bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detection and Identification of
Ehrlichia
spp. in Ticks Collected in Tunisia and Morocco
Authors: Sarih M'Hammed , M'Ghirbi Youmna , Bouattour Ali , Gern Lise , Baranton Guy , Postic Danièle 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

A broad-range 16S rRNA gene PCR assay followed by partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was used for the detection of members of the family
Anaplasmataceae
in ticks in North Africa. A total of 418 questing
Ixodes ricinus
ticks collected in Tunisia and Morocco, as well as 188
Rhipicephalus
ticks from dogs and 52
Hyalomma
ticks from bovines in Tunisia, were included in this study. Of 324 adult
I. ricinus
ticks, 16.3% were positive for
Ehrlichia
spp., whereas only 3.4 and 2.8% of nymphs and larvae, respectively, were positive. A large heterogeneity was observed in the nucleotide sequences. Partial sequences identical to that of the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) were detected in
I. ricinus
and
Hyalomma detritum
, whereas partial sequences identical to that of
Anaplasma platys
were detected in
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
. However, variants of
Anaplasma
, provisionally designated
Anaplasma-
like, were predominant in the
I. ricinus
tick population in Maghreb. Otherwise, two variants of the genus
Ehrlichia
were detected in
I. ricinus
and
H. detritum
. Surprisingly, a variant of
Wolbachia pipientis
was evidenced from
I. ricinus
in Morocco. These results emphasized the potential risk of tick bites for human and animal populations in North Africa.
Typing of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Clinical Strains by Using Microsatellite Sequence Polymorphism
Authors: Malgoire J. Y. , Bertout S. , Renaud F. , Bastide J. M. , Mallié M. 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

It seems that
S. cerevisiae
, which was thought for about 30 years to be a nonpathogenic yeast, should now be considered an opportunistic pathogen. In this study, we estimated the discrimination ability of the microsatellite sequence amplification technique within a sample of clinical and reference
S. cerevisiae
strains and
S. boulardii
reference strains.
Detection of Human Metapneumovirus Antigens in Nasopharyngeal Secretions by an Immunofluorescent-Antibody Test
Authors: Ebihara Takashi , Endo Rika , Ma Xiaoming , Ishiguro Nobuhisa , Kikuta Hideaki 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT
Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a recently discovered pathogen associated with respiratory tract infections, primarily in young children, immunocompromised individuals, and elderly individuals. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) has been reported to be a more sensitive method for the diagnosis of hMPV infections than virus isolation by culture and serological study. However, there has been no report on rapid methods, such as an immunofluorescent-antibody test or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, for the detection of hMPV antigens in nasopharyngeal secretions. In this study, we compared an indirect immunofluorescent-antibody test (IFA) with a monoclonal antibody with RT-PCR for detection of hMPV in nasal secretions from 48 hospitalized children with respiratory tract infections. Fifteen of the 48 children were positive for hMPV by RT-PCR. IFA results were positive for 11 of the 15 RT-PCR-positive children (sensitivity, 73.3%) and 1 of the 33 RT-PCR-negative children (specificity, 97.0%). Although the sensitivity of IFA is lower than that of RT-PCR, IFA is a rapid and useful test for the diagnosis of hMPV infections in children.
Vi Antigen Expression in
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Typhi Clinical Isolates from Pakistan
Authors: Wain John , House Deborah , Zafar Afia , Baker Stephen , Nair Satheesh , Kidgell Claire , Bhutta Zulfiqar , Dougan Gordon , Hasan Rumina 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

