Mycotoxins are putative virulence factors of fungi that play an important role in the pathogenesis of fungal infections. Mycotoxin production has been used as a diagnostic marker for the early diagnosis of fungal diseases. Using high-performance liquid chromatography, we investigated whether the fungal strains recovered from eye tissue samples obtained from patients with ocular mycoses produced the mycotoxin xanthomegnin. We tested 62 well-characterized strains of fungi, including Aspergillus spp. (n = 14), Exophiala spp. (n = 9), Fusarium spp. (n = 15), and several molds (n = 24). All isolates were identified to the species level using PCR and DNA sequencing of rRNA genes. We detected xanthomegnin activity (0.02 µg/ml) in one of the three Aspergillus flavus strains. However, we were unable to detect xanthomegnin in any of the other 61 fungal strains. Our result suggests that xanthomegnin production was infrequent in fungal strains recovered from patients with ocular mycoses.

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Alpha thalassemia is a genetic disease characterized by insufficient expression or definite absence of the α-globin chain. Three large deletions (thal-1; 26.5 kb or MedII, 20.5 kb and 17.4 kb or MedI) and two small deletions (thal-2; 4.2 kb and 3.7 kb) have been characterized in our country. In addition, two different PolyA mutations (PA1: AATAAA>AATAAG and PA2: AATAAA>AATGA) on the α2-globin gene (αα/αPAα), 5nt deletion (αα/α5ntα), and unstable Hb variant (CD 59; GGC→GAC) synthesized by the α1-globin gene (αα/ααCD59) have been reported. More than ten different combinations of α-thal-1 and α-thal-2 (--/-α) or HbH genotypes with point mutations (--/αPAα or --/ααCD59) were determined. In this study, which was carried out in Çukurova region, it is aimed to emphasize the importance of giving genetic counseling to families with alpha thalassemia carriers and to determine genotype combinations. DNA was isolated from blood samples taken from 5 children and their families who were admitted to Çukurova University Balcalı Hospital and diagnosed with severe anemia (Hb