• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 1996

Escherichia coli is one of the most common etiological agents in urinary tract infection. An important virulence factor is the adhesive capacity of E. coli to uroepithelial cell, mediated by bacterial fimbriae. The Adhesion property has been regarded as an important virulence determinant in urinary tract infections. A total of 60 patients, who were diagnosed microbiologically as urinary tract infections, were examined by immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Uropathogenic E. coli with recombinant plasmid were positive for mannose resistant hemagglutination (MRHA). For identification of p-fimbriae subtype in uropathogenic E. coli, In the immunoblot analysis, specific bands in the range of p-fimbriae molecular weight of 17KD-22KD were identified. For the distribution of p-fimbriae subtype in the patient sera, 34/60(56.7%) were positive for $F7_1$, 28/60(46.7%) were positive for $F7_2$, and 30/60(50%) were positive for F13 with immunoblotting method. similar trends were observed in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Relatively good specificity(92.6%) and sensitivity(90%) were found in the ELISA test system using mixed antigens of purified $F7_1$, $F7_2$, and F13 p-fimbriae, and 60 sera from patients with urinary tract infections. In conclusion The serological tests were convenient method in diagnosis of urinary tract infections. among those ELISA could be recommended in diagnosis of urinary tract infections.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5773-5775
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• 2012

Objective: To assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of AFP and des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) in combination and alone for hepatocellular carcinoma. Materials and Methods: A case control study carried out in the Department of Biochemistry of Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal between $1^{st}$ January 2010 and $31^{st}$ December 2011. The variables collected were age, gender, BMI, total proteins, albumin, AST, ALT, total bilirubin, DCP, AFP. Approval for the study was obtained from the institutional research ethical committee. Estimation of AFP was performed by ELISA reader for all cases. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics and confidence interval (CI). The data was analyzed using Excel 2003, R 2.8.0 Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows Version 16.0 (SPSS Inc; Chicago, IL, USA) and the EPI Info 3.5.1 Windows Version. Results:The mean age of HCC cases was $53.6{\pm}14.93$ yrs. The percentage of females was less than males in both cases (23%) and controls (29%). The specificity of DCP reached 100% when its values was equal or greater than 150 (MAU/ml) for 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 months preceding the diagnosis of HCC. Similarly, the specificity for AFP was also nearly 100% when its value was equal or greater than 200 ng/ml 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 months earlier to the finding of HCC. The specificity of DCP (${\geq}40MAU/mL$) and AFP(${\geq}20$ ng/mL) in combination was 93%, 97%, 95%, 96%, 97% in respect to 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 months prior to the diagnosis of HCC. Conclusion: The combination of both DCP and AFP will improve the finding of initial HCC and the sensitivity of these markers was utmost at the time of HCC identification and noticeably lesser at former time points.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.651-655
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• 2005

Background : Diagnosing a pulmonary embolism is difficult because its presenting symptoms are nonspecific and there are limitations with all of the objective tests. The D-dimer is known to be a marker of the lysis of intravascular cross-linked fibrin as a result of the activation of the endogenous fibrinolytic pathways, and the D-dimer assay is these an objective method for diagnosing a pulmonary embolism. This study assessed the benefits of the D-dimer test for diagnosing a pulmonary embolism using semiquantitative latex agglutination. Methods : The latex agglutination results of 185 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The D-dimer test was performed at the time a pulmonary embolism was suspected. Ninety patients(group I) were diagnosis with PE through spiral chest CT or a chest CT angiogram, perfusion/ventilation scans, and/or pulmonary angiogram. Ninety-five patients (group II) were found not to have a pulmonary embolism through the above tests. Results : The male to female ratio and mean age in groups I and II was 37:55, and 57 years old to 50:45 and 52 years old, respectively. When the cut off value for a positive D-dimer assay was set to $500{\mu}g$, the sensitivity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and specificity was 86.7%, 61.4%, 79.3%, and 48.4%, respectively. Conclusion : The semiquantitative latex agglutination method in the D-dimer test has a lower sensitivity and negative predictive value than the well known ELISA test particularly for small emboli. Therefore, this test is not a suitable screening test for excluding a pulmonary embolism.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.25-41
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• 1986

