The amounts of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in gut microbiota are reduced in patients with allergic diseases compared to healthy controls. We aimed to quantify levels of A. muciniphila and F. prausnitzii amounts using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in the gut microbiota of children with allergic asthma and in healthy controls. In total, 92 children between the ages of three and eight who were diagnosed with asthma and 88 healthy children were included in the study and bacterial DNA was isolated from the stool samples using the stool DNA isolation Kit. qPCR assays were studied with the microbial DNA qPCR Kit for A. muciniphila and microbial DNA qPCR Kit for F. prausnitzii. Both bacterial species showed a reduction in the patient group compared to healthy controls. A. muciniphila and F. prausnitzii were found to be 5.45±0.004, 6.74±0.01 and 5.71±0.002, 7.28±0.009 in the stool samples of the asthma and healthy control groups, respectively. F. prausnitzii and A. muciniphila may have induced anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and prevented the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-12. These findings suggest that A. muciniphila and F. prausnitzii may suppress inflammation through its secreted metabolites.

Purpose. We aimed to investigate the presence of three recently identified point mutations (A2115G, G2141A and A2144T) of the 23 S rRNA gene and compare them with the three most frequently encountered point mutations (A2142G, A2142C and A2143G) in Helicobacter pylori strains in Turkey. Methodology. A total of 63 patients (mean 47.08±12.27) were included. The E-test method (for clarithromycin) was used for the clarithromycin antimicrobial susceptibility test of isolated H. pylori strains. Real-time PCR was used to detect the point mutations. Results. A total of 24 out of 63 H. pylori strains (38.1%) were detected as clarithromycin resistant (>0.5 mg l−1 ). The new A2115G (n:6, 25%), A2144T (n:7, 29.1%) and G2141A, 8 (n:8, 33.3%) mutations and the classical A2142G (n:8, 33.3%) and A2143G (n:11, 45.8%) point mutations were detected in the 24 clarithromycin-resistant strains. The A2144T point mutation had the highest median MIC value (3 mg l−1 ) amongst the new mutations, but the classical mutations (A2142G and A2143G) had the highest median MIC values (256 mg l−1 ) overall. The presence of the A2115G (OR:31.66), A2144T (OR:36.92) or G2141A (OR:28.16) mutations increased the likelihood of clarithromycin resistance in H. pylori strains by 31.66-, 36.92- and 28.16-fold (ORs), respectively, according to the binary logistic regression analysis. Conclusion. We concluded that classical mutations of the 23 S rRNA gene resulted in higher clarithromycin MIC values than new mutations. These new point mutations caused moderate elevations in the MIC values of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori strains.

Pseudoaneurysm of a cystic artery is a rare entity that commonly occurs secondary to biliary procedures. Most of the cases in literature are consisted of ruptured aneurysms and to our knowledge, except our case, there were only 3 cases with unruptured aneurysms, which incidentally were detected by radiological methods. When cystic artery pseudoaneurysm is present with acute cholecystitis, most of the reports in literature suggested open cholecystectomy with the ligation of the cystic artery as a main treatment option. In this paper we present a case of acute cholecystitis with unruptured cystic artery pseudoaneurysm that incidentally was detected by computed tomography (CT). Cystic artery pseudoaneurysm was handled laparoscopically with simultaneous cholecystectomy. Due to high risk of rupture, surgeons have evaded laparoscopic approach to acute cholecystitis, which accompanied cystic artery pseudoaneurysm. However herein, we proved that laparoscopic management of cystic artery pseudoaneurysm with simultaneous cholecystectomy is feasible and reliable method.

Introduction : Laparoscopic total extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair is an effective and safe method for the treatment of inguinal hernia. There are very few studies on regional anesthesia methods in TEP surgery. Aim : To compare TEP inguinal hernia repair performed when the...

Helicobacter pylori quantity and HP-NAP gene expression were evaluated in the faeces of healthy and asthmatic children. H. pylori DNAs and RNAs were isolated from the stool samples of 92 asthmatic children (AC; 3-8 years) and 88 healthy controls (HC). Quantitative PCR was used to determine the quantity of H. pylori and HP-NAP expression relative to the 16S rRNA (reference gene). Gene expression was analysed using the delta delta-Ct method. H. pylori DNA was detected in the stool samples of 18 (20.4%) of the 88 HC (p0.05). H. pylori quantity was higher in seven of 18 H. pylori-positive samples, but HP-NAP expression levels were low in four of these seven samples. Based on a multivariate logistic regression analysis of these three variables together, only males displayed a significant difference based on gender differences (p<0.02) and it was determined that, based on the OR value of 0.46 and the 95% CI range of 0.241-0.888, male gender was an independent protective factor in asthma. HP-NAP levels vary to the relative concentrations of bacteria in the stationary or late logarithmic phases. Different napA expression levels may be caused by different endogenous napA gene expression or different environmental conditions.

Introduction Endoscopic hernia repair integrates the advantages of tension-free preperitoneal mesh support of the groin with the advantages of minimally invasive surgery procedures. Aim To compare outcomes between slit mesh (SM) and nonslit mesh (NSM) placement in laparoscopic totally...