Validation of an ELISA for the diagnosis of recent Campylobacter infections in Guillain–Barré and reactive arthritis patients

Weeks or months following Campylobacter infection, a small proportion of infected individuals develop Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) or reactive arthritis (ReA). Stool culture for Campylobacter is often negative in these patients, and serology is therefore the method of choice for diagnosing a recent infection with Campylobacter. This study developed a capture ELISA system to detect anti-Campylobacter IgA and IgM antibodies indicative of a recent infection. The sensitivity of the assay was 82.0% in uncomplicated Campylobacter enteritis patients, 96.2% in GBS patients who were culture-positive for Campylobacter, and 93.1% in culture-positive ReA patients, with a specificity of 93.0%. The assay allows identification of Campylobacter infection in patients with post-infectious neurological and rheumatological complications.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trypanosoma evansi</Emphasis> in inbred and Swiss-Webster mice: distinct aspects of pathogenesis

Trypanosoma evansi (Trypanosomatidae, Kinetoplastida) is a salivarian trypanosomatid that infects eight mammal orders spread over America, Europe and Asia. In Brazil, T. evansi is the etiological agent of Mal de Cadeiras, a horse disease very often described in the region known as Pantanal do Mato Grosso. Few data concerning the genetic diversity and biology of subpopulations of T. evansi that circulate in Brazil are available. The factors that modulate the interaction of this parasite with its hosts also remain to be elucidated. Here we evaluated the course of experimental infection of six T. evansi isolates derived from domestic and wild animals in Swiss-Webster mice and three Mus musculus lineages. The follow-up included biological, immunological as well as biochemical and hematological parameters. The same isolates as well as three others were characterized by pulsed-field electrophoresis. Our results showed that T. evansi isolates displayed significant differences regarding behavior and morbidity patterns in the distinct mouse lineages. Nevertheless, these differences could not be correlated with pulsed-field electrophoresis profiles. Indeed, concerning this molecular marker, only microheterogeneity was observed. Moreover, we observed that the outcome of the infection is defined by both host genetic background and peculiarities (virulence factors) of the distinct T. evansi isolates. Anemia and hypoglycemia were the only features that could be observed in all mouse lineages, independently of the inoculated T. evansi subpopulation. In addition, our data also show that Mus musculus is a suitable model host for the study of the different pathogenetic features of T. evansi infection.     

Hypoxia can contribute to the induction of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic cycle.

BACKGROUND: Like other herpes viruses, latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection can be reactivated to lytic replication. Reactivation can be achieved by treatment with various reagents, including tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA) and Ca2+ ionophores. Relatively little is known about the physiological factors related to reactivation of EBV. Previous studies have demonstrated that G0/G1 cell cycle arrest is associated with EBV activation, and that hypoxic conditions can induce cell cycle arrest. In the present study we investigated the effect of hypoxia on reactivation of EBV. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: Hypoxic culture conditions were established and the expression of Zta protein and the number of EBV DNA copies were measured in B95-8 cells maintained under these conditions. RESULTS: Hypoxia treatment not only increased the expression of the EBV immediate-early protein Zta (which mediates the switch between the latent and lytic form of infection), but also increased the number of EBV DNA copies in B95-8 cells. CONCLUSIONS: EBV in latent infection can be activated to lytic infection by hypoxia treatment.     

Predicting HIV-1 coreceptor usage with sequence analysis

Bioinformatics approaches are increasingly being used to identify and understand the genetic variation underlying changes in HIV-1 biological phenotype. The variable regions of the viral envelope are the major determinant of virus coreceptor usage and cell tropism. Specifically, amino acids 11 and 25 in the 3rd variable (V3) loop have been found to strongly influence viral syncytium inducing capacity and coreceptor usage. Many additional V3 loop changes, however, as well as changes elsewhere in Env, are thought to contribute to phenotype. In this review we describe several recently developed methods to analyze this variability and their use to predict biological phenotype based on sequence information. These approaches have identified changes in the V3 loop, in addition to the known changes at positions 11 and 25, that affect phenotype and significantly enhance our ability to predict phenotype from genotype. Besides improving phenotype prediction, methods that score V3 sequences on a continuous scale can also assist in the interpretation of evolutionary information about shifts in phenotype, and the relationship between that evolution and pathogenesis. Several examples and potential practical applications of this scoring are discussed. We conclude that advances in computational approaches have enhanced both our ability to predict and to understand HIV-1 biological phenotype evolution. Further development of these methods, by extending analysis to regions outside the V3 loop and to clades beyond subtype B, will extend our understanding of HIV-1 pathogenesis and inform treatment strategies.     

