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Agarose gel results are based on size discrimination and therefore can be subjective hair loss due to thyroid problems generic 1mg finasteride, leading to imprecise detection results hair loss vitamins that work finasteride 5 mg with mastercard. Despite these disadvantages hair loss 10 weeks postpartum finasteride 5 mg without prescription, some laboratories may still prefer to use gel electrophoresis as a gold standard to confirm amplification [3] or for troubleshooting purposes hair loss in men gucci purchase finasteride paypal. Traditional techniques hair loss products for women order 5 mg finasteride fast delivery, although labor intensive hair loss questions and answers quality finasteride 5 mg, are still considerably cheaper than most advanced methods currently in use. A loading buffer is added to the sample containing the nucleic acid to increase the density of the sample so that it stays at the bottom of the well [5]. A tracking dye also adds color to the sample to allow better visualization during electrophoresis. For target detection, it is essential to know the amplicon size in order to confirm the presence or absence of an analyte (Table 20. This can be achieved by using either a vacuum method [4] or a stack of paper towels with a weight on top. Alternatively, the membrane is analyzed by color development on a membrane if a chromogenic dye was used to label the probe. Colorimetric titer plate detection methods were first described in the late 1980s and early 1990s and 358 C. A capture probe specific to the amplicon is used to immobilize it onto the microtiter well plate. A spectrophotometer [9] can be used to read the colorimetric microtiter plate and quantitate the amount of product detected. The ability to run 96 or 384 samples at once makes it a high-throughput detection method. Because of its speed, usability, and cost-effectiveness, it is considered a better alternative detection method compared to Southern blot and radioactive identification. Open-reaction vessels are also used posing a risk for carryover amplicon contamination [1]. The quest for a faster, cheaper, and more specific platform is never-ending, and there will almost certainly be more novel technologies realized in the near future. Rapid thermal cycling conditions offer shorter turnaround times and less hands-on time for laboratory personnel. Because of these disadvantages, it may not be as useful to a clinical microbiology laboratory as it might be to a research laboratory. The Taq polymerase extends the primers and digests the probe, thereby releasing the reporter from the vicinity of the quencher [4]. Product amplification is detected by monitoring the increase in fluorescence of the reporter dye. The cleavage will only occur if the probe is hybridized; therefore only specific amplification 360 C. It also provides a closed system, therefore minimizing the likelihood for carryover contamination. Because of their rapid test turnaround time, versatility, simple design, and synthesis, Taqman probes have greatly increased in popularity in the molecular field. Molecular Beacons Molecular beacons [17] are single-stranded oligonucleotides that contain a fluorescent dye. When the beacon is free in solution or is not hybridized, it forms a hairpin-loop structure to bring the fluorescent dye and the quencher dye close together. The close proximity between the dyes in this hairpin configuration inhibits reporter fluorescence. Consequently, the beacon undergoes a conformational change that causes the reporter and the quencher dyes to move away from each other, therefore allowing reporter fluorescence to take place [17]. The hairpin structure of the molecular beacon allows it to discriminate single base-pair mismatches better in comparison to linear probes. Roche Lightcycler Probes Lightcycler probes are sequence-specific and highly sensitive fluorescent probes developed for use with the Roche Lightcycler. The Lightcycler Probe system is made up of a pair of single-stranded fluorescent-labeled oligonucleotide. This increase in fluorescence signal is directly proportional to the amount of amplicon present. Because these probes have increased thermal stability and hybridization specificity, the probes are preserved during the reaction and offer greater accuracy for gene quantitation and allelic discrimination. It is a good alternative to gel electrophoresis because of its ability for automation. Manual pouring of slab-gels in traditional gel electrophoresis methods can cause inconsistencies in the matrix affecting results. Unlike traditional methods though, expensive instrumentation is usually needed to gather data and resolve sequences. Both these instruments also have the ability to detect multiple fluorophores which enables better discrimination between similar sizes. Direct amplicon sequencing is commonly used in the clinical laboratory to detect viral mutations. Direct sequencing, along with deep sequencing (full genome sequencing), is commonly used as the gold standard comparator methods for the identification of viruses or bacteria that do not grow well using culture techniques. Direct sequencing for amplification product detection and identification will be discussed in detail in Chap. Pyrosequencing Pyrosequencing is a totally different approach to sequencing compared to other chain termination method. Along with this template, the reaction mix also includes a sequencing primer, sulfurylase and 362 C. The generation of light indicates which nucleotide solution complements the first unpaired base of the template. In turn, the sequence of solutions which produced chemiluminescence determines the sequence of the template. It is also sometimes supplied with software for identifying the spots on the array by the array reader. Microarray technology has been used for over a decade in gene expression studies and is now gaining popularity in microbial identification and detection. This strategy allows multiplex analysis and simultaneous identification of a broad range of microorganisms in a given sample. Multiple pairs of broad-range primers are used to amplify highly conserved regions of bacterial, viral, or fungal genomes. Using the masses of the base compositions of amplicons from all the primer pairs, the organisms present in the sample can be identified and quantified. However, even with the promise of faster turnaround time and accurate pathogen identification, it is not certain how these instruments will perform under diagnostic laboratory conditions. Persing D, Tenover F, Tang Y-W, Nolte F, Hayden R, van Belkum A (eds) (2011) Molecular microbiology: diagnostic principles and practice, 2nd edn. Buckingham LaF M (ed) (2007) Molecular diagnostics: fundamentals, methods, and clinical applications, 1st edn. Sambrook J, MacCullum P (eds) (2005) Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual, 3rd edn. Mallet F, Hebrard C, Brand D et al (1993) Enzyme-linked oligosorbent assay for detection of polymerase chain reaction-amplified human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Poljak M, Seme K (1996) Rapid detection and typing of human papillomaviruses by consensus polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Elahi E, Pourmand N, Chaung R et al (2003) