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Objective: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) are among the major causes of mortality in children worldwide. Our study aimed to determine viral agents in children under five years of age who were followed up with acute LRTI. Methods: Nasopharyngeal swab samples were taken from children aged 1 month to 5 years who were diagnosed with LRTI at the Bezmialem Vakıf University pediatric emergency department between March 1, 2015 and January 31, 2016. Cases with underlying chronic diseases were excluded from the study. The presence of the agent was investigated in the samples taken using the real-time polymerase chain reaction method. The distribution of cases in which the agent was detected according to age groups and seasons was examined. The relationship between the agent and the clinical and laboratory findings was investigated. Results: Of the 95 patients included in the study, 51 (53.7%) were male, 44 (46.3%) were female, and the mean age was 26.2 months. The presence of viruses was shown in 50 cases (52.6%). The most frequently detected viruses were rhinovirus (28%), human bocavirus (HBoV) (26%) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (24%). While RSV infections were more common in winter months, HBoV was observed to persist throughout the year. No significant relationship was found between the clinical and laboratory findings of the patients and the agents. Conclusion: Viral etiology was detected in 52.6% of the cases. Molecular tests are valuable in detecting more than one virus in the distribution of viruses among different age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anatolian Clinic Journal of Medical Sciences is the property of Hayat Saglik ve Sosyal Hizmetler Vakfi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Medical Journal of Istanbul Kanuni Sultan Süleyman / İstanbul Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Tıp Dergisi is the property of Logos Medical Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Mediterranean Journal of Infection, Microbes & Antimicrobials is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Mediterranean Journal of Infection, Microbes & Antimicrobials is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory infection-coronavirus disease-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes a hyperinflammatory response associated with a Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS). The use of tocilizumab for treating MAS may affect the level of antibodies. In this study, we investigated whether tocilizumab could affect the antibody response in patients. Method: Fifty-five coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients who developed MAS and 55 patients who did not develop MAS were included in the study. There were 25 patients using tocilizumab in the MAS group. We used the blood, which was taken at the time of discharge. Spike antibodies against COVID-19 were examined from the collected blood. The SARS-CoV-2 immünglobulin G (Abbott, USA) commercial kit will be studied quantitatively with the incandescent microparticle immune analysis (CMIA) method on the Architect i1000 (Abbott, USA) device. Statistical analysis was performed using the student t-test. Results: There was no statistical difference between the MAS group and the control group. High-level antibody response was statistically higher in the MAS group (>5,000) (p<0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in the antibody response between patients who used and did not use tocilizumab (p>0.05). Conclusion: MAS group has increased antibody response. There was no evidence that the use of tocilizumab altered the antibody response. Large-sample studies are needed for more precise effects of tocilizumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Keratitis is the inflammation of the cornea and associated with both infectious and noninfectious diseases. A mechanism called Quorum Sensing (QS) is the communication between bacterial cells reliant on cell density and the concentration of specific signaling molecules. Inhibitors of QS are an advanced strategy discovered to decrease P. aeruginosa pathogenesis and its virulence. Based on the previous studies and proven effects of furanones as a QS inhibitor on pseudomonas infection, this study aims to investigate QS inhibition by furanone compounds in P. aeruginosa keratitis rabbit model. Method: Thirty adults New Zealand white rabbits were used in this study. Corneas of anesthetized rabbits were intrastromally injected with bacteria. Rabbits were randomly divided into six groups. Control group only infected with P. aeruginosa. Starting 1 hour after inoculation 0.1 mg/mL (B), 0.2 mg/mL (C), 0.3 mg/mL (D) Furanone, 50 mg/mL ceftazidime (A) and 20% dimethyl sulfoxide (E) were used with one drop per hour. Rabbits were sacrificed 3 days later and corneas were collected. Results: Collected samples were evaluated clinically, histologically and biochemical. In all evaluations, the therapeutic response in the antibiotic group was better than other groups. Slit lamp examination score of Group C was significantly lowered compared to the control (p=0.009). Histological evaluation shows that inflammation is decreased in B, C, and D groups. Reactive oxygen species values were significantly lower in group B (p=0.001) and C (p=0.01). And there was no statistical significance among Superoxide dismutase values. Conclusion: The comprehensive findings demonstrate that furanone showed an anti-inflammatory effect. However, its therapeutic effect has not been observed to be sufficient compared to antibiotics. Further investigation is necessary to explore the protective effects and mechanism of furanones on pseudomona keratitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Toxoplasmosis is a pathogen that is generally asymptomatic in a healthy person but can cause serious congenital infections in the fetus. According to the current literature, cleaning the cat sand, establishing a close