Browsing by Author "Suvak, Ozlem"

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The Prevalence and Impact of Brucellosis in Patients With Hepatitis Delta Virus Infection: Inside the Brucella Outbreak With Cirrhosis
(Termedia Publishing House Ltd, 2017) Suvak, Burak; Dulger, Ahmet Cumhur; Suvak, Ozlem; Yesilyurt, Aysun Ozel; Gultepe, Bilge; Guducuoglu, Huseyin
Introduction: Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection is a serious health problem leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite evidence that zoonotic infections are associated with end-stage liver disease, brucellosis in patients with delta hepatitis related to liver disease has not been well characterized. So, we examined this relationship using recent hospital-based data. Material and methods: We analyzed data from 96 delta hepatitis patients (mean age: 52.5 +/- 12.8 years; 50 male; 52 cirrhotics) and 117 (mean age: 50.4 +/- 7 years; 60 male) control subjects who were selected from patients with splenomegaly. The BruceIla Wright test in connection with blood culture was used to detect active BruceIla infection. Demographic features, laboratory data, results of ultrasonographic examination of the abdomen and Wright agglutination titers were compared between groups. Results: There were 9 (9%) patients with active brucellosis in delta hepatitis patients. Compared to the control group, there was a statistically significant difference between groups in terms of having active brucellosis (9 vs. 2 patients; p < 0.001). Higher MELD scores were also associated with active BruceIla infection (p < 0.005). Conclusions: Patients with chronic hepatitis D related cirrhosis (CHD-C) were at risk of developing brucellosis requiring hospitalization. Higher Wright titers among patients with more advanced liver disease may reflect a unique phenomenon that requires further investigation to determine underlying causative factors.
The Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori Among Dyspeptic Patients in an Earthquake-Stricken Area
(Hospital Clinicas, Univ Sao Paulo, 2015) Suvak, Burak; Dulger, Ahmet Cumhur; Suvak, Ozlem; Aytemiz, Enver; Kemik, Ozgur
Objectives: Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative, spiral-shaped, urease-producing bacterium with multiple unipolar flagella. Humans are a major reservoir for H. pylori; however, there are no data on the prevalence of H. pylori among dyspeptic patients who have experienced natural disasters. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of H. pylori in dyspeptic patients who survived a recent natural disaster and to compare the data between the pre-disaster and post-disaster periods. METHODS: Between December 2011 and February 2012 (similar to one month following an earthquake), 209 dyspeptic patients who underwent gastroscopy were included in the study. For microorganism identification, gastric biopsy materials from the 209 disaster survivors with dyspeptic complaints were tested for urease activity in a medium containing urea and a pH indicator. The obtained results were compared with pre-disaster data from dyspeptic patients in the same city during the corresponding period of the previous year. Furthermore, the current H. pylori prevalence was evaluated among 139 dyspeptic patients between January 2014 and May 2014. RESULTS: We found a significantly higher prevalence of H. pylori in disaster survivors with dyspepsia compared with dyspeptic patients in the pre-disaster period (p<0.005). Interestingly, the current H. pylori prevalence was found to be significantly higher than the prevalence in both the disaster and pre-disaster periods (p<0.005). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a recent earthquake could contribute to the development of H. pylori infection in subjects who live in the disaster-stricken area. These data also highlight the exceptionally high H. pylori prevalence in dyspeptic patients. Regional variations require further analyses.