bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Host response in aggressive periodontitis
Authors: Kulkarni Cyelee , Kinane Denis F. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractIt is critical to understand the underlying host responses in aggressive periodontitis to provide a better appreciation of the risk and susceptibility to this disease. Such knowledge may elucidate the etiology and susceptibility to aggressive periodontitis and directly influence treatment decisions and aid diagnosis. This review is timely in that several widely held tenets are now considered unsupportable, namely the concept that Aggregatibacter actinomycetemycomitans is the key pathogen and that chemotactic defects in polymorphonuclear leukocytes are part of the etiopathology. This review also serves to put into context key elements of the host response that may be implicated in the genetic background of aggressive periodontitis. Furthermore, key molecules unique to the host response in aggressive periodontitis may have diagnostic utility and be used in chairside clinical activity tests or as population screening markers. It is becoming increasingly appreciated that the microbial etiology of aggressive periodontitis and the histopathology of this disease are more similar to than different from that of chronic periodontitis. An important therapeutic consideration from the lack of support for A. actinomycetemycomitans as a critical pathogen here is that the widely held belief that tetracycline had a role in aggressive periodontitis therapy is now not supported and that antibiotics such as those used effectively in chronic periodontitis (metronidazole and amoxicillin) are not contraindicated. Furthermore, A. actinomycetemycomitans‐related molecules, such as cytolethal distending toxin and leukotoxin, are less likely to have utility as diagnosis agents or as therapeutic targets.
Epidemiology and demographics of aggressive periodontitis
Authors: Susin Cristiano , Haas Alex N. , Albandar Jasim M. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractEpidemiologic studies of aggressive periodontitis have used different study designs and a range of examination methods and case definitions, and this greatly complicates the study of disease prevalence in populations. The wide range of disease case definitions, in particular, profoundly impacts the reported rate of disease, and the use of a standard disease definition is strongly recommended. Surveys of aggressive periodontitis that use only clinical examinations, without radiographic examination to confirm the presence of a distinctive pattern of tissue loss, may overestimate the prevalence of this disease, particularly when a low threshold of attachment loss is used. The prevalence of aggressive periodontitis varies significantly between populations, and differences in race/ethnicities seem to be a key factor. Studies consistently show that aggressive periodontitis is most prevalent in Africa and in populations of African descent and is least prevalent in Caucasians in Europe and North America. Among children and young adults the prevalence of this disease is higher in older than in younger age groups. Most studies show comparable disease prevalence in male and female subjects. These findings show that aggressive periodontitis is a significant health problem in certain populations. This review also highlights a lack of information on the epidemiology and demographics of this disease in many parts of the world, particularly in Asia and Africa. Epidemiologic studies of aggressive periodontitis in high‐risk populations are important and could provide vital data on the determinants of this disease, and this information is needed for the establishment of effective health‐promotion measures.
Seroepidemiology of Selected Alphaviruses and Flaviviruses in Bats in Trinidad
Authors: Thompson N. N. , Auguste A. J. , Travassos da Rosa A. P. A. , Carrington C. V. F. , Blitvich B. J. , Chadee D. D. , Tesh R. B. , Weaver S. C. , Adesiyun A. A. 
Published: April 2014

SummaryA serosurvey of antibodies against selected flaviviruses and alphaviruses in 384 bats (representing 10 genera and 14 species) was conducted in the Caribbean island of Trinidad. Sera were analysed using epitope‐blocking enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) specific for antibodies against West Nile virus (WNV), Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) and eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), all of which are zoonotic viruses of public health significance in the region. Overall, the ELISAs resulted in the detection of VEEV‐specific antibodies in 11 (2.9%) of 384 bats. Antibodies to WNV and EEEV were not detected in any sera. Of the 384 sera, 308 were also screened using hemagglutination inhibition assay (HIA) for antibodies to the aforementioned viruses as well as St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV; which also causes epidemic disease in humans), Rio Bravo virus (RBV), Tamana bat virus (TABV) and western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV). Using this approach, antibodies to TABV and RBV were detected in 47 (15.3%) and 3 (1.0%) bats, respectively. HIA results also suggest the presence of antibodies to an undetermined flavivirus(es) in 8 (2.6%) bats. Seropositivity for TABV was significantly (P < 0.05; χ2) associated with bat species, location and feeding preference, and for VEEV with roost type and location. Differences in prevalence rates between urban and rural locations were statistically significant (P < 0.05; χ2) for TABV only. None of the aforementioned factors was significantly associated with RBV seropositivity rates.
