Development of EIA for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in genital specimens.

A double antibody sandwich enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for chlamydial antigen detection was developed using a monoclonal antibody against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Chlamydia trachomatis as a coating antibody. Polyclonal rabbit antiserum against partially purified antigen from elementary body (EB) antibody and horse-radish peroxidase conjugated goat anti-rabbit antibody were used as the primary and secondary antibody respectively. The developed EIA could detect protein of partially purified EB at the lowest concentration of 250 ng/ml. The assay was evaluated against the cell culture (CC), DNA hybridization assay (PACE2 system: Gen-Probe, San Diego, CA, USA) and a commercial enzyme immunoassay (kEIA) (Bioquest, NSW, Australia). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the developed EIA (dEIA) were 87, 96.2, 80, 97.7 for the specimens from females and 90.9, 90.7, 71.4, 97.5 for the specimens from males repectively. Cross reaction was not found with Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter anitratus, beta-Streptococcus group A, Enterobacter spp, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus spp, Neisseria spp, but it was found with Candida albicans and herpes simplex virus type 1. The developed EIA can be applied successfully for both genders, particularly males. The cost per test is less than those for CC, kEIA and PACE2.

Fine needle aspiration cytology of metastatic transitional cell carcinoma to the liver.

A 63-year-old man presented with a three-month history of painless hematuria. A cystoscopic examination revealed a diffuse small nodulopapillary growth of the bladder mucosa. Biopsy resulted in the diagnosis of a transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), grade II. Therefore, total cystectomy with an ileal conduit was performed and the pathologic examination demonstrated a TCC grade II/III apparently confined to the mucosa. However, an ultrasonographic study carried out one year later revealed tumor masses in the pelvic cavity and the liver. FNA and needle biopsy of the liver were carried out and the diagnosis of a metastatic TCC was made from the former. Needle biopsy results pointed to a metastatic undifferentiated carcinoma, most likely originating from the TCC. The advantage of FNA is discussed. It is being used with increasing frequency to diagnose mass lesions in the liver and can identify metastatic tumors which have specific cytologic features that are different from primary liver tumor.

Molar pregnancy--associated ectopic decidua: report of a case and review of the literature.

Ectopic or extrauterine decidual transformation is regularly associated with pregnancy. This phenomenon has been observed most often in the ovary and cervix. Sporadic reports have documented decidua formation of peritoneal surfaces, lymph nodes and other organs in pelvic and abdominal cavity. Molar pregnancy-associated ectopic decidua has never been documented. We report the case of ectopic decidua at posterior surface of uterus, near the cul de sac, in a 45-year-old woman with molar pregnancy. The article review reveals that it is the first report of molar pregnancy-associated ectopic decidua.