bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tween 80 Opacity Test Responses of Various
Candida
Species
Authors: Slifkin Malcolm 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

A total of 111
Candida
isolates representing 11 species were examined for their respective responses to a Tween 80 opacity test. The strains of
Candida albicans
and
C. tropicalis
that were examined produced an opacity response around their colonies at 2 to 3 days postinoculation. A second group of
Candida
species yielded a halo around their colonies at 8 to 10 days postinoculation. The remaining
Candida
species did not produce a positive test response through 10 days postinoculation. The strains of
C. dubliniensis
were easily differentiated from strains of
C. albicans
by this test. The Tween 80 opacity test is simple and economical to prepare and is easy to interpret.
Comparison of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 RNA Sequence Heterogeneity in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Plasma
Authors: Tang Yi-Wei , Huong Joe T.-J. , Lloyd Robert M. , Spearman Paul , Haas David W. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
The source of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during HIV-1 infection is uncertain. The sequence heterogeneity of HIV-1 RNA in simultaneous CSF and plasma samples was characterized for five patients at the baseline and during the first week of antiretroviral therapy by two commercial genotyping methodologies. In individual subjects, the sequences in CSF samples differed significantly from those in plasma. In contrast, the viral sequences in CSF at the baseline did not differ from the sequences in CSF during treatment. Similarly, viral sequences in plasma did not vary over this interval. This study provides evidence that HIV-1 RNA in CSF and plasma arise from distinct compartments.
Evaluation of R-Mix FreshCells in Shell Vials for Detection of Respiratory Viruses
Authors: Fong Caroline K. Y. , Lee Mi Kyung , Griffith Brigitte P. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
The performance of a mixture of mink lung and A549 cell lines in shell vials (MSVs) for the detection of respiratory viruses in 159 specimens was evaluated. MSVs, conventional culture, and direct immunofluorescence assay identified 96, 85, and 67% of the influenza A virus-positive specimens, respectively. MSVs provided both a high degree of sensitivity and rapid turnaround times for the detection of influenza A virus.
Acute Echinococcosis: a Case Report
Authors: Di Comite Gabriele , Dognini Giuseppina , Gaiera Giovanni , Ieri Rossella , Praderio Luisa 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We report the case of a 69-year-old man with acute pulmonary echinococcosis. A computed tomographic scan of the thorax revealed the presence of multiple nodules in both lungs, and laboratory tests showed eosinophilia and the presence of antibodies against
Echinococcus granulosus
. Therapy with albendazole led to resolution of the pulmonary nodules and a normalization of the white cell count. To our knowledge this is the first described case of acute echinococcosis, as the diagnosis of this disease is usually delayed to chronic phases. Therefore, finding unexplained eosinophilia, especially in association with pulmonary nodules, should lead one to suspect acute hydatid disease.
Value of Different Assays for Detection of Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in Predicting the Development of HCMV Disease in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients
Authors: Blank Brian S. N. , Meenhorst Pieter L. , Mulder Jan Willem , Weverling Gerrit Jan , Putter Hein , Pauw Wouter , van Dijk Willemien C. , Smits Paul , Lie-A-Ling Sonja , Reiss Peter , Lange Joep M. A. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

In the present prospective study, five blood tests for detection of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) for detection of early (immediate-early antigen) and late (pp67) mRNA, PCR for detection of HCMV DNA (DNA PCR), culture, and pp65 antigenemia assay, and culture and DNA PCR of urine and throat swab specimens were compared for their abilities to predict the development of disease caused by HCMV (HCMV disease). Of 101 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with ≤100 CD4
+
lymphocytes per mm
3
, 25 patients developed HCMV disease. The pp65 antigenemia assay (sensitivity, 50%; specificity, 89%) and DNA PCR of blood (sensitivity, 69%; specificity, 75%) were most accurate in predicting the development of HCMV disease within the next 12 months. Both blood culture and late pp67 mRNA NASBA had high specificities (91 and 90%, respectively) but low sensitivities (25 and 13%, respectively). The sensitivities of urine culture, DNA PCR, throat swab specimen culture, DNA PCR, and NASBA of blood for detection of the immediate-early antigen were 73, 87, 53, 67, and 63%, respectively, and the specificities were 58, 46, 76, 60, and 72%, respectively. The positive predictive values of all tests however, were low and did not exceed 50%. In conclusion, virological screening by these qualitative assays for detection of HCMV is of limited value for prediction of the development of HCMV disease in HIV-infected patients.
Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Analysis of Nasopharyngeal Flora in Children Attending a Day Care Center
Authors: Yano Hisakazu , Suetake Mitsuko , Kuga Akio , Irinoda Kazuhiko , Okamoto Ryoichi , Kobayashi Toshimitsu , Inoue Matsuhisa 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

To investigate how bacterial pathogens spread from child to child in a day care center, we monitored six children, two boys and four girls, born between August 1995 and November 1997, attending a day care center and analyzed nasopharyngeal samples from them using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). We obtained nasopharyngeal cultures from all of the affected children and almost all of the unaffected children between September 1998 and March 1999 after some children presented simultaneously with purulent rhinorrhea. Moreover, when a child was found to have acute otitis media, nasopharyngeal secretions from the child were independently cultured during treatment. During this period, 28 isolates of
Moraxella catarrhalis
, 13 of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, and 4 of
Haemophilus influenzae
were recovered. PFGE gave 8 patterns for
M. catarrhalis
, 10 for
S. pneumoniae
, and 1 for
H. influenzae
. PFGE patterns demonstrated spread of
M. catarrhalis
between children. However, each occurrence of clusters of infection with
M. catarrhalis
lasted 2 to 6 weeks, with a change in PFGE pattern between occurrences of clusters. The
M. catarrhalis
strain infecting each child also changed. Similarly, the
S. pneumoniae
strain in each child also changed. In contrast, infection with
H. influenzae
persisted for about 3 months in an affected child.
Performance of a Multiplex Qualitative PCR LCx Assay for Detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Group M Subtypes, Group O, and HIV-2
Authors: Abravaya Klara , Esping Claudia , Hoenle Robert , Gorzowski Jacek , Perry Robert , Kroeger Paul , Robinson John , Flanders Richard 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
Early detection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in blood and blood products can be achieved by a sensitive nucleic acid amplification-based assay. We report on the performance of a PCR-based qualitative assay that detects both HIV type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2 with a sensitivity of 20 to 50 copies/ml. The assay has a specificity of 99.6% and an inhibition rate of 1.7%. One milliliter of sample is processed with a manifold system and Qiagen columns, and one-third of the extracted sample is used for PCR amplification. An internal control sequence, which is processed and amplified with each sample, monitors for amplification inhibition. Samples are reverse transcribed and are then amplified by reverse transcription-coupled PCR, after which HIV-1- and HIV-2-specific probes are hybridized to the amplified products. Following hybridization, samples are detected in the LCx instrument by microparticle enzyme immunoassay techniques. The detection system has an automated inactivation step that controls for PCR contamination. The HIV-1/2 qualitative RNA assay detects HIV-1 group M subtypes A, B, C, D, E, F, and G and group O. Testing of several HIV-1 seroconversion panels has demonstrated that the HIV-1/2 qualitative RNA assay detects HIV infection on the average of 6 days before p24 antigen can be detected and 11 days before antibodies can be detected.
Resistance of
Trichomonas vaginalis
to Metronidazole: Report of the First Three Cases from Finland and Optimization of In Vitro Susceptibility Testing under Various Oxygen Concentrations
Authors: Meri Taru , Jokiranta T. Sakari , Suhonen Lauri , Meri Seppo 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Trichomonas vaginalis
is a globally common sexually transmitted human parasite. Many strains of
T. vaginalis
from around the world have been described to be resistant to the current drug of choice, metronidazole. However, only a few cases of metronidazole resistance have been reported from Europe. The resistant strains cause prolonged infections which are difficult to treat.