Safety and Immunogenicity of a Vero Cell Culture-Derived Whole-Virus H5N1 Influenza Vaccine in Chronically Ill and Immunocompromised Patients
Authors: van der Velden Maikel V. W. , Geisberger Alexander , Dvorak Thomas , Portsmouth Daniel , Fritz Richard , Crowe Brian A. , Herr Wolfgang , Distler Eva , Wagner Eva M. , Zeitlinger Markus , Sauermann Robert , Stephan Christoph , Ehrlich Hartmut J. , Barrett P. Noel , Aichinger Gerald 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT
The development of vaccines against H5N1 influenza A viruses is a cornerstone of pandemic preparedness. Clinical trials of H5N1 vaccines have been undertaken in healthy subjects, but studies in risk groups have been lacking. In this study, the immunogenicity and safety of a nonadjuvanted cell culture-derived whole-virus H5N1 vaccine were assessed in chronically ill and immunocompromised adults. Subjects received two priming immunizations with a clade 1 A/Vietnam H5N1 influenza vaccine, and a subset also received a booster immunization with a clade 2.1 A/Indonesia H5N1 vaccine 12 to 24 months later. The antibody responses in the two populations were assessed by virus neutralization and single radial hemolysis assays. The T-cell responses in a subset of immunocompromised patients were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay (ELISPOT). The priming and the booster vaccinations were safe and well tolerated in the two risk populations, and adverse reactions were predominantly mild and transient. The priming immunizations induced neutralizing antibody titers of ≥1:20 against the A/Vietnam strain in 64.2% of the chronically ill and 41.5% of the immunocompromised subjects. After the booster vaccination, neutralizing antibody titers of ≥1:20 against the A/Vietnam and A/Indonesia strains were achieved in 77.5% and 70.8%, respectively, of chronically ill subjects and in 71.6% and 67.5%, respectively, of immunocompromised subjects. The T-cell responses against the two H5N1 strains increased significantly over the baseline values. Substantial heterosubtypic T-cell responses were elicited against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus and seasonal A(H1N1), A(H3N2), and B subtypes. There was a significant correlation between T-cell responses and neutralizing antibody titers. These data indicate that nonadjuvanted whole-virus cell culture-derived H5N1 influenza vaccines are suitable for immunizing chronically ill and immunocompromised populations. (This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT00711295.)
Serological Diagnostic Assays for HIV-Associated Tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Authors: Lawn Stephen D. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

In this issue of
Clinical and Vaccine Immunology
, Siev and colleagues present an evaluation of antibody responses to four immunodominant proteins of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in patients with HIV-associated pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa (M. Siev, D. Wilson, S. Kainth, V. O. Kasprowicz, C. M. Feintuch, E. Jenny-Avital, and J. J. Achkar, 21:791–798, 2014, doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/CVI.00805-13
). This commentary discusses the enormous need for simple point-of-care assays for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis in patients with and without HIV coinfection in high-burden settings and considers the potential role of serological assays and the huge challenges inherent in developing and validating such assays.
