Efficacy of tenofovir and entecavir in patients who relapsed after pegylated interferon therapy

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and sequelae present significant health problems worldwide. Two groups of medications are available for chronic HBV infection treatment: (1) interferons (IFNs) and (2) nucleos(t)ide analogues. This study aimed to evaluate entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) efficacies in chronic HBV patients, who achieved virological response during Peg-IFN treatment but did not sustain this response and relapsed a year after treatment end. In this study, 74 patients with chronic HBV infection who had virological responses to 180 mu g/week Peg-IFN alpha-2a treatment were included; 38 (20 and 18 HBeAg positive and negative, respectively) of these patients were treated with 245 mg/day TDF, and 36 (20 and 16 HBeAg positive and negative, respectively) were treated with 0.5 mg/day ETV upon relapse after initial treatment discontinuation. In HBeAg-positive patients biochemical response rates were higher for TDF at weeks 96 and 144 (p = 0.044 and 0.019, respectively). However, biochemical response rates were similar for TDF and ETV in HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative groups at other weeks (p > 0.05). Virological and serological response rates were similar in patients treated with TDF and ETV in HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative groups (p > 0.05)

AN EXPERIMENTAL INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS MODEL IN RATS

Objective: Infective endocarditis (IE) is defined as infection of the endocardial surface of the heart. Updates are needed in the diagnosis and treatment of IE, as well as in animal models of IE. Based on this need, a new model of infective endocarditis induced by S. aureus was described in our study. Methods: This study was performed on 7 Wistar albino male rats, each aged six months and weighing 250-300 g. Underwent the surgical implantation of a 20 G catheter, to gain access to right common carotid artery. Twenty-four hours after implantation, 0.5 ml 100.000 colony forming unit (cfu) of S. aureus was injected via the tail vein and 3 days later echocardiography was performed and rats subsequently sacrificed. IE was later diagnosed histopathologically. Results: Two of the rats were exitus one day after S. auerus was given. The mortality rate of the experiment was 28.5%. Histopathological examination revealed vegetations and bacterial colonization were detected in the endocardium in all rats that protruded from the endocardium to the cardiac cavity. Conclusion: Our study is the first study in the literature to identify the IE rat model using the 20 G catheter. Due to the practical application of the surgical procedure (use of 20 G catheter) in our study, we think that it will provide much convenience to the researchers in the experimental research on IE diagnosis and treatment

A New Experimental Allergic Rhinitis Model in Mice

Objective: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa mediated by IgE after exposure to an allergen. The most well known related comorbidity of AR is asthma. This study was planned due to the need for an animal model for studies on AR-asthma coexistence. In this study, the frequency of AR accompanying in the asthma model created in mice,and the usability of the related model in AR studies will be investigated. Methods: In our study, 6-8 week-old, 18-20 g BALB/c mice were used. Chicken egg ovalbumin (OVA Grade V, Sigma) was administered through intraperitoneal (IP) route at doses of 10 mu g on days 0 and 14. Mice were exposed to aerosolized 2.5% ovalbumin solution in sterile saline for 30 minutes 3 days a week for 8 weeks, starting 7 days after the last IP administration (21st day). After exposure to OVA, mice were observed for typical signs of AR including sneezing, runny nose, and nasal itching. The final diagnosis of AR was made by histopathological examination of the rhinotracheal tissues of mice. Results: In our study, all mice exposed to ovalbumin received histopathologic diagnosis of AR. Increased number of capillaries lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and eosinophilsper square millimetre of rhinotracheal tissues were calculated in the murine model of AR compared to the the control group. Conclusion: This study introduced a new AR model, not cited in the literature, and induced with the longest-term ovalbumin exposure in the literature. It was concluded that this model, known as the asthma model, can also be used to induce an AR model and can be used in studies investigating coexistence of allergic rhinitis and asthma

Evaluation of (99m)Technetium-Vancomycin Imaging Potential in Experimental Rat Model for the Diagnosis of Infective Endocarditis

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is an infection of the heart's endocardial surface. In recent years, nuclear imaging methods have gained importance in the diagnosis of IE. The present study aims to investigate the imaging potential of Tc-99m-labeled vancomycin (Tc-99m-Van-comycin) as a new agent that would enable the diagnosis of IE in its early stages when it is difficult to diagnose or has small vegetation in the experimental rat model

A new experimental allergic rhinitis model in mice

Objective: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa mediated by IgE after exposure to an allergen. The most well known related comorbidity of AR is asthma. This study was planned due to the need for an animal model for studies on AR-asthma coexistence. In this study, the frequency of AR accompanying in the asthma model created in mice,and the usability of the related model in AR studies will be investigated