Oligoclonal interspecific origin of ‘North Indian’ and ‘Chinese’ sugarcanes

Sugarcanes consist of several groups of complex polyploid forms. The origin of North Indian and Chinese sugarcanes (referred to as S. barberi and S. sinense) was investigated using genomic in-situ hybridization (GISH), detection of species-specific repeated sequences and RFLP. GISH proved their interspecific hybrid origin. Together with the distribution of species-specific repeated sequences and earlier RFLP data, the results show that both taxa are derived from interspecific hybridization between S. officinarum and S. spontaneum and that no other genus has been directly involved. RFLP indicates that the clones are clustered into a few groups, each derived from a single interspecific hybrid that has subsequently undergone a few somatic mutations. These groups correspond quite well with those already defined based on morphological characters and chromosome numbers. However, the calculated genetic similarities do not support the existence of two distinct taxa. The North Indian and Chinese sugarcanes represent a set of horticultural groups rather than established species.     

Determination of ionisation chamber collection efficiency in a swept electron beam by means of thermoluminescent detectors and the "two-voltage" method

Two methods for determining the collection efficiency of a 0.6 cm3 thimble ionisation chamber exposed to the swept electron beam of a linear accelerator Therac 20 Saturne (CGR MeV) have been compared. In one method the chamber signal has been compared to that of simultaneously exposed thermoluminescent LiF dosemeters (TLD), in the other the "two-voltage" method of Boag, adapted for swept beams, has been used. By variation of the electron energy between 20 and 13 MeV, of the focus-skin-distance (FSD) between 200 and 100 cm and of the monitor rate between 400 monitor units (m.u.) and 100 m.u. per minute, different values could be produced for the peak charge density M. The collection efficiency of the chamber, operating at a standard voltage of 250 V, decreases from 0.99 to 0.84 for a charge density increasing from 0.3 X 10(-4) C/m3 to 7.5 X 10(-4) C/m3, respectively. The maximum deviation observed between the TLD and the "two-voltage" method adopted for similar M is never more than 2% and mostly smaller than 1%. It can be concluded that, under the present experimental conditions, the calculated ionisation chamber collection efficiency is confirmed by the experimental method using TL dosimetry.     

饮食服务业从业人员乙型肝炎病毒感染动态研究

目的为了解泰安市饮食服务业从业人员乙型肝炎病毒感染状况。方法应用ELISA方法在1995～1999年对53434名饮食服务业从业人员进行了血清HBsAg、抗-HBc、HBeAg和抗-HBe检测。结果1995～1999年饮食服务业从业人员血清HBsAg、抗-HBc、HBeAg和抗-HBe总阳性率呈逐年下降趋势,依次为4.41%、3.88%、3.46%、2.86%和2.50%,其差异有显著意义（χ     

一氧化氮对异丙酚麻醉作用影响的实验研究

目的　了解一氧化氮(NO)对异丙酚麻醉作用的影响。方法　昆明种小白鼠40只,分为两组组Ⅰ,20只,雌雄不拘,随机分为实验组Ⅰ(n=10)腹腔注射(ip)左旋精氨酸(L-Arg)600mg/kg;对照组Ⅰ(n=10)ip生理盐水0.3ml/10g,30min后,两组分别ip异丙酚120mg/kg。组Ⅱ,20只,雄性,随机分为实验组Ⅱ(n=10)ipN-硝基-左旋精氨酸甲酯(L-NAME)50mg/kg;对照组Ⅱ(n=10)ip生理盐水0.3ml/10g,30min后,分别ip异丙酚110mg/kg。测定各组动物翻正反射消失的起效时间和维持时间。结果　各实验组与对照组翻正反射的消失率(实验组Ⅰ80%,对照组Ⅰ80%,实验组Ⅱ90%,对照组Ⅱ80%)及起效时间(实验组Ⅰ3.3±0.7min,对照组Ⅰ2.7±0.6min,实验组Ⅱ4.8±0.8min,对照组Ⅱ4.7±0.8min)无明显差别。实验组Ⅰ的维持时间(44.0±22.5min)明显短于对照组Ⅰ(70.1±28.1min,P＜0.05),实验组Ⅱ(61.4±20.9min)明显长于对照组Ⅱ(35.5±26.9min,P＜0.05)。结论　改变NO的产量可以影响异丙酚的麻醉维持时间,提示异丙酚的全麻机制可能与NO有关。