bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of Bacterial Flora on Postimmunization Gastritis following Oral Vaccination of Mice withHelicobacter pyloriHeat Shock Protein 60
Authors: Yamaguchi Hiroyuki , Osaki Takako , Taguchi Haruhiko , Sato Noriko , Toyoda Atushi , Takahashi Motomichi , Kai Masanori , Nakata Noboru , Komatsu Akio , Atomi Yutaka , Kamiya Shigeru 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACTIn order to assess the efficacy of oralHelicobacter pyloriheat shock protein 60 (HSP60) as a vaccine, protection againstH. pyloriinfection in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) C57BL/6 and germfree (GF) IQI mice was examined. Prophylactic oral vaccination of these two strains of mice with eitherH. pyloriHSP60 orEscherichia coliGroEL inhibitedH. pyloricolonization by 90 to 95% at 3 weeks postinfection (p.i.). However, these mice were only partially protected because bacterial loads increased in all animals at 10 weeks p.i. Anti-H. pyloriHSP60 immunoglobulin G was detected in serum at 3 weeks p.i. in mice vaccinated with eitherH. pyloriHSP60 or GroEL. Significant increases in the gastritis scores were observed only in SPF mice immunized withH. pyloriHSP60. These results indicate that oral vaccination withH. pyloriHSP60 has partial protective effects on subsequentH. pyloriinfection but also induces postimmunization gastritis. However, GF mice immunized withH. pyloriHSP60 did not suffer from severe gastritis. Therefore, the presence of bacterial flora appears to contribute to the induction of postimmunization gastritis.
Immunity to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Children with Chronic HIV Infection Receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Weinberg Adriana , Pott Gregory B. 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACT

Our objective was to describe the CD4-mediated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and its virologic and immunologic correlates in children with chronic HIV infection on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Twelve HIV-infected children on stable antiretroviral therapy with a median level of CD4
+
lymphocytes (CD4%) of 25.5% and a median viral load (VL) of 786 HIV RNA copies/ml were enrolled in this study. Nine of these children were also cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositive. Blood mononuclear cells, stimulated with HIV and CMV antigens, were used to measure lymphocyte proliferation and to enumerate gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-producing CD4
+
cells. HIV CMI and CMV CMI were detected in similar proportions of patients and correlated with each other, although the HIV responses were less robust. HIV lymphocyte proliferation significantly increased with lower HIV VL and showed a trend to increase with higher CD4% and longer time on HAART. The in vitro IFN-γ response to HIV or CMV was not affected by CD4%, VL, or HAART. Pediatric patients with established HIV infection on HAART frequently exhibit HIV CMI despite undetectable HIV replication. We concluded that the association between HIV CMI and CMV CMI indicates that the same factors govern responsiveness to either antigen.
Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay Using Recombinant
trans
-Sialidase of
Trypanosoma cruzi
Can Be Employed for Monitoring of Patients with Chagas' Disease after Drug Treatment
Authors: Pereira-Chioccola Vera Lucia , Fragata-Filho Abilio Augusto , Levy Antonio Marcos de Apparecida , Rodrigues Mauricio M. , Schenkman Sergio 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACT

trans
-Sialidase is an enzyme present on the surface of
Trypanosoma cruzi
and is an important antigen recognized by sera from patients with Chagas' disease. In the present study we investigated whether the benznidazole treatment of patients with Chagas' disease induced changes in the reactivity of serum toward a recombinant form of
trans-
sialidase in order to develop an assay for monitoring of patients after treatment for Chagas' disease, which is needed at Chagas' disease control centers. By using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay containing a recombinant protein corresponding to the catalytic domain of
trans-
sialidase, we found that the antigen had a high specificity for sera from untreated patients with Chagas' disease. Sera from healthy individuals or patients with active visceral leishmaniasis minimally cross-reacted with the antigen. Anti-
trans
-sialidase immunoglobulin was detected in 98% of 151 untreated patients with Chagas' disease. Of these, 124 patients were treated for 60 days with benznidazole (5 mg/kg of body weight/day), and their sera were assayed for reactivity with the recombinant
trans-
sialidase. By using this methodology, three groups of patients could be established. The first group (60 patients), which was considered to have been successfully treated, showed no reactivity after treatment. The second group (46 patients) still showed signs of infection, and after treatment their sera recognized
trans-
sialidase, but with reduced titers. The third group (18 patients) was considered to be resistant to drug treatment, and their sera presented identical reactivities before and after treatment. These results suggest that determination of the absence of antibodies to recombinant
trans-
sialidase in treated patients by the present assay is indicative of treatment success, while the presence of antibodies may indicate the persistence of infection. Therefore, this method may be useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of patients undergoing benznidazole treatment.
