[Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus in patients attending to gynecology polyclinics]. / Jinekoloji poliklinigine basvuran hastalarda insan papillomavirüs prevalansi ve genotip dagilimi.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most significant risk factor of the development of cervical cancer. The distribution of HPV prevalence and genotype varies widely between regions. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV, retrospectively. One thousand one hundred and seventy patients who applied to the department of obstetrics and gynecology were included in this study. Samples were collected from patients for cervical HPV DNA and Pap smear. The Pap samples taken for Pap smear were fixed with alcohol and analyzed according to the modified Bethesda system. HPV identification and typing were performed using the "Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test (Roche Molecular System, USA)". Patients were divided into 5 groups due to their age. Total HPV ratio was most frequently found among the patients who were between 17-30 years old, while HR-HPV was most frequently found between 51-60 years. Nine hundred seventy-eight of 1170 (83.6%) patients had normal cytologic findings whereas 192 (16.4%) had abnormal cytologic findings. HPV was detected in 37.2% of the total patients. high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) rate was 21.2%, probable high risk (PR-HPV) rate was 6.4% and low risk HPV (LR-HPV) rate was 9.5%. When the relationship between cytologic findings and HPV was examined, normal cytology/HPV negative 67.8%; abnormal cytology/HPV negative 37.5%, normal cytology/HPV positive 32.2%, abnormal cytology/HPV positive 62.5% were detected. The highest prevalence of HPV was 8.9% with HPV 16, followed by 6, 53 and 52/53/35/58. A total of 354 patients were biopsied, 177 of whom were normal, 111 of whom were cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, 66 of whom were CIN 2 and over. In the group with normal pathological findings, HR-HPV ratio was found as 15.8%, while in CIN 1 44.1% in CIN 2-3 63.6%. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of screening tests were examined in CIN 2 and more lesions. Sensitivity and specificity for HR-HPV were 63.6% and 73.3%, respectively, the same rates were 81.8% and 58.7% for HPV. The highest sensitivity was found in combination of HRHPV and Pap smear, the highest specificity in HPV. In conclusion, the HPV prevalence and genotype distribution in our study are similar to those reported in the world, but higher than previous studies in our country. These results may be due to our methodology and hospital based nature of our study group. We conclude that only smear or HR-HPV testing are not sufficient as a single pronged screening test, and that the participation of other genotypes of HPV in screening increases the sensitivity.

[Evaluation of blood culture practices: Use of system (Epicenter) data]. / Kan kültürü uygulamalarinin degerlendirilmesi: Isletim sistemi (Epicenter) verilerinin kullanimi.

Sepsis is a serious clinical problem and estimated to be responsible for 18 million annual deaths worldwide. Therefore, the use and the rapid processing of blood cultures are important for the transition from empiric therapy to directed therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the best blood culture practices in Turkey. We have examined the collection practices and techniques at four different hospitals, and a total of 165.443 blood culture bottles were evaluated (2013-2015). At the preanalytical phase most of the data which were important and which could support hospital quality systems/practices were not entered into the HIS and EpiCenter system. At the analytical phase loading of the bottles and removal of positive bottles primarily occurred between 6:00 and 9:00 AM but the positivity rate of the bottles showed a homogeneous distribution throughout the day. In other words, there were significant delays at processing positive blood culture bottles related to laboratory workers. The effect of education regarding best practices, transition from single bottle to two bottle cultures was successful in all hospitals. Single bottle usage decreased below 10% in all hospitals. Significantly more positive cultures were detected at multiple cultures when compared with the single bottle collection practice. In retrospective patient records, it was seen that all the laboratories reported the results of Gram staining to the clinics. However, these data were not recorded to the EpiCenter. The contamination rates of Ankara Numune Hospital and Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine Hospital are 6.2% and 5.4% respectively, contamination rates were not reported in other hospitals. The most common isolates detected in blood cultures were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The mean time for the detection of these organisms were less than 20 hours in the aerobic bottle and anaerobic bottles. A total of 79.6% of facultative anaerobic isolates were detected in both bottles; 9.8% were detected only in the aerobic bottles; 10.6% of the isolates were detected only in the anaerobic bottles. As a result, the educational efforts in Turkey have met with success for transition from collecting single bottle blood culture sets to two bottle blood cultures. However, further efforts are needed to increase the number of blood culture sets collected during a 24 hours' period. In addition, errors at the preanalytical, analytical and postanalytical periods (taking samples, loading bottles into the system and processing positive blood cultures) should be eliminated.

