PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Detection”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources

Continuous EEG monitoring for the detection of seizures in traumatic brain injury, infarction, and intracerebral hemorrhage: "to detect and protect".

Brain injury results in a primary pathophysiologic response that enables the brain to have seizures. Seizures occur frequently after traumatic and nontraumatic intracerebral bleeding. These seizures can be nonconvulsive, and if one does not monitor for seizures, one will not know they are occurring. The use of continuous EEG monitoring (cEEG) to detect brain arrhythmias after a primary insult, much in way that cardiac arrhythmias are detected after myocardial infarction, can influence treatment decisions and mitigate some of the pathophysiologic natural history of brain injuries. Seizures after brain injury worsen clinical outcome and need to be treated. In summary, cEEG is a valuable clinical instrument "to detect and protect," i.e., to detect seizures and protect the brain from seizure-related injury in critically ill patients, whose brains are often in a particularly vulnerable state.

Brain Infarction↗

Laser photoacoustic detection allows in planta detection of nitric oxide in tobacco following challenge with avirulent and virulent Pseudomonas syringae Pathovars.

We demonstrate the use of laser photoacoustic detection (LPAD) as a highly sensitive method to detect in planta nitric oxide ((*)NO) production from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). LPAD calibration against (*)NO gas demonstrated a linear relationship over 2 orders of magnitude with a detection threshold of <20 pmol h(-1) (1 part per billion volume [ppbv]). The specificity of the photoacoustic signal for (*)NO when adding gas or the (*)NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, on injection into plant leaves, was demonstrated by its abolition with O(3) ((*)NO + O(3) --> NO(2) + O(2)). The utility of the LPAD method was shown by examination of a nonhost hypersensitive response and a disease induced by Pseudomonas syringae (P. s.) pv phaseolicola and P. s. pv tabaci in tobacco. (*)NO was detected within 40 min of challenge with P. s. pv phaseolicola, some 5 h before the initiation of visible tissue collapse. The wildfire tobacco pathogen P. s. pv tabaci initiated (*)NO generation at 2 h postinfection. The use of (*)NO donors, the scavenger CPTIO ([4-carboxyphenyl]-4,5-dihydro-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxide), and the mammalian nitric oxide synthase inhibitor l-NMMA (N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine) indicated that (*)NO influenced the kinetics of cell death and resistance to both avirulent and virulent bacteria in tobacco. These observations suggest that (*)NO is integral to the elicitation of cell death associated with these two bacterial pathogens in tobacco.

Acoustics↗

Detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in melanocytic lesions using the ligase detection reaction.

BACKGROUND: BRAF is a member of the RAF kinase family, and it promotes signaling through the RAS-MAP kinase signal transduction cascade. Research has shown that a majority of melanomas and nevi exhibit an activating V600E (T1799A) mutation in BRAF exon 15. Additional studies of BRAF have demonstrated that the T1799A mutation is absent in uveal melanomas and Spitz nevi. METHODS: The ligase detection reaction (LDR) is a sensitive technique that can identify specific DNA mutations occurring at very low frequency within heterogeneous clinical samples, and it has previously been used to analyze mutations in paraffin-embedded tissue specimens. RESULTS: The LDR can readily detect mutations in DNA extracted from non-microdissected paraffin-embedded sections of common nevi, dysplastic nevi, and melanomas. In addition, this method demonstrated the absence of the V600E (T1799A) mutation within Spitz nevi. CONCLUSION: The LDR is a highly sensitive and specific test for detecting mutations in formalin-fixed tissue. The LDR can be easily adapted to detect any mutation associated with a cutaneous disorder. The absence of the BRAF V600E mutation in Spitz's nevi may serve as a molecular signature to distinguish these lesions from common nevi, dysplastic nevi, and some types of malignant melanoma.

Base Sequence↗

Detection of hepatitis B virus precore stop codon mutants by selective amplification method: frequent detection of precore mutants in hepatitis B e antigen positive healthy carriers.

