BackgroundAcute exacerbations, which are a significant cause of mortality and morbidity, adversely affect chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prognosis by accelerating loss of lung function. It is important to know the microorganisms that commonly cause exacerbations in the patient groups classified according to clinical and functional characteristics for fast and accurate treatment of acute exacerbations.ObjectivesThe last Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) publication recommended a new staging system containing obstruction degree, frequency of exacerbations, and quality of life questionnaires. This study is designed to analyze the relationship between the bacteria isolated in acute exacerbations and new GOLD stages.MethodsPotentially pathogenic bacteria (PPB) isolation with culture and polymerase chain reaction methods were obtained from 114 acute exacerbation COPD patients, classified into A, B, C, and D groups by analyzing the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) value, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, and exacerbation frequency according to the new GOLD staging system.ResultsThere was a significant correlation between exacerbation frequency and PPB isolation (P=0.002). There was no relationship between GOLD stage, FEV1, and CAT score with PPB isolation. The isolated bacteria diversity and mixed infection frequency were higher in the GOLD stage D group. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter baumannii were isolated only from D group patients.ConclusionBacterial infection may cause an acute exacerbation equally in each stage for COPD. The difference in bacterial etiology is more related to exacerbation frequency than FEV1 and CAT scores for an acute exacerbation. Determining exacerbation frequency is significant for treatment success in empirical antibiotic selection.

According to results BCGT can be used as a diagnostic test in routine laboratories after more comprehensive studies in control groups and patients.

Colistin is a polymyxin antibiotic which is considered as one of the last line agents against infections due to multidrug resistant or carbapenem resistant gram-negative pathogens. Colistin resistance is associated with chromosomal alterations which can usually cause mutations in genes coding specific two component regulator systems. The first plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene, mcr-1 was described in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in December 2015 and followed by another plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene mcr-2 in 2016. The rapid and interspecies dissemination of plasmid-mediated resistance mechanisms through horizontal gene transfer, have made these genes considerably threatening. After the first reports, although mcr-1/mcr-2 producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates have been reported from many countries, there have been no reports from Turkey. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of mcr-1/mcr-2 in clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates from different parts of our country. A total of 329 Enterobacteriaceae isolates from 22 laboratories were collected which were isolated between March, 2015 and February, 2016. mcr-1/mcr-2 were investigated by polymerase chain reaction during February-March, 2016. Two hundred and seventeen of Klebsiella pneumoniae (66%), 75 of Salmonella spp. (22.8%), 31 of Esherichia coli (9.4%), 3 of Enterobacter cloacae (0.9%), 2 of Klebsiella oxytoca (0.6%) and 1 of Enterobacter aerogenes (0.3%) isolates were included to the study. Agarose gel electrophoresis results of PCR studies have shown expected band sizes for positive control isolates as 309 bp for mcr-1 and 567 bp for mcr-2. However, the presence of mcr-1/mcr-2 genes was not detected among the tested study isolates of Enterobacteriaceae. Although mcr-1/mcr-2 were not detected in our study isolates, it is highly important to understand the mechanism of resistance dissemination and determine the resistant isolates by considering that colistin is a last-line antibiotic against infections of multidrug or carbapenem resistant gram-negative bacteria. Thus, it is suggested that these mechanisms should be followed-up in both clinical and non-clinical (e.g. isolates from food animals, raw meats and environment) isolates of special populations.

GirişBruselloz, brucella türlerinin neden olduğu, insanlarda olduğu kadar koyun, inek, keçi gibi hayvanlarda da gö-rülebilen genellikle subakut ve kronik seyirli zoonotik bir hastalıktır. Brucella spp. küçük, pleomorfik, gram-negatif kokobasiller olup, sporsuz, hareketsiz, fakültatif hücre içi bakterilerdir. Brucella cinsinin ülkemizde en sık izole edilen türleri B. melitensis ve B. abortus'tur. Ayrıca B. neotomae, B. suis, B. canis ve B. ovis olarak adlandırılan diğer türleri de bulunmaktadır (1-4). Brucella'lar hayvanlarda plasentaya yerleşmekte, meme bezlerinde çoğalmakta, idrar, feçes veya düşük materyaliyle atılmakta, genellik- The seropositivity rates of these three tests were found to be lower in women than men and this was detected as istatistically significant. No significant association was found between age and seropositivity. The most frequent complaints of patients at presentation were determined as arthralgia, myalgia, fever, backache, weight loss and fatigue. Conclusion: Rose Bengal and Standard Tube Agglutination tests are still effective methods for serodiagnosis of brucellosis. Also, Brucellacapt is an efficient method for diagnosis with an advantage of detecting blocking antibodies ARAŞTIRMA

ABS TRACTObjective: Hepatitis A virus which is usually transmitted by the fecal-oral route is a major health problem in underdeveloped and developing countries. In our country, it has been yet included in the national expanded immunization program. In this study, the seropositivity of hepatitis A infection in Konya were evaluated retrospectively. Materials and Methods: In this study, the seropositivity of hepatitis A infection of individuals who had attended to primary care provider from central and peripheral districts of Konya from January 2005 to December 2009 were evaluated retrospectively. In this study the 0-99 age group were evaluated. Age groups 0-17 were evaluated according to age group, gender, and regional characteristics. Results: A total of 12,888 individuals, 10,042 (77%) were positive for anti-HAV IgG; A total of 14458 patients, 418 (2.89%) were positive for anti-HAV IgM. Conclusion: During the 5 years period; in total 77% were positive for HAV IgG and 2.89% were positive for HAV IgM. The positivity rate was significantly found higher in the periphery than other districts of Konya. Also in one of the central districts of Konya, Meram which has high socio-economic level; the rate of HAV IgM positivity was found at the lowest level. As a result of the multiple comparisons, it was seen that HAV IgG positivity rate was higher in the periphery of Konya. Hepatitis A is a major health problem particularly in the pediatric age group. As our study covers a large population, it may guide about the serological status of hepatitis A in Konya. ( Sonuç: Beş yıllık sürede %77 oranında A nti-HAV IgG ve %2,89 oranında Anti-HAV IgM pozitifliği saptanmıştır. Konya periferinde diğer merkez ilçelere göre anlamlı derecede yüksek pozitifliğe rastlanmıştır. Sosyoekonomik seviyesi yüksek olan Merkez Meram ilçesinde ise HAV IgM pozitifliği en düşük seviyede bulunmuştur. HAV IgG pozitifliği açısından yapılan çoklu karşılastırmalar sonucunda Konya periferinde pozitiflik oranının daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Hepatit A özellikle pediatrik yaş grubunda önemli bir sağlık problemidir. Çalışmamız geniş bir populasyonu kapsadığından dolayı Konya ilinin Hepatit A yönünden serolojik durumu hakkında yol gösterici olabilir.