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Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop a new diagnostic index (DI) on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings including serum C-reactive protein (CRP) for tuberculous meningitis (TM) and bacterial meningitis (BM)., Subjects and Methods: During a 7-year period, 96 adult patients with meningitis (30 with TM and 66 with BM) were studied retrospectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the diagnostic value of clinical and laboratory parameters as independent predictors on discrimination of tuberculous from BM patients., Results: Six features predictive for diagnosis including age, CSF leukocyte count, PML dominance, length of illness, serum CRP level and blood WBC count were used. The DI model developed from these features had very high sensitivity and specificity rates of 100.0 and 95.4%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity rates were 97.4 and 100%, respectively, in microbiologically proven cases., Conclusion: Our results suggested that this new DI which consists of simple clinical and laboratory parameters had the power to discriminate adult patients with documented tuberculous and BM (excluding Brucella meningitis). It should, however, be tested in prospective studies., (Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

A multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) was applied to investigate the epidemiological relationship and genetic diversity among 162 human Brucella isolates collected from all geographic regions of Turkey in an 8-year period (2001 to 2008). The isolates were genotyped by using an MLVA assay developed in Orsay, France (MLVA-16(Orsay)) including eight minisatellite (panel 1) and eight microsatellite (panel 2, subdivided into 2A and 2B) markers. Panels 1 and 2A distinguish 14 genotypes; two of these represented 85% of the strains. Panel 2B displayed a very high discriminatory power. Three loci from panel 2B had diversity index values higher than 0.74. MLVA-16(Orsay) yielded 105 genotypes; 73 were represented by a unique isolate, and 32 included two to eight isolates. The isolates from different patients within the same outbreak or from the same patient before first-line therapy and after relapse showed identical genotypes. A number of MLVA genotypes appeared to be partially restricted to some geographic areas and displayed no annual variation, possibly reflecting persistence of genotypes in certain areas for a time span of at least a decade. This study, representing the first molecular typing results of human Brucella isolates from Turkey, indicated that Turkish human Brucella melitensis isolates were most closely related to the neighboring countries' isolates included in the East Mediterranean group.

Background: Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum are important opportunistic pathogens implicated in urogenital infections and complicated pregnancy. We aimed to study the role of these pathogens in symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women and determine their clinical significance and antibiotic susceptibility., Methods: One hundred pregnant women were included in the study, 50 symptomatic patients and 50 asymptomatic controls. Duplicate endocervical samples were taken from each individual and analyzed using the Mycoplasma IST-2 kit and A7 agar medium. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested against doxycycline, josamycin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, and pristinamycin using the Mycoplasma IST-2 kit., Results: Twelve symptomatic pregnant women had spontaneous abortions. Of these, eight (66.7%) cases had been colonized with M. hominis and/or U. urealyticum. Of the pregnant women infected with M. hominis and/or U. urealyticum, 40.7% delivered a low birth weight infant. M. hominis was successfully cultured in five women (5%) and U. urealyticum in 27 (27%). Among positive cultures, 15.6% and 84.4% of isolates were M. hominis and U. urealyticum, respectively. M. hominis and U. urealyticum were uniformly susceptible to doxycycline, tetracycline, and pristinamycin, which may be successfully used in the empirical therapy of infected individuals., Conclusions: It can be concluded that genital colonization with M. hominis and U. urealyticum may predispose to spontaneous abortion and low birth weight., (Copyright 2009 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

