Publications by authors named "Sueleyha Hilmioglu Polat"

Objectives: Worldwide emergence of clonal outbreaks caused by fluconazole-resistant (FLCR) and the recent emergence of echinocandin- and multidrug-resistant (ECR and MDR) Candida parapsilosis isolates pose serious threats to modern clinics. Conducting large-scale epidemiological studies aimed at determining the genetic composition and antifungal resistance rates is necessary to devise antifungal stewardship and infection control strategies at international, national and local levels. Despite being severely hit by outbreaks due to FLCR C.

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is known to cause severe and persistent outbreaks in clinical settings. Patients infected with multidrug-resistant (MDR Cp) isolates were identified in a large Turkish hospital from 2017-2020. We subsequently identified three additional patients infected with MDR Cp isolates in 2022 from the same hospital and two echinocandin-resistant (ECR) isolates from a single patient in another hospital.

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Candida krusei also known as Pichia kudriavzevii is a potentially multidrug-resistant yeast because it is intrinsically resistant to fluconazole and develops acquired resistance to echinocandins and polyenes. Here, we aim to provide a better understanding of the epidemiology and transmission modes of C. krusei infections by comparing invasive bloodstream (n = 35) and non-invasive vaginal (n = 20) C.

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is a major fungal pathogen, which is able to lose mitochondria and form small and slow-growing colonies, called "petite." This attenuated growth rate has created controversies and questioned the clinical importance of petiteness. Herein, we have employed multiple omics technologies and mouse models to critically assess the clinical importance of petite phenotype.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate the distribution of Candida species and their antifungal resistance in cases of candidaemia across Europe, analyzing data collected from 41 centers in 17 countries between 2018 and 2022.
  • The most common isolates identified were C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. parapsilosis, with notable geographical variations in their prevalence and antifungal resistance patterns.
  • Resistance to fluconazole was observed in certain species, particularly C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis, with rare cases of echinocandin resistance found, including specific genetic mutations in resistant isolates.
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Unlabelled: Small colony variants (SCVs) are relatively common among some bacterial species and are associated with poor prognosis and recalcitrant infections. Similarly, - a major intracellular fungal pathogen - produces small and slow-growing respiratory-deficient colonies, termed "petite." Despite reports of clinical petite .

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and CRISPR-Cas9 technology to investigate the origins of new MDR-Cp isolates and to confirm that the FKS1R658G mutation is responsible for echinocandin resistance.
  • * Treatment in the case study involved fluconazole, which was ineffective, but the patient responded well to liposomal amphotericin B (LAMB); the results highlight the need for ongoing surveillance and new strategies for
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Purpose: The aim of this study was to report a case of fungal keratitis with subsequent corneal perforation after corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) treatment performed for keratoconus.

Case Report: A 20-year-old woman presented with redness and discharge in the left eye. She had a history of bilateral CXL procedure performed for keratoconus elsewhere 4 days earlier.

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Background: Candidemia is a life-threatening infection in hospitalied children. This study aimed to evaluate candidemia's demographic and clinical characteristics and identify the risk factors and outcomes of Candida albicans (CA) and non-albicans Candida (NAC) spp.

Methods: A retrospective cohort was designed to evaluate paediatric patients with candidemia between January 2008 and December 2020.

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Fluconazole-resistant (FLZR-CP) outbreaks are a growing public health concern and have been reported in numerous countries. Patients infected with FLZR-CP isolates show fluconazole therapeutic failure and have a significantly increased mortality rate. Because fluconazole is the most widely used antifungal agent in most regions with outbreaks, it is paramount to restore its antifungal activity.

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Objectives: To evaluate and compare the risk factors, presenting features, and outcomes of patients with culture-positive and culture-negative microbial keratitis (MK) who presented to a tertiary referral center.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 314 patients who were diagnosed with MK in our clinic between 2012 and 2019.

Results: Among 314 patients, 142 had positive cultures (45.

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As the second leading etiological agent of candidemia in Turkey and the cause of severe fluconazole-non-susceptible (FNS) clonal outbreaks, emerged as a major health threat at Ege University Hospital (EUH). Evaluation of microbiological and pertinent clinical profiles of candidemia patients due to . in EUH in 2019-2020.

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The arthroconidial yeasts Magnusiomyces capitatus and M. clavatus are emerging opportunistic pulmonary pathogens. They are closely related and difficult to distinguish based on morphological and physiological traits.

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Objectives: spp. are clinically important pathogens that cause difficulties for treatment by biofilm formation. Considering antifungal resistance rates and the limitations in the discovery of new antifungals, the antifungal and antibiofilm effects of various drugs used for different therapeutic purposes are becoming more important.

