MCBÜ Açıkerişim Sistemi :: Browsing by Author "Ok Ü.Z."

Browsing by Author "Ok Ü.Z."

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Leishmaniasis in Turkey
(2002) Ok Ü.Z.; Balcioǧlu I.C.; Taylan Özkan A.; Özensoy S.; Özbel Y.
Leishmaniases are widespread in most countries in the Mediterranean basin, including Turkey. Two forms are observed in Turkey; Leishmania infantum is responsible from visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and L. tropica causes cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Phlebotomus sergenti, P. papatasi, P. major and P. syriacus are considered to be the probable vectors, and dogs are the main reservoir of L. infantum, while P. sergenti is the main suspected vector of L. tropica. VL is sporadically seen mainly in the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Central Anatolia Regions, but CL is endemic, especially in the Southeastern and Mediterranean Regions. Major touristic sites are free of both infections, and no infection is reported in any tourist. Mean number of annual VL and CL cases reported to Ministry of Health are 40 and 1,204, respectively, in the last four years. These data suggest that both VL and CL represent a public health problem in Turkey, but a decline is observed in the number of cases with both infections in recent years. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Giardiasis treatment in Turkish children with a single dose of ornidazole
(2002) Özbilgin A.; Ertan P.; Yereli K.; Tamay A.T.; Kurt Ö.; Degerli K.; Balcioglu I.C.; Ok Ü.Z.; Onag A.
This study was designed to compare the treatment efficacy of single dose of ornidazole with 5 d treatments of ornidazole and metronidazole in children with giardiasis. 175 children, between 2 and 15 y old, whose stool samples were found to be positive for Giardia lamblia cysts and/or trophozoites by either saline-Lugol, formalin-ethyl acetate or trichrome staining, were enrolled in the study. Of these children, 105 were treated with a single dose of ornidazole: 35 with 30 mg/kg, 35 with 25 mg/kg and 35 with 20 mg/kg; 35 were treated with 25 mg/kg per day of ornidazole for 5 d in 2 doses and 35 children were treated with 20 mg/kg per day metronidazole for 7 d in 3 doses. All cases were examined on the 7th, 10th and 14th days after treatment by the same methods; clinical symptoms were also evaluated. Giardia lamblia was eradicated in 34 of 35 (97%), 34 of 35 (97%) and 33 of 35 (94%) patients treated with 30, 25 and 20 mg/kg single doses of ornidazole, respectively. Eradication was achieved in all 35 patients treated with 25 mg/kg per day ornidazole for 5 d and in 31 of 35 (89%) patients treated with metronidazole. There was no statistically significant difference among doses of ornidazole (p > 0.05); however, all ornidazole treatment regimens were significantly more effective than metronidazole treatment (p < 0.05). No important side-effects were detected in any patients and clinical symptoms disappeared in all. Single-dose ornidazole treatment could be considered as a proper and effective alternative method for the treatment of giardiasis in children.
Dientamoeba fragilis, a neglected cause of diarrhea, successfully treated with secnidazole
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2003) Girginkardeşler N.; Coşkun Ş.; Cüneyt Balcioǧlu I.; Ertan P.; Ok Ü.Z.
Objective. To evaluate the pathogenicity of Dientamoeba fragilis by comparing it with Giardia lamblia and to investigate the effect of a single dose of secnidazole in dientamoebiasis. Methods. Stool samples of 400 patients, admitted to the Department of Parasitology, Celal Bayar University, were examined by direct wet mount, formalin-ethyl acetate concentration and trichrome staining methods on three consecutive days. All cases positive for D. fragilis were treated with a single dose of secnidazole, 30 mg/kg for children, and 2 g for adults. On the seventh and fourteenth days, at the end of the treatment, stool samples were examined by the same methods, and clinical symptoms were again evaluated. Results. D. fragilis and G. lamblia were detected in 35 (8.8%) and 34 (8.5%) cases, respectively. The most frequent symptoms were found to be abdominal pain and diarrhea in both infections. D. fragilis was eradicated in 34 (97.1%) patients with a single dose of secnidazole, but a second dose was necessary in one patient. Clinical symptoms disappeared in 27 (77.1%) and decreased in eight (22.9%) cases, after eradication. Conclusions. These data suggested that D. fragilis is as prevalent and pathogenic as G. lamblia, and secnidazole seems to be highly effective in achieving parasitologic and clinical cure. To our knowledge, this is the first report of secnidazole being used in the treatment of dientamoebiasis.
