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Biomedical subjects

A Stary

Publications and source records attributed to A Stary.

81 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparative study of Epstein-Barr virus and SV40-based shuttle-expression vectors in human repair-deficient cells.

Shuttle vectors and expression vectors have been used in human cells to examine various aspects of DNA repair including effects of DNA damage on mutagenesis, transcription, replication and recombination. A combined shuttle-expression system should provide further advantages for the stable expression of and perhaps selection/rescue strategies for DNA repair genes. We describe 2 such systems. The first is a simian virus 40 (SV40) shuttle system which allows a quasi-stable episomal vector/host relationship in which the shuttle vector may be recovered in extrachromosomal DNA preparations many months after transfection and selection but in which a high proportion of the plasmids rescued in bacteria are heavily mutated and rearranged. Secondly, we describe Epstein-Barr virus-based shuttle-expression vectors which exist as stable, multicopy episomes in human cells. Using a reporter gene and a metal-inducible promoter we have obtained low basal and very high induced expression from episomal vectors in a variety of human cells including xeroderma pigmentosum and ataxia telangiectasia cell lines. This should facilitate many molecular genetic experiments in human cells and may have particular application to molecular cloning, expression and analysis of DNA repair genes.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Medical health care for Viennese prostitutes.

In Vienna, legalized prostitution is tightly controlled by the advisory board of the Viennese Public Health Service. Registered prostitutes are routinely screened for all important STDs, such as syphilis, HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydial- and yeast-infections, and Trichomonas vaginalis. Furthermore, cytological smears are obtained from the cervix and chest X-rays are performed at least once a year. In all pathological findings, an appropriate therapy is implemented. Presenting data of 1989, out of the 713 weekly controlled registered prostitutes, Neisseria gonorrhoeae was detected in 0.3% of all examinations (110/35,368). In non-registered prostitutes, the infection rate of N. gonorrhoeae was 6.9% (27/354), and so far, 20 times higher than in registered ones. The infection rate of Chlamydia trachomatis, which has been routinely diagnosed in registered prostitutes for several years, has decreased from 20.4% in 1980 to 2.2% in 1989 compared with 31.4% and 10.9% in non-registered prostitutes. In registered prostitutes, the prevalence of genital infections, such as C. trachomatis, T. vaginalis, and yeasts was shown to be 4.9%. The corresponding data in non-registered prostitutes were much higher (18.8%). Due to examinations for cervical malignancy the incidence of Papanicolaou stain IV and V has decreased from 3.1% in 1988 to 1.6% in 1989. There was no serologic evidence for syphilis and HIV infection in both special risk groups. The data demonstrate, that due to a good health surveillance of STD-risk groups, a good information service, and free treatment, the prevalence of STDs can be reduced in prostitutes.

Austria↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Seroepidemiologic study of hepatitis C virus in sexually transmitted disease risk groups.

