Sensitization to Alternaria and Cladosporium in Patients with Respiratory Allergy and Outdoor Counts of Mold Spores in Ankara Atmosphere, Turkey

Sensitization to Alternaria and Cladosporium has been reported to be 3% to 30% in European countries. However, in Turkey, there is limited data about the prevalence of sensitization to these molds and the intensity of the two mold spores in Ankara atmosphere. This study was designed to evaluate the sensitization to Alternaria and Cladosporium in patients with respiratory allergy in Ankara and also the concentration of the two molds in Ankara atmosphere.

Allergic rhinitis and asthma patients living in Ankara were included in the study. Demographic and diagnostic data of the patients were recorded. A skin prick test with extracts supplied by three different laboratories was used to evaluate the sensitization to Alternaria and Cladosporium. Mold spores were measured using a Burkard 7-day recording volumetric spore trap in Ankara atmosphere during a year.

Overall sensitization to the two molds was found to be 14.8%, and isolated Alternaria or Cladosporium sensitization was 3%. Considering the positive reaction to at least one of the three suppliers, the sensitization rate was 11.9% and 8.1% for Alternaria and Cladosporium, respectively. Cochran's Q homogenization test demonstrated that the positive and negative reaction were not homogeneous among three laboratories. The total number of mold spores in Ankara atmosphere was 429,264 spores/m³ of which 75.5% and 6% were constituted by Cladosporium and Alternaria, respectively.

The prevalence of Cladosporium and Alternaria sensitization in respiratory allergy patients is quite similar to European countries; however, our data indicate that commercial mold extracts should be standardized to establish the real sensitization rates. Additionally, considering the great numbers of these mold spores in Ankara atmosphere, long-term follow-up studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between the mold load and sensitization patterns.     

Comparison of Neoral and Sandimmun for induction and maintenance immunosuppression after kidney transplantation

We compared the mean trough level/dose (L/D) ratio, mean coefficient of variation (CV) of individual patients, and graft, patient, and rejection-free survival rates of 40 renal transplant recipients receiving Neoral (CyE) with 103 consecutive renal transplant recipients receiving Sandimmun (CyA). The mean L/D ratio on the 3rd post-transplant day (16.2 vs 11.8, P < 0.04), in the 1st week (24.6 vs 16.1; P < 0.03), and 1st month (39.1 vs 28.7; P < 0.05) were higher in the CyE group. In both groups the L/D ratio improved in proportion to the duration of time post-transplant and reached a maximum in the 3rd post-transplant month. In the early post-transplant period in particular, the number of patients achieving target levels was significantly higher, and the mean dose needed to achieve target levels lower, in the CyE group. The variation in trough levels, demonstrated by the CV, was lower in the CyE group (0.41 ± 0.14) than in the CyA group (0.62 ± 0.21; P < 0.005). Actuarial 1-year patient and graft survival rates in the CyE group were 100 % and 96 %, respectively; these were similar to the 100 % and 95 % in the CyA group. The 1-year rejection-free survival rate in the CyE group was 61 % compared to 43 % in the CyA group (P < 0.02). We conclude that it is possible to obtain higher blood trough levels at lower doses by administering CyE, particularly in the early post-transplant period. The lower variability of trough levels and the higher L/D ratio in the CyE group, which are related to improved bioavailability of CyE, may explain the lower rejection rate among these patients. In this study, the microemulsion formulation of cyclosporin (CyE) was found to be more beneficial and cost-effective as induction and maintenance immunosuppression than the conventional formulation (CyA). Received: 28 January 1997 Received after revision: 13 May 1997 Accepted: 15 May 1997     

Whole-genome gene expression analysis in urine samples of patients with prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia

Objective

There is an urgent need to find new biomarkers with higher specificity and sensitivity for using early detection of prostate cancer (PrCa) and reducing recurrent unnecessary biopsy rates, psychological and physical stress on the patient, and costs. Being noninvasive, urine-based tests might be suitable in routine practice. The aim of this study was to report the first whole-genome gene expression analysis in urine samples, as noninvasive method, that were obtained from PrCa, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and control groups by using the microarray system from Turkey, to our knowledge.

