Evaluation of nested polymerase chain reaction for the early detection of Leptospira spp. DNA in serum samples from patients with leptospirosis.

The aim of this study was to analyse the nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR) in human serum samples of patients with clinical manifestations of leptospirosis. The cases of leptospirosis were defined by the microagglutination test (MAT). The samples were collected in 2010.

Efficacy of serum samples stored on filter paper for the detection of antibody to Leptospira spp. by microagglutination test (MAT).

The aim of this study was to investigate the microagglutination test (MAT) results in serum samples dried on filter paper and stored at different temperatures during 1day, 7days, 30days and 1year to determine the stability of sera antibody against leptospires. Serum samples collected onto filter paper for the detection of leptospires antibody was compared with MAT in a study of 300 serum samples from patients with suspected leptospirosis. Among 300 fresh serum samples analyzed by MAT 156 (52%) were positive and 144 (48%) negative.

Serotypes and genetic profiles of Bordetella pertussis strains isolated in the city of São Paulo, 2006-2008.

Objective: Knowledge of Bordetella pertussis circulating in Latin America is limited. Therefore, the goal of this study was to use pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and serotyping to characterize B. pertussis strains isolated in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

Analysis of multilocus sequence typing for identification of Leptospira isolates in Brazil.

A collection of 101 Leptospira isolates was tested by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and by traditional serotyping. MLST divided the isolates into 4 sequence types (STs), while serotyping classified them into 6 serogroups. Two isolates failed to generate products for some genes by MLST.