Evaluation of the feasibility for replacing sheep blood with human blood in culture media used in microbiological diagnostics.

The present study aimed to suggest the replacement of animal blood with human blood in culture media, involving alternative methods and ethical considerations, such as animal welfare, in addition to potential laboratory cost reduction. Characteristics of growth and hemolysis development were compared in different culture media, using both sheep blood and human blood. Blood types from the ABO blood group system were tested, and commercially acquired sheep blood agar was used for comparison.

Human papillomavirus in foetal and maternal tissues from miscarriage cases.

Early miscarriage is still a concern, and viral infections are recognised as one of the causes of this adverse outcome. The causal relationship between HPV and miscarriage remains controversial. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether HPV infection indeed may occur in both the maternal and placental tissue in cases of miscarriage.

Molecular detection of adeno-associated virus in cases of spontaneous and intentional human abortion.

Pregnancy failure is a common event and often of unknown cause. Some viruses are thought to cause abortions including the adeno-associated viruses (AAV), viruses which are regarded as being without any definitive association to any human disease. This study investigated AAV infection in 81 human abortions, both spontaneous and intentional that occurred up to the 23rd week of gestation.

Adeno-associated virus and human papillomavirus types in cervical samples of pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of AAV and HPV DNA and their types in cervical secretion from pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Study Design: The samples were obtained from 40 pregnant and 62 non-pregnant women who were attended at the outpatient clinic of the Federal University Hospital of Espírito Santo, Southeastern Brazil. AAV and HPV were investigated by PCR and typed by PCR and/or RFLP.