Ayşe Demet Kaya

This study aimed to evaluate the surface roughness and Streptococcus mutans adhesion on two different composite resin materials following the application of various polishing systems. Eighty disk-shaped specimens (8 mm diameter, 2 mm thickness) were fabricated using nanohybrid (Charisma Topaz) and nanofilled (Tokuyama Estelite Asteria) composite resins (n = 40 each). Each material group was further divided into four groups (n = 10) according to the polishing system used: Mylar strip (control), Sof-Lex™, Clearfil™ Twist Dia, and Opti1Step™. After measuring the surface roughness, the sterilized samples were divided into two subgroups as, “artificial saliva-treated samples” and “non-treated samples.” For each subgroup, solutions containing S. mutans were added, and the samples were incubated at 35–37 °C for 24 h. Determination of adhered bacteria on surfaces depended upon colony counts obtained after incubation, which was presented as CFU/mL. Statistical analyses included two-way ANOVA for surface roughness and three-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc test for bacterial adhesion. SR values ranged from 0.07 ± 0.01 μm to 0.09 ± 0.03 μm across all groups, remaining well below the clinical threshold of 0.2 μm, highlighting that the minor surface variations observed are unlikely to have clinical significance regarding plaque retention. (p > 0.05). S. mutans adhesion values ranged between 2.83 ± 0.25 log CFU/mL and 3.57 ± 0.32 log CFU/mL. No statistically significant differences were found between polishing methods or saliva conditions (p > 0.05). The three-way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant main effect of composite resin material on S. mutans adhesion (F = 29.895, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.322), indicating that bacterial colonization varied according to the resin material used. While different polishing systems did not significantly affect surface roughness or bacterial adhesion, the composite resin type appears to play a crucial role in S. mutans colonization.

Introduction: Annually, scabies affects more than 400 million people worldwide and is an important public health problem. This study investigated the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with scabies at a major dermatologic clinic in Turkiye in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: A retrospective evaluation was performed on outpatients diagnosed with scabies between 2014 and 2022. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0. Results: In total, 759 of the 48,381 patients (1.6%) who visited the dermatology outpatient clinic were diagnosed with scabies. The incidence rate of scabies was 0.5–0.9% before the pandemic, which increased to 3.1–4.4% in 2020–2022. Cases were more common in October–December (36.5%), and 57.9% of patients were 18–44 years old. Those aged 1–6 years showed an increased rate of scabies from 3% to 7.8% during the pandemic. There was no significant difference according to gender or nationality. All patients complained of itching, and 35% had a history of contact with individuals who were diagnosed with scabies. The recurrence rate was 27.3%. Lesions of 73.1% of patients showed a generalized distribution, as well as local lesions on the hands (7.9%), genital area (6.4%), trunk (4.0%), arms (3.0%), legs (2.8%), feet (1.6%), and head (1.2%). Conclusions: The results emphasize that scabies can develop regardless of age, gender, and ethnicity, and periods such as pandemics may delay diagnosis and treatment, leading to a higher occurrence of the disease.

Aims: Superficial mycoses are the most common dermatological diseases worldwide, and the causes are becoming increasingly resistant to antifungal agents used in treatment. The aim of our study was to identify the yeast species causing superficial mycoses and determine their susceptibilities to some antifungal agents. Methods: Skin and nail scraping samples obtained from 726 patients with suspected superficial fungal infection were collected and examined by direct microscopy and culture. Isolates were identified by conventional methods and API ID32 C (Biomeriux, France) commercial kits. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of isolates against itraconazole, miconazole, nystatin, and terbinafine antifungals were determined by microdilution method. Results: A total of 59 yeasts were isolated from the samples. The most frequently isolated species were Candida glabrata (n=31, 52.54%), Candida guillermondii (n=9, 15.25%), and Candida albicans (n=7, 11.86%). In terms of infection sites, the most common involvement was observed in the foot (n=39, 66.1%) and nails (n=16, 27.1%). In terms of their antifungal susceptibilities, the highest resistance was detected against terbinafine (35.6%) and itraconazole (33.9%). Multidrug resistance was observed among strains of the Candida species (n=17, 28.8%). Conclusion: The most striking results of this study can be summarized as high rates of Candida glabrata isolation, increase in resistance rates, and a prevalence of 28.8% multidrug resistance. This data once again emphasize the importance of isolation, identification, and antifungal susceptibility testing in the diagnosis and effective treatment of superficial mycoses.

Recent studies have focused on the role of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) in PR etiology with varying results. In our study, with the approach that the discrepancy between the results may be related to the different samples and techniques used, we aimed to clarify the etiology by examining tissue and plasma samples using molecular methods and evaluating the results together with serological parameters. Skin biopsies and plasma samples of twenty-five PR patients were tested to detect HHV-6 and HHV-7 DNA using calibrated quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (CQ RT-PCR). IgG and IgM antibodies against HHV-6 and HHV-7 were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescence. Of the patient group, 64% were positive for HHV-6 IgG without IgM positivity. HHV-6 DNA was present in seven tissue and ten plasma samples. HHV-7 positivity was 100% and 12% for IgG and IgM antibodies, respectively. HHV-7 DNA was detected in four tissue samples and one plasma sample. Patients with HHV-7 DNA-positive plasma and tissue samples had also HHV-7 IgM antibodies. In conclusion, our results seem to support the role of HHV-6/HHV-7 in the etiology of PR. To clarify the etiology of PR and avoid confusion, the collection of different biological materials simultaneously and the usage of CQ RT-PCR as a diagnostic technique are recommended.

