The preparation of a fluorescein-labeled Gardnerella vaginalis polyclonal antibody is described, and its usefulness is assessed for the detection of this microorganism in vaginal samples obtained from 263 women attending the gynecological department of a general hospital, 66 of whom harbored an intrauterine device. The direct immunofluorescence technique was positive for G. vaginalis in 21% of ...

A direct immunofluorescence technique for the diagnosis of acute adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis and pharyngoconjunctivitis was found to be a reliable, sensitive, and specific technique for the detection of soluble adenoviral antigens in epithelial cells on conjunctival scrapings of patients with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis. Of 25 patients with clinical findings consistent with epidemic kerat...

We studied evidence of Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae infection in 54 cats living in Jakarta, Indonesia. By using an indirect immunofluorescence assay, we found immunoglobulin G antibody to B. henselae in 40 of 74 cats (54%). The blood of 14 feral cats was cultured on rabbit blood agar plates for 28 days. Bartonella-like colonies were identified as B. henselae or B. clarridgeia...

The infectivity of a Cryptosporidium parvum isolate of cervine origin (type 2, Moredun) propagated in calves was investigated simultaneously in healthy adult human volunteers and in interferon-gamma knockout (GKO) mice. After exposure to 100-3000 oocysts, 16 volunteers recorded, for a duration of 6 weeks, the number and form of stools that they passed and any symptoms that they experienced. Ooc...

Although psoriasis and bullous diseases are considered to be completely different disease entities, the literature has reported a few cases of psoriasis associated with bullous diseases, most of which are bullous pemphigoid. In limited cases, pemphigus foliaceus has also been reported in association with psoriasis. In most of them, pemphigus lesions usually developed on an untreated patient wit...

OBJECTIVE To validate the performance of a direct fluorescence antibody (DFA) test and to determine the prevalence, risk factors and clinical manifestations of cervical chlamydia infection in different groups of women in Nicaragua. STUDY POPULATION 926 women, 863 routine clinic attenders (mean age 27 years) and 63 sex workers (mean age 25 years) attending health centres in León, Corinto, Mata...

Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsies were studied in 30 patients, 15 with myocardiopathy from chronic Chagas'disease and 15 with idiopathic congestive myocardiopathy; five other myocardial samples were taken at necropsies of patients with chronic Chagas' disease. The authors tried to establish by means of direct immunofluorescence techniques whether there were immunoglobulins G, A and M, f...

Enzyme immunoassays for the detection of chlamydial antigens are commonly used to diagnose Chlamydia trachomatis infection. As is true for all nonculture methods, the specificities of these tests are a concern. A confirmatory blocking assay (Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Ill.) was evaluated at four sexually transmitted disease test sites. This assay is designed to confirm true-positive Ch...

1. The cellular localization of kallikrein was investigated in rat and human exocrine glands and kidney by a direct immunofluorescence technique. 2. Kallikrein was found in the duct system of the rat and human major salivary glands. 3. Kallikrein was found in the distal tubular cells of the rat kidney. Attempts to localize kallikrein in the human kidney were unsuccessful. 4. In the rat and huma...

This study evaluated the effect of peroxidation assisted by ultraviolet radiation (H2O2/UV), which is an advanced oxidation process (AOP), on Giardia duodenalis cysts. The cysts were inoculated in synthetic and surface water using a concentration of 12 g H2O2 L(-1) and a UV dose (λ = 254 nm) of 5,480 mJcm(-2). The aqueous solutions were concentrated using membrane filtration, and the organisms ...