The precore region of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is indispensable for secretion of e antigen protein. Therefore, the precore stop codon mutants may play an important role in the process of e antigen seroconversion. However, the presence of the mutants in hepatitis B e antigen positive carriers has not been fully studied because of difficulties in detecting the mutants in the presence of large amounts of wild-type viruses. To overcome this, a sensitive method has been developed to detect the presence of G to A stop codon mutants at codon 28 of precore region. Primers for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were devised to introduce restriction enzyme site Sty I for wild-type viruses and Dde I for the mutants. The amplification products with these primers were digested with Sty I to exclude the products from wild-type viruses. The remaining amplicon from precore mutants were re-amplified, and the presence of precore mutant was confirmed with Dde I digestion. The presence of precore mutants was examined in 61 HBV carriers by the method combining PCR and restriction enzyme digestion. Approximately 0.1% of precore mutant DNA among 10(6) copies of wild-type virus DNA was detectable by this method. The presence of the precore mutants was detected in seven of 10 (70%) e antigen positive asymptomatic carriers, and in 29 of 36 (81%) e antigen positive patients with chronic liver diseases, and in all 15 (100%) anti-e antibody positive patients with chronic liver diseases. This study revealed that a small amount of the precore mutants was present in the majority of HBV carriers.

Adult↗

Age-related profile of neuroblastoma: a comparison of tumors detected by mass-screening with those detected clinically.

Infants with neuroblastoma are known to have a favorable prognosis compared to those over 1 year of age. However, there is little biological information about the age-related heterogeneity of neuroblastoma. We evaluated the biological profile comparing cases detected by mass screening with those detected clinically. A total of 238 patients with neuroblastoma were classified into four groups according to their age at diagnosis. Patients in group A were 0-5 months of age (n = 31). Patients in group B were detected clinically and were 6-11 months of age (n = 25). Patients in group C were 6-11 months of age and were detected by mass-screening (n = 97). Patients in group D were more than 12 months of age (n = 85). The age-related heterogeneity was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, several clinical markers (neuron specific enolase, ferritin, vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid) at diagnosis, tumor Ha-ras p21 expression and tumor N-myc amplification. Infant neuroblastoma had unique features in comparison to neuroblastoma diagnosed over 12 months of age. Clinical outcome of the patients in groups A and C was quite favorable. Even patients with stage III or IV disease in group A had a favorable prognosis. However, stage IVs disease in group A was not necessarily associated with a good prognosis and the early death after diagnosis was also characteristic. The biological profile of tumors in group C was similar to that in group A but different from the profile in groups B and D. Tumors in group B had a biological profile intermediate between groups A and D.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Factors↗

Comparison of immunological and molecular hybridization detection methods for the detection of hepatitis A virus in sewage.

Immune electron microscopy (IEM), radioimmunoassay (RIA) and molecular hybridization with a digoxigenin-labelled cDNA probe were compared for the detection of wild-type human hepatitis A virus (HAV) in raw and treated sewage. In the same experiments, classic tests for culturable enteroviruses were carried out. With the hybridization probes, HAV was detected in three of the 13 affluent samples (23%) and in eight out of 13 effluent samples (61%). For four of the effluent samples, positivity revealed by IEM was confirmed by the cDNA probe. In contrast, two of the samples shown as positive by IEM were negative with the probes. Detection of HAV by RIA was negative in all cases. Demonstration of HAV was higher in effluent than in affluent. No particular relationship was established between demonstration of HAV, on the one hand, and the various concentrations of enteroviruses observed in the same samples on the other. Overall, if all the results, irrespective of the type of water (affluent or effluent), are taken together, 50% of the sewage samples tested were found to contain HAV by one or another method of detection.

Hepatovirus↗

Determination of the detective quantum efficiency of a prototype, megavoltage indirect detection, active matrix flat-panel imager.

