Tularemia re-emerging in European part of Turkey after 60 years

The aim of this study was to investigate a tularemia outbreak in the Thrace region of Turkey. The outbreak occurred in Demirkoy village of Edirne, in 2005. Of 400 villagers, 266 were examined and their sera were taken. Throat swabs and lymph node aspirates were cultured. Specific antibodies in patients and domestic animals were screened by a microagglutination test. PCR assays and cultures of the samples of patients, animal tissues, and water sources were performed, along with active surveillance to identify risk factors. Seven out of 10 cases were diagnosed as oropharyngeal form; the remaining three patients were asymptomatic. The cultures for tularemia were negative; however, PCR assays were positive in one lymph node aspirate and in water from one spring. Some animals had the specific antibody at low levels. Increased rodent population in the vicinity, exposure to wild rabbits, and drinking from one of the springs were identified as risk factors with the risk ratios (and 95% confidence interval) of 10.5 (10.3-10.7), 6.5 (5.43-7.57), and 2.1 (1.1-2.5), respectively. Therapeutic and preventive measures were taken. When tularemia cases have been detected in a region even a few decades earlier, tularemia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients.     

Antiproliferative activity of pentadeca-(8E, 13Z) dien-11-yn-2-one and (E)-1,8-pentadecadiene from Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt. roots

Several species of Echinacea, a perennial plant which belongs to the Asteraceae family, possess medicinal properties and are currently used in phytotherapy. In the present study, antiproliferative activity of methanol extract and isolated structures of pentadeca-(8E, 13Z)-dien-11-yn-2-one 1 and (E)-1,8-pentadecadiene 2 from Echinacea pallida roots on C6 cells (Rat Brain tumor cells) and HeLa cells (human uterus carcinoma) was investigated in vitro. Antiproliferative effect of the extract, isolated compounds, and cisplatin were tested at 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75, and 100 μg ml^?1 using BrdU Cell Proliferation ELISA. The methanol extract and Compound 1 significantly inhibited proliferation of HeLa and C6 cancer cell lines.     

Short-term effects of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection on ocular blood flow evaluated with color Doppler ultrasonography

AIM:To evaluate the changes in ocular blood flow with color Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection.METHODS: A total of 46 patients who underwent IVTA (4 mg/0.1 mL) injection for diabetic macular edema (DME) (n=22), central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) (n=12) and choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) (n=12) were included in the study. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistivity index (RI) were measured from the ophthalmic artery (OA), the central retinal artery (CRA) and the posterior ciliary artery (PCA) of each patient with CDU before, at the end of the first week and at the end of the first month following IVTA injection.RESULTS:In the DME group, PSV of OA at the first of the first month (mean±SD) (37.48±10.87 cm/s) increased compared to pre-injection value (31.39±10.84 cm/s) (P=0.048). There was a statistically significant decrease (P=0.049) in PSV of CRA at the end of the first month (7.97±2.67 cm/s) compared to the pre-injection (9.47±3.37 cm/s). There was not any statistically significant difference on the other parameters in the DME group. Also, there was not any statistically significant difference on the ocular blood flow values in the CRVO and CNVM groups.CONCLUSION: We observed that 4 mg/0.1 mL IVTA increased PSV of OA and decreased PSV of CRA in DME patients and did not have any effect on ocular blood flow values of CRVO and CNVM patients.