bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Oral Fluid Collectors for Use in a Rapid Point-of-Care Diagnostic Device
Authors: Holm-Hansen Carol , Tong Gary , Davis Cheryl , Abrams William R. , Malamud Daniel 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT
Orally based diagnostic testing is emerging as an alternative, noninvasive method for analyzing a variety of analytes. These analytes include pathogens, antibodies, drugs, and nucleic acids. In the present study we developed a protocol for evaluation of collectors that could be used in orally based, point-of-care diagnostics. A performance comparison was carried out with a number of commercially available collectors, and their ability to deliver fluid, proteins, bacteria, and nucleic acid from pathogens compatible with PCR was assessed. The collectors were all capable of picking up and delivering test materials, albeit at various levels.
Differential Immune Responses to Primary Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination in Israeli Children
Authors: Rager-Zisman Bracha , Bazarsky Elina , Skibin Agneta , Tam Guy , Chamney Shlomo , Belmaker Ilana , Shai Iris , Kordysh Ella , Griffin Diane E. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

Measles remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, primarily due to problems associated with delivery of the live attenuated vaccine to susceptible populations. In some developed countries, there is concern about the effects of immunization on the immune system. In this study, we analyzed the responses of 12-month-old Bedouin and Jewish children living in Israel to routine measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination. Seroconversion to measles was 99% in Bedouin and 79% in Jewish children (
P
< 0.01), and that to mumps and rubella was 92 to 100% in both groups. Measles neutralizing antibody titers were higher in Bedouin (333 ± 39 mIU/ml) than Jewish (122 ± 60 mIU/ml) children (
P
< 0.002). Immunoglobulin G levels were higher in Bedouin than Jewish children (
P
= 0.007) and increased after vaccination (
P
= 0.0009). Leukocyte (
P
< 0.02) and lymphocyte (
P
= 0.04) counts were higher and CD4 lymphocyte percentages were lower (
P
< 0.001) in Bedouin than Jewish children before and after vaccination. Leukocyte counts and natural killer cell numbers did not change after vaccination, but lytic activity increased in Bedouin children (
P
< 0.005). Spontaneous proliferation of cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells increased with vaccination, but there were no changes in the proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin or tetanus toxoid. In summary, no adverse effects of MMR vaccination on immune function were detected. However, there were differences in underlying immunologic parameters and in response to the measles component of the vaccine between Bedouin and Jewish children. It is not known whether genetic differences or environmental exposure accounts for these differences.
Mass Value Assignment of Total and Subclass Immunoglobulin G in a Human Standard Anthrax Reference Serum
Authors: Semenova V. A. , Steward-Clark E. , Stamey K. L. , Taylor T. H. , Schmidt D. S. , Martin S. K. , Marano N. , Quinn C. P. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

An anti-Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (anti-AVA) standard human reference serum pool, AVR414, has been prepared, and the total and protective antigen (PA)-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) were quantified. AVR414 was prepared by plasmapheresis of healthy adults who had received a minimum of four subcutaneous injections of AVA. Mass values (in milligrams per milliliter) for total IgG and IgG subclasses 1 to 4 were determined by radial immunodiffusion. Anti-PA-specific IgG assignment (in micrograms per milliliter) was done by consensus of two complementary approaches: homologous enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with affinity-purified anti-PA IgG as a calibrator and summation of mean PA-specific IgG subclass concentrations determined by IgG subclass-specific ELISA using the United States National Reference Preparation for Human Serum Proteins as a standard. The total IgG concentration assigned to AVR414 reference serum was 8.33 mg/ml. IgG subclass concentrations were the following: for IgG1, 4.48 mg/ml; for IgG2, 3.35 mg/ml; for IgG3, 0.37 mg/ml; and for IgG4, 0.30 mg/ml. The assigned mass value for total anti-PA-specific IgG was 141.2 μg/ml. Anti-PA-specific IgG subclass concentrations were the following: for IgG1, 79.6 μg/ml; for IgG2, 35.3 μg/ml; for IgG3, 3.2 μg/ml; and for IgG4, 25.3 μg/ml. Human reference serum pool AVR414 will have direct application in the standardization of anthrax serological assays, in reagent qualification, and as a standard for quantification of PA-specific IgG in humans who have been vaccinated with or otherwise exposed to
Bacillus anthracis
PA.