Competitive Binding Inhibition Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay That Uses the Secreted Aspartyl Proteinase ofCandida albicansas an Antigenic Marker for Diagnosis of Disseminated Candidiasis
Authors: Morrison Christine J. , Hurst Steven F. , Reiss Errol 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACTThe secreted aspartyl proteinases (Saps) ofCandida albicanshave been implicated as virulence factors associated with adherence and tissue invasion. The potential use of proteinases as markers of invasive candidiasis led us to develop a competitive binding inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect Sap in clinical specimens. Daily serum and urine specimens were collected from rabbits that had been immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide and cortisone acetate and infected intravenously with 107C. albicansblastoconidia. Disseminated infection was confirmed by organ culture and histopathology. Although ELISA inhibition was observed when serum specimens from these rabbits were used, more significant inhibition, which correlated with disease progression, occurred when urine specimens were used. Urine collected as early as 1 day after infection resulted in significant ELISA inhibition (mean inhibition ± standard error [SE] compared with preinfection control urine, 15.7% ± 2.7% [P< 0.01]), and inhibition increased on days 2 through 5 (29.4% ± 4.8% to 44.5% ± 3.5% [P< 0.001]). Urine specimens from immunosuppressed rabbits infected intravenously withCandida tropicalis,Candida parapsilosis,Candida krusei,Cryptococcus neoformans,Aspergillus fumigatus, orStaphylococcus aureuswere negative in the assay despite culture-proven dissemination. Nonimmunosuppressed rabbits receiving oral tetracycline and gentamicin treatment were given 2 × 108C. albicansblastoconidia orally or intraurethrally to establish colonization of the gastrointestinal tract or bladder, respectively, without systemic dissemination; urine specimens from these rabbits also gave negative ELISA results. Dissemination to the kidney and spleen occurred in one rabbit challenged by intragastric inoculation, and urine from this rabbit demonstrated significant inhibition in the ELISA (mean inhibition ± SE by day 3 after infection, 32.9% ± 2.7% [P< 0.001]). The overall test sensitivity was 83%, the specificity was 92%, the positive predictive value was 84%, the negative predictive value was 91%, and the efficiency was 89% (166 urine samples from 33 rabbits tested). The specificity, positive predictive value, and efficiency could be increased to 97, 95, and 92%, respectively, if at least two positive test results were required for a true positive designation. The ELISA was sensitive and specific for the detection of Sap in urine specimens from rabbits with disseminatedC. albicansinfection, discriminated between colonization and invasive disease, reflected disease progression and severity, and has the potential to be a noninvasive means to diagnose disseminated candidiasis.
