Biomedical subjects

N Ciftcioglu

Publications and source records attributed to N Ciftcioglu.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Genitourinary issues during spaceflight: a review.

The genitourinary (GU) system is not uncommonly affected during previous spaceflights. GU issues that have been observed during spaceflight include urinary calculi, infections, retention, waste management, and reproductive. In-flight countermeasures for each of these issues are being developed to reduce the likelihood of adverse sequelae, due to GU issues during exploration-class spaceflight, to begin in 2018 with flights back to the Moon and on to Mars, according to the February 2004 Presendent's Vision for US Space Exploration. With implementation of a robust countermeasures program, GU issues should not have a significant threat for mission impact during future spaceflights.

Aerospace Medicine↗

PubMed2002

[Culture and identification of nanobacteria in bile].

OBJECTIVE: To study the distribution and identification of nanobacteria in bile and to evaluate the identifying methods of nanobacteria. METHODS: RPMI1640 culture or RPMI1640 culture with 10% heat-inactivated gamma-FBS was added into 75 samples of cystic bile from gallbladders resected in operation. Nanobacteria were identified by immunohistochemical staining, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and calcific staining. RESULTS: Nanobacteria were found in 45 bile samples with a positive rate of 61.3%. The positive rate of nanobacteria was 75.7% among 37 bile samples with white precipitate adhering to the tube, and was 47.4% among the samples with flocculent precipitate or without precipitate (P < 0.05). The immunohistochemically confirmed presence of nanobacteria was re-confirmed by TEM in all the positive samples. The positive rate, sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate and false negative rate of calcific staining were 38.7%, 58.7%, 93.1%, 6.9% and 41.3% respectively. CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibody of nanobacteria associated with TEM is useful in identifying nanobacteria. Calcific staining is of great value to identification of nanobacteria. Precipitation of white floccules adhering to the tube is an important microbiological characteristic of nanobacteria.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Nanobacteria: controversial pathogens in nephrolithiasis and polycystic kidney disease.

Nanobacteria are unconventional agents 100-fold smaller than common bacteria that can replicate apatite-forming units. Nanobacteria are powerful mediators of biogenic apatite nucleation (crystal form of calcium phosphate) and crystal growth under conditions simulating blood and urine. Apatite is found in the central nidus of most kidney stones and in mineral plaques (Randall's plaques) in renal papilla. The direct injection of nanobacteria into rat kidneys resulted in stone formation in the nanobacteria-injected kidney during one month follow-up, but not in the control kidney injected with vehicle. After intravenous administration in rats and rabbits, nanobacteria are rapidly excreted from the blood into the urine, as a major elimination route, and damage renal collecting tubuli. Nanobacteria are cytotoxic to fibroblasts in vitro. Human kidney cyst fluids contain nanobacteria. Nanobacteria thus appear to be potential provocateurs and initiators of kidney stones, tubular damage, and kidney cyst formation. It is hypothesized that nanobacteria are the initial nidi on which kidney stone is built up, at a rate dependent on the supersaturation status of the urine. Those individuals having both nanobacteria and diminished defences against stone formation (i.e. genetic factors, diet and drinking habits) could be at high risk. Kidney cyst formation is hypothesized to involve nanobacteria-induced tubular damage and defective tissue regeneration yielding cyst formation, the extent of which is dependent on genetic vulnerability.

Gram-Negative Bacteria↗

PubMed2000

Endotoxin and nanobacteria in polycystic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Microbes have been suspected as provocateurs of polycystic kidney disease (PKD), but attempts to isolate viable organisms have failed. Bacterial endotoxin is the most often reported microbial product found in PKD fluids. We assessed potential microbial origins of endotoxin in cyst fluids from 13 PKD patients and urines of PKD and control individuals. METHODS: Fluids were probed for endotoxin and nanobacteria, a new bacterium, by the differential Limulus Amebocyte Lysate assay (dLAL), genus-specific antilipopolysaccharide (LPS) antibodies, monoclonal antibodies to nanobacteria, and hyperimmune serum to Bartonella henselae (HS-Bh). Selected specimens were also assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanobacterial culture methods. RESULTS: LPS or its antigenic metabolites were found in more than 75% of cyst fluids tested. Nanobacteria were cultured from 11 of 13 PKD kidneys, visualized in 8 of 8 kidneys by TEM, and immunodetected in all 13 PKD kidneys. By immunodetection, nanobacterial antigens were found in urine from 7 of 7 PKD males, 1 of 7 PKD females, 3 of 10 normal males, and 1 of 10 normal females. "Nanobacterium sanguineum" was dLAL positive and cross-reactive with antichlamydial LPS and HS-Bh. Some cyst fluids were also positive for LPS antigens from Escherichia coli, Bacteroides fragilis and/or Chlamydia, and HS-Bh, as were liver cyst fluids from one patient. Tetracycline and citrate inhibited nanobacterial growth in vitro. CONCLUSION: Nanobacteria or its antigens were present in PKD kidney, liver, and urine. The identification of candidate microbial pathogens is the first step in ascertaining their contribution, if any, to human disease.

Adult↗