Improvement of conformal arc plans by using deformable margin delineation method for stereotactic lung radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an established treatment technique in the management of medically inoperable early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Different techniques such as volumetric modulated arc (VMAT) and three-dimensional conformal arc (DCA) can be used in SBRT. Previously, it has been shown that VMAT is superior to DCA technique in terms of plan evaluation parameters. However, DCA technique has several advantages such as ease of use and considerable shortening of the treatment time. DCA technique usually results in worse conformity which is not possible to ameliorate by inverse optimization. In this study, we aimed to analyze whether a simple method - deformable margin delineation (DMD) - improves the quality of the DCA technique, reaching similar results to VMAT in terms of plan evaluation parameters. METHODS: Twenty stage I-II (T1-2, N0, M0) NSCLC patients were included in this retrospective dosimetric study. Noncoplanar VMAT and conventional DCA plans were generated using 6 MV and 10 MV with flattening filter free (FFF) photon energies. The DCA plan with 6FFF was calculated and 95% of the PTV was covered by the prescription isodose line. Hot dose regions (receiving dose over 100% of prescription dose) outside PTV and cold dose regions (receiving dose under 100% of prescription dose) inside PTV were identified. A new PTV (PTV-DMD) was delineated by deforming PTV margin with respect to hot and cold spot regions obtained from conventional DCA plans. Dynamic multileaf collimators (MLC) were set to PTV-DMD beam eye view (BEV) positions and the new DCA plans (DCA-DMD) with 6FFF were generated. Three-dimensional (3D) dose calculations were computed for PTV-DMD volume. However, the prescription isodose was specified and normalized to cover 95% volume of original PTV. Several conformity indices and lung doses were compared for different treatment techniques. RESULTS: DCA-DMD method significantly achieved a superior conformity index (CI), conformity number (CIPaddick ), gradient index (R50% ), isodose at 2 cm (D2 cm ) and external index (CΔ) with respect to VMAT and conventional DCA plans (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). CI ranged between 1.00-1.07 (Mean: 1.02); 1.00-1.18 (Mean: 1.06); 1.01-1.23 (Mean 1.08); 1.03-1.29 (Mean: 1.15); 1.04-1.29 (Mean: 1.18) for DCA-DMD-6FFF, VMAT-6FFF, VMAT-10FFF DCA-6FFF and DCA-10FFF respectively. DCA-DMD-6FFF technique resulted significantly better CI compared to others (P = 0.002; < 0.001; < 0.001; < 0.001). R50% ranged between 3.22-4.74 (Mean: 3.99); 3.24-5.92 (Mean: 4.15) for DCA-DMD-6FFF, VMAT-6FFF, respectively. DCA-DMD-6FFF technique resulted lower intermediate dose spillage compared to VMAT-6FFF, though the difference was statistically insignificant (P = 0.32). D2 cm ranged between 35.7% and 67.0% (Mean: 53.2%); 42.1%-79.2% (Mean: 57.8%) for DCA-DMD-6FFF, VMAT-6FFF respectively. DCA-DMD-6FFF have significantly better and sharp falloff gradient 2 cm away from PTV compared to VMAT-6FFF (P = 0.009). CΔ ranged between 0.052 and 0.140 (Mean: 0.085); 0,056-0,311 (Mean: 0.120) for DCA-DMD, VMAT-6FFF, respectively. DCA-DMD-6FFF have significantly improved CΔ (P = 0.002). VMAT- V20 Gy , V2.5 Gy and mean lung dose (MLD) indices are calculated to be 4.03%, 23.83%, 3.42 Gy and 4.19%, 27.88%,3.72 Gy, for DCA-DMD-6FFF and DCA techniques, respectively. DCA-DMD-6FFF achieved superior lung sparing compared to DCA technique. DCA-DMD-6FFF method reduced MUs 44% and 33% with respect to VMAT-6FFF and 10FFF, respectively, without sacrificing dose conformity (P < 0.001; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that DCA plan evaluation parameters can be ameliorated by using the DMD method. This new method improves DCA plan quality and reaches similar results with VMAT in terms of dosimetric parameters. We believe that DCA-DMD is a simple and effective technique for SBRT and can be preferred due to shorter treatment and planning time.

