bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reference Values of Lymphocyte Subsets in Healthy, HIV-Negative Children in Cameroon
Authors: Sagnia Bertrand , Ateba Ndongo Francis , Ndiang Moyo Tetang Suzie , Ndongo Torimiro Judith , Cairo Cristiana , Domkam Irenée , Agbor Geraldine , Mve Emmanuel , Tocke Olive , Fouda Emilien , Ouwe Missi Oukem-Boyer Odile , Colizzi Vittorio 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTLymphocyte subset reference values used to monitor infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, or other immunological disorders in healthy children in Cameroon, are lacking. Values for Caucasian cohorts are already being utilized for clinical decisions but could be inappropriate for African populations. We report here the immunological profile for children aged from birth through 6 years in Cameroon and also compare our values to data from other African and Caucasian populations. In a cohort of 352 healthy children, aged 0 to 6 years, the relative and absolute numbers of T-cell subsets, B cells, and NK lymphocytes were determined from peripheral blood collected in EDTA tubes. Samples were stained with BD Multitest reagents in Trucount tubes and analyzed by using CellQuest-Pro and FlowJo software. We evaluated about 23 different lymphocyte subsets in which the absolute number and percentage values differed significantly (P< 0.05) with age and peaked between 6 and 12 months. B-cell values were higher compared to reported values from developed countries. Differences in activated and differentiated T cells were observed in subjects between 1 and 6 years of age. The absolute CD8+T-cell count and the CD4+/CD8+ratio seem to depend on gender. Normal lymphocyte subsets values among children from Cameroon differ from reported values in Caucasian and some African populations. The differences observed could be due to genetic and environmental factors coupled with the methodology used. These values could be used as initial national reference guidelines as more data are assembled.
Comparison of Etest Method with Reference Broth Microdilution Method for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Yersinia pestis
Authors: Lonsway David R. , Urich Sandra K. , Heine Henry S. , McAllister Sigrid K. , Banerjee Shailen N. , Schriefer Martin E. , Patel Jean B. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

The utility of Etest for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of
Yersinia pestis
was evaluated in comparison with broth microdilution and disk diffusion for eight agents. Four laboratories tested 26 diverse strains and found Etest to be reliable for testing antimicrobial agents used to treat
Y. pestis
, except for chloramphenicol and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Disk diffusion testing is not recommended.
Characterization of Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection from Blood Donors in China
Authors: Zheng Xin , Ye Xianlin , Zhang Ling , Wang Wenjing , Shuai Lifang , Wang Anqi , Zeng Jinfeng , Candotti Daniel , Allain Jean-Pierre , Li Chengyao 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTPrevalence and characteristics of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) of genotypes B and C prevalent in China have not been extensively explored. Characterization of OBI strains obtained from Chinese blood donors was based on clinical and serological analyses, follow-up testing, and sequence analyses. Twenty-eight samples from 165,371 HBV surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative plasmas were confirmed HBsAg negative and DNA positive(HBsAg−/DNA+), of which 22 were classified as OBIs and 6 as window period infections. The OBI incidence was 1:7,517 in blood donors, whose ages ranged between 20 and 45 years (median, 28 years). OBI donors had normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and low viral loads ranging between unquantifiable amounts and 178 IU/ml (median, 14 IU/ml). Sequences from 21 basic core promoter/precore (BCP/PC) regions, five whole genomes, and two additional pre-S/S regions from OBI strains were compared to genotypes B and C HBsAg+reference strains. Eighty-six percent (6/7) of OBI strains were genotype C. Deletions, insertions, stop codons, and substitutions were detected in 15/21 (71%) core regulatory elements of OBI strains. Critical mutations were found in the core proteins of 5/5 OBI strains in parallel with random substitutions in pre-S/S proteins from 6/7 (86%) OBI strains. Critical mutations in core regulatory elements and core proteins might affect OBI genotype B and C strain replication. That there were few S protein substitutions suggests a minor role of the host immune defenses in OBI occurrence.
