The diagnosis of severe pneumococcal infections is inadequate, relying heavily on culture of Streptococcus pneumoniae from blood or other normally sterile fluids, and is severely limited by prior administration of antibiotics. We evaluated prospectively the Binax NOW S. pneumoniae urinary antigen test, a rapid immunochromatographic assay, for the diagnosis of bacteremic pneumococcal infections ...

AIMS To determine whether antibody to lipopolysaccharide-core (LPS-core) antigen is an important component of the antibody, detected by mixed heat-killed coliform antigen, in urine from patients with suspected urinary tract infection. METHODS LPS-core antigen and mixed heat-killed coliform antigen were used in an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure IgG antibody in midstream u...

BACKGROUND Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most common bacteria identified in sputum obtained from subjects with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). PURPOSE To examine the urinary pneumococcal antigen test in subjects admitted with AECOPD and subjects with COPD, and to evaluate its relationship with AECOPD. METHODS Urine samples from 82 subjects wit...

The study was undertaken to prospectively evaluate a Streptococcus pneumoniae urinary antigen test for diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia among patient and control groups between 2004 and 2006. Microbiological analysis for these patients included Gram staining for sputum, sputum and blood culture. Nonconcentrated urine samples were tested using an immunochromatographic assay, the NOW S.pneumon...

background : e-cadherin is a trans-membrane glycoprotein that plays a critical role in many aspects of cell adhesion as well as establishment and maintenance of epithelial cell polarity. loss of the adhesive function of e-cadherin seems to promote invasive and metastatic properties of neoplastic cells.   objectives: the present study is a retrospective study aiming to evaluate the loss of e-cad...