Zafer Habip | Istanbul Medeniyet University (original) (raw)

Papers by Zafer Habip

International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology, 2024

Çocuk Enfeksiyon Dergisi, Sep 8, 2023

Dicle Medical Journal, Sep 2, 2022

Sonuç: Çalışmada piperasilin-tazobaktam,amikasin ve gentamisinin S.paucimobilis enfeksiyonları iç... more Sonuç: Çalışmada piperasilin-tazobaktam,amikasin ve gentamisinin S.paucimobilis enfeksiyonları için iyi bir tedavi alternatifi olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Ayrıca diğer non-fermentatif mikroorganizmalarda olduğu gibi direnç oranlarındaki artış daha yüksek oranlara ulaşırsa tedavisinde sıkıntılar yaşanabileceği göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır.

Van tıp dergisi, 2020

Sonuç: Çalışmamızda kolistin ve tigesiklin A.baumannii suşlarına karşı en etkili antibiyotik olma... more Sonuç: Çalışmamızda kolistin ve tigesiklin A.baumannii suşlarına karşı en etkili antibiyotik olmakla birlikte, tigesiklin direncini yıllar içinde artış göstermesi ve kolistin direncinin görülmesi dikkat çekicidir. Bu artış oranları nedeniyle klinisyenler için tedavi seçenekleri h er geçen gün azalmaktadır. Bu nedenle her hastanenin kendi antibiyotik direnç profilinin gözden geçirilmesinin, özellikle Acinetobacter enfeksiyonları gibi ciddi enfeksiyonların ampirik tedavisinde klinisyene yol göstermesi açısından önemli olduğu düşünüldü.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Apr 1, 2016

Background: Dengue infection manifests as a wide range of symptoms, from a mild fever to fatal de... more Background: Dengue infection manifests as a wide range of symptoms, from a mild fever to fatal dengue shock syndrome. The presence of four serotypes and infection-enhancing antibodies pose a challenge to further investigate the role of virus and immune response in dengue pathogenesis. The serotype of the infecting virus, viremia and a number of inflammatory mediators have been identified as risk factors in severe dengue disease but a comprehensive analysis of these factors in an Indian cohort has not been reported. Methods & Materials: We evaluated the viral and immunological factors that correlate with severe dengue disease in a cohort of pediatric dengue patients in New Delhi. Dengue-infected patients were enrolled and classified into three disease severities namely, Dengue Infection (DI), Dengue with Warning signs (DW) and Severe Dengue (SD) based on WHO classification. Blood samples were collected and the infecting virus serotype and viremia were analysed. Plasma cytokine levels were estimated by multiplex magneticbead assays. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and dengue positive cells were identified by staining cell surface markers and viral antigen and analysis by flouorescence activated cell sorting technique. Markers of disease severity and recovery were identified by computational approaches involving multivariate analysis. Results: Severe dengue disease was observed in both primary and secondary infections. Viral load had no association with disease severity but high viral load correlated with prolonged thrombocytopenia and delayed recovery. Severe dengue cases had low Th1 cytokines and a concurrent increase in the inflammatory mediators such as IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10. A transient increase in CD14 + CD16 + intermediate monocytes was observed early in infection. The CD14 + cells, but not the CD16 + or the T or B cells, were positive for dengue antigen and were major producers of IL-10. Reduced interferon-␣ levels and enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokines were identified as some of the distinctive markers of severe dengue. Furthermore, the cytokines IL-8 and IL-10 were identified as the most significant markers of recovery from severe disease. Conclusion: Our results provide further insights into the immune response of children to primary and secondary dengue infection and help us to understand the complex interplay between the intrinsic factors in dengue pathogenesis.