Amaç: Dünyada yaygın görülen, milyonlarca kadının hayatını etkileyen ve anormal vajinal akıntının sık nedenlerinden olan vulvovajinal kandidiyazis (VVC)’in en önemli etkeni günümüze kadar Candida albicans iken, son yıllarda Non-albicans Candida (NAC) türlerinin sıklığı artmıştır. VVC’ da, birçok risk faktörünün de infeksiyon gelişimi ve tekrarlamasını etkilediği belirlenmiştir. Bu çalışmada; anormal vajinal akıntı yakınması olan hastalarda VVC sıklığı ve etkenlerinin belirlenerek, infeksiyon ile ilişkili risk faktörlerinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Anormal vajinal akıntı şikayeti olan 87 hastaya, sosyo-demografik özellikleri ve risk faktörleri olarak tanımlanan bağımsız değişkenleri içeren 26 soruluk anket uygulanmıştır. Toplanan vajinal sürüntü örneklerinin kültür ve mikroskopik incelemesi yapılarak, izolatlar klasik ve biyokimyasal testle identifiye edilmiştir. Bulgular: Hastaların %18,4’ünde Candida cinsi mantar üremesi saptanırken, gebelerde bu oran %60 olarak bulunmuştur. İnfeksiyon etkeni olarak izole edilen Candida’lardan %43,7 C. albicans, %37,5 C. glabrata, %12,5 C. krusei ve %6,3 C. parapsilosis olarak tanımlanmıştır. Hastaların %68,7’i tekrarlayan infeksiyon geçirdiğini bildirmiştir. Çalışmada VVC üremesini etkileyen tek faktör gebelik olarak saptanmış (p=0,041); VVC’i etkilemesi beklenen diğer bağımsız faktörler arasında anlamlı fark saptanmamıştır (p>0,05). Sonuç: Çalışmamız; VVC etiyolojisinde NAC türlerinin öneminin arttığını ve saptanan yüksek rekürrens oranları ile ilişkili olabileceğini göstermektedir. Bu bulgu VVC hastalarında ve özellikle de çalışmamızda risk faktörü olarak saptanmış gebelik döneminde, etkenlerin tür düzeyinde tanımlanmasının ve olası risk faktörlerinin bilinerek, kontrol altında tutulmasının önemini ortaya koymaktadır.

Objective Neonatal bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to drug-resistant pathogens are a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, data regarding the pathogens and their resistance profile are limited in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the bacteriological profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in neonatal BSI at a university hospital in Türkiye. Methods Medical records of neonates with suspected sepsis were retrospectively reviewed during the study period (between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020) for demographic data, blood culture, and antimicrobial susceptibility test results. Results During the study period, 117 BSI episodes were encountered in 106 neonates. The most common pathogen isolated was Staphylococcus epidermidis (n = 86, 73.5%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 11, 9.4%). Methicillin resistance among staphylococci (77/93, 82.8%) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production among Enterobacterales (14/17, 82.4%) were common. Gentamicin resistance was detected in 70.1% (54/77) of methicillin-resistant staphylococci and 78.6% (11/14) of ESBL (+) Enterobacterales. Vancomycin and colistin resistance were not detected. Conclusion The high rate of resistant pathogens encountered in neonatal BSIs underline the importance of constant surveillance of the local pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, which is crucial for implementing appropriate therapy that could save lives and lower the burden of antimicrobial resistance.

Amaç: Staphylococcus aureus ve Metisiline dirençli Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ile kolonize sağlık personeli ve sağlık alanında eğitim alan öğrenciler, hastane enfeksiyonları gelişimi açısından risk oluşturmaktadır. Nazal taşıyıcılığın belirlenmesi ve önlenmesi, enfeksiyon kontrolünde önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışmada, hemşirelik öğrencilerinin klinik stajlara başlamadan ve staj döneminde aktif olarak sağlık kurumlarında çalışırken nazal S. aureus taşıyıcılık durumları araştırılmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışmaya, 69’u birinci sınıfta, 60’ı ise üçüncü sınıfta eğitim görmekte olan toplam 129 hemşirelik öğrencisi dahil edilmiştir. Öğrencilerden alınan nazal sürüntü örnekleri koyun kanlı agar ve mannitol tuz agara ekilmiş ve bir gece inkübasyonu takiben, konvansiyonel yöntemler ile identifiye edilmiştir. Metisilin duyarlılığı disk difüzyon yöntemi ile belirlenmiştir. İstatistiki analizde Pearson Ki-Kare testi kullanılmış ve istatistiksel anlamlılık p

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