The accurate identification of
Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
serovar Typhi variants that fail to express the capsular polysaccharide, Vi, is an important and much discussed issue for medical microbiology. We have tested a multiplex PCR method which shows the presence or absence of the genetic locus required for Vi expression. Of 2,222
Salmonella
serovar Typhi clinical isolates collected from patients' blood over a 4-year period in a region of Pakistan where typhoid is endemic, 12 tested negative for Vi expression by serological agglutination. However, only 1 of these 12 was Vi negative by the multiplex PCR method. This result was confirmed by immunofluorescence, the most sensitive method for Vi characterization in
Salmonella
serovar Typhi. The multiplex PCR described therefore represents a simple and accurate method for surveillance for Vi-negative variants of
Salmonella
serovar Typhi in Pakistan. Testing of clinical isolates of
Salmonella
serovar Typhi, before subculture, from other regions where Vi-negative
Salmonella
serovar Typhi has been described should be carried out so that the impact of vaccination with purified Vi antigen on the levels of Vi-negative
Salmonella
serovar Typhi in bacterial populations can be assessed.
Comparative Typing of
Campylobacter jejuni
by Heat-Stable Serotyping and PCR-Based Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis
Authors: Nakari Ulla-Maija , Laaksonen Katja , Korkeila Maija , Siitonen Anja 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

Campylobacter
jejuni
has become the most common bacterial cause of human
gastroenteritis worldwide. Rapid, discriminatory typing methods are
required to identify potential clusters of infections. The major
disadvantage of the well-evaluated and widely used Penner heat-stable
serotyping method is the high level of nontypeability. The correlation
of the types determined by the Penner heat-stable serotyping method and
PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of
the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) biosynthesis genes of
C. jejuni
was studied with 149
C. jejuni
strains. Of these strains, 79
were patient strains belonging to 25 Penner serotypes, 60 were
nontypeable patient strains, and 10 were reference strains. A 9.6-kb
DNA fragment of the LOS gene cluster was amplified and digested with
the restriction enzymes HhaI and DdeI. Altogether, 39
different RFLP types (including 30 HhaI profiles and 32 DdeI profiles)
were identified. Type Hh1Dd1 was the most common type, with 36%
of the strains and strains of 12 serotypes being of this type. A high
level of discrimination was obtained, and a correlation between the
Penner serotypes and the PCR-RFLP types could be seen. Also, variation
in the LOS biosynthesis genes within a single Penner serotype was
found. Although the PCR-RFLP method may not be sufficient to compensate
for Penner serotyping, it can give valuable information about
nontypeable strains and further characterize strains of common
serotypes.
Epidemiologic Import of Tuberculosis Cases Whose Isolates Have Similar but Not Identical IS
6110
Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Patterns
Authors: Cave M. D. , Yang Z. H. , Stefanova R. , Fomukong N. , Ijaz K. , Bates J. , Eisenach K. D. 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

Isolates of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
from patients with epidemiologic links frequently demonstrate identical IS
6110
restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns (i.e., RFLP clustering) because they are infected with the same strain. Uncertainty arises with isolates that differ from one another by a few IS
6110
hybridizing bands. During the period from 1 January 1996 to 31 December 1999, isolates from 585 tuberculosis (TB) cases were analyzed by RFLP, representing 98.2% of the 596 culture-positive TB cases reported in Arkansas during the study period. Of the 585 cases for which RFLP was available, 419 (71.6%) had an RFLP pattern with more than five copies of IS
6110
. Of the total 74 clusters, 48 comprised isolates with more than five copies of IS
6110
and included 164 cases. Sixty-nine isolates with more than five copies of IS
6110
comprising 16 clusters and 60 unique isolates were found to be similar to at least 1 other isolate (differing from it by one or two hybridizing bands). Among the 129 cases whose isolates were similar to other clustered or unique isolates, 16 cases were discovered with epidemiologic links: 14 (15.2%) were among the 92 cases with IS
6110
RFLP patterns similar to those in clusters, and 2 (5.2%) were among the 37 unique cases that were similar to another unique case. The isolates from the epidemiologically linked patients shared common spoligotypes; all except one case shared common polymorphic GC-rich sequence (PGRS) patterns. Of the 129 patients whose isolates differed from another by one or two hybridizing IS
6110
bands, 101 (78.3%) shared common spoligotypes and 87 (67.4%) shared common PGRS RFLP patterns.
Identification of
Streptococcus canis
Isolated from Milk of Dairy Cows with Subclinical Mastitis
Authors: Hassan Abdulwahed Ahmed , Akineden Ömer , Usleber Ewald 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

