Detection of leptospiral antibodies by microscopic agglutination test in north-east of Iran

Objective:To detect leptospiral antibodies by microscopic agglutination test(MAT) in northeast of Iran.Methods:This study was conducted to evaluate prevalence of human leptospiral infections by MAT.using six current reference strains of Leptospira interrogans in north-east of Iran.A total of 285 serum samples were collected from three north-east provinces of Iran,from December,2009 to June,2010.Results:Antibodies were detected at least against one serovar of Leptospira interrogans in 45 sera(15.79%) among 283 samples at a dilution 1:100 or greater.Positive titers against more than one serovar were detected in 24 sera of the positive samples.Therefore, there were 75 positive reactions against different serovar of Leptospira interrogans.Positive titers were recorded against serovar icterohaemorrhagiae(31 samples),hardjo(26 samples), grippotyphosa(7 samples),pomona(5 samples),canicola(4 samples) and ballum(2.sample). Conclusions:In present study the most prevalent(Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae) and the least prevalent(Leptospira ballum) serovar are different from previous studies.Maybe,species and prevalence of serovars change during the lime in one area and between regions.

Bioactive extracts of red seaweeds Pterocladiella capillacea and Osmundaria obtusiloba(Floridophyceae:Rhodophyta) with antioxidant and bacterial agglutination potential

Objective:To evaluate the antioxidant,antibacterial and bacterial cell agglutination activities of the hexane(Hex) and 70%ethanol(70%EtOH) extracts of two species of red seaweeds Pterocladiella capillacea(P.capillacea) and Osmundaria obtusiloba.Methods:In vitro antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH radical scavenging assay,ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay,ferrous ion chelating assay,β-carotene bleaching assay and total phenolic content quantification.Antimicrobial activity was tested using the method of disc diffusion on Mueller-Hinton medium.The ability of algal extracts to agglutinate bacterial cells was also tested.Results:The 70%EtOH extract of the two algae showed the highest values of total phenolic content compared to the Hex extract.The results of DPPH for both extracts(Hex,70%EtOH) of Osmundaria obtusiloba(43.46%and 99.47%) were higher than those of P.capillacea(33.04%and 40.81%) at a concentration of 1 000 μg/mL.As for the ferrous ion chelating,there was an opposite behavior,extracts of P.capillacea had a higher activity.The extracts showed a low ferric-reducing antioxidant power,with optical density ranging from0.054 to 0.180.Antioxidant activities of all extracts evaluated for β-carotene bleaching were above 40%.There was no antibacterial activity against bacterial strains tested.However,the extracts of both species were able to agglutinate bacterial Gram positive cells of Staphylococcus aureus and Gram negative cells of Escherichia coli,multidrug-resistant Salmonella and Vibrio harveyi.Conclusions This is the first report of the interaction between these algal extracts,rich in natural compounds with antioxidant potential,and Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial cells.

Severe Labial Agglutination Release in a Postmenopausal Woman

Labial agglutination occurs when the labia minora have become fused in the midline through either filmy or dense adhesions, forming a raphe. This condition is typically seen in pre-pubertal girls;however, there have been cases reported in the literature of labial agglutination in postmenopausal and reproductive aged women. Labial agglutination has been associated with local irritation and inflammation in the setting of a hypoestrogenic state. Topical treatment is usually recommended prior to manual separation. However, some postmenopausal women have been refractory to conservative management, and surgery may then be required. We present a case of a 79-year-old Caucasian gravida 3 para 3 who was referred for treatment refractory labial agglutination for 3 years. The patient’s complaints included a small trickle escaping from the introitus during urination and the sensation of little urinary control. The patient underwent an exam under anesthesia. Gentle blunt dissection with a lacrimal dilator easily separated the labia minora down the visible midline fusion line (raphe). Bimanual exam then revealed a 12-week-sized enlarged uterus confirmed on ultrasound to be an 8 × 8 × 7 cm irregular mass concerning for uterine cancer. Proceeding to an operative release of severe labial agglutination can relieve patient discomfort and frustration when estradiol therapy has failed. In addition to alleviating symptoms, releasing labial agglutination can also provide the gynecologist access to critical screening procedures such as cervical cytology or a bimanual exam, all of which could lead to a diagnosis or pre-cancerous or cancerous lesions.