A discrepancy between cystic echinococcosis confirmed by ultrasound and seropositivity in Turkish children
(2005) Özkol M.; Kilimcioǧlu A.A.; Girginkardeşler N.; Balcioǧlu I.C.; Şakru N.; Korkmaz M.; Ok Ü.Z.
In three randomly selected villages of Manisa, Turkey, 630 primary school children were examined for cystic echinococcosis (CE) by a portable ultrasound scanner (US) and chest microfilm. Sera samples of 483 (76.7%) children were tested for anti-E. granulosus antibodies by ELISA and indirect hemagglutination (IHA) tests. Hepatic CE were detected in two cases (0.3%) by US, while 43 (8.9%) and 49 (10.1%) cases were found to be positive for CE by ELISA and IHA, respectively. The high seropositivity levels could have been attributed to extra-abdominal or abortive Echinococcus infections, but probably most of them were false-positives. Due to the discrepancy in results, US should be selected as the primary test in field studies and serologic tests should be performed in all cases with suspected lesions. We could not find any reported community based study on CE in Turkey, in which US was applied; but our results suggest that extensive epidemiological studies are required. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The value of ultrasonography alone in screening surveys of cystic echinococcosis in children in Turkey
(2006) Kilimcioǧlu A.A.; Özkol M.; Bayindir P.; Girginkardeşler N.; Östan I.; Ok Ü.Z.
A total of 1205 primary school children were examined for cystic echinococcosis in five villages of Manisa, Turkey, to evaluate the efficacy of diagnostic methods of this infection in community-based screening surveys. Six hundred and thirty children from three villages, examined by a portable ultrasound scanner, chest microfilm and serological methods (ELISA, indirect hemagglutination) in our previous study, were designated as Study Group 1; and 575 children, from two adjacent villages, examined by ultrasonography alone in the present study, were designated as Study Group 2. In Study Group 1, hepatic cystic echinococcosis was detected in two cases (0.3%) by ultrasonography, while 43 (8.9%) and 49 (10.1%) cases were found to be positive for cystic echinococcosis by ELISA and indirect hemagglutination, respectively. Three of 575 children (0.5%) were diagnosed with cystic echinococcosis (two hepatic and one renal involvement) by ultrasonography alone in Study Group 2; and lung lesions were later detected in both cases with liver involvement by chest radiography. Our results suggested that serological tests may be beneficial in suspected cases for confirmation and differential diagnosis, but have some drawbacks, such as discrepancy in results and high false seropositivity rates. Chest microfilm is not easy in field studies and exposure to X-ray is undesirable. As a reliable, simple, inexpensive and rapid technique, ultrasonography alone is recommended to be used in community-based screening surveys for cystic echinococcosis with confirmatory tests for suspected cases found during the screening program. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Health inequities: Lower socio-economic conditions and higher incidences of intestinal parasites
(2007) Östan I.; Kilimcioǧlu A.A.; Girginkardeşler N.; Özyurt B.C.; Limoncu M.E.; Ok Ü.Z.
