Publications by authors named "Aktas O"

Background: Intestinal barrier dysfunction may lead to a break in tolerance and development of food allergy (FA). There is contradictory evidence on whether intestinal permeability (IP) is altered in IgE-mediated FA. Thus, we sought to determine whether IP differed between children with eczema who did (FA group) or did not (atopic controls, ACs) develop FA and whether peanut sensitization, allergy, and early introduction impacted IP using serum biomarkers zonulin, soluble CD14, and Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Protein among randomly selected participants enrolled in the Learning Early About Peanut allergy trial.

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Background: Recurrent attacks in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) can lead to severe disability. We aimed to analyse the real-world use of immunotherapies in patients with NMOSD and MOGAD, focusing on changes in treatment strategies, effects on attack rates (ARR) and risk factors for attacks.

Methods: This longitudinal registry-based cohort study included 493 patients (320 with aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG) seropositive NMOSD (65%), 44 with AQP4-IgG seronegative NMOSD (9%) and 129 MOGAD (26%)) with 1247 treatments from 19 German and one Austrian centre from the registry of the neuromyelitis optica study group (NEMOS).

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Objective: In this multicentric study, we were interested in the vision-related quality of life and its association with visual impairment in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) in comparison to multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls.

Methods: We analysed extracted data from the German NEMOS registry including National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) scores, high and low contrast visual acuity (HCVA, LCVA), visually evoked potentials (VEP) and the scores for the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and other neurological tests which assessed their disease-related impairment. The mean follow-up time of our patients was 1.

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Background: The randomized, phase 2 RENEW trial (NCT01721161) evaluated efficacy/safety of opicinumab (anti-LINGO-1) versus placebo in patients with first-episode unilateral acute optic neuritis (AON). Although no significant differences in the latency recovery of visual evoked potential (VEP) were observed between opicinumab and placebo groups in the intention to treat (ITT) population, the prespecified per-protocol (PP) population showed better recovery with opicinumab than with placebo. RENEWED (NCT02657915) was a one-visit, follow-up study 2 years after the last RENEW study visit (Week 32) designed to assess the long-term electrophysiological and clinical outcomes for participants previously enrolled and having received study treatment in RENEW.

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In recent years, extensive research on noble metal-TiO nanocomposites has demonstrated their crucial role in various applications such as water splitting, self-cleaning, CO reduction, and wastewater treatment. The structure of the noble metal-TiO nanocomposites is critical in determining their photocatalytic properties. Numerous studies in the literature describe the preparation of these nanocomposites with various shapes and sizes to achieve tunable photocatalytic performance.

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Purpose: Wound healing disorders caused by bacterial infections in dental surgery, especially where membranes are used, are a common issue in oral surgery. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) offers a non-invasive solution for surface decontamination, including dental implants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effectiveness of CAP on various clinically applied membranes made of collagen and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

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Background: Incomplete attack remission is the main cause of disability in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). Apheresis therapies such as plasma exchange and immunoadsorption are widely used in neuroimmunology. Data on apheresis outcomes in MOGAD attacks remain limited.

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Article Synopsis
  • Leptospirosis is a serious zoonotic disease affecting mainly low-income populations, and this study focused on its prevalence in cattle and at-risk human communities in Erzurum, Türkiye.
  • Samples from 289 cattle and 100 individuals in high-risk occupations were tested for pathogenic Leptospira serogroups using various laboratory methods like microagglutination testing and PCR.
  • Results revealed that 4.5% of cattle tested positive for Leptospira, and there was also a significant presence of antibodies in both high-risk individuals (14%) and a control group (11%), indicating a substantial risk of infection among the general population.
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  • Cognitive impairment is a significant issue in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-IgG-associated disease (MOGAD), with a study showing that about 21.9% of patients experience cognitive deficits, particularly in mental flexibility and attention.
  • The study involved 32 MOGAD patients and analyzed clinical factors like age and previous relapses, finding that the overall number of relapses and past episodes of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) were linked to increased cognitive impairment risk.
  • MRI results indicated that patients with MOGAD had reduced white and deep gray matter volumes compared to healthy controls, highlighting potential neurological damage in this condition.
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  • Eculizumab (ECU) has shown effectiveness in preventing attacks in patients with aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-IgG seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) during a retrospective analysis in clinical settings between 2014 and 2022.
  • A total of 52 patients were studied, with 88% being attack-free during treatment, and the annualized attack rate significantly decreased from 1.0 to 0.
  • While common side effects included serious infections, five patients died from various complications, indicating a need for careful monitoring during long-term ECU therapy.
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  • Kisspeptin is a powerful hormone that stimulates the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, but its interaction with the stress-related hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is still unclear.
  • In a study involving male Wistar rats, various treatment groups were administered kisspeptin along with different substances to evaluate its effects on hormone levels.
  • The results showed that kisspeptin injections significantly increased levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone, indicating activation of the HPG axis, but did not affect the HPA axis.
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Background: Optic neuritis (ON) is a common manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS) and myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein IgG-associated disease (MOGAD). This study evaluated the applicability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for differentiating between both diseases in two independent cohorts.