A rapid, simple, and sensitive immunoagglutination assay with silica nanoparticles for serotype identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

An agglutination test based on colored silica nanoparticles(colored SiNps) was established to detect serotypes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Monodisperse colored SiNps were used as agglutination test carriers. The colored SiNps were prepared through reverse microemulsion with reactive dyes, sensitized with 11 kinds of mono-specific antibodies against P. aeruginosa, and denoted as IgG-colored SiNps. Eleven kinds of IgG-colored SiNps were individually mixed with P. aeruginosa on a glass slide.Different serotypes of P. aeruginosa could be identified by agglutination test with evident agglutination. The P. aeruginosa could be detected in a range from 3.6×10^5 to 3.6×10^12 cfu mL^–1. This new agglutination test was confirmed to be a specific,sensitive, fast, easy-to-perform, and cost-efficient tool for the routine diagnosis of P. aeruginosa.

Preparation and evaluation of a glycerol-preserved direct agglutination antigen for long-term preservation:a comparative study of the detection of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies in human and dog

Objective:To prepare and evaluate a glycerol-preserved antigen from an Iranian strain of Leishmania infantum(L infantum) for use in glycerol-preserved direct agglutination tests (GP-DAT) as an alternative to freeze dried direct agglutination teals(FD-DAT) that use freezedried antigen.Methods:Glycerol-preserved DAT antigen was prepared and stored at different temperatures.We tested antigen stored at 4℃,22-37℃and 50℃over a period of 365 days. Seven hundred twenty-nine serum samples were collected from different geographical zones of Iran from 2007-2009,and 80 of these samples were pooled to produce sera.Each pooled serum contained 10 sera.All positive and negative pooled sera were separately tested for anti-L. infantum antibodies with GP-DAT,FD-DAT and formaldehyde-fixed direct agglutination test (FF-DAT) antigens;tests were performed on both human and dog sera over a period of 12 months. Results:There was strong agreement between the results obtained using GP-DAT and FDDAT antigens stored at 22-37℃for 12 months for both human(100%) and dog(100%) pooled sera.The direct agglutination test results were highly reproducible(weighted kappa:GP=0.833, FD=0.979 and FF=0.917).Conclusions:Because GP-DAT antigen is highly stable over a range of temperatures and is easy to transport in the field,this type of antigen may be particularly useful in areas with endemic visceral leishmaniasis.

Biological Characteristics of Serum Agglutinin from Portunus trituberculatus

The agglutination characteristics of serum agglutinin from Portunus trituberculatus were studied in this paper. The results showed that the serum agglutinin had no agglutination to crucian carp, Chinese soft shell turtle, grass carp, chicken or human group A, B or O blood cells, but had strong agglutination to blood cells of mice and rabbits. The activities of serum agglutinin from Portunus trituberculatus to mice blood cells reached 210, and to rabbit blood cells reached 28. Salinity had a greater effect on agglutinin activity. When the Na Cl concentration exceeded 0.6 mol/L,the serum agglutinin from Portunus trituberculatus was basically inactivated. The optimum p H for agglutinin activity was 6.0-7.4. The serum agglutinin from Portunus trituberculatus had obvious dependence to Ca2 ＋and Mg2 ＋, and EDTA could significantly inhibit its activity. The results of sugar inhibition test showed that the activity of agglutinin from Portunus trituberculatus can be specifically inhibited by N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmannosamine. The serum agglutinin from Portunus trituberculatus was isolated by ammonium sulfate gradient precipitation, and its activity was highest by the 25% ammonium sulfate precipitation system. The SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis（SDS-PAGE） showed that the protein bands were mainly distributed within 72-95 ku.

