An evaluation of a Stenotrophomonas maltophilia outbreak due to commercial arterial blood gas collection kit.

Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a gram-negative bacterium that can cause hospital infections and outbreaks within hospitals. This study aimed to evaluate an outbreak of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, caused by ready-to-use commercial syringes containing liquid lithium and heparin for arterial blood gas collection in a university hospital.

Methods: Upon detecting an increase in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia growth in blood cultures between 15.

Surveillance of carbapenem-resistant and in perianal swab samples.

Our study aimed to detect carbapenem-resistant (CRKP) and/or carbapenem-resistant in perianal swab samples, exploring their link to bloodstream infections (BSIs) in a tertiary-care university hospital. CRKP-related BSIs ranged from 3.7% to 9.

The effect of exosomes released from apheresis platelet concentrates under the impact of gamma irradiation and storage time upon platelet aggregation and hemostasis.

Background: Blood components should be gamma-irradiated (γ-IR) in order to prevent transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of γ-IR and storage time on the exosomes released from apheresis platelet concentrates (aPC) and to investigate their impact on the maximum platelet aggregation (MPA) and hemostasis.

Materials And Methods: Eight units of aPC were included in this study.

Tocilizumab treatment in COVID-19: A prognostic study using propensity score matching.

Background: The potential role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia provides the rationale for investigating IL-6 signaling inhibitors.

Objectives: To evaluate and report treatment responses to tocilizumab (TCZ) in COVID-19 patients and compare mortality outcomes with those of standard care.

Material And Methods: Patients hospitalized with a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, diagnosed with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) between March 2020 and April 2021, were enrolled in this single-center retrospective cohort study.

Association of SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold (Ct) values with clinical course and serum biomarkers in COVID-19 patients.

Introduction: Our knowledge has gaps regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication levels and its association to severity of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of SARS-CoV-2 viral load with disease severity and serum biomarkers in COVID-19 patients.

Methodology: Viral load was determined via cycle threshold (Ct) values of SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 214 adult patients.

Prognostic factors for COVID-19 patients.

Introduction: Determining prognostic factors in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can have great impact on treatment planning and follow-up strategies. Herein, we aimed to evaluate prognostic factors and clinical scores for confirmed COVID-19 patients in a tertiary-care hospital in the Bursa region of Turkey.

Methodology: Patients who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 microbiologically and/or radiologically between March and October 2020 in a tertiary-care university hospital were enrolled retrospectively.

Healthcare-Associated Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Bacteraemia: Retrospective Evaluation of Treatment and Outcome.

Introduction (SM) is one of the common gram-negative pathogens that cause nosocomial infections. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the treatment and outcome of SM bacteraemia. Materials and Methods We retrospectively evaluated antimicrobial treatment in adult patients with nosocomial SM bacteraemia, with the 14th and 30th-day mortality as the outcome.

Molecular Identification of HIV-1 in the Presence of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Co-infections.

Background: Because of their similar modes of transmission, the simultaneous infection of viral hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus are increasingly seen as a big problem related to human health.

Aims: To determine the drug mutations in hepatitis B virus and/or hepatitis C virus co-infected human immunodeficiency virus-1 patients in Turkey.

Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Current status of HIV/AIDS-syphilis co-infections: a retrospective multicentre study.

Objective: Treponema pallidum and HIV are transmitted frequently through sexual contact, these agents with epidemiological similarities co-infect the same host. The current number of HIV-infected cases in Turkey is increasing. For this reason, we aimed to reveal the characteristics of syphilis in HIV/AIDS cases.

Effect of the Use of Buzzy during Phlebotomy on Pain and Individual Satisfaction in Blood Donors.

Phlebotomy causes pain and discomfort to adults. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the use of Buzzy on phlebotomy satisfaction and pain relating to the phlebotomy process in healthy adult blood donors voluntarily donating blood. This was a prospective, randomized, controlled experimental study.

Effect of storage period of red blood cell suspensions on helper T-cell subpopulations.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the immunological alterations that occur during the storage of erythrocyte suspensions which may lead to transfusion-related immunomodulation following allogeneic blood transfusion.

Materials And Methods: One part of the erythrocyte suspensions obtained from donors was leucoreduced while the other part was not. The leucoreduced (LR) and non-leucoreduced (NL) erythrocyte suspensions were then further divided into three equal amounts which were stored for 0, 21 or 42 days prior to measurements, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, of cytokine levels in their supernatants.

Brucellosis: a retrospective evaluation of 164 cases.

Introduction: Brucellosis is a public health problem that is prevalent in several developing countries.