After years of aggressive development, active matrix flat-panel imagers (AMFPIs) have recently become commercially available for radiotherapy imaging. In this paper we report on a comprehensive evaluation of the signal and noise performance of a large-area prototype AMFPI specifically developed for this application. The imager is based on an array of 512 x 512 pixels incorporating amorphous silicon photodiodes and thin-film transistors offering a 26 x 26 cm2 active area at a pixel pitch of 508 microm. This indirect detection array was coupled to various x-ray converters consisting of a commercial phosphor screen (Lanex Fast B, Lanex Regular, or Lanex Fine) and a 1 mm thick copper plate. Performance of the imager in terms of measured sensitivity, modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectra (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) is reported at beam energies of 6 and 15 MV and at doses of 1 and 2 monitor units (MU). In addition, calculations of system performance (NPS, DQE) based on cascaded-system formalism were reported and compared to empirical results. In these calculations, the Swank factor and spatial energy distributions of secondary electrons within the converter were modeled by means of EGS4 Monte Carlo simulations. Measured MTFs of the system show a weak dependence on screen type (i.e., thickness), which is partially due to the spreading of secondary radiation. Measured DQE was found to be independent of dose for the Fast B screen, implying that the imager is input-quantum-limited at 1 MU, even at an extended source-to-detector distance of 200 cm. The maximum DQE obtained is around 1%--a limit imposed by the low detection efficiency of the converter. For thinner phosphor screens, the DQE is lower due to their lower detection efficiencies. Finally, for the Fast B screen, good agreement between calculated and measured DQE was observed.

Biophysical Phenomena↗

Detection of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in dried skimmed milk: use of the polymerase chain reaction for amplification and detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin genes entB and entC1 and the thermonuclease gene nuc.

The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the staphylococcal enterotoxin B and C genes (entB and entC1) and the staphylococcal nuclease gene (nuc). Two sets of primers ("nested primers") were found to be necessary for the detection of low copy numbers of purified DNA in diluent. These allowed detection of ca. 1 fg of purified target DNA, while 100 pg was required before detection of entB, entC1, and nuc with single primer pairs was possible. With nested primers, enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus cells could be detected in artificially contaminated dried skimmed milk samples at levels of ca. 10(5) CFU ml-1 within 8 h. No cross-reaction was observed between the highly homologous entB and entC1 genes. The method showed total specificity for entC1 when tested against a wide variety of other bacteria.

Animals↗

Detection of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in foods and water by immunomagnetic separation, nested polymerase chain reactions, and colorimetric detection of amplified DNA.

A two-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure with two nested pairs of primers specific for the yadA gene of Yersinia enterocolitica was developed. The PCR assay identified all common pathogenic serogroups (O:3, O:5,27, O:8, O:9, O:13, and O:21) from three continents and differentiated pathogenic Y. enterocolitica from Y. pseudotuberculosis and from a variety of nonpathogenic yersiniae representing 25 serogroups and four species. The performance of the method was evaluated with seeded food and water samples. We compared two procedures for sample preparation prior to PCR: one was based on immunomagnetic separation of the target bacteria from the sample, using magnetic particles coated with immunoglobulin antibodies to Y. enterocolitica serogroup O:3, and the other method consisted of a series of centrifugation steps combined with proteinase treatment. Regardless of the method used, the PCR assay was capable of detecting 10 to 30 CFU/g of meat in 10(6)-fold excess of indigenous bacteria. When the samples were enriched overnight in a nonselective medium, the sensitivity was increased to approximately 2 CFU/g, except for samples with an extremely high background flora (> 10(7) CFU/g). We compared gel electrophoretic detection of PCR products with a colorimetric detection method designated DIANA (detection of immobilized amplified nucleic acids), which enabled easy visualization of amplified fragments in a microtiter plate format with an optical density reader. DIANA and gel electrophoresis showed complete concordance in their discrimination between positive and negative samples. The combination of immunomagnetic separation, nested PCR, and DIANA makes possible the development of a fully automated analytic process which requires a minimum of laboratory manipulations.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

Detection of altered T helper 1 and T helper 2 cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with multiple sclerosis utilizing intracellular cytokine detection by flow cytometry and surface marker analysis.

