Anti-Kp 90 IgA antibodies in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Accurate diagnosis of active tuberculosis (TB) has been difficult historically, yet a great demand persists for a rapid and reliable diagnostic method. Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis anti-Kp 90 IgA antibodies is one of the more novel techniques. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic value of a recently developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, which detects IgA antibodies against M tuberculosis Kp 90 antigen, and to compare the results with conventional diagnosis and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. PARTICIPANTS: Serum, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-blood, and body fluid samples were obtained from 51 patients with active TB and 71 control subjects. The clinical diagnosis of TB was supported by a positive culture (n = 6), detection of acid-fast bacilli on smear (n = 35), or both (n = 10). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: IgA antibodies were detected in sera and/or body fluid samples from 82% of patients with TB and 10% of controls. M tuberculosis DNA was detected in body fluid sample of 96% and blood sample of 49% of patients with TB by PCR. None of the blood and 5.6% of the body fluid specimens from controls were PCR-positive. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-Kp 90 IgA antibodies were detected using ELISA in 78% of serum and 69% of body fluids from patients with TB, therefore, this test is promising for the diagnosis of active TB and appears to be more reliable, particularly for body fluid samples.

New naphthyloxyalkyl beta-diketone and 3,5-dimethylisoxazole derivatives as potential antiviral agents.

Ten new compounds having 3-[(2-naphthyloxy)alkyl]-2,4-pentanedione and 4-[(2-naphthyloxy)alkyl]-3,5-dimethylisoxazole structures were synthesized and their cytotoxicities and antiviral activities investigated. 3-[6-(2-Naphthyloxy)hexyl]-2,4-pentandione possessing inhibitory activity on the replication of both adenovirus type 5 and poliovirus type 1 at 20 micrograms/ml was the most active compound in the series.

The distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in Turkish patients.

The distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes was investigated in 89 HCV-infected Turkish patients. Blood samples were collected from haemodialysis patients (n = 45), chronic liver disease (CLD) patients (n = 38), acute non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis patients (n = 2) and blood donors (n = 4). HCV RNA sequences were amplified in the 5' non-coding region and were typed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The predominant genotype was 1b (75.3%), followed by 1a (19.1%), 2 (3.4%) and 4 (2.2%). While there was no significant difference in the distribution of HCV genotypes with respect to age, sex, transfusion history, alanine aminotransferase levels or liver histology (in the CLD group), type 1a-infected patients were younger than type 1b-infected patients (P < 0.05) in the haemodialysis group. Serological reactivity to recombinant HCV proteins was assessed in 58 samples using the Chiron RIBA-2 assay. The reactivity of samples from patients infected with type 1b with 5-1-1 and c100 antigens was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than the reactivity of samples from those infected with type 1a. These results, together with the results of two previous studies, indicate that HCV genotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4 are prevalent in different frequencies in the Turkish population. Determination of the genotype distribution of HCV in a geographical area may provide important clues for studying the epidemiology, transmission and pathogenesis of HCV-related diseases and may also aid in improving serological assays to detect HCV infection.

Epidermoid carcinoma-cell culture supernatant's inhibition of monocyte chemotaxis: evidence for a tumour-mediated effect.

Epidermoid carcinoma-cell culture supernatants obtained from three laryngeal-epidermoid carcinoma patients were tested in the monocyte suspensions of 13 stage I and stage II (TNM) head and neck epidermoid-carcinoma patients and seven healthy controls for its chemotactic inhibitor activity in vitro with a modified Boyden chamber method. Using 2% casein as the chemoattractant, mean values of monocyte chemotaxis and random migration were found to be decreased in the patient group compared to the controls in a simultaneous assay recorded by the "leading front" method. Simultaneous experiments performed with the supernatant revealed a nearly double-fold increase in random migration and depressed chemotaxis in both groups. The supernatant caused a further depression in the chemotaxis of the patients' already-disabled monocytes, which is thought to be representative for advanced stage tumours. The depression of monocyte chemotaxis, especially in the control group, implies the presence of tumour-derived chemotactic inhibitor(s) for monocytes in the supernatant.

[Detection of BK virus activation in renal and bone marrow transplantation patients using serological and virological methods]. / Böbrek ve kemik iligi transplantasyonu yapilan hastalarda BK virus aktivasyonun serolojik ve virolojik yönden arastirilmasi.

In this study, 10 renal and bone marrow transplant recipients' sera samples taken before and after transplantation and urine samples taken after transplantation were investigated for evidence of reactivation of BK virus, a human polyoma virus. BK virus reactivation was detected in 4 transplant patients serologically by hemagglutination inhibition, ELISA-IgG and ELISA-IgM tests. However we did not succeed to isolate BK virus in Vero cell lines from any urine samples. Only one patient's urine sediment whom serologic reactivation was detected, contained uroepithelial cells with intranuclear inclusion bodies characteristic for BK virus when examined by Giemsa staining.

The role of viruses and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in lower respiratory tract infections in childhood.

Acute lower respiratory tract infections are one of the major causes of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries. This study was undertaken at Hacettepe University Children's Hospital to determine the role of viruses and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in respiratory tract infections in children. Eighty-three patients with lower respiratory tract infections were selected at random from among the children admitted to the hospital for evaluation of respiratory symptoms. Acute and convalescent serum samples were collected from all patients for the complement-fixation test and the following antigens were used: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, parainfluenza virus Type 1, influenza viruses A and B, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The test was positive in 39 of 83 patients (47%), and RSV was the most frequent agent detected serologically (15.7%).

