Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to F van Knapen.
A review of some applications of the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of parasitic infections is presented. Examples are given of applications with trichinellosis, hydatidosis, schistosomiasis, toxoplasmosis, african trypanosomiasis and amoebiasis. ELISA is believed to be a valuable addition to existing serological tools, especially due to its sensitivity and ease of performance.
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This study was conducted to elucidate which phases of the pork production chain contribute to the Salmonella contamination on pork after slaughter. During 7 sampling days, samples were collected of randomly selected slaughter pigs and of pigs from selected Salmonella-infected and Salmonella-free herds, trucks, lairages, and slaughterlines, in two slaughterhouses. Salmonella genotypes, present on pork after slaughter, were compared with Salmonella types, present on the farm, in the truck, in the lairage, on slaughter equipment, and in pigs from other herds. Results showed that the slaughterline was the most important source of Salmonella contamination of carcasses. The farm was the most important source of contamination of livers, tongues, rectal samples and mesenterial lymphnodes, for pigs originating from sero-positive herds. The lairage was the most important contamination source for pigs originating from sero-negative herds, for all samples, except carcasses. It is recommended to avoid each direct or indirect contact between different herds along the whole pork production chain, especially between Salmonella-infected and Salmonella-free herds.
There are still controversial views as to the relation between SLE and toxoplasmosis. Therefore, we looked for serological markers in both diseases. In patients with SLE (17), toxoplasmosis (28), and in normal controls (28) anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies, anti-nuclear antibodies of different specificities, anti-histone and anti-cardiolipine antibodies, as well as antibodies against most common public idiotypes were measured. Significant increases in antinuclear antibodies and other SLE-related antigens were observed in patients with SLE. On the contrary, low levels of these antibodies were found in toxoplasmosis patients and in controls. The same was true for 16/6 anti-DNA idiotype antibodies. The incidence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in SLE sera did not differ in comparison with that in the normal population. Our data suggest that subacute and chronic toxoplasmosis do not play essential roles in generating the antibodies that are important to the pathogenetic mechanism operating in SLE.