Nuclear anomalies in the buccal cells of calcite factory workers

The micronucleus (MN) assay on exfoliated buccal cells is a useful and minimally invasive method for monitoring genetic damage in humans. To determine the genotoxic effects of calcite dust that forms during processing, MN assay was carried out in exfoliated buccal cells of 50 (25 smokers and 25 non-smokers) calcite factory workers and 50 (25 smokers and 25 non-smokers) age- and sex-matched control subjects. Frequencies of nuclear abnormalities (NA) other than micronuclei, such as binucleates, karyorrhexis, karyolysis and ‘broken eggs', were also evaluated. Micronuclei and the other aforementioned anomalies were analysed by two way analysis of covariance. The linear correlations between the types of micronucleus and nuclear abnormalities were determined by Spearman's Rho. There was a positive correlation between micronuclei and other types of nuclear abnormalities in accordance with the Spearman's Rho test. Results showed statistically significant difference between calcite fabric workers and control groups. MN and NA frequencies in calcite fabric workers were significantly higher than those in control groups (p < 0.05). The results of this study indicate that calcite fabric workers are under risk of significant cytogenetic damage

Co-circulation of West Nile virus and distinct insect-specific flaviviruses in Turkey

Background: Active vector surveillance provides an efficient tool for monitoring the presence or spread of emerging or re-emerging vector-borne viruses. This study was undertaken to investigate the circulation of flaviviruses. Mosquitoes were collected from 58 locations in 10 provinces across the Aegean, Thrace and Mediterranean Anatolian regions of Turkey in 2014 and 2015. Following morphological identification, mosquitoes were pooled and screened by nested and real-time PCR assays. Detected viruses were further characterised by sequencing. Positive pools were inoculated onto cell lines for virus isolation. Next generation sequencing was employed for genomic characterisation of the isolates. Results: A total of 12,711 mosquito specimens representing 15 species were screened in 594 pools. Eleven pools (2%) were reactive in the virus screening assays. Sequencing revealed West Nile virus (WNV) in one Culex pipiens (s.l.) pool from Thrace. WNV sequence corresponded to lineage one clade 1a but clustered distinctly from the Turkish prototype isolate. In 10 pools, insect-specific flaviviruses were characterised as Culex theileri flavivirus in 5 pools of Culex theileri and one pool of Cx. pipiens (s.l.), Ochlerotatus caspius flavivirus in two pools of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius, Flavivirus AV-2011 in one pool of Culiseta annulata, and an undetermined flavivirus in one pool of Uranotaenia unguiculata from the Aegean and Thrace regions. DNA forms or integration of the detected insect-specific flaviviruses were not observed. A virus strain, tentatively named as “Ochlerotatus caspius flavivirus Turkey”, was isolated from an Ae. caspius pool in C6/36 cells. The viral genome comprised 10,370 nucleotides with a putative polyprotein of 3,385 amino acids that follows the canonical flavivirus polyprotein organisation. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analyses revealed the close relationship of this strain with Ochlerotatus caspius flavivirus from Portugal and Hanko virus from Finland. Several conserved structural and amino acid motifs were identified. Conclusions: We identified WNV and several distinct insect-specific flaviviruses during an extensive biosurveillance study of mosquitoes in various regions of Turkey in 2014 and 2015. Ongoing circulation of WNV is revealed, with an unprecedented genetic diversity. A probable replicating form of an insect flavivirus identified only in DNA form was detected

Karyological comparisons of the European hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778) from the Asian part of Turkey, with morphological contributions

We focused on a comparison of karyological data for the European brown hare Lepus europaeus, from the Asian part of Turkey. In Turkish L. europaeus, the diploid number (2n), the fundamental number of chromosomal arms (FN) and the number of autosomal arms (FNa) were determined to be 2n=48, 84 and 80, respectively. The autosomes are composed of three pairs of metacentric chromosomes, four pairs of submetacentric chromosomes, ten pairs of subtelocentric chromosomes and six pairs of acrocentric chromosomes. The X chromosome was a medium-large submetacentric and the Y chromosome was a very small acrocentric. This is the third report for L. europaeus from Turkey and confirmed the previous results with regard to 2n. However, when comparing our findings with those of other authors, there were karyotypic differences among the chromosomes. These differences were related to the number of chromosome arms. Additionally, we present the skull measurements of seven samples for the Turkish brown hare collected from three localities, and these measurements conformed to those of previous studies

Karyological comparisons of the European hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778) from the Asian part of Turkey, with morphological contributions