Production of T helper 1 and T helper 2 cytokines was investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients by a newly described technique, detection of intracellular cytokines by flow cytometry in conjunction with immunophenotype analysis. T-cell gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production and interleukin 10 (IL-10) production were examined after PBMC activation with T-cell mitogens at 5 and 24 h, and monocyte spontaneous production of IL-10 and production after PBMC activation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h were also examined. The data indicate that MS patients have decreased percentages of T cells capable of secreting IFN-gama compared with healthy controls, and this change is detectable at 5 and 24 h. the patients displaying decreased T-cell production of IFN-gamma were essentially confined to a group being treated with the newly approved drug Betaseron (berlex Labs, Cedar Knolls, N.J.), a recombinant form of IFN-beta (rIFN-beta 1b). By gating of the entire lymphocyte population, analysis of IFN-gama production in T cells (CD3+ versus that in non-T cells (CD3+) was possible. The percentage of IFN-gamma-producing lymphocytes that was made up of T cells was essentially unchanged between the Betaseron-treated patients, non-Betaseron-treated patients, and controls, indicating that the suppression of IFN-gamma production displayed by betaseron-treated MS patients was a nonspecific suppression of all IFN-gamma-producing lymphocytes as opposed to a suppression of T-cell production only. The data seem to indicate that treatment of MS with Betaseron corresponds to an inhibition of the lymphocyte's ability to produce IFN-gamma. No changes were detected in T-cell production of IL-10 at either time point. We also observed that MS patients in general appear to have small percentages of peripheral blood monocytes spontaneously producing slight but detectable levels of IL-10. No difference was seen regarding monocyte production of IL-10 after PBMC activation with LPS between MS patients and controls. Both populations responded with high percentages of monocytes producing IL-10. The data seem to indicate that treatment of MS with Betaseron, known to decrease the exacerbation rate of relapsing-remitting MS, corresponds to a suppression of peripheral blood lymphocyte production of IFN-gamma. Monocyte production of IL-10 may also play a role in regulating the disease process.

Adult↗

Analysis of the disagreement between automated bioluminescence-based and culture methods for detecting significant bacteriuria, with proposals for standardizing evaluations of bacteriuria detection methods.

A fully automated method for detecting significant bacteriuria is described which uses firefly luciferin and luciferase to detect bacterial ATP in urine. The automated method was calibrated and evaluated, using 308 urine specimens, against two reference culture methods. We obtained a specificity of 0.79 and sensitivity of 0.75 using a quantitative pour plate reference test and a specificity of 0.79 and a sensitivity of 0.90 using a semiquantitative standard loop reference test. The majority of specimens negative by the automated test but positive by the pour plate reference test were specimens which grew several bacterial species. We suggest that such disagreement was most likely for urine containing around 10(5) colony-forming units per ml (the culture threshold of positivity) and that these specimens were ones contaminated by urethral or vaginal flora. We propose standard procedures for calibrating and evaluating rapid or automated methods for the detection of significant bacteriuria and have analyzed our results using these procedures. We recommend that identical analyses should be reported for other evaluations of bacteriuria detection methods.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Evaluation of Detect-A-Strep and the Culturette Ten-Minute Strep ID kits for detection of group A streptococcal antigen in oropharyngeal swabs from children.

The Detect-A-Strep kit (DAS) (Antibodies Inc.) and the Culturette Brand 10-Minute Group A Strep ID kit (CBTMSI) (Marion Scientific) were compared with a sensitive culture method for detection of group A streptococci in oropharyngeal swabs from children. Specimens from 953 children ranging in age from 4 months to 18 years were inoculated to selective blood agar plates containing sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Culture plates were incubated anaerobically for the first overnight period and aerobically in the presence of 10% CO2 for the second overnight period. The same specimens were tested within 24 h by DAS (phase 1) or CBTMSI (phase 2). One hundred thirty-five of 538 specimens (25.1%) tested by DAS and 150 of 415 specimens (36.1%) tested by CBTMSI were culture positive. DAS detected 87 of 135 (64.4%) and CBTMSI detected 93 of 150 (62.0%) culture-positive specimens. The specificities of DAS and CBTMSI were 96.5 and 99.6%, respectively. The predictive values of positive and negative results were 86.1 and 89.0% for DAS and 98.9 and 82.2% for CBTMSI. Because a reliable distinction between infected patients and carrier state patients cannot be made, we conclude that neither DAS nor CBTMSI is sufficiently sensitive to replace our culture method.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical samples by using polymerase chain reaction and a nonradioactive detection system.

