Nine hundred and thirty-three women who attended consecutively a gynecological clinic for various symptoms, for abortion, or for contraceptives, were screened for genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection. A total of 95 (10.2%) women were... more
Nine hundred and thirty-three women who attended consecutively a gynecological clinic for various symptoms, for abortion, or for contraceptives, were screened for genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection. A total of 95 (10.2%) women were found infected. Of women below 25 years of age, 13.4% were infected, as compared with 4.9% over 25. Women with symptoms of genital infection were not over-represented in the infected population. Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) verified with a direct fluorescence antigen test were evaluated and compared with culture controls. Reactive samples detected using EIA were regarded as true positive if they were also positive according to the verification test. The sensitivity of the verified EIA test was 91%, the specificity 100%, the positive predictive value 100% and the negative predictive value was 99%. The sensitivity of the culture was 90%. Low age is the most predictable risk factor for genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Compared with cultures, EIA verified with a direct fluorescence antigen test is a rapid and effective method for clinical use.
Research Interests: Adolescent, Chlamydia trachomatis, Humans, Female, Monoclonal Antibodies, and 9 morePrevalence, Middle Aged, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Sensitivity and Specificity, Predictive value of tests, mass Screening, and Paediatrics and reproductive medicine
Background: CMV-related complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality post allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Where a pre-emptive strategy is used, early detection is crucial as this will minimise the risk of CMV... more
Background: CMV-related complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality post allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Where a pre-emptive strategy is used, early detection is crucial as this will minimise the risk of CMV infection progressing to CMV disease. As a result, PCR techniques are increasingly replacing pp65 antigen detection as a means of monitoring CMV viral load in at-risk patients. Initiating treatment at too low a cut-off may result in over-treatment since very low level viraemia may not necessarily represent live or replicating virus. However, using too high a cut-off might lead to unacceptable treatment delay. As a result of these uncertainties the optimal pre-emptive strategy remains unknown. We therefore sought to determine whether, using quantitative real time PCR, the manufacturer’s detection cut-off or the validated lower quantitation limit (LQL) was the more appropriate treatment trigger. Methods: CMV surveillance was done by weekly (twice weekly...
Research Interests:
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection in the developed world. We have designed and evaluated an assay that includes an internal control for amplification and detection of CMV DNA in amniotic fluid and... more
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection in the developed world. We have designed and evaluated an assay that includes an internal control for amplification and detection of CMV DNA in amniotic fluid and neonatal urine samples. We present data on the use of this assay in the diagnosis of congenital CMV infection. A total of 145 amniotic and fetal fluid samples were examined by this assay; 83 were from healthy pregnant women and 62 were from women who were being investigated because of concerns over the pregnancy (diagnostic group). CMV DNA was detected in three amniotic fluid samples from the diagnostic group but was not detected in any samples taken from healthy pregnant women. Thirty-nine urine samples were obtained from 19 neonates with suspected congenital infection; CMV DNA was detected in urine from 6 of these patients. The assay provides useful information about CMV infection in the fetus and the neonate; when used in conjunction with other diagn...
Research Interests: Clinical Microbiology, Biological Sciences, Internal Control, Pregnancy, Humans, and 15 moreUltrasonography, Female, Clinical, Cytomegalovirus, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Developing World, Amniotic Fluid, Pregnancy Complication, Pregnant Women, Prenatal Diagnosis, Cytomegalovirus Infections, Developmental delay, Diagnostic Tool, Medical and Health Sciences, and In Utero
After infection with human cytomegalovirus (CMV), cells develop an affinity for normal human immunoglobulin G (IgG). This was demonstrated using 125iodine-labeled purified IgG. It was further demonstrated that the immunoglobulin molecule... more
After infection with human cytomegalovirus (CMV), cells develop an affinity for normal human immunoglobulin G (IgG). This was demonstrated using 125iodine-labeled purified IgG. It was further demonstrated that the immunoglobulin molecule binds to CMV-infected cells via its Fc portion, and competition for binding to infected cells occurred between purified preparations of human IgG and the Fc fragment of human IgG. Whole sera from individuals with or without a high titer of anti-CMV antibody were labeled with 125iodine and it was demonstrated that serum from individuals with no anti-CMV antibody had an affinity for CMV-infected cells which probably reflected binding of IgG via its Fc fragment. The possible significance of these results in immunologic studies of human CMV is considered.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
New methods for the detection of human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) were developed. These were based on nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) and utilised the NucliSens Basic Kit. Primers and probes were selected from the... more
New methods for the detection of human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) were developed. These were based on nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) and utilised the NucliSens Basic Kit. Primers and probes were selected from the haemagglutinin neuraminidase (HN) gene of HPIV1, HPIV2 and HPIV3, and from the phosphoprotein (P) of HPIV4a and -4b. Synthetic RNA, titrated control virus stocks and respiratory specimens (n=44) were utilised to evaluate performance of the assays. Detection of NASBA products was by probe hybridisation and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) ('end-point' detection) or using molecular beacons ('real-time' detection). The assays using ECL detection proved to be both sensitive and specific. Typically, less than or equal to 100 RNA copies or one TCID(50) input was detectable with no cross-reaction between the specific HPIV assays and other respiratory viruses. Results for clinical samples were concordant with those obtained by 'conventional' procedures by classical viral diagnostic methods. 'Real-time' detection utilised probes specific for either HPIV1 or HPIV3 with similar performance characteristics to the assays with 'end-point' detection. The feasibility of multiplexing targets together was confirmed using a combined HPIV1 and HPIV3 assay with good results for ECL and molecular beacon detection on control material and clinical samples.
