PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S I Egglestone

Publications and source records attributed to S I Egglestone.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Serological diagnosis of syphilis. PHLS Syphilis Serology Working Group.

The availability of an increasing number of enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for detecting syphilis antibodies makes it appropriate to review approaches to syphilis serology and to assess the role of syphilis EIAs in routine diagnostic microbiology laboratories. This paper summarises the principles and practice of syphilis serology and provides recommendations on the use of laboratory tests for syphilis in UK diagnostic microbiology laboratories. The main recommendations are summarised in a testing algorithm. Treponemal EIAs are an appropriate alternative to the use of combined Venereal Disease Research Laboratories/rapid plasma reagin and Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) tests for screening for syphilis. If a treponemal EIA is used for screening an alternative treponemal test, such as TPHA, should be used for confirmatory testing. The fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorbed test is probably best reserved for specimens giving discrepant results. Such specimens may be referred to the PHLS laboratories that provide confirmatory treponemal testing for reference testing and to facilitate collection of surveillance data on what remains an important public health problem.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1999

Absence of human astrovirus RNA in sewage and environmental samples.

Over a period of several weeks during the summer of 1996, samples of sewage, sea water, river water, sand and silt were collected from a sewage works at Weston-super-Mare, England and from coastal areas nearby. A sensitive reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to search for human astrovirus (HAstV) RNA in concentrates of the samples. No evidence of astrovirus was found in any sample, which suggests that contamination with these viruses is not a problem in this area during the summer holiday season. Furthermore, the single case of astrovirus diarrhoea diagnosed in this laboratory in the summer occurred at the end of the sampling period, and not in the survey area. The primers used sometimes yielded a product two-thirds the expected size but bearing no sequence homology with HAstV. The confirmation that poliovirus adsorbs to sand and silt shows that these materials might be able to concentrate other enteric viruses in water to a level which could be a threat to the health of people coming into contact with it.

Astroviridae Infections↗
PubMed1998

Reference laboratory surveillance of syphilis in England and Wales, 1994 to 1996.

Routine surveillance of syphilis of public health importance (infectious, congenital, and neurosyphilis) began in England and Wales in 1994, using reports from six PHLS laboratories that undertook serological and other reference work. One hundred and thirty-one cases were reported in the first two years, including 100 cases of infectious syphilis, with all regions reporting some infectious syphilis. Reports from PHLS laboratories represented one sixth of the number of cases seen in genitourinary clinics (KC60 data), but both systems produced comparable results. Laboratory reports provided more data on risk factors, which were not available elsewhere. This study documents the risk in England and Wales from infections originating in eastern Europe, where sexually transmitted infections including syphilis have reached epidemic proportions. Forty-five per cent of cases of infectious syphilis were reported to have been acquired in the United Kingdom (UK) and 59% of people with infectious syphilis were reported to have been born in the UK. Twenty per cent of the infectious cases were associated directly or indirectly with transmission in Russia or elsewhere in eastern Europe. The majority of infectious cases were from the white ethnic group. Eighty-five per cent of cases of infectious syphilis were reported to have been acquired heterosexually; 26% of male cases were reported to have been acquired homosexually. The PHLS laboratory reporting system is now well established, and could usefully be expanded to include other, non PHLS, laboratories that undertake reference work. It has the capacity to detect changes in the national epidemiology of syphilis, including imported infections.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Duplex PCR system for simultaneous detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis in clinical specimens.