[Evaluation of virulence factors in enterococcus species]. / Enterokok türlerinin virulans faktörlerinin arastirilmasi.

Enterococci have recently become important due to their increased isolation rates in community-based and nosocomial infections and resistance to many antibiotics, including glycopeptides. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptible patterns and virulence factors of various clinical specimens; urine (n= 149), blood (n= 38), wound (n= 17), stool (n= 13), and other (n= 12) with a total of 229 enterococci including 138 E.faecalis and 91 E.faecium isolates. Aggregation factor (AF), enterococcus surface protein (esp), cytolysins and gelatinase encoding genes (asa1, esp, cylM, cylBcyl A, cylll, cylls, gelE, respectively) were investigated by molecular methods. Haemolysin production and gelatinase were studied phenotypically. A total of 30 isolates, 29 of E.faecium and one of E.faecalis isolates were resistant to vancomycin. High-level gentamicin and high-level streptomycin resistance in E.faecalis were 40.7% and 63.7% however, they were 47.1% and 55.8% in E.faecalis isolates. All strains were susceptible to linezolid. Ampicillin, penicillin and vancomycin resistance in E.faecium isolates were found to be higher than E.faecalis isolates (p= 0.001, p= 0.008 and p< 0.001). Asa1 (p< 0.001), cylll (p= 0.002) and cylls (p< 0.001) as well as gelatinase activity in isolates of E.faecalis were significantly higher than the isolates of E.faecium (p< 0.001). The most common virulence genes in our study were asa1 gene (45%), cyLs gene (33.2%) and esp gene (32.3%). Ciprofloxacin resistance in cylLL and cyLs gene positive isolates of E.faecalis were significantly higher compared to isolates that do not contain these genes (p= 0.035 and p= 0.047). Likewise, haemolysin producing E.faecium isolates were significantly more resistant to vancomycin compared to isolates that do not produce hemolysin (p< 0.001). When the virulence factors of vancomycin resistant and susceptible isolates were compared, the esp gene level in VRE E.faecium isolates was found to be 24.1%, while no esp gene was found in VRE E.faecalis isolates. The existence of asa1was negative in both VRE E.faecium and VRE E.faecalis isolates. The activity of hemolysin was found 42.3% for E.faecalis and 19.3% for E.faecium. In vancomycin-sensitive enterococcus (VSE) species, esp gene activity was 35.1% for E.faecalis, 29.4% for E.faecium, asa1 gene activity was 60.8% for E.faecalis and 47.1% for E.faecium, hemolysin activity was 52.8% for E.faecalis and 23.5% for E.faecium. In our study, it was found that VSE isolates have more virulence genes than VRE isolates. It should be kept in mind that VRE can causeinfections which are difficult-to-treat especially in hospitalized patients and VSE have significant virulence factors that can cause severe infections.

