The distribution of the intestinal parasitic diseases in the Southeast Anatolian (GAP=SEAP) region of Turkey.

Objectives: The physical alterations put in place by the Southeastern Anatolia Project will undoubtedly provide a remarkable economical growth and a social development in the area. In addition, the influence that formation of dam ponds, enlargement of irrigation areas, change of product and the way of cultivation, urbanization and industrialization will have an impact on the environment. To minimize the adverse effects of this process on human beings, a Community Health Project was completed by the teams participated by Ege, Dicle, Gaziantep and Harran Universities under the Directorate of Turkish Parasitology Association and by Southeastern Anatolia Project Regional Development Administration between 2001 and 2003.

Production of monoclonal antibodies against a 19-kD recombinant Plasmodium vivax MSP1 for detection of P. vivax malaria in Turkey.

Plasmodium vivax malaria, which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, is one of the most important parasitic diseases in Turkey. The major protein on the surface of asexual erythrocytic stage merozoites of P. vivax (Pv) is 200 kD and called major merozoite surface protein-1 (PvMSP1).

Multi-site DNA polymorphism analyses of Leishmania isolates define their genotypes predicting clinical epidemiology of leishmaniasis in a specific region.

Leishmania isolates from 57 cases of human cutaneous (CL), human visceral (VL), and canine visceral (CVL) leishmaniasis in Turkey were grouped by multi-site DNA polymorphism analyses into five genotypes. The initial grouping was based on DNA heterogeneity of the faster-evolving mitochondrion (kinetoplast) minicircles and the intergenic regions of two nuclear repetitive genes. Taxonomic affiliation and phylogenetic relationships of the five genotypes were inferred by comparing them with reference species for sequence heterogeneity in a approximately 1.

A survey on canine leishmaniasis in western Turkey by parasite, DNA and antibody detection assays.

Human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania infantum is found throughout the Mediterranean Region, including Turkey, where dogs are considered to be the main reservoir host for this parasite. In the district of Manisa, western Turkey, 37 human VL cases were reported from June 1993-August 1997. Twenty-four villages in this district were chosen for a survey of disease prevalence in dogs.

Serodiagnosis and epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in Turkey.

Infantile Mediterranean visceral leishmaniasis (IVL) and anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) have long been known to exist in the western and southeastern Turkey, respectively. To further study these and other related diseases, a recombinant antigen (rK39) specific to VL was used in an ELISA for serodiagnosis of selected patients and for screening dog reservoir populations in several endemic sites. Among 24 confirmed VL cases from western Turkey, the rK39 ELISA proved to be more sensitive than a combination of cultivation and microscopy of bone marrow aspirates.

Phlebotomus major syriacus: a possible vector of visceral Leishmaniasis in western Black Sea region of Turkey.

Two clinical forms of leishmaniasis have been observed in Turkey, cutaneous (CL) and visceral (VL) Unitl now, VL cases were firstly reported from two villages of Karabük (western Black Sea region of Turkey). These villages have population of 300, 1030 m altitude and high humidity due to long rain period. Initial entomological study was carried out in July 1996.

Cryptosporidiosis and blastocystosis in renal transplant recipients.

Some intestinal parasitic infections are frequently seen in renal transplant recipients. Parasites such as Cryptosporidium spp. and Blastocystis hominis are often asymptomatic or responsible for limited infections in normals, but may cause prolonged and heavy infections with gastrointestinal complaints, mainly diarrhea, in immunocompromised patients.

Epidemiology, diagnosis and control of leishmaniasis in the Mediterranean region.

The leishmaniases are a widespread and medically important group of parasitic diseases, some of which pose a serious health threat in communities throughout the Mediterranean basin. In 1993, a joint, collaborative study of the Mediterranean leishmaniases was initiated by scientists from Israel, Turkey, Portugal and the Netherlands. The aim of this project was the development of a multi-component approach to the successful control of all forms of leishmaniasis, with special emphasis on the more severe, visceral leishmaniasis (VL).

Cultivation of Leishmania sp. in nutrient broth.

Bone-marrow aspiration and biopsy material samples obtained from two patients, one diagnosed as visceral and other as cutaneous leishmaniasis, were inoculated in Novy, McNeal, Nicolle (NNN) medium and nutrient broth (NB), containing fetal calf serum (FCS), penicillin and streptomycine. Both media were incubated at 27 degrees C for 10 days and observed daily for L. infantum and L.

Trichomoniasis in non-gonococcic urethritis among male patients.

Urethral discharge of 415 male patients, age 18-50, were examined for Trichomonas vaginalis by direct examination of fresh and Giemsa-stained slides and cultivation in CPLM media. In this study, 85 (20.7%) specimens out of 415, were found to be positive for trichomoniasis.

Rejection of mouse-derived Schistosoma japonicum and serum lethality of host immunized with mouse globulin or mouse erythrocytes.

Fourteen-day-old, mouse-derived Schistosoma japonicum schistosomula survived, matured, and deposited viable eggs following surgical transfer to the hepatic portal system of rabbits. The survival of such schistosomula is essentially eliminated in rabbits immunized with either mouse erythrocytes or mouse gamma globulin. Sera from rabbits immunized with either mouse erthrocytes or mouse gamma globulin in the presence of normal leukocytes is lethal for mouse-derived schistosomula 14 days of age or older.

Study of the circumoval precipitate in Schistosomiasis japonica by immunofluorescent technic.

The 48-hour circumoval precipitates formed by infected human and rabbit sera on lyophilized Schistosoma japonicum eggs were stained with the corresponding fluorescein-labelled monospecific goat antisera for study under a fluorescent microscope. The three major Ig classes were found to participate in the formation of the precipitate, with major components being IgG and IgM; IgA participated least. IgE and C3 also contributed to the precipitate.