Evaluation of Four Different Diagnostic Tests To Detect Clostridium difficile in Piglets
Authors: Keessen E. C. , Hopman N. E. M. , van Leengoed L. A. M. G. , van Asten A. J. A. M. , Hermanus C. , Kuijper E. J. , Lipman L. J. A. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

Clostridium difficile
is emerging as pathogen in both humans and animals. In 2000 it was described as one of the causes of neonatal enteritis in piglets, and it is now the most common cause of neonatal diarrhea in the United States. In Europe,
C. difficile
infection (CDI) in both neonatal piglets and adult sows has also been reported. Diagnosis of this infection is based on detection of the bacterium
C. difficile
or its toxins A and B. Most detection methods, however, are only validated for diagnosing human infections. In this study three commercially available enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) and a commercial real-time-PCR (Becton, Dickinson, and Company) were evaluated by testing 172 pig fecal specimens (139 diarrheic and 33 nondiarrheic piglets). The results of each test were compared to those of cytotoxicity assays (CTAs) and toxigenic culture as the “gold standards.” Compared to CTAs, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were, respectively, as follows: for real-time PCR, 91.6, 37.1, 57.6, and 82.5%; for Premier Toxins A&B (Meridian), 83.1, 31.5, 53.1, and 66.7%; for ImmunoCard Toxins A&B kit (ICTAB; Meridian), 86.6, 56.8, 66.9, and 80.7%; and for VIDAS (bioMérieux), 54.8, 92.6, 85.0, and 72.8%. Compared to toxigenic culture, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were, respectively, as follows: for real-time PCR, 93.0, 34.7, 50.0, and 87.5%; for Premier Toxins A&B, 80.3, 27.7, 43.8, and 66.7%; and for ICTAB, 80.0, 46.2, 52.8, and 75.4%; and for VIDAS, 56.4, 89.8, 77.5, and 76.7%. We conclude that all tests had an unacceptably low performance as a single test for the detection of
C. difficile
in pig herds and that a two-step algorithm is necessary, similar to that in cases of human CDI. Of all of the assays, the real-time PCR had the highest NPV compared to both reference methods and is therefore the most appropriate test to screen for the absence of
C. difficile
in pigs as a first step in the algorithm. The second step would be a confirmation of the positive results by toxigenic culture.
Evaluation of TBc Identification Immunochromatographic Assay for Rapid Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex in Samples from Broth Cultures
Authors: Said Halima M. , Ismail Nazir , Osman Ayman , Velsman Chrisna , Hoosen A. A. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease of major public health concern worldwide, especially in developing countries. In addition, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic has increased the incidence of infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Rapid, accurate, and simple methods for differentiation of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
complex (MTBC) isolates from NTM is greatly needed for successful control of the TB epidemic. This study was done to evaluate the clinical performance of the BD MGIT TBc identification test (TBc ID) for rapid identification of MTBC in samples from broth cultures. A total of 229 Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain-positive MGIT cultures were tested using the TBc ID test, and the results were compared with those of the AccuProbe MTBC identification test (GenProbe, San Diego, CA). The agreement between the TBc ID test and the AccuProbe assay was 96% (kappa = 0.92; confidence interval [CI] = 0.869 to 0.971). The sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values of the TBc ID test compared to the AccuProbe assay were 100%, 92.4%, 100%, and 92.2%, respectively. After additional molecular testing, the agreement between the two methods increased to 97.8% (kappa = 0.96; CI = 0.917 to 0.994), and the specificity and positive predictive value increased to 95.6% and 95.7%, respectively. The TBc ID test is a simple, sensitive, and specific test for identification of MTBC in samples from acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear-positive cultures. The TBc ID test could be a good alternative to the AccuProbe test in TB diagnostic laboratories.