Integron distribution and relationship to antimicrobial resistance in E. coli isolated from blood culture.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of integrons in strains of E. coli isolated from blood culture and the relationship between integrons and antimicrobial resistance. METHODS: The study included 100 E. coli strains sent to the Medical Microbiology Laboratory from different clinics between September 2022 and June 2023. Antibiotic susceptibility was evaluated according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). The presence of integrons was determined by the inhouse polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Integron positivity was detected in 45 (45%) of isolates, and class 1 integrons were found in 41 (41%), class 2 integrons in 2 (2%), and both class 1 integrons and class 2 integrons in 2 (2%). Class 3 integron positivity was not detected. In total, 63 cases of community origin and 37 cases of hospital origin were identified. When antibiotic resistance was evaluated, the highest sensitivity was noted for amikacin (1%), meropenem (5%), imipenem (6%), and the highest resistant antibiotics were ampicillin (82%), cepfuroxime sodium (65%), and amoxicillin/clavulanate (62%), respectively. Of the 16 antimicrobial substances evaluated, 10 had an antibiotic resistance rate of over 45%. In class 1 integron-positive samples, ampicillin resistance and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole resistance were higher than in negative samples (p = 0.02, p = 0.0001, respectively). Fifty-one (51%) samples were found to have multiple drug resistance (MDR). In total, 59.5% of hospital-acquired isolates and 46% of community-acquired isolates were considered to be MDR. The class 1 integron positivity in MDR samples was high (p = 0.038). CONCLUSION: The high MDR rates in both hospital-acquired and community-acquired isolates are alarming. In particular, class 1 integron monitoring is very important to prevent the spread of MDR isolates.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis e virus among primary school children.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the seroprevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus antibody among primary school children in the two different areas of Denizli, Turkey. Methodology : Anti-HEV antibodies were investigated in 185 primary school children (91 from rural areas and 94 from urban areas of Denizli). The children were divided into two age groups as seven-year old group and fourteen-year old group. Samples were tested for anti-HEV Ab by an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Results : A total of 23 primary school children were anti-HEV Ab positive, giving a prevalence of 12.4%. The seroprevalence rate was 13.1% in rural areas and 11.7% in urban areas. The difference in the seropositive rates was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Among 185 primary school children, Anti-HEV antibodies were positive 17 (18.1%) in seven-year old group, and 6 (6.6%) in fourteen-year old group. The difference in the seropositive rates was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusions : There was no association between the anti-HEV Ab and gender, socioeconomic level, parental educational level, rural or urban areas. Anti-HEV Ab seroprevalence was higher in seven-year old children than fourteen-year old children.

Quality of Life and Psychological Well-Being in Children and Adolescents After Renal Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation is the predominant treatment option in patients with end-stage renal disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the presence of a psychiatric disorder on the quality of life in children and adolescents after kidney transplantation. METHODS: A total of 43 patients aged 6 to 18 years were included in the study. All participants and their parents were asked to complete the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), and families only, the Strengths and Challenges Questionnaire. Psychiatric symptoms and disorders of the patients were evaluated according to the Schedule for Mood Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children/Now and Lifetime Turkish Version. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to psychiatric symptoms and disorders. RESULTS: The most common psychiatric disorder was attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (26%). The questionnaires filled out by the patients revealed a lower Total PedsQL Score (P = .003), PedsQL Physical Functionality Score (P = .019), and PedsQL Social Functioning Score (P = .016) in patients with psychiatric disorders. When the parents filled out the questionnaires, the Total PedsQL Score was similar in both groups. The PedsQL Emotional Functionality Score (P = .001) and PedsQL School Functionality Score (P = .004) were significantly lower in patients with psychiatric disorders. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire revealed significantly higher total (P = .014) and hyperactivity/inattention subscale scores (P = .001) in those with a psychiatric disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric disorders in kidney transplant patients adversely affect the quality of life.

The effects of sexual abuse on female adolescent brain structures.

Objective: Sexual abuse (SA) is known for its effects on brain structures in adolescents. We aimed to explore if SA has any effect on limbic and prefrontal cortex (PFC) structures. We hypothesized that children with SA would have a thinner PFC with larger amygdala and hippocampus that lead to aberrations in threat detection, orientation and response circuit; that would be highly adaptive in a dangerous environment in the short term. Method: We included 57 SA and 33 healthy control (HC) female participants. In addition to psychiatric evaluation, we acquired 3 T MR images from all participants. We compared prefrontal cortical thicknesses, hippocampus and amygdala volumes between groups. Results: The age and education levels of study groups were matched, however, IQ scores and socioeconomic status (SES) scores of the SA group were lower than the controls. Total CTQ scores of the SA group were higher than the HC. Nevertheless, the mean value of sexual abuse scores was above the cut-off scores only for the SA participants. SA participants had larger right and left hippocampus and right amygdala volumes than the controls. SA group had reduced inferior frontal gyrus cortical thickness (T=3.5, p<0.01, cluster size=694 mm2, x=51 y=-30 z=6) than HC group. None of the structural findings were correlated with total or sexual abuse CTQ scores. Conclusion: Children with SA history has structural abnormalities in threat detection, orientation and response circuit. SA victims with no psychiatric diagnosis have a high probability of psychiatric problems with a possible contribution of these aberrations. SA cases that do not have a diagnosis must not be overlooked as they may have structural changes in emotion related brain regions. Careful follow-up is needed for all of all SA cases.

