[Comparison of Three Different Methods in Investigating the Molecular Epidemiology of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolates].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates carrying oxacillinase-type carbapenemase genes with "international high-risk clones" (IC I, II, and III) by different molecular epidemiological methods and to statistically compare the concordance and discrimination power of the methods. Carbapenem-resistant and moderately susceptible A.baumannii isolates from non-repeating blood cultures of 72 patients were included in the study.

Neutralization of Wild-Type and Alpha SARS-CoV-2 Variant by CoronaVac® Vaccine and Natural Infection- Induced Antibodies.

One of the immune responses desired to be achieved by SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is to create neutralizing antibodies (nAbs), thus preventing the development and spread of infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the seropositivity rate, anti-spike antibody levels, and neutralizing capacity of these antibodies against wild type (WT) and alpha variants in serum samples of individuals who had been naturally infected or vaccinated with CoronaVac®. Total anti-spike antibody levels were determined in all samples.

Serum MUC3 Protein as a Novel Marker of Gestational Hypertensive Disorders.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the serum levels of mucoprotein 3 in hypertensive diseases of pregnancy.

Methods: In total, 60 consecutive women with gestational hypertensive diseases (gestational hypertension ( = 20), severe preeclampsia ( = 20), HELLP syndrome ( = 20)) and 20 pregnant women without any gestational hypertensive diseases were included for this prospective controlled study. Serum MUC3 protein levels were measured with commercially available ELISA kits.

Identification and antifungal susceptibility of Saprochaete clavata from invasive infections in Turkey.

Saprochaete clavata is an emerging opportunistic pathogen, that causes life-threatening infections, but there are limited evidence and information about the evaluation of in vitro antifungal susceptibility test results. The aim of this study was to determine S. clavata isolates from clinical specimens and to investigate their in vitro antifungal susceptibility.

[Investigation of Plasmid Mediated mcr Colistin Resistance Gene in Clinical Enterobacterales Isolates].

Carbapenems are used in the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria and colistin (polymyxin E) is used as the last choice of antimicrobial agent in those resistant to carbapenems. The worldwide and increased use of colistin, which causes cell death by disrupting the permeability of the cytoplasmic membrane of gram-negative bacteria, raised the problem of resistance. The transferable colistin resistance enzyme mcr, is a phosphoethanolamine transferase that adds phosphoethanolamine to lipid A and modifies lipopolysaccharides, leading to polymyxin resistance.

Determination of Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi IgG in Adult Population Living in Trabzon.

Background: Lyme borreliosis is a tick-borne, multi-systemic infectious disease that is thought to be wide spread in Turkey even though studies on its seroprevalence are limited.

Aims: To determine the seroprevalence of Lyme borreliosis in part of north-eastern Tur-key (in the city of Trabzon), and to identify possible relationships between seropositivity and various factors such as location, gender, age group, occupation, income, and educational level.

Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Could pyelonephritic scarring be prevented by anti-inflammatory treatment? An experimental model of acute pyelonephritis.

Objectives: This study aimed to demonstrate if the addition of anti-inflammatory treatment to antibiotic therapy shows any superiority to the treatment with antibiotic only.

Methods: Forty-nine Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups. Pyelonephritis was performed by E.

[Molecular epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance and characterization of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases of Salmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi B clinical isolates].

Although Salmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi B is the less frequently isolated serotype worldwide and in Turkey, it is the most common serotype in our hospital, with a marked increase in 2007. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antibiotic susceptibility and the extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) profile, and molecular epidemiology of S. Paratyphi B isolates detected in our hospital microbiology laboratory.

[Determination of hepatitis C virus genotypes among hepatitis C patients in Eastern Black Sea Region, Turkey].

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), the major cause of transfusion-associated hepatitis, is an important public health problem in the world as well as in Turkey. HCV is grouped as six distinct genotypes and a large number of closely-related subtypes. Genotyping of HCV is an important tool for providing epidemiological data, prediction of prognosis, and optimization of antiviral therapy.

[Investigation of Pneumocystis jirovecii in Respiratory Samples of Immunocompromised Patients with PCR, IFA and Giemsa Staining Methods].

Pneumocystis jirovecii is an important opportunistic agent leading to pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. In this study, the presence of P.jirovecii were investigated by using Giemsa stain, indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test and two different nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) assays in respiratory samples obtained from 50 immunocompromised patients presenting with respiratory symptoms.

Distribution, virulence attributes and antifungal susceptibility patterns of Candida parapsilosis complex strains isolated from clinical samples.

It was recently proposed that Candida parapsilosis represents a complex composed of three closely related species, i.e., C.

Hepatitis B virus genotypes and subgenotypes in the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey.

Objective: To determine the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and subgenotypes in patients with HBV infection in the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-seven patients' samples collected over 5 years (January 2005 to January 2010) at Farabi Hospital in Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey were included in the study. All patients were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV DNA.

