• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.70.1-70.14
• /
• 2023

Background: Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) causes a chronic and progressive granulomatous enteritis and economic losses in dairy cattle in subclinical stages. Subclinical infection in cattle can be detected using serum MAP antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Objectives: To investigate the differences in blood parameters, according to the detection of MAP using serum antibody ELISA and fecal PCR tests. Methods: We divided 33 subclinically infected adult cattle into three groups: seronegative and fecal-positive (SNFP, n = 5), seropositive and fecal-negative (SPFN, n = 10), and seropositive and fecal-positive (SPFP, n = 18). Hematological and serum biochemical analyses were performed. Results: Although the cows were clinically healthy without any manifestations, the SNFP and SPFP groups had higher platelet counts, mean platelet volumes, plateletcrit, lactate dehydrogenase levels, lactate levels, and calcium levels but lower mean corpuscular volume concentration than the SPFN group (p < 0.017). The red blood cell count, hematocrit, monocyte count, glucose level, and calprotectin level were different according to the detection method (p < 0.05). The SNFP and SPFP groups had higher red blood cell counts, hematocrit and calprotectin levels, but lower monocyte counts and glucose levels than the SPFN group, although there were no significant differences (p > 0.017). Conclusions: The cows with fecal-positive MAP status had different blood parameters from those with fecal-negative MAP status, although they were subclinically infected. These findings provide new insights into understanding the mechanism of MAP infection in subclinically infected cattle.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.348-352
• /
• 2005

We described a rapid, sensitive and reproducible real-time PCR assay for detection and quantitation of canine parvovirus type 2 in the feces of dogs with parvovirus infection. The method was demonstrated to be highly specific and sensitive, allowing a precise canine parvovirus type-2 quantitation over range of eight orders of magnitude from $10^2\;to\;10^9$ copies of standard DNA. Then, fecal samples from parvovirus infected dogs were analyzed by conventional PCR and real-time PCR. Real-time PCR is more sensitive than conventional PCR, allowing to detect low viral titers of CPV-2 in infected dogs. By real-time PCR, a wide range of parvovirus particles was found in the samples from $1.45\times10^6\;to\;9.45\times10^8$ copies/0.01g of feces. However, when dogs are in infection of parvovirus, it is difficult to prove that the numbers of peripheral blood leukocytes are correlated with those of fecal shedding virus.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.65-72
• /
• 2000

In order to improve the early diagnosis of Johne's disease in ruminants, duplex polymerase chain reaction system for the detection of the etiologic agent of M. paratuberculosis and for the differentiation of other mycobacterial animal pathogens, such as M. bovis and M. avium, was applied. Genomic DNAs were purified from peripheral blood monocytes or milk macrophages and were used as templates in the duplex PCR. Detection of Mycobacterium spp. in the specimen was carried out by PCR using primer set specific to the mycobacterial 16S rDNA. And then, mycobacterial DNA-positive specimens were further differentiated with duplex PCR system which was composed of primer sets specific to 16S rDNA of M. avium complex and Is900 gene of M. paratuberculosis. The results were re-confirmed by Southern blot hybridization with oligonucleotide specific to the internal sequence of IS900 PCR amplicons. The applicability of this duplex PCR system was evaluated with DNAs extracted from clinical specimens of peripheral blood monocytes and milk macrophages. In summary, the duplex PCR amplification system described in this experiment is promising molecular technique for the early diagnosis of Johne's disease in ruminants.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.11-16
• /
• 2012

Purpose: To determine a method to improve the efficacy and accuracy of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) - polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we compared hot start PCR and conventional multiplex nested PCR. Materials and Methods: This study was performed with single lymphocyte isolated from whole blood samples that were obtained from two couples with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). We proceeded with conventional multiplex nested PCR and hot start PCR in which essential reaction components were physically removed, and we compared the amplification rate, allele dropout rate and nonspecific products. Afterward, we used selective method for PGD. Results: In the two couples, the respective amplification rate were 93.5% and 80.0% using conventional multiplex nested PCR and 95.5% and 92.0% using hot start PCR. The respective mean allele dropout rates for the two couples were 42.0% and 14.0% with conventional multiplex nested PCR and 36.0% and 6.0% with hot start PCR. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that the hot start PCR procedure provides higher amplification rates and lower allele dropout rate than the conventional method and that it decreased the nonspecific band in multiplex nested PCR. The hot start method is more efficient for analyzing a single blastomere in clinical PGD.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.1616-1621
• /
• 2007

We have established a SYBR Green-based realtime PCR method using AnyDirect solution, which enhances PCR from whole blood, for direct amplification of the virA gene of Shigella flexneri and the invA gene of Salmonella typhimurium from human feces without prior DNA purification. When we compared the efficiency of conventional or realtime PCR amplification of the virA and invA genes from the supernatant of boiled feces supplemented with S. flexneri and S. typhimurium in the presence or absence of AnyDirect solution, amplification products were detected only in reactions to which AnyDirect solution had been added. The detection limit of real-time PCR was $1{\times}10^4\;CFU/g$ feces for S. flexneri and $2{\times}10^4\;CFU/g$ feces for S. typhimurium; this sensitivity level was comparable to other studies. Our real-time PCR assay with AnyDirect solution is simple, rapid, sensitive, and specific, and allows simultaneous detection of S. flexneri and S. typhimurium directly from fecal samples without prior DNA purification.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.444-447
• /
• 2007