Comparison of Western Immunoblotting and the C6 Lyme Antibody Test for Laboratory Detection of Lyme Disease
Authors: Mogilyansky Elena , Loa Chien Chang , Adelson Martin E. , Mordechai Eli , Tilton Richard C. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

Three commercial Lyme disease Western immunoblotting (WB) kits and the C6
Borrelia burgdorferi
(Lyme) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit were compared using two commercially available performance panels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Boston Biomedica (BBI). Combined, the panels consisted of 52 characterized specimens. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) sensitivity was similar for the three WB products. The BBI and Marblot WBs were more specific for IgG antibodies, while the Virablot was the most sensitive for IgM antibody. The BBI WB was 100% specific for IgM, while Marblot was 97% and Virablot was 77% specific for IgM. The C6 ELISA was found to be 100% sensitive. Four false-positive C6 results were identified in patients that had clinically and microbiologically confirmed Lyme disease but were not detected by the CDC reference methods. No one WB product showed overall superiority. The C6 ELISA shows promise as the first ELISA for Lyme disease that would not require a supplemental test such as a WB.
Low CD4
+
T-Lymphocyte Values in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Negative Adults in Botswana
Authors: Bussmann Hermann , Wester C. William , Masupu Kereng V. , Peter Trevor , Gaolekwe Sarah M. , Kim Soyeon , Reich Ann Marie , Ahn Sam , Wu Ying , Thior Ibou , Essex Max , Marlink Richard 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

CD4
+
-lymphocyte counts (LCs) play a crucial role in the management and monitoring of HIV infection. Variability in CD4
+
LCs has been reported to occur as a result of measurement techniques and/or biological variations. We report on the CD4
+
LCs of healthy human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seronegative adults in Botswana. Samples were obtained from HIV-seronegative blood donors. The median CD4
+
LC was 726 cells/mm
3
(for females, 782 cells/mm
3
; for males, 698 cells/mm
3
). The median CD8
+
LC was 488 cells/mm
3
(for females, 494 cells/mm
3
; for males, 485 cells/mm
3
). The median CD4
+
-to-CD8
+
ratio was 1.57 (for females, 1.66; for males, 1.51). Our findings of low CD4
+
LCs among HIV-negative adults in Botswana are significant and have important implications for the management of HIV disease in the population of this sub-Saharan African country.
Leukotriene B4Receptor (BLT-1) Modulates Neutrophil Influx into the Peritoneum but Not the Lung and Liver during Surgically Induced Bacterial Peritonitis in Mice
Authors: Scott Melanie J. , Cheadle William G. , Hoth J. Jason , Peyton James C. , Subbarao Krishnaprasad , Shao Wen-Hai , Haribabu Bodduluri 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTLeukotriene B4(LTB4) is a rapidly synthesized, early neutrophil chemoattractant that signals via its cell surface receptor, BLT-1, to attract and activate neutrophils during peritonitis. BLT-1-deficient (BLT-1−/−) mice were used to determine the effects of LTB4on neutrophil migration and activation, bacterial levels, and survival after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Male BLT-1−/−or wild-type (WT) BALB/c mice underwent CLP. Tissues were harvested for determination of levels of bacteria, myeloperoxidase (MPO), LTB4, macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2), and neutrophil (polymorphonuclear leukocyte [PMN]) numbers at 4 and 18 h after CLP. PMN activation was determined by an assessment of phagocytosis ability and CD11b expression. Survival was also determined. BLT-1−/−mice had decreased numbers of PMNs in the peritoneum at both 4 and 18 h after CLP but increased numbers of PMNs in the blood at 18 h compared with WT mice. Liver and lung MPO levels were significantly higher in BLT-1−/−mice at both 4 and 18 h after CLP, with increased bacterial levels in the blood, the liver, and peritoneal fluid at 4 h. Bacterial levels remained higher in peritoneal fluid at 18 h, but blood and liver bacterial levels at 18 h were not different from levels at 4 h. PMN phagocytosis and CD11b levels were decreased in BLT-1−/−mice. LTB4levels were similar between the groups before and after CLP, but MIP-2 levels were decreased both locally and systemically in BLT-1−/−mice. Survival was significantly improved in BLT-1−/−mice (71%) compared with WT mice (14%) at 48 h post-CLP. Thus, LTB4modulates neutrophil migration into the mouse peritoneum, but not the lung or liver, after CLP. Despite higher bacterial and PMN levels at remote sites, there was increased survival in BLT-1−/−mice compared to WT mice. Decreased PMN activation may result in less remote organ dysfunction and improved survival.
