Identification of medically important yeasts by sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer and D1/D2 region of the large ribosomal subunit.

Background: The prevalence of opportunistic yeast infections has increased in recent decades as the result of an increasing immunocompromised patient population.

Aims: To evaluate ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequence to identify medically important yeast species, to investigate the performance of both the rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and D1/D2 region in identifying clinically relevant yeasts, and to compare these results with those of a standard phenotypic method.

Methods: Both regions from 50 yeast strains, comprising 45 clinical isolates and 5 reference strains, were amplified using PCR and then sequenced.

Circulating Th17 cytokine levels are altered in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

The disrupted autoimmune response in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) has long been considered to be dominantly T helper type 1 (Th1) mediated. Recent advances in the field of immunology have introduced a new class of effector T cells, named 'Th17', which plays important roles in autoimmune disorders once thought to be merely Th1 mediated. We aimed to examine the levels of major Th17 cytokines in patients with HT in this study.

[Investigation of some virulence factors in Trichosporon spp. strains].

The frequency of fungal infections have increased recently in parallel to prolonged survival of patients with chronical infections, common use of the broad-spectrum antibiotics and cytotoxic drugs and surgical interventions. Fungi such as Trichosporon, Fusarium and Geotrichum that were previously evaluated as contaminant/colonization, become important causes of morbidity and mortality especially in neutropenic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of virulence factors such as acid proteinase, phospholipase, esterase, coagulase and hemolytic activity among Trichosporon species.

[Determination of anti-echinococcus IgG antibodies by ELISA in patients with suspected hydatid cyst].

Objective: Cystic echinococcosis (hydatid cyst) is one of the most important parasitic zoonoses that affect both humans and animals and has been known since prehistoric times. The cystic echinoccosis is a major health problem in our country as well as in many countries worldwide, and serological methods, in addition to imaging techniques, are used in the diagnosis of hydatid cyst. In the present study, anti- Echinococcus antibodies were investigated by ELISA in patient's serum samples, which were routinely delivered to the Medical Microbiology Laboratory of Gazi University Faculty of Medicine due to suspected hydatid cyst.

[The rare genes related to resistance to macrolide-lincosamide and streptogramin B group antibiotics among coagulase-negative staphylococci].

Macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) group antibiotics are recommended as first choice in the treatment of staphylococcal infections. All of those drugs bind to the 50S subunit of bacterial ribosomes, thus cross-resistance is a major concern in this group of drugs. The mechanisms associated to resistance are (a) ribosomal methylation due to the methylases encoded by erm genes, (b) active drug efflux due to msrA, msrB, vga, vgb gene activity, (c) enzymatic inactivation of the drug due to the activity of linA, vat, vatB genes.

[Investigation of Microsporidia prevalence by different staining methods in cases of diarrhea].

Microsporidia, depending on their different species, generally lead to self-limited, sporadic and mild infections such as diarrhea, corneal ulcer and myositis. They are considered as opportunistic pathogens in HIV-positive patients however in recent years Microsporidia have been detected also in immunocompetent individuals as a cause of diarrhea. Diagnosis of Microsporidia depends on the detection of spores or different developmental stages of protozoon in stool, urine, sinus aspirates, nasal discharge, bronchoalveolar lavage or tissue biopsies.

Yeast vaginitis during pregnancy: susceptibility testing of 13 antifungal drugs and boric acid and the detection of four virulence factors.

A higher prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is seen in pregnant women compared with those who are not pregnant. Recurrence is also more common in pregnant women, and therapeutic responses are reduced. In this investigation, 207 vaginal yeast isolates recovered from pregnant women were tested for susceptibility to 13 antifungal drugs and boric acid and through these studies four virulence factors were also determined.

Cytokine profile in murine toxoplasmosis.

Objective: To investigate which cytokines are produced after acute infection of mice with Toxoplasma gondii (T. Gondii) RH strain.

Methods: Mus domesticus domesticus mice in infected group were inoculated with with highly virulent T.

Evaluation of DNA extraction kits for molecular diagnosis of human Blastocystis subtypes from fecal samples.

Blastocystis sp. is now recognized as one of the most common intestinal parasite in human fecal examinations. Recently, PCR-based diagnostic methods of Blastocystis infection using direct DNA extraction from fresh fecal samples with commercially available kits are reported.

[DNA extraction and identification of Trichophyton rubrum by real-time polymerase chain reaction from direct nail scraping specimens of patients with onycomycosis].

Trichophyton rubrum is the most frequently encountered dermatophyte species causing onichomycosis. The routine diagnosis of dermatophytes depends on the direct microscopic examination (DME) and culture methods, however due to the phenotypic identification problems related to those agents, the molecular methods come into question. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the identification of T.

Comparison of methods for detection of Blastocystis infection in routinely submitted stool samples, and also in IBS/IBD Patients in Ankara, Turkey.

Background: This study compared diagnostic methods for identifying Blastocystis in stool samples, and evaluated the frequency of detection of Blastocystis in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Results And Discussion: From a set of 105 stool specimens submitted for routine parasitological analysis, 30 were identified as positive for Blastocystis by the culture method. From that group of 30 positives, Lugol's stain, trichrome staining, and an immunofluorescence assay identified 11, 15, and 26 samples as positive respectively.

[Comparison of glucan and galactomannan tests with real-time PCR for diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in a neutropenic rat model].