Research Interests: Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, Biology, Virology, Medicine, and 12 moreHumans, Child, Journal of Virological Methods, Real Time, Electrochemiluminescence, Base Sequence, Virus infection, Sensitivity and Specificity, Molecular Diagnosis, Molecular beacon, Molecular Sequence Data, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction
Research Interests: Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, Biology, Medicine, Quality Control, and 11 moreCell Culture, Internal Control, Humans, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Journal of Virological Methods, Real Time, Sensitivity and Specificity, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections Industry, Molecular beacon, Bronchoalveolar lavage, and Nasopharynx
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Although most genes are highly conserved among strains of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), several are unusually variable. By analyzing the sequence of two variable genes (UL146 and UL74) amplified directly from whole blood DNA extracts,... more
Although most genes are highly conserved among strains of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), several are unusually variable. By analyzing the sequence of two variable genes (UL146 and UL74) amplified directly from whole blood DNA extracts, multiple HCMV strains were detected in blood samples from 5/11 virus-infected renal transplant patients. These five patients were seronegative prior to transplantation and their likely acquisition of the virus was via the donated organ; HCMV-positive immunocompetent donors may thus be capable of harboring and transmitting multiple virus genotypes. In sequential samples taken up to 140 days post transplant no mutations in either gene were detected from 9/10 patients, and in the remaining patient a single nucleotide change was detected in UL146, and none in UL74. All sequences grouped into previously defined genotypes, with the detection of multiple members of the UL74 group 5 genotype establishing this previously tentative genotype. Additionally, identical sequences were identified in viruses from different patients, including examples from geographically distinct regions. Thus, although UL146 and UL74 exhibit impressive variation among strains, their sequences are maintained stably within and between infected individuals, suggesting that sequence differences between genotypes may be driven by differing gene function.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Medical Microbiology, Medicine, Biological Sciences, Hepatitis B, Humans, and 11 moreInfection Control, Health Care Workers, Reproducibility of Results, Hepatitis B virus, Work Practice, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Medical, Department of Health, Carrier state, Medical and Health Sciences, and Hepatitis B surface antigen
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, Biology, Medicine, Clinical Virology, and 15 moreCerebrospinal Fluid, Humans, Clinical, Cytomegalovirus, Clinical Sciences, Electrochemiluminescence, Base Sequence, Bovine Serum Albumin, Meningoencephalitis, Nucleic Acid, Biotinylation, Poliovirus, Optical Density, Enterovirus, and Molecular Sequence Data
Research Interests: Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, Biology, Virology, Medicine, and 13 moreClinical Virology, Humans, Norovirus, Virus, Gastroenteritis, Clinical Sciences, Feces, Faeces, Ease of Use, Sensitivity and Specificity, Nucleic Acid, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
To compare two rapid whole-blood serology tests for Helicobacter pylori and a laboratory serology assay against a gold standard. Prospective comparison of tests in 81 patients. A hospital rapid access endoscopy clinic. Dyspeptic patients... more
To compare two rapid whole-blood serology tests for Helicobacter pylori and a laboratory serology assay against a gold standard. Prospective comparison of tests in 81 patients. A hospital rapid access endoscopy clinic. Dyspeptic patients requiring assessment of H. pylori status. Measurement of H. pylori antibody status by Quickvue One-step, Helisal, and Premier H. pylori test; 13C urea breath test for H. pylori, and gastric biopsies for histology, culture and rapid urease test. Sensitivity and specificity of Quickvue One-step, Helisal and Premier tests, compared to a gold standard based on 13C urea breath test, biopsy culture, histology and urease test. The Quickvue assay has significantly greater sensitivity (81%) than Helisal (67%), but without appreciable loss of specificity (86% and 93%, respectively). The Premier laboratory assay is significantly more sensitive than both of the rapid blood tests (96%), with comparable specificity to the Quickvue assay. The rapid serology tests used in this study are quick and convenient to use, but do not approach the sensitivity of a laboratory assay in detecting H. pylori status in this group of dyspeptic patients attending an endoscopy clinic.
