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OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused morbidity and mortality worldwide. Besides the acute effects, subacute and long-term effects are defined as long-COVID causing morbidity. The intensive care unit (ICU) data of long-COVID-19 cases were evaluated with the participation of 11 centers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Study was designed by Turkish Thoracic Society Respiratory Failure and Intensive Care Working Group to evaluate long COVID-19 patients. All patients followed up in the ICU with long-COVID diagnosis were included in point prevelance study. RESULTS: A total of 41 long COVID-19 patients from 11 centers were included in the study. Half of the patients were male, mean age was 66 ± 14, body mass index was 27 ± 5. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, lung cancer, malignancy, and heart failure rates were 27%, 51%, 34%, 34%, and 27%, respectively. Eighty percent had received COVID vaccine. Patients had moderate hypoxemic respiratory failure. APACHE II, SOFA score was 18 (14-26), 6 (3-8), respectively. Forty-six percent received invasive mechanical ventilator support, 42% were sepsis, 17% were septic shock. Bilateral (67%), interstitial involvement (37%) were most common in chest x-ray. Fibrosis (27%) was detected in thorax tomography. Seventy-one percent of patients received antibiotherapy (42% carbapenem, 22% linezolid). Sixty-one percent of the patients received corticosteroid treatment. CONCLUSION: More than half of the patients had pneumonia and the majority of them used broad-spectrum antibiotics. Presence of comorbidities and malignancies, intensive care severity scores, intubation, and sepsis rates were high. Receiving corticosteroid treatment and extensive bilateral radiologic involvement due to COVID-19 might be the reasons for the high re-admission rate for the ICUs.

Abstract Through technological innovations, patient cohorts can be examined from multiple views with high-dimensional, multiscale biomedical data to classify clinical phenotypes and predict outcomes. Here, we aim to present our approach for analyzing multimodal data using unsupervised and supervised sparse linear methods in a COVID-19 patient cohort. This prospective cohort study of 149 adult patients was conducted in a tertiary care academic center. First, we used sparse canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to identify and quantify relationships across different data modalities, including viral genome sequencing, imaging, clinical data, and laboratory results. Then, we used cooperative learning to predict the clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients: Intensive care unit admission. We show that serum biomarkers representing severe disease and acute phase response correlate with original and wavelet radiomics features in the LLL frequency channel (cor(Xu 1, Zv 1) = 0.596, p value

OBJECTIVE: A 1-day point prevalence study was planned to obtain country data by determining the clinical characteristics, follow-up and treatment methods of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases that required intensive care unit (ICU) treatment in the second year of the pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients who were hospitalized in the ICUs due to COVID-19 between March 11, 2022, 08.00 am, and March 12, 2022, 08.00 am, were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, intensive care and laboratory data, radiological characteristics, and follow-up results of the patients were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 811 patients from 59 centers were included in the study, 59% of the cases were male, and the mean age was 74 ± 14 years. At least one comorbid disease was present in 94% of the cases, and hypertension was the most common. When ICU weight scores were examined, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II: 19 (15-27) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment: 7 (4-10) were seen. Sepsis was present in 37% (n = 298) of cases. PaO2/FiO2 ratios of the patients were 190 the highest and 150 the lowest and 51% of the cases were followed via invasive mechanical ventilation. On the study day, 73% bilateral involvement was seen on chest x-ray, and ground-glass opacities (52%) were the most common on chest tomography. There was growth in culture in 40% (n = 318) of the cases, and the most common growth was in the tracheal aspirate (42%). CONCLUSION: The clinical course of COVID-19 is variable, and ICU follow-up was required due to advanced age, comorbidity, presence of respiratory symptoms, and widespread radiological involvement. The need for respiratory support and the presence of secondary infection are important issues to be considered in the follow-up. Despite the end of the second year of the pandemic and vaccination, the high severity of the disease as well as the need for follow-up in ICUs has shown that COVID-19 is an important health problem.

