Predictive Significance of Laboratory Tests in Bacteremic Brucellosis.

Background: Brucellosis is one of the most common zoonotic infections. Although culture is the gold standard diagnostic method, bacterial growth in blood cultures may not always occur due to various factors. We aimed to investigate demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings that may have predictive significance for bacteremia in brucellosis.

Effects of COVID-19 on brain and cerebellum: a voxel based morphometrical analysis.

Objective: COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus and turned into a pandemic in a short time, affects many organs and systems, especially the nervous system. In the present study, it was aimed to determine the morphological and volumetric changes in cortical and subcortical structures in recovered COVID-19 patients.

Background: We think that COVID-19 has a long-term effect on cortical and subcortical structures.

Plasma Free Amino Acid Profile in HIV-Positive Cases.

Background: Increasing the sensitivity and availability of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) devices may provide advantages in terms of revealing the changes in metabolic pathways in HIV-positive patients and elucidating the physiopathology.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the difference in amino acid levels between HIV-positive patients and healthy individuals by using LC-MS / MS and investigate its relationship with HIV infection.

Material And Methods: Concentrations of 36 different amino acids and their derivatives were measured and compared in venous plasma samples from 24 HIV-positive patients and 24 healthy individuals by using the LC-MS/MS method (Shimadzu North America, Columbia, MD, USA).

Antibiotic consumption in Turkish hospitals; a multi-centre point prevalence study.

This multi-centre study aimed to determine the antibiotic consumption in Turkish hospitals by point prevalence. Antibiotic consumption of 14 centres was determined using the DDD method. Among hospitalized patients, 44.

Cranial imaging findings in neurobrucellosis: results of Istanbul-3 study.

Objective: Neuroimaging abnormalities in central nervous system (CNS) brucellosis are not well documented. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of imaging abnormalities in neurobrucellosis and to identify factors associated with leptomeningeal and basal enhancement, which frequently results in unfavorable outcomes.

Methods: Istanbul-3 study evaluated 263 adult patients with CNS brucellosis from 26 referral centers and reviewed their 242 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 226 computerized tomography (CT) scans of the brain.

Causative pathogens and antibiotic resistance in diabetic foot infections: A prospective multi-center study.

Aim: Clinical practice guidelines for the management of diabetic foot infections developed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) are commonly used worldwide. The issue of whether or not these guidelines need to be adjusted for local circumstances, however, has seldom been assessed in large prospective trials.

Methods: The Turk-DAY trial was a prospective, multi-center study in which infectious disease specialists from centers across Turkey were invited to participate (NCT02026830).

Comparative analysis of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis of 411 cases.

Background: Tuberculosis is a disease that can involve every organ system. While pulmonary tuberculosis is the most common presentation, extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPT) is also an important clinical problem. The current study aimed to outline and compare the demographic and clinical features of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis cases in adults.

Seroprevalence of human fascioliasis in Van province, Turkey.

Background/aims: Fasciola hepatica is a rare zoonotic parasite that infects the liver of many mammals including humans. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of fascioliasis in Van province by ELISA (antibody detection) on the assumption that not all cases could be detected by stool examination alone.

Materials And Methods: A total of randomly selected 1,600 patients, directed from affiliated outpatient clinics to Yüzüncü Yıl University Medical Faculty Parasitology Laboratory, were enrolled in the study.

Comparison of colistin monotherapy and non-colistin combinations in the treatment of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter spp. bloodstream infections: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of colistin (COL) monotherapy versus non-COL based combinations in the treatment of bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to multidrug resistant Acinetobacter spp.(MDR-A).

Materials And Methods: Retrospective data of 107 MDR-A BSI cases from 27 tertiary centers in Turkey were included.

Tuberculous and brucellosis meningitis differential diagnosis.

Background: The Thwaites and Lancet scoring systems have been used in the rapid diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM). However, brucellar meningoencephalitis (BME) has similar characteristics with TBM. The ultimate aim of this study is to infer data to see if BME should be included in the differential diagnosis of TBM when these two systems suggest the presence of TBM.

Predictors of response to pegylated interferon treatment in HBeAg-negative patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Introduction: Although pegylated interferons (pegIFNs) alpha-2a and alpha-2b have been used in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment for many years, there are few studies concerning predictors of sustained virologic response (SVR) to pegIFN therapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the predictors of response to pegIFN treatment in cases with HBeAg-negative CHB infection.

Methodology: Seventeen tertiary care hospitals in Turkey were included in this study.

Serum adenosine deaminase activity in cutaneous anthrax.

Background: Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity has been discovered in several inflammatory conditions; however, there are no data associated with cutaneous anthrax. The aim of this study was to investigate serum ADA activity in patients with cutaneous anthrax.

Material And Methods: Sixteen patients with cutaneous anthrax and 17 healthy controls were enrolled.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine levels in patients with cutaneous anthrax: a laboratory analysis.

