[Pediatric pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to congenital heart diseases].

Causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are similar in adults and children. The main difference is that PAH secondary to congenital heart diseases, is the predominant cause in pediatric patients. Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn shows completely different clinical course and pathophysiological mechanisms.

[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.

[The role of dobutamine stress echocardiography in early diagnosis of cardiac toxicity in long-term survivors of asymptomatic children treated with anthracycline].

Objective: Long-term survivors of asymptomatic children treated with anthracycline may have cardiac toxicity without clinical findings. The subclinical cardiac toxicity could be evaluated by dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) with exploring effective and safe doses of dobutamine.

Methods: Twenty asymptomatic survivors (mean age: 19.

[Left ventricular functions in patients with cardiac syndrome X: a tissue Doppler study].

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare diagnostic accuracy of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and conventional Doppler echocardiography in diagnosis of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with cardiac syndrome X.

Methods: Our study was designed as cross-sectional study. In our study, we compared 35 patients with cardiac syndrome X (19 female, mean age 47.

The influence of 1800 MHz GSM-like signals on hepatic oxidative DNA and lipid damage in nonpregnant, pregnant, and newly born rabbits.

The aim of our study is to evaluate the possible biological effects of whole-body 1800 MHz GSM-like radiofrequency (RF) radiation exposure on liver oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation levels in nonpregnant, pregnant New Zealand White rabbits, and in their newly borns. Eighteen nonpregnant and pregnant rabbits were used and randomly divided into four groups which were composed of nine rabbits: (i) Group I (nonpregnant control), (ii) Group II (nonpregnant-RF exposed), (iii) Group III (pregnant control), (iv) Group IV (pregnant-RF exposed). Newborns of the pregnant rabbits were also divided into two groups: (v) Group V (newborns of Group III) and (vi) Group VI (newborns of Group III).

[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.

[The effect of low-molecular-weight heparin on rat tendon healing].

Objectives: We investigated the effect of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) on the healing of tendons.

Methods: Forty-five adult Wistar rats weighing 300 g were randomized into three groups equal in number. All the rats underwent full-thickness surgical incision of the Achilles tendon followed by primary repair.

[The frequency of Clostridium difficile toxin in neutropenic and non-neutropenic patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhea and analysis of the risk factors].

This study was carried out in order to investigate the frequency of Clostridium difficile toxin in the stool samples of hospitalized 74 neutropenic (mean age: 41.78 +/- 14.3 years; 40 male) and 75 non-neutropenic patients (mean age: 44.

[Constitutive and inducible clindamycin resistance among nosocomially acquired staphylococci].

Antimicrobial resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) has become an increasing problem in hospital settings. These strains often reveal resistance to various drug classes in addition to beta-lactam resistance. Clindamycin, as a well-tolerated and cost-effective antimicrobial agent, is used widely in the treatment of intra-abdominal and skin-soft tissue infections.

[Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in the diagnosis and prognostic assessment of coronary artery disease: SPET and PET].

In this article, the role of nuclear cardiology modalities in the diagnosis and follow-up of ischemic coronary artery disease in respect of myocardial perfusion and determination of left ventricular ejection fraction are reviewed. Single photon emission tomography (SPET) and positron emission tomography (PET) techniques are applied for imaging of myocardial perfusion and evaluation of global and regional wall motion and contractility. These techniques could be applied with physiological or pharmacological stress and show different properties when compared to other imaging modalities mostly depending on anatomical details.

[Investigation of the effect of constructions in hospital environment on the crucial units for immunocompromised patients and the development of opportunistic mold infections].

This study was planned to determine the effect of building constructions in and around our hospital, on the development of opportunistic mold infections in immunocompromised patients hospitalized in bone marrow and kidney transplantation units and haematology and oncology units. Samples were collected from high risk units by an air sampler (Air Ideal) from indoors and outdoors of a total of 43 patient rooms. The most commonly isolated species from indoor air cultures of our hospital were Penicillium spp.

[Use of aspirin in diabetic patients].

Major cardiovascular events cause about 80% of the total mortality in diabetic patients. It has been shown that diabetic patients have hyperactive platelets. It may be expected that aspirin, through its antiplatelet action, could change the risk for vascular events in people with diabetes.

Infliximab "TNF-alpha antagonist" decreases intraabdominal adhesions.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of infliximab on adhesion formation and it's associated morbidity and complications.

Methods: This study was performed in the Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Turkey between July 2005 and October 2005. Thirty-five rats were randomly divided into 4 groups.

[Comparison of agar screening plates and double disk synergy method in detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production].

In this study, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production of 83 enteric isolates has been investigated by using a new agar screening method described by Storenburg et al. and double disk synergy (DDS) method. Agar screening method has also been evaluated in terms of presumptive bacterial identification.

[Is Blastocystis hominis an opportunist agent?].

Despite its high prevalence throughout the world, major issues about Blastocystis hominis remain unresolved, including fundamental areas such as taxonomy and pathogenicity. Sequences of the SSUrRNA gene place Blastocystis in the stramenophiles. Analysis of the elongation factor 1-alpha gene, however, indicates similarity to Entamoeba histolytica.

Hyoid bone insertion tendinitis: clinicopathologic correlation.

Hyoid bone insertion tendinitis is often not taken into consideration in clinical practice and neglected in the differential diagnosis while evaluating patients with chronic neck pain. One of the main important reasons why physicians do not bear this entity in mind is that it has not been well described histopathologically. Two patients, who had been diagnosed and treated surgically for hyoid bone insertion tendinitis, were presented in this study.

[Evaluation of the protozoa found in fecal samples using the trichrome staining method.].

The morphological diagnosis of intestinal protozoa is a widely accepted method today. A permanent staining method is preferred since it can visualize the morphological details of protozoal cysts and it allows the stool specimens to be reevaluated later. In this study, 2141 stool specimens sent to the clinical microbiology laboratory of the Gazi University Hospital were examined using the trichrome staining method.

[The use of the nested real-time polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infections.].

This study was performed in order to investigate the presence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) DNA, in various clinical specimens, obtained from different clinics, using the real-time polymerase chain reaction. Investigation of a total of 80 specimens was carried out using B1 gene region specific primers and probes after the extraction of T.

The role of late-phase pulse inversion harmonic imaging in the detection of occult hepatic metastases.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of late-phase pulse inversion harmonic imaging (PIHI) in detecting occult metastases and to compare the results with helical computed tomography (CT) in a group of patients whose fundamental liver sonographic results were normal.

Methods: Thirty-two patients (21 women and 11 men; age range, 20-87 years) with a known primary malignancy were enrolled in the study. The patients were evaluated with conventional sonography, unenhanced PIHI, and PIHI 3 minutes after the injection of Levovist (SH U 508A; Schering AG, Berlin, Germany).

A novel mutation in the vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a case presenting with colonic perforations.

A 15-year-old girl who had chronic constipation presented with peritonitis caused by sigmoid colon perforation. After her sigmoid colon was resected and an end colostomy performed, as there were no apparent causes for perforation, she was followed-up. After the second colonic perforation proximal to the end colostomy, as the pathologic findings revealed myopathic changes, the connective tissue disorders were evaluated.

[Is there a correlation between severity of trauma and serum trace element levels?].

Objectives: Trace elements zinc and copper are effective in wound and fracture healing. In this prospective study, correlations between mangled extremity severity score (MESS) and mangled extremity syndrome index (MESI) and serum zinc and copper levels were investigated in trauma patients.

Methods: Seventeen trauma patients (11 females, 6 males; mean age 41.