Live Cell Imaging of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells on Nano-pitted and Polished Titanium Surfaces: A Micro-Incubator in vitro Approach

Current orthopedic implants are not conducive for optimal integration of the biomaterial with newly-formed tissue (osseointegration) inside a patient’s body. In this study, medical-rade Ti-6Al-4V was used as a substrate due to its biocompatibility and ability to facilitate cellular adhesion and proliferation. Live cell imaging was conducted on bone marrow stromal cells, genetically modified to express the green fluorescent protein (GFP), from the 24-96 hours growth period, with the first 24 hours of growth being held inside a lab-scale incubator. Periodic images were recorded on nanopitted anodized and polished Ti-6Al-4V substrates to study how substratestiffness influences adhesion and proliferation. Collected images were analyzed for mitosis, adhesion, and filopodia-stretchability using ImageJ, an image processing program. Images were enhanced in order to perform cell counts at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours of growth. Continuous recordings were produced to account for the number of mitosis occurrences and cellular migration on each of the substrates. Based on the conducted experiments, it appears that polished Ti-6Al-4V has a higher cell adherence than “nanopitted” anodized surface and an improved rate of proliferation which may be because the cells once adhered on the nano-pitted surface have less ability to detach in-order to undergo mitosis.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/u_poster_2014/1004/thumbnail.jp

Comparative analysis of epi-miRNA expression levels in local/locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer patients

Abnormal expression of enzymes involved in epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methyl transferases, can trigger large chaos in cellular gene expression networks and eventually lead to cancer progression. In our study, which is a pioneer in the literature that clinicopathologically evaluates the expression of 30 epi-miRNAs in prostate cancer (PCa), we investigated which of the new miRNA class epi-miRNAs could be an effective biomarker in the diagnosis and progression of PCa. In this study, the expression levels of 30 epi-miRNAs in whole blood samples from 25 control, 25 PCa and 40 metastatic PCa patients were investigated by the Quantitative Real-Time PCR method. Then, promoter methylation levels of 11 epi-miRNAs, whose expression levels were found to be significantly higher, were examined by methylation-specific qPCR method. The correlations between miRNA expression levels and clinicopathological parameters (Gleason Score (GS), PSA levels, TNM Staging) in different stages of PCa groups as well as disease-specific expression levels were examined. We found a hypomethylation in the promoter regions of miRNAs that showed a direct proportional increase with PSA levels (miR34b/c, miR-148a, miR-152), GS's (miR-34a-5p, miR-34b/c, miR-101-2, miR-126, miR-148a, miR-152, miR-1855p) and T staging (miR-34a-5p, miR-34b/c, miR-101-2, miR-126, miR-140, miR-148a, miR-152, miR-185-5p) (p < 0.05). When miR-200a/b was evaluated according to clinicopathological parameters, it acted as an oncomiR in local/local advanced PCa and as a tumor-suppressor-miR in metastatic stage. This study is novel in the sense that our findings draw attention to the important role of miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in PCa.Gazi University Research FundGazi University [01/2019-11]This study was conducted with financial support from the Gazi University Research Fund [the project code number 01/2019-11].WOS:0005646940000012-s2.0-85088216243PubMed: 3268307

Invasive Pneumococcal Infection Due to Serotype 15A after the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Implementation in Turkey

Invasive pneumococcal infections among children are a serious public health problem in many countries, including Turkey. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has been included in Turkey's National Immunization Programme since 2009. We report the first two pediatric cases of invasive pneumococcal infection due to non-vaccine serotype 15A after pneumococcal conjugate vaccine implementation in Turkey. It is essential to monitor the countries' own local seroepidemiologic data for detecting selective pressure of non-vaccine serotypes of S. pneumonia.Wo

Surveillance of penicillin resistance of Neisseria meningitidis strains from invasive infections between 2013 and 2018 in Turkey

