We investigated the role played by cytokines in the mortality of patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). Serum levels of several cytokines were measured in 3 patients with fatal CCHF and in 27 patients with nonfatal CCHF. Levels of interleukin (IL)-6 (P< or = .001) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha (P = .004) were significantly higher in patients with fatal CCHF than in patients with nonfatal CCHF, whereas levels of IL-10 were not significantly different between the 2 groups (P = .937). Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) scores were also higher in the patients with fatal CCHF (P = .023). Levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were positively correlated with DIC scores, whereas levels of IL-10 were negatively correlated with DIC scores. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that proinflammatory cytokines play a major role in the mortality of patients with CCHF.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is still a public health problem worldwide, being endemic in some parts of the world. It can lead to serious liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular cancer. The differences in host immune response can be one of the reasons for the various clinical presentations of HBV infection. Polymorphisms of genes encoding the proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines, which are responsible for regulation of the immune response, can affect the clinical presentation of the infection. Particularly, the polymorphisms of the genes encoding cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, IL-28B, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, tumor growth factor-β1, and regulatory molecules like vitamin D receptor and chemokine receptor 5 can be responsible for different clinical presentations of HBV infections. The genomic information about cytokines and other mediators can be important for determining high-risk people for developing chronic hepatitis or hepatocellular cancer and may be used to plan treatment and preventive approaches for these people. In this review, the current knowledge in the literature on the association between cytokine/regulatory molecule gene polymorphisms and clinical course of chronic HBV infection is summarized, and the clinical implementations and future prospects regarding this knowledge are discussed.

We report two cases of hypersensitivity syndrome/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (HSS/DRESS) syndrome following systemic and local (via antibiotic laden bone cement (ALBC)) exposures to vancomycin. Both cases developed symptoms 2–4 weeks after the initiation of treatment. They responded to systemic corticosteroid treatment and were cured completely. Various drug groups may cause HSS/DRESS syndrome, and vancomycin-related cases do not exceed 2–5% of the reported cases. Almost all of these cases developed the syndrome following systemic exposure to vancomycin. ALBC seems to be the safer antibiotic administration method, as systemic antibiotic levels did not reach a toxic threshold level. However, local administration may not always be sufficient for bone–related/joint–related infections; these infections may require systemic antibiotics as well. As HSS/DRESS syndrome can mimic infectious diseases, it must be considered during differential diagnosis before suspecting failure of treatment and initiation of a different antibiotic course.

Dermabacter species are commonly isolated from the skin and other body sites but rarely show pathogenicity in humans. A case of Dermabacter hominis cerebral abscess is reported which presented as a contrast-enhancing intracranial mass in a renal transplant patient.

Significance and Impact of Study: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most studied viral agent and the common cause of the chronic liver diseases. It is generally asymptomatic and causes hepatic inflammation and tissue damage. Here, in this study, the potential hepatocellular damage due to the HCV was predicted by different metabolic pathways' biochemical markers such as total antioxidant status, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. This manuscript may not only raise awareness in dental patients, who are asymptomatic for HCV infection but also help predict any potential damage in liver tissue without using an invasive diagnostic method even if the patients have normal alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase records.Keywords alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, asymptomatic infection, hepatitis C virus, matrix metalloproteinase-2, matrix metalloproteinase-9, quantitative PCR, total antioxidant status. AbstractThe aim of this study is to predict potential hepatocellular damage by determining total antioxidant status (TAS) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 2 and 9 levels of different groups of dental surgery patients who are asymptomatic (normal alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase records). Patients were divided into five groups according to the anamnesis [to be diagnosed formerly as hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection or not], microbiological (positive-anti-HCV antibodies and HCV RNA-positive or negative) and biochemical test results. Except for the control group, serum anti-HCV antibody levels and line immunoassay tests were found positive in all groups. HCV RNAs were found positive only in group 3 whom were formerly diagnosed with HCV infection, not under medical treatment and in group 5 under medical treatment (<2 9 10 5 IU ml À1 ). Statistical analyses were performed using one-way multifactorial ANOVA (MANOVA) at the statistical significance level of 5% and were confirmed that the changes in biochemical markers had significant effects on subjects who had been in different groups. Following multiple comparisons, significant groups' differences were obtained in all biochemical markers. In conclusion, to determine not only TAS levels but also the MMPs and evaluate those together may be noninvasive biomarkers for predicting the inflammation in liver and approaching the prognosis of HCV infection.