SERUM APELIN-13 LEVELS ARE DECREASED AMONG ADOLESCENTS DIAGNOSED WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

Background: Apelin-13 have potential effect on mood because of high expression in the hypothalamus. In this study, we aimed to investigate the serum apelin-13 levels among adolescents with major depressive disorder. Subject and methods: A total of 42 patients between the ages of 12 and 18 with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder have been included. Depression scores of both groups were measured by the Children’s Depression Inventory. Serum apelin-13 concentrations were measured by a commercially available kit based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results: The mean serum apelin-13 levels in the patients with MDD was 173.08±106.33 pg/ml, whereas it was 251.75±167.82 pg/ml in healthy controls. The difference between groups in terms of mean serum apelin-13 levels was statistically significant (p=0.018, Cohen’s d=-0.571). Conclusion: This is the first study to examine the serum apelin-13 levels in adolescents diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Lower serum apelin-13 levels were found in depressed adolescents

The relationship between antibiotic resistance and virulence factors in urinary Enterococcus isolates

Son yıllarda tüm dünyada nozokomiyal enterokok suşlarında artan çoklu antimikrobiyal direnç gelişimi, özellikle virülans faktörleri olmak üzere enterokokların daha iyi incelenmesi gerektiğini ortaya koymuştur. Klinik izolatların virülans faktörleri konusunda halen pek çok şey bilinmemektedir. Bu çalışmada, hastanemizde Ocak 2008-Haziran 2010 ayları arasında yatan hastaların idrar kültürlerinden izole edilen toplam 91 enterokok izolatının (59 E.faecalis, 31 E.faecium ve 1 E.gallinarum) çeşitli antibiyotiklere direnç durumları ve potansiyel virülans faktörlerinin araştırılması amaçlanmış ve aralarında bir ilişkinin var olup olmadığı irdelenmiştir. Bu amaçla, enterokokların virülans faktörlerinden agregasyon faktörü (AF), enterokok yüzey proteini (ESP) ve hiyalüronidazı (HYL) kodlayan genler (sırasıyla asa1, esp, hyl) moleküler yöntemlerle, hemolizin üretimi ve jelatinaz aktivitesi ise fenotipik yöntemlerle araştırılmıştır. Vankomisine dirençli bulunan enterokoklar, ayrıca vanA ve vanB genlerinin varlığı açısından incelenmiştir. E.faecium suşlarından 8 (%25.8)’inin glikopeptidlere dirençli olduğu saptanmış, bunların yedisinin vanA, birinin ise vanA-vanB dışı direnç tipinde olduğu belirlenmiştir. Yüksek düzey gentamisin ve yüksek düzey streptomisin direnci, E.faecium suşlarında sırasıyla %74.2 ve %61.3 iken, E.faecalis suşlarında %22 ve %27.1 olarak tespit edilmiştir. İncelenen suşların hiçbirisinde beta-laktamaz üretimi ve linezolid direnci tespit edilmemiştir. Tetrasiklin, minosiklin, doksisiklin ve streptogramin dışında test edilen antibiyotiklere E.faecium izolatlarının, E.faecalis izolatlarına göre daha dirençli (p< 0.001-0.013), bu dört antibiyotiğe ise daha duyarlı (p< 0.001) oldukları saptanmıştır. E.faecalis izolatlarında esp (p= 0.003) ve asa1 (p< 0.001) gen pozitifliğinin yanı sıra hemolizin üretimi (p= 0.014) ve jelatinaz aktivitesi (p= 0.029), E.faecium izolatlarında ise hyl gen pozitifliği (p< 0.001) anlamlı düzeyde yüksek bulunmuştur. AF ve ESP, sırasıyla %26.7 ve %25.6 pozitiflik oranları ile çalışmamızda en sık saptanan virülans faktörleri olmuştur. İzolatlarımızdan 5 (%5.6)’inin üçer, 16 (%17.8)’sının ikişer ve 37 (%41.1)’sinin ise sadece birer virülans faktörü içerdiği, 32 (%35.6) izolatın ise herhangi bir virülans faktörü içermediği belirlenmiştir. İncelenen virülans faktörlerinden tümünü veya dördünü bir arada içeren izolat saptanmamıştır. Çalışmamızda ayrıca asa1 geni pozitif E.faecalis izolatlarının siprofloksasin (p= 0.001), norfloksasin (p= 0.006) ve levofloksasine (p= 0.001), esp geni pozitif E.faecalis izolatlarının doksisikline (p= 0.043) ve hyl geni pozitif E.faecium izolatlarının ise nitrofurantoine (p= 0.011), söz konusu genleri içermeyen izolatlara göre anlamlı düzeyde daha dirençli oldukları saptanmıştır. Bu çalışma, üriner enterokok izolatlarının antibiyotik direnci ile virülans faktörleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelendiği ülkemizdeki ilk hasta kaynaklı çalışma olma özelliğini taşımaktadır.Increasing multidrug resistance in nosocomial Enterococcus strains from all over the world recently enhances the need for further investigation of enterococci, especially their virulence factors. There are still many lacking parts about virulence factors of clinical enterococcus isolates. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance and the presence of potential virulence factors of 91 Enterococcus strains (59 E.faecalis, 31 E.faecium and 1 E.gallinarum) isolated from urine cultures of inpatients between January 2008-June 2010 in our hospital and also to evaluate whether a correlation existed between antibiotic resistance and potential virulence factors. The genes which encoded virulence factors of enterococci; aggregation substance (AS), enterococcal surface protein (ESP) and hyaluronidase (HYL) (asa1, esp, hyl respectively) were studied by molecular methods and haemolysin production and gelatinase activity were studied by phenotypic methods. Vancomycin-resistant strains were checked for the presence of vanA and vanB genes. Eight (25.8%) E.faecium isolates were found glycopeptide resistant. In seven of these isolates resistance type was vanA and in one it was neither vanA nor vanB. High-level gentamicin and high-level streptomycin resistance rates were 74.2% and 61.3% in E.faecium strains and were 22% ve 27.1% in E.faecalis strains, respectively. Beta-lactamase production and linezolid resistance were not detected in any of the strains. E.faecium isolates were more resistant (p&lt; 0.001-0.013) than E.faecalis isolates to all tested antibiotics except tetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline and streptogramin (p&lt; 0.001). hyl gene positivity (p&lt; 0.001) was found higher in E.faecium isolates whereas esp (p= 0.003) and asa1 (p&lt; 0.001) gene positivity, haemolysin production (p= 0.014) and gelatinase activity (p= 0.029) were higher in E.faecalis isolates. AS and ESP were the most frequent virulence factors, with the rates of 26.7% and 25.6%, respectively. There were 32 (35.6%) strains without any of the investigated virulence factors. We have also detected that asa1 gene positive E.faecalis isolates were more resistant to ciprofloxacin (p= 0.001), norfloxacin (p= 0.006) and levofloxacin (p= 0.001) than asa1 gene negative isolates; esp gene positive E.faecalis isolates were more resistant to doxycycline (p= 0.043) than esp gene negative isolates and hyl gene positive E.faecium isolates were more resistant to nitrofurantoine (p= 0.011) than hyl gene negative isolates. This was the first clinical sample originated study, investigating the corelation between antibiotic resistance and virulence factors in urinary Enterococcus isolates in Turkey