A test based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed for the detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in clinical samples. In this test, a 245-bp sequence of the insertion element IS986 was amplified and detected by agarose gel electrophoresis in the presence of ethidium bromide and by Southern blot and dot blot hybridization by using a 188-bp digoxigenin-labeled probe. We tested clinical specimens from 227 patients suspected of having tuberculosis. These included 102 cerebrospinal fluid, 48 sputum, 18 pleural fluid, 5 bronchoalveolar lavage, 18 blood, 7 pus, 8 bone marrow, and 6 urine samples and 15 tissue biopsy specimens. We also tested sputum samples from 75 patients with diseases other than tuberculosis. Sputum samples were first decontaminated, and all samples were treated with proteinase K-detergent solution to extract the DNA. Part of each sample was spiked with M. tuberculosis to provide a semiquantitative assay and to control for the loss of mycobacteria or interference with the PCR which may cause false-negative results. One femtogram of M. tuberculosis DNA could be detected. PCR was positive for all 32 culture-positive (for M. tuberculosis) and Ziehl-Neelsen staining (ZN)-positive samples, 10 of 12 culture-positive and ZN-negative samples, and all 4 culture-negative and ZN-positive samples. PCR detected M. tuberculosis complex bacteria in 35 of 178 culture- and ZN-negative samples. Clinical data supported the diagnosis of tuberculosis in the majority of the 35 patients from whom those samples were obtained.

Base Sequence↗

Rapid detection of the mecA gene in methicillin-resistant staphylococci by enzymatic detection of polymerase chain reaction products.

In order to identify methicillin-resistant staphylococci from clinical sources with ease and reliability, enzymatic detection of polymerase chain reaction (ED-PCR) was applied. ED-PCR is based on the capture of amplified products via biotin-streptavidin affinity and the detection of an incorporated hapten in amplified products with an enzyme-linked antibody. In order to identify methicillin-resistant staphylococci of all species, a 150-bp fragment of the mecA gene was targeted for ED-PCR. After PCR was performed with a pair of biotin and dinitrophenol 5'-labeled primers, the reaction mixture was applied to a microtiter well precoated with streptavidin. Thereafter, bound PCR products were detected colorimetrically with alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-dinitrophenol antibody. The extraction of DNA from staphylococcal cells for PCR was simplified so that it could be performed within one tube. The total assay, including PCR, took less than 3 h. The sensitivity of mecA gene detection ranged from greater than 5 x 10(2) CFU per tube for Staphylococcus aureus to greater than 5 x 10(3) CFU per tube for Staphylococcus epidermidis. Genotyping results obtained by ED-PCR of 161 tested strains from the colonies (97 strains of S. aureus and 64 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci) were compared with the phenotypic susceptibilities of the strains to oxacillin. The results of ED-PCR showed excellent agreement with the MICs of oxacillin with very few exceptions; only one strain of S. aureus and two strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci were found to possess the mecA gene, which was discrepant with their phenotypes. Fifty-five blood culture samples were also tested by ED-PCR. For staphylococcal isolates in 33 of the cultures, oxacillin MICs were >4 microgram/ml; 31 of the 33 staphylococcal isolates were determined by ED-PCR to be mecA gene positive. These results suggest that ED-PCR can be used with reasonable confidence in the clinical microbiological laboratory.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Herpes simplex virus detection from genital lesions: a comparative study using antigen detection (HerpChek) and culture.

The sensitivity of a rapid enzyme immunoassay test (HerpChek Direct Herpes Simplex Virus Antigen Test [DuPont Medical Products, Wilmington, Del.]) for the detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV) antigens in patient specimens was compared with HSV culture. HerpChek positivity for HSV occurred with 179 (65%) of 275 lesion specimens, whereas culture for HSV was positive for 145 (53%) lesions (P = 0.002). HerpChek was twice as sensitive as culture for the detection of HSV in late-stage lesions and was equivalent to culture for the detection of HSV in early lesions. We conclude that HerpChek provides greater sensitivity than culture for HSV detection in late-stage genital lesions.

Adolescent↗

Detection of endocervical anti-Chlamydia trachomatis immunoglobulin A in pregnant women by a rapid, 6-minute enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: comparison with PCR and chlamydial antigen detection methods.

