bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multicenter Evaluation of the Amplicor Enterovirus PCR Test with Cerebrospinal Fluid from Patients with Aseptic Meningitis
Authors: van Vliet K. E. , Glimåker M. , Lebon P. , Klapper P. E. , Taylor C. E. , Ciardi M. , van der Avoort H. G. A. M. , Diepersloot R. J. A. , Kurtz J. , Peeters M. F. , Cleator G. M. , van Loon A. M. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

The Amplicor Enterovirus PCR test was compared with viral culture for the detection of enteroviruses in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens. In a multicenter study in which nine laboratories participated, a total of 476 CSF specimens were collected from patients with suspected aseptic meningitis. Sixty-eight samples were positive by PCR (14.4%), whereas 49 samples were positive by culture (10.4%), demonstrating that the Amplicor Enterovirus PCR test was significantly more sensitive than culture (
P
< 0.001). After discrepancy analysis the sensitivity and specificity of the Amplicor Enterovirus PCR test obtained by using viral culture as the “gold standard” were 85.7 and 93.9%, respectively. Our results with the CSF specimens collected in different countries demonstrate that the Amplicor test is capable of detecting a large variety of enterovirus serotypes and epidemiologically unrelated isolates in CSF specimens from patients with aseptic meningitis. The Amplicor Enterovirus PCR test is a rapid assay which can be routinely performed with CSF samples and is an important improvement for the rapid diagnosis of enteroviral meningitis.
Diagnostic Value of PCR for Detection ofBorrelia burgdorferiin Skin Biopsy and Urine Samples from Patients with Skin Borreliosis
Authors: Brettschneider S. , Bruckbauer H. , Klugbauer N. , Hofmann H. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACTSkin biopsies of 36 patients with erythema migrans and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA) before therapy and those of 8 patients after therapy were examined forBorrelia burgdorferiDNA by PCR. Skin biopsies of 27 patients with dermatological diseases other than Lyme borreliosis and those of 10 healthy persons were examined as controls. Two different primer sets targeting 23S rRNA (PCR I) and 66-kDa protein (PCR II) genes were used. PCR was performed with freshly frozen tissue (FFT) and paraffin-embedded tissue (PET). For FFT specimens of erythema migrans, 73% were positive by PCR I, 79% were positive by PCR II, and 88% were positive by combining PCR I and II. For PET specimens, PCR was less sensitive (PCR I, 44%; PCR II, 52%). For FFT specimens of ACA, PCR I was positive for two of five patients and PCR II was positive for four of five patients.B. burgdorferiwas cultured from 79% of the erythema migrans specimens but not from any of the ACA lesions. ElevatedB. burgdorferiantibodies were detected in sera of 74% of erythema migrans patients and 100% of ACA patients. All urine samples were negative by PCR II, whereas PCR I was positive for 27%. However, hybridization of these amplicons was negative. Sequencing of three amplicons identified nonborrelial DNA. In conclusion, urine PCR is not suitable for the diagnosis of skin borreliosis. A combination of two different primer sets achieves high sensitivity with skin biopsies. In early erythema migrans infection, culture and PCR are more sensitive than serology.
Use of Laboratory Assays To Predict Cytomegalovirus Disease in Renal Transplant Recipients
Authors: Tong Cheuk Yan William , Cuevas Luis , Williams Helen , Bakran Ali 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
Eight laboratory assays, viz., the pp65 direct antigenemia test, a quantitative cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) assay (Biomerieux VIDAS), a CMV-specific IgM assay (Biomerieux VIDAS), the Hybrid Capture system (Murex), an in-house PCR with plasma (P-PCR) and leukocytes (L-PCR), and a commercial PCR (Roche AMPLICOR) with plasma (P-AMP) and leukocytes (L-AMP), were compared for their abilities to predict CMV disease before the onset of illness in a prospective study of 37 renal transplant recipients. By using an expanded criterion for active infection (two or more of the markers positive) and a clinical definition of disease, 22 (59%) patients were identified as having active CMV infection and 13 (35%) were identified as having CMV disease. Of the 13 CMV-seronegative recipients who received seropositive kidneys (R− group), 8 had active infection and disease. All assays were 100% specific and 100% predictive of CMV disease in the R− group. The leukocyte PCRs (L-PCR and L-AMP) were the most sensitive assays, had positive results an average of between 8 and 13 days before the onset of illness, and were the assays of choice. The performance of the assays was less satisfactory for the 24 patients who were CMV seropositive before transplantation (R+ group). A negative result was more useful for this group. Overall, P-AMP had the best results, and it could be the assay of choice for monitoring R+ patients. The non-PCR-based methods generally had high specificities but often gave late positive results and were not sensitive enough for use as prediction tools for either group of patients.
