Publications by authors named "Aslınur Ozkaya-Parlakay"

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a curative therapy for pediatric patients with malignancies and blood or immune system disorders. However, recipients are at risk of opportunistic infections, including cytomegalovirus infection, due to immunosuppression from conditioning regimens. This retrospective study analyzed 439 pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients to identify risk factors for cytomegalovirus infection and assess the impact of conditioning regimens.

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Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with intestinal manifestations. Genetic predisposition, including inborn errors of the OAS-RNAseL pathway, has been reported. We sequenced 154 MIS-C patients and utilized a novel statistical framework of gene burden analysis, "burdenMC," which identified an enrichment for rare predicted-deleterious variants in BTNL8 (OR = 4.

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Background: The primary objectives of our research were to analyze Lyme serology results from pediatric patients, identify the clinical reasons for ordering these tests, and assess the clinical relevance of the serology results in the context of Lyme disease.

Methods: Our study, conducted at a reference pediatric hospital in a non-endemic region for Lyme disease, included all pediatric patients for whom Lyme serology was requested. ELISA and Western blot results were documented.

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Background: The global initiative to eliminate measles, spearheaded by the World Health Organization, has yet to achieve its intended goals. In Turkey, despite robust vaccination strategies, recent increases in measles cases have been attributed to vaccine hesitancy and irregular migration. This study evaluates measles serology within a pediatric population to determine the impact of vaccination regimens on immunity.

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Introduction: Port catheters facilitate the administration of chemotherapy, antibiotics, blood products, fluid, and parenteral nutrition to pediatric patients with hematological malignancies. However, as its use has become widespread, local and systemic, catheter-related infections have emerged as important causes of morbidity and mortality. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the success of antibiotic lock therapy in port catheter-related infections of pediatric patients followed up with acute leukemia.

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Current data on fosfomycin usage in children are limited. We present data on the clinical use of intravenous (IV) fosfomycin in children. Hospitalized patients who received ≥3 days of IV fosfomycin between April 2021 and March 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.

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This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the baseline and follow-up viral loads and viral clearance times in cases followed for asymptomatic and symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection between August 2010 and August 2022. Among 93 cases, they had asymptomatic (n: 55) and symptomatic (n: 38). The median baseline blood viral load detected in the symptomatic cCMV (ScCMV) infection (13 054 IU/mL) was significantly higher than that of asymptomatic cCMV (AcCMV) infection (4636 IU/mL) (p < 0.

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Article Synopsis
  • SARS-CoV-2 has evolved throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to lower mortality rates due to increased immunity and potentially less severe variants, with its current status as an endemic virus.
  • This study focused on symptomatic pediatric patients under 18 with confirmed COVID-19 and seasonal coronavirus (sCoV) infections, comparing their clinical and laboratory characteristics.
  • Results showed that while COVID-19 had milder symptoms, it was associated with more fever; sCoV infections led to higher instances of lower respiratory issues, and hospitalization risk varied with age and comorbid conditions, but not virus type.
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  • Biologic modifying agents in pediatric patients are linked to a higher risk of developing tuberculosis (TB), prompting a study to document this in a hospital setting from 2010 to 2020.
  • A total of 72 patients treated with these agents were analyzed, finding that 9.7% tested positive for latent TB, with older patients and those receiving treatment for a longer duration being more likely to develop it.
  • Interestingly, although canakinumab is generally considered to have a lower risk for TB conversion, it was the most commonly associated agent among those who tested positive in this study.
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Background: We aimed to evaluate our pediatric HSCT recipients routinely monitored for adenoviremia and to determine the adequacy of this monitoring in predicting adenoviral disease (AD).

Methods: A retrospective cohort of patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT between January 2021 and August 2022, and routinely monitored for adenoviremia by real-time PCR was included in our survey. Demographic and clinical data of the patients were recorded.

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We first aimed to investigate resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) differences between adolescents exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and healthy controls. Secondly, the moderator effect of PLEs on group differences in rs-FC was examined. Thirdly, brain correlates of inflammation response during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection were investigated.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pregnancy causes adverse outcomes for both the mother and the fetus. Neonates are at risk of vertical transmission and in-utero infection. Additionally, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and impairment in the organ systems of the mother are associated with neonatal outcomes, including impaired intrauterine growth, prematurity, and neonatal ICU admission.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is a common side effect of antimicrobial therapy, and a study was conducted to examine its prevalence among pediatric patients in a specific region.
  • - The study involved 758 pediatric patients who started oral antibiotics, revealing a 10.4% occurrence rate of diarrhea associated with antibiotic use, particularly higher with cephalosporins and in certain geographic areas of Turkey.
  • - The findings highlighted geographic differences in the rate of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, suggesting that while it's not extremely common, it can vary significantly based on location and type of antibiotic used.
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Background: There is limited data on the pattern and severity of myocardial injury in patients with COVID-19 vaccination associated myocarditis.

Objective: We aimed to define the myocardial damage occurring after BNT162b2 vaccination, raise awareness about adverse reactions developing after vaccination, and determine the patterns and scope of Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.

Patients/methods: A total of 9 patients diagnosed with vaccine-associated myopericarditis were followed up.

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  • This study investigates if parents' vaccination against COVID-19 can reduce hospitalizations for children who contract the virus, focusing on data from the delta variant period in Turkey (August to October 2021).
  • The findings reveal that children whose parents were fully vaccinated were less likely to be hospitalized, with a significant correlation between parental vaccination status and the hospitalization rates of their children.
  • The conclusion suggests that fully vaccinating both parents can provide indirect protection for their children against severe illness from COVID-19, indicating a need for further research on different COVID-19 variants.
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  • Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major health issue leading to serious illness and death in children, highlighting the need to identify risk factors for complicated cases.
  • A study examined 111 children hospitalized with CAP, finding that those with complicated CAP (CCAP) tended to be older and had higher levels of inflammation, as indicated by C-reactive protein levels.
  • Key indicators of complications included hypoxia, respiratory distress, and pleural effusion, suggesting the necessity for better diagnostic and treatment strategies to manage CCAP effectively.
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Objective: In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of MIS-C patients in our hospital, to share our treatment approach, and to assess the outcomes of short- and long-term follow-up.

Methods: MIS-C patients who were admitted and treated in our hospital between July 2020 and July 2021 were evaluated. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and follow-up data were collected from patient records retrospectively.

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Background: Concerns about the psychiatric sequelae after COVID-19 infection have increased as the pandemic spreads worldwide. The increase in self-isolation during this pandemic period has also revealed the importance of feelings of loneliness. This study aimed to examine the relationship between baseline inflammation levels, internalizing symptoms, and feelings of loneliness in adolescent COVID-19 survivors in the long term.

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Introduction: The necessity of a booster dose is a matter that has not been as yet illuminated, although it is noted that neutralizing antibody titers decrease over time. We aimed therefore to evaluate antibody titers and seroconversion rates after a booster mRNA vaccine and a booster inactivated vaccine.

Methods: A total of 322 participants were divided into three main groups, with two subgroups each, based on their vaccinations and previous infection history.

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