Background. Intestinal parasitic infections affect child health and development and slow down growth, while reducing adults' productivity and work capacity. The aim of the present study was to determine and compare the incidences of intestinal parasitic infections and the socio-economic status of two near primary school children in Manisa, a western city of Turkey. Methods. A total of 352 children were involved a questionnaire study from a private school (Ülkem Primary School - ÜPS, 116 children) and a community-based school (Şehzadeler Primary School - ŞPS, 236 children). Of these, stool samples could be obtained from a total of 294 students; 97 (83.6%) from ÜPS, and 197 (83.5%) from ŞPS. The wet mount preparations of the stool samples were examined; samples were also fixed in polyvinyl alcohol and examined with modified formalin ethyl acetate sedimentation and trichrome staining techniques. Data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 10.0. The chi-squared test was used for the analytic assessment. Results. The percentages of the students found to be infected with intestinal parasites, were 78 (39.6%) and 13 (13.4%) in ŞPS and ÜPS, respectively. Totally 91 (31.0%) of the students from both schools were found to be infected with at least one intestinal parasite. Giardia lamblia was found to be the most common pathogenic intestinal parasite and Blastocystis hominis was prevalent independently from the hygienic conditions. The factors which significantly (p < 0.05) increase the incidence of intestinal parasites were uneducated and unemployed mother, lower social status of father, living in crowded houses with insufficient indoor spaces, using the tap water as drinking water, and living at shanty areas. Conclusion. Intestinal parasitic infections in school children were found to be a public health problem that increased due to lower socio-economic conditions. We conclude that organization of education seminars including the topics such as prevention of the infectious diseases, improving general hygienic conditions, and application of supportive programs for the parents may be suggested not only to reduce intestinal parasitic infections, but also to elevate the socio-cultural levels. © 2007 Östan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
A comparison of metronidazole and single-dose ornidazole for the treatment of dientamoebiasis
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2008) Kurt Ö.; Girginkardeşler N.; Balcioǧlu I.C.; Q̈zbilgin A.; Ok Ü.Z.
Recent reports of the pathogenic potential of Dientamoeba fragilis have underlined the need for an effective treatment against this colon-dwelling protozoan. Metronidazole is a well-known and commonly used anti-protozoal agent, but another 5-nitroimidazole derivative, ornidazole, may be preferable, where available, because of its longer half-life and fewer side-effects. This study compared the efficacies of metronidazole and ornidazole in a group of 112 patients with dientamoebiasis. Patients were randomised into two treatment groups: group.1 (n = 56) received metronidazole for 5 days, 20 mg/kg/day for children and 1.5 g/day for adults, in three oral doses, while group 2 (n = 56) received a single oral dose of ornidazole, 30 mg/kg for children and 2g for adults. Stool samples were examined on the seventh and 14th days after treatment, and clinical symptoms were recorded to evaluate the efficacy of treatment. A statistically significant difference was recorded between the efficacies of ornidazole and metronidazole, both parasitologically (92.9% vs. 69.6%, p 0.001) and clinically (96.4% vs. 76.8%, p 0.001). Patients in the metronidazole group reported more side-effects than patients in the ornidazole group, none of whom required termination of treatment. These results suggest that single-dose ornidazole may be an important alternative agent for the treatment of dientamoebiasis. © 2008 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
Transmission of Dientamoeba fragilis: Evaluation of the role of Enterobius vermicularis
(2008) Girginkardeşler N.; Kurt Ö.; Kilimcioǧlu A.A.; Ok Ü.Z.
The role of Enterobius vermicularis in the transmission of Dientamoeba fragilis has been evaluated in two groups of patients admitted to the Parasitology Laboratory of Celal Bayar University: one group with E. vermicularis infection (n = 187, Pinworm Group), and the other with D. fragilis infection (n = 126, Dientamoeba Group). The presence of the other parasite, pinworm or Dientamoeba, was investigated with the microscopic examination of cellophane tape and stool samples for three consecutive days. In the Pinworm Group, 9.6% of the patients were found to be coinfected with D. fragilis, while 25.4% of the patients in the Dientamoeba Group were found to be coinfected with pinworms. The coincidence rates of D. fragilis and E. vermicularis, higher than the prevalence of each parasite in similar populations, suggest a common relation between these two parasites, possibly in entering the human body. E. vermicularis infection was found to be significantly more common in younger children (p < 0.001), indicating that younger children may also be at higher risk for D. fragilis infection. These findings also raise the question of whether the unrelated symptoms of the pinworm infected patients such as abdominal pain and diarrhea may actually be due to overlooked Dientamoeba infections. © 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
The in vitro effects of azithromycin and Clarithromycin on promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania tropica; [Leishmania tropica promastigotları ve amastigotları üzerine azitromisin ve klaritromisinin in vitro etkisi]
(Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi, 2012) Balcioğlu İ.C.; Ok Ü.Z.; Özbel Y.; Girginkardeşler N.; Özbilgin A.
