Recent advances and novel applications in microbial diversity estimation based on DNA analysis methods.

This review focuses on recent patents on the exploration and quantification of microbial diversity. Only the patents based on DNA analysis are considered. In general terms, the analysis of environmental samples can be investigated by using three main approaches: microarrays based technologies, genomes/metagenomes comparison and amplification and detection of operative taxonomic units. All patents can relate to the estimation of the microbial diversity, however, many of them were initially designed to detect important medical or agronomic microorganisms. Here, we briefly review recent technological achievements for DNA analysis that offer great potentials for the identification of species.

High levels of IgG class antibodies to recombinant HSP60 kDa of Yersinia enterocolitica in sera of patients with uveitis.

AIMS: To determine the levels of IgG class antibodies to recombinant heat shock protein 60 kDa of Yersinia enterocolitica (rHSP60Ye), Klebsiella pneumoniae (rHSP60Kp), Escherichia coli (rHSP60Ec), Shigella flexneri (rHSP60Sf), and Streptococcus pyogenes (rHSP60Sp) in the serum of patients with HLA-B27 associated acute anterior uveitis (HLA-B27 associated AAU), idiopathic acute anterior uveitis (idiopathic AAU), pars planitis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH), and healthy subjects. METHODS: The genes that code for HSP60Ye, HSP60Kp, HSP60Ec, HSP60Sf, and HSP60Sp were cloned by PCR from genomic DNA. The rHSPs were purified by affinity using a Ni-NTA resin. The serum levels of IgG class antibodies to rHSP60s were determined by ELISA in patients with uveitis (n = 42) and in healthy subjects (n = 25). RESULTS: The majority of patients with uveitis had higher levels of IgG class antibodies to rHSP60Ye compared with levels of healthy subjects (p = 0.01), although these differences were only observed in the HLA-B27 associated AAU (p = 0.005) and in pars planitis patients (p = 0.001). The levels of IgG antibodies to the rHSP60Kp, rHSP60Sf, rHSP60Ec, and rHSP60Sp were similar in patients with uveitis and in healthy subjects (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that HSP60Ye could be involved in the aetiology of HLA-B27 associated AAU and pars planitis.