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Biomedical subjects

A C Fluit

Publications and source records attributed to A C Fluit.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Comparison of immunomagnetic beads coated with protein A, protein G, or goat anti-mouse immunoglobulins. Applications in enzyme immunoassays and immunomagnetic separations.

Immunomagnetic beads were prepared using either protein A (PA) or protein G (PG) coupled to magnetic beads for binding antibodies at their Fc region. The performance of these beads was compared with commercially available beads coated with goat anti-mouse (G alpha M) immunoglobulins. Both the PA- and PG-beads possessed a higher binding capacity than the G alpha M-beads for the monoclonal antibodies tested, although, PA bound weakly with some IgG1 antibodies. PA-beads were compared with G alpha M-beads in a magnetic enzyme immunoassay for the detection of mouse immunoglobulins as an alternative to a conventional capture ELISA. The magnetic enzyme immunoassay was characterized by a detection time of less than 60 min and a linear assay range from 5-10 to 500 ng/ml for G alpha M-beads and 5-10 to 1000 ng/ml for PA-beads. The capture ELISA was linear from 10 to 250 ng/ml. For immunomagnetic separation of Salmonella with immunomagnetic beads, PA-beads were superior to both PG- and G alpha M-beads. For specific isolation of bacteria from heterogeneous suspensions by immunomagnetic separation, PA- and PG-beads are preferable since G alpha M-beads crossreact with bacteria possessing proteins with Fc-binding activity.

Animals↗

Detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in fecal samples by colony blot hybridization.

A hybridization assay for detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in fecal samples was developed and compared with the classical tissue culture cytotoxicity assay. A DNA fragment probe specific for the toxin B gene of Clostridium difficile was synthesized by the polymerase chain reaction and labelled with digoxigenin. Fecal samples were cultured for 24 hours, replica-plated and hybridized with the probe. The hybridization assay had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 96.7%, positive predictive value of 86.7% and negative predictive value of 100% compared with the cytotoxicity assay.

Base Sequence↗

Frequency of enterovirulent Escherichia coli in diarrhoeal disease in The Netherlands.

To assess the role of enterovirulent Escherichia coli in The Netherlands, faecal samples of 279 patients (108 children, 171 adults) with diarrhoea and 100 healthy controls were investigated in a prospective study. Enterovirulent Escherichia coli were identified by hybridization with five different non-radioactively labelled DNA probes specific for enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), verocytotoxin producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). The rate of isolation of EPEC was 6.5% in patients with diarrhoea and 2.0% in asymptomatic persons. During the study period, no VTEC were isolated from patients with diarrhoea. ETEC were isolated from two persons, both of whom had experienced diarrhoea and had returned from travel in (sub)tropical areas. Our results suggest that diarrhoea is sporadically caused by ETEC among the indigenous population of The Netherlands, and is mainly associated with travel in endemic areas. Furthermore, the presence of EPEC probe-positive strains in the stool need not always be accompanied by symptoms of diarrhoea.

Adult↗

Detection of enterovirulent Escherichia coli associated with diarrhoea in Seville, southern Spain, with non-radioactive DNA probes.

To assess the role of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli in Southern Spain, faecal samples from 135 patients with diarrhoea and 40 healthy subjects from Seville, Andalusia, were investigated. In this prospective study, enterovirulent E. coli were identified by hybridisation with five non-radioactive DNA probes specific for enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC). Probe-positive strains were isolated from four patients (3%) with diarrhoea and from none of the healthy controls. Two patients harboured ETEC and two patients had EPEC probe-positive strains in their faeces. No VTEC were isolated during this study. Salmonella spp. were the most frequently identified enteric pathogens, accounting for 10% of the cases, followed by Campylobacter jejuni (3%) and diarrhoeagenic E. coli (3%). This study indicates that enterovirulent E. coli play a modest role in the aetiology of diarrhoea among the indigenous population of Southern Spain.

Adult↗

Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in cheese with the magnetic immuno-polymerase chain reaction assay.

A new detection system, the magnetic immuno-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (MIPA) has been developed to detect Listeria monocytogenes in food. This method separates Listeria cells from PCR-inhibitory factors present in enrichment broths containing food samples by using magnetic beads coated with specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). The separated bacteria were lysed, and the supernatant containing the bacterial DNA was subjected to the PCR. Detection of L. monocytogenes in three naturally contaminated cheese samples with two different MAbs and PCR primers specific for the gene encoding the delayed-hypersensitivity factor showed that with MAb 55 all three samples were positive whereas with MAb A two samples were positive. A further improvement of the method was obtained by using a PCR step based on the listeriolysin O gene. A MIPA employing MAb 55 and the listeriolysin O gene primer set detected L. monocytogenes after 24 h of culture in Listeria Enrichment Broth samples from Port Salut artificially contaminated with 40 CFU/25 g. We could detect 1 CFU of L. monocytogenes per g of cheese after a second enrichment for 24 h in Fraser broth. The analysis time including both enrichments is approximately 55 h.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Rapid detection of salmonellae in poultry with the magnetic immuno-polymerase chain reaction assay.