Methods: One hundred sixty two patients from seven sites underwent standard OCT and high-contrast visual acuity (HCVA) testing at least 6 months after first ON.

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Objectives: The pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) involves inflammatory neurodegeneration in the brainstem, cerebellum, and retina. The clinical relevance of oculomotor involvement in MS, however, remains uncertain.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated heterophoria as a (sub)clinical tool in 54 MS patients and 55 age-matched healthy controls (HCs).

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In this study, we investigated the effects of peripheral nesfatin-1 on basal brain activity and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-induced epileptiform activity, and its relationship with the electrocorticogram (ECoG) power spectrum and EEG bands. Forty-nine male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups: control sham, 4-AP (2.5 mg/kg i.

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Expansion of economically viable turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) aquaculture depends on access to brackish-cold ground water sources in various parts of the world. Since brackish water sources can adversely affect the physiology and zoo technical performance of fish due to the burden of osmoregulation, dietary salt inclusion can alleviate the negative impacts of low-saline waters in several aquaculture species. This study investigated the effects of increasing dietary salt levels on the growth, feed utilization, body composition, and tissue fatty acid composition of juvenile turbot (initial live weight 120.

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Background: Data on cognition in patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) are limited to studies with small sample sizes. Therefore, we aimed to analyse the extent, characteristics and the longitudinal course of potential cognitive deficits in patients with MOGAD.

Methods: The CogniMOG-Study is a prospective, longitudinal and multicentre observational study of 113 patients with MOGAD.

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The last few decades have seen striking changes in the field of food allergy. The prevalence of the disease has risen dramatically in many parts of the globe, and management of the condition has undergone major revision. While delayed introduction of common allergenic foods during infancy was advised for many years, the learning early about peanut allergy (LEAP) trial and other studies led to a major shift in infant feeding practices, with deliberate early introduction of these foods now recommended.

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Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection has long been associated with the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). MS patients have elevated titers of EBV-specific antibodies in serum and show signs of CNS damage only after EBV infection. Regarding CD8+ T-cells, an elevated but ineffective response to EBV was suggested in MS patients, who present with a broader MHC-I-restricted EBV-specific T-cell receptor beta chain (TRB) repertoire compared to controls.

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Background: Bloodstream infections are a serious public health problem that requires follow-up with blood culture; this negatively affects the course of the disease and patient healthcare costs in patients with malignancy. This study aimed to determine the growth frequency of pathogens and their antibiotic resistance profiles in the blood cultures of patients with hematological and oncogenic malignancies.

Materials And Methods: The results of 7451 blood cultures, obtained from 2926 patients between January 2017 and January 2022, were evaluated retrospectively.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to describe the clinical features of double-antibody seronegative neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (DN-NMOSD), focusing on how these disorders affect the retina.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 25 individuals with DN-NMOSD and compared it to those with aquaporin-4 antibody positive neuromyelitis optica (AQP4-NMOSD) and healthy controls, using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to assess retinal damage.
  • The findings revealed significant thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell layers in DN-NMOSD patients, even after just one optic neuritis episode, indicating severe retinal damage and neurodegeneration regardless of an ON history.
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  • The study aims to evaluate how age-adjusted scores from retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) can predict future disease activity and disability worsening in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).
  • Researchers created age-adjusted reference values for specific retinal measurements using data from healthy eyes and transformed existing data from PwMS into these scores for comparison.
  • Results showed that lower scores (pRNFL-z) were linked to a greater risk of disability worsening, with significant findings from two different cohorts highlighting the importance of retinal imaging in assessing MS progression.
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  • Retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) serves as a biomarker for tracking disease progression in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), although the changes in retinal layers for progressive MS remain uncertain.
  • Analyzing data from 195 RRMS, 87 secondary progressive MS (SPMS), 125 primary progressive MS (PPMS), and 98 control patients, researchers found that certain retinal layer thicknesses could predict relapses and MRI activity in various MS types.
  • However, the variability in measuring retinal thickness limits the effectiveness of longitudinal assessments for individual patients.
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Background/aim: Characteristics of asthma in the elderly population is not well-known. The aim of the present study was to evaluate asthma in the elderly population, to compare disease characteristics between patients diagnosed <60 (aged asthma) and ≥60 (elderly asthma) years of age.

Materials And Methods: The study was a prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional type.

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