Djursun Karasartova

• MD, PhD at Hitit University

Mutations or variants that impair function of ribonuclease L (RNase-L), particularly R462Q, have been proposed as susceptibility factors for the innate antiviral response. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the expression levels of RNase-L and mutation of R462Q in the tonsils of tonsillectomy patients who were infected and not inf...

The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of Salmonella serotype Enteritidis strains isolated from outbreaks and sporadic cases in Turkey by plasmid profiles and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) patterns. A total of 64 S. Enteritidis clinical strains were selected from the culture collection of the Enterobacteria Laborato...

HSV-1, HSV-2, CMV, EBV, which are the members of the herpes virus family colonize and establish latent infection in human. Although EBV is a well known virus most involved in recurrent bouts of acute tonsillitis, the role and possibility of HSV-1, HSV-2, and CMV for establishing infection in tonsils are not clear. The purpose of this study is to ve...

In this study, a plasmid, carrying ampicillin resistance (ampR) gene, isolated from a clinical isolate of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium presenting ACSSuT (ampicilin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulphonamide, tetracycline) resistance phenotype, was defined. The length of complete sequence of this plasmid was 8271 base pairs (bp), and i...

Organic acids are becoming more accepted as substitutes for antibiotics. The aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial effects of ascorbic acid, lactic acid and acetic acid and at the same time to analyze the cytotoxicity of these organic acids to mammalian cells. The antibacterial effects of ascorbic acid, lactic acid and acetic acid in...

The gastrointestinal microbiota of medicinal leeches is particularly interesting due to their blood-feeding habits, increasing medical use, and risk of pathogen transmission. Three groups of Hirudo verbana were used to study the leech microbiota: farmed leeches fasting for a long time, farmed leeches recently fed with bovine blood, and wild specime...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected tropical disease prevalent worldwide, particularly in rural areas. Previous studies evaluated immune responses in patients with hepatic CE, however none had assessed Th1, Th2 and Th17 levels simultaneously in pulmonary CE patients. This study aimed to fill this gap in literature by using flow cytometry anal...

b> Introduction: Despite the success of vaccination in reducing overall rate of pneumococcal pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumoniae is still held responsible for high mortality and modality rates worldwide. Our study aimed to investigate the potential role played by NK cells in immune response generated by pneumococcal vaccination, which could contrib...

To investigate the prevalence of Blastocystis and Dientamoeba fragilis in diarrhea patients and healthy individuals in Corum, Türkiye, fecal samples from 92 diarrhea patients and 50 healthy individuals were collected and evaluated using direct microscopy and molecular methods to screen for bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. The prevalence of Blastocy...

Objective: Forensic microbiology is the developing field of forensic science. Forensic microbiologist can use trace evidence to match people to crime scenes, to investigate bioterrorism incidents, and to determine cause and time of death. In recent years, important studies on the environmental microbiota have been carried out. These studies can be...

Background: Blastocystis has been associated with various symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of Blastocystis in children with celiac disease (CeD) or functional abdominal pain (FAP) and to evaluate its subtypes (STs) with respect to demographic, socioeconomic and epidemiological factors. Methods: Overall,...

Despite the fact that a range of molecular methods have been developed as tools for the diagnosis of Malassezia species, there are several drawbacks associated with them, such as inefficiency of differentiating all the species, high cost, and questionable reproducibility. In addition, most of the molecular methods require cultivation to enhance sen...

Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and Rhipicephalus turanicus are very prevalent in Israel and are known to be vectors of human and animal diseases. The aim of this study was to identify the pathogens found in questing ticks and such parasitizing domestic and wild animals. Ticks were collected from 16 localities in Israel with the flagging techni...

Bu çalışma ile annede saptanan enfeksiyonların, çocuğa geçiş riskinin değerlendirilmesi, ülkemizde tam olarak durumu bilinmeyen konjenital toksoplazmoz hakkında temel bir veri sağlanması amacıyla moleküler ve serolojik yöntemlerin bir arada kullanılması amaçlanmıştır. XX Üniversitesi XX Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi’nde normal vajinal yolla veya se...

