Polyomavirus nephropathy: quantitative urinary polyomavirus-Haufen testing accurately predicts the degree of intrarenal viral disease.

Background: A qualitative highly predictive urinary test for polyomavirus nephropathy (PVN) is the PV-Haufen test. This article evaluates whether a quantitative PV-Haufen analysis, that is, the number of PV-Haufen shed per milliliter urine, predicts PVN disease grades and the severity of intrarenal PV replication.

Methods: Polyomavirus-Haufen were counted in 40 urine samples from patients with biopsy-proven definitive PVN.

Image and statistical analysis of melanocytic histology.

Aims: We applied digital image analysis techniques to study selected types of melanocytic lesions.

Methods And Results: We used advanced digital image analysis to compare melanocytic lesions as follows: (i) melanoma to nevi, (ii) melanoma subtypes to nevi, (iii) severely dysplastic nevi to other nevi and (iv) melanoma to severely dysplastic nevi. We were successful in differentiating melanoma from nevi [receiver operating characteristic area (ROC) 0.

Application of monoclonal antibodies to measure metabolism of an anti-trypanosomal compound in vitro and in vivo.

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also called African sleeping sickness, is a neglected tropical parasitic disease indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa. Diamidine compounds, including pentamidine and CPD-0801, are potent anti-trypanosomal molecules. The latter is a potential drug in the development at the UNC based Consortium for Parasitic Drug Development.

Identifying residues in antigenic determinants by chemical modification.

Chemical modification of the side chains of amino acid residues was one of the first methods developed to investigate epitopes in protein antigens. The principle of the method is that alteration of the structure of a key residue of an epitope by a chemical modification will alter reactivity with antibody by affecting either specificity or avidity or both. Chemical modification has the advantage that it can be applied to discontinuous as well as continuous epitopes and may be of value in identifying cryptic epitopes.

Antibody therapy (IVIG): evaluation of the use of genomics and proteomics for the study of immunomodulation therapeutics.

Background And Objectives: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is used for an increasingly diverse number of therapeutic applications as an immunomodulation drug. Although it has demonstrated therapeutic effectiveness, the mechanism of action of IVIG in these disorders is poorly understood; this lack of understanding complicates rational clinical application and reimbursement for 'off-label' use.

Materials And Methods: Selected literature on the clinical use of IVIG as an immunomodulation drug is reviewed.