Journal of clinical microbiology
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Aug 2005
Isolation and molecular typing of Naegleria fowleri from the brain of a cow that died of primary amebic meningoencephalitis.
Naegleria fowleri causes an acute and rapidly fatal central nervous system infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in healthy children and young adults. We describe here the identification of N. fowleri isolated from the brain of one of several cows that died of PAM based on sequencing of the internal transcribed spacers, including the 5.8S rRNA genes.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jul 2005
Comparative StudyDifferential sensitivities of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus spike polypeptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and SARS coronavirus nucleocapsid protein ELISA for serodiagnosis of SARS coronavirus pneumonia.
The use of recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) nucleocapsid protein (N) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based antibody and antigen tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV infections have been widely reported. However, no recombinant SARS-CoV spike protein (S)-based ELISA is currently available. In this article, we describe the problems and solutions of setting up the recombinant SARS-CoV S-based ELISA for antibody detection. ⋯ The specificities of the S-based ELISA for IgG and IgM detection were 98.6% and 93.9%, with corresponding sensitivities of 58.9% and 74.7%, respectively. The sensitivity of the rN IgG ELISA (94.7%) is significantly higher than that of the rS IgG ELISA (P < 0.001), whereas the sensitivity of the rS IgM ELISA is significantly higher than that of the rN IgM ELISA (55.2%) (P < 0.01). An ELISA for detection of IgM against S and N could be more sensitive than one that detects IgM against N alone for serodiagnosis of SARS-CoV pneumonia.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jul 2005
Diagnostic value of measuring Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load and carcinoma-specific viral mRNA in relation to anti-EBV immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG antibody levels in blood of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients from Indonesia.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a prevalent malignancy in Southeast Asia and is strongly associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). We investigated the primary diagnostic value of circulating EBV DNA and anti-EBV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA levels in Indonesian NPC patients (n = 149). By a 213-bp Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1)-based real-time LightCycler PCR, 72.5% of patients were positive for EBV DNA in whole blood, with 29.5% having levels above a previously determined clinical cutoff value (COV) of 2,000 EBV DNA copies/ml, the upper level in healthy carriers. ⋯ We conclude that amplicon size significantly influences EBV DNA load measurement in NPC patients. The circulating EBV DNA load is independent of serological parameters and does not reflect intact tumor cells. The primary diagnostic value of the EBV DNA load for the detection of NPC is limited.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jun 2005
Shifts of Bordetella pertussis variants in Sweden from 1970 to 2003, during three periods marked by different vaccination programs.
The Swedish population of Bordetella pertussis strains was characterized from 1,247 isolates covering a whole-cell vaccine program up to 1979, a 17-year period without vaccination (1979 to 1996), and a period after the introduction of general vaccination among newborns with acellular pertussis vaccines (1997 to 2003). Strains were characterized by serotyping and genotyping of pertactin and ptxA and by means of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). With emphasis on vaccine-related markers, the vast majority of circulating strains were of nonvaccine type. ⋯ There was a significant difference in the distribution of serotypes between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, but not for pertactin. A few PFGE profiles were predominant over the years: BpSR25 (serotype Fim3 prn1/7) and BpSR18 (serotype Fim3 prn2) during the Pw period, BpSR1 (serotype Fim2 prn2) during the 17 years without general vaccination, and BpSR11 (serotype Fim3 prn2) after the reintroduction of general vaccination in 1996. Despite differences between the pertactin and toxin types of Pa vaccines and circulating strains, there is no evidence that there is a threat, i.e., the vaccination program so far has been effective against whooping cough, and there seems to be no impact on the effectiveness of the vaccination program from the bacterial polymorphism.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jun 2005
Case ReportsInability to make a premortem diagnosis of Acanthamoeba species infection in a patient with fatal granulomatous amebic encephalitis.
Granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE), an infection of immunocompromised hosts, is almost uniformly fatal. A case of GAE in a patient who failed to mount a serologic response to Acanthamoeba polyphaga is presented. Although Acanthamoeba polyphaga that is sensitive to multiple antimicrobials grew from brain tissue, an inability to make a premortem diagnosis precluded therapy.