HCV genotype distribution in Istanbul: A detailed 7 year epidemiological overview and impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. HCV has 8 genotypes (GT) and 86 subtypes and distribution of GTs varies based on geographical regions, transmission routes and even in cultural groups. The determination of viral genotype is crucial in choosing antiviral treatment, determining the duration of therapy, and monitoring treatment respose.

Investigation of Urine Organic Acid Profile in Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Patients.

Backgrounds: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syn-drome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The high mortality and morbidity rate and its course with a wide variety of clinical symptoms indicate that the disease affects many metabolic pathways. The aim of our study was to investi-gate the metabolic effects of SARS-CoV-2 by evaluating the urinary organic acid profile in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Antifungal Susceptibility Testing and Cluster Analysis of Candida auris Strains.

Background: Candida auris is an opportunistic pathogen that has become widespread in recent years and shows resistance to multiple drugs. The aim of our study was to determine the antifungal susceptibilities of C. auris isolates, to perform a dendrogram from the mass spectra of strains obtained from matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry in order to evaluate the proteomic similarities of the strains and determine the geographical clade of C.

Risk analysis of candidemia and its effect on mortality in COVID 19 and non COVID 19 patients.

Background And Objectives: Candidemia is the most common serious fungal infection in critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICU). It series fourth among bloodstream infectious agents. In this study, candidemia risk analysis was examined in COVID 19 and non-COVID 19 patients during the pandemic period.

Development of a Molecular Diagnostic Kit for the Sars-Cov-2 Eris Variant.

Background: Upon the emergence of the Eris variant in our country, we aimed to develop an RT-qPCR kit to detect the SARS-CoV-2 Eris variant.

Methods: By studying the genome sequences uploaded to GISAID, target regions were designed by focusing on the mutation regions of EG.5 and EG.

Investigation of respiratory tract coinfections in Coronavirus disease 2019 infected and suspected cases.

Objective: The aim of our study is to determine the risk of coinfection with COVID-19 due to the high prevalence of viral agents in Istanbul in autumn (September, October, and November) and winter (December and January) and to investigate the effects of age, gender, season and clinical features on the development of coinfection with COVID-19.

Methods: In the routine studies of our hospital, COVID-19, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RTA kit, Turkiye) and Multiplex PCR Bio-Fire (Bio Merieux Company, France) methods were studied from the nasopharyngeal swab sample and the data were recorded. A total of 400 people with a mean age (7.

COVID-19 PCR test performance on samples stored at ambient temperature.

The WHO-named Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection had become a pandemic within a short time period since it was detected in Wuhan. The outbreak required the screening of millions of samples daily and overwhelmed diagnostic laboratories worldwide. During this pandemic, the handling of patient specimens according to the universal guidelines was extremely difficult as the WHO, CDC and ECDC required cold chain compliance during transport and storage of the swab samples.

Chest computed tomography findings of 1271 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and classifications with different age groups: a descriptive study from Istanbul, Turkey.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to describe lung computed tomography findings of patients with COVID-19 diagnosed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test, investigate whether the findings differ regarding age and gender, and evaluate the diagnostic performance of chest computed tomography based on the duration of symptoms at the time of presentation to the hospital.

Methods: From March 11 to May 11, 2020, 1271 consecutive patients (733 males and 538 females) were included in this retrospective, cross-sectional study. Based on age, patients were divided into five separate subgroups.

Seroprevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among health care workers from three pandemic hospitals of Turkey.

COVID-19 is a global threat with an increasing number of infections. Research on IgG seroprevalence among health care workers (HCWs) is needed to re-evaluate health policies. This study was performed in three pandemic hospitals in Istanbul and Kocaeli.

Does sampling saliva increase detection of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR? Comparing saliva with oro-nasopharyngeal swabs.

The gold standard method in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is the detection of viral RNA in the nasopharyngeal sample by RT-PCR. Recently, saliva samples have been suggested as an alternative sample. In the present study, we aimed to compare RT-PCR results in nasopharyngeal, oro-nasopharyngeal and saliva samples of COVID-19 patients.

The origin of SARS-CoV-2 in Istanbul: Sequencing findings from the epicenter of the pandemic in Turkey.

Objective: Turkey is one of the latest countries that COVID-19 disease was reported, with the first case on March 11, 2020, and since then, Istanbul became the epicenter of the pandemic in Turkey. Here, we reveal sequences of the virus isolated from three different patients with various clinical presentations.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal swab specimens of the patients were tested positive for the COVID-19 by qRT-PCR.

In-vitro activities of imipenem-colistin, imipenem-tigecycline, and tigecycline-colistin combinations against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

The aim of the study is to determine in-vitro effects of imipenem-tigecycline, imipenem-colistin and tigecycline-colistin against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) isolates. A total of 25 CRE isolates were included to the study. The minimum inhibition concentrations of imipenem, colistin-sulphate and tigecycline were determined with broth dilution method.

Efficiency of Direct Microscopy of Stool Samples Using an Antigen-Specific Adhesin Test for Entamoeba Histolytica.

Background: is among the common causes of acute gastroenteritis. The pathogenic species and the nonpathogenic species cannot be morphologically differentiated, although correct identification of these protozoans is important for treatment and public health. In many laboratories, the screening of leukocytes, erythrocytes, amoebic cysts, trophozoites and parasite eggs is performed using Native-Lugol's iodine for pre-diagnosis.

[Comparison of a new and rapid method, Brucella Coombs gel test with the other methods in the serological diagnosis of brucellosis].

Diagnosis of brucellosis basically depends on blood and/or bone marrow culture and demonstration of high titer specific antibody or seroconversion in serum. In routine serological diagnosis of the disease, after screening with Rose Bengal test, the positive samples are studied with standart tube agglutination (STA) test with serial dilutions. However false negative results can be seen in STA test due to the existence of blocking antibodies, this test should be verified with Coombs anti-Brucella (CAB) or immunocapture agglutination (ICA) tests.

[Pulmonary nocardiosis with a large solitary cavitary nodule caused by Nocardia cyriacigeorgica in a patient receiving corticosteroid therapy].

Nocardiosis is a rare disease generally caused by members of Nocardia asteroides complex, particularly in immunosupressed patients. Nocardia cyriacigeorgica is a newly described member of this complex. In this article, a case of pulmonary nocardiosis with a large solitary cavitary nodule caused by N.

Relevance of autoantibody detection to the rapid diagnosis of brucellosis.

The rose bengal test is often used for rapid diagnosis of human brucellosis in endemic areas. However, autoantibodies have never been investigated as a reason for false-positive or false-negative results. Therefore, the aim of this study was to show the effect of autoantibody detection on the rapid diagnosis of human brucellosis in an endemic area.