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While being the third leading cause of candidemia worldwide, numerous studies have shown severe clonal outbreaks due to fluconazole-resistant (FLCR) isolates associated with fluconazole therapeutic failure (FTF) with enhanced mortality. More recently, multidrug resistant (MDR) blood isolates have also been identified that are resistant to both azole and echinocandin drugs. Amphotericin B (AMB) resistance is rarely reported among isolates and proper management of bloodstream infections due to FLZR and MDR isolates requires prompt action at the time of outbreak.

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Background: Echinocandin resistance rarely occurs in clinical Candida parapsilosis isolates and the underlying mechanism is unknown.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of echinocandin resistance and the underlying mechanism for a large collection of C. parapsilosis blood isolates and to determine whether the echinocandin-resistant isolates were clonally related.

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Article Synopsis
  • Candidemia caused by specific fungi is now the fourth leading cause of infection in Turkey, with an increase in azole-non-susceptible (ANS) strains prompting a study to assess antifungal susceptibility.
  • A study of 161 blood isolates revealed that while most were still susceptible to echinocandins and amphotericin B, 18.6% exhibited ANS characteristics, and 52 showed high fluconazole tolerance (HFT).
  • Patients with ANS and HFT infections had higher rates of therapeutic failure, highlighting a concerning rise in resistant strains and the need for public health interventions in Turkey.
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Article Synopsis
  • * About 27% of these isolates were FLZR, with many harboring mutations that contribute to their resistance, particularly the Y132F mutation, which is linked to higher mortality and lower biofilm production.
  • * The study compared two typing methods for identifying FLZR clonal relationships, finding that microsatellite typing (MST) is more effective than amplified fragment length polymorphism typing (AFLP) in outbreak scenarios.
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Objectives: Candida species are among the most important causes of hospital acquired blood borne infections, and with high rates of mortality and morbidity, these infections are still a major problem today. History of gastrointestinal surgery, administration of total parenteral nutrition and/or wide spectrum antibiotics and immune suppression following organ transplantations are considered serious risk factors for these infections. This study aimed to evaluate the patients from our general surgery department with diagnosed candidemia; by means of strain, treatment and prognosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Candida glabrata is a significant cause of bloodstream infections in Turkey, but there is limited understanding of how it resists antifungal drugs and its genetic variation.
  • A study involving 107 patient isolates showed an increase in Candida glabrata cases and identified unique mutations linked to high fluconazole resistance, resulting in therapeutic failures.
  • It is recommended to include genetic testing for resistance markers alongside antifungal susceptibility testing to improve treatment predictions, indicating a need for further research in the area.
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Dermatophytes are among the most successful fungal pathogens in humans, but their virulence mechanisms have not yet been fully characterized. Dermatophytic fungi secrete proteases in vivo, which are responsible for fungal colonization and degradation of the keratinized tissue during infection. In the present study, we used PCR to investigate the presence of genes encoding fungalysins (MEP) and subtilisins (SUB) in three dermatophyte species whose incidence is increasing in Europe: the anthropophilic Trichophyton rubrum (n = 58), zoophilic Microsporum canis (n = 33), and Trichophyton benhamiae (n = 6).

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Candida endocarditis (CE) is a rare and serious complication of candidemia. Using current diagnostic tools a confirmed diagnosis is often delayed and outcomes remain poor. The majority of new cases occur following cardiac valvular surgery, and/or in patients with the following risk factors: intravenous drug use, cancer chemotherapy, prolonged presence of central venous catheters, and prior history of bacterial endocarditis.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study examined antifungal resistance rates in Candida spp. isolates from 1997-2017 across 12 tertiary-care centers in Turkey.
  • A total of 1991 isolates were tested for susceptibility to various antifungal drugs using standard methods, finding mostly low resistance rates overall.
  • Notably, fluconazole resistance was observed in C. parapsilosis SC and C. glabrata SC at rates of 7.7% and 0.9%, respectively, with significant variability in resistance levels across different centers, prompting the need for further research.
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The current number of fungal infections occurring each year in Turkey is unknown. We estimated the burden of serious human fungal diseases based on the population at risk, existing epidemiological data from 1920 to 2017 and modelling previously described by the LIFE program (http://www.LIFE-worldwide.

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Article Synopsis
  • Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto is becoming more common in hospital infections, especially in regions like southern Europe, South America, and Asia, prompting a study on its genetic diversity and antifungal resistance in 170 patient strains from Turkey.
  • The researchers used specific genetic techniques to identify the strains and evaluated their resistance to antifungal drugs, finding that posaconazole, caspofungin, and amphotericin B were the most effective treatments.
  • They discovered a high level of genetic diversity among the strains and emphasized the need for strong surveillance and infection-control measures to protect patients from this pathogen.
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