Reproducibility problems with the AMPLICOR PCR Chlamydia trachomatis test.

In an attempt to use an expanded "gold standard" in an evaluation of an antigen detection test for Chlamydia trachomatis, the AMPLICOR (Roche Diagnostics Systems, Inc., Branchburg, N.J.

Comparison of the ProSpecT and Color Vue enzyme-linked immunoassays for the detection of Cryptosporidium in stool specimens.

Two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, the ProSpecT (Al-exon, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) and the Color Vue (Seradyn, Indianapolis, IN, USA) were compared for their ability to detect Cryptosporidium in 236 formalin-fixed stool specimens using the Merifluor C/G (Meridian, Cincinnati, OH, USA) stain as the reference method. The initial sensitivities of the ProSpecT and the Color Vue were 96.0% and 76.

Comparison of the Clearview Chlamydia, the PACE 2 assay, and culture for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis from cervical specimens in a low-prevalence population.

The Clearview Chlamydia assay (Wampole Laboratories, Cranbury, N.J.), the PACE 2 DNA probe assay (GenProbe, San Diego, Calif.

Comparison of different methods and cell lines for isolating measles virus.

Infectivity titers were determined for seven strains of measles virus by using various methods and cell lines. The use of B95-8 cells in a shell vial assay resulted in the highest infectivity titers. Our data suggest that B95-8 is the cell line of choice for the isolation of measles virus.

Degree and length of viremia in adults with measles.

Measles viremia is thought to peak at onset of rash and diminish rapidly over the subsequent 2-3 days. The length of viremia and the proportion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) infected during measles were investigated in 8 adults. Blood was obtained from 7 patients between days 2 and 4 of rash.

Comparison of monoclonal antibody and calcofluor white stains for the detection of Pneumocystis carinii from respiratory specimens.

Three monoclonal antibody staining kits, from Genetic Systems, Disease Detection International, and Meridian Diagnostics, were compared with calcofluor white for the direct detection of Pneumocystis carinii in respiratory specimens. Of the 150 specimens tested, 23 were found positive for P. carinii by any of the four stains; 13 were bronchoalveolar lavage, 7 were induced sputum and 3 were expectorated sputum specimens.

Evaluation of a new herpes simplex virus typing reagent for tissue culture confirmation.

Monoclonal antibody typing reagents for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) from California Integrated Diagnostics, Inc. (Berkeley, CA) were compared to two other commercially available HSV monoclonal antibody typing reagents. Of the 105 specimens tested, of which 81 were positive for HSV, there was 100% agreement with all three typing reagents.

Detection of herpes simplex virus by 8 h in shell vial cultures with primary rabbit kidney cells.

Shell vial (SV) cultures for herpes simplex virus using primary rabbit kidney cells stained at 8 h after inoculation were compared with 20-h SV cultures as well as conventional tissue culture. Of the 326 clinical specimens examined, conventional culture detected 67, and of these, 61 (91%) and 42 (63%) were detected by 20-h SV cultures and 8-h SV cultures, respectively.

Comparison of primary rabbit kidney and MRC-5 cells and two stain procedures for herpes simplex virus detection by a shell vial centrifugation method.

By using a conventional tissue culture method as a standard, four shell vial centrifugation culture (SVC) formats were compared for herpes simplex virus (HSV) detection in 300 clinical samples. Both MRC-5 and primary rabbit kidney (PRK) cells were used in the conventional and SVC systems. In addition, both a direct monoclonal fluorescent antibody to HSV (MAb-FA; Syva Corporation, Palo Alto, Calif.

Evaluation of a shell vial centrifugation method for the detection of herpes simplex virus.

A MRC-5 shell vial method was compared to a MRC-5 conventional tube cell culture method in 410 specimens, 88 of which were positive for herpes simplex virus. The shell vial had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 99% when compared to conventional cell culture.

Rotavirus gastroenteritis in southern California.

