Clinical relevance of virulence genes in Helicobacter pylori isolates recovered from adult dyspeptic patients in Turkey

Purpose: Bacterial virulence factors play a major role in the pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori infection. The aims of this study were to evaluate virulence genes in H. pylori isolates and to compare the presence of these genes and associated clinical pathologies. Methods: A total of 148 H. pylori isolates, recovered from adult dyspeptic patients, were used. The patients, from whom the isolates were obtained, were assigned to two groups by their endoscopic findings, which manifested as chronic gastritis or peptic ulcer. The presence of gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia was recorded for each patient, based on histopathological examination. Analyses of the virulence genes were performed by the polymerase chain reaction technique. Results: The patients had a mean age of 47 ?± ?15 years and 86 (58%) of them were female. Based on endoscopic examination, 103 (69.6%) patients were diagnosed with chronic gastritis and 45 (30.4%) with peptic ulcer. Histopathological examination revealed intestinal metaplasia in 30 (20%) patients and gastric atrophy in 12 (8%) patients. The prevalence rates of cagA, cagE, iceA1, iceA2, and babA2 were determined to be 87%, 74%, 58%, 26%, and 95%, respectively. The most prevalent vacA alleles were s1/s1a (82%/97%) and the least prevalent allele was s2 (20%). A new vacA genotype (s1as1bs1c) was detected, for the first time, in 18 (12%) isolates. No significant difference was found between the patient groups with chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer for the prevalences of the virulence genes (p ?> ?0.05). Furthermore, intestinal metaplasia and gastric atrophy showed no significant correlation with the virulence genes (p ?> ?0.05). Conclusions: It is thoughted that H. pylori isolates with predominant cagA, cagE, VacA (s1, s1a), and babA2 virulence genes are associated with gastroduodenal diseases. However, there is no correlation between gastric premalignant lesions and virulence genes. © 2022 Indian Association of Medical Microbiologist

KORONER ARTER HASTALIĞININ BELİRLEYİCISI OLARAK PENIL DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAFİ İLE SAPTANAN KAVERNOZ ARTER STENOZU: OLGU SUNUMU

An association between Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Erectile Dysfunction (ED) has been described. We aimed to show that cavernous artery stenosis may be an important predictor of a silent but serious CAD. A 56-year-old man who had moderate ED was evaluated for risk factors. He had several vascular risk factors for ED and CAD including age, smoking, hypertension, hyperhomocysteinemia and hyperlipidemia. His penile colour Doppler ultrasonography revealed multiple stenotic area in the right cavernous artery. His treadmill exercise test showed significant changes. Then, coronary angiography was performed and it showed the patient had doublevessel CAD. Findings of atherosclerotic plaques in cavernosal arteries with penile Doppler ultrasonography may be address subclinical coronary artery stenosis in patients with ED. Koroner arter hastalığı ile erektil disfonksiyon arasındaki ilişki belirgindir. Bu yazıda kavernozal arter darlığının sessiz fakat ciddi koroner arter hastalığını gösterebileceğinin ortaya konulması amaçlandı. Orta şiddette erektil disfonksiyon yakınması olan 56 yaşındaki hasta risk faktörleri açısından değerlendirildi. Hastanın yaş, sigara, hipertansiyon, hiperhomosisteinemi ve hiperlipidemi olmak üzere çok sayıda vasküler risk faktörü vardı. Penil Doppler ultrasonografide sağ kavernozal arterde çok sayıda darlık saptandı. Treadmill egzersiz testinde belirgin değişiklikleri olan hastanın yapılan koroner anjiografisinde iki damarda stenoz saptandı. Erektil disfonksiyonlu hastalarda penil Doppler ultrasonografi ile kavernozal arterlerde saptanan aterosklerotik plaklar subklinik koroner arter hastalığı habercisi olabilir

Self-medication with antibiotics: questionnaire survey among primary care center attendants

