Investigation of an algorithm for anti HCV EIA reactivity in blood donor screening in Turkey in the absence of nucleic acid amplification screening

Purpose

In this study we aimed to propose an algorithm for initial anti HCV EIA reactive blood donations in Turkey where nucleic acid amplification tests are not yet obligatory for donor screening.

Investigation of age-related changes in the expression of aquaporin-1 and aquaporin-5 in the salivary glands of mice

Conclusion: The increased AQP5 expression associated with ageing in glands, which mainly secreted a serous solution, suggests a compensation for the decreased amount of saliva secretion associated with age progression. Objective: To investigate the change in aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and aquaporin-5 (AQP5) expression in the salivary glands in young and elder mice. Materials and method: Twelve female mice from the Balb/C genus (30–50?g) were used. The mice were separated into two groups: Group I had 2-month-old mice and Group II had 18-month-old mice. Salivary glands (glandula parotidea, glandula sublungualis, glandula submaxillaris) were excised and examined immunohistochemically and histopathologically. AQP1 and AQP5 expression of young and elder mice was evaluated using the H-score. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Upon histopathological examination, the acini of glands were found to be atrophic in elder mice. The number and diameter of intercalated ducts were increased. Indeed, the amount of adipose tissue in the gland was increased. Upon immunohistochemical examination, both AQP1 and AQP5 levels in sublingual glands of elder mice were increased (p?p?p?相似文献   

Neurodevelopmental outcome of 31 patients with borderline fetal ventriculomegaly

Aim

We present the neurodevelopmental outcome of patients with isolated borderline fetal ventriculomegaly.

Methods

The present study was carried out at the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University in July–December 2010. Prenatal second trimester detailed ultrasound examinations were performed by obstetricians at the Prenatal Diagnosis Department of Istanbul Medical School, and 31 consecutive patients aged 8–33 months have been included in the study. Four patients with atrial diameters of over 15 mm and three patients with central nervous system development anomalies were excluded from the study. In order to assess the neuromotor development of patients, neurologic examinations and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-III) were used.

Results

Nine patients were female (29%) and 22 were male (71%). In the postnatal period, tuberous sclerosis was found in one patient, Down syndrome in one, and equinovarus foot deformity in one. Atrial diameter was <12 mm in 18 patients and >12 mm in 13. Cranial ultrasounds done in the first postnatal month revealed persisting ventriculomegaly in nine patients. The two patients who scored significantly low in all areas on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development were the patients with Down syndrome and tuberous sclerosis. The one scoring low in the motor area was the patient with the equinovarus foot deformity. The BSID-III scores of the patients whose prenatal ventricle diameter was <12 mm were within normal limits. The four patients showing slight developmental delay were the ones whose cranial ultrasound in the first postnatal month showed persisting ventriculomegaly.

Conclusion

In patients with borderline fetal ventriculomegaly, atrial diameter being more than 12 mm, the condition persisting in the first postnatal month and the presence of accompanying syndromes and malformations all constitute clear risk factors for neurodevelopmental outcome.     

Toxic-febrile neurobrucellosis, clinical findings and outcome of treatment of four cases based on our experience

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is uncommon in brucellosis. Neurological complications of brucellosis may be divided into 2 major groups: 1) those related to the acute-febrile state that occurs in acute disease (toxic-febrile neurobrucellosis), and 2) those related to actual invasion and localization of the pathogen in the CNS (classical neurobrucellosis). In this paper, we present 4 cases of toxic-febrile neurobrucellosis and discuss clinical findings and outcome of treatment in these cases. All patients had fever, headache, stupor or coma with neuropsychiatric symptoms such as hallucination, delirium, convulsion, dysarthria, psychosis, and night raving. Peripheral and cranial vasculitis was present in case 3 and bilateral sensorioneural hearing loss in case 4. Neither pleocytosis nor hyperproteinorrachia was present in any patient in lumbar puncture. Brucella melitensis was isolated in case 3 from bone marrow, and in case 4 both from blood and bone marrow. All patients received combined treatment consisting of ceftriaxone, rifampicin, and doxycycline. They were discharged from the hospital with full recovery. No recurrence or any complaint was observed during the follow-up. In conclusion, despite the rapid course and serious complications, outcome from febrile-toxic neurobrucellosis is excellent especially when effective antimicrobial therapy is started early in the course of illness.     