The mediating role of binge-watching in the relationship between type D personality and loneliness.

BACKGROUND: Individuals who have certain personality traits may be particularly at risk for developing technological addictions. Binge-watching, which includes watching several episodes of a television series consecutively, is seen as a behavior that is out of control and even addictive. Binge-watching also can isolate the individual socially, or it can be a buffer against the individual's feeling of loneliness. This study was conducted to examine the mediating role of binge-watching in the relationship between type D personality and loneliness. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: 570 adults older than 18 years of age who were reached by the convenience sampling method participated in the study. The data were collected with the Type D Personality Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Binge-Watching Engagement and Symptoms Questionnaire. RESULTS: As a result of the study, binge-watching mediated the relationship between type D personality and loneliness, and fit values of this model were within the acceptable range. It can be said that individuals with type D personality tend to decrease their loneliness by watching more series. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a nuanced explanation about how type D personality is associated with loneliness. The results also shed light on effective prevention and intervention strategies to reduce binge-watching. Therapeutic interventions are important especially for individuals with personality traits that cause a feeling of loneliness.

Evaluation of Viral and Bacterial Pathogens in the Central Nervous System Infections with Multiplex PCR.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the bacterial and viral causes of central nervous system (CNS) infection by multiplex PCR. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Medical Microbiology, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey, from March 2016 to December 2021. METHODOLOGY: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of patients prediagnosed with CNS infection were included in the study. Viral pathogens were detected with the Multiplex real-time PCR panel (FTD Neuro9, Fast Track Diagnostics, Luxembourg) and bacterial pathogens with the multiplex real-time PCR panel (FTD Bacterial Meningitis, Fast Track Diagnostics, Luxembourg). The identification of bacteria growing in samples was done by conventional methods and with the Phoenix™ (Becton Dickinson Diagnostics, USA) automated system. RESULTS: CSF samples of 440 patients were evaluated using multiplex PCR panel. The viral factors included adenovirus (14.2%), human herpes virus 7 (1.5%), varicella zoster virus (1.3%), herpes simplex virus 1 (1.3%), cytomegalovirus (1.3%), Epstein-Barr virus (0.8%), human herpes virus (0.8%), herpes simplex virus 2 (0.3%), varicella zoster virus (0.3%), and parvovirus B19 (0.3%); and bacterial factors included Streptococcus pneumoniae (7.0%) and Neisseria meningitidis (0.9%). The bacterial growth was detected in the CSF culture was 4.9%. Among the growing bacteria, there were six different types that were not found on the multiplex PCR panel. CONCLUSION: The use of a comprehensive bacterial multiplex PCR panel containing common pathogens will be more effective in pathogen detection. Care should be taken, especially when interpreting the viral Multiplex PCR. KEY WORDS: Viral multiplex PCR, Bacterial multiplex PCR, Bacteria culture.

Monitoring SARS CoV-2 antibodies positivity in healthcare workers after inactivated CoronaVac® vaccine.

