Aylin Altay

Detection and molecular characterisation of adenovirus in children under 5 years old with diarrhoea

Background/aim: To determine the frequency, genotype distribution, and genetic relatedness of adenoviruses in children under 5 years old with diarrhoea and to investigate their distribution according to clinical findings, age, months, and seasons. Materials and methods: Stool samples were collected from 180 children with acute gastroenteritis who presented from July 2007 through June 2011 at the Ankara Training and Education Hospital. Stool samples were analysed by immune chromatographic test (ICT), enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All adenovirus types were determined by nucleotide sequence analysis. A phylogenetic tree was constructed by Mega 6.0 using the neighbour-joining method. Results: Five percent of the samples were positive for adenovirus (9/180) by ICT, 6.1% (11/180) by EIA, and 13.9% (25/180) by PCR. Adenovirus gastroenteritis did not show any differences in age group, sex, month, or season. In this study, 16 (64%) of the PCR positive samples were AdV41, 6 (24%) were AdV40, 2 (8%) were AdV31, and 1 (4%) was AdV7, as determined by nucleotide sequencing. Conclusion: AdV31 and AdV7 were associated with gastroenteritis. Adenovirus serotypes showed a similarity of 80% (20/25) and 20% (5/25) with Asian and American serotypes, respectively.

Microbiologic Examination of Bandage Contact Lenses Used after Corneal Collagen Cross-linking Treatment

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the agents of bacterial contamination of contact lenses after corneal collagen cross-linking (CCL), and to present the possible changes of ocular flora after riboflavin/ultraviolet A. Methods: Seventy-two contact lenses of patients who underwent CCL and 41 contact lenses of patients who underwent photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) as control group were enrolled to the study. After 48 h of incubation, broth culture media was transferred to plates. Samples were accepted as positive if one or more colony-forming units were shown. Results: There were positive cultures in 12 (16.7%) contact lenses in the CCL group and 5 (12.2%) had positive cultures in PRK group. Coagulase-negative staphlycocci (CNS) were the most frequent microorganism. Alpha hemolytic streptococci and Diphteroid spp. were the other isolated microorganisms. Conclusions: Bacterial colonization can occur during and early after the CCL procedure in epithelial healing. To prevent corneal infections after the treatment, prophylactic antibiotics should be prescribed.

HPV types and E6/E7 mRNA expression in cervical samples from Turkish women with abnormal cytology in Ankara, Turkey

BACKGROUND/AIM Human papillomaviruses have been established as a risk factor for invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix. HPV E6/E7 oncogene expression has recently emerged as a promising biomarker to determine the risk for progression to high-grade cervical lesions. The aim of this study was to evaluate HPV mRNA and DNA detection in samples with abnormal cytology. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cervical specimens were obtained at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology via cervical brushes during January-October 2011. Liquid-based cytology slides were evaluated according to the 2001 Bethesda System. Cytology specimens from a total of 81 women with abnormal cytology were included. Real-time PCR and NASBA assays were performed to detect HPV DNA and E6/E7 mRNA, respectively. RESULTS HPV DNA was identified in 73 samples (90.1%). HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression was observed in 45 samples (55.6%). A statistically significant difference was observed among cytological diagnosis groups. In 25 patients, a biopsy was performed during the follow-up. HPV DNA was detected in all of these patients. HPV E6/E7 expression was present only in CIN I-III diagnosed patients. CONCLUSION The E6/E7 mRNA test is a robust indicator of cytological atypia and correlates better with progressive lesions than DNA assays.