Controlled Comparative Evaluation of BacT/Alert FAN and ESP 80A Aerobic Media as Means for Detecting Bacteremia and Fungemia
Authors: Doern Gary V. , Barton Ann , Rao Sudah 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

During a one-year period, a total of 6,305 blood cultures were processed in a tertiary-care teaching hospital; 6 to 12 ml of blood was inoculated into both a BacT/Alert Fan aerobic bottle and an ESP 80A aerobic bottle. The FAN aerobic bottle contains an antimicrobial-absorbing material; the 80A aerobic bottle does not. Bottles were processed on their respective continuous-monitoring blood culture instruments for up to five days of incubation. Four hundred thirty-three cultures (6.9%) representing 301 septic episodes in 235 different patients yielded 490 bacteria or yeasts thought to be clinically significant. Two hundred seventy-five of the 433 presumed clinically significant positive cultures (63.5%) representing 195 septic episodes and yielding 301 isolates were positive in both FAN and 80A bottles. One hundred nine significant positive cultures (25.2%) (i.e., cultures positive with an organism judged to be of probable clinical significance) from 70 septic episodes yielded 126 isolates only in FAN bottles. Conversely, the 80A bottle was exclusively positive in 49 instances (11.3%), representing 36 septic episodes and yielding 63 isolates. The higher rates of significant positive blood cultures, numbers of septic episodes documented, and numbers of isolates recovered in FAN bottles versus 80A bottles were all statistically significant (
P
< 0.05). Enhanced rates of detection of presumed clinically significant isolates in FAN bottles were largely accounted for by
Staphylococcus aureus
, members of the
Enterobacteriaceae
, and non-
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
miscellaneous gram-negative bacilli from patients receiving antimicrobial therapy at the time blood cultures were obtained. Enhanced recovery of one organism group, the β-hemolytic streptococci, occurred in 80A. With one exception, detection times were essentially equivalent in the two systems. The single exception pertained to streptococci and enterococci, which were recovered significantly faster in 80A bottles. Three hundred thirty-eight of the 6,305 blood cultures evaluated in this study (5.4%) were judged likely to be contaminated. The percentages of probable contaminated cultures were as follows: 26.6% FAN and 80A; 42.3% FAN only; 31.1% 80A only (
P
< 0.05). Finally, the instrument false-positive rates for the two systems were 0.7% with FAN and 3.0% with 80A (
P
< 0.05). We conclude that while contamination rates were slightly higher with FAN than with 80A, use of FAN aerobic bottles in conjunction with the BacT/Alert system will yield significantly higher numbers of clinically significant blood culture isolates than 80A bottles and the ESP system. Furthermore, this enhanced detection is most conspicuous in patients receiving antimicrobial therapy at the time blood cultures are performed, probably due to the presence of an antimicrobial-absorbing material in FAN aerobic bottles.
Dynamics of Antigenemia and Coproantigens during a Human
Fasciola hepatica
Outbreak
Authors: Espino Ana M. , Díaz Ailén , Pérez Antonio , Finlay Carlos M. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

In the present study the dynamics of antigenemia and coproantigens were studied in patients with
Fasciola hepatica
infection during an outbreak occurring in La Palma, Pinar del Rı́o, in the West Province of Cuba. Stool and serum samples were collected from 67 patients and 40 healthy subjects. Stool samples were studied by a simple gravity sedimentation technique and an ES78 sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for observation of eggs and detection of parasite coproantigens, respectively. Serum samples were also studied by the ES78 sandwich ELISA and an indirect ELISA to detect circulating antigens and antibodies, respectively. At the beginning of the study, 8 of 67 patients had patent infections and 59 had prepatent infections, which was determined by the recent consumption of lettuce contaminated with metacercariae of
F. hepatica
, the presence of clinical symptoms, and the absence of
Fasciola
eggs in their stools. Patients with prepatent infections were monitored by all techniques until patency. Circulating antigens were not detected in patients with patent infections. However, coproantigens were clearly detected in all patients with patent infections. On the other hand, 28.8% of patients with prepatent infections tested positive for circulating antigens and 81.4% tested positive for coproantigens in the first stool sample studied. Only two other coproantigen determinations were necessary to diagnose 93.2% of the patients. While circulating antigen levels diminished in all patients during the infection, coproantigen levels increased. The present study demonstrates that the ES78 sandwich ELISA is a better tool than parasitological examination for diagnosis of active early infection, since by the combination of the circulating-antigen detection assay and the coproantigen detection assay 91% of patients were able to be diagnosed at the beginning of the study. In contrast, a coprologic analysis repeated over several weeks was necessary to diagnose 100% of the patients.