The incidence of aspergillosis which has high mortality rates, has increased gradually. Since invasive aspergillosis (IA) is one of the leading causes of death in immunocompromized and neutropenic patients, early and accurate diagnosis of IA is of crucial importance. The aims of this study were to compare the results of culture, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RtPCR), galactomannan (GM) antigen and glucan (GC) antigen detection tests and to evaluate their performances in view of rapid and accurate diagnosis of IA in neutropenic rat model.

[In vitro synergistic effect of moxifloxacin and amphotericin B combination against Candida strains].

Contradictory results such as synergy or indifferent effect, have been reported about the interactions between quinolones and antifungal drugs in different studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro susceptibilities of Candida spp. to moxifloxacin (MOX) alone and MOX + amphotericin B (AmB) combination.

Nosocomial transmission of Candida pelliculosa fungemia in a pediatric intensive care unit and review of the literature.

Horizontal transmission of Candida species in the hospital environment and the fungemia rates have increased in the past decade. We describe a nosocomial cluster of fungemia caused by Candida pelliculosa (teleomorph Pichia anomala) in four infants hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit. Candida isolates had strictly related fingerprints, as generated by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis using five different primer sets.

High incidence of Candida parapsilosis candidaemia in non-neutropenic critically ill patients: epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility.

The epidemiological and antifungal susceptibility data for 35 episodes of candidemia in intensive care units (ICU) in 2007 were evaluated by prospective active surveillance. The incidence of fungaemia was 39.1 cases per 1000 ICU admissions and 2.

PCR-based subtyping of Blastocystis isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in a major hospital in Ankara, Turkey.

The stool samples obtained from 94 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and 109 asymptomatic individuals, who checked in due to other reasons, admitted at a major hospital in Ankara, Turkey were examined with native Lugol's iodine, trichrome, and Kinyoun's acid-fast stainings for parasitology examinations and with in vitro culture method for detection of Blastocystis. In a total of 203 stool samples tested, native Lugol's iodine and trichrome stainings could detect 12 (5.9%) and 20 (9.

Determination of the expression of lymphocyte surface markers and cytokine levels in a mouse model of Plasmodium berghei.

This study aimed to determine the changes in lymphocyte surface markers and cytokine profiles during a malarial infection in a mouse model of malaria. Mononuclear cells obtained from the spleens of the mice infected with Plasmodium berghei (P. berghei) were stained with anti-mouse CD3, anti-mouse CD4, anti-mouse CD8, anti-mouse CD19, anti-mouse CD152, anti-mouse pan natural killer (NK), anti-mouse CD80 monoclonal antibodies and expression of surface markers was evaluated by flow cytometry.

Blastocystis subtypes in irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease in Ankara, Turkey.

Blastocystis infection has been reported to be associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and chronic diarrhoea. The availability of data on the subtypes of Blastocystis found in these patient groups would be of interest in understanding the significance of Blastocystis infection in chronic illness. In this study, we identify Blastocystis subtypes found in patients presenting with IBS, IBD, chronic diarrhoea and asymptomatic patients in Ankara, Turkey.

[The role of protozoan parasites in etiology of urticaria].

In order to investigate a possible link between parasites and chronic urticaria, the prevalence of intestinal protozoans in stool samples of individuals with chronic urticaria (n=55) and healthy controls (n=43) were evaluated with native lugol, formol-ethyl acetate concentration and trichrom dye, modified acid fast. In the case of Giardia intestinalis (G. intestinalis) ELISA was also used.

Molecular identification, genotyping, and drug susceptibility of the basidiomycetous yeast pathogen Trichosporon isolated from Turkish patients.

Deep-seated infections due to Trichosporon species are emerging mycoses that have a very poor prognosis in patients with persistent neutropenia. This study elucidated the mycological characteristics of Trichosporon strains obtained from deep-seated infections in Turkish patients and identified by DNA sequence analysis of intergenic spacer (IGS) region 1 of the rDNA locus. In addition, we genotyped the major causative agent, T.

Fungemia and cutaneous zygomycosis due to Mucor circinelloides in an intensive care unit patient: case report and review of literature.

Mucor spp. are rarely pathogenic in healthy adults, but can cause fatal infections in patients with immuosuppression and diabetes mellitus. Documented mucor fungemia is a very rare condition in the literature.

Molecular investigation of a fungemia outbreak due to Candida parapsilosis in an intensive care unit.

We investigated a nosocomial cluster of four Candida parapsilosis fungemia episodes that occurred in a neurological intensive care unit over a two-week period. The four infected patients had received parenteral nutrition through central lines, and all four had catheter-related candidemia. All of the isolates were susceptible to all of the antifungals tested, including amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole, and caspofungin.

A possible relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and schizophrenia: A seroprevalence study.

Objective. Schizophrenia is a pervasive neuropsychiatric disease of uncertain etiology. We aimed to investigate a possible association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and schizophrenia in this study.

Effectiveness of different cleaning agents against the colonization of Candida spp and the in vitro detection of the adherence of these yeast cells to denture acrylic surfaces.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effect Klorhex and Fittydent, which are used as cleaning agents on the adhesion of Candida on the surfaces of acrylic denture and palatal mucosa. In addition, ability of yeasts to adhere to acrylic strips was evaluated after applying these agents in vitro.

Materials And Methods: Each group of 15 patients cleaned their dentures with either Klorhex or with Fittydent.