bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Immunoglobulin M Antibody Test To Detect Genogroup II Norwalk-Like Virus Infection
Authors: Brinker James P. , Blacklow Neil R. , Jiang Xi , Estes Mary K. , Moe Christine L. , Herrmann John E. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
Sera obtained from adult volunteers inoculated with genogroup II Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs), Hawaii virus, and Snow Mountain virus and from patients involved in outbreaks of gastroenteritis were tested for genogroup II NLV Mexico virus-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) by use of a monoclonal antibody, recombinant Mexico virus antigen (rMXV)-based IgM capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sera from genogroup I Norwalk virus (NV)-inoculated volunteers and from patients involved in a genogroup I NLV outbreak were also tested. In sera from those infected with genogroup I NV or NLVs in volunteer and outbreak studies, only 3 of 25 were rMXV IgM positive; in contrast, 24 of 25 were IgM positive for recombinant NV (rNV). In sera from those infected with genogroup II NLVs in volunteer and outbreak studies, 28 of 47 were rMXV IgM positive and none were IgM positive for rNV, showing the specificity of each IgM test for its respective genogroup. In an outbreak of gastroenteritis not characterized as being of viral etiology but suspected to be due to NV, 7 of 13 persons had IgM responses to rMXV, whereas none had IgM responses to rNV, thus establishing the diagnosis as genogroup II NLV infection. The rMXV-based IgM capture ELISA developed is specific for the diagnosis of genogroup II NLV infections.
Immunochromatographic Strip-Based Detection of
Entamoeba histolytica-E. dispar
and
Giardia lamblia
Coproantigen
Authors: Pillai Dylan R. , Kain Kevin C. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

BIOSITE Triage was 68.3% sensitive and 100% specific for the detection of
Entamoeba histolytica-E. dispar
(
n
= 71) compared to Alexon-Trend’s ProSpecT test (reference standard) using fresh-frozen stool. Neither test is able to distinguish
E. histolytica
from
E. dispar
. Triage was 83.3% sensitive and 100% specific compared to microscopy (formalin-ether concentrates and permanent stains) for the detection of
Giardia lamblia.
Theileria
sp. Infections Associated with Bovine Fatalities in the United States Confirmed by Small-Subunit rRNA Gene Analyses of Blood and Tick Samples
Authors: Chae Joon-seok , Levy Michael , Hunt John , Schlater Jack , Snider Glen , Waghela Suryakant D. , Holman Patricia J. , Wagner G. Gale 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Theileria
sp.-specific small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene amplification confirmed the presence of the organism in cattle and in
Amblyomma americanum
and
Dermacentor variabilis
ticks collected from a cattle herd in Missouri. Blood from the index animal had type A and type D
Theileria
SSU rRNA genes. The type D gene was also found in blood from two cohort cattle and tick tissues. The type A SSU rRNA gene was previously reported from bovine
Theileria
isolates from Texas and North Carolina; the type D gene was reported from a Texas cow with theileriosis.
Recurrent, Disseminated
Mycobacterium marinum
Infection Caused by the Same Genotypically Defined Strain in an Immunocompromised Patient
Authors: Holmes G. Frank , Harrington Susan M. , Romagnoli Mark J. , Merz William G. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

An 81-year-old male with myasthenia gravis developed a cutaneous infection with
Mycobacterium marinum
, which apparently resolved following local heat therapy. Five months later, the patient developed new skin lesions and pancytopenia.
M. marinum
was isolated from his bone marrow. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was performed to determine if the skin and bone marrow isolates were clonally related. Digestion of the genomic DNA with the restriction enzymes
Spe
I and
Ase
I yielded indistinguishable banding patterns. An epidemiologically unrelated control strain showed significant banding differences. The results suggest that the patient’s recurrent, disseminated infection was due to recrudescence of his initial infection rather than reinfection by another strain.