Rapid detection of salmonellae in chicken meat was accomplished by using the magnetic immuno-polymerase chain reaction assay (MIPA). A direct polymerase chain reaction assay performed with chicken meat spiked with Salmonella typhimurium resulted in poor sensitivity (approximately 10(7) CFU/g of meat). The use of immunoseparation with a Salmonella serogroup B-specific monoclonal antibody improved the sensitivity, but enrichment was required for the detection of low levels of contamination. Enrichment for 6 h in either buffered peptone water, lactose broth containing tergitol-7, or selenite-cystine broth resulted in the detection of an initial inoculum of 100 CFU per g of meat. Enrichment of the salmonellae present on 25 g of spiked chicken meat for 24 h in either buffered peptone water or selenite-cystine broth before detection by the MIPA yielded a detection limit of approximately 0.1 CFU/g of meat. A detection limit of approximately 1 CFU/g of meat was obtained when the spiked meat was stored at -20 degrees C before enrichment for 24 h and analysis with the MIPA. Although the MIPA was developed for S. typhimurium, a MIPA in which a panel of six monoclonal antibodies specific for Salmonella serogroups A through E was used detected the presence of 0.1 CFU of Salmonella enteritidis per g of chicken meat. These data indicate that the method is applicable to other commonly isolated serotypes.

Animals↗

Monoclonal antibodies that react with live Listeria spp.

Seven monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against Listeria spp. that were reactive with live Listeria spp. were developed. Two of these MAbs (55-8 and 55-37) were members of the immunoglobulin M class, and all other MAbs were members of the immunoglobulin G class. MAb 55-23 reacted with 148 of 157 strains tested. MAb 34-51 reacted with serotype 1/2a, 1/2b, and 1/2c strains and exhibited a scattered reaction pattern with strains belonging to other serotypes. MAb 55-44 reacted with all of the strains belonging to serotype 4b tested. MAb 55-4 reacted with all of the serotype 1/2a isolates tested, although reactivity with other isolates also was observed. The other MAbs exhibited scattered reaction patterns. No correlation of reactivity pattern with serotype was found. Marked differences were observed between the reactivities of MAbs as determined by a magnetic immunoluminescence assay and a whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Only MAb 55-23 exhibited minor reactivity with three Streptococcus spp. isolates, while no reactivity was observed with six Bacillus spp. strains, one Escherichia coli strain, and one Citrobacter sp. strain. In Western blots (immunoblots) MAbs 55-23, 55-44, and 34-9 exhibited reactivity; all other MAbs were negative in this assay.

Animals↗

Comparison of typing methods for Clostridium difficile isolates.

A simple discriminative typing method for Clostridium difficile has been developed. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole-cell proteins and restriction enzyme analysis are relatively simple techniques but are difficult to evaluate, especially the restriction enzyme analysis. Immunoblotting and restriction fragment length polymorphism typing facilitate simple discrimination of patterns.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

[Detection of diarrhea-causing Escherichia coli using DNA-probes].

To assess the role of enterovirulent Escherichia coli at home and abroad, faeces samples of patients with diarrhoea and of healthy controls in Tunisia, Seville (southern Spain) and the Netherlands were investigated. Enterovirulent E. coli were identified by hybridization with five different non-radioactively labelled DNA probes specific for enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and verocytotoxin producing E. coli (VTEC). ETEC was the main causative agent of travellers' diarrhoea in Tunisia. The isolation of ETEC in the Netherlands was shown to be related to travel in endemic areas. EPEC probe positive strains were isolated in children and in adults, but were not in all cases associated with intestinal disease. During this study no VTEC were detected. From an immunocompromised kidney transplantation patient with sepsis and diarrhoea ETEC were isolated from blood.

Adolescent↗

Monoclonal antibodies that detect live salmonellae.

Nine immunoglobulin G and nine immunoglobulin M murine monoclonal antibody-producing hybridomas reactive with live Salmonella bacteria were obtained from several fusions of immune spleen cells and Sp2/0 myeloma cells. The antibodies were selected by the magnetic immunoluminescence assay. The monoclonal antibodies were reactive with serogroups A, B, C1, C2, D, E, and K and Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. diarizonae. Each monoclonal antibody proved to be reactive with a distinct serotype. Clinical isolates belonging to these Salmonella serogroups could be detected. Reactivity with non-Salmonella bacteria proved to be minor.

Animals↗

The magnetic immuno polymerase chain reaction assay for direct detection of salmonellae in fecal samples.

Direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection with fecal specimens is hampered by inhibitory compounds, such as bilirubin and bile salts. These fecal compounds showed significant inhibition of PCR at low concentrations (10 to 50 micrograms/ml). For direct PCR analysis, fecal samples must be diluted 500-fold to overcome inhibition. Therefore, the magnetic immuno PCR assay (MIPA), which combines immunomagnetic separation by using specific monoclonal antibodies and PCR, was used to directly detect salmonellae in feces from humans. Immunomagnetically extracted stool samples needed to be diluted only 10-fold when 1 microgram of T4 gene 32 protein was added to the PCR. The MIPA sensitivity obtained was 10(5) CFU/ml of feces. A panel of monoclonal antibodies specific for Salmonella serogroups A to E was used to extract salmonellae from clinical samples. MIPA detection of salmonellae occurred with 11 out of 14 stool samples stored at 4 degrees C for 2 months. MIPA detection of salmonellae in stool samples is a promising, fast method for detection and identification.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Evaluation of the magnetic immuno PCR assay for rapid detection of Salmonella.

A new technique, the Magnetic Immuno PCR Assay (MIPA), has been developed for the detection of Salmonella. The assay utilizes magnetic particles coated with monoclonal antibodies against Salmonella to extract these bacteria from the sample. Trapped bacteria are lysed, and the supernatant, which contains bacterial DNA, is then subjected to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers from the Salmonella typhimurium origin of DNA replication to amplify a 163 bp region. The specificity of the primer set was tested in the PCR; amplification occurred with all 25 Salmonella strains tested but not with 19 other species of Enterobacteriaceae tested. A sensitivity of 100 cfu Salmonella typhimurium was achieved for the MIPA by visualization of the amplified products by ethidiumbromide stained agarose gel electrophoresis. A ten-fold higher sensitivity was obtained by Southern blotting of the amplified products. The presence of 10(7) cfu Escherichia coli did not interfere with these detection levels. The MIPA thus specifically detected 100 cfu of Salmonella within 5 h and may be potentially useful for rapid detection of Salmonella in clinical specimens and food.

Base Sequence↗

Nontoxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile lack the genes for both toxin A and toxin B.

A total of 39 toxigenic and 20 nontoxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile were tested for the presence of either toxin A or toxin B by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All toxigenic strains produced cytotoxin as assayed by using highly sensitive fetal lung fibroblasts and were positive for toxin A as well as toxin B in the PCR assay. All nontoxigenic strains failed to produce toxin and were negative in the PCR assay. This study shows that nontoxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile lack the toxin A as well as the toxin B gene.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Uncoupling of oxidative and non-oxidative mechanisms in human granulocyte-mediated cytotoxicity: use of cytoplasts and cells from chronic granulomatous disease patient.

Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and granule-free cytoplasts were compared for their cytotoxic capacities against red blood cells (RBC) and K562 tumor cells. Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulated PMN to efficient lysis of RBC targets, while cytotoxicity against the tumor cell line K562 was moderate. Activated cytoplasts also lysed RBC targets but were not able to kill K562 tumor cells, even at high cell numbers. Suppression of the glutathione redox cycle of the K562 tumor targets markedly increased their susceptibility to lysis by PMA-activated PMN. Despite the enhanced susceptibility of antioxidant-depleted K562 tumor cells to oxygen radical-induced damage, PMA-stimulated cytoplasts did not kill these targets. Addition of exogenous myeloperoxidase or lactoferrin to cytoplasts devoid of granule did not improve the lysis of RBC and K562 tumor cells. Coating K562 targets with specific antibodies induced efficient PMN-mediated killing in comparison to PMA-stimulated lysis of non-coated targets. Cytoplasts, however, did not kill antibody-coated K562 tumor cells; this was not improved by glutathione depletion but showed some lysis of antibody-coated RBC. PMN from a patient with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) showed normal antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) against K562 tumor cells but were not able to lyse these targets after PMA stimulation. The analysis of target cell killing by cytoplasts and PMN from a CGD patient indicated that granular constituents are important mediators in the killing of nucleated target cells and that PMN-mediated ADCC does not require the release of reactive oxygen species. Differences in the susceptibility of target cells to oxygen-mediated lysis indicates that target cell antioxidant mechanisms play an important role in the outcome of the cytotoxic response.

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity↗

A probe for the detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

An approximately 300 base pair DNA fragment for use as a probe was isolated from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus DNA partially digested with Sau3AI. This probe hybridized with 25 methicillin-resistant clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus belonging to 18 different phage types, but not with 41 clinical isolates susceptible to methicillin.

DNA Fingerprinting↗

Degradation of herpes simplex virions by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes.

The degradation of herpes simplex virus particles after uptake by phagocytes was studied, but, since lysis of the phagocyte also resulted in damage to the viral envelope, measurement of viral infectivity as a criterion of viral degradation after phagocytosis was not possible. Therefore we focused on later events in viral destruction, namely the degradation of macromolecules. We have demonstrated that polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and monocytes (MN) can rapidly degrade the membrane proteins of the phagocytosed herpes-virus virions. PMN and MN from a patient with chronic granulomatous disease showed a similar rate of degradation compared to PMN and MN from healthy donors, which excludes an important role for toxic oxygen species in viral protein degradation. Experiments using toxic oxygen species-generating systems supported this observation. In contrast to PMN, MN are also effective in the digestion of viral DNA. We conclude that PMN and MN are able to neutralize large amounts of phagocytosed HSV, so their role in antiviral defence has again been demonstrated.

DNA, Viral↗