Acta Virologica, 2017

Neopterin and soluble CD14 (sCD14) are detected at high levels in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infecti... more Neopterin and soluble CD14 (sCD14) are detected at high levels in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. We aimed to evaluate the role of these plasma immune activation biomarkers, for the indirect assessment of immune activation status of patients with low anti-HCV reactivity and a HCV infection. Low anti-HCV reactivity group (LRG, n: 70), true positive HCV infection group (THG, 30) and healthy control group (HCG, 30) were analyzed in this study. We have used ELISA, HCV RIBA/LIA and HCV-RNA methods. Mean neopterin levels were significantly lower in LRG than THG (p <0.001). In contrast, those values were not significantly different from those of HCG (p >0.05). Mean sCD14 were significantly higher in LRG than THG and HCG (p <0.05, p <0.001). Values of 3.95 μg/ml and 5.36 nmol/l for sCD14 and neopterin resulted in the maximum area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), which were 0.859 (95% CI, 0.745 to 0.935; <0.0001) and 0.788 (95% CI, 0.663 to 0.883; <0.0001), respectively. These cutoffs corresponded to a sensitivity of 73.3% and a specificity of 73.3% for neopterin and of 100% and 76.7% for sCD14. Our results suggest that a specific immunoactivation might be caused by true positive HCV infection. Due to the significant results sCD14 in LRG might be non-specifically affected by some underlying atypical immunohematological pathologies. Only neopterin might be used to exclude low anti-HCV reactivity from a true HCV infection. The use of neopterin but not sCD14 in combination with fourth-generation EIA/CMIA combo tests will be useful when nucleic acid tests are not available for screening blood donors at blood banks.

Turkiye Klinikleri Pharmacology - Special Topics, 2021

Türk Mikrobiyoloji Cemiyeti Dergisi, 2019

ve bulanık olan 22 örneğin 9'unda (%40.9) bakteri saptanmıştır. Çalışma grubumuzdaki hastane kayn... more ve bulanık olan 22 örneğin 9'unda (%40.9) bakteri saptanmıştır. Çalışma grubumuzdaki hastane kaynaklı erişkin menenjitli hastaların BOS örneklerinde Gram pozitif bakterilerden en sık metisilin dirençli koagülaz negatif stafilokokların (n=6, %30), Gram negatif bakterilerden ise Klebsiella spp.nin (n=4, %20) ürediği belirlenmiştir. Toplum kaynaklı menenjit tanısı alan 1 olguda ise multipleks PZR ile S. pneumoniae saptanmıştır. Sonuç: Giderek azalan toplum kökenli menenjitlerde etken mikroorganizmanın tespiti için yapılan çalışmaların bugün artık yalnızca kültür yöntemine dayandırılmaması gerektiği, PZR yönteminin bu alanda sağladığı avantajlardan yararlanılması gerektiği düşüncesindeyiz.

African Health Sciences, 2018

Background: The use of conventional (serologically based) HIV 1/2 diagnostic algorithms has becom... more Background: The use of conventional (serologically based) HIV 1/2 diagnostic algorithms has become controversial in recent years. Objectives: Sera from patients who underwent verification tests were evaluated because repeated ELISA-reactive results demonstrated a HIV1+HIV2 positive band pattern. Methods: The line immunoassay (LIA) test was used for repeated HIV enzyme immunoassays (EIA)-reactive sera in patients at three centers. The Bio-Rad Geenius™ HIV 1/2 and the HIV-1 RNA tests were used. HIV-1 and RNA HIV-2 were investigated using PCR. Results: LIA was used to evaluate 3,224 out of 10,591 samples with repeated ELISA reactivity (30%). We found that 32 (1%) of the sera, along with HIV1 bands and HIV2 gp36 bands, were positive. Only 28 of the 32 verified serum samples with gp36 bands were repeated, and no gp36 band positivity was detected using the Bio-Rad Geenius™ HIV-1/2 confirmatory assay in these serum samples. The HIV-2 proviral DNAs were also negative. Therefore, we excluded the possibility of HIV1+2 co-infection. All samples from the 32 patients were positive for HIV-1 RNA. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need to exclude confirmatory tests like the LIA test from the current diagnostic HIV algorithm and replace it with rapid HIV-1 and HIV-2 confirmatory immunochromotographic tests.