Streptococcus canis
was isolated from 31 milk samples from 11 cows in a dairy herd (with 49 lactating cows) affected by subclinical mastitis in north Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Thirty-one isolates from the infected udder quarters were further characterized for their phenotypic and molecular properties. Most isolates (83.9%) produced α-galactosidase, and all were negative for β-
d
-glucuronidase. Amplification of the 16S rRNA gene by the PCR method and digestion with the restriction enzymes RsaI, MspI, and AvaII yielded species-specific patterns. Additional identification by species-specific amplification of the 16S rRNA gene, the 16S-23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer region, the CAMP factor-encoding gene
cfg
, and the internal fragments of the
sodA
gene was consistent with
S. canis
. Macrorestriction analysis of the chromosomal DNA by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that the
S. canis
isolates originated from a single clone or were very closely related.
Comparison of Easy-Flow Copan Liquid Stuart's and Starplex Swab Transport Systems for Recovery of Fastidious Aerobic Bacteria
Authors: Drake Cheryl , Barenfanger Joan , Lawhorn Jerry , Verhulst Steven 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

Because samples are frequently submitted on swabs from distant sites, viability of the organism must be maintained. We compared two transport systems, a new Copan Liquid Stuart's swab with an Easy-Flow swab applicator and the Starplex Liquid Stuart's swab. The purpose of the study was to assess the release and/or recovery of organisms from the Copan system compared to that from Starplex. Triplicate swabs were seeded with 3 dilutions of
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
,
Neisseria meningitidis
,
Haemophilus influenzae
, and
Streptococcus pneumoniae
. Although the amount of the initial inoculum was the same for both transport systems, recovery by the roll-plate method at time zero was consistently increased with the Copan system (31 to 87% higher). This is the most important finding in this study. With
N. gonorrhoeae
, subsequent recoveries were similar for Copan and Starplex but poor for both systems. With
N. meningitidis
and
Haemophilus
, higher levels of recovery were clearly obtained with Copan (
P
< 0.05 to
P
< 0.001). With
Streptococcus
, subsequent recoveries for Copan and Starplex were mixed. In conclusion, Copan generally demonstrated better recovery of organisms compared to Starplex even (and especially) at time zero.
Human Cytomegalovirus Reactivation during Lactation and Mother-to-Child Transmission in Preterm Infants
Authors: Meier Johannes , Lienicke Uta , Tschirch Edda , Krüger Detlev H. , Wauer Roland R. , Prösch Susanna 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT
In a clinical trial, the incidence of cytomegalovirus reactivation in breastfeeding mothers and transmission to their preterm infants were studied. Breast milk from 73 mothers as well as urine and tracheal and pharyngeal aspirates from their 89 infants were screened weekly for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA during the first 2 months after delivery. Of the 73 mothers, 48 (66%) were positive for HCMV DNA in the lactating breast. HCMV reactivation could be confirmed for 19 of 20 (95%) immunoglobulin G-positive mothers. Of the eight immunoglobulin G-negative mothers one was positive for HCMV DNA in breast milk. In only 2 out of 13 seropositive mothers with HCMV DNA in breast milk could viral DNA be detected in the peripheral blood. HCMV mother-to-child transmission was concluded for 20 of the 48 (42%) mothers positive for DNA or 7 of 19 (37%) seropositive for HCMV and positive for HCMV DNA in breast milk and one of one mother seronegative for HCMV but positive for HCMV DNA in breast milk. One mother transmitted the virus to her twins. In addition, one infant acquired postnatal HCMV infection despite the mother's being negative for HCMV DNA in breast milk; altogether, we found 22 infants with HCMV infection. In 13 of these 22 infants, virus infection occurred definitively postnatally; two of them developed severe symptomatic HCMV infection. HCMV-infected infants demonstrated higher incidences of amniotic infection, respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and retinopathia praenatalis than noninfected infants, however, the differences were not statistically significant. In summary, our study confirmed a very high incidence of HCMV reactivation in mothers during lactation and a significant risk of transmission to preterm infants with the possibility of severe disease in these babies.
Effect of Clarithromycin Treatment on
Chlamydia pneumoniae
in Vascular Tissue of Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Berg Hans F. , Maraha Boulos , van der Zee Anneke , Gielis Siska K. , Roholl Paul J. M. , Scheffer Gert-Jan , Peeters Marcel F. , Kluytmans Jan A. J. W. 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

