysplasia. To determine dysplasia in early steps of colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence, it could help to determine new targets in preventive cancer therapy for colorectal cancer. We suggest development of standards for study method, introduction to routine practice by investigating in future studies including many patients.

Use of stapling devices for safe cholecystectomy in acute cholecystitis.

Many techniques are described for the ligation of a difficult cystic duct (CD). The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness and safety of stapling of a difficult CD in acute cholecystitis using Endo-GIA. From January 2008 to June 2012, 1441 patients with cholelithiasis underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) at the Department of General Surgery, Haydarpasa Numune Education and Research Hospital. Of these, 19 (0.62%) were identified as having a difficult CD and were ligated using an Endo-GIA stapler. All patients were successfully treated with a laparoscopic approach. The length of hospital stay was 3.4 days. There were umbilical wound infections in 4 patients (21%). The length of follow-up ranged from 1.0 to 50.4 months. In conclusion, Endo-GIA is a safe and easy treatment method for patients with a dilated and difficult CD. The cystic artery should be isolated and ligated if possible before firing the Endo-GIA stapler. If isolation and stapling are not possible, fibrin sealant can be applied to avoid bleeding. The vascular Endo-GIA can be applied in a large CD, but for acute cholecystitis with an edematous CD, the Endo-GIA roticulator 4.8 or 3.5 stapler is preferred.

Long-term effects of forgotten biliary stents: a case series and literature review.

There are many studies about the biliary stents, however there is a little information about the long-term stayed forgotten biliary stents except a few case reports. We have reported the results of a number of cases with biliary stents that were forgotten or omitted by the patient and the endoscopist. During February 2010 to May 2013, five patients were referred to the general surgery clinic of Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul Turkey. Past history and medical documents submitted by the patient did not indicate a replacement of the biliary stent in 3 patients. Two patients knew that they had biliary stents. We also conducted a literature review via the PubMed and Google Scholar databases of English language studies published until March 2014 on forgotten biliary stent. There were 3 men and 2 women ranging in age from 22 to 68 years (mean age 41.6 years). Patients presented with pain in the upper abdomen, jaundice, fever, abnormal liver function tests or dilatation of the biliary tract alone or in combination. Patients' demographic findings are presented in Table 1. A review of three cases reported in the English medical literature also discussed. The mean duration of the patency of the stent is about 12 months. The biliary stenting is performed either with plastic or metal stents, studies recommending their replacement after 3-6 months. Patients with long stayed forgotten biliary stents are inevitably treated with surgical intervention. We recommend for all endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography units provide a stent registry system that the stents placed for various therapeutic procedures are not forgotten both by the patient as well as the physician. There should be a deadline for biliary stents in the registry system for each patient.