To identify the importance of heterosexual activity as a possible route for the transmission of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), a screening of antibodies against HCV (anti-HCV) was performed in 200 sexually transmitted disease patients with different risks for incurring genital infections as well as in 100 registered prostitutes. Out of all 300 persons tested, 14 cases of HCV infection were detected. Anti-HCV was present in 3 of the prostitutes and in 11 of the STD patients. Evaluating known risk factors, such as intravenous drug use or blood transfusion, 6 out of the 11 STD patients and all of the prostitutes in whom anti-HCV was present were intravenous drug users and exhibited highly promiscuous behavior. Intravenous drug use was the probable means of acquisition in 9 of the 14 subjects in whom anti-HCV was present, and homosexual promiscuous behavior was assumed to be the means of acquisition in another 2 subjects. In heterosexual patients engaging in high-risk behavior (high number of sexual partners and genital infections), the exclusion of intravenous drug use decreased the prevalence of anti-HCV from 12.1% to 4.1%, demonstrating no significant increase from the prevalence among low-risk persons. Most of the patients were screened for STDs, such as syphilis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), trichomoniasis, and yeast infections. The highest rate of coinfection with anti-HCV was found in patients with serologic evidence of an HIV infection (50%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of DNA-probe test and culture for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in genital samples.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The nonisotopic DNA probe assay (PACE 2) was evaluated for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in urethral and endocervical specimens and compared quantitatively and qualitatively using recommended culture methods. GOAL OF THIS STUDY: To evaluate whether culture methods could be replaced by the DNA probe assay for the diagnosis of N. gonorrhoeae. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 502 men and women were studied, including 42 non-registered and 132 legally registered prostitutes and 115 male and 213 female STD patients. RESULTS: The overall concordance of culture and the PACE 2 assay was 98.4%. Of the tested persons, 9.6% were positive for N. gonorrhoeae by culture technique compared with 11.2% using the DNA probe assay. All samples that were positive in culture were positive in the Gen-Probe test. Of samples positive in Gen-Probe, 14.3% (8/56) were negative in culture. Three of these results were determined false-positives and five were true positives when evaluated by further analysis. The sensitivity and specificity were 90.6% and 100%, for the culture technique, and 100% and 99.3% for the DNA probe assay, respectively, when compared with true positive and negative results. CONCLUSION: The data indicate that the DNA probe assay serves as a suitable screening and diagnostic test for the diagnosis of N. gonorrhoeae in symptomatic and in asymptomatic men and women. When the performance of culture technique is not possible or unreliable, the DNA probe assay can be used for testing those at high risk for gonorrhea. In borderline cases with a low value of RLU, the DNA test should be confirmed to avoid false positive results, especially in women.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of the Gen-Probe PACE 2 and the Microtrak enzyme immunoassay for diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis in urogenital samples.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the value of the Gen-Probe PACE 2 assay for routine diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis in genital specimens of symptomatic and asymptomatic men and women patients. STUDY DESIGN: Samples were collected from 90 men and 299 women patients and tested by using the Gen-Probe assay and the EIA MicroTrak. Discrepant results were further analyzed by immunofluorescence, a second run of the Gen-Probe assay, and a probe competition assay (PCA) to establish the number of true positive and negative outcomes based on the two tests used. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of C. trachomatis was 8.5% in all patients tested (women: 3.7%, men: 13.3%) with an overall agreement of 95.4% between the two diagnostic methods. Of the 18 discordant results, 12 (67%) were considered to be false positive in the Gen-Probe assay and 3 (16%) false positive in the EIA. Two (11%) positive results were missed in the Gen-Probe assay and 1 (6%) in the EIA, all observed in female specimens. The sensitivities and specificities of the EIA were 91.7% and 100% for men and 100% and 99% for women, and for the Gen-Probe assay were 83.3% and 100% for men and 100% and 95.8% for women, respectively, when compared with true positive and true negative results. Although the predictive value for all positive results (PVP) was 88% for the EIA and 78.2% for the Gen-Probe assay, it was only 47.8% for positive female samples when using the Gen-Probe assay. CONCLUSION: The Gen-Probe assay revealed a sensitivity comparable with the EIA. The accuracy of test results provided by a single Gen-Probe assay was considerably lower than by Micro-Trak reducing the utility of PACE 2 as a diagnostic technique for Chlamydia diagnosis. Due to the high rate of false-positive samples in the Gen-Probe assay, positive results with a low value of relative light units have to be further analyzed by confirmation procedures.

Chlamydia Infections↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of DNA amplification methods for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in first-void urine from asymptomatic military recruits.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of DNA amplification-based tests for the diagnosis of urethral chlamydia infection from the urine of asymptomatic young men. DESIGN: First-void urine was analyzed by two amplified DNA technologies, the ligase chain reaction (LCR), the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Specimens yielding discrepant results were subjected to retesting using either the original or a newly processed sample, and for evaluation of truly infected persons they were analyzed by the direct fluorescence antibody assay and by a second LCR directed against a segment of the gene encoding for the major outer membrane protein of Chlamydia trachomatis. SETTING: The military hospital in which military recruits underwent medical examination before departing for a United Nations mission. STUDY GROUP: Asymptomatic military recruits (705 young men) were screened between January and May 1994. In addition to providing urine specimens, the recruits completed questionnaires concerning previous genital infections and number of sexual partners. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of urethral chlamydia infection in the study group was 4.1% (29/705), as determined by confirmed results in all tests collectively. The performance of the DNA amplification methods was markedly better than that of the EIA antigen detection methods. Using an expanded gold standard, the sensitivity of the LCx assay was 93.1% (27/29) compared to 62.1% (18/29) by the PCR assay Amplicor and 37.9% (11/29) by EIA. Repeat testing after freezing and thawing increased the number of positive PCR results to equal the number of positive LCR results. There were three false-positive Amplicor results and no false-positive LCR results. CONCLUSIONS: The LCx assay performed better than the Amplicor assay and appears reliable for urine testing. The low sensitivity of the Amplicor assay requires further evaluation of possible inhibitors of PCR in fresh specimens. It was found that freezing and thawing the specimens before testing enhanced the performance of PCR.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Diagnosis and therapy of Raynaud's phenomenon in occupationally-induced vibration trauma].

Raynaud's phenomenon often represents an early symptom of collagen diseases as well as of occlusive vascular disease; it can as well be due to vibration trauma following development of mechanical lesion of the acral capillary system. A rare case of professionally acquired vibration trauma in a miner who developed vasospastic ischaemia after 20 years subterranean work is reported. Non-invasive blood-flow measurements such as thermic relaxation time, transcutaneous O2-pressure, and laser-doppler perfusion rate, represent suitable means of diagnosis and observation of the course of the disease. Combination therapy including both primary inhibition of platelet aggregation as well as improvement of rheological properties has proved to be superior to other treatment plans.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Contact allergy of the immediate type to topical use of lidocaine].

While undergoing urinary bladder catheterization using a lidocaine lubricant, a seven year old boy developed an anaphylactic reaction. Diagnosis of contact sensitization of type I variety following topical application of lidocaine was confirmed by appropriate testing.

Anaphylaxis↗