Research Interests:
The aim of the present study was to compare traditional methods for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus with a newly developed commercial assay based on real-time nucleic acid sequence based amplification. Respiratory syncytial... more
The aim of the present study was to compare traditional methods for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus with a newly developed commercial assay based on real-time nucleic acid sequence based amplification. Respiratory syncytial virus is a major cause of severe respiratory infection in infants and in certain groups of older children and adults. Treatment options are limited, but a rapid diagnosis improves patient management and infection control. The rapid diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus currently relies on antigen detection assays. These tests are limited to use in certain good-quality types of samples, which are rarely obtained from adult patients. Molecular-based assays for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus are shown to be highly sensitive, specific, and more rapid than cell culture techniques. This retrospective study compared traditional laboratory techniques for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus in 508 respiratory samples collected during the winter months of 2003-2004 against the recently developed, commercially available NucliSens EasyQ Respiratory Syncytial Virus A+B assay (bioMérieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France), which is based on real-time nucleic acid sequence based amplification using molecular beacons and an internal control. Using traditional techniques, the prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus in the samples tested was found to be 21%. Using the real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay, an additional 41 samples from patients with a clinically diagnosed respiratory illness were found to be positive for respiratory syncytial virus. The NucliSens EasyQ assay was shown to be sensitive and specific for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus A+B in different types of respiratory samples. Moreover, the time required to complete the assay was <4 h, so results could be obtained on the same day as sample receipt in the laboratory.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
SUMMARYIn an outbreak of plasmid-freeSalmonella enteritidisphage type 4 (PT4) food poisoning at a hospital for mentally handicapped people in July 1990, 101 residents and 8 staff were affected and a cohort study implicated beef rissoles... more
SUMMARYIn an outbreak of plasmid-freeSalmonella enteritidisphage type 4 (PT4) food poisoning at a hospital for mentally handicapped people in July 1990, 101 residents and 8 staff were affected and a cohort study implicated beef rissoles cooked by deep-fat frying as the vehicle of infection (relative risk 2·92, 95% confidence interval 1·73–4·93, P0·001). Replication of the cooking process demonstrated that the rissoles achieved core temperatures of only 48–60 °C despite external temperatures of 91–95 °C and an oil temperature of 142–154 °C. No residual food was available for microbiological testing but plasmid-containingS. enteritidisPT 4 was isolated in shell eggs from the hospital kitchen.
Research Interests:
In January 1999, an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis affected more than 300 people who attended a metropolitan concert hall over a 5-day period. Norwalk-like virus (NLV) was confirmed in faecal samples by reverse transcription polymerase... more
In January 1999, an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis affected more than 300 people who attended a metropolitan concert hall over a 5-day period. Norwalk-like virus (NLV) was confirmed in faecal samples by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay. The index case was a concert attendee who vomited in the auditorium and adjacent male toilet. Gastrointestinal illness occurred among members of 8/15 school parties who attended the following day. Children who sat on the same level of the auditorium as the index case were much more likely to be ill than those seated elsewhere (relative risk 7.1, 95% confidence interval 5.4–9.2, P<0.001). The majority of other reported cases had not been present on the evening of the vomiting incident. Disinfection procedure was poor and the disinfectant used contained no sodium hypochlorite. Transmission most likely occurred through direct contact with contaminated fomites. The outbreak has implications for disinfection procedures following...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
SUMMARY In January 1999, an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis affected more than 300 people who attended a metropolitan concert hall over a 5-day period. Norwalk-like virus (NLV) was confirmed in faecal samples by reverse transcription... more
SUMMARY In January 1999, an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis affected more than 300 people who attended a metropolitan concert hall over a 5-day period. Norwalk-like virus (NLV) was confirmed in faecal samples by reverse transcription polymerase chain ...
Research Interests:
Close Window. Close Window. Thank you for choosing to subscribe to the eTOC for European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Enter your Email address: Wolters Kluwer Health may email you for journal alerts and ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Emma Hudson a Diana Westmoreland b Christopher Gorman b Christopher H. Poynton b Jason F. Lester a Timothy S. Maughan a aVelindre Hospital and bUniversity Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK count immediately prior to second-line chemotherapy... more
Emma Hudson a Diana Westmoreland b Christopher Gorman b Christopher H. Poynton b Jason F. Lester a Timothy S. Maughan a aVelindre Hospital and bUniversity Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK count immediately prior to second-line chemotherapy was 3.1! 10 9/l ...