Future Virology, 2017

Aim: Isolated hepatitis B core antibodies (aHBc)-only pattern complicates the diagnosis of HBV in... more Aim: Isolated hepatitis B core antibodies (aHBc)-only pattern complicates the diagnosis of HBV infections. We evaluated neopterin and sCD14 levels in HBV infections. Methods: aHBc-only (n: 102), healthy control (healthy control group [HCG], n: 100), and chronic hepatitis (CHB) groups (n: 70) were investigated. Competitive and sandwich ELISA were used. Results: The mean neopterin levels were significantly lower in the aHBc-only group than those in the CHB group (p = 0.0001). No significant difference was found between the aHBc-only group and the HCG (p = 0.854). The mean sCD14 levels were lower in the aHBc-only group than those in the CHB group (p = 0.0001), but no significant difference was found between the aHBc-only group and HCG (p = 0.402). No significant difference was detected between aHBc-only and HCG for mean sCD14 (p = 0.402) and neopterin levels (p = 0.854). Conclusion: These two biomarkers are not useful for diagnosing the aHBc only pattern.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016

Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 2016

Background: Although Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 is the common disease causing serogroup, ... more Background: Although Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 is the common disease causing serogroup, rare serogroups can also may cause legionellosis. A 54-year-old male patient (index case) reported that he had been on a religious trip (for visiting, tomb of Ali, which is important for Shias) to Iraq with a large group (50 shia pilgrims from Kars city of Turkey) two weeks prior to admission. Due to civil war, the hotel where the patient stayed in Iraq lacked proper hygiene. A large number of people in the travel group were experiencing the same

Acta Microbiologica et Immunologica Hungarica, 2016

Infection and septic complications in burn patients can be monitored by procalcitonin (PCT) and n... more Infection and septic complications in burn patients can be monitored by procalcitonin (PCT) and neopterin plasma values. The aim of the study was to investigate serum neopterin and PCT levels with WBC (white blood cell) and CRP (C-reactive protein) levels in patient group (PG) and healthy control group (HCG) and to investigate the relationship of these markers with burn wound infections (BWI). As the PG, 23 patients between 0-12 ages and up to 30% Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) burned and 15 HCG were included. PCT, neopterin, WBC, and CRP results on the fi rst, the seventh, the fourteenth and the 21 st day have been compared. During the follow-up period, 11 patients with BWI and 12 patients without BWI were classifi ed as infected and non-infected patients, respectively. PCT and neopterin levels were detected higher in patients with BWI but no signifi cant difference were present. Also, PCT and neopterin levels within the fi rst 24 hours following the burn were detected higher in PG than HCG. CRP and WBC levels were detected high due to burn trauma. PCT and neopterin levels were increased in patients with BWI. PCT levels were increased during the pre-infectious period, while neopterin levels increased during the post-infectious period.

PLOS ONE, 2016

Background We aimed to evaluate the roles of the plasma immune activation biomarkers neopterin an... more Background We aimed to evaluate the roles of the plasma immune activation biomarkers neopterin and soluble CD14 (sCD14) in the indirect assessment of the immune activation status of patients with the indeterminate HIV-1 (IHIV-1) pattern and a true HIV-1-positive infection (PCG). Methods This cross-sectional and descriptive study included eighty-eight patients with the IHIV-1 pattern, 100 patients in the PCG, and 100 people in a healthy control group (HCG). Neopterin and sCD14 levels were determined by competitive and sandwich ELISA methods, respectively. Results Mean neopterin and sCD14 levels among those with the IHIV-1 pattern were significantly lower than among the PCG (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively), but they were similiar to those in the HCG (p = 0.57 and p = 0.66, respectively. Mean neopterin and sCD14 levels among the PCG were found to be significantly higher than among those with the IHIV-1 pattern (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively) and among those in the HCG (p = 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). Neopterin did not have adequate predictive value for identifying those in the PCG (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.534; 95% CI, 0.463-0.605; p = 0.4256); sCD14

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is to analyze the long-term use of cyclosporine drops of anti-infl... more OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is to analyze the long-term use of cyclosporine drops of anti-inflammatory effect on conjunctival and nasal flora, which are commonly used in dry eye treatment, , to examine antibiotic resistance and to suggest some precautions.METHODSThe 38 people using cyclosporine drops were classified as Group 1, and the 34 people using preservative-free artificial tear preparations were classified as Group 2. Swabs were taken from the conjunctiva and nasal cavities of the volunteers participating in the study and cultured. Groups 1 and 2 were compared in terms of growing microorganisms and antibiotic susceptibility.RESULTSThere was no statistically significant difference between Groups 1 and 2 in terms of bacteria growing in the eye and nasal cavities. When it comes to the antibiotic susceptibility statistics for S. epidermidis, low sensitivity to penicillin was observed in particular in both groups, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (...