Nasal Granuloma Caused byScedosporium apiospermumin a Dog
Authors: Cabañes F. J. , Roura X. , García F. , Domingo M. , Abarca M. L. , Pastor J. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACTA 10-month-old male American Staffordshire terrier was presented to the Autonomous University of Barcelona Veterinary Teaching Hospital because of a 6-month history of a mucopurulent bilateral nasal discharge. The dog had not responded to antibiotics. A follow-up X ray revealed a mixed pattern of osteolysis and increased radiodensity confined to the nasal cavity. Histologic sections of the biopsy specimens revealed the presence of granules containing numerous septate hyphae that were hyaline to pale brown and smooth, one-celled, subspherical-to-elongate conidia that were hyaline to brownish green, and bacteria. Cultures yielded numerous colonies belonging toScedosporium apiospermum. Susceptibility tests were performed on the isolated strain. The isolate was sensitive to ketoconazole, intermediate to clotrimazole, and resistant to amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine, fluconazole, and itraconazole. The dog was treated with oral ketoconazole. During the treatment a general improvement in the lesions was observed. To our knowledge,S. apiospermumhas not been implicated previously as an etiologic agent of nasal disease in dogs. This report provides its first description as such.
Rapid Identification of up to Three
Candida
Species in a Single Reaction Tube by a 5′ Exonuclease Assay Using Fluorescent DNA Probes
Authors: Shin Jong Hee , Nolte Frederick S. , Holloway Brian P. , Morrison Christine J. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We used fungus-specific PCR primers and species-specific DNA probes to detect up to three
Candida
species in a single reaction tube by exploiting the 5′ to 3′ exonuclease activity of
Taq
DNA polymerase. Probes to the internal transcribed spacer region of the rRNA gene were labeled at the 5′ end with one of three fluorescent reporter dyes, 6-carboxy-fluorescein (FAM), tetrachloro-6-carboxy-fluorescein (TET), or hexachloro-6-carboxy-fluorescein (HEX), and at the 3′ end with a quencher dye, 6-carboxy-tetramethyl-rhodamine. During PCR amplification, each reporter dye emits a characteristic wavelength as it is cleaved from its specific target DNA and from the quencher dye. Therefore, signals from up to three probes can be detected simultaneously during the PCR assay. Six probes were designed for use in this study: CA-FAM, CT-TET, and CP-HEX were added to one tube to simultaneously detect the typically fluconazole-sensitive species
C. albicans
,
C. tropicalis
, and
C. parapsilosis
, respectively. CG-FAM and CK-TET were added to a second tube to simultaneously detect the typically more innately fluconazole-resistant species
C. glabrata
and
C. krusei
, respectively. All-CAN-TET, a
Candida
genus probe, was added to a third tube to detect DNAs from all
Candida
species tested. DNAs recovered from 61 blood culture bottles, including 23 positive for
C. albicans
, 18 positive for
C. glabrata
, 6 positive for
C. tropicalis
, 6 positive for
C. krusei
, 5 positive for
C. parapsilosis
, and 3 positive for mixed fungemias, were tested. Control samples included those from blood culture bottles with no growth (
n
= 10) or from patients with confirmed bacteremia (
n
= 10). Probes detected and correctly identified the organisms in 58 of 61 specimens (95.1%) and gave no false-positive results. This method is simple and rapid and does not require post-PCR hybridization and incubation steps. It is sensitive and specific for the detection and identification of
Candida
species from blood culture bottles, including those containing mixtures of
Candida
species, and should facilitate an earlier specific diagnosis, leading to more appropriately targeted antifungal drug therapy.