Objectives: Galactomannan lateral flow assay (GM-LFA) is a reliable test for COVID-19 associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) diagnosis. We aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of GM-LFA with different case definitions, the association between the longitudinal measurements of serum GM-ELISA, GM-LFA, and the risk of death. Methods: Serum and nondirected bronchial lavage (NBL) samples were periodically collected. The sensitivity and specificity analysis for GM-LFA was done in different time periods. Longitudinal analysis was done with the joint model framework. Results: A total of 207 patients were evaluated. On the day of CAPA diagnosis, serum GM-LFA had a sensitivity of 42 % (95 % CI: 23–63) and specificity of 82 % (95 % CI: 78–84), while NBL GM-LFA had a sensitivity of 73 % (95 % CI: 45–92), specificity of 85 % (95 % CI: 76–91) for CAPA. Sensitivity decreased through the following days in both samples. Univariate joint model analysis showed that increasing GM-LFA and GM-ELISA levels were associated with increased mortality, and that effect remained same with serum GM-ELISA in multivariate joint model analysis. Conclusion: GM-LFA, particularly in NBL samples, seems to be a reliable method for CAPA diagnosis. For detecting patients with higher risk of mortality, longitudinal measurement of serum GM-ELISA can be useful.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the biggest pandemic causing acute respiratory failure (ARF) in the last century. Seasonal influenza carries high mortality, as well. The aim of this study was to compare features and outcomes of critically-ill COVID-19 and influenza patients with ARF. Methods Patients with COVID-19 and influenza admitted to intensive care unit with ARF were retrospectively analyzed. Results Fifty-four COVID-19 and 55 influenza patients with ARF were studied. Patients with COVID-19 had 32% of hospital mortality, while those with influenza had 47% (P=0.09). Patients with influenza had higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, Clinical Frailty Scale, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and admission Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores than COVID-19 patients (P

Early Career Members of Assembly 2 (Respiratory Intensive Care) attended the European Respiratory Society International Congress through a virtual platform in 2021. Sessions of interest to our assembly members included symposia on the implications of acute respiratory distress syndrome phenotyping on diagnosis and treatment, safe applications of noninvasive ventilation in hypoxaemic respiratory failure, and new developments in mechanical ventilation and weaning, and a guidelines session on applying high-flow therapy in acute respiratory failure. These sessions are summarised in this article.

Objective: Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is used for the main diagnosis in acute pulmonary embolism (APE). Determining the thrombus location in the pulmonary vascular tree is also important for predicting disease severity. This study aimed to analyze the correlation of the thrombus location and the clot burden with the disease severity and the risk stratification in patients with APE. Methods: The study included patients with APE diagnosed by CTPA who were admitted to the hospital between January 28, 2016, and July 1, 2019. Data collected were markers of severity in APE, including patient demographics, comorbidities, length of hospital stay, pulmonary embolism severity index (PESI) score, modified PESI score, Wells score, risk stratification according to the American Heart Association, systolic blood pressure (SBP), right ventricle diameter to left ventricle diameter ratio, pulmonary arterial pressure, brain natriuretic peptide, troponin, D-dimer, and plasma lactate levels, and vessel location of the thrombus, clot burden score, ratio of the pulmonary artery trunk diameter/aortic diameter, superior vena cava diameter (SVC) by CTPA, and survival. All parameters were analyzed in correlation with clot load and vessel location. Results: Thrombus vascular location was found to be correlated with risk stratification and negatively correlated with SBP. Simplified Mastora score was correlated with risk stratification, SVC diameter, and D-dimer and negatively correlated with SBP. Occlusion of both the pulmonary artery trunk and any pulmonary artery with thrombus was associated with massive APE. Conclusion: The level of the occluded vessel on CTPA may provide the ability to risk-stratify, and the clot burden score may be used for assessing both risk stratification and cardiac strain.

Prader–Willi Syndrome (PWS, OMIM #176270) is a rare complex genetic disorder due to the loss of expression of paternally derived genes in the PWS critical region on chromosome 15q11-q13. It affects multiple neuroendocrine systems and may present failure to thrive in infancy, but then, hyperphagia and morbid obesity starting in early childhood became the hallmark of this condition. Short stature, hypogonadism, sleep abnormalities, intellectual disability, and behavioral disturbances highlight the main features of this syndrome. There have been a significant number of advances in our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying the disease, especially discoveries of MAGEL2, NDN, MKRN3, and SNORD116 genes in the pathophysiology of PWS. However, early diagnosis and difficulty in treating some of the disease’s most disabling features remain challenging. As our understanding of PWS continues to grow, so does the availability of new therapies and management strategies available to clinicians and families.

The intricacies of human adrenal development have been under scrutiny for decades. Each year marks the identification of new genes and new interactions between gene products that ultimately will act to produce the fully functioning adult gland. Due to the complexity of this process, genetic missteps may lead to a constellation of pathologies. Recent years have identified several novel genetic causes of adrenal dysgenesis and provided new insights into previously delineated processes. SF1, DAX1 (NR0B1), CDKN1C, SAMD9, GLI3, TPIT, MC2R, MRAP, NNT, TXNRD2, AAAS, and MCM4 are among the genes which have had significant contributions to our understanding of the development and function of both adrenals and gonads. Collection and elucidation of these genetic and clinical insights are valuable tools for clinicians who diagnose and manage cases of adrenal dysfunction.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) is a group of heterogenous syndromes characterized by the occurrence of two or more endocrine gland tumors in a patient or related individuals in the same family. They are inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion and are highly penetrant. There are three types of MEN syndromes: MEN type 1 (MEN1), MEN type 2 (MEN2), and MEN type 4 (MEN4). MEN2 is further divided into MEN2A, MEN2B (formerly known MEN3), and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC). Although MEN syndromes are rare, it is crucial to identify individuals at risk for potentially life-threatening neoplasias. This review article provides an update on each MEN syndrome, its genetics, diagnosis, and management in children.