Microbial Pathogenesis, 2015

Obesity which developes due to multifactorial reasons, was associated recently with human Adenovi... more Obesity which developes due to multifactorial reasons, was associated recently with human Adenovirus-36 (Ad-36). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Ad-36 antibodies in obese adults and also to investigate the DNA of Ad-36 in their adipose tissue. In this cross-sectional and case-control based study, 49 obese adults, with BMI !30 kg/m 2 , and 49 non-obese adults, with BMI 25 kg/m 2 , applied for esthetic purposes and were included in this study as patient and control groups, respectively. Adipose tissue samples, obtained by the lipoaspiration method, were studied by single-step PCR and nested-PCR methods. Simultaneously, the presence of Ad-36 antibodies and serum leptin and adiponectin levels were assessed by serum neutralization assay (SNA) and ELISA, respectively. Serum samples which didn't cause a cytopathic effect at !1:8 were accepted as positive. Ad-36 antibody was detected in 6 (12.2%) of 49 patients by SNA and was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Ad-36 DNA was not detected in any of the adipose tissue samples of the patient or control groups. Mean BMI and leptin levels were higher in the Ad-36-positive group, while adiponectin levels were found to be lower in the Ad-36positive group. Although no statistically significant difference was found in cholesterol and triglyceride levels between the two groups (p > 0.05), lower mean serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were found in the Ad-36-positive patients. In conclusion, we couldn't detect Ad-36 DNA in adipose tissue; however, we detected significantly higher Ad-36 antibody levels in the obese group compared to the non-obese group, according to the both univariant and multivariant analyses, suggesting that Ad-36 may play a role in obesity. There is a need for new and extended serial, particularly cohort and human-based, studies in order to have a clear understanding of the Ad-36-obesity relationship.

Journal of the Turkish Academy of Dermatology, 2015

Background: Superficial fungal infections are among the world's most common diseases and the dist... more Background: Superficial fungal infections are among the world's most common diseases and the distribution of etiological agents varies in different countries and geographic areas. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of etiological agents of superficial mycoses encountered in outpatients attended to Dermatology Department of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul. Materials and methods: Clinical samples were collected from 2125 patients over a period of four years and examined by direct microscopy and culture. Result: Isolated fungi were identified by classical mycology methods. Pathogen fungi (n= 643) were detected in 623 of the patients. Of the isolates were 206 (32.0%) Candida spp, 308 (47.9%) dermatophytes, 3 (0.5%) Malassezia spp and 126 (19.6%) other keratinophylic fungi, 18 (2.8%) Fusarium, 106 (16.5%) Trichosporon spp, 2 (0.3%) Phoma spp. Two different significant fungi were cultured from samples of 20 (3.2%) patients. T. rubrum was the most frequent isolate (n=135, 21.0%) and toenail onychomycosis was the most common type of infection (n=294, 47.2%). Conclusion: The most common agents isolated were Trichophyton species, being Candida spp the second prevalent. Non dermatophyte molds were cultured as agents of onychomycosis. Epidemiological surveys will be a usefull tool for the awareness of emerging species and infection control.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016

(p<0.05), TC, TG, TNFR-2, sCD14 (p<0.05) increased in DN and ART than HC. Cardiac output (p<0.001... more (p<0.05), TC, TG, TNFR-2, sCD14 (p<0.05) increased in DN and ART than HC. Cardiac output (p<0.001) decreased, TNFR-1 (p=NS), TNFR-2 (p<0.001), sCD14 (p<0.001) higher in DN than ART. No significant difference in C-IMT between groups based on nadir CD4 counts. In naive patients, increased cardiac output (p<0.001), decreased TNFR-1 (p<0.001), TNFR-2 (p<0.001) and sCD14 (p<0.001) was seen in group 2 than group 1. We did not identify statistically significant difference in LP, cardiac output, TNFR-1, TNFR-2, sCD14 levels between groups 3-5. We identified significant correlation (p<0.05) between low CD4 count and increase in C-IMT on ART patients. Conclusion: From clinical perspective, no significant betterment in terms of decrease in inflammatory response, C-IMT and increase in cardiac output was identified during early initiation of ART. However, we found significant increase in inflammatory and MT markers in naive patients with nadir CD4 <350 cells/L than those with higher nadir CD4 count.

