Biomedical subjects

Faruk Ciftci

Publications and source records attributed to Faruk Ciftci.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Serum total cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C concentrations significantly correlate with the radiological extent of disease and the degree of smear positivity in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Low serum total cholesterol (TC) concentrations in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) have been demonstrated. It was shown that a cholesterol-rich diet might accelerate the sterilization rate of sputum cultures in PTB patients. It is known that smear positivity might be related to the radiological extent of disease (RED) in PTB patients. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that there might be a relationship between initial serum TC concentrations; the degree of RED (DRED) and the degree of smear positivity (DSP) in PTB patients. METHOD: Eighty-three PTB patients and 39 healthy controls were included in the study. Serum TC, TG, HDL-C, VLDL-C and LDL-C concentrations were determined in all subjects. PTB patients were classified for their chest X-ray findings as minimal/mild, moderate and advanced. Correlations between serum lipid concentrations, DRED and DSP (0, 1+, 2+, 3+, 4+) were investigated. PTB patients and controls were also compared for serum lipid concentrations. RESULTS: Significant differences between PTB patients and controls were detected for serum TC, HDL-C and LDL-C concentrations. On stepwise logistic regression analysis, DRED was found as one of the significant independent predictors of serum TC levels. We also found significant correlations between DRED and serum HDL-C concentrations (r=-0.60, p=0.0001) and between DRED and serum LDL-C concentrations (r=-0.28, p=0.011). There were also significant correlations between DSP and serum lipid concentrations. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that serum TC, HDL-C and LDL-C concentrations are generally lower in patients with PTB than those in healthy controls. In addition, changes in these parameters might be related to DRED and DSP in PTB patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Reduced pulmonary function in wind instrument players.

BACKGROUND: Wind instrument playing requires a strenuous respiratory activity. Previous studies investigating effect of wind instrument playing on pulmonary function are equivocal. METHODS: In the present study, 34 male, non-smoker wind players in a military band were compared with 44 healthy non-smoker males by pulmonary function testing. RESULTS: All spirometric values including forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow rate, forced expiratory flow in 25, 50, 75% of FVC, and during the middle half of the FVC were found significantly diminished in wind players. The class of wind instrument, brass or wood, showed no significant differences. FVC was significantly and negatively correlated with duration of practice. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that pulmonary function in wind players might be diminished probably due to development of asthma or constant barotrauma during their playing. This fact should be considered in clinical evaluation of wind instrument players.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Resistance patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates in the Turkish Army from 1998 to 2000.

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate susceptibility rates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates against streptomycin, rifampicin, isoniazid, and ethambutol between January 1998 and December 2000 in the Turkish Army. Specimens collected from patients were cultured both conventionally and radiometrically. Differentiation of MTBC bacteria from Mycobacteria other than tuberculosis bacilli was made by the BACTEC p-nitro-alpha-acetyl-amino-beta-hydroxypropiophenone test. Susceptibility testing of MTBC isolates was performed using the BACTEC radiometric susceptibility assay for mycobacteria. Most of the specimens originated from respiratory system. A total of 98 isolates in 1998, 123 isolates in 1999, and 84 isolates in 2000 were obtained and identified as MTBC using the radiometric BACTEC TB460 system. Initial resistance was most frequent to isoniazid followed by ethambutol, streptomycin , and rifampicin in this study period. The differences between resistance rates were not statistically significant on an annual basis. None of these isolates was resistant to all four antimycobacterial agents. Although resistance rates of our isolates were not as high as previously reported by some authors from Turkey and there was no significant difference between the annual susceptibility rates, routine screening of antituberculosis drug susceptibility should be continued to control the resistance development and its spread.

Antitubercular Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The roles of HRCT and clinical parameters in assessing activity of suspected smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (SNPTB) constitutes a major problem in countries with a moderate or high TB prevalence. The value of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), chest x-ray and other clinical findings in determining activity of SNPTB were investigated. METHODS: The study population consisted of 85 patients with suspected SNPTB, of whom 52 were confirmed as active pulmonary TB according to either culture positivity for Mycobacteriun tuberculosis or demonstration of caseous granulomatous inflammation. The remaining 33 patients accepted inactive TB sequel. RESULTS: Cough and expectoration were significantly frequent in inactive group whereas chest pain was detected higher in active patients. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of HRCT in detecting disease activity were 88, 88, 92, 83 and 88%, respectively. Centrilobular nodules, other non-calcified nodules, consolidation and cavity were significantly higher on HRCT in active group. Chest x-ray scores that were graded 1 to 3 showed a linear trend for the disease activity. CONCLUSIONS: HRCT has good diagnostic value in detecting activity of SNPTB, and some clinical findings may help in predicting the activity.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Deaths in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis: an analysis of a chest diseases hospital in Istanbul, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the medical records of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in order to determine the inhospital mortality rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of 22,651 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis admitted to Gulhane Military Medical Academia, Camlica Chest Diseases Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey from 1977 to 1999 were examined. RESULTS: Of the 22,651 patients, 133 (0.58%) died: 117 male and 16 female, mean age 41.5 +/- 20.7 years. The mean length of hospital stay was 15.8 +/- 25.9 days and it increased yearly (p = 0.004). There was no significant difference in hospital mortality rate of tuberculosis within years. Forty-nine patients had chronic and/or far advanced tuberculosis, 36 of them had concomitant diseases. Thirteen patients had miliary and/or tuberculous meningitis, 3 multi drug-resistant tuberculosis, another 3 had pneumothorax, and 2 empyema. These patients had significantly lower prognostic nutritional index than those patients who recovered from pulmonary tuberculosis (p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Inhospital mortality rate of tuberculosis did not change in the last 23 years. We suggest that pulmonary tuberculosis will continue to be a significant cause of death and therefore important health care problem for Turkey in the 21st century.

Adult↗