Splenectomy is closely associated with a lifetime risk of pneumococcal and other encapsulated bacterial infections. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the change of antibody levels after vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae according to age, gender, years after splenectomy and the possible effect of splenectomy on IgG avidity. In ad...

Gebelikte Beslenme ve Destek Tedavileri Yağmur SOYKAN İsmail GÜLER Gebelik Öncesi Danışmanlık Eren AKBABA İntrauterin Enfeksiyonlar Ayşe Semra GÜRESER Djursun KARASARTOVA Ayşegül TAYLAN ÖZKAN Gestasyonel Diabetes Mellitus Serdar GÜLER Tedavi Gebeliklerinin Perinatal Sonuçları Pınar Gülşen ÇOBAN Nafiye YILMAZ Preterm Doğum ve Öngörülmesi Engin YURTÇ...

Introduction: Many studies have shown the advantages of monitoring wastewater in the evaluation of microbiological pathogens circulating in the community. It was aimed to detect of SARS-CoV-2 RNA with a simple concentration method in wastewater in this study. Materials and Methods: In our study, 7 wastewater samples were investigated, which were co...

Objective: This study aimed to detect the presence of Echinococcus spp. in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPG) samples of hydatid cyst cases and to discuss the DNA isolation problems in FFPG samples. Methods: FFPG samples of 47 cases diagnosed with hydatid cyst were included in this study. Demographic characteristics of the cases were invest...

Ticks were collected from 30 Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca), and 10 Arabian camels (dromedary) (Camelus dromedarius) in Israel. All those collected from Greek tortoises belonged to Hyalomma aegyptium, while all specimens collected from the camels belonged to Hyalomma dromedarii. Out of 84 specimens of H. aegyptium, 31 pools were examined by PCR, w...

Introduction The clinical significance of Blastocystis sp. and Dientamoeba fragilis in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms is a controversial issue. Since the pathogenicity of these protists has not been fully elucidated, testing for these organisms is not routinely pursued by most laboratories and clinicians. Thus, the prevalence of these orga...

Objective: The Province of Çorum is an endemic area for tick-borne diseases such as the Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever. The aim of this study was to identify the tick species infesting stray dogs found in the surrounding of human habitations. Methods: Hundred stray dogs kept in the Animal Nursing Home of the Veterinary Service of the province were...

Amaç: Sivrisinek kontrol çalışmalarının bilimsel temelli olarak yapılabilmesi için vektör türlerinin tanımlanması ve üreme alanlarının fiziksel ve ekolojik özelliklerinin belirlenmesi son derece önemlidir. Bu çalışmada Şanlıurfa yöresinde Anopheles türlerinin morfolojik yöntemle tanımlanması ve üreme alanlarının fiziksel ve ekolojik özelliklerinin...

ABSTRACT Objective: Identification of vector species and determination of physical and ecological features of their breeding places is essential in implementation of scientific based mosquito control activities. In this study, it is aimed to identify Anopheles species by morphological method and determination of physical and ecological characterist...

Hyalomma aegyptium (L., 1758) (Ixodida: Ixodidae) is a hard tick and the main host for adults are Palearctic tortoises of the genus Testudo, while larvae and nymphs are less host-specific and nymphs also attach to humans. In the present study, a total of 261 H. aegyptium ticks were removed from 26 Testudo graeca L., 1758 in Corum Province of Turkey...

Background Toxic gliadin peptide damages enterocytes in celiac disease by causing oxidative stress. Thiols are organic compounds that defend against oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the changes in thiol–disulfide homeostasis in children with celiac disease. Methods The study included patients with celiac disease, children diagnose...

ANOFEL LARVALARI 231 (%84,3) were identified as An. sacharovi and 41 (%14,96) of them were identified as An. superpictus. Two (0,73%) samples identified as Anopheles genus, species discrimination could not be done. In %88,89 (n=8) of nine breeding places An. sacharovi and in %11,11 (n=1) of total breeding places An. superpictus found to be dominant...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), which occurs in rural areas during most seasons, is an important public health problem in Turkey. Many challenges regarding both diagnosis and treatment of this disease have not yet been overcome, and despite significantly increasing patient care costs, surgical treatment remains the main option. Confirmation of diagnosi...

