[Should cystic echinococcosis be investigated in patients having high eosinophil counts?].

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by the metacestode form of Echinococcus granulosus is one of the important health problems in Turkey and in the world. In this study, whether or not the presence of CE in patients with a high eosinophil count should be determined was investigated. A total of 946 specimens from patients with a high eosinophil count (>or=350/mm3) were evaluated.

[The comparative evaluation of Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Indirect Hemagglutination Test (IHA) and Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT) in the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis].

The most frequently used methods for the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis are ELISA, IHA and IFAT methods in routine laboratories. The aim of this study was to detect the optimum serological method which can be used routinely with the highest sensitivity and specificity. Forty CE cases with 40 controls, making a total of 80 patients, were included in the study.

C-reactive protein may be a marker of bacterial translocation in experimental intestinal obstruction.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is used as a marker of intestinal ischaemia. This study evaluated whether CRP levels can be used to detect ischaemia-induced (strangulated) intestinal obstruction and subsequent bacterial translocation.

Methods: Forty-eight rats, divided into four groups underwent the following procedures: anaesthesia alone (native controls), laparotomy (sham-operated controls), or surgical induction of simple or strangulated intestinal obstruction (simple and strangulated obstruction groups, respectively).

Neuraminidase produces dose-dependent decrease of slime production and adherence of slime-forming, coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Background: Slime is one of the important structures of certain bacterial strains involved in nonspecific adherence. This study was conducted to determine the role of neuraminidase on slime formation and adherence of slime-forming coagulase-negative staphylococci to inert surface.

Methods: Quantitative biofilm and qualitative bacterial adherence assays were performed with increasing concentrations of neuraminidase extracted from Clostridium perfringens-treated bacteria in polystyrene plates and polypropylene tubes.