International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology, 2024

Çocuk Enfeksiyon Dergisi, Sep 8, 2023

Dicle Medical Journal, Sep 2, 2022

Sonuç: Çalışmada piperasilin-tazobaktam,amikasin ve gentamisinin S.paucimobilis enfeksiyonları iç... more Sonuç: Çalışmada piperasilin-tazobaktam,amikasin ve gentamisinin S.paucimobilis enfeksiyonları için iyi bir tedavi alternatifi olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Ayrıca diğer non-fermentatif mikroorganizmalarda olduğu gibi direnç oranlarındaki artış daha yüksek oranlara ulaşırsa tedavisinde sıkıntılar yaşanabileceği göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır.

Van tıp dergisi, 2020

Sonuç: Çalışmamızda kolistin ve tigesiklin A.baumannii suşlarına karşı en etkili antibiyotik olma... more Sonuç: Çalışmamızda kolistin ve tigesiklin A.baumannii suşlarına karşı en etkili antibiyotik olmakla birlikte, tigesiklin direncini yıllar içinde artış göstermesi ve kolistin direncinin görülmesi dikkat çekicidir. Bu artış oranları nedeniyle klinisyenler için tedavi seçenekleri h er geçen gün azalmaktadır. Bu nedenle her hastanenin kendi antibiyotik direnç profilinin gözden geçirilmesinin, özellikle Acinetobacter enfeksiyonları gibi ciddi enfeksiyonların ampirik tedavisinde klinisyene yol göstermesi açısından önemli olduğu düşünüldü.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Apr 1, 2016

Background: Dengue infection manifests as a wide range of symptoms, from a mild fever to fatal de... more Background: Dengue infection manifests as a wide range of symptoms, from a mild fever to fatal dengue shock syndrome. The presence of four serotypes and infection-enhancing antibodies pose a challenge to further investigate the role of virus and immune response in dengue pathogenesis. The serotype of the infecting virus, viremia and a number of inflammatory mediators have been identified as risk factors in severe dengue disease but a comprehensive analysis of these factors in an Indian cohort has not been reported. Methods & Materials: We evaluated the viral and immunological factors that correlate with severe dengue disease in a cohort of pediatric dengue patients in New Delhi. Dengue-infected patients were enrolled and classified into three disease severities namely, Dengue Infection (DI), Dengue with Warning signs (DW) and Severe Dengue (SD) based on WHO classification. Blood samples were collected and the infecting virus serotype and viremia were analysed. Plasma cytokine levels were estimated by multiplex magneticbead assays. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and dengue positive cells were identified by staining cell surface markers and viral antigen and analysis by flouorescence activated cell sorting technique. Markers of disease severity and recovery were identified by computational approaches involving multivariate analysis. Results: Severe dengue disease was observed in both primary and secondary infections. Viral load had no association with disease severity but high viral load correlated with prolonged thrombocytopenia and delayed recovery. Severe dengue cases had low Th1 cytokines and a concurrent increase in the inflammatory mediators such as IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10. A transient increase in CD14 + CD16 + intermediate monocytes was observed early in infection. The CD14 + cells, but not the CD16 + or the T or B cells, were positive for dengue antigen and were major producers of IL-10. Reduced interferon-␣ levels and enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokines were identified as some of the distinctive markers of severe dengue. Furthermore, the cytokines IL-8 and IL-10 were identified as the most significant markers of recovery from severe disease. Conclusion: Our results provide further insights into the immune response of children to primary and secondary dengue infection and help us to understand the complex interplay between the intrinsic factors in dengue pathogenesis.