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disease mainly caused by the larvae of Echinococcus granulosus is common in rural areas in Turkey. A multidisciplinary approach consisting of clinicians, radiologists and microbiologists is required for the proper diagnosis of the disease. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect hemagglutinati...

Babesia microti (Aconoidasida: Piroplasmida) (Franca, 1910) is an important tick-borne zoonotic parasite with rodents serving as reservoir hosts. In the present study, 536 rodents were captured from Burdur, Bartin, Giresun, and Yozgat provinces of Turkey between the years 2010 and 2012, and blood samples were examined for the presence of Babesia sp...

Aims Our aim was to investigate the skin‐homing T‐cell immune responses triggered in patients with Demodex infestation and/or rosacea. Methods Collected whole blood samples were divided into four groups: control subjects; non‐rosacea patients with Demodex infestation (Demodex group); papulopustular rosacea (PPR) patients without Demodex infestatio...

One of the most important functions of the spleen, which is the largest secondary immune system of the body, is to clear blood from foreign substances by initiating an immune response against antigens carried by blood. There are abundant amounts of lymphoid tissue and cells in spleen including macrophages attacking encapsulated microorganisms and B...

Background Tick-borne diseases are increasing all over the word, including Turkey. The aim of this study was to determine the bacterial and protozoan vector-borne pathogens in ticks infesting humans in the Corum province of Turkey. Methodology/Principal findings From March to November 2014 a total of 322 ticks were collected from patients who atte...

Phylogenetic tree of rickettsial ompA gene. Phylogenetic tree based on aligned sequences of the rickettsial ompA gene, constructed using UPMGA in MEGA5.1 software. GenBank accession numbers of the Rickettsiae are given after the names of bacteria. (TIF)

Phylogenetic tree of Borrelia flaB gene. Phylogenetic tree based on aligned sequences of the Borrelia flaB gene, constructed using UPGMA in MEGA5.1 software. GenBank accession numbers of sequences are given after the names of bacteria. (TIF)

Phylogenetic tree of 18S ribosomal RNA gene. Phylogenetic tree based on aligned sequences of 18S ribosomal RNA gene, constructed using UPGMA in MEGA5.1 software. GenBank accession numbers of sequences are given after the names of the protozoa. (TIF)

Phylogenetic tree of rickettsial gltA gene. Phylogenetic tree based on aligned sequences of the rickettsial gltA gene, constructed using UPGMA in MEGA5.1 software. GenBank accession numbers of sequences are given after the names of bacteria. (TIF)

Phylogenetic tree of Ehrlichia heat shock protein (groEL) gene. Phylogenetic tree based on aligned sequences of the heat shock protein (groEL) gene, constructed using UPGMA in MEGA5.1 software. GenBank accession numbers of sequences are given after the names of bacteria. (TIF)

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe human infection caused by CCHF virus (CCHFV). Today, although the literature on CCHF pathogenesis is still limited, it is thought to be associated with immunosuppression in the early phase of infection followed by pro-inflammatory immune response that may lead to fatal outcomes. The aim of this stu...

Aim: Splenectomised patients are associated with lifelong risk of fatal overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI), which is mostly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Today OPSI cases can still be reported even in patients with appropriate vaccination. In our study, the levels of vaccine-specific memory B- and T cells were compared between co...

p> Objective: With apoptosis being critical for the development and homeostasis of placental tissues, it is possible to hypothesize that accelerated trophoblastic apoptosis during pregnancy may result in a partial loss of trophoblastic activity or trophoblastic cell mass, and ultimately may alter the second-trimester screening test parameters. Thus...

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an effective technique for diagnosis of Blastocystis infection. Notably, DNA isolation procedure is extremely critical for the PCR step. In the present study, a recently described extraction procedure, named as the "sand method" was modified and adapted for isolation of Blastocystis DNA. To evaluate its efficacy,...