It is well known that antioxidants and reactive oxygen species play an important role in carcinogenesis. In this study, we attempted to evaluate antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation levels in cancerous bladder tissue and to determine their relationship with bacterial infection. Bacterial culture was made from all urine samples using Blood and Eosin Methylene Blue agars for checking the presence of bacterial infections. We measured thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) and activities of xanthine oxidase (XO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), and catalase (CAT) in cancerous tissues of 25 bladder cancer patients, in noncancerous adjacent bladder tissues of 13 out of these 25 patients, and in control bladder tissues of 15 patients with a non-neoplastic genitourinary disease. TBARs levels increased and XO, SOD, GSH-PX, and CAT activities decreased significantly in cancerous bladder tissues. TBARS, XO, and SOD levels were not significantly different between noncancerous adjacent tissue and control bladder tissue. Statistically significantly lower GSH-PX and higher CAT activities were observed in noncancerous adjacent bladder tissue compared with cancerous tissue. GSH-PX level of tumor tissue was correlated significantly with tumor grade (r=-0.425, P=0.034). Results suggested that pathway activity of free radicals were accelerated in the cancerous human bladder tissues via increased TBARs levels and decreased enzyme activities of XO, SOD, GSH-PX, and CAT, which implicated a severe exposure of cancerous tissues to oxidative stress.

Salmonella Typhi infections are important public health problems for the developing countries. In this study we investigated the molecular epidemiology of a suspected well-water borne S. Typhi outbreak occurred in a district of Malatya-Turkey. This outbreak affected 10 patients in two days. Arbitrary primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) based typing showed two clones, one had seven, and the other had three strains, supporting outbreak speculation. By adding chlorine to wells by local municipal authority, the outbreak ended within a very short time (about ten days).

Background: Anthrax is a potentially fatal zoonotic disease. The diagnosis of cutaneous anthrax (CA) may be very difficult, particularly in atypical presentations and nonendemic regions., Aim: To evaluate the clinical features and diagnostic difficulties of 23 anthrax cases seen between May 2004 and September 2006., Methods: Twenty-three patients with CA were included in this study. The diagnosis of CA was based on clinical findings and/or microbiologic procedures., Results: All patients with a diagnosis of CA were followed up. One patient experienced toxemic shock. Twenty-two patients had a history of animal contact. Only one patient did not recall any history of suspicious contact. The clinical presentation of CA was typical in 20 patients (87%). Two patients were initially misdiagnosed with insect bites and one patient with angioedema. Cultures from the lesions were positive for Bacillus anthracis in seven cases (30.4%). Gram stain from the lesions revealed Gram-positive rods in eight cases (34.8%). Fifteen patients (65.2%) were diagnosed by clinical presentation and a history of contact with sick animals and/or contaminated animal products., Conclusion: CA is a very contagious and important infectious disease worldwide. Early and accurate diagnosis dramatically affects the prognosis of the disease. The diagnosis of CA may be difficult, especially in atypical presentations and nonendemic areas. Thus, CA should be kept in mind, especially in these situations.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen usually resistant to most antimicrobials. We present changes in the resistance pattern of P. aeruginosa to amikacin (AK) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) between January 2002 and June 2004. The physicians of each unit were given information on antibiotic resistance rates of P. aeruginosa isolated from ward patients at regular intervals. The antibiotic resistance of 161 P. aeruginosa isolates isolated from intensive care units (ICUs) and non-ICUs were tested by disk diffusion method, and the results were interpreted according to the guidelines of National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Thirty-five percent of all the P. aeruginosa isolates were resistant to AK in 2002, 18% in 2003, and 20% in 2004. The CIP resistance rates were 4% in 2002, 26% in 2003, and 20% in 2004. In that period, resistance to AK decreased, whereas resistance to CIP increased. The usage rate of AK in 2002 was 32%, which fell to 26% in 2003 (p < 0.05). This rate increased to 27% in 2004 (p < 0.05). The usage rate of CIP was very low in 2002 (3%). Subsequently, it increased to 8% in 2003 and 2004 (p < 0.05). The changes in resistance rates may have been due to alteration in drug usage policy in our hospital. It is important to provide physicians with information on antibiotic resistance rates at regular intervals to guide therapy for critical P. aeruginosa infections.

We describe the first case of isosporiasis in a liver transplant patient. Watery diarrhea due to Isospora belli was observed in a woman who had undergone liver transplantation 8 months prior. She was successfully treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. This parasite should be taken into consideration as an opportunistic infection in transplant patients who need increased hygienic awareness.

Chryseobacterium indologenes was isolated from blood samples from a 5-month-old infant with bloodstream infection. Environmental sampling was performed. Molecular typing with arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction demonstrated the cross-contamination of commercial distillate water. The infant was infected by this water as a result of medical assistance received during hospitalization.

