Case Report: PANDAS and Persistent Lyme Disease With Neuropsychiatric Symptoms: Treatment, Resolution, and Recovery.

This case report describes the diagnosis and treatment of a pre-pubertal (onset at age 7) Caucasian female with serological evidence of Lyme disease accompanied by multiple neuropsychiatric symptoms 6 months following a vacation in a tick endemic area of the United States. Prior to the diagnosis of Lyme disease, the patient also met the clinical diagnostic criteria for PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep), with serological evidence of three distinct episodes of streptococcal pharyngitis. All three episodes of strep occurred during the 6-months interval between suspected Lyme disease exposure and the onset of multiple neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Evaluation of the Cunningham Panel™ in pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS) and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS): Changes in antineuronal antibody titers parallel changes in patient symptoms.

Objective: This retrospective study examined whether changes in patient pre- and post-treatment symptoms correlated with changes in anti-neuronal autoantibody titers and the neuronal cell stimulation assay in the Cunningham Panel in patients with Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infection (PANDAS), and Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS).

Methods: In an analysis of all tests consecutively performed in Moleculera Labs' clinical laboratory from April 22, 2013 to December 31, 2016, we identified 206 patients who were prescribed at least one panel prior to and following treatment, and who met the PANDAS/PANS diagnostic criteria. Patient follow-up was performed to collect symptoms and treatment or medical intervention.

Polymorphisms in genes involved in sex hormone metabolism, estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy use, and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.

Hormone therapy, estrogen plus progestin (E+P) particularly, is associated with increased risk of breast cancer. Functionally relevant polymorphisms in genes involved in sex hormone metabolism may alter exposure to exogenous sex hormones and affect risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. We evaluated associations of common polymorphisms in genes involved in estrogen and/or progesterone metabolism, E+P use, and their interactions with breast cancer risk in a case-control study of postmenopausal women (324 cases; 651 controls) nested within the VITAL cohort.

Age-specific association of steroid hormone pathway gene polymorphisms with breast cancer risk.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is a complex disease, and the incidence rates for BC increase with age. Both environmental factors and genetics have an impact on the risk of BC. Although the effects of environmental factors may vary with age, it has been assumed generally that the penetrance of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is constant throughout life.

A novel inhibitor of respiratory syncytial virus isolated from ethnobotanicals.

A novel low molecular weight compound, CJ 4-16-4, isolated from ethnobotanicals using bioassay-guided fractionation, was found to be a potent inhibitor of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, a very low micromolar efficacious dose was obtained against at least four of subtype A (RSV-Long, RSV A2, and RSV A6 57754) and one of subtype B (Washington) RSV strains without seeing any significant cytotoxicity to Hep-2, MDCK or Vero cell lines. The drug inhibits growth of RSV in Hep-2 cells maintained in tissue culture at a very low concentration (approximately 0.

Broad-spectrum inhibitor of viruses in the Flaviviridae family.

The viruses in the Flaviviridae family have been associated with human and animal diseases. In this report, we demonstrate that compound 2-amino-8-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl) imidazo [1,2-a]-s-triazine-4-one (ZX-2401) was capable of inhibiting the production in culture of at least five members of the Flaviviridae family with minimal cytotoxicity. This compound inhibited yellow fever virus, dengue virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus, banzi virus and West Nile virus with EC50 of 10, 10, 5, 5 and 3 microg/ml, respectively, and the CC50 in these experiments were greater than 1000 microg/ml.

Oligogenic combinations associated with breast cancer risk in women under 53 years of age.

Common, but weakly penetrant, functional polymorphisms probably account for most of the genetic risk for breast cancer in the general population. Current polygenic risk models assume that component genes act independently. To test for potential gene-gene interactions, single nucleotide polymorphisms in ten genes with known or predicted roles in breast carcinogenesis were examined in a case-control study of 631 Caucasian women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 53 years and 1,504 controls under the age of 53 years.

New point of care test is highly specific but less sensitive for influenza virus A and B in children and adults.

The importance of rapid diagnosis of influenza has increased with the availability of neuraminidase inhibitors, which need to be commenced within 48 hr of symptom onset. Furthermore, the recent development of influenza-like clinical syndromes with novel aetiologies (severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS) has increased the need for rapid and accurate near-patient diagnosis. A new, modified point of care (POC) diagnostic test (ZstatFlu) was assessed on 469 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) and 260 nose/throat swabs (TS) taken from children and adults.

ZstatFlu-II test: a chemiluminescent neuraminidase assay for influenza viral diagnostics.

The ZstatFlu-II test is a highly sensitive, specific, rapid, point-of-care chemiluminescent diagnostic test for influenza infection. Influenza viral neuraminidase-specific substrate, spiroadamantyl-1,2-dioxetane-4,7-dimethoxy-N-acetyl-neuraminic acid, is at the core of the ZstatFlu-II Test. The enzymatic reaction was carried out at 25 degrees C and neutral pH, representing the optimum assay conditions for influenza types A and B viral neuraminidases.

Engineering a chemical implementation device and an imaging device for detecting chemiluminescence with a Polaroid high-speed detector film: application to influenza diagnostics with the ZstatFlu-II test.

We describe the engineering and product development of the chemiluminescent ZstatFlu-II Test kit for influenza diagnostics. The reaction vessel is a chemical implementation device with a polystyrene bottom chamber and a polypropylene top chamber that screw together. The patient's specimen is dispersed in a proprietary diluent and mixed inside the bottom chamber with the influenza viral neuraminidase-specific substrate, 1,2-dioxetane-4,7-dimethoxy-Neu5Ac.

Clinical evaluation of the ZstatFlu-II test: a chemiluminescent rapid diagnostic test for influenza virus.

Exploiting the high sensitivity of the chemiluminescence phenomenon, an accurate and sensitive point-of-care test, called the ZstatFlu-II test (ZymeTx, Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla.), was developed to detect influenza virus infections.