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to monitor anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid antibodies positivity in healthcare workers (HCWs) vaccinated with two doses of inactivated CoronaVac® (Sinovac, China) vaccine. Methods: Overall, 242 volunteer HCWs were included. Of the participants, 193 were HCWs without history of prior documented COVID-19 (Group 1), while 49 had history of prior documented COVID-19 before vaccination (Group 2). The participants were followed up for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies positivity at four different blood sampling time points (immediately before the second vaccine dose and at the 1st, 3rd months and 141-150 days after the second dose). We investigated the serum IgG class antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 RBD region and IgG class antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) method using commercial kits. Results: We found positive serum anti-RBD IgG antibody in 76.4% of the participants (71% in Group 1; 98% in Group 2) 28 days after the first dose. When the antibody levels of the groups were compared at the four blood sampling time points, Group 2 anti-RBD IgG levels were found to be significantly higher than those in Group 1 at all follow-up time points. Although anti-RBD IgG positivity persisted in 95.6% of all participants in the last blood sampling time point, a significant decrease was observed in antibody levels compared to the previous blood sampling time point. Anti-nucleocapsid IgG antibody was positive in 12 (6.2%) of participants in Group 1 and 32 (65.3%) in Group 2 at day 28 after the first dose. At the fourth blood sampling time point, anti-nucleocapsid antibodies were found to be positive in a total of 20 (9.7%) subjects, 10 (6.1%) in Group 1 and 10 (23.8%) in Group 2. Conclusions: In this study, it was determined that serum antibody levels decreased in both groups after the third month after the second dose in HCWs vaccinated with CoronaVac® vaccine.

[Investigation of siderophore, total matrix protease and elastase activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from lower respiratory tract and extra-respiratory tract samples]. / Alt solunum yolu örnekleri ve solunum yolu disi örneklerden izole edilen Pseudomonas aeruginosa suslarinda siderofor, total matriks proteaz ve elastaz aktivitesinin arastirilmasi.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen. P. aeruginosa strains secrete several virulence factors, in the form of extracellular proteins. Adhesins, pyocyanin, proteases, hemolysins, exotoxin A and exoenzyme S are some of the virulence factors found in P. aeruginosa strains. In this study, the presence of siderophore, total matrix protease and elastase activities were investigated in a total of 157 P. aeruginosa strains isolated from lower respiratory tract (n: 81; sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage, tracheal aspirate) and extrarespiratory sites (n: 76; urine, wound, blood) of hospitalized pati ents. Chrome azurol S (CAS) agar plates were used for detection of siderophore activity. Hide powder azure was used for the investigation of total matrix protease activity and elastin congo red was used to test elastase activity. All strains gave positive reaction on CAS agar. Enzyme activities of the test strains were compared with the activity of P. aeruginosa PAO1 positive control strain. Mean total matrix protease and elastase activities were less than P. aeruginosa PAO1 activity in the test strains, however, some strains exhibited activity higher than PAO1. There was no significant difference for mean protease and elastase activities between the strains isolated from lower respiratory tract samples and the others (p > 0.05) [corrected] as well as no difference with respect to antibiotic resistance (p > 0.05) [corrected] It was found that ceftazidime and cefoperazone were the most resistant agents in both groups (67.9% and 57.9% for ceftazidime and 49.3% and 48.7% for cefoperazone, respectively). It was concluded that further in vivo studies are necessary to clarify the role of virulence factors of P. aeruginosa in the establishment of infection in different body sites.

Serum neopterin levels in patients with replicative and nonreplicative HBV carriers.

BACKGROUND: Infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes complicated biochemical, immunological and histological changes in host immune response against the virus which can be specific or non-specific. Recent attention has focused on neopterin as a marker for the activation of cell mediated immunity. The aim of this study was to define the pattern of neopterin levels in replicative and nonreplicative HBV carriers. METHODS: Thirty HBV replicative carriers and 25 nonreplicative HBV carriers and 30 healthy adult patients were included this study. Hepatitis markers were determined by commercial kit based on chemilumminesans assay. HBV DNA was quantified by hybrid capture system. Serum neopterin levels were measured by the method of competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results were expressed as mean +/- SD and ranges. RESULTS: In the nonreplicative group, except for one patient, all the patients' HBeAg were negative and anti-HBe were positive. That particular patient was HBeAg positive and anti-HBe negative. In the replicative group, 23 out of 30 patients have positive HBeAg and negative anti-HBe; 7 out of 30 patients have negative HBeAg and positive anti-HBe. Serum neopterin concentrations were 14.5 +/- 10.0 (4.2-41) nmol/L in replicative HBV carriers, 8.9 +/- 4.3 (2.1-22) nmol/L in nonreplicative HBV carriers and 7.1 +/- 2.2 (4.0-12) nmol/L in the control group. Serum neopterin levels and the rates of abnormal serum neopterin levels in the replicative group were higher than the control group (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). In the nonreplicative group, serum neopterin levels were not different from those of the control. There was a difference between replicative and nonreplicative groups in the respect of neopterin levels. CONCLUSION: In the hepatitis B infected carriers, elevated neopterin levels may be an indicator of the presence of replication.