Elevated Phenotypic Switching and Drug Resistance of
Candida albicans
from Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Individuals prior to First Thrush Episode
Authors: Vargas Kaaren , Messer Shawn A. , Pfaller Michael , Lockhart Shawn R. , Stapleton Jack T. , Hellstein John , Soll David R. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Strains of
Candida albicans
obtained from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals prior to their first episode of oral thrush were already in a high-frequency mode of switching and were far more resistant to a number of antifungal drugs than commensal isolates from healthy individuals. Switching in these isolates also had profound effects both on susceptibility to antifungal drugs and on the levels of secreted proteinase activity. These results suggest that commensal strains colonizing HIV-positive individuals either undergo phenotypic alterations or are replaced prior to the first episode of oral thrush. They also support the suggestion that high-frequency phenotypic switching functions as a higher-order virulence trait, spontaneously generating in colonizing populations variants with alterations in a variety of specific virulence traits.
Increased Sensitivity of the BACTEC 460 Mycobacterial Radiometric Broth Culture System Does Not Decrease the Number of Respiratory Specimens Required for a Definitive Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Harvell Jeff D. , Hadley W. Keith , Ng Valerie L. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

The BACTEC 460 radiometric mycobacterial broth culture system has consistently demonstrated faster and increased recovery of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
from respiratory specimens of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis than conventional culture methods. We thus questioned whether three sputa were still necessary to definitively diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis if the BACTEC radiometric culture system were in use. We performed a retrospective analysis of 430 sequential respiratory specimens submitted from 143 patients and from which
M. tuberculosis
had been recovered by in vitro culture and simultaneously assessed the diagnostic yield of acid-fast smear in this same cohort.
M. tuberculosis
was recovered from the first specimen for 117 (82%) of the 143 patients, from the second for 14 patients (10%; cumulative rate, 92%), and from the third for 12 patients (8%; cumulative rate, 100%). With the exception of those for bronchial brushings, recovery rates of
M. tuberculosis
were comparable for all respiratory specimen types (expectorated sputum, induced sputum, tracheal aspirates, bronchoalveolar lavage fluids). Only 46 (32%) of these 143 patients had acid-fast bacilli detected in smears; acid-fast bacilli were detected in the first submitted specimen for 44 patients (96%) and in the second for the remaining 2 patients (4%; cumulative rate, 100%). Culture- or smear-positive rates for sequential specimens obtained from AIDS patients were comparable to those for non-AIDS patients. Overall, the diagnostic culture yield of sequentially submitted specimens was not different from previously published studies in which the BACTEC radiometric culture system had not been used. Despite the documented enhanced ability of the BACTEC 460 radiometric mycobacterial culture system to recover
M. tuberculosis
more often and faster than conventional methods, three sequential respiratory specimens (regardless of type) were still necessary to definitively diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis.
Comparison of Danish Isolates of
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Enteritidis PT9a and PT11 from Hedgehogs (
Erinaceus europaeus
) and Humans by Plasmid Profiling and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis
Authors: Nauerby B. , Pedersen K. , Dietz H. H. , Madsen M. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

During the years 1994 to 1998, 10 strains of
Salmonella enterica
serovar Enteritidis phage type 11 (PT11) and 6 PT9a strains were isolated from Danish hedgehogs, together with 7 strains that did not yield phage susceptibility patterns conforming with any known phage type (routine dilution no conformity [RDNC]). From 1995 to 1998, five Danish patients were reported infected with serovar Enteritidis PT11 and two with PT9a. All serovar Enteritidis PT11, PT9a, and RDNC isolates from hedgehogs and humans were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), plasmid profiling, and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of plasmids. By use of S1 nuclease and
Hin
dIII, the PT11 and PT9a isolates had identical plasmid profiles and RFLP patterns, which differed from the RDNC profiles. The PFGE profiles were identical for all serovar Enteritidis PT11 and PT9a strains from hedgehogs, four of five human strains of serovar Enteritidis PT11, and two human strains of serovar Enteritidis PT9a, irrespective of restriction enzyme, whereas the last human strain deviated slightly when
Not
I was used but not when
Xba
I or
Spe
I was used. The results indicate that serovar Enteritidis PT9a and PT11 are closely related and that PT11 and PT9a from Danish hedgehogs and humans belong to the same clonal lineage.