Background: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), the main endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, is considered to be associated with endothelial dysfunction. High ADMA levels have been shown to be related with disorders causing vascular inflammation such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, chronic heart failure, stroke and sepsis. Cutaneous anthrax (CA) is a serious infectious disease which may cause vasculitis.

High asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels in patients with brucellosis.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is the main endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and is considered to be associated with endothelial dysfunction. Brucellosis, a zoonotic disease caused by Brucella spp., can manifest as vasculopathy.

[Evaluation of Colistin-Ampicillin/Sulbactam Combination Efficacy in Imipenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Strains].

The increasing emergence of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains as nosocomial pathogens lead to the use of antimicrobial combinations in the treatment of infections due to these bacteria. The aim of this study was to determine the MIC values of colistin and ampicillin/sulbactam and their in vitro synergistic activities by E-test in order to evaluate the effect of this combination against imipenem-resistant A.baumannii isolates.

Bone marrow biopsy findings in brucellosis patients with hematologic abnormalities.

Background: Brucellosis can mimic various multisytem diseases, showing wide clinical polymorphism that frequently leads to misdiagnosis and treatment delay, further increasing the complication rates. In this study, we aimed to examine bone marrow biopsy findings in brucellosis cases presenting with hematologic abnormalities.

Methods: Forty-eight brucellosis cases were prospectively investigated.

Serum myeloperoxidase activity and oxidative stress in patients with acute brucellosis.

Objectives: The role of infection in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis has been increasingly discussed. Previous studies have suggested that increased myeloperoxidase activity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum myeloperoxidase activity and catalase activity along with lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) levels in patients with acute brucellosis.

Efficacy and tolerability of antibiotic combinations in neurobrucellosis: results of the Istanbul study.

No data on whether brucellar meningitis or meningoencephalitis can be treated with oral antibiotics or whether an intravenous extended-spectrum cephalosporin, namely, ceftriaxone, which does not accumulate in phagocytes, should be added to the regimen exist in the literature. The aim of a study conducted in Istanbul, Turkey, was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of ceftriaxone-based antibiotic treatment regimens with those of an oral treatment protocol in patients with these conditions. This retrospective study enrolled 215 adult patients in 28 health care institutions from four different countries.

Correlation between intrahepatic hepatitis B virus cccDNA levels and other activity markers in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B infection.

Objective: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the relation between intrahepatic (IH) hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) levels and the other HBV replicative intermediates and hepatocyte expression of HBV antigens.

Patients And Methods: Patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity, hepatitis B early antigen negativity, serum HBV DNA levels 10 copies/ml or more, and constantly or intermittently increased alanine aminotransferase levels were included.

Results: Fifty-nine patients were included.

Comparative analysis of cerebrospinal fluid adenosine deaminase activity in meningitis.

Aim: The purpose is to determine the cut-off value of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with tuberculous and non-tuberculous meningitis, and to assess its value in differential diagnosis.

Material And Methods: This study was conducted in 91 patients with meningitis in two university hospitals in Turkey. 24 patients had tuberculous meningitis (TBM), 25 purulent meningitis (PM), 25 aseptic meningitis (AM) and 17 neurobrucellosis (BM).

Sacroiliitis due to Salmonella Typhi: A case report.

Context: Pyogenic infections of the sacroiliac joint are observed quite rarely. The most frequent causative microorganisms are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus species, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa that are commonly found in patients under intravenous medication. In this paper, a rare sacroiliitis case that developed due to Salmonella Typhi is discussed.

Clinical manifestations and complications in 1028 cases of brucellosis: a retrospective evaluation and review of the literature.

Introduction: Brucellosis is the most prevalent bacterial zoonosis worldwide. In this study, we aimed to compare our 1028 brucellosis cases with other big series in the literature in view of epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory findings and therapeutic features.

Methods: A total of 1028 brucellosis cases admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology over a 10-year period were included in the study.

[Case report: two Plasmodium vivax malaria cases in the Van Province].

Malaria is an important parasitic infection which is endemic in the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeastern Anatolia regions and sporadic in other regions of Turkey, while Plasmodium vivax is the most common cause. Two patients who were admitted to our hospital in October with complaints of high fever, chills, nausea-vomiting, generalized body pain and fatigue and diagnosed as P. Vivax malaria are presented, because they were two brothers with no history of travel outside of Van city.

Brucellosis in pregnancy: a 6-year clinical analysis.

Aim: To review our experience with brucellosis in pregnancy and to characterize the risk factors, clinical presentations, the rates of possible perinatal complications, and the effect of hospitalization on pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 21 pregnant women at a tertiary care hospital and 12 at a maternity hospital, who presented with acute, subacute, chronic, or relapsing brucellosis. Their risk factors and clinical presentations were defined.