Basaranoglu, Sevgen Tanir/0000-0002-9416-1512; Emiroglu, Melike/0000-0003-1307-0246WOS: 000513186600001PubMed: 32028863Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis) is regarded as the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in many regions of the world. the empiric antimicrobial treatment is mainly based on antimicrobial resistance and patient characteristics. We aimed to analyze susceptibility patterns of N. meningitidis strains isolated in Turkey. Invasive meningococci collected in a multicenter, hospital-based, epidemiological surveillance study of pediatric (0-18 years of age) bacterial meningitis cases between 2013 and 2018 were studied. Five isolates (8.7%) displayed resistance to penicillin-G, while 13 isolates (22.8%) had intermediate susceptibility. All isolates were cefotaxime and rifampin susceptible. the data shows appropriateness of third-generation cephalosporins in empirical use for meningococcal infections in children. Since Turkey is located in a transition zone geographically, surveillance reports are very crucial

Can Procalcitonin Be a Diagnostic Marker For Catheter-Related Blood Stream Infection in Children?

Objective: The potential role of procalcitonin (PCT) in the diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSIs) is still unclear and requires further research. The diagnostic value of serum PCT for the diagnosis of CRBSI in children is evaluated here. Method: This study was conducted between October 2013 and November 2014, and included patients with suspected CRBSI from 1 month to 18 years of age who were febrile, with no focus of infection, and had a central venous catheter. Levels of PCT and other serum markers were measured, and their utility as CRBSI markers was assessed. Additionally, the clinical performance of a new, automated, rapid, and quantitative assay for the detection of PCT was tested. Results: Among the 49 patients, 24 were diagnosed with CRBSI. The PCT-Kryptor and PCT-RTA values were significantly higher in proven CRBSI compared to those in unproven CRBSI (p = 0.03 and p = 0.03, respectively). There were no differences in white blood cell count and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels between proven CRBSI and unproven CRBSI. Among the 24 patients with CRBSI, CRP was significantly higher among those with Gram-negative bacterial infection than in those with Gram-positive bacterial infections. PCT-Kryptor was also significantly higher among patients with Gram-negative bacterial infection than in those with Gram-positive bacterial infections (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). Conclusions: The authors suggest that PCT could be a helpful rapid diagnostic marker in children with suspected CRBSIs. (C) 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.WoSScopu

Determination Of The Presence Of Diphtheria Toxin In The Myocardial Tissue Of Rabbits And A Female Subject By Using An Immunofluorescent Antibody Method

Background Clinical diagnosis of diphtheria is often difficult, in particular in countries where the disease is rarely observed, such as Turkey. In 2011, after 12 years of no recorded diphtheria cases in Turkey, a 34-year-old woman was diagnosed with diphtheria; she later died of myocarditis. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the diagnostic potential of an immunofluorescent antibody method to determine the presence of diphtheria toxin (DT) in the myocardial cells of DT-injected rabbits and the female subject. Methods We randomly divided rabbits into two groups: a control group and a DT-injected group. Diphtheria intoxication was simulated in the rabbits by intravenous injection of DT. The myocardium of the rabbits and the female subject were harvested for histopathologic and immunofluorescence examination. A mouse monoclonal anti-DT antibody was used for the immunofluorescent antibody method. Results The presence of DT in the myocardial cells of both the rabbits and the female subject was visualized using the immunofluorescent method. Conclusions Laboratory diagnosis of diphtheria is challenging because of non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae strains and/or the dysfunction of DT. However, visualizing the presence of DT in the myocardial tissue may act as an indicator of biologically active DT. We validated that an immunofluorescent method, which utilizes a monoclonal anti-DT (A-subunit specific) antibody, is a useful diagnostic tool to determine the presence of DT in the myocardium of rabbits and human.PubMe

Surveillance of penicillin resistance of Neisseria meningitidis strains from invasive infections between 2013 and 2018 in Turkey

Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis) is regarded as the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in many regions of the world. The empiric antimicrobial treatment is mainly based on antimicrobial resistance and patient characteristics. We aimed to analyze susceptibility patterns of N. meningitidis strains isolated in Turkey. Invasive meningococci collected in a multicenter, hospital-based, epidemiological surveillance study of pediatric (0-18 years of age) bacterial meningitis cases between 2013 and 2018 were studied. Five isolates (8.7%) displayed resistance to penicillin-G, while 13 isolates (22.8%) had intermediate susceptibility. All isolates were cefotaxime and rifampin susceptible. The data shows appropriateness of third-generation cephalosporins in empirical use for meningococcal infections in children. Since Turkey is located in a transition zone geographically, surveillance reports are very crucial

Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in healthy children aged less than five years

Purpose: In Turkey, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) was introduced to the national immunization program as PCV7 in 2008, and was replaced with PCV13 in 2011. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the pneumococcal carriage rate and the serotype distribution in healthy children under 5 years in Turkey who were vaccinated with PCV13. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including the collection of questionnaire data and nasopharyngeal (NP) specimens among children aged <5 years from five centers from March 2019 to March 2020. Pneumococcal isolates were identified using optochin sensitivity and bile solubility. Serotyping was performed using a latex agglutination kit and Quellung reaction. Results: NP swab samples were collected from 580 healthy children. The observed overall carriage rate was 17.8%. None of the hypothesised predictors of S. pneumoniae carriage, except maternal education level was statistically significant (p = 0.017). High maternal education level appeared to decrease the risk (lower vs. higher maternal education OR: 1.992 [95% CI; 1.089–3.643], p = 0.025). The overall NP S. pneumoniae carriage prevalence for the PCV13-vaccinated children was 17.8% (103/580). The most common serotypes detected were serotype 15B (n = 10, 9.7%), serotype 23F (n = 9, 8.7%), serotype 23A (n = 9, 8.7%), serotype 11A (n = 7, 6.7%), serotype 19F (n = 5, 4.8%) and serotype 15F (n = 5, 4.8%). Of the isolates, 28 (27.2%) were in PCV13 vaccine strains (VSs), and 75 (72.8%) strains were non-VS. The serotype coverage rate was 27.2% for PCV13. Conclusion: The overall S. pneumoniae carriage rate was higher than in earlier studies from Turkey. Post-vaccine era studies from around the world have reported a decrease in VS serotypes and a ‘serotype replacement’ to non-VS serotypes, as we determined in our study

Distribution Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Serotypes That Cause Parapneumonic Empyema In Turkey

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common etiological cause of complicated pneumonia, including empyema. In this study, we investigated the serotypes of S. pneumoniae that cause empyema in children. One hundred fifty-six children who were diagnosed with pneumonia complicated with empyema in 13 hospitals in seven geographic regions of Turkey between 2010 and 2012 were included in this study. Pleural fluid samples were collected by thoracentesis and tested for 14 serotypes/serogroups using a Bio-Plex multiplex antigen detection assay. The serotypes of S. pneumoniae were specified in 33 of 156 samples. The mean age +/- the standard deviation of the 33 patients was 6.17 +/- 3.54 years (range, 0.6 to 15 years). All of the children were unvaccinated according to the vaccination reports. Eighteen of the children were male, and 15 were female. The serotypes of the non-7-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (non-PCV-7), serotype 1, serotype 5, and serotype 3, were detected in eight (14.5%), seven (12.7%), and five (9.1%) of the samples, respectively. Serotypes 1 and 5 were codetected in two samples. The remaining non-PCV- 7 serotypes were 8 (n = 3), 18 (n = 1), 19A (n = 1), and 7F/A (n = 1). PCV-7 serotypes 6B, 9V, 14, 19F, and 23F were detected in nine (16.3%) of the samples. The potential serotype coverages of PCV-7, PCV-10, and PCV-13 were 16.3%, 45.4%, and 60%, respectively. Pediatric parapneumonic empyema continues to be an important health problem despite the introduction of conjugated pneumococcal vaccines. Active surveillance studies are needed to monitor the change in S. pneumoniae serotypes that cause empyema in order to have a better selection of pneumococcal vaccines.WoSScopu