Pneumococcal
pspA
Sequence Types of Prevalent Multiresistant Pneumococcal Strains in the United States and of Internationally Disseminated Clones
Authors: Beall Bernard , Gherardi Giovanni , Facklam Richard R. , Hollingshead Susan K. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

In a recent genotypic survey of β-lactam-resistant pneumococci recovered in different areas of United States during 1997, eight clonal types that each represented 3 to 40 isolates accounted for 134 of 144 isolates (G. Gherardi, C. Whitney, R. Facklam, and B. Beall, J. Infect. Dis. 181:216–229, 2000). We determined the degree of
pspA
gene diversity among these 134 isolates and for 11 previously characterized internationally disseminated multiresistant strains. Thirty-four different
pspA
restriction profiles were determined for an amplicon encompassing the variable portion of the structural gene that encodes the surface-exposed domain of PspA and a variable-length proline-rich putative cell wall-associated domain. These restriction profiles closely correlated with those of 33 different
pspA
sequence types of an approximately 230-residue region corresponding to residues 182 to 410 of the strain Rx1 PspA. These residues encompass a 100-residue clade-defining region known to contain cross-protective epitopes for which 17 sequence types were found. Distinct, conserved
pspA
sequence types were found for the majority of strains within seven of the eight U.S. clonal types assessed, while one pulsed-field gel electrophoresis type was represented by isolates of three distinct PspA clades. Sequence typing of
pspA
provides an added level of specificity in the subtyping of isolates and is a necessary first step in determining the components needed in a PspA vaccine which could elicit effective cross-protective coverage.
Expression of a Gene Encoding the Major Antigenic Protein 2 Homolog ofEhrlichia chaffeensisand Potential Application for Serodiagnosis
Authors: Alleman A. Rick , Barbet Anthony F. , Bowie Michael V. , Sorenson Heather L. , Wong Susan J. , Bélanger Myriam 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACTThe major antigenic protein 2 (MAP2) homolog ofEhrlichia chaffeensiswas cloned and expressed. The recombinant protein was characterized and tested in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) format for potential application in the serodiagnosis of human monocytic ehrlichiosis. The recombinant protein, which contained a C-terminal polyhistidine tag, had a molecular mass of approximately 26 kDa. The antigen was clearly identified by Western immunoblotting using antihistidine antibody. However, immune sera failed to react with the recombinant on immunoblots when the antigen was denatured by heat or reduced using β-mercaptoethanol. The recombinant MAP2 (rMAP2) was used in an ELISA format with 60 blinded serum samples. Twenty of the serum samples were previously demonstrated to contain antibodies reactive withE. chaffeensisby indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFAs). The remaining 40 samples were seronegative. All samples negative by IFA were also found to be negative for antibodies against the rMAP2 ofE. chaffeensisby using the ELISA. Only 1 of 20 IFA-positive samples tested negative in the rMAP2 ELISA. There was 100% agreement using IFA-negative samples and 95% agreement using IFA-positive samples, resulting in a 97.5% overall agreement between the two assays. These data suggest that the rMAP2 homolog ofE. chaffeensismay have potential as a test antigen for the serodiagnosis of human monocytic ehrlichiosis. To our knowledge, this recombinant is unique because it is thus far the onlyE. chaffeensisrecombinant antigen that has been shown to work in an ELISA format.
Diagnosis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Colombia: the Sampling Site within Lesions Influences the Sensitivity of Parasitologic Diagnosis
Authors: Ramírez José Robinson , Agudelo Sonia , Muskus Carlos , Alzate Juan Fernando , Berberich Christof , Barker Douglas , Velez Ivan Darío 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
Parasitologic confirmation of cutaneous leishmaniasis is obligatory before chemotherapy can be considered. Direct microscopic examination of scrapings taken from indurated borders of ulcers has been routinely used as primary method of diagnosis. In this report we compared the sensitivity of examination of dermal scrapings taken from the bottoms of ulcers (BDS) with that of dermal scrapings taken from indurated active margins of lesions (MDS) in a total of 115 patients. The sensitivities of the microscopic examination were 90.4 and 78.3% for BDS and MDS samples, respectively. When the PCR method was used with a group of 40 patients, we also observed a higher sensitivity when BDS samples were examined (80.8% in BDS samples versus 57.7% in MDS samples). The improvement of the diagnostic sensitivity in the BDS samples appears to be related to the higher parasite load and more easily detectable morphology of amastigotes in the centers of the ulcers. Other parasitologic diagnostic methods, such as culture and histopathologic examination of biopsies, are less sensitive (67.5 and 64.3%, respectively). Aspirate culture, however, was shown to be the most sensitive method for the diagnosis of patients with chronic ulcers. When microscopic examinations of both MDS and BDS samples are combined, the sensitivity of diagnosis may rise up to 94%. We therefore recommend this method as a primary routine procedure for diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
InTray GC Medium Versus Modified Thayer-Martin Agar Plates for Diagnosis of Gonorrhea from Endocervical Specimens
Authors: Beverly Amanda , Bailey-Griffin Jill R. , Schwebke Jane R. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

A new self-contained medium system for the cultivation of
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
was compared to modified Thayer-Martin medium for the diagnosis of gonorrhea from endocervical specimens. There was no difference in the ability of the two methods to support the growth of
N. gonorrhoeae
.