Intraventricular interferon and oral inosiplex in the treatment of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

We treated 22 patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) with intraventricular alpha-interferon (IFN) and inosiplex PO and followed them for 2 to 54 months. Three deaths occurred. Clinical improvement, demonstrated by decreasing scores on the Neurological Disability Index, occurred in 11/22 (50%); five patients became stable, and the progression rate of the disease decreased in three. The remission rate was significantly higher than untreated controls from the same institution. Patients who had a slowly progressive disease responded best to treatment. Serious side effects were rare. We recommend intraventricular IFN, combined with oral inosiplex, in the treatment of SSPE.

[New vaccines]. / Yeni asilar.

In this article, schedule for active immunization of normal infants and children in the routine strategy have been reviewed and some of the new vaccines were defined.

[New human polyomavirus: comparison of hemagglutination inhibition, ELISA and complement fixation tests for BK virus serology]. / Yeni insan polyoma virusu: BK virus serolojisinde hemaglütinasyon onlenim, ELISA ve kompleman birlesmesi testlerinin karsilastirilmasi.

In this study, 110 sera samples taken from healthy persons were tested for BK virus antibodies by using hemagglutination inhibition (HI), ELISA and complement fixation (CF) tests to detect the sensitivity, specificity and agreement of these tests. The results of each individual test was compared with others for sensitivity and specificity. Specificity found to be 96% when HI and CF tests were compared. Sensitivity also found to be 92.7% when CF and ELISA tests were compared. Agreement of HI and ELISA tests were 88%.

[New human polyomavirus; BK virus antibody levels in different age groups using the hemagglutination inhibition test]. / Degisik yas gruplarinda yeni insan polyoma virusu; BK virus hemaglütinasyon önlenim antikor düzeyleri.

In this study, 1123 human sera samples obtained from healthy persons belonging to various age groups were tested in order to detect the distribution of antibody levels against the new human polyomavirus, BK. All sera samples were tested by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test and 881 (78.5%) of those were found to be positive and 242 (21.5%) were negative. The percentage of positivity was 65.3% between the ages of 1 to 5 years, and over 80% in the group aged 6 years or older. Furthermore, between 1 to 10 years of ages HI antibody titers were higher than the older age groups. Our results indicate that antibody to BK virus infections are remarkably frequent in our population and acquisition of BK virus appeared to be common in childhood.

[The in vitro activity of ciprofloxacin against clinically-isolated strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and comparison with some other antibiotics]. / Ciprofloxacinin çesitli klinik örneklerden izole edilen Pseudomonas aeruginosa suslarina karsa in-vitro antibakteriyel etkisi ve bu etkinin diger bazi antibiyotiklerle kiyaslanmasi.

In this study the susceptibility to ciprofloxacin of 100 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from various clinical specimens was investigated by disk diffusion test and macrodilution method, and was compared with other various antibiotics. Both of the methods showed that 98 of the strains were susceptible to ciprofloxacin. MIC50 of ciprofloxacin was found to be 0.12, and MIC90 0.50 mcgr/ml for these strains. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were found to be highly susceptible to ciprofloxacin in in-vitro conditions.

[Herpes simplex type I virus observed in the superior cervical ganglion from human cadavers and autopsy materials]. / Insan kadavra ve otopsi materyallerinden elde edilen ganglion cervicale superius'larda herpes simplex tip I virusunun arastirilmasi.

Herpes Simplex Type I (HSV I) causes some infections such as herpes labialis, encephalitis, keratoconjunctivitis and also some cranial nerve syndromes such as acute vestibular neuritis, migraine and Meniere's disease in human. We used 4 fixated and 16 fresh cadavers to isolate HSV I virus from the Superior Cervical Ganglia. The ganglia materials are inoculated to PRK (primary rabbit kidney), VERO (African Green Monkey Kidney) and BHK 21 (Baby Hamster Kidney) cell lines in order to isolate the virus. We isolated HSV I virus from 12 fresh cadavers' cervical ganglia (75%) and neutralisation test is performed in order to characterize HSV I. But we could not isolate the virus from any of the fixated cadavers.

[AIDS: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome]. / AIDS: Akkiz Immunyetmezlik Sendromu.

In this article the molecular biology of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) which is the causative agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome and the pathogenesis, epidemiology and clinical picture of the syndrome, the current therapeutic approaches and the developments in the vaccination studies were reviewed.

[The viral etiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]. / Amyotrofik lateral sklerozda viral etyolojinin arastirilmasi.

Roles of immunologic factors and slow virus infections in the aetiopathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have recently gained significance. For this purpose, presence of poliovirus type I, measles and herpes simplex (HSV) type I antibodies were determined in the sera of ALS patients by complement fixation technique. Significant increase in antibody titers for poliovirus type I and HSV type I were determined in sera of ALS patients in comparison with controls and patients with other neurologic disorders.

[Detection of seropositivity against rubella virus in women in the reproductive age and comparison of the rubella hemagglutination inhibition test and the ELISA-IgG test]. / Dogurganlik yasindaki kadinlarda kizamikçik seropozitiflik oraninin hemaglütinasyon önlenim ve ELISA IgG yöntemleri ile saptanmasi ve kiyaslanmasi.

In this study Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) and ELISA-IgG tests used for Rubella serology were compared in terms of specificity and sensitivity In addition, 100 sera samples taken from women in pregnancy age were tested for Rubella antibodies. The results indicated that the sensitivity of Rubella ELISA IgG test is 100% and the specificity is 97.4%. The seropositivity of women in pregnancy age was found to be 93% by Rubella ELISA-IgG test.