Acta Virologica, 2017

Neopterin and soluble CD14 (sCD14) are detected at high levels in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infecti... more Neopterin and soluble CD14 (sCD14) are detected at high levels in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. We aimed to evaluate the role of these plasma immune activation biomarkers, for the indirect assessment of immune activation status of patients with low anti-HCV reactivity and a HCV infection. Low anti-HCV reactivity group (LRG, n: 70), true positive HCV infection group (THG, 30) and healthy control group (HCG, 30) were analyzed in this study. We have used ELISA, HCV RIBA/LIA and HCV-RNA methods. Mean neopterin levels were significantly lower in LRG than THG (p <0.001). In contrast, those values were not significantly different from those of HCG (p >0.05). Mean sCD14 were significantly higher in LRG than THG and HCG (p <0.05, p <0.001). Values of 3.95 μg/ml and 5.36 nmol/l for sCD14 and neopterin resulted in the maximum area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), which were 0.859 (95% CI, 0.745 to 0.935; <0.0001) and 0.788 (95% CI, 0.663 to 0.883; <0.0001), respectively. These cutoffs corresponded to a sensitivity of 73.3% and a specificity of 73.3% for neopterin and of 100% and 76.7% for sCD14. Our results suggest that a specific immunoactivation might be caused by true positive HCV infection. Due to the significant results sCD14 in LRG might be non-specifically affected by some underlying atypical immunohematological pathologies. Only neopterin might be used to exclude low anti-HCV reactivity from a true HCV infection. The use of neopterin but not sCD14 in combination with fourth-generation EIA/CMIA combo tests will be useful when nucleic acid tests are not available for screening blood donors at blood banks.

Turkiye Klinikleri Pharmacology - Special Topics, 2021

Türk Mikrobiyoloji Cemiyeti Dergisi, 2019

ve bulanık olan 22 örneğin 9'unda (%40.9) bakteri saptanmıştır. Çalışma grubumuzdaki hastane kayn... more ve bulanık olan 22 örneğin 9'unda (%40.9) bakteri saptanmıştır. Çalışma grubumuzdaki hastane kaynaklı erişkin menenjitli hastaların BOS örneklerinde Gram pozitif bakterilerden en sık metisilin dirençli koagülaz negatif stafilokokların (n=6, %30), Gram negatif bakterilerden ise Klebsiella spp.nin (n=4, %20) ürediği belirlenmiştir. Toplum kaynaklı menenjit tanısı alan 1 olguda ise multipleks PZR ile S. pneumoniae saptanmıştır. Sonuç: Giderek azalan toplum kökenli menenjitlerde etken mikroorganizmanın tespiti için yapılan çalışmaların bugün artık yalnızca kültür yöntemine dayandırılmaması gerektiği, PZR yönteminin bu alanda sağladığı avantajlardan yararlanılması gerektiği düşüncesindeyiz.

African Health Sciences, 2018

Background: The use of conventional (serologically based) HIV 1/2 diagnostic algorithms has becom... more Background: The use of conventional (serologically based) HIV 1/2 diagnostic algorithms has become controversial in recent years. Objectives: Sera from patients who underwent verification tests were evaluated because repeated ELISA-reactive results demonstrated a HIV1+HIV2 positive band pattern. Methods: The line immunoassay (LIA) test was used for repeated HIV enzyme immunoassays (EIA)-reactive sera in patients at three centers. The Bio-Rad Geenius™ HIV 1/2 and the HIV-1 RNA tests were used. HIV-1 and RNA HIV-2 were investigated using PCR. Results: LIA was used to evaluate 3,224 out of 10,591 samples with repeated ELISA reactivity (30%). We found that 32 (1%) of the sera, along with HIV1 bands and HIV2 gp36 bands, were positive. Only 28 of the 32 verified serum samples with gp36 bands were repeated, and no gp36 band positivity was detected using the Bio-Rad Geenius™ HIV-1/2 confirmatory assay in these serum samples. The HIV-2 proviral DNAs were also negative. Therefore, we excluded the possibility of HIV1+2 co-infection. All samples from the 32 patients were positive for HIV-1 RNA. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need to exclude confirmatory tests like the LIA test from the current diagnostic HIV algorithm and replace it with rapid HIV-1 and HIV-2 confirmatory immunochromotographic tests.