Clinical observation on pericardial effusion in patients with lung cancer treated by intrapericardial catheterization and infusion of highly agglutinative staphylococcin and cisplatin

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of injecting highly agglutinative staphylococcin (HASL) and cisplatin into pericardial cavity of lung cancer patients with pericardial effusion. Methods: 81 patients were randomized into two groups: 45 in the experimental group (HASL and Cisplatin) and 36 in the control group (Cisplatin). At first pericardial effusion was drained out from a intrapericardial catheter and then different drugs were infused, respectively. 24 h after perfusion the draining continued again until drainage quantity was less than 30 mL every day. The draining lasted 10–15 days. Results: The response rate was 91.1% for the experimental group and 80.6% for the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The complete remission was 77.8% for the experimental group and 52.8% for the control group, which was statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The adverse effects were myelosuppression and nausea and vomiting, which were 35.6% and 40.0% in the experimental group and 72.2% and 66.7% in the control group, respectively (P<0.01, P<0.05). Conclusion: Inject- ing HASL and cisplatin into pericardial cavity may be a better way to control pericardial effusion of lung cancer.

Changing common sense:Anti-platelet/coagulation therapy against cirrhosis

Until recently,anti-platelet/coagulation therapy had not been recommended for patients with cirrhosis.Although venous thrombosis is one of the representative complications of cirrhosis and ischemic disorders associated with atherosclerosis are not infrequent in cirrhotic patients,many clinicians have tended to hesitate to introduce anti-platelet/coagulation therapy to their patients.Undoubtedly,this is due to the increased risk of hemorrhagic diathesis in cirrhotic patients.However,accumulating evidence has revealed the benefits of anti-platelet/coagulation therapy for cirrhotic patients.In addition to the safety of the therapy carried out against cardiovascular diseases in cirrhotic patients,some clinical data have indicated its preventive effect on venous thrombosis.Moreover,the efficacy of antiplatelet/coagulation therapy against cirrhosis itself has been demonstrated both clinically and experimentally.The conceptual basis for application of anti-platelet/coagulation therapy against cirrhosis was constructed through two pathologic studies on intrahepatic thrombosis in cirrhotic livers.It may be better to use thrombopoietinreceptor agonists,which have been tested as a treatment for cirrhosis-related thrombocytopenia,in combination with anti-platelet drugs to reduce the risk of venous thrombosis.During the last decade,the World Journal of Gastroenterology,a sister journal of World Journal of Hepatology,has been one of the main platforms of active discussion of this theme.

Exploring the Insecticidal Potentiality of <i>Amorphophallus paeonifolius</i>Tuber Agglutinin in Hemipteran Pest Management

Hemipteran group of sap sucking insect pests cause worldwide crop destruction. The role of mannose specific monocot lectins have recently been worked out in hemipteran pest management. The present article demonstrates the insecticidal efficacy of a new mannose specific agglutinin, isolated from tubers of Amorphophallus paeonifolius (AMTL) against a wide range of hemipteran insects. The 25 kDa dimeric protein was found to inhibit the survivability of hemipteran insects namely, Lipaphis erysimi, Aphis gossypii and Dysdercus cingulatus quite efficiently, as analysed by synthetic diet based bioassay experiments. Surface Plasmon Resonance study detected binding of insecticidal AMTL to insect gut brush border membrane vesicle (BBMV) protein, an absolute prerequisite for conferring toxicity against target insects. Further ligand blot analysis spotted a ~74 kDa glycoprotein as putative receptor of AMTL from the total BBMV protein fraction of Lipaphis erysimi. Phylogenetic analysis showed a significant relatedness of AMTL to the previously established monocot lectin Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) in terms of their conserved mannose binding domains, agglutinating ability of rabbit erythrocytes and insecticidal efficacies. These information project AMTL as a promising candidate in preventing crop loss caused due to hemipteran insect attack.

