Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye'de bir bölge hastanesine başvuran yerli ve mülteci hastalarda saptanmış olan intestinal parazitlerin daǧılımını deǧerlendirmektir. Yöntem: Ocak 2018-Ocak 2019 ...tarihleri arasında hastanemize başvuran toplam 17911 hasta intestinal parazitler yönünden retrospektif olarak deǧerlendirilmiştir. Hastaların dışkı örnekleri direkt mikroskobik inceleme ve formalin eter konsantrasyon yöntemi sonrası mikroskobik inceleme ile intestinal parazit varlıǧı açısından, selofan bant örnekleri ise Enterobius vermicularis varlıǧı açısından incelenmiştir. Elde edilen veriler inceleme yöntemi ve hasta gruplarına göre karşılaştınlmıştır. Bulgular: E. vermicularis prevalansı mülteci çocuklarda yerli hastalara kıyasla iki kat daha fazla bulunmuştur. Bu hastalarda en fazla görülen semptom karın aǧnsıdır. Intestinal parazit saptanma oranlan konsantrasyon yöntemi sonrası mikroskobik inceleme ile anlamlı derecede daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Intestinal parazit saptanan hastalarda gastrointestinal semptomlann yanı sıra en sık kutan öz şikayetler ve protein enerji malnutrisyonu/büyüme gelişme geriliǧi görülmüştür. Sonuç: Çalışmamızda Blastocystis sp. prevalansı mülteci hastalarda normal popülasyona oranla daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Intestinal parazite r enfeksiyonlar gastrointestinal şikayetleri olan hastalann yanı sıra özellikle kutan öz semptomları olan kişilerde ve büyüme gelişme geriliǧi olan çocuklarda uygun inceleme yöntemleri kullanılarak araştırılmalıdır.
SARS-CoV-2 is a human pathogen and the main cause of COVID-19 disease, announced as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is characterized by severe conditions, and early ...diagnosis can make dramatic changes for both personal and public health. Low-cost, easy-to-use diagnostic capabilities can have a very critical role in controlling the transmission of the disease. Here, we are reporting a state-of-the-art diagnostic tool developed with an in vitro synthetic biology approach by employing engineered de novo riboregulators. Our design coupled with a home-made point-of-care device can detect and report the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific genes. The presence of SARS-CoV-2-related genes triggers the translation of sfGFP mRNAs, resulting in a green fluorescence output. The approach proposed here has the potential of being a game changer in SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics by providing an easy-to-run, low-cost diagnostic capability.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
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.
Herbaspirillum species are nonfermenting, aerobic, helical or curved, Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the class Betaproteobacteria, order Burkholderiales. To date, only a few studies have ...reported on the epidemiology, clinical symptoms, antibiotic susceptibility profiles, treatment and outcomes of Herbaspirillum huttiense -related infections in pediatric patients.
The aim of this study was to present 3 years of H.Huntiense data, antibiotic susceptibility profiles, systemic antibiotics and antibiotic lock therapy (ALT) options and clinical outcomes.
Fourteen episodes of infection in 12 patients were included in this retrospective study. The patients had a male/female ratio of 1:1 and a median age of 160.5 months (range, 3-198 months). Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) was detected in 11 patients. Only 1 patient developed catheter-related infective endocarditis. The patient's catheter was removed, and she was successfully treated with systemic antibiotics for 4 weeks. Systemic antibiotics were used in all infections related to H. huttiense . In septic, critically ill patients, the catheter was removed, and systemic antibiotics were started. Port catheters were removed in 5 patients. ALT was performed in clinically stable patients. ALT using amikacin was administered to 6 patients through the port catheter. Two patients had a 2nd attack. After the 2nd ALT treatment, 1 patient cured, and the catheter of the other patient was removed due to persistent microbial growth in cultures. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the reported isolates showed susceptibility to meropenem (90%), ceftazidime (87%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (65%), with 92% resistance to colistin.
H. huttiense is an emerging pathogen in CRBSI. Piperacillin/tazobactam, ceftazidime and meropenem appear to be good therapeutic options for the treatment of H. huttiense infections. ALT and systemic antibiotics can be used in H. huttiense -CRBSI to sterilize and preserve the central venous catheter.