AIMS: To evaluate the use of a duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the simultaneous detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis in clinical samples. METHODS: Genital swab specimens were obtained from both China (203 swabs) and Hong Kong (202 swabs). N gonorrhoeae and C trachomatis were detected in each specimen with a number of tests including enzyme immunoassays (IDEIA) and PCR assays using both single and double primer pairs. The primer pair for N gonorrhoeae was derived from the cppB gene on its cryptic plasmid and the PCR product was 390 base pairs long. For C trachomatis, the PCR product was 473 base pairs long, resulting from amplification of a sequence in the common 7.4 kilobase plasmid present in all serovars. For N gonorrhoeae, PCR results were also compared with those obtained by culture and Gram's smear of the discharges. RESULTS: For the 203 specimens collected in China, similar numbers of positive results (177) were obtained by both Gonozyme and duplex PCR for the detection of N gonorrhoeae. No discrepant results were found among the cultured specimens when Gonozyme and duplex PCR were compared. C trachomatis was detected in 47 specimens by duplex PCR, but was detected in only 28 by IDEIA. Of the 202 Hong Kong specimens, 46 were positive for N gonorrhoeae, detected by both Gonozyme and duplex PCR; 34 were positive for C trachomatis, 25 of which were detected by IDEIA and the remainder by duplex PCR. CONCLUSIONS: The duplex PCR assay is a satisfactory diagnostic tool for the simultaneous detection of N gonorrhoeae and C trachomatis in clinical swab samples. Further evaluation is suggested.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Diagnosis of urogenital gonorrhoea: evaluation of an enzyme immunoassay and use of urine as a non-invasive specimen.

Urethral swabs and urine samples were collected from 42 male patients attending a social hygiene clinic in Hong Kong and used for gonococcal culture and detection of antigens by enzyme immunoassay. Of the patients, 21 were suffering from gonorrhoea as indicated by positive gonococcal culture from both urethral swabs and urine. Twenty of the positive cases were detected by both swab and urine specimens using Gonozyme, an enzyme immunoassay kit. One culture-positive case failed detection by both swab and urine specimens. Gonozyme showed sensitivity and specificity of 95.2% and 100% respectively. With male patients, the use of urine as an alternative specimen to urethral swabs appears to have potential value for both culture and Gonozyme testing. Genital swabs and urine samples were subsequently collected from 108 patients (89 male, 19 female) attending the sexually transmitted disease monitoring centre in Guangzhou, China. Gonozyme tests were performed on both types of specimen, while only swabs were cultivated. When compared with swab culture, Gonozyme had sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 89.2% for males, and 100% and 90.9% for females, respectively. When urine was compared with swabs in the Gonozyme test, urine had sensitivity and specificity of 83.6% and 89.2% for males, and 62.5% and 81.8% for females, respectively. Hence, Gonozyme merits further investigation as an acceptable rapid diagnostic method for detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, especially when using urine as an alternative non-invasive specimen from male patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Polymerase chain reaction for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in clinical samples.

AIMS: To evaluate the use of a cppB gene derived polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for direct detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in clinical samples. METHODS: A PCR assay was performed on 33 N gonorrhoeae strains and 12 other Neisseria species and other normal genital flora to evaluate the specificity of the chosen cppB primers. The assay was subsequently evaluated with 52 clinical swab samples collected from China. RESULTS: An amplified product of 390 base pairs (bp) was observed with all the N gonorrhoeae strains, each of these products on digestion with the restriction enzyme MspI produced two bands of 250 bp and 140 bp respectively. This set of primers did not produce any amplified product of the expected length with the other non-gonococcal strains tested. For the 52 clinical swabs, 34 were culture positive and PCR successfully detected all these positives. In addition the PCR was positive for two swabs which were culture negative but positive for N gonorrhoeae antigens when tested with the ELISA method (Gonozyme). CONCLUSIONS: This PCR assay is a promising diagnostic tool for detection of gonococci directly from clinical swab samples. Further evaluation is necessary.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Genotypic and phenotypic markers in the differentiation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains.

