Distribution and antibacterial drug resistance of Aeromonas spp. from fresh and brackish waters in Southern Turkey

The frequency of antibiotic resistance was compared in Aeromonas spp. isolated from fresh and brackish water in Southern Turkey. A total of 97 Aeromonas spp. strains were isolated from four zones (three from fresh and one from brackish water). Most of the strains isolated from all samples were Aeromonas hydrophila (79.4%), while the amount of Aeromonas sobria and Aeromonas caviae, were rather lower in the samples examined (17.5% and 3.1% respectively). A high proportion of isolates from all water sources showed resistance to cephalotin (86.6%) and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (69%). On the other hand, a low proportion of bacteria showed resistance to tetracycline (14.4%), chloramphenicol (11.3%), gentamicin (7.2%) and nitrofurantoin (6.8%). Only one strain showing resistance to amikacin was found. Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Index (MARI) to at least two antibiotics was highest in brackish water (zone 4), followed by fresh water (zone 3). MARI values ranging from 0.2 to 0.8 for the bacteria isolated from brackish water. This study suggest that, multiple antibiotic resistant Aeromonas spp., especially A. hydrophila, can be easily recovered from fresh and brackish water sources in Turkey and these sources may play as a reservoirs responsible for disease pathogen aeromonads

Antibacterial agents and heavy metal resistance in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from seawater, shrimp and sediment in Iskenderun Bay, Turkey

PubMedID: 18804847The aim of the present study was to determine the level of antibiotic resistance patterns and distribution of heavy metal resistance of bacterial isolates from seawater, sediment and shrimps, and to determine if there is a relationship between antibiotic and heavy metal resistance. We undertook studies in 2007 in the industrially polluted Iskenderun Bay, on the south coast of Turkey. The resistance of 236 Gram-negative bacterial isolates (49 from seawater, 90 from sediment and 97 from shrimp) to 16 different antibiotics, and to 5 heavy metals, was investigated by agar diffusion and agar dilution methods, respectively. A total of 31 species of bacteria were isolated: the most common strains isolated from all samples were Escherichia coli (11.4%), Aeromonas hydrophila (9.7%) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (9.3%). There was a high incidence of resistance to ampicillin (93.2%), streptomycin (90.2%) and cefazolin (81.3%), and a low incidence of resistance to imipenem (16.5%), meropenem (13.9%) and cefepime (8.0%). Some 56.8% of all bacteria isolated from seawater, sediment and shrimp were resistant to 7 or more antibiotics. Most isolates showed tolerance to different concentrations of heavy metals, and minimal inhibition concentrations ranged from 12.5 µg/ml to > 3200 µg/ml. The bacteria from seawater, sediment and shrimp showed high resistance to cadmium of 69.4%, 88.9%, and 81.1% respectively, and low resistance to manganese of 2%, 6.7% and 11.3% respectively. The seawater and sediment isolates which were metal resistant also showed a high resistance to three antibiotics: streptomycin, ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. In contrast, the shrimp isolates which were metal resistant were resistant to four antibiotics: cefazolin, nitrofurantoin, cefuroxime and ampicillin. Our results show that Iskenderun Bay has a significant proportion of antibiotic and heavy metal resistant Gram-negative bacteria, and these bacteria constitute a potential risk for public health. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.EF2007BAP3We would like to thank BAPKOM, (Cukurova University) for providing the financial support of this work (Project number: EF2007BAP3)

Isolation, identification and antibiotic resistance of Aeromonas spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Azapli and Golbasi Lakes, Adiyaman, Turkey (Southeast Anatolian region)

The susceptibility patterns to 16 different antibiotics of Aeromonas spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from Azapli and Golbasi Lakes, Adiyaman, Turkey were investigated. Totally 248 bacteria were isolated. Most of these isolates were Aeromonas sobria (35.8%) followed by Aeromonas salmonicida (28.6%). A high percentage of Aeromonas spp. isolates from all of the sites showed resistance to cefazolin (ranged between 86.6% and 93.6%) and penicillin (ranged between 93.3% and 96.3%). Among Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, there was a high incidence of resistance to cefazolin (93.9% and 100.0%) and penicillin (96.9% and 100.0%, respectively). Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index values ranged from 0.2 to 1 for Aeromonas spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. Results indicated that multiple antibiotic resistant Aeromonas spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were widespread and can easily recovered from Golbasi and Azapli Lake. Contamination of water sources with pathogens, resistant to antibiotics, can cause serious diseases to humans, who are dependent on water. © by PSP.This research was supported by the Research Fund of Çukurova University. (Project ID: FEF2013D6)

