Antibodies to Toxin B Are Protective Against Clostridium difficile Infection Recurrence.

Background: Although newer studies have evaluated risk factors for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), the vast majority did not measure important biomarkers such as endogenous anti-toxin A and anti-toxin B antibody levels.

Methods: Data from the placebo group of a phase 2 trial testing monoclonal antibodies to C. difficile toxins A and B for preventing CDI recurrence (rCDI) were analyzed to assess risk factors associated with rCDI.

Potency of a human monoclonal antibody to diphtheria toxin relative to equine diphtheria anti-toxin in a guinea pig intoxication model.

Prompt administration of anti-toxin reduces mortality following Corynebacterium diphtheriae infection. Current treatment relies upon equine diphtheria anti-toxin (DAT), with a 10% risk of serum sickness and rarely anaphylaxis. The global DAT supply is extremely limited; most manufacturers have ceased production.

Treatment with monoclonal antibodies against Clostridium difficile toxins.

Background: New therapies are needed to manage the increasing incidence, severity, and high rate of recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection.

Methods: We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of two neutralizing, fully human monoclonal antibodies against C. difficile toxins A (CDA1) and B (CDB1).

Serum anti-toxin B antibody correlates with protection from recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between Clostridium difficile anti-toxin A serum antibodies and protection against symptomatic disease and recurrence.

Methods: A neutralizing monoclonal antibody to C. difficile toxin A (CDA1) developed by MBL and Medarex, Inc.

The use of mitochondrial DNA single nucleotide polymorphisms to assist in the resolution of three challenging forensic cases.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in an 11-plex assay were typed in three missing person cases involving highly degraded human remains. Unlike the traditional forensic approach to analyzing mtDNA which focuses on sequencing portions of the noncoding Control Region, this assay targets discriminatory SNPs that reside principally in the coding region. In two of the cases, the SNP typing successfully excluded one of two reference families that could not be excluded on the basis of mtDNA hypervariable region sequencing alone, and resulted in the final resolution of both decades-old cases.

Application of low copy number STR typing to the identification of aged, degraded skeletal remains.

Low copy number (LCN) STR typing was successfully applied to four interesting cases during developmental validation of the approach for degraded skeletal remains. Specific questions were addressed in each case, with the acquisition of STR data largely serving as additional confirmatory or investigatory information in any specific situation, and not necessarily providing the definitive evidence to establish identity. The cases involve missing U.

DNA identification of "Earthquake McGoon" 50 years postmortem.

This report describes the genetic identification of James "Earthquake McGoon" McGovern, a WWII fighter ace who perished in Laos while providing supplies to French troops during the French Indochina war. Because reference samples were unavailable for all of the potential casualties, testing of the entire mitochondrial genome, autosomal STRs and Y-chromosomal STRs was performed to increase the genetic information available for analysis. Kinship analyses performed on the evidentiary data and numerous indirect family references for McGovern excluded other possible casualties and definitively established McGovern's identity.

Analysis of pilot-related equipment and archaeological strategy in the recovery of aircrew losses from the Vietnam War.

Determining the location and distribution of cockpit and aircrew-related equipment within the wider debris field of a military aircraft crash site is an essential first step in planning and executing the recovery of missing aircrew members presumed still to be on the site. Understanding the spatial relationship of these materials improves the likelihood of finding and recovering the remains of the aircrew during the excavation of an aircraft crash site. Since the greater portion of these unaccounted for crewmembers were involved in aircraft with single-seat cockpits or cockpits with two or three seats in tandem, pre-analysis of the debris pattern may be more-or-less straightforward.