Abstract Background Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is used worldwide in various malignant and nonmalignant childhood diseases, including haematologic, genetic, autoimmune and metabolic disorders, and is the only curative treatment for many of these illnesses. The survival rates of many childhood diseases have been increased due to HSCT treatment. However, associated complications are still important for management. Central nervous system (CNS) complications in paediatric HSCT recipients can be associated with high morbidity and significantly contribute to mortality. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is one of the most common CNS complications in patients with neurological symptoms following HSCT. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice and shows typical bilateral vasogenic oedema at the posterior parts of the cerebral hemispheres; however, various atypical imaging manifestations can also occur. In this study, we retrospectively examined CNS complications in our paediatric HSCT recipients with a focus on the typical and atypical neuroimaging manifestations of PRES following HSCT. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 300 consecutive paediatric HSCT recipients from January 2014 to November 2018. A total of 130 paediatric HSCT recipients who experienced neurological signs and symptoms and were evaluated with neuroimaging studies following HSCT were enrolled in the study. The timing of CNS complications was defined according to immune status, including the pre-engraftment period ( 100 days after HSCT), which were defined as phases 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Results Overall, 130 paediatric HSCT recipients experienced neurological signs and symptoms and therefore underwent neuroimaging examinations. Among these 130 patients, CNS complications were present in 23 patients (17.6%, 23/130), including 13 (56.5%) females and 10 (43.5%) males with a median age of 8.0 years (range, 8 months to 18.0 years). Among these 23 patients, 14 cases of PRES (60.9%), 5 (21.7%) cases of leukoencephalopathy, 3 cases of acute subdural haemorrhage (ASDH) (13%) and 1 (4.3%) case of fungal CNS infection were identified by neuroimaging. On MRI, typical parietooccipital vasogenic oedema was present in 78.5% of the PRES cases (11/14). The following atypical neuroimaging manifestations were observed: isolated involvement of the bilateral frontal lobes in 1 case, isolated cerebellar vermis involvement in 1 case, and isolated basal ganglia involvement in 1 case. Restricted diffusion associated with cytotoxic damage was demonstrated in 2 of 14 cases, one of which also showed subacute cytotoxic injury with ADC pseudonormalization. Conclusion Paediatric HSCT recipients presenting with CNS signs and symptoms should be evaluated by neuroimaging studies for timely diagnosis and early management. PRES is the most common CNS complication and may present with atypical MRI manifestations, which should not dissuade a PRES diagnosis in appropriate clinical settings.

Cancer refers to a group of diseases characterized by a rapid and uncontrolled proliferation of cells in the body after undergoing a series of structural variations. Non-specific methods such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are used widely in cancer treatment. Recently, there is a special focus on specific methods such as immunotherapy that targets certain parts of the patient’s immune system. New treatment options are needed in this respect because nonspecific methods are insufficient in curing the disease, do not increase patient's survival, and healthy cells are damaged as well as cancer cells. Immunotherapy has less toxicity, fewer side effects during treatment, and is a patient-specific individualized treatment modality. Due to the fact that human tumors occur with a combination of genetic and epigenetic changes, cancer cells manage to recognize immunity and escape subsequent destruction. The main goal of cancer immunotherapy is to reactivate the immune system to neutralize tumor cells. Immunotherapy has many advantages such as preventing the side effects of chemotherapy/radiotherapy, avoiding metastases, and targeting cancer stem cells. The main treatment methods used in cancer immunotherapy, are cancer vaccines, adoptive cell therapy, cytokines, and monoclonal antibodies. In this review, we outline some of the main strategies in cancer immunotherapy and discuss the progress in personalized cancer therapy.