Evaluation of the Vitek 2 ANC Card for Identification of Clinical Isolates of Anaerobic Bacteria
Authors: Lee E. H. L. , Degener J. E. , Welling G. W. , Veloo A. C. M. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

An evaluation of the Vitek 2 ANC card (bioMérieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France) was performed with 301 anaerobic isolates. Each strain was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, which is considered to be the reference method. The Vitek 2 ANC card correctly identified 239 (79.4%) of the 301 clinical isolates to the genus level, including 100 species that were not represented in the database. Correct species identification was obtained for 60.1% (181/301) of the clinical isolates. For the isolates not identified to the species level, a correct genus identification was obtained for 47.0% of them (47/100), and 16 were accurately designated not identified. Although the Vitek 2 ANC card allows the rapid and acceptable identification of the most common clinically important anaerobic bacteria within 6 h, improvement is required for the identification of members of the genera
Fusobacterium
,
Prevotella
, and
Actinomyces
and certain Gram-positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC).
Isolation of Mycobacterium ulcerans from Swab and Fine-Needle-Aspiration Specimens
Authors: Yeboah-Manu Dorothy , Danso Emelia , Ampah Kobina , Asante-Poku Adwoa , Nakobu Zuliehatu , Pluschke Gerd 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

For cultivation of
Mycobacterium ulcerans
from clinical specimens, we optimized the release of bacteria from swabs, as well as decontamination and cultivation on supplemented medium. Nevertheless, the proportions of positive cultures, 41.7% (5/12) for fine-needle-aspiration (FNA) samples and 43.8% (49/112) for swab samples, were lower than those we have previously observed for excised tissue specimens.
Genotype of Varicella-Zoster Virus Isolates in South Korea
Authors: Kim Kye-Hyung , Choi Young Ju , Song Kyoung-Ho , Park Wan Beom , Jeon Jae-Hyun , Park Sang-Won , Kim Hong Bin , Kim Nam Joong , Oh Myoung-don 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT
Information about the genotype of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is useful to monitor outbreaks of vaccine strains. However, in South Korea, where varicella vaccine was introduced in 1988, there are limited data about the genotype of VZV. VZV was isolated from vesicular lesions of patients with herpes zoster or varicella in South Korea between January 2007 and June 2009. DNAs were purified from single-passage isolates. The genotype was determined by sequence analysis of open reading frame (ORF) 22. The PstI restriction enzyme site in ORF 38 and the BglI restriction enzyme site in ORF 54 were evaluated by restriction enzyme analysis. Forty-four patients with herpes zoster and nine patients with varicella were enrolled. The median age of patients with herpes zoster was 59.5 (range, 10 to 77) years, and the median age of patients with varicella was 8 (range, 6 to 9) years. In sequence analysis of ORF 22, all isolates were genotype J, irrespective of the age group. In restriction enzyme analysis, 51 of 54 (94.3%) isolates contained a PstI site in ORF 38, and all isolates contained a BglI site in ORF 54. Our data suggest that genotype J has been circulating since the 1940s in South Korea.
Characterization of Mumps Viruses Circulating in Mongolia: Identification of a Novel Cluster of Genotype H
Authors: Kidokoro Minoru , Tuul Rentsengiin , Komase Katsuhiro , Nymadawa Pagbajab 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT
Although mumps virus is still causing annual epidemics in Mongolia, very few epidemiological and virological data have been reported. We describe here the first phylogenetic analysis data on the mumps viruses circulated in Mongolia in 2009. We detected 21 mumps virus cDNAs and obtained a virus isolate from 32 throat swabs of mumps patients in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The phylogenetic analyses based on the 316 nucleotides of the small hydrophobic gene show that these sequences form a single cluster, with the closest relatedness to the viruses belonging to genotype H. According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization, Mongolian mumps viruses could be classified into a novel genotype because the divergence between new sequences and genotype H reference viruses is >5% (6.3 to 8.2%). However, additional analyses based on the fusion gene, the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase gene, and the whole-genome indicate that the divergences between the Mongolian isolate and other genotype H strains never exceed the within-genotype divergences of other genotypes. These results suggest that Mongolia strains should be included in genotype H and that the current criteria for mumps virus genotyping should be revised. We propose here that the Mongolian viruses should be classified as a new subgenotype termed H3. Since previous epidemiological studies suggested that genotypes H may be associated with central nervous system diseases, we evaluated the neurovirulence of the Mongolian isolate in the neonatal rat system. However, the virus does not exhibit prominent neurovirulence in rats.