Detection of Anti-LeishmaniaImmunoglobulin G Antibodies in Urine Specimens of Dogs with Leishmaniasis
Authors: Solano-Gallego L. , Rodríguez A. , Iniesta L. , Arboix M. , Portús M. , Alberola J. 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACTFor years, anti-Leishmaniaimmunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies have been detected in the sera of dogs living in areas of leishmaniasis endemicity. They have also been found in the aqueous humor and cerebrospinal fluid. In contrast, a review of the literature failed to identify the detection of anti-Leishmaniaantibodies in urine samples from dogs with leishmaniasis. Ninety-five dog urine samples were examined for the presence of anti-Leishmaniaantibodies by using a protein A enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Twenty additional urine samples were collected from healthy dogs as controls. An IgG2 ELISA was performed on 26 urine samples found positive by the protein A ELISA. Twenty-three urine samples found positive to anti-Leishmaniaantibodies were tested for the local production of anti-Leishmaniaantibodies in the urinary tract by means of the urine antibody coefficient. Ten urine samples (and the corresponding serum samples) were compared by Western blot (WB) analysis. Thirty-five out of the 95 urine samples were found positive, 57 were found negative, and 3 were found inconclusive for antibody detection by the protein A ELISA. A high correlation between protein A and IgG2 levels was found in positive urine samples. Anti-Leishmaniaantibodies were present in the urine of dogs that had leishmaniasis, urinary protein/creatinine (U P/C) ratios of greater than one, and normal urinary sediment. A statistically significant correlation was observed between the U P/C ratios and the levels of anti-Leishmaniaantibodies in positive urine samples. In general, WB analysis and the urine antibody coefficient suggested that the presence of anti-Leishmaniaantibodies in urine was the consequence of an impairment of filtration of the glomerular barrier. However, in some dogs, WB analysis could be interpreted as suggesting that the presence of anti-Leishmaniaantibodies was caused, to a lesser extent, by local antibody production in the urinary tract. Antibody detection in urine could be a noninvasive method for leishmaniasis diagnosis and prognosis in dogs with glomerulonephropathies.
Distinct Elevation of Levels of Anti-
Caenorhabditis elegans
Antibody in Sera of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Oshitani Nobuhide , Hato Fumihiko , Kitagawa Seiichi , Watanabe Kenji , Fujiwara Yasuhiro , Higuchi Kazuhide , Matsumoto Takayuki , Arakawa Tetsuo 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACT

Dysregulation of immune responses to intestinal exogenous antigens contributes to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, but the specific antigen responsible for the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease is unknown. We measured serum antibody titers against
Caenorhabditis elegans
antigens. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgG subclass anti-
C. elegans
antibodies in serum samples from 29 patients with ulcerative colitis, 30 patients with Crohn's disease, 7 patients with intestinal Behçet's disease, and 11 healthy controls were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum IgG and IgG2 antibody titers against
C. elegans
were significantly higher in patients with inflammatory bowel disease than in controls. Antibody levels were not affected by age, gender, disease activity, extent of disease, or small bowel involvement. The anti-
C. elegans
antibody titer was significantly lower in patients with Crohn's disease taking mesalazine or sulfasalazine than in patients not taking these drugs. The increased immune responses to
C. elegans
found in patients with inflammatory bowel disease reflect dysregulated immune responses to enteric antigens, which might play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.
Detection of Serum Antibodies to Ovine Progressive Pneumonia Virus in Sheep by Using a Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis Virus Competitive-Inhibition Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Authors: Herrmann Lynn M. , Cheevers William P. , Marshall Katherine L. , McGuire Travis C. , Hutton Melinda M. , Lewis Gregory S. , Knowles Donald P. 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACTA competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) for detection of antibodies to the surface envelope (SU) of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) was recently reported (L. M. Herrmann, W. P. Cheevers, T. C. McGuire, D. Scott Adams, M. M. Hutton, W. G. Gavin, and D. P. Knowles, Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol.10:267-271, 2003). The cELISA utilizes CAEV-63 SU captured on microtiter plates using the monoclonal antibody (MAb) F7-299 and measures competitive displacement of binding of the anti-CAEV MAb GPB 74A by goat serum. The present study evaluated the CAEV cELISA for detection of antibodies to ovine progressive pneumonia virus (OPPV) in sheep. Three hundred thirty-two sera were randomly selected from 21,373 sheep sera collected throughout the United States to determine the sensitivity and specificity of cELISA and agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) based on immunoprecipitation (IP) of [35S]methionine-labeled OPPV antigens as a standard of comparison. A positive cELISA test was defined as >20.9 percent inhibition (% I) of MAb 74A binding based on two standard deviations above the mean % I of 191 IP-negative sheep sera. At this cutoff, there were 2 of 141 false-negative sera (98.6% sensitivity) and 6 of 191 false-positive sera (96.9% specificity). Sensitivity and specificity values for IP-monitored AGID were comparable to those for cELISA for 314 of 332 sera with unambiguous AGID results. Concordant results by cELISA and IP resolved 16 of the 18 sera that were indeterminate by AGID. Additional studies evaluated cELISA by using 539 sera from a single OPPV-positive flock. Based on IP of 36 of these sera, there was one false-negative by cELISA among 21 IP-positive sera (95.5% sensitivity) and 0 of 15 false-positives (100% specificity). We conclude that the CAEV cELISA can be applied to detection of OPPV antibodies in sheep with high sensitivity and specificity.