T. vaginalis
infection also increases the risk for human immunodeficiency virus transmission. We present a practical method for determining the resistance of
T. vaginalis
to 5-nitroimidazoles. The suggested method was developed by determining the MICs and minimal lethal concentrations (MLCs) of metronidazole and ornidazole for
T. vaginalis
under various aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Using this assay we have found the first three metronidazole-resistant strains from Finland, although the origin of at least one of the strains seems to be Russia. Analysis of the patient-derived and previously characterized isolates showed that metronidazole-resistant strains were also resistant to ornidazole, and MLCs for all strains tested correlated well with the MICs. The suggested MICs of metronidazole for differentiation of sensitive and resistant isolates are >75 μg/ml in an aerobic 24-h assay and >15 μg/ml in an anaerobic 48-h assay.
Diagnosis of Herpes Simplex Virus Infections in the Clinical Laboratory by LightCycler PCR
Authors: Espy Mark J. , Uhl James R. , Mitchell P. Shawn , Thorvilson Jill N. , Svien Kathleen A. , Wold Arlo D. , Smith Thomas F. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes several clinical manifestations in both normal and immunocompromised hosts; this agent is the most frequently detected virus in diagnostic laboratories. Recovery of the virus in cell culture is considered the “gold standard” for detection of this virus from sources other than cerebrospinal fluid. LightCycler is a newly developed, commercially available system designed to rapidly perform PCR, with real-time detection of PCR products by a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay. We compared the detection of HSV for 200 specimens (number of genital specimens, 160; number of dermal specimens, 38; number of ocular specimens, 2) by shell vial cell cultures (MRC-5) and by LightCycler PCR. Of a total of 88 (44%) HSV strains detected, 69 (78%) were detected by both shell vial cell cultures and LightCycler PCR (DNA polymerase target). A total of 19 (22%) specimens were detected exclusively by LightCycler PCR. No specimens were positive by the shell vial assay only. All 19 discrepant samples had HSV DNA detected by an independent PCR directed to the thymidine kinase gene of the virus. The melting curve analysis feature of the LightCycler instrument identified identical genotype results for HSV type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 from 84 of 88 (96%) positive samples. Specimens can be extracted, target HSV DNA can be amplified, and HSV PCR products can be identified by genotype within 2 h after receipt of specimen into the laboratory. The increased level of accurate identification (all 88 positive samples) compared with that of shell vial cell culture (69 of 88 samples identified as positive) and the agreement of LightCycler PCR results with all shell vial positive results indicate the potential for routine implementation of this technology for laboratory diagnosis of HSV infections.
Effect of a
Mycoplasma hominis
-Like Mycoplasma on the Infection of HEp-2 Cells by the TW-183 Strain of
Chlamydia pneumoniae
Authors: Castilla Elias A. , Wadowsky Robert M. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We isolated a
Mycoplasma hominis
-like mycoplasma from a stock culture of
Chlamydia pneumoniae
TW-183 obtained from the American Type Culture Collection and eradicated the contaminant by treating the stock suspension with a nonionic detergent, Igepal CA-630. The
M. hominis
-like mycoplasma neither inhibits nor enhances the infectivity of
C. pneumoniae
for HEp-2 cells.
Trends in Antifungal Susceptibility among
Candida
sp. Urinary Isolates from 1994 and 1998
Authors: Baran Joseph , Klauber Enid , Barczak Jeffrey , Riederer Kathleen , Khatib Riad 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Antifungal susceptibilities were determined from 80 urinary isolates of
Candida
species collected in 1994 and 1998. Our findings demonstrate increasing geometric means of fluconazole MICs and fluconazole resistance in
Candida albicans
and
Candida tropicalis
(those for
Candida glabrata
were unchanged) within the 4-year span. Amphotericin B and voriconazole MICs remained constant.