Safety awareness among laboratory workers.

The purpose of this study was to assess safety awareness among laboratory personnel. The research group, which consisted of 84 subjects (88.4% of 95 persons contacted), completed a questionnaire. Of the study population, 55.9% were male and 44.1% were female. On the subject of how to receive samples, 70.2% of the study group knew the correct answer. In all, 90.5% and 79.8%, respectively, knew what procedures should be followed after injuries or accidents occurred in the laboratory. The lowest number of correct responses on the questionnaire was associated with the topic of waste disposal. Results of this study show that laboratory personnel would benefit greatly from educational initiatives designed to promote laboratory safety.

Topical versus systemic vancomycin for deep sternal wound infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a rodent experimental model.

In 37 Wistar albino rats, we investigated the effects of topical vancomycin on deep sternal wound infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Partial median sternotomy was performed under sterile conditions. Group I (n=6) was the sham, and group II (n=7) was the control. Group III (n=8) received topical vancomycin, group IV (n=8) received systemic vancomycin, and group V (n=8) received topical and systemic vancomycin (combined). Rats in groups II through V were inoculated with 0.5 mL x 10(8) CFU/mL methicillin-resistant S. aureus in the mediastinum and sternum. No medication was given to groups I and II. Twenty-four hours after surgery, 40 mg/kg/day vancomycin was given topically in group III; systemically in group IV; and topically and systemically in group V After 7 days, smear samples from the mediastinum and tissue cultures from the sternum were obtained. We found 5.00 +/- 0 CFU/mL microorganisms in the mediastinum in group II, 1.90 +/- 1.70 in group III, 3.33 +/- 0.48 in group IV and 1.70 +/- 1.08 in group V. The quantity of microorganisms per gram of tissue in the sternum was 736 +/- 0.23 in group II, 6.01 +/- 0.33 in group III, 5.81 +/- 0.81 in group IV and 3.99 +/- 2.47 in group V The quantity of microorganisms was less in the 3 treatment groups than in the control group (P < 0.05). We conclude that topical plus systemic vancomycin treatment might be more effective in patients with deep sternal wound infections caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus.

[Does pre-incubation period affect detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii species with automatized BACTEC 9120 blood culture system?]. / Pre-inkübasyon süresi Pseudomonas aeruginosa ve Acinetobacter baumannii türlerinin otomatize BACTEC 9120 kan kültür sisteminde saptanmasini etkiliyor mu?

In this study, the effect of the pre-incubation period on detection of non-fermentative species in blood culture system was investigated. Different concentrations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter strains were inoculated into BACTEC-9120 plus+Aerobic/F bottles and incubated for 0, 4, 8, 16 hours at 36 dgerees C and then were loaded to the system. Both P. aeruginosa and A.baumannii strains yielded positive signals within 24 hours after loading. In all preincubation periods, as the concentration of P. aeruginosa strains decreased, the detection time was increased. The higher the concentration of A.baumannii strains, is the longer the signalling time as the pre-incubation period is increased, whereas the lower the concentration of A. baumannii strains, is the shorter the signalling time as the preincubation period is increased. Our study indicated that the BACTEC-9120 blood culture system determined non-fermentative bacteria after a pre-incubation time of 16 hours.

[Investigation of serum resistance for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii strains]. / Pseudomonas aeruginosa ve Acinetobacter baumannii suslarinda serum direncinin arastirilmasi.

