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At least 1,189 records · Page 66Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Laboratory diagnosis for thalassemia.

Thalassemia is one of the common genetic disorders worldwide. alpha-thalassemia, beta-thalassemia, Hb E and Hb Constant Spring are common mutations found in S E Asia. The diagnoses of thalassemia and some abnormal hemoglobin carriers are very crucial for the identification of a high risk couple who will need further investigation of prenatal diagnosis. Determination of any thalassemic disease such as Hb H disease, homozygous beta-thalassemia, beta-thalassemia/Hb E can be carried out easily from the clinical findings, changes in hematologic data and hemoglobin electrophoresis. But the diagnoses of thalassemia carriers are cumbersome and sometimes need very sophisticated techniques of in vitro protein synthesis and DNA analysis. In this paper we review the laboratory methods and strategies for the diagnosis of thalassemia and abnormal hemoglobin commonly found in S E Asia.

Clinical Laboratory Techniques↗
PubMed2001

[Laboratory diagnosis of visceral mycoses].

Prognosis of visceral mycosis depends on an early and well-adapted treatment. So, diagnosis must be done as early as possible. The clinician must first think of mycosis in front of a fever resistant to antibiotics or an unusual symptomatology, particularly in patients at risk for this opportunistic infection. The laboratory role is then essential. Isolation of the responsible fungus must be the first step. It leads to confirmation of diagnosis and to the choice of the best antifungal treatment. The search of antibodies and, in immunocompromised patients, of circulating antigens, is of precious help when no fungus is isolated or to confirm its pathogenicity. Unfortunately, diagnosis is often difficult. New molecular biological techniques should improve the quality and delay of mycological diagnosis.

Antibodies, Fungal↗
PubMed2002

Impact of HIV vaccination on laboratory diagnosis: case reports.

BACKGROUND: It has not been clearly demonstrated whether HIV vaccination can complicate routine HIV testing. In this report, we describe the laboratory data of two prisoners who received rgp120 vaccine in a phase III trial underway in Thailand. These data indicate that previous vaccination may complicate the interpretation of screening HIV diagnostic tests. CASE PRESENTATION: The participants were identified from a cohort study on "Health factors related to HIV-1 and other viral infections among incarcerated people" that was approved by The Ethical Committee for Research in Human Subjects, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. HIV diagnosis was definitively established with serial specimens using multi-screening tests, Western blot and diagnostic PCR.Anti-HIV screening tests consistently exhibited either weakly reactive or inconclusive results. The band patterns of the Western blot analysis corresponded to those found in individuals who received the rgp120 vaccination. Definite results were established using diagnostic PCR, which exhibited consistently negative results with follow-up specimens. Such problems in HIV testing are not easily resolved in the routine clinical setting in Thailand. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that HIV-1 vaccination interferes with routine diagnostic tests. Similar cases will not be uncommon in Thailand, where 2,545 people have already participated in a phase III trial.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed1986

An overview of serological tests currently available for laboratory diagnosis of parasitic infections.

Current methods and commercial test systems for the diagnosis of parasitic infections in both animals and humans are reviewed. Lists of test kits and their manufacturers are provided along with ordering information: the only commercially available test kits are for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in humans or animals and dirofilariasis (heartworm) in dogs. A partial list of diagnostic laboratories and the parasite tests they perform is also provided. Complete lists of diagnostic tests that could be obtained in the private sector are not available but would be useful. Two microfluorometric solid-phase assay systems are reviewed, and adaptations to custom assays for several kinds of parasites are briefly described. User problems in performing tests and interpreting results are stressed with emphasis placed on diagnosis of dirofilariasis in dogs. False-positive serology in dogs without heartworms and negative antibody responses in micro-filariae-positive animals are discussed with respect to proper interpretation of results.

Anaplasmosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Urinary tract infections at the hospital and the ambulatory service: etiology and laboratory diagnosis].

An aetiology study was conducted into urinary tract infections (UTI) in order to compare hospital infections with those in outpatients identified from samples sent to the laboratory by general practitioners. Urine culture analysis was performed on 3,483 samples of which 740 came from hospital patients and 2,743 from outpatients. The diagnosis of UTI was based on new criteria: not only the assessment of bacterial proliferation but also clinical factors like sex, symptoms, sampling technique and urinary leucocyte count and the traditional threshold of 10 units forming colonies (UFC/ml) was ignored. In other words the following were all considered positive: all bacterial growths > or = 10(5) UFC/ml independent of other data, all those > or = 10(2) UFC/ml in symptomatic women, those > or = 10(3) UFC/ml in symptomatic men and those > or = 10(2) UFC/ml in catheterised patients. In cases supplied with incomplete anamnestic data bacterial proliferations in the 10(2)-10(5) UFC/ml range were considered positive if the leucocyte count was also significant. The frequency of the various micro-organisms isolated from the positive urine cultures of the two group was then assessed. The study revealed that among outpatients relatively innocuous bacterial like E. Coli, Klebsiella and Proteus accounted for over 75% of UTI cases, but less than 44% among hospital patients. By contrast, more "serious" bacteria like Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and Serratia were identified in about 20% of hospital cases but only about 5% of outpatients. Finally a comparison was made between in- and outpatient multibacterial UTI which were found to be more common and more aetiologically heterogeneous in hospital patients than in outpatients.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bluetongue: laboratory diagnosis.