Anti‐Golgi antibodies are uncommon antibodies that exhibit specific, polarized cytoplasmic staining on the Hep‐2 substrate. The objective of our study was to identify the clinical and laboratory ...features associated with anti‐Golgi antibodies. We examined 4.5 years of data from a Turkish tertiary hospital in this retrospective cohort analysis. The indirect immunofluorescence staining patterns, antinuclear antibody (ANA) titres and clinical data of all patients were obtained from the hospital record system. A total of 146,055 ANAs were detected, of which 224 patients (0.15%) exhibited anti‐Golgi antibody staining. In total, 39.4% of diagnosed patients had autoimmune diseases (AIDs). Of the AIDs, 26 (46.4%) were rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This is a very high rate and another remarkable point is that 17 (65.3%) of these patients had seronegative RA. High‐titre results (1 ≥ 1/320) were more common in patients with AID. Anti‐Ro52 was prevalent in 50% of extractable nuclear antigen (ENA)‐positive patients, making it a remarkable finding. The majority of individuals with high‐titre anti‐Golgi antibodies had AID, particularly RA. The majority of these patients also tested negative for anti‐cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti‐CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF). Finally, high‐titre anti‐Golgi antibodies may be an important serologic marker for seronegative RA in the Turkish population.
Importance of anti‐golgi antibodies.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The impact of COVID-19 on intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) and vertical transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 from the mother to the fetus are crucial issues of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the current study, ...we aimed to detect the pandemic's influence on the IUFD and evaluate the vertical transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 through analysis of placental tissues collected from PCR positive women with IUFD above 20 weeks of gestation.
The pregnant women above 20 weeks of gestation and had a fetus intrauterine demised during pandemic were included in the study. The pregnant women screened for COVID-19. Vertical transmission searched from placental tissues of COVID-19 positive women by RT-PCR tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The number of IUFD before the pandemic and during the pandemic compared to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the IUFD ratio.
Among 138 pregnant women with IUFD, 100 of them could screen for COVID-19 status. RT-PCR test results of 6 of the screened pregnant women were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Placental tissues of these six women were analyzed, and one test result was positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The IUFD ratio was significantly increased during the pandemic.
It is clear that COVID-19 increases the IUFD ratio. Previous data for vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during the second trimester is limited. We present the third case of literature that has positive placental results for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the second trimester of pregnancy.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Acute leukemia is the most common pediatric hematological malignancy. Blood stream infections (BSI) are severe complications in these patients during chemotherapy. In patients with leukemia, early ...detection of the infectious agent and rapid initiation of appropriate treatment increase the success of treatment and reduce the death rate. In this study, we aimed to compare the causative microorganism and detection time with classical blood culture and sepsis qPCR MX-30 panel
Patients aged <18 years, diagnosed with acute leukemia from March-July 2023 were enrolled. Clinical presentations, demographic features, and microbiological findings were retrospectively reviewed. Blood culture and sepsis PCR panel were taken simultaneously from the first day of febrile neutropenia or fever persisted.
In total, 327 samples of 48 patients evaluated. No causative agent was detected in both blood culture and sepsis PCR panel in 262 (%80.2) samples. Although blood culture was negative in 19 (%5.8) samples, the sepsis PCR panel identified some microorganisms. Culture positivity was detected in 29 (%8.8) samples, while the sepsis PCR panel results were negative. Simultaneous identification was detected in 17 (%5.2) samples.
