Sertaç Argun Kıvanç

Screening of lactic acid bacteria for antifungal activity against fungi.

Many chemical preservatives that target fungi growth in food have been approved and used for many years. Recently the consumers are looking and demanding for products without chemical preservatives and still maintain good shelf life and safe. The growth of spoilage fungi have been a global concern because of the economy loses and the health hazard of the mycotoxins produced by the spoilage fungi. A total of 22 lactic acid bacteria isolated from Tarhana and Lactic acid bacteria were screened for antifungal activity using dual agar overlay method and well method against Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus oryzae Penicillium griseofulvum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium notatu, Penicillium citrinum, Penicillium roquefort, Aspergillus fumigatus. Ten isolates showed inhibition activity after 72 h incubation at 30°C. Supernatant of 10 isolates with strong antifungal activity was evaluated by well method and they inhibited the growth of the fungi at 30°C for 72 h. F2,1 supernatant reduced the mass growth of Penicillium griseofulvum, Penicillium chrysogenum Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus parasiticus when incubated for 6 days at 30°C. The isolates were identified using rapid ID 32 Strep as Enterococcus durans F2.1. F2.1 isolates studied inhibited the growth of the mycelia and conidia germination of the fungi which indicate the possibility of using LAB isolates as biopreservative.

Demographic Characteristics and Clinical Outcome of Work-related Open Globe Injuries in the Most Industrialised Region of Turkey

Objectives: To evaluate demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of work-related open globe injuries in the most industrialized region of Turkey. Materials and Methods: The demographic and medical records of patients with work-related open globe injuries who presented to the ophthalmology or emergency departments with an official occupational accident report were retrospectively reviewed. Visual acuity categories were defined according to the World Health Organization. The injury types and zones of the open globes were classified according to Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology System. Results: Among 479 patients with work-related eye injuries in 5 years, there were 102 eyes of 101 patients with open globe injuries (21%). The mean age of the patients was 34.5±8.9 years with a mean follow-up of 12.5±12.6 months. The injuries peaked in June in the hour between 12:00 and 13:00. Eighty-six percent presented to emergency services within 12 hours after the injury. Twenty-two percent of the patients had been wearing protective eyewear at the time of injury. The open globe injuries were penetrating in 51%, intraocular foreign body in 40%, rupture in 7% and perforation in 2% of the eyes. The most frequent finding was traumatic cataract. Final visual acuity of 33.3% of patients was below 3/60. Seventy-eight percent of patients that had visual acuity worse than 6/18 at presentation had visual acuity of 6/18 or better at final visit. Sixty-three percent of eyes which had injuries involving all 3 zones resulted in phthisis bulbi, enucleation or evisceration. Conclusion: Work-related open globe injuries may have severe consequences such as visual impairment and blindness among the young male working population in industrialized areas. Nearly half of the occupational open globe injuries resulted in visual impairment and blindness.

A Clinical Scoring System for Diagnosis of Ocular Demodicosis

Background Demodex may cause chronic and refractory blepharitis with associated ocular surface problems, and its diagnosis and treatment can be quite challenging. In this study, our aim was to assess the efficacy of tea tree oil in Demodex treatment on caucasian patients in an industrialized region of Turkey, and to develop a systematic scoring system for extremely accurate diagnosis in the absence of advanced facilities. Material/Methods Charts of 412 patients with blepharitis were reviewed. A group of 39 out of 412 cases were identified as chronic and treatment-refractory, and therefore were enrolled in this study. Eyelashes from each of the lower and upper eyelids of both eyes were evaluated at ×40 and ×100 magnification using light microscopy. Treatment was started with 4% tea tree oil eyelid gel and 10% eyelash shampoo. Symptoms and findings were scored according to the most common complaints. Results The mean age of the patients was 54.1±15.4 years. Seventeen (43.5%) patients were male and 22 (56.5%) patients were female. In 30 out of the 39 patients (76.9%) D. folliculorum was detected. Symptoms disappeared in 25 patients. The mean score of patients who were Demodex-negative was 2.7±1.0, and the mean score of patients who were Demodex-positive was 3.8±1.6 (p=0.047). Ninety-four percent of those with a score of 4 and over were found to be Demodex-positive (p=0.025). Conclusions Treatment with tea tree oil can be successful. If there is no facility to identify Demodex under light microscopy, we recommend starting treatment for patients who have scores of 4 and over using the scoring chart developed in this study.

