PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Hopf

Publications and source records attributed to S Hopf.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

[Detection of Borrelia DNA in urine using polymerase chain reaction in rheumatologic laboratory diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis].

Borrelia burgdorferi specific DNA has been detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in different specimens of patients with Lyme disease (LD). The aim of the present study is to evaluate PCR-diagnostic of urine specimens regarding rheumatologic diagnosis of Lyme disease. Urine specimens of 77 patients (LD, n = 34; undifferentiated arthritis (UA), n = 25; arthralgia/myalgia (AM), n = 18) and 15 controls were investigated. Flagellin gene (60 specimens) or OspA-plasmid (32 specimens) were used as targets. Sensitivity of the flagellin-nested-PCR was 27%, by OspA-nested-PCR only one positive PCR result was found. Despite of low sensitivity PCR enabled the correct diagnosis of LD in two patients classified as UA. Therefore, PCR can give valuable hints in single cases if LD is clinically suspected.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Sensitivities of PCR, MicroTrak, ChlamydiaEIA, IDEIA, and PACE 2 for purified Chlamydia trachomatis elementary bodies in urine, peripheral blood, peripheral blood leukocytes, and synovial fluid.

Routine microbiological diagnosis of Chlamydia-induced reactive arthritis is based mainly on the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis with urogenital swabs or in urine. Because chlamydial antigen, rRNA, and DNA are present in low quantities in the inflamed joint, highly sensitive assays are needed to detect C. trachomatis not only at the primary site of infection but also in peripheral blood and peripheral blood leukocytes, which are suspected carriers for dissemination, and in synovial fluid. To evaluate possible tools for this purpose, the sensitivities of PCR, MicroTrak, Chlamydia EIA, IDEIA, and PACE 2 for the detection of defined numbers of purified C. trachomatis elementary bodies (EB) in urine, peripheral blood, peripheral blood leukocytes, and synovial fluid were determined. In urine, PCR detected 2, MicroTrak and ChlamydiaEIA detected 2 x 10(3), and PACE 2 and IDEIA detected 2 x 10(4) EB per ml. In peripheral blood, only PCR and MicroTrak detected C. trachomatis, with detection limits of 100 and 2 x 10(7) EB per ml, respectively. For peripheral blood leukocytes, the detection limits were 2 EB per ml for PCR and 2 x 10(4) EB per ml for MicroTrak, ChlamydiaEIA, IDEIA, and PACE 2. In synovial fluid, PCR detected 200, MicroTrak and IDEIA detected 2 x 10(5), and PACE 2 detected 10(6) EB per ml. ChlamydiaEIA was unable to detect 2 x 10(6) EB per ml in synovial fluid. In summary, PCR was found to be the most sensitive method. The sensitivities of the other methods tested were at least 1,000 times lower than that of PCR. PCR should therefore be considered a most promising tool for routine diagnosis of Chlamydia-induced arthritis.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1986

Recognition of visual pattern components in squirrel monkeys.

In 4 mixed-age captive groups of squirrel monkeys the predator alarm behavior control by means of visual stimuli was studied, and the extent to which socially inexperienced infant squirrel monkeys are capable of species-specific alarm behavior. By means of color film projection it was shown that both the socially experienced and inexperienced subjects recognized two-dimensional representations of real objects or situations. Behavioral reactions to visual stimulus patterns of terrestrial predators and graded controls revealed that recognition involves complex perceptional processes and is dependent on social experience. Using a series of systematically varied spot patterns, it was found that the monkeys generalize within a wide but well-defined range of stimuli. There was a clear-cut gender difference in alarm responses, with the males exerting a leading role both in onset and ceasing of terrestrial predator alarm. Both the socially experienced and inexperienced subjects responded with the species-specific avian alarm and flight reaction to fast moving patterns. Only the speed, not the shape, was relevant.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chlamydial rRNA in the joints of patients with Chlamydia-induced arthritis and undifferentiated arthritis.

Synovial fluid and synovial membrane specimens of 11 patients with Chlamydia-induced arthritis (CIA), 24 patients with undifferentiated arthritis (UndA), 4 patients with post-enteritic reactive arthritis, 3 patients with Lyme arthritis and 9 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were investigated for the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis). A single stranded DNA-probe was used for nucleic acid hybridization with ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from C. trachomatis. In 4 patients (CIA = 1, UndA = 3) chlamydial rRNA was found in the synovial fluid. In one additional patient (CIA) the specimen of a synovial membrane biopsy was positive for chlamydial rRNA. The detection of intra-articular chlamydial rRNA is discussed as an indicator for the presence of viable Chlamydiae in inflamed joints.

Arthritis, Infectious↗