relationship with the cat, kissing, loving the cat, licking the cat, cat bite, breathing cat feathers are the indirect transmission routes for toxoplasmosis. Streptococcus agalactiae is the main cause of neonatal sepsis. Maternal colonization is the most important risk factor for neonatal group B streptococcal infection. The aim of this study was to shed light on the possible effects of direct toxoplasma transmission via toxoplasma seroconversion as a result of direct and indirect contacts in cat-feeding and non-feeding pregnant women, and the possible effects on flora or microbiomata via group B streptococci and urine culture. Method: In this retrospective study, 100 pregnant women with Toxoplasma parameter, Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) colonization and urine culture results were included. Pregnants were divided into 2 groups as those feeding cat and those not feeding cat Results: One hundred pregnant women voluntarily participated in our study. Thirteen of them fed cats. The ages were between 20 and 49 years and the mean age was 31.05±5.084 years, gravida values were 2 (1-8), parity values were 1 (0-4), the mean number of the cats in the house was 1 (1-15). In 87 pregnants who did not feed cats, GBS colonization was observed in 4 pregnants (4/87, 4.6% p=1), urine culture positivity was seen in 22 pregnants (22/87, 25.3% p=0.666), toxoplasma IgG positivity was seen in 16 pregnants (16/87, 18.4% p=0.183), toxoplasma IgM seroconversion was observed in only 1 pregnant (1/87, 1.1% p=1). In 13 pregnants who fed cats, there was no positivity observed in these parameters. Conclusion: There was no relationship among GBS colonization, urine culture growth, IgG positivity and IgM seroconversion in pregnants who fed cats. According to our research, cat feeding did not have any effect on GBS colonization, urine culture growth, toxoplasma IgG positivity and toxoplasma IgM seroconversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Since most infectious diseases can develop into sepsis, it is still a major problem. Antipsychotics have been recognized as one of the drugs that can be used against infections, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors constitute the majority of them with their antimicrobial activities. Some in-vivo studies show that fluoxetine has some promising properties in specific infections, but this is the first study of antibiotic versus antidepressant in sepsis model. This study aimed to investigate the effect of fluoxetine on the inflammatory process compared to the antibiotics used in the treatment of sepsis model in rats and to investigate the efficacy of fluoxetine in modifying the antibiotic effect. Method: Based on the previous studies, the sample size was determined according to 95% confidence level to reveal the difference of 2.1 units between the means, α=0.05 significance level, and n=40 (8 rats/group) to obtain 80% power. Fourty adult female wistar-albino rats were randomly divided into five groups and all groups were treated according to Table 1. After the treatment, blood and tissue samples were collected. Serum and tissue high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HsCRP), pro calcitonin (PCT), lactate, myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured using ELISA methods. Oxidative stress markers of total thiol (TT), native thiol (NT), total oxidant status (TOS), and total antioxidant status (TAS) were studied by photometric methods. Tissue protein levels were measured by Bradford method. Results: After the treatment, fluoxetine, imipenem, and combined (fluoxetine + imipenem) groups’ IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, MPO, MCP-1, HsCRP, PCT, lactate, TOS, OSI and disulfide levels were reduced (p<0.05). The levels of antioxidant indicators (TT, NT, and TAS) were significantly increased (p<0.05). Fluoxetine and imipenem combined therapy showed positive synergistic effects. Conclusion: Our study shows that fluoxetine has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and its combined therapy with imipenem shows positive snergistic effects against experimental sepsis model. Therefore, fluoxetine can be used for the treatment of sepsis together with imipenem to ameliorate sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mediterranean Journal of Infection, Microbes & Antimicrobials is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The recent pandemic of COVID-19 has caused a tremendous alarm around the world. Details of the infection process in the host have significant bearings on both recovery from the disease and on the correlates of the protection from the future exposures. One of these factors is the presence and titers of neutralizing Abs (NAbs) in infected people. In the current study, we set out to investigate NAbs in the recovered subjects discharged from the hospital in full health. Serum samples from a total of 49 documented consecutive COVID-19 subjects were included in the study. All the subjects were adults, and serum samples collected during the discharge were tested in viral neutralization, enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and Western immunoblot tests against viral Ags. Even though a majority of the recovered subjects had raised significant NAb titers, there is a substantial number of recovered patients (10 out of 49) with no or low titers of NAbs against the virus. In these cohorts as well as in patients with high NAb titers, viral Ag binding Abs were detectable in EIA tests. Both NAb titers and EIA detectable Abs are increased in patients experiencing a severe form of the disease, and in older patients the Ab titers were heightened. The main conclusion is that the recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection is not solely dependent on high NAb titers in affected subjects, and this recovery process is probably produced by a complex interplay between many factors, including immune response, age of the subjects, and viral pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]