Prevalence and risk factors concerning postpartum depression among women within early postnatal periods in Turkey

Purpose  

Postpartum depression (PPD) stands out as an important health issue that affects not only the mother but her partner and the entire family.     

Native valve endocarditis due to Candida albicans in two children: Two new case reports

Candida endocarditis (CE) is a rare and serious complication of candidemia. Using current diagnostic tools a confirmed diagnosis is often delayed and outcomes remain poor. The majority of new cases occur following cardiac valvular surgery, and/or in patients with the following risk factors: intravenous drug use, cancer chemotherapy, prolonged presence of central venous catheters, and prior history of bacterial endocarditis. It is not a common complication in non‐neutropenic patients particularly with the absence of a prosthetic valve, and very few reports in the literature are available. Attempting to add to the limited data, 211 candidemia episodes from 172 nonneutropenic pediatric cases between January 2008 and December 2017 were evaluated. All patients were considered asymptomatic for underlying heart disease. However, 2 (0.9%) patients with a central venous catheter were determined as having endocarditis following echocardiography.     

The MTT assay yields a relatively lower result of growth inhibition than the ATP assay depending on the chemotherapeutic drugs tested.

Accurate assessment of the anti-growth effects of chemotherapeutics is immensely importance in cancer research with regard to drug discovery and toxicological safety. A number of in vitro cytotoxicity assays are used for these purposes. However, there is the possibility for different results in the assessments because the way they measure the viability of cancer cells is specific to each assay. In the present study, the performance of two common assays (MTT and ATP) in the assessment of anti-growth effects of chemotherapeutics on a lung cancer cell line (A549) was compared. The cells were treated with paclitaxel, docetaxel, gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), etoposide, doxorubicin, epirubicin, cisplatin, 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) and carboplatin in six different concentrations. When taking all the drugs and inhibitions into account, a moderate correlation (r=0.670; p=0.01) between the assays was found. However, IC 50 values by the MTT assay were higher in 90% of the drugs than those found by the ATP assay. In addition to this, there was a statistically significant difference between the dose response curves of the assays, which was dependent on the drugs of choice. We recommend caution in comparing these assays to evaluate the anti-growth effects of chemotherapeutics because the MTT assay seem to give rise to relatively lower inhibition (higher viability) levels than the ATP assay, depending on the drugs of choice.     

Problematic Social Media Use and Social Connectedness in Adolescence: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Family Life Satisfaction

Problematic social media use (PSMU) among adolescents has become an area of increasing research interest in recent years. It is known that PSMU is negatively associated with social connectedness. The present study examined the role of family life satisfaction in this relationship by investigating its mediating and moderating role in the relationship between problematic social use and social connectedness. The present study comprised 549 adolescents (296 girls and 253 boys) who had used social media for at least 1 year and had at least one social media account. The measures used included the Social Media Disorder Scale, Social Connectedness Scale, and Family Life Satisfaction Scale. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed using Hayes’s Process program. Regression analysis showed that PSMU negatively predicted family life satisfaction and social connectedness. In addition, family life satisfaction and PSMU predicted social connectedness. Mediation analysis showed that family life satisfaction had a significant mediation effect in the relationship between PSMU and social connectedness. Family life satisfaction was partially mediated in the relationship between PSMU and social connectedness. Moderation analysis showed that family life satisfaction did not have a significant effect on the relationship between PSMU and social connectedness. The study suggests that family life satisfaction is a meaningful mediator (but not a moderator) in the relationship between problematic social media use and social connectedness.

     

Genetic risk factors of venous thromboembolism

Up to date several hereditary disorders have been identified as prothrombic risk factors. The most common inherited thrombotic disorders include activated protein C resistance (factor V Leiden), prothrombin G20210A mutation, hyperhomocysteinemia, deficiencies of protein C, protein S, antithrombin III, and thrombomodulin. This article focuses on the clinical and the laboratory aspects of some of the inherited venous thrombotic disorders including the factor V Leiden, prothrombin G20210A mutation and protein S deficiency.