Definitive diagnosis of bluetongue virus (BTV) infection, often subclinical in domestic and wild ruminant relies heavily on laboratory techniques for BTV isolation and demonstration of BTV antigens, viral nucleic acids and antibodies. The virus can be isolated from blood components, mainly the erythrocyte fraction, collected from affected animals during the period of febrile response. Semen collected from male animals at the peak of viremia and tissues from affected animals and fetuses may also be used for BTV isolation. The primary procedure for BTV isolation is inoculation of embryonated chicken eggs with a subpassage onto cell cultures (e.g. BKH-21, Vero cell lines). In addition to the conventional techniques such as fluorescent antibody staining and virus neutralization procedures for sero-grouping and serotyping of BTV isolates, immunohistochemical, immunoenzymatic and immunoelectron microscopic techniques, using monoclonal antibodies (MAb), offer more rapid, specific and sensitive approaches for BTV identification and antigen detection. The progress of molecular biology, especially the development of genetic probes for hybridization analysis and polymerase chain reaction techniques for detection of BTV nucleic acids hold the promise of most efficient diagnostic assays. Among the various serogroup-specific assays for antibody detection, the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and competitive (C) ELISA are the most widely used tests. Because of its limitations (i.e. anticomplementary serum and complexity of the procedure) the complement fixation (CF) test is virtually abandoned and is used in only a few laboratories. Although the AGID test is simple to perform and rapid, it is not highly sensitive or quantitative and has limitations in its specificity. Sera containing antibodies to other group of Orbiviruses (e.g. epizootic hemorrhagic disease) may result in non-specific reaction in the AGID test. Among several ELISAs that have recently been developed, the C.ELISA in which a group-specific MAb to BTV is used, has proved to be the most sensitive and specific assay for detection of antibodies to BTV. Following extensive national and international validation, the C.ELISA is gradually replacing the AGID as a universal test to certify ruminants for trade purposes and to diagnose BT infection in domestic and wild animals. The cell culture-based microtiter serum neutralization (MTSN) is the most commonly used assay for the detection of serotype-specific antibodies to the recognized BTVs in animal sera. The MTSN may be used to type virus isolates and also to monitor animal population for specific serotypes of BTV in epidemiological investigations.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

[Significance of early laboratory diagnosis for obstetrical procedures in severe gestoses and the HELLP syndrome].

HELLP syndrome is a severe complication of preeclampsia, incalculable in its course and involving high risk for mother and fetus. Over a period of three years and eight months a total of 24 patients with HELLP syndrome were treated at Göttingen University Gynecological Clinic and the Gynecological Clinic of Munich Technical University. In all cases the correct diagnosis had already been made by the referring physician or by the obstetrician on admission, taking laboratory parameters into account. The chief clinical symptom was upper abdominal pain, All of the patients presented with thrombocytopenia and elevated liver enzymes. The signs of hemolysis derived from the increased bilirubin concentrations and the LDH; in 13 cases fragmentocytes were detected in the peripheral blood smear. No indications of a pronounced DIG were found. The mean time elapsed between hospitalization and delivery was six hours (0.5-40 hours); 22 patients were delivered within 24 hours. Cesarean section was performed in all cases. The mean gestational age at the time of birth was 35 weeks (25-38). Three of 24 children died prepartially; with the surviving infants no major problems arose in the postnatal course. In 19 cases the abdominal cesarean delivery and clinical course were without complications. Reoperation, in two cases combined with a puerperal hysterectomy, was necessary in three patients, due to subfascial and intraperitoneal or retroperitoneal hematomas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Bacteriocin and flow cytometry in laboratory diagnosis of leukemic peripheral blood lymphocytes and bone marrow cells.