Future Virology, 2017

Aim: Isolated hepatitis B core antibodies (aHBc)-only pattern complicates the diagnosis of HBV in... more Aim: Isolated hepatitis B core antibodies (aHBc)-only pattern complicates the diagnosis of HBV infections. We evaluated neopterin and sCD14 levels in HBV infections. Methods: aHBc-only (n: 102), healthy control (healthy control group [HCG], n: 100), and chronic hepatitis (CHB) groups (n: 70) were investigated. Competitive and sandwich ELISA were used. Results: The mean neopterin levels were significantly lower in the aHBc-only group than those in the CHB group (p = 0.0001). No significant difference was found between the aHBc-only group and the HCG (p = 0.854). The mean sCD14 levels were lower in the aHBc-only group than those in the CHB group (p = 0.0001), but no significant difference was found between the aHBc-only group and HCG (p = 0.402). No significant difference was detected between aHBc-only and HCG for mean sCD14 (p = 0.402) and neopterin levels (p = 0.854). Conclusion: These two biomarkers are not useful for diagnosing the aHBc only pattern.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016

Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 2016

Background: Although Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 is the common disease causing serogroup, ... more Background: Although Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 is the common disease causing serogroup, rare serogroups can also may cause legionellosis. A 54-year-old male patient (index case) reported that he had been on a religious trip (for visiting, tomb of Ali, which is important for Shias) to Iraq with a large group (50 shia pilgrims from Kars city of Turkey) two weeks prior to admission. Due to civil war, the hotel where the patient stayed in Iraq lacked proper hygiene. A large number of people in the travel group were experiencing the same

Acta Microbiologica et Immunologica Hungarica, 2016

Infection and septic complications in burn patients can be monitored by procalcitonin (PCT) and n... more Infection and septic complications in burn patients can be monitored by procalcitonin (PCT) and neopterin plasma values. The aim of the study was to investigate serum neopterin and PCT levels with WBC (white blood cell) and CRP (C-reactive protein) levels in patient group (PG) and healthy control group (HCG) and to investigate the relationship of these markers with burn wound infections (BWI). As the PG, 23 patients between 0-12 ages and up to 30% Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) burned and 15 HCG were included. PCT, neopterin, WBC, and CRP results on the fi rst, the seventh, the fourteenth and the 21 st day have been compared. During the follow-up period, 11 patients with BWI and 12 patients without BWI were classifi ed as infected and non-infected patients, respectively. PCT and neopterin levels were detected higher in patients with BWI but no signifi cant difference were present. Also, PCT and neopterin levels within the fi rst 24 hours following the burn were detected higher in PG than HCG. CRP and WBC levels were detected high due to burn trauma. PCT and neopterin levels were increased in patients with BWI. PCT levels were increased during the pre-infectious period, while neopterin levels increased during the post-infectious period.

PLOS ONE, 2016

Background We aimed to evaluate the roles of the plasma immune activation biomarkers neopterin an... more Background We aimed to evaluate the roles of the plasma immune activation biomarkers neopterin and soluble CD14 (sCD14) in the indirect assessment of the immune activation status of patients with the indeterminate HIV-1 (IHIV-1) pattern and a true HIV-1-positive infection (PCG). Methods This cross-sectional and descriptive study included eighty-eight patients with the IHIV-1 pattern, 100 patients in the PCG, and 100 people in a healthy control group (HCG). Neopterin and sCD14 levels were determined by competitive and sandwich ELISA methods, respectively. Results Mean neopterin and sCD14 levels among those with the IHIV-1 pattern were significantly lower than among the PCG (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively), but they were similiar to those in the HCG (p = 0.57 and p = 0.66, respectively. Mean neopterin and sCD14 levels among the PCG were found to be significantly higher than among those with the IHIV-1 pattern (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively) and among those in the HCG (p = 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). Neopterin did not have adequate predictive value for identifying those in the PCG (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.534; 95% CI, 0.463-0.605; p = 0.4256); sCD14

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is to analyze the long-term use of cyclosporine drops of anti-infl... more OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is to analyze the long-term use of cyclosporine drops of anti-inflammatory effect on conjunctival and nasal flora, which are commonly used in dry eye treatment, , to examine antibiotic resistance and to suggest some precautions.METHODSThe 38 people using cyclosporine drops were classified as Group 1, and the 34 people using preservative-free artificial tear preparations were classified as Group 2. Swabs were taken from the conjunctiva and nasal cavities of the volunteers participating in the study and cultured. Groups 1 and 2 were compared in terms of growing microorganisms and antibiotic susceptibility.RESULTSThere was no statistically significant difference between Groups 1 and 2 in terms of bacteria growing in the eye and nasal cavities. When it comes to the antibiotic susceptibility statistics for S. epidermidis, low sensitivity to penicillin was observed in particular in both groups, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (...