We focused on a comparison of karyological data for the European brown hare Lepus europaeus, from the Asian part of Turkey. In Turkish L. europaeus, the diploid number (2n), the fundamental number of chromosomal arms (FN) and the number of autosomal arms (FNa) were determined to be 2n=48, 84 and 80, respectively. The autosomes are composed of three pairs of metacentric chromosomes, four pairs of submetacentric chromosomes, ten pairs of subtelocentric chromosomes and six pairs of acrocentric chromosomes. The X chromosome was a medium-large submetacentric and the Y chromosome was a very small acrocentric. This is the third report for L. europaeus from Turkey and confirmed the previous results with regard to 2n. However, when comparing our findings with those of other authors, there were karyotypic differences among the chromosomes. These differences were related to the number of chromosome arms. Additionally, we present the skull measurements of seven samples for the Turkish brown hare collected from three localities, and these measurements conformed to those of previous studies

Paranasal sinus fungus ball: analysis of clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes Özet: Paranazal sinüs mantar topu: Klinik özellikler ve cerrahi sonuçlar

Fungal rhino-sinusitis (FRS) can be broadly divided into two categories based on histopathological findings: invasive and non-invasive, depending on the status of the mucosal layer. The invasive diseases include (1) acute invasive (fulminant) FRS, (2) granulomatous invasive FRS and (3) chronic invasive FRS. The non-invasive diseases include (1) saprophytic fungal infestation, (2) fungal ball, and (3) fungus related eosinophilic FRS that includes allergic fungal rhinosinusitis. Invasive FRS mostly affects immuno-compromised patients, whereas the non-invasive form occurs in immunocompetent patients. [1] Fungal ball is described as the presence of non-invasive accumulation of dense conglomeration of fungal hyphae in one sinus cavity. Various terms, such as mycetoma, aspergilloma, and chronic non-invasive granuloma have been used in the literature. Sonuç: Her olguda etkilenmifl sinüs a¤z›n›n cerrahi yolla aç›lmas› ve fungal yo¤unlu¤un ortadan kald›r›lmas› tercih edilen tedavi flekli olmufltur. Anahtar sözcükler: Paranazal mantar topu, misetom, cerrahi. Abstract Objective: The aim of the present study was to analyse the clinical, radiographic, and surgical outcomes of paranasal fungus ball. Methods: A retrospective data analysis was performed on 16 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery for paranasal sinus fungus ball between December 2005 and November 2014. The patient&apos;s demographic data, clinical presentations, radiological findings and surgical outcomes were analysed. Results: There were 10 female (62.5%) and six male (37.5%) patients with a mean age of 53.6 (range: 32 to 74) years. Most common symptoms were headache and facial pain. Computed tomography showed a hyper-dense area in 12 patients (75%) and sclerosis in bony walls of the sinus in 13 patients (81.3%). Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a marked low intensity on T2 weighted images in all cases (100%). All patients were treated with functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Only one patient had a recurrence in the postoperative period. Conclusion: The surgical opening of affected sinus ostium and removal of the fungal concentration were the treatment of choice in all cases

Level IIb lymph node metastasis in transglottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

The treatment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is based on proper design of therapeutic strategies aimed to control cervical lymph node metastasis. Cervical nodal metastasis is one of the most important prognostic factors in carcinoma of the larynx. [1] The incidence of clinically detectable lymph node metastasis in laryngeal carcinoma is high, and the levels II, III, and IV are the most commonly involved lymphatic groups in carcinoma of the larynx. Abstract Objective: To evaluate the clinical and pathologic parameters associated with level IIb metastasis in transglottic laryngeal carcinoma. Methods: A total of 238 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients admitted to our tertiary center and surgically treated between January 2006 and January 2014. Of these 238 patients, 134 patients with transglottic laryngeal SCC were enrolled in the study. The type of neck dissection, the location of histopathologically proven metastatic lymph nodes, clinical N and T stages were reviewed. Palpable lymph nodes were accepted clinically cN(+) and the opposite as cN(-). Results: Of the 134 patients, 116 were diagnosed as cN(-), and 18 were as cN(+). Level IIb metastasis was diagnosed in 12 patients in the cN(+) group, and in two patients in the cN(-) group. Histopathological level IIb metastasis was shown in 14 of 134 patients, representing 16 of 268 neck dissection specimens. Level IIb metastasis was shown in the ipsilateral specimens in 12 patients and contralateral specimens in two patients. Forty-one of 134 patients presented cartilage invasion, and nine of them were diagnosed with level IIb metastasis. Conclusion: Thyroid cartilage invasion, the presence of level IIa invasion and advanced stage disease are the risk factors for level IIb metastasis. Therefore, level IIb should not be neglected during neck dissection in transglotticlaryngeal carcinoma