Serum resistance is one of the major virulence factors of Gram negative bacteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from various clinical samples (19 tracheal aspirates, 14 urine, 7 sputum, 7 wound and one peritoneal fluid specimens). Forty-eight P. aeuginosa and 48 A. baumannii strains were tested for human serum bactericidal effect by using Benge's method. Thirty-five (72.9%), 9 (18.7%), and 4 (8.3%) of P. aeruginosa strains were found to be resistant, intermediate sensitive and sensitive to serum, respectively. These rates were detected as 81.2% (39/48), 14.5% (7/48), and 4.1% (2/48) for A. baumannii strains, respectively. It can be concluded that, high serum resistance rates of P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii isolates might have an important role in the pathogenesis of infections of these bacteria.

Are tonsils a reservoir for Helicobacter pylori infection in children?

OBJECTIVE: Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) has been associated with the development of gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. Although H. pylori infects up to more than half of the world's population, to date the precise modes of transmission has not been fully understood yet. Therefore a study was planned to investigate whether the tonsils and the adenoid tissue were the reservoir or the gate for the entrance of H. pylori. METHODS: The adenotonsillectomy specimens obtained from 50 children, between two and 10 years of age were examined for H. Pylori colonization by the CLO-test method. Before tonsillectomy, anti-H. pylori IgG antibody titers were detected by commercial enzyme immunoassay method in venous blood and H. pylori antigen enzyme immunoassay for detection of H. pylori in stool was used to define current infection status. RESULTS: The stool antigen was positive in 25 (50%) of 50 children. Serum IgG antibody was positive in 28 (56%) patients and both tests were positive in 21 (42%) patients. H. pylori positivity was not detected in any one of the adenotonsillectomy specimens with the CLO-test method. CONCLUSION: In this study although H. pylori was detected in stools of children, it was not detected in adenotonsillectomy specimens with CLO-test method. The results may indicate that H. pylori does not colonize in either adenoid or tonsils and that these tissues do not constitute a reservoir for H. pylori infection.

[Investigation of the inter-observer agreement rates for morphometric evaluation of the growth of Microsporum canis colonies]. / Microsporum canis kolonilerinin morfometrik degerlendirmesinde arastirici uyumu.

Morphometry is a newly applied method for investigation of the in-vitro growth dynamics of dermatophyte colonies. This study was undertaken to evaluate the correlation and agreement rates between the morphometric data obtained by different observers. For this purpose, five different Microsporum canis growth data were evaluated by six observers. The results of the study suggested that the agreement rates among the data obtained by different observers were low (R1 = -5.3509), while the results obtained by a single observer at different reading time points were consistent and correlated with the estimated growth rate. We thus recommend the evaluation of morphometric test results by a single observer for optimal standardization and consistency.

Is short course of antimicrobial therapy for asymptomatic bacteriuria before urologic surgical procedures sufficient?

INTRODUCTION: Duration of treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria for patients undergoing urologic surgical procedures is undetermined. We compared the efficacy of long- versus short-course antimicrobial treatment in patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria undergoing urologic surgical procedures. METHODOLOGY: Patients were divided into two groups according to duration of antimicrobial treatment. Group A patients received a single dose of an appropriate antibiotic, determined by antimicrobial sensitivity testing, 30 to 60 minutes before the surgical procedure. If a urinary catheter was placed postoperatively, a second dose was given following the recommended dose interval. Group B patients received antimicrobial treatment prior to surgery at least until patient urine became sterile. All patients were monitored for signs and symptoms of septicemia following surgical procedures. RESULTS: None of the patients enrolled in the study developed infectious complications such as sepsis or upper urinary tract infection. In group A, 31 patients were treated with antimicrobials before 39 urological procedures. In group B, the mean treatment time for 28 patients before 30 urological procedures was 8.03 ± 3.86 days. There were also significant differences in length of stay and the cost of antimicrobial therapy between the groups (P < 0.0001). Isolation of an increased number of resistant microorganisms was associated with long course therapy in group B. CONCLUSIONS: Short course therapy protocol may be a practical, simple approach for antibiotic use; it decreases hospital stays, eliminates delayed procedure times, lowers the economic cost of antimicrobials and lessens the chance of superinfection with and spread of antimicrobial resistant microorganisms.