Immune Responses to Differentiated Forms ofHelicobacter pyloriin Children with Epigastric Pain
Authors: Ng Bee Ling , Quak Seng Hock , Aw Marion , Goh Kee Tai , Ho Bow 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACTHelicobacter pyloriinfection affects human populations of all ages. This gastric bacterium exists in spiral form and the reported viable but nonculturable coccoid form. The present study aims to examine the probable role of the coccoid form inH. pyloriinfection by comparing the seroprevalences of the spiral and the coccoid forms in children with epigastric pain. Four hundred eighty-nine children (mean age, 8.5 years) with epigastric pain formed the basis of this study. Five hundred ninety-nine schoolchildren of comparable ages and with no record of dyspepsia served as controls. The seroprevalence of antigens prepared from both morphological forms was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that 65 (13.3%) and 273 (55.8%) of 489 symptomatic children were seropositive for antigens of theH. pylorispiral and coccoid forms, respectively. In contrast, only 7.0% of the control group had elevated levels of immunoglobulin G antibodies against the spiral form, while 26.5% were positive for antibodies against the coccoid form. There were no significant differences between genders or among ethnic groups. The study showed a rise in seroprevalence corresponding with age: 7.1% for those ≤5 years to 21.4% for those ≥11 years. The seroprevalence of antigens of theH. pylorispiral and coccoid forms in children with epigastric pain was twofold higher than that in the control subjects. Interestingly, there was a fourfold increase in seropositivity for coccoid-form antigen compared to that for the spiral-form antigen among the symptomatic pediatric patients as well as the control group, indicating a possible infective role of the coccoid form ofH. pyloriin the pediatric patients with epigastric pain.
Lymphocyte Modulation in a Baboon Model of Immunosenescence
Authors: Jayashankar Lakshmi , Brasky Kathleen M. , Ward John A. , Attanasio Roberta 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACTThe age-related modulation of lymphocyte number and function was assessed in a nonhuman primate model consisting of healthy olive baboons (Papio cynocephalus anubis) of ages encompassing the entire life span of this species. The objectives of this study were to characterize an animal model of immunosenescence and to assess whether or not age should be considered when designing studies for the evaluation of vaccine candidates in baboons. Specifically the following parameters were assessed in baboons from 6 months to 26 years of age: relative numbers of B lymphocytes, CD4+and CD8+T lymphocytes, and T lymphocytes expressing CD28, CD25, and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphoproliferative activity; and concentrations of total immunoglobulin, soluble interleukin-2 receptor α, and soluble CD30 in serum. There was a statistically significant effect of age on lymphocyte numbers. As age increased, relative B-cell numbers (ranging from 6 to 50%) decreased (P< 0.001) and relative T-cell numbers (ranging from 28 to 80%) increased (P< 0.001). The increase in T-cell numbers involved both the CD4+and CD8+subsets. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation of age with levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor α in serum. Modulation of lymphocyte numbers appears to occur gradually during the entire baboon life span, thus suggesting the presence of an age-related developmentally regulated process. These findings indicate that baboons represent a potentially useful model to study selected phenomena related to immunosenescence. These findings also indicate that, when using the baboon model for vaccine or other experimental protocols requiring the assessment of immune responses, it would be appropriate to take into account the age of the animals in the study design.
