Estimating Output Gap for the Turkish Economy

This paper presents a time-varying parameter methodology for constructing an estimate of output gap for Turkey. We employ the extended Kalman filter technique in a multivariate setting in which economic content is utilized by the inclusion of inflation and output gap dynamics. As a by-product, we characterize time varying nature of output gap and inflation dynamics. Several results emerge: First, we show that estimating the potential output and output gap in a multivariate setting has several advantages over univariate techniques such as the HP filter. Second, our output gap estimates confirm the historical boom-bust cycles in Turkey and point out that business cycle displays sharp turning points rather than exhibiting a smooth pattern. Third, output gap seems to have contributed dramatically to the disinflation process in 2002-2004. Fourth, estimated time varying parameters suggest that, recently, the relation between real interest rates and the output gap seems to have been converging to a more conventional one. What is more, relative impact of output gap on inflation dynamics has been rising since 2001. Putting aside the “fiscal dominance” argument, these latter findings bode well for the effectiveness of the monetary policy within the prospective inflationtargeting framework.

Evaluation of the ICT Tuberculosis test for the routine diagnosis of tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Rapid and accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is crucial to facilitate early treatment of infectious cases and thus to reduce its spread. To improve the diagnosis of TB, more rapid diagnostic techniques such as antibody detection methods including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based serological tests and immunochromatographic methods were developed. This study was designed to evaluate the validity of an immunochromatographic assay, ICT Tuberculosis test for the serologic diagnosis of TB in Antalya, Turkey. METHODS: Sera from 72 patients with active pulmonary (53 smear-positive and 19 smear-negative cases) and eight extrapulmonary (6 smear-positive and 2 smear-negative cases) TB, and 54 controls from different outpatient clinics with similar demographic characteristics as patients were tested by ICT Tuberculosis test. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value of the ICT Tuberculosis test for pulmonary TB were 33.3%, 100%, and 52.9%, respectively. Smear-positive pulmonary TB patients showed a higher positivity rate for antibodies than smear-negative patients, but the difference was not statistically significant. Of the eight patients with extrapulmonary TB, antibody was detected in four patients. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that ICT Tuberculosis test can be used to aid TB diagnosis in smear-positive patients until the culture results are available

INVESTIGATION OF PLASMID-MEDIATED AmpC BETA-LACTAMASE TYPES IN KLEBSIELLA SPP. AND ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATES RESISTANT OR INTERMEDIATE TO CEFOXITIN

Plasmid mediated AmpC beta-lactamases are reported from Enterobacteriaceae with increasing frequency. There have been reports of treatment failures in patients infected with these organisms and given broad-spectrum cephalosporins. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of plasmid mediated AmpC beta-lactamases in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. A total of 41 strains of cefoxitin resistant or intermediate E.coli (n= 27) and Klebsiella spp. (n= 14) were collected from January 2005 to January 2006 at Akdeniz University Hospital Central Laboratory. Three-dimensional test was used as a phenotypic confirmatory test. Analytical isoelectric focusing electrophoresis was used to measure the pl values of the beta-lactamases. Plasmid mediated AmpC enzyme genes were amplified using multiplex polymerase chain reaction and sequenced by Beckman Coulter CEQ 8000. AmpC beta-lactamases were only detected in two isolates (7.4%) of E.coli. These isolates produced CMY-2 like enzymes and have either CTX-M or TEM enzyme. Transferable AmpC beta-lactamases are associated with multiple antibiotic resistance. Therefore detection of these enzymes in gram-negative bacteria has a clinical importance, since it can often provide valuable information to clinicians leading to more effective and appropriate use of antimicrobials

Evaluation of the Methods Used for the Detection of Entamoeba histolytica in Stool Samples of Patients with Diarrhea

Amoebic dysentery (amebiasis) is a parasitic infection caused by Entamoeba histolytica. The diagnosis of invasive amebiasis has traditionally been based on direct and stained microscopic examination of stool samples. Stool microscopy exhibits low sensitivity and it is difficult to distinguish E.histolytica cysts and trophozoites from cells such as leukocytes, macrophages and non-pathogenic Entamoeba species in the stool by microscopy. Therefore more sensitive and specific diagnostic methods such as enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests which investigate the presence of E.histolytica-specific antigen in sto- ol, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are being widely used. In this study it was aimed to study stool samples of the patients who applied with the clinical signs of amebiasis by using direct and permanent stained microscopy, E.histolytica adhesin antigen ELISA test and real-time PCR-based BD Max Enteric Parasite Panel (BD Max EPP) test and to evaluate the diagnostic values of these tests. A total of 546 faecal samples with blood and/or mucus were analyzed in the study. In these samples, the presence of E.histolytica was investigated by direct and permanent stained microscopy, E.histolytica adhesin antigen ELISA and BD Max EPP PCR. Of the samples 36.3% were suspected to contain E.histolytica/dispar/mosh-kovskii cyst and/or trophozoite by direct microscopic examination. Trichrome staining was performed on these samples and 49 samples were found suspicious for the presence of E.histolytica/dispar/moshkovskii cysts and/or trophozoites. The presence of E.histolytica and other Entamoeba species was not confirmed in 75.2% of the samples. BD Max EPP PCR and E.histolytica adhesin antigen ELISA tests were studied in 49 faecal samples that were suspected by trichrome staining. None of these samples were positive by ELISA. Forty-four samples were negative by PCR and invalid test results were obtained in five samples. In this study, E.histolytica was not detected in the patient population. The results of this study showed that microscopic examination alone is not sufficient for the detection of E.histolytica. It is concluded that it is necessary to use a more sensitive and specific also rapid diagnostic test such as E.histolytica-specific antigen detection test or PCR in the diagnosis of amebiasis to avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary tre- atment of patients