Peroneal neuropathy is the most frequent mononeuropathy of the lower extremity. Intraneural ganglion cysts (INGCs) are among rare causes of peroneal nerve palsy. According to the articular (synovial) theory, the articular branch plays the key role in the pathogenesis. Patients present with pain around the fibular head and neck, motor weakness resulting in foot drop and paresthesia in the anterolateral calf and foot. Ultrasonography (US) and MRI are both useful in the diagnosis, but MRI is the best imaging modality in the demonstration of the articular connection and the relation of the cyst with adjacent structures, even without special neurography sequences. We present a 32-year-old male patient referred to our neurosurgery clinic with suspicion of lumbar radiculopathy. He presented with right foot drop which began 3 weeks prior. On examination, there was 90% loss in the ankle dorsiflexion and finger extension. Ankle eversion was also weakened. There was no low back or posterolateral thigh pain to suggest L5 radiculopathy and sciatic neuropathy. Following negative lumbar spine MRI, peripheral neuropathy was concerned. Electrodiagnostic evaluations findings were consistent with acute/subacute common peroneal nerve (CPN) axonal neuropathy. Subsequent MRI of knee showed a homogeneous, thin-walled tubular cystic lesion, extending along the course of the CPN and its articular branch. Full recovery of the neuropathy was achieved with early diagnosis and decompression via microsurgical epineurotomy. The diagnosis of INGC was confirmed by histopathologic examination. INGCs, although rare, should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of peripheral mononeuropathies.

Acute suppurative otomastoiditis (ASOM) refers to the concurrent occurrence of suppurative acute otitis media and acute mastoiditis, occurring mostly in childhood. Complications are rare in the recent era with the development of wide spectrum antibiotics. However, when the mucoperiosteal involvement evolves into osteomyelitis (OM), severe complications may develop. This generally occurs in immunocompromised patients or patients with some illnesses associated with decreased bone vascularity such as diabetes mellitus (DM). We report a 58-year-old male patient presenting with bilateral peripheral facial palsy in whom OM resulting from coalescent mastoiditis affected the skull base and the bilateral fallopian canals. In the management of ASOM, especially with the presence of the risk factors such as DM, follow up imaging is important to reveal OM of the mastoid bone before it spreads to the skull base and further it is complicated with intracranial extensions. On radiological imaging, temporal computed tomography with bone algorithm is the first method of choice to reveal early bony resorptions of OM.

Ligamentum flavum hematoma (LFH) is an extremely rare compressive epidural lesion of the spine. The clinical manifestations of LFH are similar to that caused by other more common pathologies of nerve root compression like disc herniation. In the diagnosis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is very important but challenging due to the changing intensities of the hematoma in relation to the stages of the aging blood. Herein, we report a case of LFH compressing the spinal canal in a 60-year-old man with pars interarticularis defect. He presented with low back pain radiating to the left leg. The neurological examination was consistent with left S1 nerve root compression. The MRI revealed a left posterior epidural mass compressing the thecal sac and S1 nerve root at the left L5–S1 level near the pars interarticularis defect. After surgical removal of the lesion, histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of LFH. Following surgery, he recovered rapidly. LFH due to spinal instability is important in terms of the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms related with LFH.

Meralgia paresthetica (MP), also known as Bernhardt–Roth syndrome, is a peripheral neuropathy of the primary sensory lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN). Its diagnosis is challenging, because it can mimic other clinical conditions particularly associated with upper lumbar spine or pelvis. Patients present with pain and paresthesia over the anterolateral thigh. Diagnosis is usually based on clinical examination and is supported by sensory nerve conduction (SNC) studies. The initial treatment is always conservative. In limited number of patients who are refractory to conservative managements, surgical treatment via decompression/neurolysis or neurectomy is concerned. There is still no consensus on which surgical technique is the best and the first choice. We retrospectively analyzed the surgical outcomes of 12 nonobese patients who underwent decompression/neurolysis between the years 2013 and 2018. Bilateral SNC studies were performed in all cases which supported the diagnosis. We applied conservative treatments for 3 months in addition to the treatments previously applied in other centers. Surgery was recommended for the patients who were refractory to these treatments. Preoperative and postoperative pain levels during follow-up visits were evaluated with visual analogue scale (VAS). A retrospective analysis was performed on preoperative and postoperative 6th month VAS scores. The mean preoperative VAS value was 8.75 ± 0.62 and the postoperative VAS value at the sixth month was 1.17 ± 0.72. A significant reduction in the pain was shown (p < 0.05). Our surgical results showed that decompression/neurolysis of the LFCN should be concerned as the primary surgical approach to avoid negative outcomes of resection surgeries.

