Analysis of IL-4 promoter and VNTR polymorphisms in Thai patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Thailand. Cytokines play important roles in defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Interleukin (IL)-4 is one of the anti-inflammatory cytokines and has been found to be elevated in TB patients.

Expression and purification of 30 kilodalton protein antigen of Ara- Burkholderia pseudomallei.

The 30 kDa protein of B. pseudomallei is found in virulent Ara- but not avirulent Ara+ strain. The gene was cloned in Escherichia coli JM105 employing pInIII-C2 vector.

Use of protein-specific monoclonal antibody-based latex agglutination for rapid diagnosis of Burkholderia pseudomallei infection in patients with community-acquired septicemia.

A latex agglutination test employing monoclonal antibody specific to a 30-kDa protein of Burkholderia pseudomallei was used to detect the organisms in blood culture specimens from 1,139 patients with community-acquired septicemia. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the test were 96.75%, 99.

Conditional lethal disruption of TATA-binding protein gene in Penicillium marneffei.

Problems can arise in studying the regulation of transcription in fungi if gene disruption is employed to evaluate the role of essential transcription factors. Herein, we have developed a method to characterize the essential genes of Penicillium marneffei. This has been used to examine the significance of P.

Distinct immunologic properties of Penicillium marneffei yeasts obtained from different in vitro growth conditions.

A dimorphic fungus Penicillium marneffei is a causative agent of penicilliosis, a life-threatening disseminated disease in immunocompromised hosts predominantly found in southeast Asia and southern China. P. marneffei is the only known Penicillium that possesses a dimorphic characteristic.

Rapid identification of Burkholderia pseudomallei in blood cultures by a monoclonal antibody assay.

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis. In northeast Thailand, this gram-negative bacterium is a major cause of mortality from septicemia. The definitive diagnosis of this disease is made by bacterial culture.

Production of specific monoclonal antibodies to Burkholderia pseudomallei and their diagnostic application.

Hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to Burkholderia pseudomallei were produced by immunizing BALB/cJ mice with crude culture filtrate of B. pseudomallei. Two monoclonal antibodies were found to be highly specific to B.

Monoclonal antibodies against protein antigens of salmonellae causing paratyphoid fever and their diagnostic application.

Hybrid clones producing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for Salmonella paratyphi A (72 clones), S. paratyphi B (9 clones) and S. paratyphi C (8 clones) were produced by using the affinity purified Salmonella protein (Bp) as immunogens.

Immunological detection of Salmonella paratyphi A in raw prawns.

A slot blot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, using monoclonal antibodies specific only for Salmonella paratyphi A, to detect S. paratyphi A contamination in raw prawns has been established. When artificially contaminated prawn samples were tested.

Molecular cloning and expression of Salmonella paratyphi A 52 kDa specific protein gene.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to Salmonella paratyphi A have been established by our group in 1989. These MAbs were proven to be species-specific for 52 kDa protein of S. paratyphi A but the nature of this protein is unknown.

Molecular cloning and expression of Salmonella typhi flagellin: characterization of 52 kDa specific antigen of S. typhi.

We previously reported monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to S. typhi 52 kDa antigen which do not cross react with related protein antigens from 11 bacteria causing enteric fever and enteric fever-like illness. Using the combination of these specific MAbs and recombinant DNA technology, expression plasmids containing the antigen gene producing substantial amount of the S.

Production of monoclonal antibodies to Vi polysaccharide antigen of Salmonella typhi.

Twenty-four Vi antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies were produced in this study. The MAbs were found to be highly specific to Vi possessing bacteria. Selected MAbs were used in a direct agglutination assay for rapid identification of S.