Prevalence and resistance to antibiotics in Gram negative bacteria isolated from retail fish in Turkey

Antibiotic resistant bacteria from commercially marketed fish in Adana, Turkey were investigated. A total of 126 antibiotic resistant bacteria were isolated from gill and intestinal contents of five types of retail fish samples. Viable counts of antibiotic resistant bacteria isolated from gill and intestinal content samples showed high frequencies of resistance to tetracycline, ampicillin, streptomycin, while the proportion of chloramphenicol resistance was rather low. A high incidence of resistance to tetracycline, ampicillin and cephalothin as well as almost an absence of resistance to amikacin and gentamicin was found among selected isolates which represented the resistant bacterial population. These strains were predominantly resistant to 3 and 4 antibacterials. Isolates from gill exhibited resistance to as many as 7 antibiotics, whereas those from intestinal content were resistant to 5 or fewer antibiotics. These results indicate that retail fish studied were either contaminated with handling or commercial fishes residing in waters near the disposals of urban sewage, might play a role as carriers of antibiotic resistant bacteria, prompting a health risk to public health for fish consumers

eNOS gene intron 4 a/b VNTR polymorphism is a risk factor for coronary artery disease in Southern Turkey

PubMedID: 15748612Background: Nitric oxide (NO) plays a major role in the regulation of vascular tone Associations between NO genotypes, coronary artery disease (CAD) and other risk factors have been described by many authors. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene intron 4 a/b variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism and other risk factors in the development of CAD in subjects living in Southern Turkey. Methods: Two-hundred and sixty-six patients (154 males and 112 females, aged between 30 and 80 years, mean 52.4±10.3) whose coronary arteries were evaluated by means of coronary angiography were enrolled in the study. Of the total, 133 had CAD (Group I) and the remaining had normal coronary arteries (Group II). The eNOS gene intron 4 a/b VNTR polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. The plasma lipid levels and other risk factors were also determined in all subjects. Results: The a allele frequencies and genotypes carrying a allele were significantly higher in Group I. Plasma lipids, except HDL-C, were also increased in this group. We found that hypertension (HT), diabetes mellitus (DM), male gender, age and smoking were the independent predictors of CAD. Conclusion: a allele of eNOS intron 4 a/b VNTR polymorphism is not an independent predictor of CAD. eNOS intron 4 a/b polymorphism (presence of a allele) is a risk factor in addition to HT, DM, male gender, age and smoking for the development of CAD in Southern Turkey. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Aerobic Biodegradation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) by Bacillus cereus İsolated from Contaminated Soil

PubMedID: 23715804In this study, biological degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) which is very highly toxic environmentally and an explosive in nitroaromatic character was researched in minimal medium by Bacillus cereus isolated from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) TNT-contaminated soils. In contrast to most previous studies, the capability of this bacteria to transform in liquid medium containing TNT was investigated. During degradation, treatment of TNT was followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and achievement of degradation was calculated as percentage. At an initial concentration of 50 and 75 mg L-1, TNT was degraded respectively 68 % and 77 % in 96 h. It transformed into 2,4-dinitrotoluene and 4-aminodinitrotoluene derivates, which could be detected as intermediate metabolites by using thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. Release of nitrite and nitrate ions were searched by spectrophotometric analyses. Depending upon Meisenheimer complex, while nitrite production was observed, nitrate was detected in none of the cultures. Results of our study propose which environmental pollutant can be removed by using microorganisms that are indigenous to the contaminated site. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

Therapeutic plasma exchange in poisoning: 8 years' experience of a university hospital