Methods: The clinical and laboratory characteristics of 164 cases of brucellosis in Bursa, Turkey, were retrospectively evaluated.

Results: The ages of the 164 patients ranged from 15-85 years.

Nosocomial Acinetobacter pneumonia: Treatment and prognostic factors in 356 cases.

Background And Objective: Acinetobacter baumannii and A. baumannii/calcoaceticus complex are commonly encountered pathogens in nosocomial infections. This study aimed to evaluate the treatment and prognostic risk factors in nosocomial pneumonia caused by these microorganisms.

Analysis of appropriate tetanus prophylaxis in an Emergency Department.

Background: In this study, our aim was to identify the validity of the prophylaxis indications for patients who received tetanus prophylaxis, determine the ratio of high-risk wounds to the number of patients with immunity, and to evaluate the tetanus immunity of specific age groups.

Methods: Patients who applied to the Emergency Department (ED) between September 2009 and May 2010 and who were considered for tetanus prophylaxis by his/her primary care physician were included in the study.

Results: A total of 320 patients were evaluated.

Brucella abortus L7/L12 recombinant protein induces strong Th1 response in acute brucellosis patients.

Background: Because of high morbidity of the brucellosis in humans and the potential use of the microorganism as an agent of biologic warfare, protection of effective vaccines and specific diagnostic reagents become necessary to eradicate brucellosis.

Objective: In this study we aimed to investigate the cytokine responses and changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subgroups of acute brucellosis patients in response to L7/L12 and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) recombinant proteins derived from Brucella abortus.

Methods: levels of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 secreted from PBMCs of 25 acute brucellosis patients and 15 healthy controls, stimulated with Phytohemagglutinin (PHA), L7/L12 or GAPDH were measured by ELISA.

[Investigation of the presence of HBV-DNA in isolated anti-HBc positive cases and their importance in blood banking].

Despite the decrease in transfusion-transmitted hepatitis B virus (HBV), it is still one of the main problems in transfusion medicine. Recent studies have shown that HBV is transmissible to recipients from HBsAg negative donations. This study was aimed to detect anti-HBc, anti-HBs and HBV-DNA positivity in HBsAg negative cases and to determine whether a reconsideration is required for HBV screening policies in blood banking.

IL-10 and IL-6 gene polymorphisms as potential host susceptibility factors in Brucellosis.

Several genes encoding for different cytokines may play crucial roles in host susceptibility to Brucellosis, since the cytokine production capacity varies among individuals and depends on the cytokine gene polymorphism. The association of the cytokine gene polymorphisms with the development of Brucellosis was investigated in this study. DNA samples were obtained from a Turkish population of 40 patients with Brucellosis, and 50 healthy control subjects.

[Retrospective evaluation of patients who were diagnosed as infectious mononucleosis between 1984-2005].

In this study, the clinical and laboratory features of 26 infectious mononucleosis (IMN) cases who have been diagnosed between the years of 1984-2005 were evaluated retrospectively. The mean age of the patients was 26+/-11 years, the rate of being hospitalized was 65%, and mean hospitalization period was 9.2+/-6 days.

Brucellar spondylitis: review of 25 cases.

Objective: : Brucellar spondylitis is one of the most serious complications of brucellosis. It should be considered in patients who have back pain and neurologic disorders as well as systemic symptoms and findings in or from endemic areas such as Turkey. This report describes important features of the disease.

The effect of fenofibrate on serum paraoxonase activity and inflammatory markers in patients with combined hyperlipidemia.

Background: Lipid lowering therapy with statins is beneficial because of improvement in lipoprotein concentrations and additional pleiotropic effects. However, less is known about the pleotropic effect of fibrates.

Aim: To investigate the effects of fenofibrate therapy on inflammatory markers and serum paraoxonase activity in patients with combined hyperlipidemia in addition to their lipid lowering effects.

The effect of delayed admission in burn centers on wound contamination and infection rates.

Background: Since wound infection rates in patients with delayed admission seemed to be significantly higher, a retrospective study of bacteriology in 320 burn patients, over a 5-year period was carried out in order to analyze the relation between delayed admission and wound infection rates in our Burn unit of Uludağ University, Faculty of Medicine.

Methods: The patients were separated into moderate or major burn groups according to burn severity. Wound infection and contamination frequencies were analyzed according to time-delay between burn injury and hospitalization time.

The effect of orlistat-induced weight loss on interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels in obese subjects.

Objective: Inflammation plays a major role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Obesity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which may be mediated by increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by adipose tissue. The aim of this study is to investigate changes in the inflammatory markers interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) during weight reduction with orlistat treatment in obese patients.