[The Evaluation of Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii) Serology Results Among Cases Who Admitted to the Serology Laboratory of a Hospital in Afyon City]. / Afyon Ilinde Bir Seroloji Laboratuvarina Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) Antikorlari Arastirilmasi Amaciyla Basvuran Olgulara Ait Sonuçlarin Degerlendirilmesi.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) serology results in different age groups among cases who admitted to the Medical Serology Laboratory of a secondary level hospital in Afyon. METHODS: The patients who has positive result for Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM by electrochemiluminescence method (Cobas e-170 Analyzer, Roche Diagnostics) between January and December 2013 were included the study. RESULTS: Patients included the study were aged 1-68 years (mean age: 24 ± 9). Of the total 1887 sera tested for T. gondii IgG and IgM, 452 were found to be positive (24%) in a period of 12 months. Seropositivity was found to be 4%, 11,1%, 20,2%, 25,3%, 33,3% and 46,6% in 1-8, 9-18, 19-23, 24-28, 29-35 and 36-68 age groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Because of the high seroprevalence in our country, the knowledge about the values of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in pre-pregnancy period has an importance for evaluation and follow-up during the pregnancy. In this study, it was determined that there is a relationship between seroprevalence and age. All people should be educated about ways to minimize exposure to T. gondii.

Seroprevalence of rubella among Turkish women and children in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.

The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of rubella virus infection among women and female children/youth (0- 17-years-old) in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. This study was conducted between November 2005 and February 2006. One thousand four hundred nine serum specimens were studied by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Age, educational level, economic and marital status, smoking habit, application or not of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination, and previous skin rash of the patients included in the study were questioned and noted. Positive rubella-specific IgG antibodies prevalence was found as 18.5% in girls between 0-1 years of age, 28.6% in girls between 2-6 years of age, 36.8% in girls between 7-17 years of age, and 80.0%, 80.9%, 78.5%, 73.7% and 78.1% in women between 18-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, and 50+ years of age, respectively. There were no statistically significant correlations between immunity to rubella and other sociodemographic characteristics. In conclusion, nearly 20% of women of reproductive age are sensitive to rubella and should be vaccinated. The clear effects of adding MMR to the routine vaccination schedule will be observed in the following years in Turkey.

Brucellosis: a retrospective evaluation of 99 cases and review of brucellosis treatment.

This retrospective study was performed in two university hospitals between January 2002 and 2006. Ninety-nine brucellosis patients were included in the study. These patients were classified as acute (91), chronic (4) and relapse (4) according to their clinical presentations and serological tests. Brucella bacteria were isolated in the blood of 17 (17.2%) cases. The most frequent symptom and clinical sign was fever. The osteoarticular complications were found in 17 patients (17.2%). Four of them were complicated with epidural abscess the same time. Two (2.2%) had meningitis, two (2.2%) had epididymoorchitis, three (3.3%) had skin rashes and one (1.1%) had hepatitis. Three of the acute brucellosis patients were pregnant. Rifampin and doxycycline combination therapy had been administered to most of the patients with acute and relapse brucellosis. However, complicated and chronic brucellosis cases were given different treatment combinations. This study reviews brucellosis therapy choices.

The relationship between arteriovenous fistula blood flow rate and pulmonary artery pressure in hemodialysis patients.

PURPOSE: Although there is an increased prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in hemodialysis patients, the relationship between arteriovenous (AV) fistula blood flow and pulmonary hemodynamics is not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between blood flow rate of AV fistula and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: Thirty-two hemodialysis patients were included in this study. Within 1 h of completion of dialysis, blood flow rate of AV fistula and pulmonary hemodynamics were evaluated using Doppler sonography. Pulmonary hypertension was defined as mean PAP > or = 25 mmHg at rest. RESULTS: Mean PAP, median blood flow rate of AV fistula, and mean cardiac index were 22.5 +/- 10.0 mmHg (range 8-39), 978.0 ml/min (interquartile range 762.0-1,584.5) and 3,043.0 +/- 694.3 ml/ min per m2 (range 1,251-4,140), respectively. Mean PAP has a relationship to cardiac index (r = 0.453, P = 0.014). However, there was no correlation between mean PAP and blood flow rate of AV fistula, hemoglobin, calcium-phosphorus (CaxP) product, and parathormone. Pulmonary hypertension was present in 43.7% of patients. Patients with pulmonary hypertension had significantly higher cardiac index (P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: We found there was no direct relationship between blood flow rate of AV fistula and PAP. Other factors may play a role in the development of pulmonary hypertension.

Effect of parasitosis on allergic sensitization in rats sensitized with ovalbumin: interaction between parasitosis and allergic sensitization.

Some helminthic infections, especially nematode infections, may behave as allergens and induce allergic sensitization. In this study, the investigators explored whether infections with Syphacia muris and Aspiculuris tetraptera have any effect on the development of allergen-induced cytokine responses and serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized rats. Four groups of male Wistar rats were studied. OVA sensitization was generated in 2 groups of rats; the rats in 1 group were infected and those in the other group were not. On day 21 after sensitization, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-10, and total IgE levels in serum samples of rats were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that average concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-10 were significantly greater in the group of rats infected with parasites and sensitized to OVA compared with the group uninfected with parasites and sensitized to OVA (P=.043 and P=.046, respectively). Upon comparison of total IgE concentrations, the group of rats infected with parasites and given saline solution showed higher levels compared with the group uninfected with parasites and given saline (P=.004). In conclusion, the investigators were unable to show a protective effect of an existing parasitic infection against the development of allergic sensitization upon exposure to OVA.