An Important Cause of Blindness in Children: Open Globe Injuries

Objective. Our aim was to present and evaluate the predictive factors of visual impairment and blindness according to WHO criteria in pediatric open globe injuries. Methods. The medical records of 94 patients younger than 18 years who underwent primary repair surgery were reviewed retrospectively. The initial and final visual acuity, anterior and posterior segment findings, and zone of injury were noted. The patients were classified as blindness in one eye or visual impairment in one eye. Results. Of 412 patients who presented with open globe injury, 94 (23%) were under 18 years old. Fifty-four (16 females, 38 males) children were included. The mean age of the children was 7.1 ± 4.1 years. According to WHO criteria, 19 of 54 patients (35%) had unilateral blindness and 8 had unilateral visual impairment (15%). There was no significant relationship between final visual acuity and gender and injured eye. In visually impaired and blind patients, presence of preoperative hyphema, retinal detachment, and zone 2 and zone 3 injuries was significantly higher. Conclusion. Presence of hyphema and zone 2 and zone 3 injuries and retinal detachment may end up with visual impairment and/or blindness in children.

Comparing the ocular surface effects of topical vancomycin and linezolid for treating bacterial keratitis.

Abstract Background: Vancomycin is the gold standard in combination therapy for severe and resistant gram-positive keratitis and in particular for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. The aim of this study was to report the ocular surface toxicity and scoring in patients whose treatment shifted to topical linezolid/ceftazidime from topical vancomycin/ceftazidime due to their vancomycin intolerance. Methods: A retrospective, interventional case series of bacterial keratitis was treated with topical linezolid (one drop of 0.2% solution per eye), administered hourly until epithelization and then gradually decreased. The number and extent of punctate epithelial erosions were noted across the entire surface of the cornea. Ocular discomfort was assessed by means of (a) patient-reported pain upon instillation of the medication (vancomycin/linezolid), (b) reported burning sensation between doses and (c) reported foreign-body sensation. No ocular surface toxicity related to linezolid use was noted. Patients were followed for at least 2 months after treatment between April and December 2013. Results: Of the seven patients included in the study (age range: 2–88 years; five females, two males), complete epithelization and resolution was achieved in five patients. One patient was treated with linezolid after penetrating keratoplasty. The second culture of another patient with impending perforation despite linezolid/ceftazidime therapy yielded Fusarium spp., so he underwent tectonic keratoplasty. The mean ocular surface score was 9.4 ± 1.6 during vancomycin treatment and 5.9 ± 1.3 during linezolid treatment after discontinuation of vancomycin. The topical linezolid score was significantly lower (p = 0.027). Conclusions: Topical linezolid may be better tolerated, according to the mean ocular surface score, than topical vancomycin by some patients and can be considered an alternative for patients who do not well tolerate vancomycin.

Acquired capillary hemangioma of the eyelid in a 49-year-old woman from Turkey.

A 49-year-old woman developed a dark brown nodular mass in the lower eyelid. The lesion had grown fast for 2 months and then had remained stable in size. Excisional biopsy was performed. Histopathological examination of an excisional biopsy specimen pointed to proliferative vessels lined by increased endothelial cells without nuclear atypism. The nodular mass evaluated as a capillary hemangioma.

Relationship among Corneal Biomechanics, Anterior Segment Parameters, and Geometric Corneal Parameters

Purpose. To investigate the relationship between corneal biomechanical parameters, anterior segment parameters, and geometric corneal parameters in a healthy Caucasian group. Methods. This retrospective study included the healthy eyes with best corrected visual acuity of at least 20/40 of 122 Caucasian subjects. The anterior segment parameters and geometric corneal parameters such as corneal volume, central corneal thickness, horizontal and vertical corneal radii, anterior and posterior steep, and flat keratometric values were measured with a Scheimpflug camera. The biomechanical properties were measured with Ocular Response Analyzer. Results. One hundred and twenty-two healthy Caucasian subjects (67 males, 55 females) with a mean age of 45.32 ± 20.23 were enrolled. Both corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor were positively correlated with CCT (r = 0.529, p < 0.001; r = 0.638, p < 0.001) and CV (r = 0.635, p < 0.001; r = 0.579, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with age (r = −0.373, p < 0.001; r = −0.249, p < 0.001). Both in age-gender and multivariate models, CH and CRF had statistically significant negative association with the posterior steep K value. Conclusions. CH and CRF are negatively correlated with posterior steep and average posterior K values.