Systemic Dissemination of H5N1 Influenza A Viruses in Ferrets and Hamsters after Direct Intragastric Inoculation
Authors: Shinya Kyoko , Makino Akiko , Tanaka Hiroji , Hatta Masato , Watanabe Tokiko , Le Mai Q. , Imai Hirotaka , Kawaoka Yoshihiro 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT
Although oral exposure to H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses is a risk factor for infection in humans, it is unclear how oral exposure to these virus results in lethal respiratory infections. To address this issue, we inoculated ferrets and hamsters with two highly pathogenic H5N1 strains. These viruses, inoculated directly into the stomach, were isolated from the large intestine and the mesenteric lymph nodes within 1 day of inoculation and subsequently spread to multiple tissues, including lung, liver, and brain. Histopathologic analysis of ferrets infected with virus via direct intragastric inoculation revealed lymph folliculitis in the digestive tract and mesenteric lymph nodes and focal interstitial pneumonia. Comparable results were obtained with the hamster model. We conclude that, in mammals, ingested H5N1 influenza viruses can disseminate to nondigestive organs, possibly through the lymphatic system of the gastrointestinal tract.
Natural Killer Cells Recognize Friend Retrovirus-Infected Erythroid Progenitor Cells through NKG2D–RAE-1 Interactions In Vivo
Authors: Ogawa Tatsuya , Tsuji-Kawahara Sachiyo , Yuasa Takae , Kinoshita Saori , Chikaishi Tomomi , Takamura Shiki , Matsumura Haruo , Seya Tsukasa , Saga Toshihiko , Miyazawa Masaaki 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTNatural killer (NK) cells function as early effector cells in the innate immune defense against viral infections and also participate in the regulation of normal and malignant hematopoiesis. NK cell activities have been associated with early clearance of viremia in experimental simian immunodeficiency virus and clinical human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections. We have previously shown that NK cells function as major cytotoxic effector cells in vaccine-induced immune protection against Friend virus (FV)-induced leukemia, and NK cell depletion totally abrogates the above protective immunity. However, how NK cells recognize retrovirus-infected cells remains largely unclear. The present study demonstrates a correlation between the expression of the products of retinoic acid early transcript-1 (RAE-1) genes in target cells and their susceptibility to killing by NK cells isolated from FV-infected animals. This killing was abrogated by antibodies blocking the NKG2D receptorin vitro. Further, the expression of RAE-1 proteins on erythroblast surfaces increased early after FV inoculation, and administration of an RAE-1-blocking antibody resulted in increased spleen infectious centers and exaggerated pathology, indicating that FV-infected erythroid cells are recognized by NK cells mainly through the NKG2D–RAE-1 interactionsin vivo. Enhanced retroviral replication due to host gene-targeting resulted in markedly increased RAE-1 expression in the absence of massive erythroid cell proliferation, indicating a direct role of retroviral replication in RAE-1 upregulation.
Query-preserving watermarking of relational databases and Xml documents
Authors: Gross-AMBLARD David 
Published: March 2011

Watermarking allows robust and unobtrusive insertion of information in a digital document. During the last few years, techniques have been proposed for watermarking relational databases or Xml documents, where information insertion must preserve a specific measure on data (for example the mean and variance of numerical attributes).
In this article we investigate the problem of watermarking databases or Xml while preserving a set of parametric queries in a specified language, up to an acceptable distortion. We first show that unrestricted databases can not be watermarked while preserving trivial parametric queries. We then exhibit query languages and classes of structures that allow guaranteed watermarking capacity, namely 1) local query languages on structures with bounded degree Gaifman graph, and 2) monadic second-order queries on trees or treelike structures. We relate these results to an important topic in computational learning theory, the VC-dimension. We finally consider incremental aspects of query-preserving watermarking.