The bacteriocin, colicin HSC10, produced by Escherichia coli HSC10, was studied as a laboratory tool for detection and differentiation of leukemic from normal lymphocytes in human peripheral blood. Flow cytometry studies detected DNA loss in bacteriocin-affected cells by computerized histograms. Differential analysis is given for the peripheral blood of 26 individuals using bacteriocin, cytochemistry and surface markers. Sensitivity to colicin was detected in 10 (83%) of the 12 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemias and other leukemias with morphologically immature lymphocytes. Cells were lost from the G0/G1 phase and accumulated in the 'pre-G1' channels of the histogram, indicative of cells with reduced DNA content. The lymphocytes of 14 normals, however, were not or only slightly affected by the bacteriocin (P less than 0.001). Similarly, normal bone marrow cells exposed to bacteriocin remained unaffected (P greater than 0.2). Thus, immaturity per se was not recognized by bacteriocin. The bacteriocin effect was more discriminatory than other laboratory tests reported here and in most cases differentiated malignant from normal cells.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Laboratory diagnosis of mycobacterial infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Disseminated mycobacterial infections are commonly seen in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, and laboratory culture is the best method for diagnosing these infections. In addition to conventional agar media, we used BACTEC 12A (Johnston Laboratories, Inc., Towson, Md.) broth medium for culture. More isolates of Mycobacterium avium complex and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were recovered from 12A broth than from Lowenstein-Jensen or Middlebrook 7H11 agar. Also, the average detection time of these mycobacteria was the earliest with 12A broth. Stool examination has been helpful in diagnosing mycobacterial disease in AIDS patients, and in this study both acid-fast stain and culture of fecal material was necessary for efficient detection of mycobacteria. Another sensitive and practical method for detecting mycobacterial infections in patients with AIDS is the Isolator lysis-centrifugation system (Du Pont Co., Wilmington, Del.) which offers the advantage of quantitating the degree of mycobacteremia. Laboratories should be alerted to the possibility of mixed mycobacterial infection in patients with AIDS, and positive cultures should be repeatedly examined to detect coinfection with a slower-growing mycobacterium such as M. tuberculosis as well as M. avium complex.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1993

[Laboratory diagnosis of congenital platelet function disorders].

Up-dating of diagnostics of hereditary platelet disorders has been done. Due to the development of laboratory techniques some of the thrombopathies are now well characterized at the molecular level, and it can be seen that the classification of these defects has greatly progressed. However, the most frequent inherited disorders of platelet function encountered fall into the class "platelet secretion defect" and remain incompletely defined. Evidence of storage pool deficiency should be considered in all patients with an unexplained prolongation of the bleeding time, even in the absence of the classical aggregation abnormalities.

Blood Platelet Disorders↗
PubMed1998

Laboratory diagnosis of hereditary thrombophilia.

Genetic defects of antithrombin (AT) or one of the components of the protein C pathway are associated with hereditary thrombophilia. Laboratory assays are currently available to diagnose and type hereditary thrombophilia due to deficiency or dysfunction of one of the anticoagulant factors antithrombin (AT), protein C (PC) and protein S (PS), and APC resistance without the need of DNA analysis. There are no functional tests for the prothrombin mutant G20210A and thrombomodulin mutations, which can be diagnosed by a PCR-based test or by gene analysis, respectively. Hereditary AT deficiency is classified in a quantitative type I and three functional type II deficiencies affecting the reactive site (RS), heparin binding site (HBS), or pleiomorphic site of the AT protein. All four types of hereditary AT deficiencies can be diagnosed by a heparin cofactor assay and one immune assay in combination with crossed immunoelectrophoresis of the AT protein. The combination of an enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) and a functional Protac-APTT-based assay for PC will detect quantitative type I and dysfunctional type II PC deficiencies. There is a significant overlap in PC antigen and functional levels between heterozygotes of PC deficiency and normals leaving a gray zone of uncertainty in differentiating congenital PC deficiency and normal individuals. Accurate diagnosis of hereditary PS deficiency should be a combination of tests aimed to measure free PS activity and antigen and total PS antigen levels. APTT-, Xa-, and RVVT-based APC-resistance tests, when test plasmas are diluted in factor V deficient plasma, have increased in sensitivity and specificity to 100% for the discrimination of normal individuals from heterozygotes and homozygotes for factor V Leiden. The RVVT-based APC-resistance test provides better separation of factor V Leiden and normals in the various clinical settings, lupus anticoagulant in particular. The modified APC-resistance tests also claim a separation between heterozygotes and homozygotes for factor V Leiden in the normal population, asymptomatic subjects, and thrombosis patients. Below a certain cut-off level, a minor overlap of normalized APC ratios between heterozygotes and homozygotes for factor V Leiden of thrombosis patients has been shown in one study, which still points to the need to perform the more time consuming and expensive DNA test to identify heterozygotes from the more clinically significant homozygotes. The prothrombin-based APC-resistance test, which measures thrombin activated factor Va in highly diluted test plasma, appears to be the most sensitive and specific of all APC-resistance tests and separates normal individuals from heterozygotes and heterozygotes from homozygotes for factor V Leiden without the need of confirmation by a DNA test.

Activated Protein C Resistance↗