Research Interests:
Many factors are involved in the in duction of animal and human cancer: ionizing radiation, chemical carcino gens, age, hormone balance and genetic constitution of the host. In addition, viruses are known to cause tumors in animals such... more
Many factors are involved in the in duction of animal and human cancer: ionizing radiation, chemical carcino gens, age, hormone balance and genetic constitution of the host. In addition, viruses are known to cause tumors in animals such as frogs, fowl, rodents, cats, cows and monkeys, and it is im probable that cancer in man has a fun damentally different etiology. However, it is unlikely that evidence of the viral etiology of human cancer will ever fully satisfy Koch's postu lates. These include that: (I) the micro-organism must be observed in most cases of the disease; (2) it must be isolated and grown in pure culture; (3) the pure culture must, when inocu lated into a susceptible animal, repro duce the disease; and (4) the micro organism must be observed in, and recovered from, the experimentally diseased animal. Thus, supporting evi dence that viruses cause several human cancers is largely circumstantial and hasbeengatheredinseveralways.One line of attack is to search for virus particles, viral precursors in the form of antigens, and virus-specific nucleic acids in human tumor biopsy samples and cultured tumor cells. Passenger and contaminant viruses should be rig orously eliminated before any agent can
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Medical Microbiology, Medicine, Biological Sciences, Hepatitis B, Humans, and 11 moreInfection Control, Health Care Workers, Reproducibility of Results, Hepatitis B virus, Work Practice, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Medical, Department of Health, Carrier state, Medical and Health Sciences, and Hepatitis B surface antigen
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, Biology, Medicine, Clinical Virology, and 15 moreCerebrospinal Fluid, Humans, Clinical, Cytomegalovirus, Clinical Sciences, Electrochemiluminescence, Nest, Base Sequence, Bovine Serum Albumin, Meningoencephalitis, Nested PCR, Biotinylation, Enterovirus, Molecular Sequence Data, and Diagnostic Tool
New methods for the detection of human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) were developed. These were based on nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) and utilised the NucliSens Basic Kit. Primers and probes were selected from the... more
New methods for the detection of human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) were developed. These were based on nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) and utilised the NucliSens Basic Kit. Primers and probes were selected from the haemagglutinin neuraminidase (HN) gene of HPIV1, HPIV2 and HPIV3, and from the phosphoprotein (P) of HPIV4a and -4b. Synthetic RNA, titrated control virus stocks and respiratory specimens (n=44) were utilised to evaluate performance of the assays. Detection of NASBA products was by probe hybridisation and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;end-point&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; detection) or using molecular beacons (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;real-time&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; detection). The assays using ECL detection proved to be both sensitive and specific. Typically, less than or equal to 100 RNA copies or one TCID(50) input was detectable with no cross-reaction between the specific HPIV assays and other respiratory viruses. Results for clinical samples were concordant with those obtained by &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;conventional&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; procedures by classical viral diagnostic methods. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;Real-time&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; detection utilised probes specific for either HPIV1 or HPIV3 with similar performance characteristics to the assays with &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;end-point&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; detection. The feasibility of multiplexing targets together was confirmed using a combined HPIV1 and HPIV3 assay with good results for ECL and molecular beacon detection on control material and clinical samples.
Research Interests: Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, Biology, Virology, Medicine, and 12 moreHumans, Child, Journal of Virological Methods, Real Time, Electrochemiluminescence, Base Sequence, Virus infection, Sensitivity and Specificity, Molecular Diagnosis, Molecular beacon, Molecular Sequence Data, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction
The development and introduction of effective treatment for influenza A in the form of neurami-nidase inhibitors have made the rapid diagnosis of infection important especially in high-risk populations. The aim of this study was to... more
The development and introduction of effective treatment for influenza A in the form of neurami-nidase inhibitors have made the rapid diagnosis of infection important especially in high-risk populations. The aim of this study was to develop a real-time nucleic acid ...
Research Interests:
Purpose The present work documents an outbreak of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis among ophthalmology residents, its influence in the presentation of the community cases, the use of molecular techniques for its diagnosis, and the... more
Purpose The present work documents an outbreak of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis among ophthalmology residents, its influence in the presentation of the community cases, the use of molecular techniques for its diagnosis, and the implementation of successful control ...
Research Interests:
Although most genes are highly conserved among strains of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), several are unusually variable. By ana-lyzing the sequence of two variable genes (UL146 and UL74) amplified directly from whole blood DNA extracts,... more
Although most genes are highly conserved among strains of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), several are unusually variable. By ana-lyzing the sequence of two variable genes (UL146 and UL74) amplified directly from whole blood DNA extracts, multiple HCMV ...
Research Interests:
An outbreak of Q fever occurred in South Wales, United Kingdom, from July 15 through September 30, 2002. To investigate the outbreak a cohort and nested case-control study of persons who had worked at a card-board manufacturing plant was... more
An outbreak of Q fever occurred in South Wales, United Kingdom, from July 15 through September 30, 2002. To investigate the outbreak a cohort and nested case-control study of persons who had worked at a card-board manufacturing plant was conducted. The cohort included ...