Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales represent a major global public health concern, and the rapid and reliable detection of carbapenemase production is of critical importance. In this study, real-time PCR was used as the reference method for carbapenemase detection, and the performance of immunochromatographic and phenotypic methods was comparatively evaluated. A total of 96 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales isolates were included, and all were identified as carbapenemase producers by the reference method. Diagnostic performance was assessed using positive percent agreement (PPA) and overall percent agreement (OPA); negative percent agreement and negative predictive value could not be calculated due to the absence of negative isolates. The immunochromatographic test showed complete agreement with real-time PCR in detecting carbapenemase production (PPA and OPA: 100%). At the gene level, sensitivity and specificity were 100% for OXA-48 and NDM, while sensitivity for KPC was 91.7%. In the modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM), PPA and OPA values were 97.9% due to false-negative results observed in two isolates producing OXA-48 and NDM by the reference method, and its performance was slightly lower than that of the immunochromatographic method. These findings indicate that the immunochromatographic method is a rapid, reliable, and practical option for carbapenemase detection, particularly in OXA-48-endemic intensive care settings where rapid identification is critical for timely infection control and appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary etiological agent of cervical cancer. Although obesity has been proposed as a factor influencing HPV acquisition and disease course through immune and metabolic mechanisms, its role remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and high-risk (HR)-HPV infection, including genotype distribution, infection type, and cytological findings. Methods: This cross-sectional study included women aged 21 years and older who underwent cervical sampling between August and November 2025. Participants were classified as non-obese (BMI 0.05). HPV-68 was the most frequently detected genotype. Conclusions: BMI was not independently associated with HR-HPV infection or related clinical and cytological features. These findings suggest that HPV infection is primarily influenced by viral characteristics and host immune response, while BMI appears to play a limited role. Further multicenter prospective studies are needed to clarify the impact of obesity on HPV infection.

Background: This study evaluated the inter-method agreement of an in-house qualitative CMV real-time PCR assay for the detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in various non-plasma clinical specimen types, in comparison with a commercially available comparator assay. Methods: In this prospective comparative study, 186 clinical specimens—including bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), stool, urine, colonoscopic biopsy, amniotic fluid, and intraocular fluid—were analyzed. A total of 166 samples with valid results from both test systems were included in the inter-method comparison. CMV DNA was detected using the in-house qualitative PCR assay in parallel with the comparator assay (artus^® CMV QS-RGQ kit). Agreement was assessed using positive percent agreement (PPA), negative percent agreement (NPA), overall percent agreement (OPA), and Cohen’s kappa coefficient (κ), in accordance with CLSI EP12-A2 recommendations. Results: Substantial overall inter-method agreement was observed when all specimens were evaluated collectively (κ = 0.66). Agreement metrics were highest in stool, urine, and invasive specimens, whereas BALF samples demonstrated comparatively lower agreement, reflecting potential matrix-related analytical variability. Conclusion: The laboratory-developed qualitative CMV PCR assay demonstrated substantial inter-method agreement with the comparator assay across multiple non-plasma specimen types. The findings highlight specimen-specific variability in qualitative CMV DNA detection and represent analytical concordance between two molecular assays rather than definitive clinical diagnostic accuracy or viral load quantification.

Background: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a vascular malignancy closely associated with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection, and its diagnosis relies on combined clinical, histopathological and molecular assessment. This study aimed to detect HHV-8 DNA in archived formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) biopsy samples of KS by real time PCR and to evaluate the diagnostic performance of PCR compared with histopathology. Meth ods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 98 FFPE biopsy specimens with histopathologically confirmed KS and 30 FFPE biopsy specimens with non-KS vascular lesions were included as the patient and control groups, respectively. HHV-8 DNA was analyzed in all samples using real-time PCR. Diagnostic performance parameters, including sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and accuracy, were calculated, and agreement with histopathological diagnosis was assessed using Cohen’s kappa coefficient. Results: HHV-8 PCR was positive in 89.8% (88/98) of KS cases and negative in all controls (30/30; 100%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and overall accuracy were 89.8%, 100%, 100%, 75.0% and 92.2%, respectively. Overall agreement between PCR and histopathology was 92.2% with a Cohen’s kappa of 0.34 (p < 0.001), indicating fair concordance. PCR positivity rates and cycle threshold values did not differ significantly between histopathological stages, or according to histopathological and immunohistochemical parameters. Conclusions: HHV-8 PCR in archived FFPE KS biopsies shows high specificity and good sensitivity and acts as a complementary diagnostic tool with fair agreement with histopathology. It is particularly valuable in diagnostic gray areas but should always be interpreted together with clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings.

Objective: To determine the seropositivity rate of brucellosis and investigate its relationship with hematological and inflammatory parameters, including complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein levels. Methods: Rose Bengal, standard tube agglutination, and Coombs tube agglutination tests were performed on serum samples obtained from patients with clinical suspicion of brucellosis in accordance with the manufacturers' protocols. Complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein levels were quantified using routine laboratory analyzers. Results: Among 6612 serum samples analyzed, Rose Bengal test seropositivity was detected in 110 patients (1.7%), and diagnosis was confirmed by at least one supplementary serological assay in 90.0% (n = 99) of seropositive individuals. Hematological abnormalities were predominantly mild, with anemia representing the most frequent manifestation (23.1%). Mean platelet volume was significantly lower in seropositive patients than in healthy controls (P = .031), whereas red cell distribution width exhibited no significant difference. Elevated C-reactive protein levels (50.0%) were more prevalent than elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels (16.1%). Conclusions: The vast majority of Rose Bengal-positive patients were validated by confirmatory serological testing. Although hematological and inflammatory laboratory parameters demonstrate characteristic alterations, they do not possess sufficient independent discriminative value as standalone diagnostic markers for brucellosis. Consequently, these routine laboratory findings should be utilized as supportive indicators when interpreted in conjunction with serological profiles and clinical evaluation.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of an in-house qualitative CMV real-time PCR assay for the detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in various non-plasma clinical sample types, in comparison with a commercial ref-erence method. Methods: In this prospective comparative study, 186 clinical sam-ples—including bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), stool, urine, colonoscopic biopsy, amniotic fluid, and intraocular fluid—were analyzed. A total of 166 samples with valid results from both test systems were included in the inter-method comparison. CMV DNA was detected using an in-house qualitative PCR assay in parallel with the reference method (artus® CMV QS-RGQ kit). Clinical performance was assessed using positive percent agreement (PPA), negative percent agreement (NPA), overall percent agreement (OPA), Cohen’s kappa coefficient (κ), and predictive values, in accordance with the CLSI EP12-A2 guideline for qualitative diagnostic tests. Results: When all clinical samples were evaluated collectively, good overall agreement was observed between the developed test and the reference method (κ = 0.66). High PPA, NPA, and kappa values were obtained for stool, urine, and invasive samples. In BALF samples, inter-method agreement was mod-erate, and the high NPV supported clinical exclusion of CMV infection. Predictive values varied according to the CMV DNA positivity rate of the analyzed sample groups. Conclusions: The laboratory-developed qualitative CMV PCR assay showed good inter-method agreement with a commercial reference method and appears suitable for qualitative CMV detection in non-plasma clinical specimens under routine laboratory conditions. The findings reflect comparative performance rather than gold-standard-based diagnostic accuracy or viral load quantification.