The applicability of micro-ELISA was evaluated in human neuro-cysticercosis using paired samples of serum and CSF. A total of 355 cases who were mostly neurologic patients was subjected. Cystic fluid of C. cellulosae was used as antigen in protein concentration of $2.5{\;}{\mu}g/ml$. Serum was diluted to 1 : 100 and CSF was undiluted in the assay for the specific IgG antibody level. The differential criterion of the positive reaction was the abs. of o. 18 in both samples. The results were summarized as follows: 1. The overall sensitivity of the micro-ELISA in 71 confirmed neurocysticercosis was 90.1% ; the sensitivity by serum was 77.5% and that by CSF was 83.1%. CSF was a more sensitive and valuable material. Most of the false negative cases of neuro-cysticercosis showed far lower level of abs. rather than marginal. 2. The overall specificity of the micro-ELISA in 52 confirmed other neurologic diseases was 88.5%; the specificities by serum and by CSF were 94.2% respectively. Cases of other neurologic diseases did not show false positive reactions in both samples. 3. When serum was assayed, taeniasis(2/18), sparganosis(2/20), paragonimiasis(1/56), clonorchiasis(1/15) and fascioliasis(1/1) cases showed cross reactions. When CSF was assayed, 2 ot 10 neuro-sparganosis showed cross reactions while none of 9 neuro-paragonimiasis showed it. Out of 71 confirmed neuro-cysticercosis cases, 6 and 11 showed cross reactions by serum and CSF to crude extract antigen of sparganum; but no case did show it to crude extract antigen of Paragonimus westermani. 4. Ventricular CSF showed low or negative levels of IgG antibody than lumbar CSF unless the lesion was at the lateral ventricle itself. 5. Out of 4 racemose cysticercosis cases, 3 showed positive reaction in serum while all of 3 examined CSF were positive. The above results indicated that the serological test for detecting the specific IgG antibody by micro-ELISA using paired samples of serum and CSF was very helpful for clinical differentiation of neuro-cysticercosis from neurologic diseases of other causes.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.246-256
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• 1983

As epidemiological parameters of human paragonimiasis, the positive rates of intradermal test and the sputum/stool ekaminations have long been employed in population surveys. However, both the specificity of the intradermal test and the sensitivity of sputumjstool examination have been gradually declined as the endemicity was lowered; thus the gap between above two parameters widened. In such context, the development of a new epidemiologic parameter or tool which makes it possible to accurately discriminate the active paragonimiasis cases was necessary. In the present study, the detection rate of Paragonimus-speclac IgG antibody by micro-ELISA was evaluated as an indicator of epidemiologic status of human paragonimiasis in a population. A total of 4, 285 students and inhabitants living in Bukpyeong Myeon and Bukil Myeon, Haenam Gun, Jeonlanam Do was surveyed in October, 1983 by intradermal test first. Out of them, 244 cases (5.7%) were found positively reacted to VBS antigen of F. westermani. Out of 168 positive reactors, 7 cases (4.2%) were egg positive either by two times of sputum examination or by one stool examination. That indicated that only 0. 16% of total surveyed were confirmed as active paragonimiasis by egg detection. When sera collected from 239 positive reactors of Intradermal test were tested by micro-ELISA for their specific IgG antibody, 40 cases(16.7%) were found to be positive. All of 7 egg positive cases were again positive for specific IgG antibody. Among remaining 232 intradermal test positive cases, 33 cases were positive for IgG antibody. In contrast to those, none of 42 positive reactors to intradermal test for Cloncrchis and of 128 intradermal test negative cases showed positive for Paragcnimus-specIfic IgG antibody. The rate of specific IgG antibody as detected by micro-ELISA appeared to be increased with the wheal size of the intradermal test. When the wheal sixte was over 13mm in diameter, about 50% of them were positive for specific IgG antibody. Thirty-one specific antibody positive cases were clinically evaluated by laboratory examinations (repeated sputum examination, peripheral eosinophil count and chest roentgenogram) and by history taking. Out of them 24 cases were associated with one or more positive laboratory findings: thus considered as active paragonimiasis cases. Out of 7 lab. finding-free cases 3 revealed past history of typical paragonimiasis symptoms, suggesting that they were in chronic or in convalescent stages. The remaining 4 cases were considered as either mild or ectopic infection cases; the possibility of cross-reaction with other helminthiases could not be ruled out. From the above results, it was inferred that the detection of Paragonimus-specIfic IgG antibody by micro-ELISA was very much helpful in detecting the active cases as well as in proper evaluation of the endemicity of human paragonimiasis in a population. The convenience of mass haildling of sera in micro-ELISA was considered another superiority as an epidemiologic tool.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5779-5785
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• 2015

The present study was designed to investigate cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) antibodies in hamster serum. Hamster CCA cell lines were processed using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A candidate biomarker was confirmed by immunoprecipitation and western blot, and was further analyzed using ELISA and sera from normal control hamsters, hamsters with opisthorchiasis and hamsters with various stages of CCA, as well as from CCA patients and healthy individuals. One candidate marker was identified as $HSP90{\alpha}$, as indicated by a high level of anti-$HSP90{\alpha}$ in hamster CCA sera. It was found that the levels of anti-$HSP90{\alpha}$ were specifically elevated in the sera of hamsters with CCA compared with other groups and progressively increased with the clinical stage. At the cut-off point of 0.4850 on the receiver operating characteristic curve, anti-$HSP90{\alpha}$ could discriminate CCA from healthy control groups with a sensitivity of 76.2%, specificity of 71.4% and total accuracy 75.5%. In the present study, we have shown that anti-$HSP90{\alpha}$ may be a potential useful serum biomarker to discriminate CCA cases from healthy persons.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1297-1304
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• 2020