Diversity within the VP4 Gene of Rotavirus P[8] Strains: Implications for Reverse Transcription-PCR Genotyping
Authors: Iturriza-Gómara Miren , Green Jon , Brown David W. G. , Desselberger Ulrich , Gray James J. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
A degenerate version (1T1-D) of the rotavirus P[8]-specific primer (1T-1) allowed strains previously untypeable due to the accumulation of point mutations at the primer binding site to be P typed by reverse transcription-PCR. Sequencing of the cDNA followed by sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis identified lineages and sublineages within the rotavirus P[8] types, while the use of 1T-1 or 1T-1D primers did not yield viral clusters in any particular lineage.
Evaluation of the Discriminatory Powers of the Dienes Test and Ribotyping as Typing Methods for
Proteus mirabilis
Authors: Pfaller M. A. , Mujeeb I. , Hollis R. J. , Jones R. N. , Doern G. V. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

A total of 63 clinical isolates of
Proteus mirabilis
collected over a 19-month period were typed by the Dienes test and ribotyping. Ribotyping was performed using the fully automated RiboPrinter Microbial Characterization System (Qualicon, Wilmington, Del.). Isolates that were indistinguishable by the Dienes test and/or ribotyping were characterized further by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Most of the isolates represented unique strains as judged by the Dienes test and ribotyping. Forty isolates represented 40 different ribotypes and Dienes types. The remaining 23 isolates were grouped into 13 Dienes types, 12 ribotypes, and 14 PFGE types. The index of discrimination was 0.980 for the Dienes test, 0.979 for ribotyping, and 0.992 for PFGE. Both the Dienes test and ribotyping are useful methods for identifying individual strains of
P. mirabilis
. The Dienes test is simple, inexpensive, and easy to perform. It can be performed in virtually any laboratory and should be used in the initial epidemiologic characterization of
P. mirabilis
isolates.
Genome-Sequence-Based Fluorescent Amplified-Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Goulding Jonathan N. , Stanley John , Saunders Nick , Arnold Catherine 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

The whole-genome fingerprinting technique, fluorescent amplified-fragment length polymorphism (FAFLP) analysis, was applied to
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. Sixty-five clinical isolates were analyzed to determine the value of FAFLP as a stand-alone genotyping technique and to compare it with the well-established IS
6110
typing system. The genome sequence of
M. tuberculosis
strain H37Rv (S. T. Cole et al., Nature 393:537–544, 1998) was used to model computer-generated informative primer combination(s), and the precision and reproducibility of FAFLP were evaluated by comparing the results of in vitro and computer-generated experiments. Multiplex FAFLP was used to increase resolving power in a predictable and systematic fashion. FAFLP analysis was broadly congruent with IS
6110
typing for those strains with multiple IS
6110
copies. It was also able to resolve an epidemiologically unlinked group of strains with only one copy of IS
6110
; up to 10% of clinical isolates may fall into this category. For certain epidemiological investigations, it was concluded that a combination of FAFLP and IS
6110
typing would give higher resolution than would either alone. FAFLP data were digital, precise, reproducible, and suitable for rapid electronic dissemination, manipulation, interlaboratory comparison, and storage in national or international epidemiological databases. Because FAFLP samples and analyzes base substitution across the genome as a whole, FAFLP could generate new information about the microevolution of the
M. tuberculosis
complex.
Evaluation of autoSCAN-W/A and the Vitek GNI+ AutoMicrobic System for Identification of Non-Glucose-Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacilli
Authors: Sung Ling Ling , Yang Dine Ie , Hung Chia Chien , Ho Hsin Tsung 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

The autoSCAN-W/A (W/A; Dade Behring Microscan Inc., West Sacramento, Calif.) and Vitek AutoMicrobic System (Vitek AMS; bioMérieux Vitek Systems, Inc., Hazelwood, Mo.) are both fully automated microbiology systems. We evaluated the accuracy of these two systems in identifying nonglucose-fermenting gram-negative bacilli. We used the W/A with conventional-panel Neg Combo type 12 and Vitek GNI+ identification systems. A total of 301 isolates from 25 different species were tested. Of these, 299 isolates were identified in the databases of both systems. The conventional biochemical methods were used for reference. The W/A correctly identified 215 isolates (71.4%) to the species level at initial testing with a high probability of ≥85%. The Vitek GNI+ correctly identified 216 isolates (71.8%) to the species level at initial testing with a high probability of ≥90%. After additional testing that was recommended by the manufacturer's protocol, the correct identifications of the W/A and Vitek GNI+ improved to 96.0 and 92.3%, respectively. The major misidentified species were
Sphingomonas paucimobilis
and
Agrobacterium radiobacter
in the W/A system and
Acinetobacter lwoffii
,
Chryseobacterium indologenes
, and
Comamonas acidovorans
in the Vitek GNI+ system. The error rates were 4.0 and 7.6%, respectively. The overall accuracy for both systems was above 90% if the supplemental tests were applied. There was no significant difference in accuracy (
P
> 0.05) between the two systems.