The epidemiology of rotavirus infections in Southern California was analyzed over a three year period, from January 1, 1981 through December 31, 1983. Data was available from patients seen at the University of California Irvine Medical Center (UCIMC), in addition to referral testing provided to the community in Orange County. Over the 3 yr period the laboratory performed 1172 rotavirus assays.

Evaluation of the Cellmatics and direct monoclonal fluorescence antibody staining for detection of genital chlamydial infections.

Three methods for Chlamydia trachomatis detection were compared: the Cellmatics (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, MI), a commercially available tissue culture system which contains a rat cell line; a direct fluorescent Chlamydia antibody (DFA) (Microtrak, Syva Corp., Palo Alto, California) stain; and a standard tissue culture isolation method employing McCoy cells. Of the 121 specimens in the study, 20 were positive by the standard cell culture.

Determination of immune status in patients with low antibody titers for rubella virus.

Three assays for detection of rubella antibodies, Rubella G (fluorescence immunoassay [FIA]), Rubacell (passive hemagglutination), and Rubaquick (passive hemagglutination with rotation), were compared with hemagglutination inhibition. A total of 100 serum specimens were selected, 68 of which had an FIA value of less than or equal to 25. On initial testing, among the four tests, there was agreement for 88 specimens for assignment of rubella immune status.

Evaluation of five cell types for the isolation of herpes simplex virus.

Five cells were evaluated in a comparative analysis for sensitivity, specificity, and rapidity in detecting the presence of herpes simplex virus HSV-1 and HSV-2. Included in this study were human embryonic kidney (HEK), rabbit kidney (RK), MRC-5, mink lung (ML), and Microtus agrestis (UMMA). A total of 274 specimens from genital, throat, skin, or other sources that were submitted for HSV isolation were used in the study.

Typing of herpes simplex virus with synthetic DNA probes.

Three single-stranded oligonucleotide probes, 22 bases long, homologous to unique regions of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) and a region common to both were chemically synthesized with use of a modified phosphochloridite protocol. For hybridization experiments each probe was labeled with use of polynucleotide kinase and [gamma-32P] ATP to a specific activity of approximately 2 X 10(9) cpm/micrograms. Two hundred one clinical isolates of HSV (96 HSV-1 and 105 HSV-2) collected from vesicles in the mucocutaneous junction of the mouth or from the genital area were analyzed.

The effect of media and temperature on the storage of Chlamydia trachomatis.

Four media, Eagle's minimal essential medium with 10% fetal bovine serum (MEM/FBS), tryptic soy broth (TSB), 2-SP, and 4-SP, were compared for their ability to maintain the viability of Chlamydia trachomatis at 4 degrees C, -20 degrees C, -70 degrees C, and -176 degrees C (liquid nitrogen) over a 1-week period. 2-SP maintained viability of C. trachomatis to the greatest extent for all of the time intervals and temperatures examined.

Comparison of cultureset to a conventional tissue culture-fluorescent-antibody technique for isolation and identification of herpes simplex virus.

The isolation and identification of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 from clinical specimens with a 48-h system was compared with a conventional tissue culture detection method.

Fluorescence immunoassay and passive latex agglutination as alternatives to hemagglutination inhibition for determining rubella immune status.

Three different assays for detection of rubella antibodies, hemagglutination inhibition (HAI), fluorescence immunoassay (FIA), and passive latex agglutination (PLA) were used to test 297 human serum samples. Overall agreements for immune status were as follows: HAI versus FIA, 95.3% (283 of 297); HAI versus PLA (1:10 dilution), 96.

Alternatives to the standardized laboratory branch complement fixation test for detection of antibodies to Coccidioides immitis.

Antibody titers to Coccidioides immitis, using coccidioidin antigen, were determined by three methods: the standardized Laboratory Branch complement fixation method (LBCF), a modified version of the Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory complement fixation test (VRDL-CF), and a quantitative immunodiffusion test (QID). Of the 133 samples evaluated, 72 were negative by each method and 57 (42 serum samples, 15 cerebrospinal fluid samples) were positive by all three methods. Four additional specimens (1 serum sample, 3 cerebrospinal fluid samples) were positive by QID alone.