In our study, we found sepsis panel sensitivity as 90% and positive predictive value as 93%. Although conventional blood culture is a more accessible, inexpensive and reliable method for detecting the causative agent in leukemia patients, it will be useful due to early results with the sepsis qPCR MX-30 panel.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Intestinal parasitic infections are a global health problem that causes morbidity and mortality, especially in children living in rural areas. In this study, stool samples of pediatric patients with ...gastrointestinal complaints were examined by conventional and molecular methods to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites. A total of 100 pediatric patients with gastrointestinal complaints and 50 healthy children were included in the study. Stool samples were collected from each child and examined by direct microscopic examination (native-Lugol method), formol-ethyl acetate concentration technique, Kinyoun’s acid-fast staining, and Wheatley trichrome staining methods. Real-time PCR was used for the detection of
Blastocystis
spp. and
D. fragilis
in the stool samples. Sanger sequencing was used to identify
Blastocystis
spp. subtypes. One or more intestinal parasites were found in 12% (
n
= 100) of the patient group and 1% (
n
= 50) of the control group using conventional techniques. By using real-time PCR,
Blastocystis
spp. was discovered in 14% (14/100) of the patient group and 8% (4/50) of the control group. There was no significant difference in the frequency of
Blastocystis
spp. between the two groups. The most prevalent
Blastocystis
subtype was ST1 and the most frequent allele was a2 among the samples successfully amplified and sequenced.
D. fragilis
was detected in 17% (17/100) of the patient group and 8% (4/50) of the control group by real-time PCR. The prevalence of
D. fragilis
was not significantly different between the patient and control groups, as well.
Blastocystis
spp. and
D. fragilis
were found in high prevalence in pediatric patients with gastrointestinal complaints in this study. Although the role of these protists as a pathogen in humans is still controversial, it is supposed to the presence of the parasites are associated with gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. More case-control studies are needed to understand the pathogenic or commensal role of these parasites on the intestinal microbiota, especially in both patients with gastrointestinal disorders and healthy individuals.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Blastocystis sp. and Dientamoeba fragilis are intestinal protists, which are common worldwide, but the pathogenic role of these organisms in gastrointestinal diseases is still controversial. This ...study aimed to investigate the frequency of Blastocystis sp. and D. fragilis in stool samples from adult patients with celiac disease (CD) by using conventional and molecular methods. A total of 75 patients with CD and 75 healthy individuals were included in this study. Fresh stool specimens collected from each individual were analyzed by conventional and molecular methods. The overall prevalence of Blastocystis sp. and D. fragilis was 41.3% (31/75) and 24% (18/75) in patients with CD, and 46.7% (35/75) and 13.3% (10/75) in healthy controls, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of Blastocystis sp. and D. fragilis between CD patients and healthy individuals. Blastocystis sp. subtypes were identified in 20 CD and 16 control patients and the overall subtype distribution was observed as ST1 13.9%, ST2 30.6%, and ST3 55.6%. The prevalence of Blastocystis sp. and D. fragilis in adults with CD is similar to the prevalence of protozoa in healthy adults. In this study, the most prevalent Blastocystis subtype was ST3 and the most frequent allele was a34 in both CD patients and healthy individuals. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of the detection rates of Blastocystis sp. and D. fragilis, and it is thought that both protists may be colonisers of the intestinal microbiome.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
SARS-CoV-2 has evolved significantly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 mortality has decreased due to increased population immunity and possibly the reduced intrinsic severity of ...the new variants. SARS-CoV-2 is now considered an endemic virus, but the extent to which its clinical findings resemble those of seasonal coronaviruses (sCoV) is not fully understood.
Pediatric patients under 18 years of age who were sent for SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction between January 1, 2022 and January 14, 2023 and whose results were positive were included in this study. To include only symptomatic COVID-19 patients in the study, asymptomatic patients who were positive in their screening tests were excluded. For the sCoV patients' group, patients who had a respiratory viral polymerase chain reaction assay between January 10, 2022 and January 11, 2023 and were positive for any type of sCoV were included in the study. The 2 groups were compared for clinical and laboratory characteristics.
The study included 213 patients with COVID-19 and 194 patients with sCoV infection. Fever was a more common symptom in patients with COVID-19. sCoV was associated with lower respiratory involvement while increasing age was protective. The likelihood of hospitalization was decreased by increasing age but increased by the presence of comorbid conditions and lower respiratory tract involvement. The type of virus had no effect on the likelihood of hospitalization.
In conclusion, sCoV infections carry a higher risk for lower respiratory involvement than COVID-19, and COVID-19 has a milder course than sCoV infections in children.
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