Leishmania (L.) tropica is one of the most common species responsible for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in the Old World including Turkey. The pentavalent antimonials are widely used as intralesional and/or intramuscular in the treatment of CL, but increase in resistance to these agents led to investigations on alternative drugs. In vitro antileishmanial activities of two macrolides, azithromycin and clarithromycin were evaluated on promastigotes in RPMI 1640 medium and amastigotes in macrophage series of L. tropica. ED50 values of azithromycin and clarithromycin were found to be 5 µg/ml and <5 µg/ml on promastigotes, and 50-75 µg/ml and <3 µg/ ml on amastigotes, respectively, while ED90 values of the same drugs were 75 µg/ml and 25 µg/ml on promastigotes and 100 µg/ml and 10 µg/ml on amastigotes, respectively. Our data suggested that clarithromycin and azithromycin were effective on both L. tropica promastigotes and amastigotes in vitro. Clarithromycin was found to be more effective than azithromycin at lower concentrations on promastigotes and amastigotes. In vivo studies should be planned to detect intracellular concentrations of these drugs for the effective route and dosage. © 2012, Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi. All rights reserved.
General features of patients infected with dientamoeba fragilis: Assessment of a cohort of one hundred patients from manisa province; [Dientamoeba fragilis ile enfekte hastaların genel özellikleri: Manisa ilinden yüz hastalık kohortun inceleme sonuçları]
(Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi, 2012) Kurt Ö.; Ok Ü.Z.
Dientamoeba fragilis is a flagellated protozoon dwelling in the colonic lumen. It was shown that it may cause clinical manifestations which required effective anti-microbial therapy. General features of 100 D. fragilis-infected patients were assessed in a study conducted in the Parasitology Laboratory of Celal Bayar University Hospital. Patients were mostly females, between 18 and 50 years, and almost two-thirds of them were admitted with gastrointestinal complaints such as bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea and fatigue. Thirty-four of 100 patients were coinfected with Blastocystis sp., while 27 of 83 (32.5%) patients that submitted three cellophane tape samples were coinfected with Enterobius vermicularis. Another significant outcome of the study was that 7 and 6 of 35 patients reported dermatologic complaints as itching and lesions, consecutively. The patients and/or their families were mostly educated, middle-class individuals living in apartments in city centre, using tap water for drinking and do regular hand-washing. The study results suggest that D. fragilis should be regarded as a causative agent in pediatric and adult patients suffering from abdominal pain, diarrhea and intense bloating, and the fresh stool samples should be examined directly or kept in a fixative solution until examination with a permanent-stained smear such as trichrome. © 2012, Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi. All rights reserved.
A native mixed Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax Malaria case molecularly proven after 22 years in Manisa, Turkey; [Manisa'da 22 Yil Sonra Moleküler Olarak Kanitlanmiş Yerli Plasmodium falciparum ve Plasmodium vivax Karma Enfeksiyonu]
(Ankara Microbiology Society, 2019) Ok Ü.Z.; Çavuş I.; Sidal U.; Limoncu E.; Özbilgin A.