Introduction: The most common causes of acute gastroenteritis in children are rotavirus and adenovirus, and laboratory tests are required to make a definitive diagnosis. We aimed to evaluate retrospectively the frequency of rotavirus and adenovirus, detected by immunochromotographic method, in children with acute gastroenteritis referred to our hos...

Purpose Splenectomy is associated with increased risk of overwhelming post-splenectomy infections despite proper anti-pneumococcal vaccination. As most studies concentrated on vaccination-induced humoral immunity, the cellular immune responses triggered in splenectomized patients are not yet well studied. The present study aims to investigate this...

This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of Blastocystis spp. and its subtypes (STs) in North Cyprus; and to evaluate the presence of this parasite and its STs with respect to demographic, socioeconomic, and epidemiological factors, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms. Stool samples were collected from 230 volunteers. Each participan...

Bacteriophages play an important role in the pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) either by carrying accessory virulence factors or several superantigens. Despite their importance, there are not many studies showing the actual distribution of the virulence genes carried by the prophages obtained from the clinically isolated Staphyloco...

PCR and DNA sequencing are currently the diagnostic methods of choice for detection of Blastocystis spp. and their suptypes. Fresh or frozen stool samples have disadvantages in terms of several aspects such as transportation, storage, and existence of PCR inhibitors. Filter paper technology may provide a solution to these issues. The aim of the pre...

Nowadays molecular methods are widely used in the rapid diagnosis of infectious agents. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most preferred method for this purpose. Obtaining sufficient and pure DNA or RNA is important for the PCR. Different DNA extraction protocols such as phenol-chloroform, proteinase K, glass beads and boiling have been used s...

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and significance of intestinal protozoa, specially Blastocystis spp., and to perform PCR-based subtype classification for understanding the importance of Blastocystis spp. in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal disorders in post-traumatic splenectomized patients. Materials and...

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and significance of intestinal protozoa, specially Blastocystis spp., and to perform PCR-based subtype classification for understanding the importance of Blastocystis spp. in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal disorders in post-traumatic splenectomized patients. Materials an...

Despite the fact that a range of molecular methods have been developed as tools for the diagnosis of Malassezia species, there are several drawbacks associated with them, such as inefficiency of differentiating all the species, high cost, and questionable reproducibility. In addition, most of the molecular methods require cultivation to enhance sen...

Few studies have examined the prevalence and cellular proclivity of latent human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) in healthy populations. Difficulties in detection of HHV-6 genome in different tissues using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) techniques have been reported by various researchers. We examined tonsils and adenoid tissu...

From the four known isoforms of the staphylococcal exfoliative toxins (ETs), only ETA and ETB are the major causative agents. General knowledge is that the gene for ETA is located on the chromosome, whereas that for ETB is located on a large plasmid. Yoshizawa and co-workers (2000, Microbiol. Immunol. 44(3): 189–191) isolated, for the first time, a...

Multidrug-resistant bacteria particularly MRSA is well known as a worldwide problem. Since the rate of development of novel antimicrobial agents has been slowed down during the last years, there have been a need for the exploration of alternative solutions for the treatment of resistant bacterial infections. Treatment of infections by bacteriophage...

As an alternative to petroleum-based polyol, hydroxyl containing material was prepared from linseed oil for polyurethane synthesis. Hexamethylene di-isocyanate (HMDI) and/or 4, 4′-methylene diphenyl di-isocyanate (MDI) were used as isocyanate source. The polymerization reaction was carried out without catalyst. Polymer films were prepared by castin...

The DNase test is a simple, economical method that has traditionally been used as a supplemental test to identify pathogenic Staphylococcus. This test also aids in the differentiation of closely-related genera within the Klebsiella-Enterobacter-Serratia division of Enterobacteriaceae and several other pathogens, including screening of C. diphtheria...

Fatty acid-based polyurethane films were prepared for use as potential wound dressing material. The polymerization reaction was carried out with or without catalyst. Polymer films were prepared by casting-evaporation technique with or without crosslink-catalyst. The film prepared from uncatalyzed reaction product with crosslink-catalyst gave slight...