Epitope-Specific Antibody Levels Demonstrate Recognition of New Epitopes and Changes in Titer but Not Affinity during Treatment of Tuberculosis
Authors: Bothamley Graham H. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTAntibody levels rise during treatment of tuberculosis. This study examined when this rise occurred, whether there was recognition of new antigen binding sites (epitopes) on the same or different antigens, and how long specific antibody persisted. Forty patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis provided serum before and during treatment. Antibody levels were measured using a monoclonal antibody competition assay to epitopes restricted to theMycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for lipoarabinomannan. Significant increases in antibody levels were apparent after 7 days of treatment. Five samples (12.5%) had positive titers to all epitopes at the start of treatment, and this increased to 23 (58%) during treatment. Antibody to epitopes with the poorest sensitivity (the TB23 epitope of the 19-kDa antigen and the TB78 epitope of hsp65) showed the greatest increases after treatment. Antibody to these two epitopes was also absent in some patients with relapsed tuberculosis until after treatment. Antibody titers showed a biphasic response, with a fall at 2 to 3 months of treatment. Sera from two patients showed changes in the affinity of epitope-specific antibody during treatment, whereas the majority did not. Those infected with isoniazid-resistant strains ofM. tuberculosisshowed a late rise in antibody. Antibody to the TB68 epitope of the 16-kDa α-crystallin homolog was short-lived, but it recurred with bacteriological relapse during treatment. Positive antibody titers persisted for at least 3 to 18 months after treatment. Diagnostic tests for tuberculosis should be evaluated using only pretreatment sera. Delayed antigenic recognition could be due to active suppression and/or failure to engage internal antigens ofM. tuberculosis.
Analysis of Possible Factors Affecting the Specificity of the Gamma Interferon Test in Tuberculosis-Free Cattle Herds
Authors: Cagiola M. , Feliziani F. , Severi G. , Pasquali P. , Rutili D. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTBovine tuberculosis (TB) is still a zoonotic problem in the world. Despite the fact that eradication programs for bovine TB are being implemented in many countries, it remains a public health problem. These programs are mainly based on a single intradermal tuberculin test using bovine tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD), isolation, and slaughtering of infected animals. The aim of this study was to assess the specificity of the gamma interferon (IFN-γ) test in TB-free cattle herds, by using not only Australian tuberculins but also tuberculins produced at our institute, and to correlate the response with the type of production (beef cattle, dairy cattle, and a dual-purpose breed), the housing system, and the age of the animals. We studied 800 animals selected from 20 TB- and paratuberculosis-free herds. The animals were tested in parallel, after stimulation with Australian tuberculins and tuberculins produced at our institute, by using the skin test and two IFN-γ assays. The results of this trial showed that the specificity of the IFN-γ test is higher than that of the skin test (96.8%) and ranges from 97.3% (using only Australian tuberculins) to 98.6% (using tuberculins produced at our institute). We found that different categories of cattle could influence the specificity of the skin test but that these differences tended to be reduced in the IFN-γ assay, especially when Italian PPDs were used.
Response to Superantigen Stimulation in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Children Perinatally Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: McCloskey Thomas W. , Haridas Viraga , Pontrelli Lucy , Pahwa Savita 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTOur understanding of the pathogenesis of perinatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is still evolving. We sought to characterize the response to the bacterial superantigenStaphylococcusenterotoxin B (SEB) of lymphocytes from HIV-infected children receiving treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Using the flow cytometric methodology, we quantified apoptosis, proliferation, cytokine production, and activation antigen upregulation in CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes following in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with SEB. The levels of proliferation, CD4 interleukin-2 (IL-2) production, CD8 gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production, and upregulation of CD69 expression by cells from HIV-infected children were indistinguishable from those by cells from controls. However, stimulation with SEB dramatically decreased the ratio of resting apoptotic cells to cycling apoptotic cells in the controls but not in the patients. In addition, unstimulated spontaneous apoptosis of CD4 T cells remained greater in the patients than in the controls. The percentages of IL-2-positive CD8 T cells and IFN-γ-positive CD4 T cells following SEB stimulation were significantly lower in the patients than in the controls. Our multiparameter approach was able to demonstrate differences in lymphocyte superantigen responsiveness in HIV-infected children receiving HAART in comparison to that in uninfected controls, notably, an apoptotic versus a proliferative response to stimulation.
