Comparison of a Commercial SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test with Real-Time PCR.

Objective: The study compared the mö-screen Corona Antigen Test (Qiagen, Germany) with RT-PCR in suspected COVID-19 patients.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred combined oro-nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from patients with suspected COVID-19 to evaluate the analytical performance of the mö-screen Corona Antigen Test compared to qualitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in symptomatic patients.

Results: The mö-screen Corona Antigen Test showed an overall agreement with a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 100%.

Diagnostic Utility of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA Quantitation in Ulcerative Colitis.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis is a critical condition associated with severe complications in ulcerative colitis (UC). This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of the presence of CMV DNA in intestinal mucosa tissue and blood samples in patients with active UC. This study included 81 patients with exacerbated symptoms of UC.

Is There a Role for Dark Field Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Lyme Disease?A Narrative Review.

The diagnosis of Lyme disease is becoming more common in Turkey. Nonetheless, some physicians are not aware of the diagnostic principles that should be followed when faced with a suspected patient and could use tests that are not recommended, such as darkfield microscopy. Dark field microscopy is a diagnostic technique to visualize the spirochetes that cause Lyme disease; however, it is not recommended for the diagnosis of Lyme disease.

Development and validation of a simple risk scoring system for a COVID-19 diagnostic prediction mode.

Introduction: In a resource-constrained situation, a clinical risk stratification system can assist in identifying individuals who are at higher risk and should be tested for COVID-19. This study aims to find a predictive scoring model to estimate the COVID-19 diagnosis."

Materials: Patients who applied to the emergency pandemic clinic between April 2020 and March 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective study.

[Investigation of Ganciclovir Resistance in Cytomegalovirus Isolates by Phenotypic and Genotypic Methods].

Ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus (CMV) strains are reported following long-term antiviral agent use, especially for immune-suppressive patients. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the mutations in the UL97 gene of CMV, which causes ganciclovir (GCV) resistance by genotypic and phenotypic methods in patients who developed CMV infection following hematopoietic cell (HCT) or solid organ transplantation (SOT). Thirty patients who had HCT or SOT in Mediterranean University Hospital and developed CMV infection during routine follow-up with a viral load of CMV over 1000 copies/mL were included in the study.

Tocilizumab treatment in COVID-19: A prognostic study using propensity score matching.

Background: The potential role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia provides the rationale for investigating IL-6 signaling inhibitors.

Objectives: To evaluate and report treatment responses to tocilizumab (TCZ) in COVID-19 patients and compare mortality outcomes with those of standard care.

Material And Methods: Patients hospitalized with a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, diagnosed with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) between March 2020 and April 2021, were enrolled in this single-center retrospective cohort study.

Effect of oral antiseptics on the viral load of SARS-CoV-2: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: In the oral cavity, which plays an important role in the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it is possible to reduce the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 with antiseptics, thereby minimizing the transmission of the virus during dental procedures.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to clinically evaluate the effect of the hypochlorous acid (HClO) and povidone-iodine (PVP-I) solutions on the oral viral load of SARS-CoV-2.

Material And Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 75 patients hospitalized in the COVID-19 ward of a local hospital.

Association of SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold (Ct) values with clinical course and serum biomarkers in COVID-19 patients.

Introduction: Our knowledge has gaps regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication levels and its association to severity of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of SARS-CoV-2 viral load with disease severity and serum biomarkers in COVID-19 patients.

Methodology: Viral load was determined via cycle threshold (Ct) values of SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 214 adult patients.

Prognostic factors for COVID-19 patients.

Introduction: Determining prognostic factors in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can have great impact on treatment planning and follow-up strategies. Herein, we aimed to evaluate prognostic factors and clinical scores for confirmed COVID-19 patients in a tertiary-care hospital in the Bursa region of Turkey.

Methodology: Patients who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 microbiologically and/or radiologically between March and October 2020 in a tertiary-care university hospital were enrolled retrospectively.

Nine-month course of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in individuals with COVID-19 infection.

Background: The continual course of the pandemic points to the importance of studies on the rate and durability of protective immunity after infection or vaccination.

Aims: In this study, we aimed to monitor anti-nucleocapsid (N) and anti-spike (S) antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nearly 9 months duration after infection.

Methods: Anti-nucleocapsid (N) (at 11-15-20-29-38 weeks) and anti-spike antibodies (at 11 and 38 weeks) against SARS-CoV-2 were monitored during 38 weeks after the initial symptoms of COVID-19.

Serological Prevalence of in Faculty of Medicine of Bursa Uludağ University During 2016-2018.

Objective: This study aimed to retrospectively investigate IgG and IgM distribution and IgG avidity in serum samples with suspected toxoplasmosis in the medical microbiology serology laboratory of Faculty of Medicine Hospital at Bursa Uludağ University over a 24-month period (January 2016 to December 2018).

