Thrombocytopenia and Plasmodium vivax malaria in Adana, eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey

WOS: 000202990001114

Reactive nitrogen intermediates in plasmodium vivax malaria in Cukurova region, Turkey

WOS: 000202990001122

Effectiveness of nitric oxide derivates in hydatid disease

WOS: 000249907000012Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the possible alterations of the levels of plasma NO derivates which are thought to reflect the immune status of the body against cystic echinococcus ( CE). Materials and Methods: Plasma NO2 and NO3 levels of 95 patients with CE were analyzed before treatment and then after a 1 year. All patients were classified according to the WHO-IWGE classification of cystic hydatid disease. The levels of NO2 and NO3 were detected from sera by using a photometric endpoint determination on the basis of absorbance in the visible range at 550 nm. Results: Pretreatment levels of plasma NO2 and NO3 of the CE group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( p < 0.001). However, the posttreatment NO2 and NO3 levels of the CE group were significantly lower than the pretreatment levels ( p < 0.001). Hence, a positive correlation was found between fertile capacity of CE and the levels of NO2 and NO3 ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: The analysis of the levels of plasma NO derivates should be considered for the at preoperative detection of hydatid disease and postoperative follow-up in addition to radiological and serological methods

Hepatik Alveolar Ekinokokkoz Cerrahisinde Zorluklar, Prognoz ve Yönetim: Tek Merkez Deneyimi

Giriş: Alveolar ekinokokkoz (AE) primer olarak karaciğeri etkileyen ve tümör benzeri davranış gösteren, agresif ve potansiyel olarak fatal bir infeksiyondur. Bu infeksiyon için cerrahi prosedürlere ilişkin sonuçlar nadiren raporlanmıştır. Bu çalışmada hepatik AE'in cerrahi tedavisi ile ilişkili olarak uzun dönem sonuçları değerlendirmeyi amaçladık. Yöntemler: 2001 ve 2013 yılları arasında, metastaz durumuna bakılmaksızın hepatik AE nedeniyle komplet rezeksiyon için uygun bulunan hastaların yönetimi ve sonuçları tanımlandı. Tüm hastaların preoperatif AE tanısı klinik bulgular, görüntüleme teknikleri ve serolojik testelere göre konuldu. Echinococcus multilocularis metasestod antijenine karşı oluşan antikor düzeyleri, Western Blot tekniğiyle elde edilen AE serolojik tanısı için spesifik markırlarlar olarak kullanıldı. Oral albendazol protokolü komplet rezeksiyonun yapılabildiği tüm hastalara uygulandı. Bulgular: Çalışma periyodu boyunca patolojik olarak hepatik AE olduğu konfirme edilen 12 hastaya (K/E=7/5) komplet rezeksiyon uygulandı. Ortanca takip süresi 82 ay idi. En sık başlangıç semptomları karın ağrısı (n=9) ve sarılık (n=4) idi. Beyin, sürrenal, dalak ve kolon olmak üzere 4 hastada metastaz tespit edildi. Alınan uygun önlemlere karşın bir hastada mortalite gözlenirken, gelişen diğer komplikasyonların tamamı başarı ile tedavi edildi. Sonuç: İleri evre hepatik AE olgularında uzun dönemdeki olumlu sonuçlar, komplet cerrahi rezeksiyon ile birlikte yapılan Albendazol uygulaması ile elde edilebilir.Objective: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is an aggressive and potentially fatal infection, which affects the liver primarily and presents as a tumor-like lesion. Outcomes associated with surgical procedures for this infection have been rarely reported. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate long-term surgical treatment outcomes associated with hepatic AE. Methods: Between 2001 and 2013, the management and outcomes of twelve consecutive hepatic AE patients who were considered feasible for complete hepatic resection with/without metastasectomy were described. In all patients, pre-operative diagnosis of AE was based on clinical findings, imaging studies, and serological tests. Antibodies against antigens of Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes were screened as specific markers for the serological diagnosis of AE by Western blot. The oral albendazole protocol was administered for hepatic AE patients who had complete resection. Results: Twelve patients (F/M=7/5) underwent complete resection for pathologically confirmed hepatic AE during the study period. Median follow-up was 82 months. The most common initial symptom was abdominal pain (n=9) followed by jaundice (n=4). Four patients had metastasis: Brain, surrenal, splenic and colon. One patient was lost due to massive pulmonary emboli despite appropriate interventions. All other complications that emerged were treated successfully. Conclusion: Long-term favorable outcomes can be achieved by complete surgical resection followed by chemotherapy with albendazole in advanced hepatic AE case

Detection of Plasmodium vivax by Nested PCR and Real-Time PCR

Malaria is endemic in the Cukurova region while it is sporadic in other regions of Turkey. Therefore, the laboratory and clinical diagnosis of malaria is important for the treatment of malaria. In this study, 92 blood samples that were taken from the suspected malaria patients for routine diagnosis in a period of 10 years between 1999 and 2009 were analyzed. All of these blood samples were examined by microscopic examinations using Giemsa-stained thick blood films, nested PCR, and real-time PCR. The sensitivity-specificity and positive-negative predictive values for these diagnostic tests were then calculated. It was found that the positive predictive values of microscopic examination of thick blood films, nested PCR, and real-time PCR were 47.8%, 56.5%, and 60.9% for malaria, respectively. The real-time PCR was found to have a specificity of 75% and sensitivity of 100%, while specificity and sensitivity of nested PCR was found 81.2% and 97.7% according to the microscopic examination of thick blood films, respectively

Comparison of Clinical Samples and Methods in Chronic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

This study aimed at finding out the most effective clinical samples and methods in chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CCL). Smear, aspiration fluid, and filter paper samples were taken from 104 skin lesions of suspected cases with CCL, and they were compared using microscopic examination, culture, and molecular methods. We characterized four different forms of CCL and identified the causative agents in CCL forms using high-resolution melting curve real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. We observed that smear was detected to be the most sensitive (63.5%) among clinical samples, and real-time polymerase chain reaction method was the most sensitive (96.8%) among the methods used in diagnosis of CCL. We identified 68.8% Leishmania tropica and 31.2% L. infantum in papular lesions, 69.2% L. infantum and 30.8% L. tropica in nodular lesions, 57.9% L. tropica and 42.1% L. major in ulcerating plaque lesions, and 55.5% L. tropica and 44.5% L. major in noduloulcerative lesions in CCL patients