Validation of an Oligonucleotide Ligation Assay for Quantification of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Drug-Resistant Mutants by Use of Massively Parallel Sequencing
Authors: Beck Ingrid A. , Deng Wenjie , Payant Rachel , Hall Robert , Bumgarner Roger E. , Mullins James I. , Frenkel Lisa M. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

Global HIV treatment programs need sensitive and affordable tests to monitor HIV drug resistance. We compared mutant detection by the oligonucleotide ligation assay (OLA), an economical and simple test, to massively parallel sequencing. Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (K103N, V106M, Y181C, and G190A) and lamivudine (M184V) resistance mutations were quantified in blood-derived plasma RNA and cell DNA specimens by OLA and 454 pyrosequencing. A median of 1,000 HIV DNA or RNA templates (range, 163 to 1,874 templates) from blood specimens collected in Mozambique (
n
= 60) and Kenya (
n
= 51) were analyzed at 4 codons in each sample (
n
= 441 codons assessed). Mutations were detected at 75 (17%) codons by OLA sensitive to 2.0%, at 71 codons (16%;
P
= 0.78) by pyrosequencing using a cutoff value of ≥2.0%, and at 125 codons (28%;
P
< 0.0001) by pyrosequencing sensitive to 0.1%. Discrepancies between the assays included 15 codons with mutant concentrations of ∼2%, one at 8.8% by pyrosequencing and not detected by OLA, and one at 69% by OLA and not detected by pyrosequencing. The latter two cases were associated with genetic polymorphisms in the regions critical for ligation of the OLA probes and pyrosequencing primers, respectively. Overall, mutant concentrations quantified by the two methods correlated well across the codons tested (
R
2
> 0.8). Repeat pyrosequencing of 13 specimens showed reproducible detection of 5/24 mutations at <2% and 6/6 at ≥2%. In conclusion, the OLA and pyrosequencing performed similarly in the quantification of nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and lamivudine mutations present at >2% of the viral population in clinical specimens. While pyrosequencing was more sensitive, detection of mutants below 2% was not reproducible.
Detection of Neisseria meningitidis from Negative Blood Cultures and Cerebrospinal Fluid with the FilmArray Blood Culture Identification Panel
Authors: Pardo Joe , Klinker Kenneth P. , Borgert Samuel J. , Butler Brittany M. , Rand Kenneth H. , Iovine Nicole M. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT
The FilmArray blood culture identification (BCID) panel is a rapid molecular diagnostic test approved for use with positive blood culture material. We describe a fatal case of meningococcemia with central nervous system (CNS) involvement detected using the BCID test with culture-negative blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
High Applicability of a Novel Method for gp60-Based Subtyping of Cryptosporidium meleagridis
Authors: Stensvold Christen Rune , Beser Jessica , Axén Charlotte , Lebbad Marianne 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTCryptosporidium meleagridisis a common cause of cryptosporidiosis in avian hosts and the third most common species involved in human cryptosporidiosis. Sequencing of the highly polymorphic 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene is a frequently used tool for investigation of the genetic diversity and transmission dynamics ofCryptosporidium. However, few studies have included gp60 sequencing ofC. meleagridis. One explanation may be that the gp60 primers currently in use are based onCryptosporidium hominisandCryptosporidium parvumsequence data, potentially limiting successful amplification of theC. meleagridisgp60 gene. We therefore aimed to design primers for better gp60 subtyping ofC. meleagridis. Initially, ∼1,440 bp of the gp60 locus of sevenC. meleagridisisolates were amplified using primers flanking the open reading frame. The obtained sequence data (∼1,250 bp) were used to design primers for a nested PCR targetingC. meleagridis. Twenty isolates (16 from human and 4 from poultry) previously identified asC. meleagridisby analysis of small subunit (SSU) rRNA genes were investigated. Amplicons of the expected size (∼900 bp) were obtained from all 20 isolates. The subsequent sequence analysis identified 3 subtype families and 10 different subtypes. The most common subtype family, IIIb, was identified in 12 isolates, represented by 6 subtypes, 4 new and 2 previously reported. Subtype family IIIe was found in 3 isolates represented by 3 novel, distinct subtypes. Finally, IIIgA31G3R1 was found in 1 human isolate and 4 poultry isolates, all originating from a previously reportedC. meleagridisoutbreak at a Swedish organic farm.
Determining the Optimal Ceftriaxone MIC for Triggering Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Confirmatory Testing
Authors: Huang Yanjie , Carroll Karen C. , Cosgrove Sara E. , Tamma Pranita D. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT
As routine testing of clinical isolates for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production (screen plus phenotypic confirmatory testing) is no longer required by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), a number of clinical microbiology laboratories use ceftriaxone MICs as a proxy means of identifying bacteria as potential ESBL producers. Data from 1,386 clinical isolates suggest that a ceftriaxone MIC cutoff of 8 μg/ml is an excellent predictor of ESBL production, with a positive predictive value and negative predictive value approaching 100% and 99.5%, respectively.
Inhibition Controls for Qualitative Real-Time PCR Assays: Are They Necessary for All Specimen Matrices?