Hemorrhagic Bartholin’s cyst in a woman using anti-platelet medication:A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND We report the case of a postmenopausal female with a hemorrhagic Bartholin’s cyst who has been using an antiplatelet medication.CASE SUMMARY A postmenopausal woman,84 years of age,had a medical history of hypertension,diabetes mellitus,coronary artery disease(three-vessel disease),chronic kidney disease(stage 3),and dementia.The patient has been taking clopidogrel,an antiplatelet medication,for several years.She presented at our outpatient clinic complaining of painful swelling over her left vulva for several days.A Bartholin’s cyst over the left vulva was suspected,and the patient underwent marsupialization under local anesthesia,which was well-tolerated.During the incision procedure,bright-red blood with some blood clots was discharged,and a hemorrhagic Bartholin’s cyst was observed.There was no recurrence of the hemorrhagic Bartholin’s cyst during the 6-mo subsequent follow-up period.CONCLUSION Hemorrhagic Bartholin’s cysts rarely occur.We report the case of a postmenopausal female with a hemorrhagic Bartholin’s cyst who had been on antiplatelets and was successfully treated with marsupialization.No recurrence was noted during the 6-mo follow-up period.Older females taking antiplatelets should be cautious of bleeding when presenting with a Bartholin’s cyst.

Spreading Agglutinated Foraminifera near Rift Structures of West-Siberian and Other Provinces

Agglutinated quartz-siliceous foraminifera are widely spread in West Siberian, at least in Canadian and Middle Asia provinces. Considerable amounts of these forms are assigned to the rift structures which stretch out in the meridional direction in these provinces. The foraminifera assemblages of these forms may have been formed in the Arctic basin. As an example, we have studied agglutinated foraminifera of the Cenomanian-Turonian in the provinces along the rift to which industrial hydrocarbon field is assigned. The Plates 1-4—Cenomanian-Turonian agglutinated foraminifera of West-Siberian provinces are presented. Correlation of Foraminiferal zones and layers of West Siberian and Canadian provinces, showing the agglutinated index-species foraminifera are presented.

SCREENING OF AGGLUTININS IN MARINE ALGAE FROM FUJIAN COAST OF CHINA

Thirty three species of marine algae belonging to Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta from the Fujian coast were examined for agglutinins with different animal and human erythrocytes. Protein extracts from 26 species were active against at least one type of the erythrocytes tested. There were 3 species ( Grateloupia imbricata, Ishige foliacea and Entermorpha prolifera ) whose extracts could agglutinate all the erythrocytes used. The lowest protein concentration required to produce erythrocyte agglutination varied remarkably, from 3.1 μg/ml to 500 μg/ml . The strongest activity was found in the agglutination of rabbit erythrocytes by Gloiopeltis furcata extract. Inhibition assays performed with nine mono and bisaccharides indicated that agglutinations of rabbit erythrocytes by extracts of 7 species were inhibited by one or more types of the sugars assayed. The agglutinating activity shown by extracts of most species was not affected when the test solution was heated to 90℃, but was lost at 95℃-100℃. A few extracts lost their activity at 60℃, 65℃ and 75 ℃, respectively.

The Distribution of Agglutinated Foraminifera in Porong and Solo Deltas, East Java

Organisms of delta form unique ecosystem consist of organisms of endemic, ocean and transition waters. Both Porong and Solo Deltas of East Java have a unique morphological characteristic because they were formed by different sediments. During the study on foraminifera in the two deltas, agglutinated foraminifera were given special attention since there were so few records on the occurrence of this group from Indonesia. Agglutinated foraminifera characterized by their shell （test） formed materials that consisting of attachment of foreign materials and cemented by CaCO3 and SiO3. This study was conducted on November 2007 and showed the relatively similar result on Porong and Solo Deltas in term of species. But the number of collected specimens is significantly different, which was recorded more than doubled. Of the 15 stations studied in each delta, 19 species were collected from the Porong Delta and 21 species were in all 15 stations of the Solo Delta. The stations which located close to the mouth of the river contain more number of individuals than that away from it, especially Ammobaculites agglutinans and Textularia pseudogramen. Generally, the number of collected agglutinated foraminifera of Porong Delta was more abundant than Solo Delta.