The aims of this study were to assess the nasopharyngeal colonisation rate, serogroup and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from healthy children. Of 848 children, 162 (19.1%) were found to be carriers. The carrier rate was significantly higher in the 7-year-old age group. Children from the slums of the city had higher carriage rate (23.7%) than those in the centre of the city (17.7%), but this was not statistically significant. The number of intermediate penicillin-resistant strains was 17 (10.5%). No high-level penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae strain was found. The rates of resistance to co-trimoxazole, erythromycin, tetracycline and clindamycin were 11.7%, 4.9%, 4.3% and 3.7%, respectively. All isolates were uniformly susceptible to rifampicin, moxifloxacin, levofloxacin and vancomycin. Fourteen different serogroups were identified. The most prevalent serogroups in descending order were 9, 19, 23, 10, 6 and 18, accounting for 76.3% of the isolates. Arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction typing of 105 isolates revealed that 25 (23.8%) of the isolates were clonally indistinguishable. This value was 20.9% in children from the central area and 36.8% in those from the slum of the city. There was no relationship between serogroups and genotypes, i.e. strains within the same serogroup yielded the same or different genotypes, and vice versa. In conclusion, serogrouping results give a preliminary idea about the possible coverage of a future pneumococcal vaccine. Penicillin G is still a suitable agent for the empirical treatment of pneumococcal infections in our population. Living in the slum of the city may lead to both increased carriage and clustering rates of S. pneumoniae among healthy children.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant disease characterized by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells within the bone marrow. Several cytokines have been demonstrated to be involved in the control of growth, progression, and dissemination of MM. We determined serum levels of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in 14 newly diagnosed MM patients. The median age of the patients was 63.4 +/- 10.8 years and all of the patients were stage III (classified according to the Durie-Salmon classification). The same parameters were measured in 15 healthy controls. In addition, we also examined the effects of vincristine-adriamycin-dexamethasone (VAD) therapy on the same parameters and mediators as well as the relationship among the parameters in the same patient groups. The serum concentrations of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, sIL-2R, IL-6, IL-8, and CRP (18.6 +/- 3.7 pg/mL, 10.1 +/- 2.8 pg/mL, 730 +/- 220 U/mL, 11.4 +/- 3.3 pg/mL, 23.9 +/- 8.3 pg/mL, and 49.9 +/- 19.5 mg/dL, resp) were significantly higher in newly diagnosed MM patients than in healthy controls (P < .0001). All of the parameters were found to be significantly reduced after chemotherapy. In conclusion, we found that after the VAD therapy, the level of these cytokines which are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of MM was significantly suppressed. This is the first study demonstrating strong impact of VAD treatment on circulating mediators of sIL-2R and IL-8 levels parameters.

The present report is a case control study aimed to determine the levels of cytokines and other parameters in the sera of allergy-complicated and uncomplicated giardiasic children before and after metronidazole treatment. The study included a total of 126 subjects; 52 giardiasic children, 34 allergy-complicated giardiasis (36.9%) and 34 healthy controls, as well as six cases of giardiasis simultaneously infected with other parasites or bacterial pathogens. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-1beta, soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R), IL-6, IL-8, nitric oxide (NO), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined. TNF-alpha and sIL-2R levels significantly increased in giardiasic cases. IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, CRP, and NO levels increased only in the cases associated with allergy. All increased variables significantly decreased following metronidazole treatment and returned to normal levels. Metronidazole-treated patients became 100% parasite free. In conclusion, increased TNF-alpha and sIL-2R may be involved in pathogenesis of non-allergic giardiasis and probably Th1 type immune response seems to be predominant and this response may be protective rather than causative of the disease. Activation of the immune system takes place in giardiasis. It is broader and more intense in allergy-complicated giardiasis than that of uncomplicated cases, most probably due to non-invasive character of G. lamblia. Enhanced IgE production pointed to Th2-type immune response and confirms its association with allergy.