Restriction enzyme (RE) patterns, using Hind III enzyme, were analysed on 101 urogenital strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The strains were also analysed serologically, using monoclonal antibodies, and tested for nutritional requirements by auxotyping. In addition, testing susceptibility to doxycycline was performed by an agar-dilution method. The strains were distributed into 23 RE patterns, of which the five most common accounted for 67.3% of all isolates. The same strains were distributed into 17 serovars, of which the four most common accounted for 77.3% of all isolates. Eleven auxotypes were demonstrated, of which the four most common accounted for 85.1% of all isolates. When the methods were combined, 38 combinations of RE patterns and serovars, 25 combinations of RE patterns and auxotypes, and 31 combinations of serovars and auxotypes were seen. Combining all three methods, 40 combinations of RE patterns, serovars and auxotypes were found. Correlations were particularly seen between RE patterns and auxotypes. The strains were moderately sensitive to doxycycline, those with serological markers for WII/WIII being less sensitive than those with markers for WI.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1987

Western blot analysis of gonococcal serogrouping reagents.

The W class antisera used in the coagglutination method of serogrouping Neisseria gonorrhoeae were analysed using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blot transfers. All were found to contain antibodies to the homologous protein II as well as antibodies to protein I group antigens. Examination of local isolates showed that some strains owed their reaction with coagglutination reagents to epitopes on their protein II not their protein I. How this may lead to difficulties when using coagglutination patterns to subdivide the W groups is discussed.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1985

Epidemiological studies on Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in the United Kingdom.

Seven hundred and seventy nine isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from the County of Avon, United Kingdom, were examined by auxotyping and penicillin susceptibility testing. Prototrophic strains which were heterogeneous as judge by penicillin susceptibility were the most commonly isolated and increased in prevalence over the three year period. The group most generally susceptible to penicillin required ArgHypUra for growth and decreased in prevalence over the three year period. Ten strains failed to grow on the auxotyping medium. Serogrouping was undertaken on 408 isolates. All strains reacting with the WI reagents were ArgHypUra requiring. However auxotypically similar strains (ArgHypUra) reacted with WII/WIII reagents suggesting a distinct and separately evolved group. Twenty four strains did not type with the serogrouping reagents. Using contact pairs, W-class serology was found to be a stable marker during natural transmission. However auxotypes were found to be unstable in 22 of 104 contact pairs and of these 18 involved a single requirement for proline. This very high incidence of instability with respect to this marker means it is not possible to reliably differentiate between the prototrophic group and the group with a single requirement for proline.

Culture Media↗
PubMed1985

In vitro activity of temocillin against Neisseria gonorrhoeae including penicillinase-producing strains.

169 penicillinase-producing strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) isolated in the United Kingdom were examined for susceptibility to temocillin and spectinomycin. A further 25 PPNG strains and 214 non-penicillinase-producing strains were examined against temocillin, spectinomycin, amoxycillin, cefuroxime and penicillin. Minimum inhibitory temocillin concentrations ranged from 0.36 to 5.0 mg/L with a mode at 1.25 mg/L. The distributions of sensitivities to other agents were in keeping with those previously described.

Amoxicillin↗
PubMed1983

Auxotyping of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in the United Kingdom.

One hundred and twenty consecutive isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from the County of Avon, UK, were examined by auxotyping and penicillin susceptibility testing. Requirements for proline (Pro), arginine (Arg), hypoxanthine (Hyp), uracil (Ura) and methionine (Met) were determined with a modified Heckels' medium. Prototrophic strains accounted for 29.9% of isolates and were a heterogeneous group as judged by penicillin susceptibility testing. The group most generally susceptible to penicillin required Arg-Hyp-Ura, and represented 27.5% of isolates. The Pro-Argo-Ura auxogroup (10% of isolates) had the narrowest range of penicillin susceptibility. Prototrophic strains had a reduced growth rate on arginine-free medium. Investigations of this phenomenon and suitable methods for auxotyping are reported.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1983

Neisseria gonorrhoeae: stability of typing markers after natural transmission.

The gonococcal isolates from 15 contact pairs and three large contact groups were examined using various methods to assess the stability of different typing markers. With the exception of one contact group which showed variable proline requirements, the auxotypes were stable during natural transmission. Serogrouping using the coagglutination method to detect W and M antigens was undertaken. The lipopolysaccharide M antigens were readily lost and gained during transmission whereas the protein W antigens represented stable markers and are thus useful for epidemiological studies.

Antigens, Bacterial↗