Multidetector computed tomography findings of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia: a case report

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) is a heart muscle disorder characterized pathologically by fatty or fibrofatty replacement and electrical instability of the right ventricular myocardium. This cardiac entity leads to sudden cardiac death, syncope, recurrent ventricular tachycardia, and in some cases, heart failure in a younger population. Contrast angiography, echocardiography, radionuclide angiography, ultrafast computed tomography (CT), and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging are techniques used to diagnose functional and morphologic characteristics of the disease. CT is sensitive in detecting intramyocardial fat because of its low attenuation. Recently the advances in multislice CT (MDCT) have improved temporal resolution, which has increased effectiveness in providing morphologic and functional information. We present a case with ARVD evaluated through 16-row MDCT. Fatty infiltration was clearly demonstrated by 16-slice CT; thus, multislice CT may have a significant role in the assessment and follow-up of patients with ARVD.     

Dependence of fetal hairs and sebaceous glands on fetal adrenal cortex and possible control from adrenal medulla

Human fetal adrenal development is characterized by rapid growth, high steroidogenic activity, and a distinct morphology, including a unique cortical compartment known as the fetal zone. For most of gestation, the predominant fetal zone accounts for 80-90% of the cortical volume and is the primary site of growth and steroidogenesis, producing 100-200 mg/day of the androgenic steroid, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S). The physiological role of this zone during intrauterine life is not well understood. While the glands appear to be capable of DHEA-S synthesis early in gestation (8-10 weeks), we noticed that this event precedes the differentiation of hairs and sebaceous glands. Hairs begin to develop between 9 and 12 weeks and sebaceous glands between 13 and 15 weeks of gestation. Sebaceous glands form an oily secretion - sebum that mixes with desquamated epidermal cells to form vernix caseosa. Vernix caseosa protects the developing skin from constant exposure to amniotic fluid, and hairs helps to hold the vernix caseosa on the skin. We suggest therefore that the human fetal adrenal cortex produces DHEA-S beginning at around 8-10 weeks of gestation in sufficient quantities to influence the growth of hairs and sebaceous glands. Soon after birth, the fetal zone atrophies, and adrenal androgen production decreases to minimal levels. As a consequence, in concordance with the rapid decrease in adrenal androgen levels and in consistent with our hypothesis, fetal hairs are shed and sebaceous glands shrink to small structures. The mechanism that regulates fetal adrenal androgen production is a key unanswered problem in human adrenal biology. Since there exists a close relationship between epinephrine and DHEA-S levels during adrenarche which shows modulatory interactions between adrenal androgen production and adrenomedullary function, we suggest again that adrenomedullary function might play a role in the control of fetal adrenal androgen secretion.     

Smad2 and Smad4 gene mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma.

TGF-beta is a negative regulator of liver growth. Smad family of genes, as mediators of TGF-beta pathway, are candidate tumor suppressor genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We studied 35 HCC and non-tumour liver tissues for possible mutations in Smad2 and Smad4 genes. Three tumours displayed somatic mutations; two in Smad4 (Asp332Gly and Cys401Arg) and one in Smad2 (Gln407Arg) genes. All three mutations were A:T --> G:C transitions suspected to result from oxidative stress as observed in mitochondrial DNA. These observation demonstrate that TGF-beta pathway is altered in hepatocellular carcinoma.     

Recent findings on pertussis epidemiology in Turkey

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that pertussis remains one of the least well-controlled vaccine-preventable diseases. It is supposed that the incidence of reported pertussis among adolescents, adults, and young infants has increased over the past decade. The aim of this study is to evaluate recent epidemiological data on pertussis in Turkey by regions. Data on vaccination coverage and pertussis incidence between 1986 and 2005 obtained from the Expanded Programme on Immunization national surveillance database of the Ministry of Health of Turkey were analyzed. Age and geographical distribution of the reported cases between 2000 and 2005 were evaluated. It was found that third-dose vaccination coverage increased from 1986 (45%) to 2005 (90%). In 2005, pertussis incidence tended to decrease (0.38 per 100,000) compared to 1986 (2.03 per 100,000). Even though only up to 6.5% of the cases were ≥15 years of age until 2005, 16.9% of them were included in this age group in 2005. It was observed that vaccination coverage rates steadily increased and pertussis incidence decreased by years despite some regional differences. In Turkey, pertussis incidence appears to be reaching the WHO targets, except East Anatolia. It is possible that waning immunity is responsible for the change of the age distribution of pertussis cases. However, priority should be given to strengthening available vaccination efforts throughout the country. A booster dose of pertussis vaccine in adolescence might be required in the future.