Dermatophyte infection or ringworm is a superficial cutaneous infection with one or more of the fungal species of the keratinophilic genera Microsporum, Trichophyton, or Epidermophyton and is a zoonosis with a great i...Dermatophyte infection or ringworm is a superficial cutaneous infection with one or more of the fungal species of the keratinophilic genera Microsporum, Trichophyton, or Epidermophyton and is a zoonosis with a great impact on public health. Dermatophytes were identified from rabbit sample cultures submitted to mycological examination in the Laboratory of Microbiology of the University of Tr^-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal. All samples were collected from suspected clinical cases. Dermatophytes were cultured from 4 of the 55 specimens （7.3%）. The dermatophytes isolated were Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes （1.8%） and Microsporum gypseum （5.5%）. Microscopic examination was negative in all specimens. In this work, Scopulariopsis spp., a contaminant mould, was identified in 13 specimens （23.6%）. The proportion of positive samples in relation to the number of samples examined from cases suspected was very low. As all samples were collected from rabbits with compatible signs, we presume that the low prevalence of isolation was due to laboratory constraints on dermatophytes diagnosis.展开更多
The establishment of highly sensitive diagnostic methods is critical in the early diagnosis and control of Zika virus(ZIKV)and in preventing serious neurological complications of ZIKV infection. In this study, we esta...The establishment of highly sensitive diagnostic methods is critical in the early diagnosis and control of Zika virus(ZIKV)and in preventing serious neurological complications of ZIKV infection. In this study, we established micro-droplet digital polymerase chain reaction(ddPCR) and real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR) protocols for the detection of ZIKV based on the amplification of the NS5 gene. For the ZIKV standard plasmid, the RT-qPCR results showed that the cycle threshold(Ct) value was linear from 10~1 to 10~8 copy/l L, with a standard curve R^2 of 0.999 and amplification efficiency of 92.203%;however, a concentration as low as 1 copy/l L could not be detected. In comparison with RT-qPCR, the dd PCR method resulted in a linear range of 10~1–10~4 copy/l L and was able to detect concentrations as low as 1 copy/l L. Thus, for detecting ZIKV from clinical samples, RT-qPCR is a better choice for high-concentration samples(above 10~1 copy/l L),while ddPCR has excellent accuracy and sensitivity for low-concentration samples. These results indicate that the ddPCR method should be of considerable use in the early diagnosis, laboratory study, and monitoring of ZIKV.展开更多
文摘Dermatophyte infection or ringworm is a superficial cutaneous infection with one or more of the fungal species of the keratinophilic genera Microsporum, Trichophyton, or Epidermophyton and is a zoonosis with a great impact on public health. Dermatophytes were identified from rabbit sample cultures submitted to mycological examination in the Laboratory of Microbiology of the University of Tr^-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal. All samples were collected from suspected clinical cases. Dermatophytes were cultured from 4 of the 55 specimens （7.3%）. The dermatophytes isolated were Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes （1.8%） and Microsporum gypseum （5.5%）. Microscopic examination was negative in all specimens. In this work, Scopulariopsis spp., a contaminant mould, was identified in 13 specimens （23.6%）. The proportion of positive samples in relation to the number of samples examined from cases suspected was very low. As all samples were collected from rabbits with compatible signs, we presume that the low prevalence of isolation was due to laboratory constraints on dermatophytes diagnosis.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 31470271 and 81730110)Guangzhou Science and Technology Program key projects (No. 201803040006)
文摘The establishment of highly sensitive diagnostic methods is critical in the early diagnosis and control of Zika virus(ZIKV)and in preventing serious neurological complications of ZIKV infection. In this study, we established micro-droplet digital polymerase chain reaction(ddPCR) and real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR) protocols for the detection of ZIKV based on the amplification of the NS5 gene. For the ZIKV standard plasmid, the RT-qPCR results showed that the cycle threshold(Ct) value was linear from 10~1 to 10~8 copy/l L, with a standard curve R^2 of 0.999 and amplification efficiency of 92.203%;however, a concentration as low as 1 copy/l L could not be detected. In comparison with RT-qPCR, the dd PCR method resulted in a linear range of 10~1–10~4 copy/l L and was able to detect concentrations as low as 1 copy/l L. Thus, for detecting ZIKV from clinical samples, RT-qPCR is a better choice for high-concentration samples(above 10~1 copy/l L),while ddPCR has excellent accuracy and sensitivity for low-concentration samples. These results indicate that the ddPCR method should be of considerable use in the early diagnosis, laboratory study, and monitoring of ZIKV.
