Prolonged afebrile nonproductive cough illnesses in American soldiers in Korea: a serological search for causation.
(9/452)
A serological study was undertaken to investigate infections in active-duty United States soldiers with illnesses characterized by prolonged, afebrile, nonproductive coughs. Fifty-four soldiers were enrolled with such illness of >/=2 weeks' duration (case patients) along with 55 well soldiers (control subjects). Serum samples were tested for IgG and IgA antibody to 3 Bordetella pertussis antigens, pertussis agglutinins, IgM antibodies to Mycoplasma pneumoniae, IgM and IgG antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae, and IgM antibody to adenoviruses. Forty-six case patients (85%) had evidence of recent infection with Bordetella species, M. pneumoniae, or C. pneumoniae, and many had evidence of mixed infections; there were 27 Bordetella species, 20 C. pneumoniae, and 33 M. pneumoniae recent infections. Fifteen case patients had high titers of IgG or IgA to B. pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin without high titers of antibodies to other B. pertussis antigens, which suggested the presence of cross-reacting antibodies to M. pneumoniae and perhaps C. pneumoniae or unidentified infectious agent or agents. Since illnesses due to Bordetella species, M. pneumoniae, and C. pneumoniae can all be treated with macrolide antibiotics and B. pertussis illness can be prevented by immunization, and since military readiness was affected in 63% of the cases, it seems important to conduct further studies in military populations. (+info)
Relevance of commercial diagnostic tests to detection of enteric adenovirus infections in South Africa.
(10/452)
The prevalence of enteric adenoviruses detected by an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (the RIVM-ELISA) ranged from 13 to 38%, and subgroup F adenoviruses comprised 86%. All subgroup F adenoviruses reacted with both RIVM anti-adenovirus type 40 (Ad40) and anti-adenovirus type 41 (Ad41) monoclonal antibodies but were not detected by Adenoclone Type 40/41 enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The correlation between the Biotrin EIA and RIVM-ELISA results was low (26%). Immunospecific tests suggest that a significant proportion of enteric adenoviruses, possibly comprising previously unidentified or emerging types, are not detected by commercial diagnostic tests in South Africa. (+info)
Neutralisation of adenovirus infectivity by ascitic fluid from ovarian cancer patients.
(11/452)
Animal models and phase I clinical trials have shown that repeat virus delivery and subsequent transgene expression is limited by the generation of humoral and cellular immune responses directed towards the therapeutic vector. The presence of a pre-existing immune response may even prevent initial delivery. In order to determine the presence of pre-existing anti-adenovirus humoral immunity we analysed ascitic fluid, collected from the peritoneal cavity of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Twelve ascitic fluid and four matched serum samples were examined. The titre and isotype of anti-adenovirus antibodies was determined by ELISA, and Western blotting identified the molecular basis of the immune response, which was primarily directed towards fibre and penton base. Neutralisation of virus infectivity was assessed in vitro by measurement of green fluorescent protein reporter gene expression. We found that the ascitic fluid samples contain antibodies that recognise both adenovirus types 2 and 5, were predominantly IgG and directed towards the viral antigens responsible for cell adhesion, and had virus neutralising activity. (+info)
PCR and restriction endonuclease analysis for rapid identification of human adenovirus subgenera.
(12/452)
Subgenus identification of adenoviruses is of clinical importance and is as informative as identification by serotype in most clinical situations. A PCR-based identification of adenovirus subgenera A, B, C, D, E, and F and sometimes serotypes is described. The PCR uses nonnested primer pair ADRJC1-ADRJC2, which targets a highly conserved region of the adenovirus hexon gene, has a sensitivity of 10 to 40 copies of adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) DNA, and generates 140-bp PCR products from adenovirus serotypes representative of all the subgroups. The PCR products of all subgroups can be differentiated on the basis of the restriction fragment patterns produced by a total of five restriction endonucleases. In addition, serotypes Ad40 and Ad41 (subgroup F) and important serotypes of subgroup D (Ad8, Ad10, Ad19, and Ad37) can easily be differentiated, but serotypes within subgroups B and C cannot. The method was assessed by blind subgenus identification of 56 miscellaneous clinical isolates of adenoviruses. The identities of these isolates at the subgenus level by the PCR correlated 91% (51 of 56) with the results of serotyping by the neutralization test, and 9% (5 of 56) of clinical isolates produced discordant results. (+info)
Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for diagnosis of viral and chlamydial keratoconjunctivitis.