There is a need for a rapid, uncomplicated, and inexpensive test for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in women. We evaluated the ability of a 6-min enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that requires no laboratory equipment (IgA Rapid SeroTest; Savyon Diagnostics) to detect C. trachomatis immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the endocervices of 167 inner-city pregnant women and compared the results with DNA amplification (Amplicor PCR; Roche Diagnostics) and antigen detection (Chlamydiazyme; Abbott Laboratories) performed on the same women. Anti-C. trachomatis IgA was detected in the cervices of 32 women (19.2%). Samples from 23 women (13.8%) were PCR positive, while chlamydial antigen was present in 20 women (12.0%). There was only 1 sample (4.3%) that was positive by PCR but negative by ELISA; 10 samples were ELISA positive and PCR negative. In contrast, seven samples (30.4%) were PCR positive but Chlamydiazyme negative and four were Chlamydiazyme positive and PCR negative. Compared to PCR, the IgA ELISA had a sensitivity of 95.7%, a specificity of 93.1%, a positive predictive value of 68.8%, and a negative predictive value of 99.3%. The antigen assay had a sensitivity of only 69.6%, a specificity of 97.2%, a positive predictive value of 80.0%, and a negative predictive value of 95.2%. In high-risk groups where laboratory testing is not available, or where the patient might not return to obtain her testing result and be treated, the Rapid IgA SeroTest is a viable alternative for detection of cervical C. trachomatis in pregnant women.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Evaluation of the PrimeCapture CMV DNA detection plate system for detection of cytomegalovirus in clinical specimens.

With the availability of anticytomegalovirus (CMV) therapeutic agents, rapid detection of CMV is important in the care and management of the immunosuppressed patient. The PrimeCapture CMV DNA Detection Plate System (PC-PCR) was evaluated for the detection of CMV in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The resolution of discordant results was performed by consensus testing utilizing a combination of conventional cell culture (TC-CPE), the CMV-antigenemia (CMV-Ag) assay, one or more in-house CMV nested PCR assays, and/or patient evaluation and follow-up. Of 51 blood specimens from 34 patients, 23 (45%) were identified as true positives. PC-PCR was significantly more sensitive than the CMV-Ag assay, TC-CPE, or a combination of both tests. The sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) for PC-PCR, the CMV-Ag assay, TC-CPE, and a combination of CMV-Ag and TC-CPE were 78, 75, 72, 81%; 46, 100, 100, 70%; 39, 100, 100, 67%; and 58, 100, 100, 73%, respectively. CMV was not detected or isolated in CSF, resulting in a combined PC-PCR sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 77, 90, 68, and 93%, respectively. Among those laboratorians considering the incorporation of molecular CMV diagnostics into their clinical microbiology or virology laboratories, the CMV PC-PCR offers a relatively simple-to-perform and sensitive assay system.

Cytomegalovirus↗

Detection of precytopathic effect of enteroviruses in clinical specimens by centrifugation-enhanced antigen detection.

Rapid enterovirus detection is important for decisions about antibiotic administration and length of hospital stay. The efficacy of rapid antigen detection-cell culture amplification (Ag-CCA) was evaluated with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) 5-D8/1 (DAKO) and Pan-Enterovirus clone 2E11 (Chemicon) with 10 poliovirus, echovirus, and coxsackievirus type A and B stock isolates and College of American Pathologists check samples. By using Ag-CCA technology, MAb 2E11 was more sensitive than 5-D8/1 at detecting a greater number of stock isolates at or past tube (cytopathic effect [CPE]) culture (TC) end points. The efficacy of Ag-CCA in the clinical setting was subsequently confirmed with 273 consecutively freshly collected nasopharyngeal aspirate or swab specimens, rectal swab, and cerebrospinal fluid specimens during the 1999 enterovirus season. All specimens were tested by Ag-CCA in parallel with rhesus monkey kidney (RhMk), MRC-5, and A549 conventional TCs. Approximately 60% of field specimens were additionally tested with Hep-2 and HNK conventional TCs. Sixty-two percent of the clinical specimens tested were Ag-CCA positive after 48 h. Among 51 isolates, the mean time to CPE or culture confirmation was 5.5 days (range, 2 to 18 days). After 48 h, Ag-CCA achieved sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 62, 100, 100, and 93%, respectively. During the same period, TC-CPE displayed test parameters of 12, 100, 100, and 85%, respectively. After 5 days, the sensitivity and specificity of Ag-CCA increased to 92 and 98%, respectively. Within the same period, isolation attained sensitivity and specificity of 52 and 100%, respectively. Although Ag-CCA displayed slightly reduced sensitivity and reduced specificity compared with conventional cell culture after 14 days, the markedly superior 48-h enterovirus Ag-CCA detection rate supports incorporation of this assay into the routine clinical setting.

Animals↗