Sociodemographic status of severely disabled and visually impaired elderly people in Turkey

PURPOSE To identify the prevalence of ophthalmologic diseases in elderly patients who had been classified as severely disabled and to identify the ophthalmologic conditions leading to visual impairment and blindness. METHODS The medical records of 2806 patients who had applied to the Health Board of the Erzurum Region Training and Research Hospital between January 2011 and December 2012 were reviewed. One hundred ninety-nine patients aged >64 years who were classified as severely disabled with disability rates of over 50%, and who were unable to care for themselves or to move and/or communicate without help were included in the study. RESULTS The most frequently seen disabilities were neurological (47.2%) and those resulting from eye diseases (17.1%). The most common ophthalmologic diseases were cataract, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. The mean right and left eye visual acuities were 1.17 ± 1.10 logMAR and 1.13 ± 1.0 logMAR, respectively. Of the 60 patients with ophthalmologic diseases or conditions, 33 were blind (visual acuity worse than 20/400) and 10 were visually impaired (visual acuity worse than 20/70 but better than 20/400). Cataracts were the main cause of blindness. The mean age of the patients who were still being followed up at the time of application to the disability board was significantly lower than that of the others (p =0.015). Seventy-nine percent of the blind patients were from rural areas, and 88% of these had no regular follow-up. Among the blind and visually impaired, significantly more patients from urban areas had social security insurance (SSI) than those from rural areas (p =0.043). Nearly 64% of the blind patients were women. The follow-up rate was significantly lower in women (p =0.025). According to multinomial logistic regression analysis, the visually impaired and blind patients were more likely to have lower follow-up rates than the other types of severely disabled patients (OR: 0.231, 95% Cl: 0.077-0.688, p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS Blindness gives rise to severe disability, and the most common ophthalmologic diseases that cause severe disabilities in elderly patients are cataract, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. Sociodemographic factors that may affect the accessibility of visually impaired and blind people to health services include their place of residence and gender.

Is Ciliary Muscle Affected in Migraine Patients with Aura and without Aura

Background The aim of this study was to compare spherical equivalents (SE) and spherical equivalents with cycloplegic (CSE) values of migraine patients with and without visual aura, with those patients without migraine complaints. Material/Methods We included patients over the age of 18 years, who had 20/20 uncorrected vision, and who did not have ocular pathology in their examination. The patients were divided into 3 groups: Group 1: 86 eyes of 43 migraine patients without aura, Group 2: 38 eyes of 19 migraine patients with aura, and Group 3: 60 eyes of 30 patients without migraine. Spherical equivalents and spherical equivalents with cycloplegic from the auto-refractometrical values of the patients were compared. Results The mean age of the migraine and control patients was 34.2±8.3 and 33.6±10.8 years, respectively. Forty-three (69%) of 62 migraine patients had migraine without aura and 19 (31%) had migraine with aura. The right and left eyes of the patients were evaluated together and a significant correlation was found between the groups. To evaluate the impact of cycloplegia in patients, SE and CSE values were obtained and differences between these values were evaluated. It was found that the change in Group 2 patients was significantly lower than the change in Group 3 patients (p=0.024). Conclusions We found that the cycloplegic spherical equivalents values of our patients with aura were lower than control patients. We need further studies to reveal whether migraine with aura is the trigger or the result of those attacks.

Association of Birth Parameters with Refractive Status in a Sample of Caucasian Children Aged 4–17 Years

Purpose. To investigate the association of birth parameters with refractive status in different age groups of Caucasian children. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study included 564 eyes of 282 children aged 4 to 17 years. All children underwent complete ophthalmologic examination. The children were divided into three groups according to their refractive status (emmetropia,myopia, and hyperopia), ages (4–7, 8-9, 10–12, and 13–17), and appropriateness for gestational age, respectively. Results. The mean age of the children was 9.2 ± 2.8 (age range 4–17 years). The mean spheric equivalent was +0.3 ± 1.7 (range: (−10.0)–(+10.0) diopters). The mean birth weight and gestational age were 2681.1 ± 930.8 grams (750–5000 grams) and 37.2 ± 3.7 weeks (25–42 weeks). According to multinominal logistic regression analysis, children with myopia were more likely to have higher birth weights than emmetropic children (OR: 1.0, 95% CI: 1.000–1.001, and P = 0.028). The hypermetropes were found to be significantly small for gestational age between 13 and 17 years of age. Conclusion. Birth weight and appropriateness for gestational age as birth parameters may have an impact on development of all types of refractive errors. The hypermetropic children tended to be small for gestational age.