Publications by authors named "Merve Ercelik"

The multisystemic effects of COVID-19 may continue for a longer time period following the acute phase, depending on the severity of the disease. However, long-term systemic transcriptomic changes associated with COVID-19 disease and the impact of disease severity are not fully understood. We aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 and its severity on transcriptomic alterations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) following 1 year of the disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • Post-COVID interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a condition affecting COVID-19 survivors, characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and lung function abnormalities, often identified through CT scans.
  • A study analyzed data from 375 patients who experienced lingering symptoms three months after recovering from COVID-19, finding that 262 of them (about 70%) had post-COVID ILD, with common symptoms including shortness of breath, exercise intolerance, fatigue, and cough.
  • Risk factors for developing post-COVID ILD included active smoking and having been admitted to intensive care during the acute phase of the disease; typical CT findings included ground glass opacities and fibrotic changes, indicating lung damage.
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Introduction: Patients with airway diseases who bear the burden of smoking need access to smoking cessation support. We aimed to investigate the impact of immediately scheduled appointments on access to smoking cessation clinics compared with usual care in this patient group.

Methods: This multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label study was conducted between November 2022 and June 2023 at pulmonary outpatient clinics.

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Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has contributed to work-related psychosocial risks in healthcare workers.

Aims: To evaluate the perceived need for mental health services and related factors in Turkish healthcare workers practicing in pandemic hospitals.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

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Objective: To present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of latex sensitivity in a workplace that produced rubber-based vehicle seals.

Method: The serum latex-specific IgE levels, respiratory complaints, PFT, serum interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13 levels of all male workers (n = 108) exposed to latex in the workplace, which produced rubber seals, were compared with the control group (n = 52).

Results: The rates of latex-specific IgE >0.

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Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic performances of pleural procedures in undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions and to evaluate factors suggestive of benign or malignant pleural effusions in tertiary care centers.

Methods: This was a multicenter prospective observational study conducted between January 1 and December 31, 2018. A total of 777 patients with undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion after the initial work-up were evaluated.

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Background And Objectives: Although several repurposed antiviral drugs have been used for the treatment of COVID-19, only a few such as remdesivir and molnupiravir have shown promising effects. The objectives of our study were to investigate the association of repurposed antiviral drugs with COVID-19 morbidity.

Methods: Patients admitted to 26 different hospitals located in 16 different provinces between March 11-July 18, 2020, were enrolled.

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Objective: Vaccination is the most efficient way to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but vaccination rates remain below the target level in most countries. This multicenter study aimed to evaluate the vaccination status of hospitalized patients and compare two different booster vaccine protocols.

Setting: Inoculation in Turkey began in mid-January 2021.

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Objective: To investigate the factors affecting compliance with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy and establish the relationship between compliance and pulmonary function tests (PFT) in patients with OSA.

Material And Methods: In this prospective study, patients with OSA using PAP devices were questioned about the complaints related to the device. Depression and anxiety scales along with PFT parameters were also assessed.

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The COVID-19-related death rate varies between countries and is affected by various risk factors. This multicenter registry study was designed to evaluate the mortality rate and the related risk factors in Turkey. We retrospectively evaluated 1500 adults with COVID-19 from 26 centers who were hospitalized between March 11 and July 31, 2020.

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As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads across the world, the ongoing clinical trials are leading to a big race worldwide to develop a treatment that will help control the pandemic. Unfortunately, COVID-19 does not have any known effective treatment with reliable study results yet. In this pandemic, there is not a lot of time to develop a new specific agent because of the rapid spread of the disease.

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Since the first case was diagnosed in China, the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has become the number one issue in the world and it seems to remain trend-topic for a long time. Until 17 April, it affected 210 countries, infected over 2 million people and caused approximately 150000 deaths. Although the course of the disease ranges from asymptomatic state to severe ARDS; the majority of patients reveal only mild symptoms.

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Scientists from all over the world have been intensively working to discover different aspects of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since the first cluster of cases was reported in China. Herein, we aimed to investigate unclear issues related to transmission and pathogenesis of disease as well as accuracy of diagnostic tests and treatment modalities. A literature search on PubMed, Ovid, and EMBASE databases was conducted, and articles pertinent to identified search terms were extracted.

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Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic is a significant public health concern, with rapidly evolving knowledge on its epidemiology, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention being reviewed by experts from the Turkish Thoracic Society.
  • Key findings indicate high genetic similarity to other coronaviruses like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, with common symptoms including fever and cough, and severe cases often occurring in patients with pre-existing health issues such as cardiovascular diseases.
  • Various treatment options, including chloroquine and protease inhibitors, show promise in managing COVID-19, but ongoing research continues to be crucial for understanding the virus’s transmission and effective treatment strategies.
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Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between bacteriological case definitions and indoor and outdoor air quality parameters in tuberculosis (TB).

Materials And Methods: A total of 200 patients with TB diagnosed and treated in our hospital during 2012-2018 were included to this study. The air monitoring measurement parameters of the National Air Quality Network [particulate matter 10 (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), air temperature, air pressure, and relative humidity] for the same time period were obtained from the web page http://laboratory.

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Objective: This study aimed to determine the association between the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and serum Clara cell protein (CC16) levels in non-smoking patients with OSA.

Methods: This prospective study included non-smoking patients who presented with sleep-related disturbances and underwent polysomnography (PSG). The serum CC16 level was measured and its relationship to PSG parameters was investigated.

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Aim: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients show multiple physiological deficits and several neuropsychological comorbidities. The aim of this study was to investigate the eating attitudes in OSAS patients.

Material And Methods: Polysomnography records of 157 were performed.

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Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not fully reversible disease that is characterized by progressive restricting airflow. Non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) treatment can be used in COPD patients who had type 2 respiratory failure. This study aimed to determine the effect of BPAP S/T and AVAPS modes on intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT) in 40 type 2 respiratory failure patients with COPD.

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There are few studies showing that the increase in particulate matters less than 10 μm (PM10) values increases the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). We aimed to investigate relationship between air quality parameters and the seasons with the AHI. This was a retrospective study that included 500 adults.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Criteria from the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP-ATP III) were used to diagnose MetS among the participants, identifying that nearly 80% of the sarcoidosis patients were at stage 2.
  • * Results indicated that sarcoidosis patients have a significantly higher risk of developing MetS (7.66 times) and insulin resistance (5.48 times) compared to healthy individuals.
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