Plasmodium falciparum malaria causes about 450.000 deaths every year, mostly in children around the world. The infection is seen in cases coming from abroad and may lead to deaths in Turkey. Many native P.falciparum malaria cases and deaths due to this infection were observed in Turkey during mid 1900's when malaria was epidemic. But only two native cases were reported in the last 50 years, both from Manisa. First case was a one-year old baby who has come to Manisa from Urfa with his family and has never been abroad. He has diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax malaria and treated with chloroquine and primaquine. A previously obtained thin blood film was examined and characteristic P.falciparum rings in red blood cells were observed and the case was published together with photographs as probable P.falciparum and P.vivax mixed infection. After this case, microscopists working in Malaria Control Unit of Manisa were informed about the differentiation of malaria species in thin blood samples. Soon afterward, another case who have never been abroad before were also diagnosed with P.falciparum and P.vivax mixed infection and this case was also published with photographs taken from thin blood samples. As molecular diagnostic methods were not improved and widespread in those years, it could not be applied in both cases. A Giemsa stained thin blood sample of the baby case was incidentally found 22 years afterwards and with the aim of molecular diagnosis, the blood sample on the slide previously processed for DNA isolation, then analysed with "FTD Malaria Differentiation (Fast Track Diagnostics, Luxembourg)" multiplex kit with real-time polymerase chain reaction by using probes special for P.falciparum, P.ovale, P.malariae, P.vivax species. DNA's belonging to P.falciparum and P.vivax were found to be positive, the case is molecularly proved to have P.falciparum and P.vivax mixed infection. This case indicated that Turkey is convenient for the expansion of P.falciparum malaria in terms of the climate and vectors and suggested that the potential danger may increase with the effects of global warming, wars and migrations and may jump to Europe over Turkey. The case which molecularly proved the existence of native P.falciparum malaria in the near future in Turkey, was presented to draw attention to the danger of this infection for Turkey and Europe. © 2019 Ankara Microbiology Society. All rights reserved.
Cystic echinococcosis in humans in Turkey; [Türkiye’de İnsanlarda kistik ekinokokkoz]
(Ankara Microbiology Society, 2021) Ok Ü.Z.; Kilimcioğlu A.A.; Özkol M.
Although cystic echinococcosis (CE) is quite prevalent in Turkey, it is extremely neglected due to being usually asymptomatic for years and frequently not to be reported although it is obligatory. Most of the data on the prevalence of CE in humans in Turkey are based on hospital records, reported cases and the studies based on serological methods and they do not reflect the truth. The fact that detecting no cysts in most of the seropositive cases limits the value of researches based on serological tests. The most valuable epidemiologic data on CE are obtained by mass screening surveys with the use of portable ultrasonography (US) and it took the place of serological tests, especially in the last 20 years. Two of 190 cases older than 20 years were found to be positive for CE in a village of Konya city at the first study that US was performed in Turkey. At the first research performed on preliminary school children in Manisa Province; of the 630 students examined by US, serology and chest X-ray, 2 (0.3%) were diagnosed as CE by US. Only US was used at the second study, and hydatid cysts were observed in 3 (0.5%) of the 575 students in two villages; these data suggested that the use of US alone was more easy, fast and beneficial in the field studies. In the third research, 6093 students from 37 different schools of Manisa Province were selected as a representative sample, and 9 (0.2%) children (two previously operated) were found to be positive for CE by US. The only response to the invitation to use this model in different regions of Turkey was from Elazig Province and of the 2500 students selected, six cases (one previously operated) were detected, and the prevalence was found to be 0.2% in Elazig Province. During the same years, of the 102 cases sharing the same living space with 40 patients operated due to CE, 13 (12.7%) were radiologically diagnosed as CE in Van, while CE was diagnosed in 1 (0.5%) of the 209 cases in an area dealing with animal husbandry in Aydın. At the fourth research in Manisa, 4275 students from university were examined by US, while 2034 of these were also serologically tested by ELISA and Western Blot (WB). The efficacy of WB as a screening test in CE was investigated for the first time in the world; six new and three operated cases were detected, and the prevalence was 0.2%. During the research in the rural areas of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, of the 8618 cases living in six cities (Ankara, Aksaray, Balikesir, Bitlis, Edirne, Sanliurfa) of Turkey, 53 (0.6%) abdominal CE cases were detected by US and one of every 163 cases in Turkey was found to be infected with CE. This ratio shows that CE is one of the most important public health problems in Turkey. Control of CE is possible with “One Health” concept. An effective control program and changes in valid laws are needed in Turkey. In this review, the value of different diagnostic procedures have also been discussed. © 2020 Ankara Microbiology Society. All rights reserved.

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