Evaluation of Etest for Susceptibility Testing of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Joloba Moses L. , Bajaksouzian Saralee , Jacobs Michael R. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

The Etest method for susceptibility testing of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
was compared to the agar proportion method using four first-line agents and two fluoroquinolones. Catergorical agreement between the methods was 100% for rifampin, ethambutol, streptomycin, and ofloxacin and 98% for isoniazid. Results were obtained in 6 to 10 days by Etest. The Etest method is suitable for testing the agents evaluated against
M. tuberculosis
.
Vancomycin-Intermediate
Staphylococcus aureus
in Korea
Authors: Kim Mi-Na , Pai Chik Hyun , Woo Jun Hee , Ryu Ji So , Hiramatsu Keiichi 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Recent reports on some methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin have been a major concern in Korea because of the widespread use of vancomycin due to a high prevalence of MRSA in the country. We describe a 45-year-old man with long-standing pelvic abscess due to MRSA. In spite of vancomycin and teicoplanin treatment for a long period of time, the patient died from MRSA sepsis. The blood culture isolate of MRSA exhibited reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (MIC, 8 μg/ml). This is the first report of a vancomycin-intermediate
S. aureus
case from Korea.
Histoplasmosis of the Thyroid
Authors: Goldani Luciano Z. , Klock Clóvis , Diehl Ada , Monteiro Ane C. , Maia Ana Luiza 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Fungal infection of the thyroid is rare. Most reported cases have involved
Aspergillus
,
Coccidioides
, and
Candida
species in the setting of disseminated disease. Infection of the thyroid with
Histoplasma capsulatum
is rarely reported as part of disseminated disease, even in geographic areas where histoplasmosis is endemic. We report a 52-year-old woman with a previous Hashimoto's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in which a diffuse enlarged thyroid gland with a large nodule was the only apparent locus of histoplasmosis. Fine-needle aspiration of the thyroid was an important diagnostic tool in establishing the diagnosis of histoplasmosis of the thyroid. The patient was initially treated with itraconazole (400 mg/day) for the fungal infection and six cycles of chemotherapy for the lymphoma. At a 6-month follow-up examination, the patient was doing well on suppressive therapy of itraconazole (200 mg/day), with no symptoms and with regression of the thyroid nodule and cervical adenopathy.
Failure To Detect Circulating
Aspergillus
Markers in a Patient with Chronic Granulomatous Disease and Invasive Aspergillosis
Authors: Verweij Paul E. , Weemaes Corry M. , Curfs Jo H. A. J. , Bretagne Stephane , Meis Jacques F. G. M. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We report a patient with chronic granulomatous disease who developed invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and a subphrenic abscess. During treatment, high levels of
Aspergillus
antigen were detected in the abscess, but circulating antigen and
Aspergillus
DNA were undetectable in the serum.
