ELISA versus routine tests in the diagnosis of patients with systemic and neurobrucellosis

Sera from patients in different stages of brucellosis as well as sera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with central nervous system (CNS) brucellosis and controls, were tested by ELISA for Brucella-specific IgG, IgM and IgA. The results were compared with culture findings, micro-agglutination (MA), slide agglutination with Rose Bengal (RB), and Brucella melitensis stained antigens (SA). In sera of patients with acute brucellosis (296), ELISA was positive for IgM (100%), IgG (97%) and IgA (98%), and comparable results were found in sera of patients with subacute brucellosis (44): IgG (100%), IgM (86%) and IgA (100%). However, in patients with chronic brucellosis (40), IgG and IgA were consistently positive (100%) while IgM was only positive in 33% of their sera. The MA and RB showed similar results, being more positive in patients with acute (98%) and subacute (84%) than in chronic (61%) brucellosis. The SA and culture showed significantly lower positive results. In the CSF of patients with CNS brucellosis (45), ELISA was positive in 100%, 20% and 85% for IgG, IgM and IgA, respectively, compared to 13% positive by culture, 25% by MA and 22% by RB. ELISA was negative in the CSF specimens from patients with brucellosis without CNS involvement (66), or meningitis other than Brucella (62), and no meningitis (144). Thus, ELISA with its IgG, IgM and IgA profiles is the test of choice in the diagnosis of patients with brucellosis, especially those with chronic or CNS infection.     

Combined hormone therapy in postmenopausal women with features of metabolic syndrome. Results from a population-based study of Swedish women: Women's Health in the Lund Area study

OBJECTIVE: To delineate the influence of hormone therapy (HT) on features of metabolic syndrome with special reference to the composition and mode of administration of three specific HT regimens, all containing estradiol (E2) + norethisterone. DESIGN: The Women's Health in the Lund Area project screened all women (n = 10,766), born between 1935 and 1945. Complete data were obtained from 6,917 women. Those at or above defined cutoff limits were considered positively screened (n = 3,593) for metabolic syndrome. All of them were invited to undergo an oral glucose tolerance test; 2,923 women accepted. After excluding 200 women with impaired fasting glucose, 2,723 women were included in the present analysis. Serum lipids were determined by conventional standard methods at the department of clinical chemistry of Lund University Hospital. RESULTS: According to World Health Organization criteria, 2,123 women had normal glucose tolerance and 600 women had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). IGT was less common (P = 0.001) among users of a transdermal patch [CYC-TRANS; E2 50 microg + norethisterone acetate (NETA) 250microg] compared with the two-combined oral regimen [CON-O (continuous oral E2 2 mg + NETA 1 mg) + CYC-O (sequential oral E2 2 mg + NETA 1 mg)]. Furthermore, IGT was more common among CON-O users when compared with either the CYC-O + CYC-TRANS group (P = 0.002) or the CYC-TRANS only group (P = 0.001). There were no significant differences between CYC-O versus CYC-TRANS or CON-O. Serum levels of total cholesterol were higher in the CYC-TRANS group than in the combined CON-O + CYC-O group (P < 0.05); they also were higher (P = 0.05) when comparing the CYC-O + CYC-TRANS versus CON-O as well as higher in CYC-TRANS versus CON-O (P < 0.05). Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were higher in the CYC-O (P = 0.001), CYC-TRANS (P < 0.05), and the CYC-O + CYC-TRANS (P = 0.001) groups when compared with the CON-O users. There were no differences in the mean age, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), body mass index, waste-hip ratio, or the rate of cigarette and alcohol consumption between the different hormone regimens. CONCLUSION: The risk of having a pathological glucose load was lower in transdermal versus oral users of HT. Transdermal HT could be regarded as first-line treatment in women at risk of developing diabetes.     

Biomaterial microarrays: rapid, microscale screening of polymer-cell interaction

The identification of biomaterials that induce optimal gene expression patterns and allow for appropriate levels of cellular attachment is of central importance in tissue engineering and cell therapy. Herein, we describe the creation of cell-compatible, biomaterial microarrays, that allow rapid, microscale testing of biomaterial interactions with cells. As proof of principle, we simultaneously characterized over 3456 human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC)-biomaterial composite interactions, and describe preliminary studies on the utility of these arrays with a neural stem cell line (NSC), and primary articular chondrocytes.     

Development and Evaluation of a Western Blot Kit for Diagnosis of Human Trichinellosis

We evaluated industrially prepared Western blot strips designed to avoid the cross-reactions observed with indirect immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays used for the serodiagnosis of trichinellosis. The antigen preparations were crude extracts of Trichinella spiralis. The Western blot profile characteristic of trichinellosis was characterized by comparing 60 sera from patients infected by Trichinella to 11 sera from healthy subjects, 51 sera from patients with other proven parasitic diseases (cysticercosis, schistosomiasis, strongyloidosis, fascioliasis, toxocariasis, liver amebiasis, anisakiasis, filariasis, toxoplasmosis, hydatidosis, or malaria), and 23 sera from patients with autoantibodies. Specific 43- to 44-kDa and 64-kDa bands were obtained with all of the sera from 51 patients with acute trichinellosis, in 4 out of 9 patients at the early stages of the disease, and in only 1 control patient, who had suspected anisakiasis and in whom trichinellosis could not be ruled out by muscle biopsy.