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Background: The World Health Organization urges to integrate traditional medicine into health services particularly primary health care services. The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of residents on Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM) and compare the ones in the department of Family Medicine with the others. Materials and Methods: A descriptive comparative study. Residents in a training and research hospital in Istanbul were divided into three groups as Family Medicine, Surgical specialities, and other Medical specialities. A questionnaire consisting of 23 questions was prepared and applied to the residents at the hospital, using a face-to-face interview technique. Results: In this study, 245 residents from different departments participated. Among them, 68.9% (n=169) stated that T&CM applications might contribute to modern medicine. It was determined that the most known applications were Acupuncture, Cupping therapy, and Hirudotherapy. Among the participants, 11.0% (n=27) of the residents had a certificate of a T&CM applications. According to 69.2% of the residents in Family Medicine the main role of T&CM is in wellness and preventive healthcare. Among the residents in the Family Medicine, the number of participants using T&CM applications in the treatment of their own health problems was found to be higher than the ones in the other medical and surgical specialities; 38.5%, 9.6% and 10.1%, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: Compared to other medical and surgical specialities, residents in family medicine seem to have a more positive attitude towards T&CM practices. Further education and training are required for resident physicians to enhance their understanding of the possible efficacy and adverse effects of T&CM practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, in addition to the current measures, the healthy immune system plays an essential role and various natural agents have been recommended to boost innate immunity. The aim of this study was to investigate any association between the potential immunomodulatory activity and drinking olive leaf tea (OLT) in the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: The study was conducted among the workers in a tractor factory where OLT was served in routine. Drinking at least one cup of OLT per day for a minimum of 1 month was the inclusion criteria used in the study. The workers who had a history of vaccination and COVID-19 were excluded from the study, and lymphocyte subsets, interleukin (IL)-2, IFN-γ, COVID-19-specific IgM and IgG levels were analyzed in all the participants to determine the asymptomatic individuals among the participants and compare the immunological parameters. Results: The study was conducted among 336 workers, 183 of them were OLT drinkers and 153 were OLT nondrinkers. The results showed higher values of CD3−/CD16/56 (natural killer [NK]) cells, CD3+/CD16/56 (natural killer T [NKT]) cells, total NK (NK+NKT) cells, and serum IFN-γ, and IL-2 levels in OLT drinkers compared to the nondrinkers. Although all the OLT drinkers and nondrinkers included in the study reported no history of COVID-19, specific COVID-19 IgG levels were found positive in 60% of OLT drinkers and 38% OLT nondrinkers. Conclusions: Peripheral NK and NKT cell values and IL-2 and IFN-γ secretion levels were found higher in the OLT drinking group. There were positive correlations between the OLT drinking frequency and NK cell counts. Moreover, the number of individuals who had "asymptomatic" COVID-19 infection was higher in the OLT drinking group than in the nondrinking cohort. Clinical Trial Registration Number: The trial has been registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov database (CTR NCT05222347). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Usher syndrome is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous autosomal recessive inherited disorder accompanied by hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Since the associated genes are various and quite large, we utilized whole-exome sequencing (WES) as a diagnostic tool to identify the molecular basis of Usher syndrome. DNA from a 12-year-old male diagnosed with Usher syndrome was analyzed by WES. Mutations detected were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The pathogenicity of these mutations was determined by in silico analysis. A maternally inherited deleterious frameshift mutation, c.14439_14454del in exon 66 and a paternally inherited non-sense c.10830G>A stop-gain SNV in exon 55 of USH2A were found as two novel compound heterozygous mutations. Both of these mutations disrupt the C terminal of USH2A protein. As a result, WES revealed two novel compound heterozygous mutations in a Turkish USH2A patient. This approach gave us an opportunity to have an appropriate diagnosis and provide genetic counseling to the family within a reasonable time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization established a strategy on traditional medicine activities to facilitate integration of traditional medicine into the national health care system. Traditional and complementary medicine is now addressed by a legislation in Turkey. The aim of this study is to explore an integrative approach from for idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. This is a retrospective study. Study was carried out on idiopathic granulomatous mastitis patients who were followed in the Breast Clinic at Istanbul Medipol University Hospital for between May 2015 and September 2018. Hirudotherapy and medical cupping therapy were applied as traditional and complementary medicine integratively in accordance with the related Regulation. Radiological imaging, microbiological and histological testing, side effects, and relapses were analyzed. Radiological response was evaluated at the end of the treatment. Follow-up consisted of clinical breast exam and imaging. Thirty patients with a mean age of 34.6 years were analyzed. The average duration of symptoms was 4.6 months. Common symptoms were breast mass (100%), tenderness to palpation (73.3%), erythema (56.6%), fistula formation and deformity (43.4%), and axillary lymph nodes (43.4%). After confirmation of diagnosis of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis, patients were treated with hirudotherapy combined with medical cupping therapy. Symptoms had completely resolved within 110.3 ± 24.70 days (range 90–180) after starting treatment, and complete radiological response was confirmed 3 months after the end of the therapy by breast ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All patients were successfully treated, and no evidence of relapse was experienced within the follow-up period of 22.87 ± 12.47 months. Hirudotherapy and medical cupping therapy were observed as efficient methods. Further investigations are required to validate the results in larger numbers of patients with longer follow-up. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04096300). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Music therapy has been used for relaxation in traditional medicine. This study explored the effect of music therapy on the physical and mental parameters of cancer patients during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Design and Methods: Thirty patients who were hospitalized for bone marrow transplantation were included. Traditional Music Therapy of Islamic Turkish Culture was applied to the patients during the transplantation process. Specific physical and psychological parameters of patients were evaluated before and after music therapy. Findings: A positive relationship between anxiety and distress scores was observed. Music therapy had a significant impact on increasing levels of oxygen saturation, and decreasing anxiety and distress levels of the HSCT patients (P <.05). Practice Implications: Music therapy may provide positive effects for patients during HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pilonidal disease is a common problem in primary health care which may require immediate surgical referral. Although various management options have been proposed, so far there is no gold standard treatment. The aim of the present study was to determine which of the following techniques was superior as regards postoperative complications and recurrence, midline unshifted adipofascial turn-over flap, midline shifted adipofascial turn-over flap or Karydakis flap. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted in the Department of General Surgery. Patients with non-complicated pilonidal sinus were enrolled in the study from April 2009 to January 2012. All patients were randomized the day of surgery at the coordinating center by means of a computer program. Patients were randomized to receive midline unshifted adipofascial turn-over flap, midline shifted adipofascial turn-over flap or Karydakis flap. All procedures were performed under local anesthesia and patients were discharged 6 h after surgery. Demographic characteristics, skin color, body hair type, family history, preoperative complaints and duration of symptoms, cyst size, intraoperative iatrogenic cyst rupture, the presence of a tuft of hairs in the cyst, surgical techniques, duration of drainage, length of hospital stay, postoperative complications and recurrence were evaluated. Results: One hundred and ninety-two patients with non-complicated pilonidal sinus were enrolled. Seventy-two patients were randomized to midline unshifted adipofascial turn-over flap, 67 patients to midline shifted adipofascial turn-over flap and 53 patients to Karydakis flap. The mean age was 25.66 ± 7.67 years. At 76-month follow-up, the overall complications and recurrence rates were not significantly different between groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: In cases of non-complicated pilonidal sinus, we recommend surgical management using local anesthesia, outpatient surgery and the surgical approach with which the surgeon is most familiar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]