False resistance after artemether–lumefantrine treatment in a falciparum malaria patient in Turkey: A case report

Introduction: Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is recommended by the World Health Organization as first-line treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. ACT treatments failures among travellers returning from Africa to non-endemic countries are considered to be caused by resistance. Case presentation: We report on a case of artemether-lumefantrine treatment failure in a Turkish traveller with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria returning from Bamako, Mali. Conclusions: Information on returning travellers, includes ensuring that the patients receive supervised treatment with the recommended dose of a quality controlled medicine, routine follow-up of all cases, assessment of adequate absorption of the drug, and/or testing the prevalence of molecular markers of drug resistance if validated, can be an important source of an early warning system for emerging resistance. Keywords: Malaria, P. falciparum, Artemisinin-based combination therap

In vitro efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy against Leishmania tropica promastigotes and amastigotes

Aim: To assess the efficiency of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on L. tropica, which is the major causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Turkey

In Vitro Activity Of Turkish Propolis Samples Against Anaerobic Bacteria Causing Oral Cavity Infections

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of propolis samples collected from different regions of Turkey against anaerobic bacteria causing especially oral cavity infections. A total of eleven anaerobic bacterial strains have been tested in this study. The strains were tested by agar dilution method for detecting minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and by macro dilution broth method for detecting minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Turkish propolis samples were found highly effective against all tested anaerobic bacteria compared with ethanol control, without statistical differences. The MIC and MBC of propolis samples ranged from 0.4-0.6 mg/ml to 108.1-186.2 mg/ml, respectively. Actinomyces odontolyticus was the most susceptible strains; whereas Prevotella intermedia was was the least susceptible strain to all tested propolis samples. Ilic/Erzincan (ER-I) propolis sample was the more effective against all tested anaerobic bacteria; whereas Bartin (BA) propolis sample was the less effective. Gram-positive anaerobic bacteria were detected to be the most sensitive to propolis samples; with the MIC values ranging from 0.4 to 6.1 mg/ml compared with Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria with MIC ranging from 5.8 to 108.1 mg/ml (P<0.05). As a result of, Turkish propolis samples had antibacterial activity against anaerobic bacteria especially causing oral cavity infections. Because of the high rate of resistance of the anaerobic bacteria isolated from oral cavity infections, standardized preparations of propolis are suggested to use in treatment of this kind of infections. However, further studies are needed to be performed on the clinical applications of propolis in oral cavity infections.Wo

IN-VITRO EFFICACY OF HYPERBARIC OXYGEN AGAINST LEISHMANIA TROPICA PROMASTIGOTES AND AMASTIGOTES

57th Annual Meeting of the American-Society-of-Tropical-Medicine-and-Hygiene -- DEC 07-11, 2008 -- New Orleans, LAWOS: 000261644600542Amer Soc Trop Med & Hy

Identification of Leishmania spp. by Molecular Amplification and DNA Sequencing Analysis of a Fragment of rRNA Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 ▿ †

Isoenzyme analysis of cultured parasites is the conventional approach for Leishmania species identification. Molecular approaches have the potential to be more sensitive and rapid. We designed PCR generic primers to amplify a segment of the rRNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) from multiple Leishmania species. To validate the selected ITS2 fragment, we tested clinical specimens and compared the species results obtained by the molecular approach (PCR followed by DNA sequencing analysis) with those from the parasitologic approach (in vitro culture followed by isoenzyme analysis). Among the 159 patients with clinical specimens positive by both approaches, a total of eight Leishmania species were identified. The species results were concordant for all but two patients: for one patient, the results were Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis by the molecular approach versus L. (V.) braziliensis by the parasitologic approach; for the other patient, the results were L. (Leishmania) tropica versus L. (L.) major, respectively. ITS2 PCR, followed by sequencing analysis, can be used to detect and discriminate among Leishmania species. The results confirmed our hypothesis that a region of the ITS2 gene can complement the characterization of Leishmania parasites at the species level. The approach we developed can be used as a diagnostic tool in reference laboratories with adequate infrastructure to perform molecular characterization of pathogens