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and reasons for self-medication with antibiotics within the last 12 months among primary healthcare center attendants aged 18 or over, in Ankara. Methods A questionnaire was applied by face to face interview technique to 2696 subjects attending at five primary healthcare centers. Information on demographic characteristics, intention to self-medication with antibiotics and self-medication within last 12 months were collected. Results It was found that 28% of the subjects were storing antibiotics at home. The percentage of self-administering antibiotics was 19.1% in the last 12 months. The most common reasons for self-administration of antibiotics were sore throat (59.6%), fever (46.2%), and cough (40.0%). Other reasons were dental infection, rheumatism, and fatigue. According to age groups, the most common self-medicating group was those aged 40–49 with 23% while the least self-usage was in the 60–69 age groups with 11.8%. Male sex, being single, educational level of secondary school or higher, being employed and not having social security increased self-administration of antibiotics ( p<0.05). Conclusions The study indicated the need for legal regulations regarding the sale of antibiotics without prescription and, health education is required for the community to decrease the inappropriate use of antibiotics and self-medication

Antioxidant properties of some wild mushrooms

Çalışmada Türkiye’de farklı bölgelerden toplanan 12 yabani mantarın (Lactarius piperatus, Tricholoma anatolicum, Amanita caesarea, Lactarius delicious, Lactarius sanguifluus, Cantharellus cibarius, Hydnum repandum, Picoa lefebvrei, Ramaria aurea, Lactarius semisanguifluuss, Craterellus cornucopioides, Laccaria laccata) antioksidan aktiviteleri ve özellikleri incelenmiştir. Toplanan mantarların methanolde elde edilen ekstrelerinde toplam fenolik madde miktarı Folin-Ciocalteu yöntemi, flavonoid miktarı kolorimetrik olarak, antioksidan yöntemi 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) yöntemi ile trolox eşdeğeri olarak belirlenmiştir. Mantarların toplam fenolik madde içeriği 575.10-2156.40 mg GAE/100g DW, flavonoit miktarı 103.01-346.53 mg CE/100g DW ve antioksidan aktivitesi 525.32 to 1693.85 µmol (TE)/100 g DW arasında değişmiştir.The antioxidant activity and properties of 12 wild mushrooms (Lactarius piperatus, Tricholoma anatolicum, Amanita caesarea, Lactarius delicious, Lactarius sanguifluus, Cantharellus cibarius, Hydnum repandum, Picoa lefebvrei Ramaria aurea, Lactarius semisanguifluuss, Craterellus cornucopioides, Laccaria laccata) collected from Turkey were evaluated. Their methanolic extracts were used to determine antioxidant capacity (TAC), total phenolics and flavonoids. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities were measured to evaluate antioxidant capacity of the extracts and expressed as trolox equivalents (TE). The amount of total phenolics was determined by using Folin–Ciocalteu method and Flavonoid contents in the extracts were determined by a colorimetric method. Wild mushrooms were found to be high in antioxidant phytochemicals, such as phenolics (575.10- 2156.40 mg GAE/100g DW), flavonoids (103.01-310.89 mg CE/100g DW). The TAC values of the spices ranged from 525.32 to 1693.85 µmol (TE)/100 g DW

SPORADIC BLADDER PARAGANGLIOMA: A CASE REPORT

Anemisi nedeniyle araştırılırken mesanede kitle saptanan 58 yaşındaki bayan hastadatransüretral kitle rezeksiyonu sonrasında mesane paraganglioması tanısı konulmuş veolgu literatür eşliğinde tartışılmıştır.A 58-year-old female patient was diagnosed to have a bladder mass during theinvestigating for occult anemia. Transurethral resection of the bladder tumor wasperformed which revealed paraganglioma of the bladder on the final pathologicexamination. The case and the literature was discussed

Ureteral Jet Flow Dynamics Can Provide Information About the Mechanism of Stone Formation

Ureteral jet dynamics, which have been shown in recent studies to indicate stone formation mechanism in adults and children, provide information about ureteral peristaltism. The dynamics were measured with Doppler ultrasonography and included ureteral jet flows and ureteral jet patterns. In this paper, we present radiographic images of a non-obstructive lower pole stone in the right kidney and a non-obstructive upper pole stone in the left kidney measuring <1 cm and ureteral jet dynamics in a 26-year-old male patient. Our opinion is that the dynamics can provide information about stone formation mechanism