Search results for "Chain reaction"
showing 10 items of 1862 documents
Identification of a Unique Helicobacter Species by 16S rRNA Gene Analysis in an Abdominal Abscess from a Patient with X-Linked Hypogammaglobulinemia
2000
ABSTRACT A unique Helicobacter species, MZ640285, was isolated from a patient with X-linked hypogammaglobulinemia suffering from recurrent abdominal abscesses and was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. In the phylogenetic tree, the isolate fell into a cluster which included Flexispira rappini , Helicobacter bilis , and Helicobacter sp. strain Mainz. Helicobacters are being increasingly recognized as pathogens in immunocompromised hosts. These fastidious bacteria are not easily cultured in the routine diagnostic laboratory, and this is the first report of their identification by 16S rRNA gene sequencing performed directly from a clinical specimen.
Identification of Candida dubliniensis among oral yeast isolates from an italian population of human immunodeficiency virus-infected (HIV +) subjects
2002
Candida dubliniensis, an emerging oral pathogen, phenotypically resembles Candida albicans so closely that it is easily misidentified as such. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of two phenotypic methods, growth at 45 degrees C and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction, for confirming presumptive identification of C. dubliniensis and C. albicans by colony color on CHROMagar Candida (CAC) medium. A combination of these methods was used to establish the prevalence of oral C. dubliniensis in an Italian population of 45 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects. Twenty-two samples (48.9%) were positive for yeasts on CAC medium producing a total …
Role of PCR in Diagnosis and Prognosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Patients Coinfected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1
2001
ABSTRACT A group of 76 consecutive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients with fever of unknown origin ( n = 52) or fever associated with pulmonary diseases was evaluated in order to assess the usefulness of PCR with peripheral blood in the diagnosis and follow-up of visceral leishmaniasis. We identified 10 cases of visceral leishmaniasis among the 52 patients with fever of unknown origin. At the time of diagnosis, all were parasitemic by PCR with peripheral blood. During follow-up, a progressive decline in parasitemia was observed under therapy, and all patients became PCR negative after a median of 5 weeks (range, 6 to 21 weeks). However, in eight of nine patients monitored …
Application of mtDNA sequence analysis in forensic casework for the identification of human remains
2000
Abstract In four forensic cases of unidentified skeletal remains investigated in the last year, we were able to attach three to missing persons. In one case we could show that the discovered bone sample did not fit to a missing child. The method for mitochondrial DNA analysis for the routine identification of skeletal remains was established in our institute by typing bone samples of defined age obtained from Frankfurt's cemetery. Reproducible results were obtained for bones up to 75 years old. For analysis the bone samples were pulverised to fine powder, decalcified and DNA was extracted. From the DNA we amplified a 404-bp fragment from HV-1 and a 379-bp fragment from HV-2 of the mtDNA con…
Differential expression of specific microRNA and their targets in acute myeloid leukemia
2010
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) the most common acute leukemia in adults is characterized by various cytogenetic and molecular abnormalities. However, the genetic etiology of the disease is not yet fully understood. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small noncoding RNAs which regulate the expression of target mRNAs both at transcriptional and translational level. In recent years, miRNAs have been identified as a novel mechanism in gene regulation, which show variable expression during myeloid differentiation. We studied miRNA expression of leukemic blasts of 29 cases of newly diagnosed and genetically defined AML using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for 365 human miR…
Phenotypic and genetic analysis of biofilm formation by Staphylococcus epidermidis.
2012
Objective. The most important virulence factor of Staphylococcus epidermidis is their capability to form a biofilm on the surfaces of implanted medical devices. The accumulative phase of biofilm formation is linked to the production of intercellular adhesin encoded by the icaADBC operon and accumulation-associated protein by the aap gene. The aim of the study was to investigate biofilm formation phenotypically and genetically in clinical strains of S. epidermidis in comparison with commensal strains. Material and Methods. The study was carried out in 4 hospitals in Riga, Latvia. In total, 105 clinical strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from patients’ blood (n=67) and intravenous…
Human papillomavirus DNA in oral mucosal lesions
2002
This study determined the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in oral mucosa cells from 121 patients with different types of oral mucosal lesions (13 squamous cell carcinomas, 59 potentially malignant lesions, 49 benign erosive ulcerative lesions) and from 90 control subjects. HPV DNA was detected by nested polymerase chain reaction, and genotype was determined by DNA sequencing. HPV prevalence was 61.5% in carcinomas, 27.1% in potentially malignant lesions, 26.5% in erosive ulcerative lesions, and 5.5% in control subjects. The risk of malignant or potentially malignant lesions was associated with HPV and was statistically significant. HPV-18 was found in 86.5% of HPV-positive lesion…
P16INK4A and p15INK4B gene alteration associated with oxidative stress in renal cell carcinomas after the chernobyl accident (pilot study).
2002
Our study was undertaken to better understand the role of G1/S transition abnormalities in the malignant progression of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs), exposed to long-term low doses of ionizing radiation (IR), from patients living in radiocontaminated areas of the Ukraine after the Chernobyl accident. We studied p16 and p15 gene alteration in association with oxidative stress markers, including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2). We analyzed 88 samples collected from 22 patients with RCCs and with different exposure to IR. Homozygous deletion of the p16 and p15 genes, as well as hypermethylation of the 5CpG island in the promoter region of the same genes, were…
Low SPINK5 expression in chronic rhinosinusitis
2012
Objectives/Hypothesis: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a multifactorial disease that probably arises as a result of genetic diversity and environmental factors. SPINK5 is a serine protease inhibitor, which is supposed to be an important regulator of epithelial barrier maintenance. The role of SPINK5 polymorphisms and expression in CRS, especially in individuals with aspirin intolerance, is unclear. Study Design: SPINK5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and SPINK5 expression levels were correlated with CRS without (CRSsNP) and with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), aspirin intolerance, asthma, and allergies. Methods: One hundred four nasal tissue samples, 15 from patients with CRSsNP, 59 from pati…
Expression of Matrix-Degrading Cysteine Proteinase Cathepsin K in Cholesteatoma
2001
Cholesteatoma is a nonneoplastic lesion of the middle ear space or mastoid that is histologically characterized by a progressive bone erosion of the ossicles and surrounding bone. Several matrix-degrading enzymes have been implicated as mediators of this bone erosion. Because the novel cysteine proteinase cathepsin K has been shown to play a central role in bone resorption, we examined the expression of this enzyme in tissue specimens of cholesteatoma. Tissue specimens of 9 patients with cholesteatoma were obtained during middle-ear surgery. Expression of cathepsin K mRNA was determined by RT-PCR using specific primers. Immunohistochemical analysis of cathepsin K protein expression in tissu…