Garlic Constituent Diallyl Trisulfide Suppresses X-linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein in Prostate Cancer Cells in Culture andIn Vivo
Authors: Kim Su-Hyeong , Bommareddy Ajay , Singh Shivendra V. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractWe have shown previously that garlic constituent diallyl trisulfide (DATS) inhibits growth of cultured and xenografted human prostate cancer cells in association with apoptosis induction, but the mechanism of cell death is not fully understood. The present study systematically investigates the role of inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family proteins in the regulation of DATS-induced apoptosis using cultured PC-3 and LNCaP human prostate cancer cells and dorsolateral prostate from control and DATS-treated transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice. Level of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) protein was decreased on 8-hour treatment with 20 and 40 μmol/L DATS, but this effect was partially attenuated at the 16-hour time point. DATS-mediated decline in XIAP protein level was partially reversible in the presence of proteasomal inhibitor MG132. In contrast, DATS-treated PC-3 and LNCaP cells exhibited marked induction of survivin and cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 (cIAP1) proteins. Induction of survivin protein expression resulting from DATS exposure was associated with an increase in its mRNA level. Dorsolateral prostates from DATS-treated TRAMP mice exhibited statistically significant downregulation of XIAP and induction of survivin protein compared with those of control mice. Ectopic expression of XIAP conferred partial but significant protection against DATS-induced apoptosis. On the other hand, DATS-induced apoptosis was only marginally affected by RNA interference of survivin or cIAP1. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the DATS-induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells is mediated in part by suppression of XIAP protein expression, and that XIAP represents a viable biomarker of DATS response for future clinical investigations. Cancer Prev Res; 4(6); 897–906. ©2011 AACR.
Interobserver Reliability of the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) Classification of Meniscal Tears
Authors: Anderson Allen F. , Irrgang Jay J. , Dunn Warren , Beaufils Philippe , Cohen Moises , Cole Brian J. , Coolican Myles , Ferretti Mario , Glenn R. Edward , Johnson Robert , Neyret Philippe , Ochi Mitsuo , Panarella Ludovico , Siebold Rainer , Spindler Kurt P. , Ait Si Selmi Tarik , Verdonk Peter , Verdonk Rene , Yasuda Kazu , Kowalchuk Deborah A. 
Published: March 2011

Background: Consistency of arthroscopic evaluation and documentation in meniscal tears between investigators is essential to the validity of multicenter studies. A group of experts developed a classification of meniscal tears that may be used internationally. Hypothesis: The International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) classification of meniscal tears provides sufficient interobserver reliability for pooling of data from international clinical trials designed to evaluate the outcomes of treatment for meniscal tears. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 1. Methods: A pilot study was performed by having 8 members of the committee grade 10 arthroscopic videos for classification of tear depth, rim width, location, tear pattern, and quality of the tissue. The results of the pilot study were used to change the instruction sheet and evaluation form. International interobserver reliability was determined by having 8 orthopaedic surgeons who practice in different countries evaluate 37 arthroscopic videos selected to represent different meniscal tear characteristics. The Spearman ρ correlation coefficient was used to compare the area of the meniscus excised, as drawn on the diagram, with the numeric percentage of meniscus excised. Results: There was an 87% agreement for anterior-posterior location of the tear (κ = .65); 79% agreement for tear pattern (κ = .72); 88% agreement for tear depth (κ = .52); 68% agreement for anterior, middle, and posterior location of the tear (κ = .46); and 72% agreement for tissue quality (κ = .47). There was 54% agreement for the rim width (κ = .25) and 67% agreement if the tear was central to the popliteal hiatus (κ = .36). Based on the Landis and Koch criteria for κ coefficients, there was substantial agreement for anterior-posterior location of the tear and tear pattern; moderate agreement for tear depth, anterior, middle, and posterior location of the tear, and tissue quality; and fair agreement for rim width and if the tear was central to the popliteal tear. Interobserver reliability based on the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was good for tear length (ICC = .83) and moderate for percentage of meniscus that was excised (ICC = .65). The mean ρ for all raters was .92 (95% confidence interval [CI], .89-.94) comparing the values for percentage of meniscus excised with the area on the diagrams. Conclusion: The ISAKOS classification of meniscal tears provides sufficient interobserver reliability for pooling of data from international clinical trials designed to evaluate the outcomes of treatment for meniscal tears.