Healthy Cats Are Commonly Colonized with “Helicobacter heilmannii” That Is Associated with Minimal Gastritis
Authors: Norris C. R. , Marks S. L. , Eaton K. A. , Torabian S. Z. , Munn R. J. , Solnick J. V. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACTGastricHelicobacterinfection in healthy pet cats is not well characterized. We performed endoscopy with gastric biopsy on 15 healthy pet cats that were rigorously screened to exclude underlying or concurrent diseases that might affectHelicobactercolonization. Gastric mucosa biopsy specimens were examined by histology, culture, and PCR for the presence ofHelicobacterinfection and by histology for the presence of gastritis. Of 15 cats, all but 1 had gastricHelicobacter-like organisms (GHLOs) on examination by light microscopy, and in the one histologically negative cat, GHLOs were detected by PCR. Gastric inflammation was mild or was absent for all cats. NoHelicobacterspecies were identified by culture. Analysis of the 16S rRNA sequence fromHelicobacterstrains from 10 cats showed that all bacteria were closely related toHelicobacter felis, although there was heterogeneity among the sequences. These results suggest that the gastric mucosa of healthy pet cats is commonly colonized with an uncultivatedHelicobacterthat is closely related toH. felis, is associated with little or no gastritis, and shows heterogeneity in its 16S rRNA sequence. The epithet “Helicobacter heilmannii” continues to be an appropriate working designation for these bacteria.
Metarrhizium anisopliae
as a Cause of Sinusitis in Immunocompetent Hosts
Authors: Revankar Sanjay G. , Sutton Deanna A. , Sanche Stephen E. , Rao Jyothi , Zervos Marcus , Dashti Farnaz , Rinaldi Michael G. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Metarrhizium anisopliae
is a common pathogen of insects and has even been used to control insect populations. It is rarely isolated from human or animal sources, but recently, there have been three reported cases of disease, two in humans and one in a cat. We present our experience with five isolates from human sources, including two that were the apparent causes of two cases of sinusitis in immunocompetent hosts. The first patient was a 36-year-old male with frontal and ethmoid sinusitis, and the second was a 79-year-old female with chronic sinusitis. Both patients underwent surgery, and pathology of the surgical specimens revealed branching hyphae. Cultures grew only
Metarrhizium
species. Neither patient received antifungal therapy, and both did well postoperatively. The other three isolates were cultured from bronchoalveolar lavage specimens but were not felt to be clinically significant. Antifungal susceptibility testing using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards macrobroth method revealed that all isolates were resistant to amphotericin B, 5-flucytosine, and fluconazole. Itraconazole and newer azole compounds were more active.
Metarrhizium
species may cause disease in humans, even those without evidence of immunosuppression, and are apparently highly resistant to amphotericin B in vitro.
Comparison of Two PCRs for Detection of
Mycobacterium ulcerans
Authors: Guimaraes-Peres A. , Portaels F. , de Rijk P. , Fissette K. , Pattyn S. R. , van Vooren J.-P. , Fonteyne P.-A. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Two nested PCRs for the detection of
Mycobacterium ulcerans
were compared by using a collection of 65 clinical specimens. The first method amplifies the gene coding for 16S rRNA, and the second method amplifies a repetitive DNA sequence. The sensitivities of bacterioscopy, culture, 16S rRNA gene PCR, and repetitive-sequence PCR were 29, 34, 80, and 85%, respectively. Compared to the 16S rRNA gene PCR, the repetitive-sequence PCR was faster, easier to perform, and less expensive.