Objective We aimed to evaluate improvement in the pain, motor, and sensory functions after neurosurgical intervention, by objective methods in patients with radiation-induced brachial plexopathy (RIBP), as a complication of radiotherapy (RT). Materials and Methods In our study, 11 patients, who experienced grade 3 or 4 brachial plexopathy according to the LENT-SOMA (late effects of normal tissue—subjective, objective, management, analytic) side-effect index, as a complication of RT which was performed after being operated for breast cancer, were included. In the postoperative period pain, sensation, and motor function loss were followed. Results There was apparent regression in the pain. The mean visual analogue scale (VAS) value decreased to 4 from the preoperative VAS value of 9.4. However, no significant improvement was observed in either sensory and motor functions. Conclusion RIBP is a progressive disease in breast cancer patients after radiotherapy. Evaluation of the results of applied surgical treatments and changes in the results with time is important to direct the treatment. Neurolysis should only be considered when other treatment methods fail and should be considered as an irreversible and potentially permanent procedure.

Extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) are increasingly recognized. Secondary spinal infections are dangerous complications reported in a few cases in the literature. However, to our knowledge, there is no reported case of a severe spondylodiscitis (SD) complicated with a large psoas abscess in a COVID-19 patient. We would like to report a 43-year-old male patient living in central Anatolia and dealing with farming who presented to the hospital with a complaint of severe back pain. The patient who was given oral treatment with analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and myorelaxant agents was readmitted with increased complaints. His nasopharyngeal swab was positive for COVID-19 without pneumonia on chest computed tomography (CT). He spent the quarantine and treatment period at home but was admitted to our outpatient clinic with a wheelchair with increased complaints and right leg pain preventing daily activities. The control nasopharyngeal swab was negative for COVID-19 but further increase in C-reactive protein (CRP) (152,8 mg/L) and creatine kinase (CK) level (549 IU/L) were revealed. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed SD in the L3-L4 level along with right-sided prevertebral inflammatory soft tissue and a large right psoas muscle abscess. Pyogenic lumbar SD complicated with the right psoas abscess in the setting of COVID-19 was considered and antibacterial treatment was started following hospitalization. On the same day, percutaneous aspiration from the psoas abscess under CT guidance was performed and revealed no growth in the culture. After 3 weeks, follow-up MRI showed worsening of all the bone, soft tissue and disc findings. Myalgia is a common manifestation in viral infections, which was also demonstrated in COVID-19 patients, with possible increase in muscle enzymes. Secondary spinal infections and its soft-tissue complications should be considered in the management of COVID-19 patients with neuromuscular symptoms, and detailed neurological and neurosurgical evaluation should be performed in order to avoid progression and permanent damage.

Fajlar organizmada humoral ve hücresel immün yanıtı uyandırabilen yüksek immünojenik özelliğe sahip moleküllerdir ve potansiyel aşı taşıyıcısı olarak kullanılmaktadırlar. Bu çalışmada Hepatit B yüzey antijeni (HBsAg) tam molekül olarak M13 faj yüzeyinde füzyon protein olarak ekprese edilmiş ve rekombinant fajın antijenik etkisi BALB/cJ farelerinde incelenmiştir. Farelerin yüksek dozda (1012) rekombinant faj ile immünize edilmesinin normal faja kıyasla daha yüksek antikor yanıtına neden olduğu gösterilmiştir. BALB/cJ farelerinde elde edilen olumlu yanıt sonrası rekombinant fajın etkinliği Hepatit B virüsü (HBV) transgenik farelerde ve hibrid farelerde (C57BL/6JXBALB/c) incelenmiş ve ayrıca etkisi alüminyum adjuvantı ve mineral yağ adjuvantı gibi yaygın kullanımı olan adjuvantlarla karşılaştırılmıştır. Çalışmanın sonuçları BALB/cJ farelerin, HBV transgenik farelerin ve hibrid farelerin rekombinant faj ile immünizasyonunun antijene özgü antikor yanıtı oluşturduğunu göstermiştir. Sonuçlar ayrıca HBV taşıyıcılarında immün yanıt oluşturmak için güçlü adjuvantların kullanılması gerektiğini de işaret etmektedir.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a worldwide health problem. More than 400 million people are chronic HBV carriers in the world. Infected individuals are at a high risk of developing liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma as the main consequences of HBV. The discoveries of fast diagnostic systems and new therapeutic applications are crucial in the fight against viral hepatitis. In this paper we present the generation of a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) from a mouse monoclonal antibody specific to the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and demonstrate its expression as a bacterial alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein. In this study, we constructed scFvs from hybridoma cells expressing HBsAg-specific antibody using phage display technology and expressed them in Escherichia coli. The anti-HBsAg scFvs were inserted into pQE-2 vector to produce scFv antibody genetically fused to bacterial AP. Reproducibility of the recombinant HBsAg-scFv fusion protein was tested using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Present preliminary findings indicate that the anti-HBsAg-scFv AP conjugate could be further used for the development of one-step ELISA for the detection of HBV.