Discrimination between Clinically Relevant and Nonrelevant
Acanthamoeba
Strains Isolated from Contact Lens- Wearing Keratitis Patients in Austria
Authors: Walochnik J. , Haller-Schober E.-M. , Kölli H. , Picher O. , Obwaller A. , Aspöck H. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Eighteen cases of
Acanthamoeba
-associated keratitis among contact lens wearers seen at the Department of Ophthalmology, Karl-Franzens-University, Graz, Austria, between 1996 and 1999 are reviewed. The amoebae were proven to be the causative agents in three patients. The aim of our study was to discriminate between clinically relevant and nonrelevant isolates and to assess the relatedness of the isolates to published strains. Altogether, 20 strains of free-living amoebae, including 15
Acanthamoeba
strains, 3
Vahlkampfia
strains, and 2
Hartmannella
strains, were isolated from clinical specimens. The virulent
Acanthamoeba
strains were identified as
A. polyphaga
and two strains of
A. hatchetti
. To our knowledge this is the first determination of keratitis-causing
Acanthamoeba
strains in Austria. Clinically relevant isolates differed markedly from nonrelevant isolates with respect to their physiological properties. 18S ribosomal DNA sequence types were determined for the three physiologically most-divergent strains including one of the keratitis-causing strains. This highly virulent strain exhibited sequence type T6, a sequence type not previously associated with keratitis. Sequence data indicate that
Acanthamoeba
strains causing keratitis as well as nonpathogenic strains of
Acanthamoeba
in Austria are most closely related to published strains from other parts of the world. Moreover, the results of our study support the assumption that pathogenicity in
Acanthamoeba
is a distinct capability of certain strains and not dependent on appropriate conditions for the establishment of an infection.
Identification of Ciprofloxacin-Resistant
Campylobacter jejuni
by Use of a Fluorogenic PCR Assay
Authors: Wilson David L. , Abner Sheila R. , Newman Thomas C. , Mansfield Linda S. , Linz John E. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Fluoroquinolones are one class of antimicrobial agents commonly used to treat severe
Campylobacter jejuni
infection.
C. jejuni
strains resistant to high levels of the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin (MIC ≥16 μg/ml) have been predominantly characterized with a C→T transition in codon 86 of
gyrA
. The
gyrA
gene encodes one subunit of DNA gyrase, which is a primary target for fluoroquinolone antibiotics. This study establishes a rapid PCR-based TaqMan method for identifying ciprofloxacin-resistant
C. jejuni
strains that carry the C→T transition in codon 86 of
gyrA
. The assay uses real-time detection, eliminating the need for gel electrophoresis. Optimization of the assay parameters using purified
Campylobacter
DNA resulted in the ability to detect femtogram levels of DNA. The method should be useful for monitoring the development of ciprofloxacin resistance in
C. jejuni
. Compiled nucleotide sequence data on the quinolone resistance-determining region of
gyrA
in
Campylobacter
indicate that sequence comparison of this region is a useful method for tentative identification of
Campylobacter
isolates at the species level.
Analytical Performance and Clinical Utility of a Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification Assay for Detection of Cytomegalovirus Infection
Authors: Witt Donald J. , Kemper M. , Stead Andrew , Sillekens P. , Ginocchio Christine C. , Espy Mark J. , Paya Carlos V. , Smith Thomas F. , Roeles Frits , Caliendo Angela M. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

A nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) assay for qualitative detection of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) pp67 mRNA was evaluated in a multicenter study. Negative results were obtained for all specimens from 50 CMV-seronegative and 50 CMV-seropositive low-risk whole-blood donors. No interference with CMV mRNA amplification was observed in the testing of 288 specimens containing various potential interfering substances, nonspecifically reacting substances (including mRNA from other herpesviruses), and three anticoagulants. A total of 95% (50 of 51) of CMV-positive (cell culture- and antigenemia immunofluorescence [AG-IFA]-positive) clinical specimens were positive by the NASBA assay. Results from different operators over multiple testing days were consistent for each of four panel members containing different concentrations of CMV mRNA, indicating the reproducibility of the assay. The estimated 95% reliable upper detection limit of the assay was 600 mRNA copies; the lower limit of detection was less than 25 mRNA copies. The clinical utility of the assay was evaluated with longitudinally collected specimens from solid-organ transplant patients (
n
= 21). A total of 98% (81 of 83) of the specimens from CMV-negative patients were negative by the NASBA assay, while 90% (10 of 11) of patient specimens that were positive by cell culture or AG-IFA were positive by the NASBA assay. Positive NASBA assay results were obtained earlier than AG-IFA or cell culture results for 55% of the patients and at the same time for the remainder of the patients (45%). The overall agreement between the NASBA assay and current reference tests was 86% when active CMV infection was present. These studies indicate that the CMV pp67 mRNA NASBA assay has reproducible and sensitive performance characteristics that should enable more rapid diagnosis of CMV infection.