Evaluation of Lamivudine Resistance Assay Using a Molecular Method in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Objective: Lamivudine is a nucleoside analogue approved by the FDA in 1998 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Its unique disadvantage compared to other antiviral agents used in hepatitis B treatment is the emergence of drug resistance during treatment. In this study, we aimed to determine lamivudine resistant mutations

Effects of nigella sativa oil on allergic rhinitis: an experimental animal study

Objectives: Nigella sativa oil is known antiallergic and immunomodulatory effects. We aimed to compare this oil with mometasone furoate, a topical steroid, on a rat model in the prevention of allergic rhinitis symptoms. Methods: A total of 28 two-to-four-month-old Wistar Hannover rats weighing 250–350 g were randomly divided into four groups of seven, which included control, allergic rhinitis, mometasone furoate, and Nigella sativa oil groups. Loss of cilia, an increase of goblet cells, vascular proliferation, inflammatory cell count, eosinophil infiltration, and the degree of hypertrophy in chondrocytes were assessed by light microscopy. Results: The frequency of nasal scratching in the Nigella sativa oil group was found to be significantly lower compared with the allergic rhinitis group (p < 0.05). Typical inflammatory changes seen in allergic rhinitis were not detected in the Nigella sativa oil group. No inflammation was observed in 85.7% of both the healthy control group and the Nigella sativa oil group. In addition, no inflammation was observed in 71.4% of the mometasone furoate group, and this difference was found to be significant compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, eosinophil infiltration, cilia loss, chondrocyte hypertrophy, vascular proliferation, and goblet cell increase were found to be significantly decreased in the mometazone furoate and Nigella sativa oil groups compared to the allergic rhinitis group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: According to the findings obtained from this study, we found anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects of Nigella sativa oil as equally effective as mometasone furoate in the treatment of experimentaly generated allergic rhinitis. Level of evidence: IV

MEFV gene p.Met694Val variation is not associated with subacute thyroiditis in Turkish patients

Subacute thyroiditis (SAT) is a self-limited, granulomatous inflammatory thyroid disorder associated with neck pain and systemic inflammatory findings such as fever and acute phase response. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), an autosomal recessively inherited autoinflammatory disorder, is characterized by recurrent inflammatory attacks in serosal and synovial tissues. Heterozygous carrier state is quite prevalent in Eastern Mediterranean countries, especially the most penetrant p.Met694Val variant, has been found to be a risk factor for other inflammatory disorders due to a tendency to higher IL-1 production. We herein aimed to investigate the possible role of p.Met694Val variant in the pathogenesis of subacute thyroiditis in Turkish patients, in which the prevalence of the variation in healthy individuals is around 3%. We genotyped 58 SAT patients with typical clinical and laboratory features, and we could not identify any individual with p.Met694Val variant among them. On the other hand, 7 heterozygous individuals were found among healthy controls, who were matched to the study group according to the their birth places. Two of the patients were on anti-TNF agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, and additional two patients, one with systemic lupus erythematosus and another with eosinofilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome) were on immunosuppressive drugs. Additionally, another patient with ankylosing spondylitis was receiving sulphasalazine. In conclusion, we did not find an association between the MEFV gene p.Met694Val variant and subacute thyroiditis in Turkish patients, which may suggest no contribution of pyrin inflammasome in the pathogenesis. Increased proportion of patients on immunosuppressive agents supports further the triggering role of infections, and investigations of genetic polymorphisms associated with infection susceptibility are warranted

Serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children with invasive diseases in Turkey: 2008-2014

WOS: 000371745700019PubMed ID: 26325175Successful vaccination policies for protection from invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) dependent on determination of the exact serotype distribution in each country. We aimed to identify serotypes of pneumococcal strains causing IPD in children in Turkey and emphasize the change in the serotypes before and after vaccination with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) was included and PCV-13 was newly changed in Turkish National Immunization Program. Streptococcus pneumoniae strains were isolated at 22 different hospitals of Turkey, which provide healthcare services to approximately 65% of the Turkish population. Of the 335 diagnosed cases with S. pneumoniae over the whole period of 2008-2014, the most common vaccine serotypes were 19F (15.8%), 6B (5.9%), 14 (5.9%), and 3 (5.9%). During the first 5y of age, which is the target population for vaccination, the potential serotype coverage ranged from 57.5 % to 36.8%, from 65.0% to 44.7%, and from 77.4% to 60.5% for PCV-7, PCV-10, and PCV-13 in 2008-2014, respectively. The ratio of non-vaccine serotypes was 27.2% in 2008-2010 whereas was 37.6% in 2011-2014 (p=0.045). S. penumoniae serotypes was less non-susceptible to penicillin as compared to our previous results (33.7vs 16.5 %, p=0.001). The reduction of those serotype coverage in years may be attributed to increasing vaccinated children in Turkey and the increasing non-vaccine serotype may be explained by serotype replacement. Our ongoing IPD surveillance is a significant source of information for the decision-making processes on pneumococcal vaccination.PfizerPfizerThis study was supported by Pfizer