Methods: An enzyme-linked fluorescent assay using the VIDAS automated analyzer (BioMérieux, France) was used to determine IgM antibodies, IgG antibodies, and IgG avidity.

Results: The IgM antibody positivity was found to be 1.

Changing epidemiology of influenza and other respiratory viruses in the first year of COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: We aimed to determine the epidemiological change in influenza and other respiratory tract viruses isolated from patients with nasopharyngeal swab samples in our hospital during the COVID-19 period.

Methods: We investigated nasopharyngeal swabs for respiratory viruses between March 2020 and February 2021 during the first year of pandemic in Turkey. We used QIAStat Dx Respiratory panel (Qiagen, Germany) in QIAStat Dx (Qiagen, Germany) for detection of respiratory viruses between March 2020 and February 2021.

[Distribution of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Genotypes Among Intravenous Drug and Non-Drug User Patients].

Genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) can vary over the years between different patient groups and regions. The prevalence of intravenous drug users (IVDU) is known to increase in our country, yet there are a limited number of studies investigating the distribution of HCV genotypes in this group. These data are essential for monitorization of the changes in HCV epidemiology.

Follow-up of human adenovirus viral load in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

Background: The spectrum of human adenovirus (HAdV)-related disease is broad, and the virus acts on many organs and systems in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. We aimed to evaluate the effect of HAdV-DNA positivity with clinical and laboratory findings 4 months after HSCT.

Methods And Results: We retrospectively investigated HAdV-DNA in 153 HSCT recipients (≤18 years) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RealStar; Altona Diagnostics).

[Comparison of Two Commercial Quantitative Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Polymerase Chain Reaction Tests Calibrated by World Health Organization International CMV Standard].

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) viral load quantitation is important in diagnosis, follow-up, and monitoring of antiviral therapy in transplanted patients. In this study, it was aimed to compare the results of the two commercial World Health Organization (WHO) International CMV standard calibrated polymerase chain reaction tests, CMV Cobas Ampliprep/Cobas Taqman (CMV-CAP/CTM) (Roche, Germany) and Artus CMV QIASymphony-Rotorgene (CMV-QS-RGQ) (Qiagen, Germany). Both tests were performed simultaneously on 244 plasma samples.

[Evaluation of the Two Different Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Methods Used for BK Virus (BKV) Quantification and BKV Genotype Assignment].

BK virus (BKV) viral load quantification has a distinct role in the clinical control of BKV nephropathy and organ rejection among renal transplant recipients. In this study, it was aimed to compare BKV DNA measurement values performed with two different real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods and to determine BKV genotypes in renal transplant recipients. Totally, 150 clinical samples tested previously in two different laboratories (Lab-1 and Lab-2) from adult and pediatric renal transplantation patients were included in the study.

[Distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes among patients with chronic hepatitis C infection in Akdeniz University Hospital, Antalya, Turkey: a five-year evaluation].

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the major causes of chronic hepatitis. It is important to know the genotypes of HCV in the decision of the HCV related chronic hepatitis therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the HCV genotypes determined at the Microbiology Laboratory of Akdeniz University Hospital, and to evaluate the changes in the distribution of the genotypes within the last five years.

Epstein-Barr virus infection in children with renal transplantation: 17 years experience at a single center.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to detect the frequency, time of occurrence, management and outcome of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and related complications in pediatric renal transplant recipients.

Methods: Pediatric renal allograft recipients transplanted between August 1994 and December 2011 at our hospital was evaluated retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups; Groups 1 and 2 were composed of patients transplanted before and after November 2007, respectively, when plasma EBV DNA levels were periodically measured.

[BK virus infections in pediatric kidney transplant recipients].

Primary BK virus (BKV) infections acquired mainly during childhood are usually asymptomatic. Several studies revealed its seroprevalence in adult population as high as 90% worldwide. Following primary infection, virus persists as latent infection in the urogenital tract.

[Investigation of adenoviruses in children with lower respiratory tract infections].

Adenoviruses which are one of the causative agents of acute respiratory tract infections at all age groups worldwide, can lead to epidemic, endemic or sporadic infections year-round. Adenovirus infections in lower respiratory tract can be presented as bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of adenoviruses as the etiologic agent of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in children by cell culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct fluorescence antibody (DFA) test.

[Cyclospora cayetanensis and Cryptosporidium parvum coinfection in a pregnant woman with prolonged diarrhoea].

Cyclospora cayetanensis which is a recently described pathogen, is associated with prolonged diarrheae and history of travelling to tropical regions and intake of suspicious food and water. Cryptosporidium parvum is another pathogen that causes severe diarrhea defined initially in especially AIDS patients since 1980's. Cases of cyclosporiasis are frequently missed, since it is difficult to detect the parasite in human fecal samples, despite an increasing amount of data regarding this parasite.