CXCR2 Blockade InfluencesAnaplasma phagocytophilumPropagation but Not Histopathology in the Mouse Model of Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis
Authors: Scorpio Diana G. , Akkoyunlu Mustafa , Fikrig Erol , Dumler J. Stephen 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTAnaplasma phagocytophilumis an obligate intracellular bacterium that infects neutrophils and causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Infection induces neutrophil secretion of interleukin-8 or murine homologs and perpetuates infection by recruiting susceptible neutrophils. We hypothesized that antibody blockade of CXCR2 would decreaseA. phagocytophilumtissue load by interrupting neutrophil recruitment but would not influence murine hepatic pathology. C3H-scidmice were treated with CXCR2 antiserum or control prior to or on day 14 after infection. Quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry forA. phagocytophilumwere performed and severity of liver histopathology was ranked. Control mice had more infected cells in tissues than the anti-CXCR2-treated group. The histopathological rank was not different between treated and control animals. Infected cells of control mice clustered in tissue more than in treated mice. The results support the hypothesis of bacterial propagation through chemokine induction and confirm that tissue injury is unrelated toA. phagocytophilumtissue load.
Membrane-Anchored CD14 Is Important for Induction of Interleukin-8 by Lipopolysaccharide and Peptidoglycan in Uroepithelial Cells
Authors: Shimizu Toshiaki , Yokota Shin-ichi , Takahashi Satoshi , Kunishima Yasuharu , Takeyama Koh , Masumori Naoya , Takahashi Atsushi , Matsukawa Masanori , Itoh Naoki , Tsukamoto Taiji , Fujii Nobuhiro 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTWe investigated the induction of interleukin-8 (IL-8) by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and peptidoglycan (PGN) in the bladder cancer cell lines T24, 5637, UM-UC-3, and HT1197. T24 and 5637 cells strongly induced IL-8 after stimulation with LPS or PGN in a dose- and time-dependent manner, whereas UM-UC-3 and HT1197 cells did so very weakly. The expression of CD14 at the mRNA, total cellular protein, and cell surface protein levels differed among these cell lines, but the expression levels of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (TLR2 and TLR4) were not significantly different. The CD14 expression levels were found to correlate with the inducibility of IL-8 by LPS or PGN. Treatment of T24 and 5637 cells with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C to eliminate CD14 from the cell surface dramatically suppressed the induction of IL-8. On the other hand, UM-UC-3 cells transfected with CD14 cDNA expressed membrane-anchored CD14 and showed more efficent induction of IL-8 by LPS stimulation than untransfected controls. These results suggest that the presence of the membrane-anchored, but not the soluble, form of CD14 is a strong factor in IL-8 induction in bladder epithelial cells in response to bacterial components. The presence of the membrane-anchored form of CD14 may thus be a determinant for the inflammatory response of uroepithelial cells.
Antigen-Specific Gene Expression Profiles of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Do Not Reflect Those of T-Lymphocyte Subsets
Authors: McLaren Paul J. , Mayne Michael , Rosser Stuart , Moffatt Teri , Becker Kevin G. , Plummer Francis A. , Fowke Keith R. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

Advances in microarray technology have allowed for the monitoring of thousands of genes simultaneously. This technology is of particular interest to immunologists studying infectious diseases, because it provides tremendous potential for investigating host-pathogen interactions at the level of immune gene expression. To date, many studies have focused either on cell lines, where the physiological relevance is questionable, or on mixed cell populations, where the contributions of individual subpopulations are unknown. In the present study, we perform an intrasubject comparison of antigen-stimulated immune gene expression profiles between a mixed population of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and the two predominant cell types found in PBMC, CD4
+
and CD8
+
T lymphocytes. We show that the microarray profiles of CD4
+
and CD8
+
T lymphocytes differ from each other as well as from that of the mixed cell population. The independence of the gene expression profiles of different cell types is demonstrated with a ubiquitous antigen (
Candida albicans
) as well as with a disease-specific antigen (human immunodeficiency virus p24). This study has important implications for microarray studies of host immunity and underscores the importance of profiling the expression of specific cell types.
