Evaluation of beta-blockers on left ventricular dyssynchrony and reverse remodeling in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: A randomized trial of carvedilol and metoprolol.

Background: The effect of b-blockage on cardiac dyssynchrony in idiopathic dilated cardio-myopathy (IDC) is unknown. This study evaluated the impact of carvedilol and metoprolol succinate on left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony and reverse remodeling in IDC.

Methods: In this small, prospective, double-blind study, we randomly assigned 81 IDC patients to receive carvedilol or metoprolol succinate.

Comparison of infection and urosepsis rates of ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone prophylaxis before percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a prospective and randomised study.

This study aimed at determining the choice and administration duration of ideal antibiotic prophylaxis before percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) operation, a treatment modality for nephrolithiasis. The study included 90 patients who had no internal problem, yet had a negative urine culture and underwent a PNL operation. We compared infection rates between ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone groups and their subgroups.

The effects on immune response of levamisole treatment following infection of U-937 macrophages with Candida albicans.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on the immune response of levamisole alone and in conjunction with Candida albicans stimulation in human macrophage cell culture by determining the alterations in the levels of cytokine release. Levamisole treatment was performed before, during and after infecting U-937 human macrophage cells with C. albicans.

Mean platelet volume predicts embolic complications and prognosis in infective endocarditis.

Objectives: This study was designed to examine the change in mean platelet volume (MPV) over the course of infective endocarditis (IE) and also the association between MPV and complications including embolic events in IE.

Methods: Forty patients (26 male, mean age 46±15 years) who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of IE at the Department of Cardiology, Erciyes University, from March 2005 to August 2008, were retrospectively evaluated. The diagnosis of IE was made clinically and was confirmed with Duke's criteria.

[Investigation of erythromycin resistance and resistance phenotypes in group A beta hemolytic streptococci].

Although penicillin resistance has not been determined in group A beta haemolytic streptococci (GABHS) yet, resistance to erythromycin and other macrolids is being reported frequently in the last years. In this study we investigated erythromycin resistance by using agar dilution method in 282 GABHS strains which were isolated from throat cultures that had been evaluated in the Ministry of Health, Ankara Training and Research Hospital's, Microbiology Laboratory. We also determined resistance phenotypes of resistant strains by double disc synergy method using erythromycin and clindamycin discs.