PubMedID: 26275632Introduction and Aim This study examined the extracorporeal methods for the elimination of toxic substances in poisoned patients that are used by clinicians taking care of such patients. Here we present our experience in the use of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest number of poisoning cases ever reported in a study. Patients and Methods This is a retrospective study conducted at the Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, with the permission of the ethical committee of the medical faculty. The study includes patients who had undergone TPE because of poisoning between January 2007 and May 2015. We summarize the clinical data and outcomes of the patients with available files. Results A total of 36 cases among the 42 patients who underwent TPE in this 8-year period were included in the study. More than 20 identified toxic substances, most of which were pesticides, were found to be the causes of poisoning. Twenty-three healthy discharges and 12 deaths are discussed in the study. Conclusion We believe that our study reports the largest ever number of poisoning cases treated with TPE in the literature. When applicable, TPE may be a promising extracorporeal elimination and treatment technique in poisoned patients when performed in selected cases. © 2015 Elsevier Inc

Gene-gene interaction of ACE I/D, endothelial nitric oxide synthase 4 a/b and ApoE does not affect coronary artery disease severity

PubMedID: 24913112Objectives. Previous studies have shown the impact of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) polymorphisms and ApoE genotypes on coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the genetic polymorphisms and the severity of CAD and to evaluate their potential interactions. Material and Methods. All patients underwent coronary angiography; coronary score (CS) and severity score (SS) were calculated for them. ACE I/D, eNOS and ApoE polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results. Neither CS nor SS showed a direct relationship with eNOS and ApoE genotypes. CS and SS were found to be high in patients carrying the ACE DD allele (p = 0.034 and p = 0.009). In the gene interactions, there was an increase in the SS only in patients with coexisting eNOS b/b genotype and ACE DD allele (p = 0.043). Conclusions. The interactions of the gene polymorphisms investigated don't play an important role in determining an individual's risk for the severity of CAD. © Copyright by Wroclaw Medical University

Insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin converting enzyme gene in coronary artery disease in Southern Turkey

PubMedID: 16053717Genetic factors are important in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion(I)/deletion(D) polymorphism is one of the genetic factor found to be related with CAD. We investigated the association between I/D polymorphism of the ACE gene and the presence of CAD. Threehundred and seven patients (187 males and 120 females, aged between 35-80, mean 54.3 ± 9.8 years) who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography were included in the study. ACE I/D polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction. Of the 307, 176 had CAD. The most frequently observed genotype in all subjects was ID (47.9 %). However, in patients with CAD the frequency of II genotype was lower whereas DD genotype was higher compared to the controls (p < 0.05). The number of D allele carrying subjects were also higher (p < 0.05) in CAD patients. The logistic regression analysis indicated that the ACE D allele is an independent risk factor (odds ratio = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.01-2.18, p < 0.05). In conclusion, the I/D polymorphism of ACE gene (carrying D allele) is an independent risk factor for CAD in the studied Turkish population

Myocarditis and Early Markers of Cardiac Response Associated with Scorpion Stings in Children

PubMedID: 30257800Introduction: A clinical course ranging from mild local findings to life-threatening systemic findings may occur after scorpion stings. The purpose of this study was to identify priority markers indicating scorpion sting–related cardiac involvement. Methods: Our study was performed between July 2014, and September 2015 in the Çukurova University medical faculty pediatric emergency department, in Adana, Turkey. Patients admitted with scorpion sting–related cardiac involvement and a control group consisting of patients with no scorpion sting–related cardiac involvement were included in the study. Troponin I at time of presentation and at 6 and 24 h, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), ejection fraction as determined by echocardiography at 24 h, and peak and end of T wave (Tp-e) and Tp-e/QTc ratios with echocardiography at 24 h were evaluated. Results: A patient group consisting of 7 cases of scorpion envenomation–related myocarditis and a control group of 30 cases of scorpion intoxication without myocarditis findings were enrolled. Statistically significantly high glucose, white blood cell values, creatine kinase MB, troponin I, and NTproBNP values were identified in the scorpion sting–related myocarditis group (P<0.05). Ejection fractions determined by echocardiography at time of presentation were significantly lower in the patients with myocarditis compared with the control group (P<0.05). A statistically significant difference was identified between Tp-e/corrected QT interval (QTc) ratios investigated in DI and V2 derivations in patient and control group echocardiograms (P<0.05). Conclusions: We think that use can be made of NTproBNP in addition to echocardiography and troponin I in the early diagnosis of scorpion sting–related myocarditis and that Tp-e and Tp-e/QTc ratios identified via echocardiography can be used as early markers; however, further studies with larger numbers are needed to confirm this. © 2018 Wilderness Medical SocietyTSA-2014-3024This study was supported by the Çukurova University Research Fund (Project No: TSA-2014-3024)