Determination of Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Resistance in
Streptococcus pneumoniae
by Using the E Test with Mueller-Hinton Agar Supplemented with Sheep or Horse Blood May Be Unreliable
Authors: Lovgren M. , Dell’Acqua L. , Palacio R. , Echániz-Aviles G. , Soto-Noguerón A. , Castañeda E. , Agudelo C. I. , Heitmann I. , Brandileone M. C. , Zanella R. C. , Rossi A. , Pace J. , Talbot J. A. ,   The Pneumococcal Study Group
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

An international, multicenter study compared trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole MICs for 743
Streptococcus pneumoniae
isolates (107 to 244 isolates per country) by E test, using Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 5% defibrinated horse blood or 5% defibrinated sheep blood, with MICs determined by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards broth microdilution reference method. Agreement within 1 log
2
dilution and minor error rates were 69.3 and 15.5%, respectively, on sheep blood-supplemented agar and 76.9 and 13.6%, respectively, with horse blood as the supplement. Significant interlaboratory variability was observed. E test may not be a reliable method for determining the resistance of pneumococci to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Dissemination of High-Level Penicillin-, Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporin-, and Erythromycin-Resistant
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Clones in Taiwan
Authors: Hsueh Po-Ren , Teng Lee-Jene , Lee Li-Na , Yang Pan-Chyr , Ho Shen-Wu , Luh Kwen-Tay 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Sixty-seven clinical isolates of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
(40 of serotype 23F, 19 of serotype 19F, and 8 of serotype 6B) with decreased susceptibilities to penicillin and erythromycin were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility patterns; DNA restriction endonuclease cleavage profiles of the penicillin-binding protein genes
pbp1a
,
pbp2b
, and
pbp2x
; random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) patterns generated by arbitrarily primed PCR; and chromosomal macrorestriction profiles based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. A total of 22 clones (identical or closely related pulsotypes and identical RAPD patterns) were identified; 14 clones of 23F, 6 of 19F, and 2 of 6B. Three 23F clones (26 isolates) and one 19F clone (9 isolates) expressed high-level resistance to penicillin, cefotaxime, and erythromycin (MICs ≥ 256 μg/ml). These data strongly suggest that multiple high-level penicillin-, extended-spectrum cephalosporin-, and macrolide-resistant clones of
S. pneumoniae
have been disseminated in Taiwan.
Molecular Evidence for Transmission of Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type II Infection by a Human Bite
Authors: Bolton W. V. , Davis A. R. , Ge Y. C. , Dwyer D. E. , Kenrick K. G. , Cunningham A. L. , Saksena N. K. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Investigation of a human T-lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) infection in a female Australian blood donor identified a human bite as the likely mode of transmission, confirmed by nucleotide sequencing of the proviral
tax/rex
from both donor and contact. We believe this to be the first report of the transmission of an HTLV by a human bite.
DNA Fingerprinting of Single Colonies of
Helicobacter pylori
from Gastric Cancer Patients Suggests Infection with a Single Predominant Strain
Authors: Miehlke Stephan , Thomas Rachel , Guiterrez Oscar , Graham David Y. , Go Mae F. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

In each of six gastric cancer patients, repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR DNA fingerprints of 18 single colonies of
Helicobacter pylori
from the gastric antrum, corpus, and cardia were identical and matched that of the parental isolate. In three additional gastric cancer patients, 17 of 18 single-colony DNA fingerprints were identical to each other and to the DNA fingerprint of the corresponding parental isolate.
Optimal Activation of Isopsoralen To Prevent Amplicon Carryover
Authors: Fahle Gary A. , Gill Vee J. , Fischer Steven H. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
We compared the efficiencies of activation of the photochemical isopsoralen compound 10 and its resulting amplicon neutralizations under conditions with a UV transilluminator box at room temperature (RT) and a HRI-300 UV photothermal reaction chamber at RT and at 5°C. Our data suggest that use of the HRI-300 reaction chamber at 5°C results in a statistically significantly higher degree of amplicon neutralization.
Increasing Incidence and Comparison of Nalidixic Acid-Resistant
Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
Serotype Typhimurium Isolates from Humans and Animals
Authors: Heurtin-Le Corre Christine , Donnio Pierre-Yves , Perrin Monique , Travert Marie-France , Avril Jean-Loup 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We determined the resistance to quinolone of 309
Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
serotype Typhimurium strains isolated from humans and animals (cattle, pigs, or poultry) in 1995 or 1996. Nalidixic acid resistance increased from 8.5% in 1995 to 18.6% in 1996. The highest resistance levels correlated with a mutation at Ser-83 (or Asp-82). All strains remained ciprofloxacin susceptible. Human and animal isolates were compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and the banding patterns of the human isolates most closely matched those of the bovine isolates.