Several small clinical trials have indicated that antibiotic treatment of
Chlamydia pneumoniae
infection is associated with a better outcome in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). It has not been demonstrated whether antibiotic treatment eradicates
C. pneumoniae
from vascular tissue. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of clarithromycin on the presence of
C. pneumoniae
in the vascular tissue of patients with CAD. Patients who had CAD and who were waiting for coronary artery bypass graft surgery were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Patients were treated with clarithromycin at 500 mg or placebo once daily from the day of inclusion in the study until surgery. Several vascular tissue specimens were obtained during surgery. The presence of
C. pneumoniae
in vascular tissue specimens was examined by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and two PCR assays.
Chlamydia
immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at the time of inclusion in the study and 8 weeks after surgery. A total of 76 patients were included, and 180 vascular tissue specimens were obtained (80 specimens from the group treated with clarithromycin and 100 specimens from the group treated with placebo). Thirty-five patients received clarithromycin (mean duration, 27 days; standard deviation [SD], 12.2 days), and 41 patients received placebo (mean duration, 27 days; SD, 13.9 days). IHC detected the
C. pneumoniae
major outer membrane protein antigen in 73.8% of the specimens from the group treated with clarithromycin and 77.0% of the specimens from the group treated with placebo (
P
was not significant).
Chlamydia
lipopolysaccharide antigen was found in only one specimen from the group that received placebo.
C. pneumoniae
DNA was not detected in any specimen. Baseline
Chlamydia
-specific IgG titers were equally distributed in both groups and were not significantly different after treatment. There was no indication of an active
C. pneumoniae
infection in vascular tissue.
Chlamydia
-specific IgG titers remained unchanged throughout the study in both the antibiotic- and the placebo-treated patients.
Genomic Relatedness of the New Matlab Variants of
Vibrio cholerae
O1 to the Classical and El Tor Biotypes as Determined by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis
Authors: Safa Ashrafus , Bhuiyan Nurul Amin , Alam Munirul , Sack David A. , Nair G. Balakrish 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

The genomes of the recently described Matlab variants of
Vibrio cholerae
O1 that are hybrids between classical and El Tor biotypes were compared with those of El Tor and classical biotypes by the use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Dendrograms constructed using the unweighted-pair group method using average linkages generated from NotI restriction patterns of whole-chromosomal DNA grouped these strains into two major clusters that were found to be similar but not identical to those of either of the biotypes. Strains that clustered with the classical biotype appear to have been derived from the classical strains, which are thought to be extinct.
Comparison of COBAS AMPLICOR
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
PCR, Including Confirmation with
N. gonorrhoeae-
Specific 16S rRNA PCR, with Traditional Culture
Authors: Luijt Dirk S. , Bos Petra A. J. , van Zwet Anton A. , van Voorst Vader Pieter C. , Schirm Jurjen 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

A total of 3,023 clinical specimens were tested for
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
by using COBAS AMPLICOR (CA) PCR and confirmation of positives by
N. gonorrhoeae
-specific 16S rRNA PCR. The sensitivity of CA plus 16S rRNA PCR was 98.8%, compared to 68.2% for culture. Confirmation of CA positives increased the positive predictive value from 54.8 to 96.6%.
Fatal Peritonitis Caused by
Pasteurella multocida
Capsular Type F in Calves
Authors: Catry Boudewijn , Chiers Koen , Schwarz Stefan , Kehrenberg Corinna , Decostere Annemie , de Kruif Aart 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

A fatal case of atypical septicemia of pasteurellosis in veal calves is described. The causative organism was identified as a multiresistant
Pasteurella multocida
capsular type F isolate. The outbreak was characterized by fibrinous peritonitis and mortality, which are hitherto unreported features of
P. multocida
capsular type F infections.
Airway Colonization by
Acrophialophora fusispora
in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Cimon Bernard , Challier Svetlana , Béguin Hugues , Carrère Jacqueline , Chabasse Dominique , Bouchara Jean-Philippe 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACT

Acrophialophora fusispora
is a thermotolerant soil fungus which is very unusual in clinical samples. Here we report four cases of transient or chronic airway colonization by
A. fusispora
in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). However, the prevalence of this fungus in CF patients may be underestimated due to the currently poor knowledge of this fungus in most of the medical mycology laboratories. In addition, its clinical importance regarding CF remains to be evaluated.
A woman who couldn’t speak: report of methotrexate neurotoxicity
Authors: Szawarski P , Chapman C S 
Published: March 2005

Abstract
The association between methotrexate therapy and idiosyncratic neurological complications is well recognised in children. This case illustrates the importance of considering the diagnosis of methotrexate toxicity in an adult patient with behavioural and speech disturbances, who received it by intrathecal route only and in whom the only indicator was an abnormal electroencephalographic study
Adult intussusception: case reports and review of literature
Authors: Yalamarthi S , Smith R C 
Published: March 2005

Abstract
Adult intussusception occurs infrequently and differs from childhood intussusception in its presentation, aetiology, and treatment. Diagnosis can be delayed because of its longstanding, intermittent, and non-specific symptoms and most cases are diagnosed at emergency laparotomy. With more frequent use of computed tomography in the evaluation of patients with abdominal pain, the condition can be diagnosed more reliably. Treatment entails simple bowel resection in most cases. Reduction of the intussusception before resection is controversial, but there is a shift against this, especially in colonic cases. Surgical treatment can be difficult in gastroduodenal and coloanal intussusceptions, sometimes requiring innovative techniques. This paper presents the diagnosis and management of four cases of adult intussusception, followed by review of the literature.
Isolated conjunctival lymphoma metastasis from previous low grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Authors: Cackett P , Bower M , Stebbing J 
Published: March 2005

Abstract
Ocular involvement of systemic non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is rare. This report describes the unusual occurrence of a biopsy confirmed low grade lymphoma recurring in the conjunctiva, three years after initial diagnosis of systemic disease. The tumour was surgically resected and the patient remains disease free four years later. After the diagnosis of lymphoma, long term follow up is advised as recurrences in unusual sites can occur.
An Algorithm for the Retrieval of Droplet Number Concentration and Geometrical Thickness of Stratiform Marine Boundary Layer Clouds Applied to MODIS Radiometric Observations
Authors: Schüller Lothar , Bennartz Ralf , Fischer Jürgen , Brenguier Jean-Louis 
Published: March 2005

Abstract
Algorithms are now currently used for the retrieval of cloud optical thickness and droplet effective radius from multispectral radiance measurements. This paper extends their application to the retrieval of cloud droplet number concentration, cloud geometrical thickness, and liquid water path in shallow convective clouds, using an algorithm that was previously tested with airborne measurements of cloud radiances and validated against in situ measurements of the same clouds. The retrieval is based on a stratified cloud model of liquid water content and droplet spectrum. Radiance measurements in visible and near-infrared channels of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), which is operated from the NASA platforms Terra and Aqua, are analyzed. Because of uncertainties in the simulation of the continental surface reflectance, the algorithm is presently limited to the monitoring of the microphysical structure of boundary layer clouds over the ocean. Two MODIS scenes of extended cloud fields over the North Atlantic Ocean trade wind region are processed. A transport and dispersion model (the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model, HYSPLIT4) is also used to characterize the origin of the air masses and hence their aerosol regimes. One cloud field formed in an air mass that was advected from southern Europe and North Africa. It shows high values of the droplet concentration when compared with the second cloud system, which developed in a more pristine environment. The more pristine case also exhibits a higher geometrical thickness and, thus, liquid water path, which counterbalances the expected cloud albedo increase of the polluted case. Estimates of cloud liquid water path are then compared with retrievals from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). SSM/I-derived liquid water paths are in good agreement with the MODIS-derived values.