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Background/Aims: In contrast to many other studies of probiotic species, the number of publications evaluating Bifidobacterium lactis and its combinations with prebiotics as treatments for acute infectious diarrhea is limited. We investigated the synbiotic effects of B. lactis B94 plus inulin on acute infectious diarrhea. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on children with acute diarrhea between the ages of 2 and 60 months. The patients were administered 5×10 10 colony-forming units (CFU) of B. lactis B94 plus 900 mg inulin or placebo, once a day for five days. Stools were examined for Rotavirus, Adenovirus, Entamoeba histolytica, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile, Cryptosporidium, and parasites. Results: We examined 79 patients in the synbiotic group and 77 patients in the placebo group. The duration of diarrhea was significantly reduced in the synbiotic group in comparison with the placebo group (3.9±1.2 days vs. 5.2±1.3 days, respectively; p<0.001). Moreover, the number of diarrheal stools on the third day was significantly lower in the synbiotic group than in the placebo group (5.5±2.9 vs. 8.3±3.01, respectively; p<0.001). Diarrhea in the synbiotic-group patients with rotavirus infection was of a significantly shorter duration (3.2±1.3 days vs. 5.2±1.3 days, respectively; p=0.001). Duration of diarrhea in patients who started the synbiotic treatment within the first 24 h was shorter than that in the patients who started the treatment later (3.9±1.1 days vs. 4.8±1.8 days, respectively; p=0.002). Conclusion: Treatment with 5 × 10 10 CFU of B. lactis B94 plus 900 mg inulin shortened the duration of acute watery diarrhea by an average of 31 h. This decrease was most pronounced in cases of Rotavirus diarrhea.

Embryonic poly(A)-binding protein (EPAB) and poly(A)-binding protein, cytoplasmic 1 (PABPC1) play critical roles in translational regulation of stored maternal mRNAs required for proper oocyte maturation and early embryo development in mammals. Superovulation is a commonly used technique to obtain a great number of oocytes in the same developmental stages in assisted reproductive technology (ART) and in clinical or experimental animal studies. Previous studies have convincingly indicated that superovulation alone can cause impaired oocyte maturation, delayed embryo development, decreased implantation rate and increased postimplantation loss. Although how superovulation results in these disturbances has not been clearly addressed yet, putative changes in genes related to oocyte and early embryo development seem to be potential risk factors. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of superovulation on Epab and Pabpc1 gene expression. To this end, low- (5IU) and high-dose (10IU) pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) were administered to female mice to induce superovulation, with naturally cycling female mice serving as controls. Epab and Pabpc1 gene expression in germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes, MII oocytes and 1- and 2-cell embryos collected from each group were quantified using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Superovulation with low or high doses of gonadotropins significantly altered Epab and Pabpc1 mRNA levels in GV oocytes, MII oocytes and 1- and 2-cell embryos compared with their respective controls (P<0.05). These changes most likely lead to variations in expression of EPAB- and PABPC1-regulated genes, which may adversely influence the quality of oocytes and early embryos retrieved using superovulation.

ÖZETHepatit C virusu (HCV) kronik hepatitlerin en önemli nedenlerinden biridir. HCV'ye bağlı kronik hepatitlerin seyrinde ve tedavinin planlanmasında HCV genotipleri önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Akdeniz Üniversitesi Hastanesi Mikrobiyoloji Laboratuvarında yapılan HCV genotiplendirilmesine ait sonuçların retrospektif olarak değerlendirilmesi ve son beş yıl içinde genotip dağılımındaki değişimin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmaya, 2009-2013 yılları arasında laboratuvarımıza HCV genotip tayini için gönderilen, HCV-RNA pozitif kronik hepatit C'li 422 hastaya (219 erkek, 203 kadın; yaş aralığı: 8-79 yıl, yaş ortalaması 46.3 ± 15.5 yıl) ait kan örnekleri dahil edilmiştir. Genotiplendirme için, plazma örneklerinden HCV-RNA ekstraksiyonu otomatize sistem (EZ1 Virus Mini Kit v2.0, Qiagen, Almanya) ile yapılmış ve ters hibridizasyon esaslı ticari bir "line prob assay" (LIPA; GEN-C RT-PCR, İtalya) yöntemi uygulanmıştır. Viral yük tayini için ise, HCV-RNA düzeyleri gerçek zamanlı PCR yöntemi (Cobas TaqMan HCV, Roche Diagnostics, Almanya) ile araştırılmıştır. Hastaların demografik verileri, hastane elektronik bilgi sisteminden ve hasta dosyalarından elde edilmiştir. Hastaların %63.3 (n= 267)'ünde genotip 1b, %14.7 (n= 62)'sinde genotip 1a, %11.1 (n= 47)'inde genotip 3a, %0.9 (n= 4)'unda genotip 2b ve %0.2 (n= 1)'sinde genotip 4e saptanmış; 1 hastada (%0.2) ise genotip 1 ve 4 birlikteliği izlenmiştir. Genotip 1, 2 ve 4 ile enfekte hastaların sırasıyla; %5.4 (n= 23), %2.6 (n= 11) ve %1.4 (n= 6)'ünde alt tip tayini yapılamamıştır. Kırk hastanın yabancı uyruklu olduğu (Rusya'dan 16; Ukrayna ve Gürcistan'dan

BackgroundRecognition of nuclear dense fine speckled (DFS) pattern by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) is not easy. Thus, confirming the presence of these antibodies might be needed. In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of DFS pattern in our diagnostic laboratory and to investigate the presence of anti-DFS70 antibodies in samples showing DFS pattern by two commercially available research kits retrospectively.Material and methodsSeventy-four sequential serum samples with DFS pattern on HEp2010 cell substrates by IIF were included in this study. The semiquantitative DFS70 ELISA Kit (MBL International Corporation, Woburn, UK) was used for detection of anti-DFS70 antibodies in these samples. Twenty selected samples were tested for the presence of anti-DFS70 antibodies using ANA Line Immunoassay (LIA) (Immco Diagnostics, New York, USA).ResultsSixty-two (83.8%) of 74 serum samples were found positive with ELISA, when 15 U/ml was taken as a reference value. Among 18 samples that were found positive by ELISA, five were negative for anti-DFS70 antibodies by LIA, while 13 were found positive. The lowest ELISA result of the sample that was positive by LIA was found to be 45.3 U/ml. When 45.3 U/ml was considered as a reference value, 45 (60.8%) of 74 serum samples were positive by ELISA. Nineteen of 20 patients had no SARD, while one had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).ConclusionsDFS pattern should be confirmed with an objective method such as ELISA, LIA, or IB. We think that confirmation tests for detection of anti-DFS70 antibodies should be included in diagnostic algorithms.