Microbial Pathogenesis, 2015

Obesity which developes due to multifactorial reasons, was associated recently with human Adenovi... more Obesity which developes due to multifactorial reasons, was associated recently with human Adenovirus-36 (Ad-36). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Ad-36 antibodies in obese adults and also to investigate the DNA of Ad-36 in their adipose tissue. In this cross-sectional and case-control based study, 49 obese adults, with BMI !30 kg/m 2 , and 49 non-obese adults, with BMI 25 kg/m 2 , applied for esthetic purposes and were included in this study as patient and control groups, respectively. Adipose tissue samples, obtained by the lipoaspiration method, were studied by single-step PCR and nested-PCR methods. Simultaneously, the presence of Ad-36 antibodies and serum leptin and adiponectin levels were assessed by serum neutralization assay (SNA) and ELISA, respectively. Serum samples which didn't cause a cytopathic effect at !1:8 were accepted as positive. Ad-36 antibody was detected in 6 (12.2%) of 49 patients by SNA and was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Ad-36 DNA was not detected in any of the adipose tissue samples of the patient or control groups. Mean BMI and leptin levels were higher in the Ad-36-positive group, while adiponectin levels were found to be lower in the Ad-36positive group. Although no statistically significant difference was found in cholesterol and triglyceride levels between the two groups (p > 0.05), lower mean serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were found in the Ad-36-positive patients. In conclusion, we couldn't detect Ad-36 DNA in adipose tissue; however, we detected significantly higher Ad-36 antibody levels in the obese group compared to the non-obese group, according to the both univariant and multivariant analyses, suggesting that Ad-36 may play a role in obesity. There is a need for new and extended serial, particularly cohort and human-based, studies in order to have a clear understanding of the Ad-36-obesity relationship.

Journal of the Turkish Academy of Dermatology, 2015

Background: Superficial fungal infections are among the world's most common diseases and the dist... more Background: Superficial fungal infections are among the world's most common diseases and the distribution of etiological agents varies in different countries and geographic areas. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of etiological agents of superficial mycoses encountered in outpatients attended to Dermatology Department of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul. Materials and methods: Clinical samples were collected from 2125 patients over a period of four years and examined by direct microscopy and culture. Result: Isolated fungi were identified by classical mycology methods. Pathogen fungi (n= 643) were detected in 623 of the patients. Of the isolates were 206 (32.0%) Candida spp, 308 (47.9%) dermatophytes, 3 (0.5%) Malassezia spp and 126 (19.6%) other keratinophylic fungi, 18 (2.8%) Fusarium, 106 (16.5%) Trichosporon spp, 2 (0.3%) Phoma spp. Two different significant fungi were cultured from samples of 20 (3.2%) patients. T. rubrum was the most frequent isolate (n=135, 21.0%) and toenail onychomycosis was the most common type of infection (n=294, 47.2%). Conclusion: The most common agents isolated were Trichophyton species, being Candida spp the second prevalent. Non dermatophyte molds were cultured as agents of onychomycosis. Epidemiological surveys will be a usefull tool for the awareness of emerging species and infection control.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016

(p<0.05), TC, TG, TNFR-2, sCD14 (p<0.05) increased in DN and ART than HC. Cardiac output (p<0.001... more (p<0.05), TC, TG, TNFR-2, sCD14 (p<0.05) increased in DN and ART than HC. Cardiac output (p<0.001) decreased, TNFR-1 (p=NS), TNFR-2 (p<0.001), sCD14 (p<0.001) higher in DN than ART. No significant difference in C-IMT between groups based on nadir CD4 counts. In naive patients, increased cardiac output (p<0.001), decreased TNFR-1 (p<0.001), TNFR-2 (p<0.001) and sCD14 (p<0.001) was seen in group 2 than group 1. We did not identify statistically significant difference in LP, cardiac output, TNFR-1, TNFR-2, sCD14 levels between groups 3-5. We identified significant correlation (p<0.05) between low CD4 count and increase in C-IMT on ART patients. Conclusion: From clinical perspective, no significant betterment in terms of decrease in inflammatory response, C-IMT and increase in cardiac output was identified during early initiation of ART. However, we found significant increase in inflammatory and MT markers in naive patients with nadir CD4 <350 cells/L than those with higher nadir CD4 count.