Authors: Buckwalter S. P. , Sloan L. M. , Cunningham S. A. , Espy M. J. , Uhl J. R. , Jones M. F. , Vetter E. A. , Mandrekar J. , Cockerill F. R. , Pritt B. S. , Patel R. , Wengenack N. L. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT
A retrospective analysis of 386,706 specimens representing a variety of matrix types used in qualitative real-time PCR assays determined the overall inhibition rate to be 0.87% when the inhibition control was added preextraction to 5,613 specimens and 0.01% when the inhibition control was added postextraction but preamplification in 381,093 specimens. Inhibition rates of ≤1% were found for all specimen matrix types except urine and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue.
Workflow and Maintenance Characteristics of Five Automated Laboratory Instruments for the Diagnosis of Sexually Transmitted Infections
Authors: Ratnam Sam , Jang Dan , Gilchrist Jodi , Smieja Marek , Poirier Andre , Hatchette Todd , Flandin Jean-Frederic , Chernesky Max 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

The choice of a suitable automated system for a diagnostic laboratory depends on various factors. Comparative workflow studies provide quantifiable and objective metrics to determine hands-on time during specimen handling and processing, reagent preparation, return visits and maintenance, and test turnaround time and throughput. Using objective time study techniques, workflow characteristics for processing 96 and 192 tests were determined on m2000 RealTi
m
e (Abbott Molecular), Viper XTR (Becton Dickinson), cobas 4800 (Roche Molecular Diagnostics), Tigris (Hologic Gen-Probe), and Panther (Hologic Gen-Probe) platforms using second-generation assays for
Chlamydia trachomatis
and
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
. A combination of operational and maintenance steps requiring manual labor showed that Panther had the shortest overall hands-on times and Viper XTR the longest. Both Panther and Tigris showed greater efficiency whether 96 or 192 tests were processed. Viper XTR and Panther had the shortest times to results and m2000 RealTi
m
e the longest. Sample preparation and loading time was the shortest for Panther and longest for cobas 4800. Mandatory return visits were required only for m2000 RealTi
m
e and cobas 4800 when 96 tests were processed, and both required substantially more hands-on time than the other systems due to increased numbers of return visits when 192 tests were processed. These results show that there are substantial differences in the amount of labor required to operate each system. Assay performance, instrumentation, testing capacity, workflow, maintenance, and reagent costs should be considered in choosing a system.
Use and Limits of (1-3)-β-
d
-Glucan Assay (Fungitell), Compared to Galactomannan Determination (Platelia Aspergillus), for Diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis
Authors: Sulahian Annie , Porcher Raphael , Bergeron Anne , Touratier Sophie , Raffoux Emmanuel , Menotti Jean , Derouin Francis , Ribaud Patricia 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to examine the performance of the Fungitell β-glucan (BG) assay, to compare it with that of the galactomannan (GM) test for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in patients with hematological malignancies, and to examine the rates of false-positive BG and GM test results due to β-lactam antibiotics among sera of patients with Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteremia and selected sera with false-positive results from the GM test. Serum samples from 105 patients with proven (
n
= 14) or probable (
n
= 91) IA, 97 hematology patients at risk for invasive fungal infections, 50 healthy blood donors, and 60 patients with bacteremia were used to study the sensitivities and specificities of the assays. The GM test was more specific than the BG assay (97% versus 82%, respectively;
P
= 0.0001) and the BG assay was more sensitive than the GM test (81% versus 49%, respectively;
P
< 0.0001) for IA diagnosis. The study of 49 separate batches of β-lactam antibiotics showed high and very similar rates of false-positive results for the GM and BG assays (29 and 33%, respectively;
P
= 0.82) but with an almost complete lack of concordance between the 2 assays. For patients with bacteremia, the rate of false-positive results was much higher with the BG test than with the GM test (37% versus 2%, respectively;
P
< 0.0001), with no significant difference between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteremia. In conclusion, the BG test may be useful for the diagnosis of IA because of its high sensitivity in comparison with the GM test, but the overall benefit of this assay remains limited because of its inadequate specificity and its cost.
