Biomedical subjects

Zeynep Misirligil

Publications and source records attributed to Zeynep Misirligil.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Pet allergy: how important for Turkey where there is a low pet ownership rate.

Exposure and sensitization to allergens derived from cats/dogs have been shown to represent an important risk factor for allergic respiratory diseases. So far, there has not been any study exploring cat/dog sensitization and related factors in our geographic location. The aim of this study was to determine the sensitization to cats/dogs in a group of patients with rhinitis and/or asthma and to evaluate the relationship between current and childhood exposure and sensitivity to pets. Three hundred twelve consecutive subjects with asthma and/or rhinitis were included in the study and were asked to reply a questionnaire concerning past and current pet ownership and presence of pet-related respiratory symptoms. After performing skin-prick tests, subjects were allocated into three groups: group 1 (n = 103), subjects with nonatopic asthma; group 2 (n = 54), allergic rhinitis and/or asthma patients with pet allergy; group 3 (n = 155), allergic rhinitis and/or asthma patients without pet allergy. Pet hypersensitivity was detected in 54 of 209 atopic subjects (25.8%). There was no difference in the rates of past pet ownership among subjects with (29.6%) and without (23.8%) pet allergy. However, the ratio of current pet ownership was higher in atopic patients with pet allergy (16.6%) than in nonatopic subjects (2.9%; p = 0.02). The prevalence of sensitization to pets in current owners (42.8%) was higher than prevalence of sensitization in patients who never had a pet (22.6%; p = 0.002; odds ratio, 2.67) and who owned a pet at childhood (28.2%; p = 0.038; odds ratio, 1.9). Thirteen subjects (13/54; 24%) described respiratory symptoms when exposed to cats and/or dogs. Rate of past pet ownership was similar in symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects with pet allergy (30.7% versus 29.2%; p > 0.05). Rate of current per ownership was higher in symptomatic subjects than in asymptomatic subjects with pet sensitivity (38.4% versus 9.5%; p < 0.0001). Our data indicate that pet allergens have the potential to become an important source of indoor allergens in our population. Our findings also suggest that current pet ownership--but not childhood pet keeping--seems to be a risk for the development of sensitization to pets.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Risk factors associated with hospitalizations for asthma attacks in Turkey.

The detection of factors associated with hospitalizations for asthma attacks should have a great value in the development of intervention strategies. However, these factors are unknown in Turkey. Our aim was to investigate the factors associated with hospital admissions by comparing hospitalized patients with the community control asthma patients and the relationships between serum eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) levels and the disease severity. Eighty-one subjects hospitalized with asthma (69 women and 12 men) and 300 community control asthma patients (227 women and 73 men) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. A questionnaire including detailed demographic and clinical data was compiled by all patients. Serum ECP levels were measured in 76, 14, and 9 patients of community control, hospitalized asthma patients, and healthy controls, respectively. Hospitalized patients were older and had longer asthma duration (p < 0.001). The significant risk factors for hospital admission for acute asthma attacks were previous severe asthma (odds ratio [OR], 12.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.17-29.0), aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug intolerance (OR, 3.63; 95% CI, 1.70-7.74), chronic rhinosinusitis (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.16-4.33), lower educational level (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.33-4.18), and lower atopy ratio (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.13-3.50). These parameters were similar in patients who were hospitalized and in patients who had severe asthma of the community control. ECP levels were significantly higher in hospitalized and severe asthma patients compared with healthy controls. In conclusion, the factors associated with hospitalizations were advanced age, prolonged asthma duration, presence of severe asthma, "nonatopy," acetylsalicylic acid-nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug intolerance, sinusitis, and lower educational level. Further intervention strategies are needed to address these markers to prevent hospitalizations from asthma attacks.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Direct cost assessments in subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis living in Ankara, Turkey.

The characteristics of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) including the severity at initial presentation and cost estimates are not established for Turkey. The aim of this study was to document the clinical features and direct cost of subjects with SAR when diagnosed and followed according to international treatment guidelines and to determine the effectiveness of treatment in relation to the regional pollen count in our country. The clinical features of SAR were determined cross-sectionally in 175 patients living in Ankara, Turkey. The direct medical cost analysis obtained by a symptom-medication score method was performed prospectively in a subgroup of patients evaluated at the beginning of the pollen season (n = 37). Airborne Gramineae pollen grains were counted also in the same period. SAR was mild in 12.6% of cases, moderate in 51.4% of cases, and severe in 36% of cases. Regional pollen counts were correlated with the number of patient visits and the initial severity of SAR. Mean cost of SAR per person without a comorbid disorder during a Gramineae pollen season for Ankara was 79.0 +/- 3.3 dollars, where it reached a mean of 138.60 +/- 0.5 dollars in the presence of asthma and/or conjunctivitis. No difference was observed among disease severity groups by means of total direct cost (p > 0.05). Regional pollen counts influence the initial severity of SAR in our country. Appropriate treatment seemed to induce effective symptom control. Hence, education of both public and primary care physicians about the international guidelines might provide better cost-effective management of SAR.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A survey of acarofauna in Turkey: comparison of seven different geographic regions.

House-dust mites play an important role in allergic sensitization in Turkey and other countries. The purpose of this study was to analyze the acarofauna in seven zones that differ in climate and altitude. Dust mites were isolated in 173 of 930 (18.6%) samples. The highest prevalence of house-dust mites was found in the most humid regions of Turkey: Mediterranean (48.4%) and Black Sea (46%). Lower levels were found in central and eastern Anatolia regions where humidity and temperature are low. Mites of the Dermatophagoides spp. were predominant (D. pteronyssinus [83%] and D. farinae [12%] making up the majority of the counts). The presence of mites was related to an increase both in mean temperature (> 15 degrees C) and in humidity (> or = 40%) as well as low altitude (< 300 m). This study suggests that the mite population of humid coastal regions of Turkey is as prevalent as in other temperate climates.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Poplar pollen-related allergy in Ankara, Turkey: how important for patients living in a city with high pollen load?

The impact of high pollen load of particular plants on sensitized subjects is a topic of interest. We aimed to detect the clinical importance of poplar allergy in subjects with seasonal allergy living in Ankara, capital city of Turkey, having a high poplar pollen load. The subjects with seasonal allergy and demonstrating allergy to Populus alba in skin-prick tests (SPTs) (n = 20) underwent a specific nasal provocation test with P. alba allergen extract and were requested to fill in symptom-medication reports. During the same period, P. alba and Gramineae pollen counts were assessed in the city. Pollination for P. alba in Ankara for the year 2001 started in the 2nd week of March and terminated in the 1st week of May; 96.5% of subjects also had grass pollen sensitivities. By history, 85% of the subjects described mild symptoms in March and April, the expected pollinosis season for P. alba. Symptom and medication scores were higher in May and June than in March and April (p < 0.05). Allergy to P. alba pollen in patients with seasonal allergy causes mild symptoms where the dominant clinical presentation was demonstrated to be due to their additional Gramineae (grass) pollen allergy.

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