Do the drug doses of conventional synthetic DMARDs used for the treatment of biologic/targeted-synthetic DMARDs naive rheumatoid arthritis patients affect QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus test results?

We aimed to obtain the effects of immunosuppressive doses on the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) test results in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients. Besides this, the impact of the TB2 tube in QFT-Plus test was also investigated. This study included RA patients registered to HURBIO and were screened via QFT-Plus test for latent tuberculosis between January 2018 and March 2021, before the initiation of treatment of biologic/targeted-synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatismal drugs (b/ts-DMARDs).

Correlation of Treponemal Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay Screening Test Signal Strength Values With Reactivity of Confirmatory Testing.

Background: Automated chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassays (CMIAs) are the most common first step at high-volume laboratories for syphilis screening. If the initial screening test is reactive, 1 more treponemal test is required, resulting in increased cost. In this multicenter study, we aimed to determine the correlation between the CMIA signal-to-cutoff ratio (S/Co) and the confirmatory tests to reduce unnecessary confirmatory testing.

[SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Among Healthcare Workers: Retrospective Analysis of the Data From A University Hospital in Turkey].

COVID-19 infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to affect people as a global threat, and the number of cases is increasing every day. Healthcare workers who face potential COVID-19 exposure are at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Estimating the prevalence of infection among healthcare professionals, determining the related risk factors and applying effective infection control measures are essential for the continuity of the health system.

Changes in pulmonary function in hyperbaric chamber inside attendants: a case-control study.

Background: Inside attendants (IAs) [are] exposed to high pressure during hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the alterations of pulmonary functions in IAs over time.

Methods: IAs in our hyperbaric center constituted the IA group (n=11).

Neuropsychological Evaluation of Children and Adolescents With Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

Objectives: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a worldwide health problem. We have limited information regarding psychological adversities of CO poisoning in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was (1) to investigate the effects of severe CO poisoning on cognitive functions, mood, and behaviors in children and adolescents and (2) to identify factors related to occurrence of neuropsychological symptoms.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment for unilateral testicular torsion in a child.

Torsion of the testis is a urological emergency most commonly occurring in adolescent boys. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) has been shown to alleviate reperfusion injury in experimental ischaemia of the testis. We report a 13-year-old boy who had prolonged right testicular ischaemia.

An assessment of initial body size in loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchlings in Turkey.

Eggs, hatchlings, and adult loggerhead turtles, and incubation durations of clutches, were measured on three Turkish beaches (Dalyan, Fethiye and Göksu Delta), and some physical features of nests were compared. These features were not statistically different among the beaches, except for nest depth and distance to the high water mark. There was a positive relationship between hatchling mass and egg size.

Sex ratio estimations of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings by histological examination and nest temperatures at Fethiye beach, Turkey.

Hatchling sex ratios in the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) were estimated by placing electronic temperature recorders in 21 nests at Fethiye beach during 2000-2002. Over the seasons, the mean temperature in the middle third of the incubation period ranged from 26.7 to 32.