Serum Glucan Levels Are Not Specific for Presence of Fungal Infections in Intensive Care Unit Patients
Authors: Digby Justin , Kalbfleisch John , Glenn Andy , Larsen Angie , Browder William , Williams David 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACTFungal infections in the critically ill patient are difficult to diagnose and are associated with a high mortality rate. A major obstacle to managing fungal infection is the lack of a reliable clinical assay that will rapidly identify patients with fungal sepsis. Glucans are polymers of glucose that are found in the cell wall of fungi and certain bacteria. Glucans are also released from the fungal cell wall into the extracellular milieu. Several studies have reported that detection of fungal glucan in serum or plasma is useful in the diagnosis of mycoses. However, recent studies have questioned the clinical utility of this assay. In this study, we examined serum glucan levels in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and attempt to correlate serum glucan levels with the presence of fungal infection. Following attainment of informed consent, serum was harvested from 46 ICU patients with confirmed fungal infections, confirmed bacterial infections, or no evidence of infection. Sera from eight healthy volunteers served as control. Serum glucan was assayed with a glucan-specificLimulusassay. Serum glucan levels were increased (69.6 ± 17 pg/ml;P< 0.001) in ICU patients versus the normal (11.5 ± 1.3 pg/ml) and noninfected ICU (27.4 ± 17 pg/ml) controls. However, serum glucan levels were not different in patients with confirmed fungal infections versus those with confirmed bacterial infections. Thus, serum glucan levels did not show a correlation with the presence of fungal infections and do not appear to be specific for fungal infections. However, the assay may be useful as a negative predictor of infection.
Group A Streptococcal Antibodies in Subjects with or without Rheumatic Fever in Areas with High or Low Incidences of Rheumatic Fever
Authors: Ayoub Elia M. , Nelson Beverly , Shulman Stanford T. , Barrett Douglas J. , Campbell J. Douglas , Armstrong George , Lovejoy John , Angoff Gerald H. , Rockenmacher Sol 
Published: September 2003

ABSTRACTThe levels of streptococcal antibody titers in populations with or without rheumatic fever from an area with a relatively high incidence of rheumatic fever and an area with a low incidence of this disease were compared. Streptococcal antibody titers were determined for two populations, each of which included children without rheumatic fever (nonrheumatic children) and rheumatic fever patients. The two populations were derived from two separate geographic areas, one with a high incidence of rheumatic fever (Grenada) and another with a low incidence of this disease (central Florida). The results revealed an absence of consistent differences in the geometric mean antibody titers between the nonrheumatic subjects and the rheumatic fever patients from Grenada. In the population from Grenada, the mean anti-streptolysin O and anti-DNase B titers were higher in the nonrheumatic controls (Pof 0.085 and 0.029, respectively). However, the mean titer of the antibody to the group A streptococcal cell wall carbohydrate was higher in the rheumatic fever patients than in the nonrheumatic controls (P= 0.047). This finding contrasted with the finding that the means of all three streptococcal antibody titers in the patients with rheumatic fever were significantly higher than those in the nonrheumatic subjects from Florida (P= 0.01-<0.001). The reason for this paradoxical finding became evident when the streptococcal antibody titers of the nonrheumatic subjects from Grenada and Florida were compared, revealing significantly higher levels of all three antibodies in the nonrheumatic subjects from Grenada than in the nonrheumatic subjects from Florida (P< 0.001). These results suggest that nonrheumatic individuals in an area with a high incidence of rheumatic fever have inordinately elevated levels of streptococcal antibodies in serum. The presence of elevated streptococcal antibody titers in such a population, which probably reflects a high background prevalence of streptococcal infections, should be taken into consideration when evaluating the role of the group A streptococcus in nonpurulent complications of infections.