Age-Specific Immune Response to HspA in
Helicobacter pylori
-Positive Persons in Mexico
Authors: Eamranond Peter P. , Torres Javier , Muñoz Onofre , Pérez-Pérez Guillermo I. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

The immune response to heat shock protein A (HspA) in
Helicobacter pylori
-positive adults increases with age in developed countries. This response has not been studied with children or in developing countries (G. I. Pérez-Pérez, J. M. Thiberge, A. Labigne, and M. J. Blaser, J. Infect. Dis. 174:1046-1050, 1996). As determined by using a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, HspA seropositivity among 592 individuals in Mexico was <10% in children and increased to >40% in adults.
Is the Perceived Association between
Chlamydia pneumoniae
and Vascular Diseases Biased by Methodology?
Authors: Maraha Boulos , Berg Hans , Kerver Marjolein , Kranendonk Steef , Hamming Jaap , Kluytmans Jan , Peeters Marcel , van der Zee Anneke 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

Inter- and intralaboratory inconsistencies in detection rates of
Chlamydia pneumoniae
in vascular specimens have been demonstrated. In this study, 66 vascular tissue specimens from 66 patients with vascular disease were tested by three PCR assays: a 16S PCR-based reverse line blot (RLB) assay, a single-step PCR, and a nested PCR. Also, we explored the impacts of different DNA polymerase enzymes on the results based on gel electrophoresis and hybridization. The PCR results by gel electrophoresis in the single-step PCR depended on which DNA polymerase was used. All samples were negative with AmpliTaq Gold DNA polymerase, and 54.5% (36 of 66) were positive with the conventional
Taq
DNA polymerase. All samples were negative after hybridization with a
C. pneumoniae
-specific probe. In the nested PCR, all specimens were negative by gel electrophoresis and after hybridization. The RLB assay failed to detect
C. pneumoniae
in any specimen; however, 20 specimens were
Chlamydia
sp. positive. The sequence analysis of six of these samples demonstrated
Chlamydia
-like organisms. RLB detected
Chlamydia
sp. DNA in water and in the elution buffer after passage of the Qiagen columns (11 of 40). This study identified factors that may influence the detection of
C. pneumoniae
DNA in vascular tissues and consequently bias the perception of a link between
C. pneumoniae
and vascular diseases. The following are strongly recommended: to use DNA polymerases that have to be activated, to decontaminate with dUTP-uracil-DNA glycosylase, to hybridize with specific probes, to include sufficient controls, and to use molecular grade water.
Evaluation ofTrichinella spiralisLarva Group 1 Antigens for Serodiagnosis of Human Trichinellosis
Authors: Escalante Marcela , Romarís Fernanda , Rodríguez Mercedes , Rodríguez Esperanza , Leiro José , Gárate María T. , Ubeira Florencio M. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTTo identifyTrichinellaantigens suitable for high-specificity and high-sensitivity serodiagnosis of human trichinellosis, we evaluated assays using four antigens: (i) crude first-stage larval extract (CLE), (ii) O-deglycosylated CLE, (iii) tyvelose-bearing antigens (Trichinella spiralislarva group 1 [TSL-1] antigens) purified by US4 affinity chromatography and coupled directly to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) plates (pTSL-1 antigens), and (iv) TSL-1 antigens immobilized on ELISA plates with the monoclonal antibody (MAb) US4 (cTSL-1 antigens). Assays using these antigens were compared by analysis of sera from healthy individuals (n= 224) (group 1), individuals with noninfectious intestinal pathologies (n= 114) (group 2), individuals with other parasitic infections (n= 107) (group 3), and individuals with confirmed trichinellosis (n= 42) (group 4). Our results indicate that capture ELISA using cTSL-1 antigens is the most effective method for serodiagnosis of human trichinellosis; this was the only method showing 100% specificity and 100% sensitivity at the patent stage of the infection, and it was also the most sensitive for sera obtained prior to patency in indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). Indirect ELISA with pTSL-1 antigens was also 100% specific but was slightly less sensitive, particularly with sera obtained before IIF patency. Inhibition ELISA with MAb US4 indicated (i) that inTrichinella-infected patients the immune response to TSL-1 antigens is directed mostly against tyvelose-containing epitopes (mean of 84.2% of total anti-TSL-1 immunoglobulin G1 [IgG1] antibody response [range, 51.3 to 97.6%]) and (ii) that in most individuals a large proportion of anti-CLE IgG1 antibodies (mean, 49.5%; range, 7.3 to 92.6%) are directed against tyvelose epitopes.