The effect of ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives upon mucoprotein content of cervical mucus.

Objective: To report the effect of oral contraceptives (OC) on cervical mucoprotein content by evaluating quantitatively mucoprotein 1 (MUC1), mucoprotein 2 (MUC2), mucoprotein 5AC (MUC5AC) and mucoprotein 5B (MUC5B) levels.

Study Design: This prospective controlled study included 20 women of reproductive age who had requested OC. Cervical mucus samples were obtained from the women before use of the OC and after 2 months of OC use.

Cryptococcal meningitis with accompanying recurrent cerebellitis in an immunocompetent patient.

This report describes a 46-year-old individual with normal immune status and a clinical course marked by headache and nausea-vomiting. He was diagnosed as having cryptococcal meningitis (CM) accompanying with cerebellitis. The interesting element was the observation of recurrent cerebellitis, never before reported in the literature for CM.

[Genotypic identification and distribution patterns of Candida parapsilosis complex species (C.parapsilosis sensu stricto, C.metapsilosis and C.orthopsilosis) isolated from clinical samples].

Candida parapsilosis, which has recently gained increasing importance, is the second most common fungal pathogen isolated from clinical specimens. C.parapsilosis strains exhibiting genetic heterogeneity were previously considered as a complex of three genetically different groups (group I, II, III).

Fungemia and renal fungus ball formation with Candida norvegensis in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Invasive fungal infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in pediatric cancer patients. Candida species are the most frequently isolated pathogen. Candida species may cause bloodstream and deep-seated infection in neutropenic children with cancer.

Bloodstream yeast infections in a university hospital in Northeast Turkey: a 4-year survey.

This study presents data on species distribution and antifungal susceptibility profiles of Candida bloodstream isolates obtained from a Turkish Tertiary Care Hospital during a 4-year period. All hospitalized patients who had ≥ 1 blood culture positive for yeast during their hospital stay from January 2005 through 2009 were included in this study. All isolates were identified to species level using CHROMagar and ID 32 C.

[Comparison of COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan 48 and VERSANT HCV-RNA 3.0 systems for the determination of hepatitis C virus load].

The aim of this study was to investigate the concordance between COBAS Taqman 48 (Roche Molecular Systems, Pleasanton, CA, USA) and VERSANT HCV RNA 3.0 (Bayer Diagnostics, Terrytown, NY) test systems for the detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) load. Plasma samples taken from 42 patients with chronic HCV infection between 15 May-15 June 2006, were included to the study, and HCV-RNA levels have been searched with the use of the two above mentioned systems.

Assessment of the biosorption characteristics of a macro-fungus for the decolorization of Acid Red 44 (AR44) dye.

This study focuses on the possible use of macro-fungus Agaricus bisporus to remove Acid Red 44 dye from aqueous solutions. Batch equilibrium studies were carried out as a function of pH, biomass amount, contact time and temperature to determine the decolorization efficiency of biosorbent. The highest dye removal yield was achieved at pH 2.

An attractive agro-industrial by-product in environmental cleanup: dye biosorption potential of untreated olive pomace.

This research deals with the evaluation of highly available and cost effective waste biomass of olive pomace for the removal of reactive textile dye, RR198 from aqueous medium and a real effluent. The experiments were conducted to assess the effects of process variables such as initial pH, biosorbent dosage, contact time, temperature and ionic strength. The results showed that the highest dye biosorption capacity was found at pH 2 and the needed time to reach the biosorption equilibrium was 40 min with a biosorbent concentration of 3.

Horizontol dissemination of TEM- and SHV-typr beta-lactamase genes-carrying resistance plasmids amongst clonical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae.

The extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria have been isolated at increasing frequency worldwide. Expression of ESBL is often associated with multidrug resistance and dissemination by resistance plasmids. During a two-month period in 2000, 133 clinical isolates of enterobacterial strains were randomly collected from outpatients and inpatients at a university hospital in Turkey.

Asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infection and predictive criteria among low-risk women in a primary care setting.

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and predictors of Chlamydia trachomatis infection among young adult low-risk women attending either of two inner-city family planning clinics in Trabzon, the most densely populated city in Turkey's Black Sea region. The study group comprised 150 sexually active women attending either of two family planning clinics. Two endocervical swabs were collected from each woman and tested for the presence of C.

Molecular epidemiology of clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates carrying IMP-1 metallo-beta-lactamase gene in a University Hospital in Turkey.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates carrying IMP- or VIM-type metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) have been increasingly reported in hospitals worldwide. One hundred P. aeruginosa clinical isolates from unrelated inpatients hospitalized at a Turkish university hospital were screened for the presence of bla(IMP) and bla(VIM) genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).