Thin layer chromatography characterization of ELISA specific glycolipids antigens immunomagnetically purified from environmental mycobacteria.

Thin layer chromatography (TLC) could easily and rapidly evidentiate the qualitative differences between glycolipids (GLs). Different immunomagnetically purified mycobacterial GLs have been compared using TLC, in order to choose the most appropriate antigens to be utilized in ELISA. The GLs were purified from environmental mycobacteria (EM) (M.

Use of recombinant purified protein derivative (PPD) antigens as specific skin test for tuberculosis.

Background & Objectives: Purified protein derivative (PPD) is currently the only available skin test reagent used worldwide for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). The aim of this study was to develop a Mycobacterium tuberculosis specific skin test reagent, without false positive results due to Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination using recombinant antigens.

Methods: Proteins in PPD IC-65 were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry and compared to proteins in M.

Prospective Comparison of Two Brands of Tuberculin Skin Tests and Quantiferon-TB Gold in-tube Assay Performances for Tuberculosis Infection in Hospitalized Children.

Objective: The study compared two brands of tuberculin skin tests (TST): PPD RT 23, (SSI, Denmark) and PPD IC 65, (Cantacuzino Institute, Romania), 2 TU/ 0.1 ml each, with an interferon gamma release assay [IGRA], Quantiferon-TB Gold (QFT).

Material And Methods: QFT was performed on whole blood samples, before TSTs, on 60 children with tuberculosis (TB), BCG vaccinated, admitted in a paediatric pneumophtisiology hospital.

Serodiagnosis of environmental mycobacterial infections.

To demonstrate the usefulness of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of mycobacterioses due to environmental mycobacteria we utilized a panel of glycolipid antigens selective for Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, Mycobacterium kansasii, Mycobacterium xenopi, Mycobacterium scrofulaceum and Mycobacterium gordonae. The levels of circulating antibodies were determined against the environmental mycobacteria, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human immunodeficiency virus-negative and -positive patient sera. The method used immunomagnetic separation of the antigens, with covalent immobilization of antibodies to superparamagnetic amine and carboxyl terminated particles in solutions of the specific antigens.

Comparative study of RT23 and IC-65 tuberculins tested on children with tuberculosis.

This study, conducted in 2009, proposed to evaluate and compare the biological potency of two different tuberculins, RT23 (Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen) and IC-65 (Cantacuzino Institute, Bucharest) when administered to 89 children with confirmed tuberculosis, admitted to Paediatric Department of Pneumophtysiology Institute, Bucharest. Mean age of subjects was 10.4 years [SD (standard deviation) = 5.

Comparison of tuberculin skin test with a whole-blood interferon gamma assay and ELISA, in HIV positive children and adolescents with TB.

We compared the usefulness of three methods designed to diagnose latent tuberculosis [TB]: interferon-gamma release assay [IGRA], such as QuantiFERON-TB Gold [QFT-G], Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] serologic assay and tuberculin skin test [TST] for diagnosis of TB in human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]-1 infected children and adolescents, with microbiologically and/or histopathologically confirmed TB co-infection. The serum samples were obtained from 36 patients who were examined and tested by the three methods. The sensitivity was 38.

Establishing of a minimal set of tests (minimal standards) to identify species included in the genus Mycobacterium.

Mycobacterium genus includes over 100 species and subspecies; new species are discovered every year. Minimal standard criteria are represented by the resistance to acid-alcohol (e.g.

Rapid immunochromatographic serum assay of nontuberculous mycobacterial infections.

A rapid immunochromatographic serologic assay (Dot assay) is proposed to be applied on patients infected with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). This assay could evidentiate the infecting species and allow the beginning of the treatment. The test is based on the principle of immunoblotting chromatography, a rapid membrane-based assay, capable of diagnosing NTM infections in serum, in less than 1 hour, with no need of special equipment or skilled staff.

Rapid identification of Mycobacterium species by lectin agglutination.

The purpose of the present study is to explore the possibility that plant lectins can be used for the development of rapid and inexpensive technique for differentiation of mycobacterial species. The method is based on interaction between mycobacteria and lectins as visualized by agglutination in a microtiter plate. We employed 18 mycobacterium species and determined the minimal lectin concentration (MLC) of 23 different lectins.

Rapid dot sputum and serum assay in pulmonary tuberculosis.

A rapid direct sputum (Sp.) and/or antibody assay, based on immunoblotting and enzyme immunoassay is described. The test can detect mycobacterial antigens or antibodies in clinical specimens from pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients.

Hemagglutinin of unusual specificity from Helcococcus kunzii.

Helcococcus kunzii is a gram-positive, catalase-negative opportunist. The organism has been isolated from the lower extremities and breast masses of several patients. A clinical isolate of Helcococcus kunzii was shown to possess a hemagglutinin-lectin with a specificity for N-acetylglucosamine and lactose, two structurally unrelated carbohydrates.