To compare the sensitivity and suitability of detection of active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection by using monoclonal antibodies against CMV antigen (antigen test to detect antigenemia) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR; to detect viral DNA) in granulocytes, 19 heart and 2 lung transplant recipients were closely monitored by these tests for at least 3 months after transplantation. All pati...

PCR technology offers alternatives to conventional diagnosis of Cryptosporidium for both clinical and environmental samples. We compared microscopic examination by a conventional acid-fast staining procedure with a recently developed PCR test that can not only detect Cryptosporidium but is also able to differentiate between what appear to be host-adapted genotypes of the parasite. Examinations ...

African animal trypanosomiasis is caused by a range of tsetse transmitted protozoan parasites includingTrypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma congolense and Trypansoma brucei. In Western Kenya and other parts of East Africa two subspecies of T. brucei, T.b. brucei and the zoonoticT.b. rhodesiense, co-circulate in livestock. A range of polymerase chain reactions (PCR) have been developed as important mo...

The analytical performance and cost-effectiveness of the Wampole Toxin A/B EIA, the C. Diff. Quik Chek Complete (CdQCC) (a combined glutamate dehydrogenase antigen/toxin enzyme immunoassay), two RT-PCR assays (Progastro Cd and BD GeneOhm) and a modified two-step algorithm using the CdQCC reflexed to RT-PCR for indeterminate results were compared. The sensitivity of the Wampole Toxin A/B EIA, Cd...

Four different DNA loci were assessed for the detection of H. pylori by PCR on gastric biopsy specimens. PCR, with a primer specific 860 bp DNA fragment, was the most sensitive, with a detection limit of 0.02 pg H. pylori DNA, corresponding to approximately 10 organisms. Nested-PCR of the 860-bp DNA fragment was 10-fold more sensitive than single-step PCR. The sensitivity and specificity of the...

Influenza can be manifested as an acute febrile illness, with symptoms similar to many pathogens endemic to Cambodia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Quickvue influenza A+B rapid test to identify the etiology of acute febrile illness in Cambodia. During December 2006-May 2008, patients enrolled in a study to identify the etiology of acute febrile illnesses were tested for influe...

Objective: To establish the accuracy of computed tomography(CT) chest in diagnosis COVID-19 pneumonia by taking reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) as a reference standard and to analyze discordant CT RT-PCR results.Materials Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study patients presented tertiary health care hospital Punjab, Pakistan for examination with suspicion from Ap...

BACKGROUND Patients with suspected Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) often receive empirical therapy prior to collection of stool specimens for diagnostic testing. The likelihood that such empirical therapy might result in false-negative CDI test results is unknown. METHODS We conducted a prospective study of CDI patients to determine the time to conversion of CDI test results, including ...