IgG型意外抗体鉴定用试剂盒(固相凝集法)的研发

目的研发IgG型意外抗体鉴定用试剂盒(固相凝集法)。方法琥珀酰亚胺溶液包被微孔板后,将谱细胞悬液加入微孔板中制得红细胞单层,随后用1×PBS(pH7.40)裂解红细胞单层形成细胞膜单层;将低温干燥保护液加至细胞膜单层表面,4℃干燥后制成试剂盒反应板;定期用制备的试剂盒测试低效价IgG抗-E和抗-Fy a,以评估试剂盒稳定性;对72例意外抗体阳性血浆标本和152例正常血浆标本采用研发的试剂盒和微柱凝胶卡进行抗体鉴定试验,计算灵敏度和特异度指标,采用卡方检验分析,以评估试剂盒的检测性能。结果琥珀酰亚胺包被的微板能够较好的固定裂解后的红细胞膜;低温干燥保护液对膜单层能够形成较好的保护作用;在各个观察点内,低效价的IgG抗-E和抗-Fy a均能被准确检出;与微柱凝胶卡相比,72例意外抗体阳性的标本,固相法试剂盒正确检出70例,同时纠正1例凝胶卡漏检的抗-JK a;152例意外抗体阴性标本,2种试剂分别正确检出149例和152例。两者的灵敏度为97.22%(70/72)vs 98.61%(71/72),特异度为98.02%(149/152)vs 100%(152/152),配对卡方检验结果表明,2种试剂盒的检测结果差异不具有统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论采用固相凝集法研发的试剂盒,适用于IgG型意外抗体的鉴定。

沙门菌血清分型方法的比较

血清分型是沙门菌最基本和最重要的流行病学调查手段,不同血清型沙门菌引起的临床症状和造成的危害不同,快速准确地进行血清分型对于畜禽沙门菌病的防控和公共卫生安全意义重大。基于此,本试验选择我国1971—2020年分离的51株沙门菌(13种血清型),分别用全基因组测序(WGS)分型方法和液相芯片分型方法进行血清分型,并与玻片凝集法进行比较,分析3种分型方法的优劣。结果显示,玻片凝集法测得51株沙门菌的血清分型结果与原始结果一致;WGS分型方法和液相芯片分型方法分别测得34株和23株沙门菌血清分型与玻片凝集法结果一致。3种分型方法相比,WGS分型方法可鉴定出玻片凝集法和液相芯片分型方法无法分型的菌株,在操作时间和成本上更具优势。本试验可为沙门菌的血清分型研究提供参考。

血小板自身抗体在血小板输注无效中的临床意义

目的观察血小板自身抗体与同种抗体对血小板交叉配型难易程度及输注效果的影响。方法选择2021年7月—2023年9月在本实验室完成血小板抗体鉴定的106例血小板输注无效(PTR)患者,根据血小板抗体类型将患者分为两组,20例自身抗体阳性患者为观察组,86例同种抗体阳性患者为对照组。比较两组患者配型相合次数百分率、配型相合供者百分率、输注交叉配型相合血小板及随机血小板的24 h血小板计数增加指数(CCI)值及输注有效率的差异,并对观察组自身抗体变化情况进行追踪。结果观察组的配型相合次数百分率及配型相合供者百分率均高于对照组(P<0.05)。观察组患者输注交叉配型相合血小板与随机血小板的24 h CCI值及输注有效率均无显著性差异(P>0.05),对照组患者输注交叉配型相合血小板的24 h CCI值及输注有效率均高于输注随机血小板(P<0.001),对照组患者输注交叉配型相合血小板后24 h CCI值及输注有效率比观察组高(P<0.05),对照组和观察组输注随机血小板后24 h CCI值及输注有效率无显著性差异(P>0.05)。观察组多数患者的自身抗体强度呈下降趋势。结论血小板自身抗体对血小板交叉配型难易程度及输注效果的影响比同种抗体小。血小板自身抗体强度随时间推移呈现逐渐下降乃至消失的规律。在临床实践中,对于自身抗体患者的治疗,应当首先查找病因,并进行针对性治疗,如果需要输注血小板,可以选择输注随机血小板。