Elevated serum levels of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) are known to be associated with several types of cancer. In addition, some reports have indicated that changes in glycosylation of AGP are associated with cancer progression. However, changes in AGP levels of serum and changes in glycosylation of AGPs in breast cancer have not been specifically studied. In the present study, serum AGP levels in benign (BN) cancer and breast cancer stage I (BC I), BC IIA, BC IIB, and BC III in Korean women were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). AGP was purified from individual sera by hot phenol extraction and then subjected to AGP glycosylation analysis. Three types of AGP glycosylation (fucosylation, high-mannose-type and sialylation) were detected using enzyme-linked lectin assays (ELLAs). Serum AGP levels were higher in BC I, BC IIA, BC IIB, and BC III, than in the BN group, and the level in BC I and BC IIA was high enough to be distinguished from BN. Meanwhile, terminal fucosylation and high-mannose-type glycans appeared to be lowest in BC I. The glycosylation levels of BC I provide sensitivity and specificity that make BC I clearly distinguishable from BC IIA, BC IIB, and BC III as well as BN. Therefore, determination of serum AGP or AGP glycosylation level could be useful for detecting the early stages of breast cancer.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.417-423
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• 2007

Serological surveillance programs in animal populations are becoming increasingly important to estimate prevalence of a specific disease and subsequently to document disease-free status in a region or a country. For these purposes, the programs need to be based on both theoretical and economical aspects from the designing phase. From Aujeszky's disease (AD)-eradication program point of view, group of animals (aggregates, herds) not individual animal is the more important sampling unit of concern. In this study the authors therefore attempted to compute an appropriate sample size tailored to a current surveillance program against AD, assuming that the goal of this program is either herd-level prevalence estimation or documentation of AD-freedom. For prevalence estimation, assuming a finite population with imperfect sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of ELISA kit for AD diagnosis, the number of herds present, expected herd prevalence, and desired accuracy for a certain level of confidence, sample size was estimated at herd-level in the first stage and individual animal-level in the second stage. A two-stage sampling design was used to calculate a sample size to indicate AD-freedom. In this instance, the computation was based on the possible detection of a predetermined prevalence at a certain herd-level Se and Sp. This study indicated that the sample size varied with predetermined confidence, tolerance, Se and Sp at herd- and animal-level, and within- and among-herd prevalence. In general, smaller sample size was required to estimate AD prevalence than to document of AD-freedom. Compared to individual-based samples, two-stage sampling strategy requires a larger sample size to show disease-freedom. Statistical considerations including herd-level test characteristics when designing surveillance program also are further discussed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2443-2446
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• 2013

Published data have shown that the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1) in plasma and pleural effusion might be usefulness for lung cancer diagnosis. Here, we performed a prospective study to investigate the utility of VEGF and sVEGFR-1 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for differential diagnosis of primary lung cancer. A total of 56 patients with solitary pulmonary massed by chest radiograph or CT screening were enrolled in this study. BALF and plasma samples were obtained from all patients and analyzed for VEGF and sVEGFR-1 using a commercially available sandwich ELISA kit. The results showed that the levels of VEGF in BALF were significantly higher in patients with a malignant pulmonary mass compared with patients with a benign mass (P < 0.001). However, no significant difference of sVEGFR-1 in BALF was found between malignant and non-malignant groups (P = 0.43). With a cut-off value of 214 pg/ml, VEGF showed a sensitivity and specificity of 81.8% and 84.2%, respectively, in predicting the malignant nature of a solitary pulmonary mass. Our study suggests that VEGF is significantly increased in BALF among patients with lung cancer than in benign diseases. Measurement of VEGF in BALF might be helpful for differential diagnosis of primary lung cancer.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.197-208
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• 1987

Chlamydia trachomatis has now shown that this interesting intracellular parasite is a cause of nongonococcal urethritis, infantile pneumonia, pelvic inflammatory disease and epididymitis, in addition to lymphogranuloma venerum and inclusion conjunctivitis. There are several diagnostic methods for C. trachomatis, but the method using monoclonal antibody is the most sensitive and specific. The hybride cell were prepared by fusion of myeloma cell($P_3X_{63}\;Ag_8{\cdot}V_{653}$) of mouse and lymphocyte of mouse(BALB/c) that were immunized with formalin killed C. trachomatis serotype D. The cell mixtures after fusion were dispensed into 640 wells of the 96 well culture plates and continuously cultured in HAT medium for 2 weeks. The supernatants of culture media in 83(13%) wells were reacted with C. trachomatis, which were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 96 well microplate. The clones that secreted antibody to C. trachomatis were cloned by limiting dilution. Only six monoclones secreted antibody to C. trachomatis. The antibody titer of ascitic fluid that collected from same BALB/c mice bearing hybridoma cells was above 1:100,000. These monoclonal antibodies that were IgG reacted with elementary and reticulate bodies of all serotypes(Ba, D, E, F, G, H, J and LGV type-I) using ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence stain, but there were no cross reaction with other bacteria(coagulase negative Staphylococcus, Proteus and E. coli). We concluded these six monoclones secreted the same monoclonal antibody to C. trachomatis. The sensitivity and specificity of the monoclonal antibody compared with Microtrak(confirmatory test of C. trachomatis, Syva) was 100%, respectively.