Determination of Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein B Genotypes in Different Geographical Regions and Different Patient Groups in Turkey

WOS: 000371499500006PubMed ID: 27058329Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common virus found all around the world, usually causes asymptomatic infections in immunocompetent hosts, however it may lead to serious complications in immunodeficient patients and in the fetus. CMV is divided into four genotypes according to the polymorphisms in UL55 gene that encodes for envelope glycoprotein B. Nucleotide polymorphisms of CMV gB gene can affect the cell tropism of the virus and host immune response and believed to have important changes in the pathogenesis of CMV. The aim of this study was to determine the gB genotypes of CMV isolates from different patient groups selected from different regions of Turkey. A total of 136 clinical specimens from patients (66 female, 70 male; age range: 0-65 years, mean age: 24.03 +/- 17.17) who were diagnosed to have CMV infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or antigenemia tests, between 2001-2014, in the medical school hospitals of Akdeniz, Ege, Istanbul Cerrahpasa and Erciyes Universities (located at Mediterranean, Aegean, northwest and central Anatolia regions, respectively), were included in the study. The patient group consisted of 80 renal transplant (RT) recipients, 35 stem cell transplant (SCT) recipients, 13 newborns, seven heart transplant (HT) recipients and one pregnant woman. CMV gB genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) method, and DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were performed for the randomly selected 15 isolates with different genotypes. Among 136 (135 plasma, 1 amnion fluid) samples, the most frequent genotype was gB1 (n=44, 32.4%), followed by gB2 (n=39, 28.6%), gB3 (n=36, 26.5%) and gB4 (n=8, 5.9%); however nine (6.6%) samples could not be genotyped. When analysis were interpreted according to the patient groups, it was determined that the genotypes in RT recipients were gB1 32.3%, gB2 28.7%, gB3 26.5% and gB4 5.9%; in SCT recipients gB1 34.3%, gB2 28.6%, gB3 22.9% and gB4 5.7%; in HT recipients gB3 57.1%, gB1 14.3% and gB2 14.3%; in newborns gB1 38.4%, gB3 30.8%, gB2 15.4% and gB4 7.7%, and gB2 genotype in the pregnant woman. As our study was a descriptive study to determine the genotypes of CMV gB, the relationship between the genotypes and the variants such as viral load, symptomatic disease and prognosis were not analyzed. As a result, the isolation of different gB genotypes in various case groups from four distinctive provinces, underlines the diversity of CMV gB genotypes in Turkey

Evaluation of the BD Phoenix System for detection of Methicilin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in comparison to BD GeneOhm MRSA Assay

Background: In order to identify methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates quickly, automated and semiautomated systems, commercial media, and identification kits are widely used. The Phoenix system (BD, Sparks, MD, USA) has been available since 2004 in our laboratory. This study evaluated the reliability of the Phoenix system for the detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus isolates in comparison to BD GeneOhm MRSA assay (Becton Dickinson Diagnostics GeneOhm, CA, USA)

RESISTANCE TO NEWER BETA-LACTAMS AND RELATED ESBL TYPES IN GRAM-NEGATIVE NOSOCOMIAL ISOLATES IN TURKISH HOSPITALS: RESULTS OF THE MULTICENTRE HITIT STUDY

Increasing resistance due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and multiple resistance mechanisms in gram-negative hospital isolates restrict the role of R-lactam antibiotics in empirical treatment of serious infections. As the prevalence of ESBL producing strains and resistance rates to antimicrobial agents can vary in each center, local surveillance studies are required to guide therapy. In this study, in vitro rates of resistance to ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, cefepime, imipenem, cefoperazone/sulbactam and piperacillin/tazobactam were evaluated in 1196 gram-negative hospital isolates in a multicenter in vitro study with the participation of six different centers in Turkey between the period of June 2004-January 2005. The isolates included Escherichia coli (n= 457), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n= 390), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n= 194) and Acinetobacter baumannii (n= 155). In addition, frequency of ESBL production and types of enzymes were determined in blood isolates of E.coli and K.pneumoniae. MICs and ESBL production were investigated by E-test (AB Biodisk, Solna) and the results were evaluated by using CLSI breakpoints. PCR analysis was used for typing of the ESBLs. In E.coli, 26% and in K.pneumoniae 32% of the isolates were ESBL producers. Among the blood isolates of E.coli and K.pneumoniae, 31.7% and 33.3% produced ESBLs, respectively. CTX-M (71.4%) was the most prevalent enzyme, followed by TEM (49.4%) and SHV (46,7%) derived enzymes. CTX-M-15 (69.4%) was the most frequent CTX-M type in blood isolates followed by CTX-M-3 (28.6%) and CTX-M-1 (2%). Resistance to imipenem was not observed in E.coli isolates, however it was 1.3% in K.pneumoniae, 28.9% in P.aeruginosa and 52.2% in A.baumannii strains. Resistance to cefoperazone/sulbactam was found as 6%, 17.7%, 27.9% and 41.3% in E.coli, K.pneumoniae, P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii isolates, respectively, whereas resistance rates to piperacillin/tazobactam were 10.2%, 22.3%, 22.7% and 78.7%, respectively. These results indicate that ESBL production and rates of resistance to R-lactam antibiotics are high in hospital isolates of gram-negative bacteria in Turkey, however, they show variations in different hospitals and CTX-M enzymes are prevalent in these isolates

Disseminated Fusariosis Caused by Fusarium verticillioides in an Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patient after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation▿

Fusarium species are saprophytic molds which cause disseminated or localized infections in humans. Disseminated Fusarium infection can cause significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. We present a case of disseminated fusariosis caused by Fusarium verticillioides in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and successfully treated using both liposomal amphotericin B and voriconazole