Molecular Characterization of
Staphylococcus sciuri
Strains Isolated from Humans
Authors: Couto Isabel , Sanches Ilda Santos , Sá-Leão Raquel , de Lencastre Hermínia 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We previously characterized over 100
Staphylococcus sciuri
isolates, mainly of animal origin, and found that they all carried a genetic element (
S. sciuri mecA
) closely related to the
mecA
gene of methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) strains. We also found a few isolates that carried a second copy of the gene, identical to MRSA
mecA
. In this work, we analyzed a collection of 28
S. sciuri
strains isolated from both healthy and hospitalized individuals. This was a relatively heterogeneous group, as inferred from the different sources, places, and dates of isolation and as confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis. All strains carried the
S. sciuri mecA
copy, sustaining our previous proposal that this element belongs to the genetic background of
S. sciuri
. Moreover, 46% of the strains also carried the MRSA
mecA
copy. Only these strains showed significant levels of resistance to beta-lactams. Strikingly, the majority of the strains carrying the additional MRSA
mecA
copy were obtained from healthy individuals in an antibiotic-free environment. Most of the 28 strains were resistant to penicillin, intermediately resistant to clindamycin, and susceptible to tetracycline, erythromycin, and gentamicin. Resistance to these last three antibiotics was found in some strains only. The findings reported in this work confirmed the role of
S. sciuri
in the evolution of the mechanism of resistance to methicillin in staphylococci and suggested that this species (like the pathogenic staphylococci) may accumulate resistance markers for several classes of antibiotics.
A Simplified Method for Testing
Bordetella pertussis
for Resistance to Erythromycin and Other Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Hill Bertha C. , Baker Carolyn N. , Tenover Fred C. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Present methods of antimicrobial susceptibility testing of
Bordetella pertussis
are time consuming and require specialized media that are not commercially available. We tested 52 isolates of
B. pertussis
for resistance to erythromycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, chloramphenicol, and rifampin by agar dilution with Bordet-Gengou agar (BGA) containing 20% horse blood (reference method), Etest using BGA and Regan-Lowe agar without cephalexin (RL−C), and disk diffusion using BGA and RL−C. The organisms tested included four erythromycin-resistant isolates of
B. pertussis
from a single patient, a second erythromycin-resistant strain of
B. pertussis
from an unrelated patient in another state, and 47 nasopharyngeal surveillance isolates of
B. pertussis
from children in the western United States. The results of agar dilution testing using direct inoculation of the organisms suspended in Mueller-Hinton broth were within ±1 dilution of those obtained after overnight passage of the inoculum in Stainer-Scholte medium, which is the traditional method of testing
B. pertussis
. The Etest method produced MICs similar to those of the agar dilution reference method for three of the four antimicrobial agents tested; the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole results were lower with Etest, particularly when the direct suspension method was used. Most of the Etest MICs, except for that of erythromycin, were on scale. Disk diffusion testing using RL−C medium was helpful in identifying the erythromycin-resistant strains, which produced no zone of inhibition around the disk; susceptible isolates produced zones of at least 42 mm. Thus, the antimicrobial susceptibility testing of
B. pertussis
can be simplified by using the Etest or disk diffusion on RL−C to screen for erythromycin-resistant isolates of
B. pertussis
.