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a powerful technique in molecular biology and is widely used in various fields. By amplifying DNA fragments, PCR has facilitated gene cloning procedures, as well as molecular genotyping. However, the extraction of DNA from samples often acts as a limiting step of these reactions. In particular, the extraction of PCR-compatible genomic DNA from higher plants requires complicated processes and tedious work because plant cells have rigid cell walls and contain various endogenous PCR inhibitors, including polyphenolic compounds. We recently developed a novel solution, referred to as AnyDirect, which can amplify target DNA fragments directly from whole blood without the need for DNA extraction. Here, we developed a simple lysis system that could produce an appropriate template for direct PCR with AnyDirect PCR buffer, making possible the direct amplification of DNA fragments from plant leaves. Thus, our experimental procedure provides a simple, convenient, non-hazardous, inexpensive, and rapid process for the amplification of DNA from plant tissue.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.101-107
• /
• 1999

Bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) which was grouped into the Lentivirinae of family Retroviridae, was known to be causing many immunodeficiency syndromes among cows. The BIV was studied worldwide during last several years for its importance in cattle industries but nothing was reported in Korea until now Thus we initially tried to study the existence of BIV in cattle around the Daegu·Kyungpook area by PCR related molecular techniques. As a prerequisite investigation for detecting Korean-type BIV, we had focused our aim into BLV infected cows because the BLV infected cows tend to show BIV infection with 5％ ranges. Hence we randomly sampled fresh bloods from 248 cows and bulls near the Daegu·Kyungpook area and collected peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) from the sample bloods. After extracting genomic DNA from the PBMC, we subjected it to PCR and Soluthern blot analysis for BIV/BLV detection. Overall, 66.9% (81/121) of the cow PBMC samples turned out to be BLV positive by PCR and the result was reconfirmed by Southern blot analysis. The value was two times higher than the previously reported results of BLV infection in Korea. The significant difference was mainly due to 1) applying highly specific methods for BLV detection such as PCR 2) that BLV was continuously spreaded in the Daegu Kyungpook area without any notice during last ten years. We also tested the BLV positive samples with the same techniques for BIV detection. And we found some BIV positives among the lot 3C samples by PCR, which had showed 100% BLV positive.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.607-611
• /
• 2017

Primary maternal infection with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy is frequently associated with transplacental transmission of the parasite to the fetus. This study was conducted to test the utility of PCR assay to detect recent infections with Toxoplasma in aborted women at various gestational ages who referred to Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Alavi Hospital in Ardabil during 2014 and 2016. Two hundred women with a history of single or repeated abortion were investigated in this study. Blood samples were tested for specific anti-Toxoplasma IgM and IgG antibodies by ELISA. According to the results, 53.5% of the women under study were positive for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies: 4.0% of them had IgM, 43.0% had IgG, and 6.5% had both IgM and IgG. Subsequently, Nested-PCR analysis was used to detect T. gondii DNA in the placenta of subjects. In 10.5% of the women, the results were positive for 529 bp element of T. gondii. Among them, 5 (23.8%) cases were IgM positive, 1 (4.8%) case was IgG positive, and 11 (52.4%) were both IgM and IgG positive. In 4 (19.0%) patients, none of the antibodies were found to be positive. In total, 16 patients had positive results in both ELISA and PCR methods, and 174 cases had negative results for new infection. The findings of this study revealed that T. gondii might be one of the significant factors leading to abortion, and that the analysis of placenta can be important in order to achieve increased detection sensitivity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.31-36
• /
• 2013

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is the pathogen of paratuberculosis called Johne's disease. Johne's disease is hardly eliminated because of its long latent period and continuous dissemination, so it is found in ruminants worldwide and can cause substantial economic losses in cattle. It has been reported in many studies on the distribution of Johne's disease in some provinces of Korea that not many, but noticeable numbers of infected cows have been detected since the first detection in 1984. The aims of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Johne's disease obtained from slaughtered cattle in central area of Gyeongnam province, Korea. In this study, the ELISA serum antibody test and PCR were employed on a total of 240 blood and ileac substrate samples from slaughtered cattle in two slaughtering and wholesale centers in Gyeongsangnam-do Livestock Veterinary Research Institute Central Branch. Out of the entire 240 blood samples, three (1.3%) were positive by ELISA, while five (2.1%) were suspected cattle. But ileac substrate samples, eight (3.3%) were positive by PCR. By breeds, positive rates of ELISA and PCR in Korean native cattle were 1.3% and 3.5%, respectively, but no positive cows were found in dairy cattle. By provinces, sero-positive rates of Gyeongnam and Gyeongbuk were 1.6% and 1.3%, respectively. And PCR positive rates of Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk and other provinces were 2.4%, 5.0% and 2.8%, respectively. These results indicate that it requires the nationwide monitoring test and measure to deal with subclinically infected slaughtering cows.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.229-231
• /
• 2012

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite resulting in human infections and one of the infectious pathogens leading to uveitis and retinochoroiditis. The present study was performed to assess T. gondii infection in 20 ocular patients with chronic irregular recurrent uveitis (20 aqueous humor and 20 peripheral blood samples) using PCR. All samples were analyzed by nested PCR targeting a specific B1 gene of T. gondii. The PCR-positive rate was 25% (5/20), including 5% (1) in blood samples, 25% (5) in aqueous humor samples, and 5% (1) in both sample types. A molecular screening test for T. gondii infection in ocular patients with common clinical findings of an unclear retinal margin and an inflammatory membrane over the retina, as seen by fundus examination, may be helpful for early diagnosis and treatment.