Multicenter study establishing the clinical validity of a nucleic-acid amplification-based assay for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis.

The present study sought to validate the clinical performance of a previously described PCR-based assay for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV). A total of 1579 patients were enrolled in 5 locations; samples were classified as BV positive (n=538) or negative (n=1,041) based on an algorithm utilizing quantitative Gram-stain analysis of vaginal discharge and clinical evaluation (Amsel criteria); a next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach to determining diversity of vaginal microbiota was used to resolve discordant results between BV-PCR and Nugent/Amsel. BV-PCR demonstrated a sensitivity of 96.

A novel mechanism of soluble guanylate cyclase stimulation: time-dependent activation by bacterial lipopolysaccharide in rat fetal spleen cells.

Small amounts of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) greatly increase cGMP levels in short term cultures of rat fetal liver and spleen cells in a dose and time dependent manner. To determine the role of guanylate cyclase in this response, a series of experiments was undertaken using either intact or broken fetal spleen cells, the most sensitive tissue evaluated to date. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 1-methyl-3-isobutyl-xanthine, potentiated the LPS-cGMP effect in cultures of these cells even at maximal doses of LPS.

Antithymocyte gamma globulin, low-dosage cyclosporine, and tapering steroids as an immunosuppressive regimen to avoid early kidney failure in heart transplantation.

Cyclosporine is a powerful immunosuppressive agent that unfortunately has significant renal toxicity. Two risk factors associated with a high incidence of kidney failure in patients receiving cyclosporine have been described in the literature. In an effort to decrease the possibility of renal toxicity with the use of cyclosporine, we use low-dosage cyclosporine, antithymocyte gamma globulin, and tapering dosages of steroids as an immunosuppressive regimen.

Further characterization of the effect of bacterial lipopolysaccharide preparations on cyclic GMP levels: the importance of macromolecular synthesis.

Bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) greatly increase cGMP levels in short term cultures of rat fetal liver cells without affecting the concentration of cAMP. This effect is produced by very small (1 ng) amounts of LPS and is both dose and time dependent. The time dependence is characterized by an initial lag period of 60-120 min followed by a rapid, persistent increase in cGMP levels.

Further characterization of the effect of bacterial lipopolysaccharide preparations in cyclic 3',5'-GMP levels: the importance of serum.

Bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) greatly increase cGMP levels in rat fetal liver cells without affecting the concentration of cAMP. This elevation is due to the Lipid A moiety of the LPS molecule, is time and dose dependent, and is markedly potentiated by small amounts of serum. Because of the magnitude of the serum potentiation, a series of experiments was undertaken to further characterize this effect.