Objective: To investigate the association between IL-1Ra variable number of tandem repeat (rs2234663), IL-6 -597GA (rs1800797), IL-6 -572GC (rs1800796) and the risk of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in the Turkish patients. Methods: This study included 50 patients infected with CCHF and 50 healthy controls. These variants were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction and/or restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Results: The distribution of the IL-6 -572GC genotypes and alleles varied significantly between the patients and the controls. The subjects carrying IL-6 -572GC GG genotype and G allele had increased risk of developing CCHF compared to the control group (P=0.006, P=0.014, respectively). IL-6 -572GC GC genotype was higher in the controls than the patients (P=0.006). For the triple genotype combinations, the 1/2-GC-GG genotype combination was detected more frequently in the control group than CCHF patients (P=0.016). IL-6 (-572/-597) GG-GG genotype was significantly higher in the patient group (P=0.015), while the GC-GG genotype was significantly lower in the patient group (P=0.005). Additionally, the G-G haplotype was significantly higher in the patient group (P=0.042), whereas C-G was found to be significantly lower in the patients than the control group (P=0.037). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest the IL-6 -572GC variant might be genetic markers of sensitivity to CCHF in the Turkish population and may facilitate greater protection against the disease.

Objective: To evaluate the febrile neutropenic patients with hematological malignancies hospitalized in hematology clinic with poor hygiene standards. Methods: A total of 124 patients with hematological malignancies (69 male, 55 female) hospitalized in hematology clinic with poor hygiene conditions depending on hospital conditions, between January 2007 and December 2010, were evaluated, retrospectively. Results: In this study, 250 febrile neutropenia episodes developing in 124 hospitalized patients were evaluated. Of the patients, 69 were men (56%) and 55 women (44%). A total of 40 patients (32%) had acute myeloid leukemia, 25 (20%) acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 19 (15%) non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 10 (8%) multiple myeloma, and 8 (8%) chronic myeloid leukemia. In our study, 56 patients (22%) were diagnosed as pneumonia, 38 (15%) invasive aspergillosis, 38 (15%) sepsis, 16 (6%) typhlitis, 9 (4%) mucormycosis, and 4 (2%) urinary tract infection. Gram-positive cocci were isolated from 52% (n = 20), while Gram-negative bacilli 42% (n = 16) and yeasts from 6% (n = 2) of the sepsis patients, respectively. The most frequently isolated Gram-positive bacteria were methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 18), while the most frequently isolated Gram-negative bacteria was Escherichia coli (n = 10). Conclusions: Febrile neutropenia is still a problem in patients with hematological malignancies. The documentation of the flora and detection of causative agents of infections in each unit would help to decide appropriate empirical therapy. Infection control procedures should be applied for preventing infections and transmissions.