This study was performed from June 2002 to November 2003 year in Malatya, eastern Turkey. Stools of 172 diarrheic patients and 90 healthy controls were analysed for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). Heat-labile (LT) and heat-stable (ST) toxins were investigated by passive latex agglutination and enzyme immunoassay, respectively. Nine ETEC strains were isolated from 172 diarrheic stools (5.2%). Seven of the ETEC strains (10.1%) were isolated from 69 children in the 0-5 year age group. Two of these pediatric isolates were ST positive (2.9%) and five were LT positive (7.2%). ETEC was not isolated in the 6-18 year age group. Two ST producing E. coli strains were detected in diarrheic adult patients (> 18 years). In the 90 controls, two ETEC strains were detected (2.2%). One of them was a LT producer (1.1%) and the other was a ST producer (1.1%). E. coli strains producing both toxins simultaneously were not observed. ETEC positivity was higher in the diarrheic group than in the control group but statistically not significant (p > 0.05). The rate of resistance among ETEC strains to cefuroxime axetil, ampicillin, piperacillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was 72.7%, 54.5%, 45.5%, and 36.4%, respectively whereas the resistance rate to the same antibiotics in non-ETEC strains was 14%, 62%, 54%, and 66%, respectively. All ETEC isolates were intermediately resistant to cephalothin and fully susceptible to other antibiotics tested. Typing of the ETEC strains was done by arbitrary primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR). Only two LT strains of the 11 typed strains had a unique profile. The remaining nine were mixed LT and ST strains and divided into two groups. The first group had three strains having a similarity coefficient ranging from 70-90%. The other one had six strains, five of them were similar and one was subtype isolate. It can be concluded that ETEC strains might be considerably important enteropathogens especially in pediatric patients in the 0-5 year age group. High clonal relation indicated that ETEC strains were epidemiologically related.

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a well-known entity, with a reported incidence of 15-20% in advanced cirrhotic patients. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae are the most common causes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis; Brucella is extremely rare. We aimed to present one case of such a rare condition in a cirrhotic patient who also had hepatocellular carcinoma. Routine laboratory tests, abdominal ultrasonography and peritoneal fluid examinations were studied in a cirrhotic patient with ascites. Peritoneal fluid white blood cell count was 1300/mm3, with lymphocyte predominance (80%). Peritoneal fluid and blood culture both yielded Brucella melitensis. The patient also had a mass in the right lobe of the liver confirmed as hepatocellular carcinoma by biopsy. Brucella should be suspected as a cause of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients with no response to standard spontaneous bacterial peritonitis treatments and with immunodeficiency such as hepatocellular carcinoma.

A total of 116 sera collected from 86 persons infected with G. lamblia (40 males, 46 females) and 30 healthy controls (12 males, 18 females) were tested in order to determine the levels of some cytokines. Serum levels of IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10 were measured by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The cytokine that increased most was IL-2 which had an elevated level of 46.5% and was followed by IL-4 (2.3%). IL-10 had not increased at all. The elevated ratio of IL-2 levels showed significant difference (p < 0.001). From these results, it can be concluded that Th1 immune response seems to be predominant in subjects infected with G. lamblia.

This study included 62 subjects who presented at the Turgut Ozal Medical Centre in Malatya. Of these, 32 were infected with the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus and the remaining 30 were healthy controls. The ratio of males to females was 0.45. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) occurred in all age groups; the youngest case was 12 years and the oldest case was 74 years old. The frequency of hydatid cysts located in liver was (78.1%) followed by lungs (15.7 %) and one in the brain. All patients recovered completely except for one woman (35 years old) in whom multiple cysts (21cysts) were detected in liver and omentum two years after the first operation. In 68.7 % of the cases, the cytokine that was most frequently increased was IL-4. The IL-2 cytokine increased to 46.8% followed by IL-10 (40.6 %). These results suggest that there are different immunoregulatory events and the cytokine response during CE may be in part related to the slight monocytosis observed in CE patients. In conclusion, concurrent Th1 and Th2 cytokine-type profiles were expressed in CE with the predominance of type Th2 cytokines.