Comparison of Real-Time PCR and Antigen Assays for Detection of Hepatitis E Virus in Blood Donors
Authors: Vollmer T. , Knabbe C. , Dreier J. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is recognized as an emerging and often undiagnosed disease in industrialized countries, with asymptomatic infections actually occurring in blood donors. Sensitive detection of HEV-RNA is crucial for diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. We evaluated the analytical sensitivity and performance of three HEV RT-PCR assays (RealStar HEV reverse transcription-PCR [RT-PCR], hepatitis@ceeramTools, and ampliCube HEV RT-PCR) for screening of individuals for HEV infections (ID-nucleic acid amplification technology [ID-NAT]) and for blood donor pool screening (minipool-NAT [MP-NAT]). RNA was extracted using NucliSens easyMAG (ID-NAT) and a high-volume extraction protocol (4.8 ml, chemagic Viral 5K, MP-NAT). Three NAT assays were evaluated for ID-NAT but only two assays for MP-NAT due to inhibition of the ampliCube HEV RT-PCR kit using the corresponding RNA extract. Assays provided good analytical sensitivity, ranging from 37.8 to 180.1 IU/ml (ID-NAT) and from 4.7 to 91.2 IU/ml (MP-NAT). The applicability of HEV antigen (HEV-Ag) screening was compared to that of RT-PCR screening and detection of HEV-IgM antibodies using seroconversion panels of 10 HEV genotype 3-infected individuals. Four individuals revealed a positive HEV-Ag detection result, with corresponding viremias ranging from 1.92E + 03 to 2.19E + 05 IU/ml, while the progression of HEV-Ag followed that of HEV viremia. The other six individuals showed no presence of HEV-Ag although the corresponding viremias were also in the range of >1.0E + 03. Anti-HEV-IgM antibodies were detectable in seven donors; one donor presented parallel positivities of HEV-Ag and anti-HEV IgM. The evaluated NAT methods present powerful tools providing sensitive HEV detection. Application of HEV-Ag or anti-HEV IgM screening is currently inferior for the early detection of HEV infection due to the decreased sensitivity compared to NAT methods.
Interspecies Differences in Virus Uptake versus Cardiac Function of the Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus Receptor
Authors: Freiberg Fabian , Sauter Martina , Pinkert Sandra , Govindarajan Thirupugal , Kaldrack Joanna , Thakkar Meghna , Fechner Henry , Klingel Karin , Gotthardt Michael 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

The coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is a cell contact protein with an important role in virus uptake. Its extracellular immunoglobulin domains mediate the binding to coxsackievirus and adenovirus as well as homophilic and heterophilic interactions between cells. The cytoplasmic tail links CAR to the cytoskeleton and intracellular signaling cascades. In the heart, CAR is crucial for embryonic development, electrophysiology, and coxsackievirus B infection. Noncardiac functions are less well understood, in part due to the lack of suitable animal models. Here, we generated a transgenic mouse that rescued the otherwise embryonic-lethal CAR knockout (KO) phenotype by expressing chicken CAR exclusively in the heart. Using this rescue model, we addressed interspecies differences in coxsackievirus uptake and noncardiac functions of CAR. Survival of the noncardiac CAR KO (ncKO) mouse indicates an essential role for CAR in the developing heart but not in other tissues. In adult animals, cardiac activity was normal, suggesting that chicken CAR can replace the physiological functions of mouse CAR in the cardiomyocyte. However, chicken CAR did not mediate virus entry
in vivo
, so that hearts expressing chicken instead of mouse CAR were protected from infection and myocarditis. Comparison of sequence homology and modeling of the D1 domain indicate differences between mammalian and chicken CAR that relate to the sites important for virus binding but not those involved in homodimerization. Thus, CAR-directed anticoxsackievirus therapy with only minor adverse effects in noncardiac tissue could be further improved by selectively targeting the virus-host interaction while maintaining cardiac function.

IMPORTANCE
Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is one of the most common human pathogens causing myocarditis. Its receptor, the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), not only mediates virus uptake but also relates to cytoskeletal organization and intracellular signaling. Animals without CAR die prenatally with major cardiac malformations. In the adult heart, CAR is important for virus entry and electrical conduction, but its nonmuscle functions are largely unknown. Here, we show that chicken CAR expression exclusively in the heart can rescue the otherwise embryonic-lethal CAR knockout phenotype but does not support CVB3 infection of adult cardiomyocytes. Our findings have implications for the evolution of virus-host versus physiological interactions involving CAR and could help to improve future coxsackievirus-directed therapies inhibiting virus replication while maintaining CAR's cellular functions.