functional outcome in late adolescence/early adulthood of patients with autism spectrum disorder and its relationships with parental burnout and depression: A preliminary multi-center, cross-sectional study.

The aim of this study is to determine the functioning of adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) diagnosed in childhood and depression and burnout levels among their parents. A total of 261 adults with ASDs and their parents were recruited for the study. Both parents completed the Beck Depression and Maslach Burnout Inventories and reported the functioning of their adult offspring with ASDs. Only 5.4 % of our sample reported “good” or “very good” outcomes. The most common psychiatric comorbidities were intellectual disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Maternal burnout and depression scores were significantly elevated compared to those of fathers. There is an undeniable urgent need for more research to identify the needs of adults and families suffering from ASD. Modifications for those with ASD may have to be made for support in workplaces, achieving driving licenses, using public transportation and attendance at tertiary education

The prevalence of childhood psychopathology in Turkey: a cross-sectional multicenter nationwide study (EPICPAT-T).

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of childhood psychopathologies in Turkey

Prevalence of Childhood Affective disorders in Turkey: An epidemiological study

Aim: To determine the prevalence of affective disorders in Turkey among a representative sample of Turkish population. Methods: This study was conducted as a part of the "The Epidemiology of Childhood Psychopathology in Turkey" (EPICPAT-T) Study, which was designed by the Turkish Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. The inclusion criterion was being a student between the second and fourth grades in the schools assigned as study centers. The assessment tools used were the K-SADS-PL, and a sociodemographic form that was designed by the authors. Impairment was assessed via a 3 point-Likert type scale independently rated by a parent and a teacher. Results: A total of 5842 participants were included in the analyses. The prevalence of affective disorders was 2.5 % without considering impairment and 1.6 % when impairment was taken into account. In our sample, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder was lacking, thus depressive disorders constituted all the cases. Among depressive disorders with impairment, major depressive disorder (MDD) (prevalence of 1.06%) was the most common, followed by dysthymia (prevalence of 0.2%), adjustment disorder with depressive features (prevalence of 0.17%), and depressive disorder-NOS (prevalence of 0.14%). There were no statistically significant gender differences for depression. Maternal psychopathology and paternal physical illness were predictors of affective disorders with pervasive impairment. Conclusion: MDD was the most common depressive disorder among Turkish children in this nationwide epidemiological study. This highlights the severe nature of depression and the importance of early interventions. Populations with maternal psychopathology and paternal physical illness may be the most appropriate targets for interventions to prevent and treat depression in children and adolescents

The prevalence of childhood psychopathology in Turkey: a cross-sectional multicenter nationwide study (EPICPAT-T)

Conclusion: This is the largest and most comprehensive epidemiological study to determine the prevalence of psychopathologies in children and adolescents in Turkey. Our results partly higher than, and partly comparable to previous national and international studies. It also contributes to the literature by determining the independent predictors of psychopathologies in this age group