(13/452)
PURPOSE: To develop a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, and Chlamydia trachomatis in conjunctival swabs. METHODS: Oligonucleotide primers for detection of the 3 agents were combined in one reaction and evaluated for optimal performance using control DNAs of adenovirus type 2, herpes simplex virus, and C. trachomatis plasmid. The multiplex PCR was evaluated prospectively against its corresponding uniplex PCRs, virus isolation, Chlamydia Amplicor PCR, and an immunoassay technique (immune dot blot test) in a total of 805 conjunctival swabs from patients with suspected viral and chlamydial keratoconjunctivitis. RESULTS: The multiplex PCR was as sensitive as uniplex PCRs for the detection of the agents in clinical specimens. In the prospective study, 48 of 49 (98%) clinical specimens were positive for adenovirus by the multiplex PCR compared with 26 of 49 (53%) by adenovirus isolation. For herpes simplex virus detection, the multiplex PCR had a sensitivity of 92% (34/37) compared with 94.5% (35/37) by cell culture. The multiplex PCR produced identical results to the Amplicor PCR (21/21; 100%) compared with 71% (15/21) by the immune dot blot test. CONCLUSIONS: With clinical specimens the multiplex PCR was as sensitive as its respective uniplex PCRs but more sensitive than adenovirus isolation and as sensitive as herpes simplex virus isolation or C. trachomatis Amplicor PCR. It has the potential to replace several diagnostic tests with consequent savings in cost. The test also reduces the risk of misdiagnosis by the clinicians. (+info)
Epidemic spread of adenovirus type 4-associated acute respiratory disease between U.S. Army installations.
(14/452)
A large outbreak of adenovirus type 4-associated acute respiratory disease (ARD) occurred at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in 1997. A laboratory-based ARD surveillance program was initiated at Fort Gordon, Georgia, where advanced individual training was heavily populated with Fort Jackson soldiers. Adenovirus type 4 was isolated from 50% of 147 trainees hospitalized with ARD. Most (88%) introduced cases were in trainees from Fort Jackson. (+info)
Frequency of serological evidence of Bordetella infections and mixed infections with other respiratory pathogens in university students with cough illnesses.
(15/452)
Banked acute-phase and convalescent-phase serum samples from a previous study of respiratory illness in university students were examined for significant (>/=2-fold) increases in ELISA titers of IgA and IgG antibody to Bordetella pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin, pertactin, and fimbriae-2 and >/=4-fold titer increases to agglutinogens by agglutination. ELISA titers of antibody to pertussis toxin could not be determined because of technical problems. Chlamydia pneumoniae infections were diagnosed by culture or by a >/=4-fold increase in immunofluorescence assay titer or a single high titer (>/=512). Mycoplasma pneumoniae, influenza A and B, adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus infections were diagnosed by >/=4-fold increases in complement fixation titer or a single high titer (>/=64). There were 319 subjects with cough of >/=5 days' duration, and of these, 47 (15%) had significant increases in antibody to B. pertussis antigens; 26 (8%) had significant increases to fimbriae-2 or agglutinogens, indicative of B. pertussis infection, and 2 (1%) had evidence of non-B. pertussis bordetella infections. Seventeen (36%) had evidence of mixed infections or cross-reacting antibodies (influenza B infections, 5; adenovirus infections, 4; influenza A infections, 3; C. pneumoniae infections, 3; and M. pneumoniae infections, 2). Our findings suggest that bordetella infections are common in young adults with cough illnesses (incidence, 9%), and a surprising number of these are mixed infections with other respiratory pathogens. (+info)
Enteric virus infections and diarrhea in healthy and human immunodeficiency virus-infected children.
(16/452)
Forty-three stool samples from 27 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive children and 38 samples from 38 HIV-negative children, collected during a 15-month period, were examined for enteric viruses. Diagnostic assays included enzyme immunoassays for rotavirus, adenovirus, and Norwalk virus; polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for picobirnavirus and atypical rotavirus; and PCR for astrovirus and enterovirus. Specimens from HIV-positive children were more likely than those of HIV-negative children to have enterovirus (56 versus 21%; P < 0.0002) and astrovirus (12 versus 0%; P < 0.02), but not rotavirus (5 versus 8%; P > 0.5). No adenoviruses, picobirnaviruses, or Norwalk viruses were found. The rates of virus-associated diarrhea were similar among HIV-positive and HIV-negative children. Enteroviruses were excreted for up to 6 months in HIV-positive children; however, no evidence for prolonged excretion of poliovirus vaccine was observed. These results suggest that although infection with enterovirus and astrovirus may be frequent in HIV-infected children, enteric viruses are not associated with the diarrhea frequently suffered by these children. (+info)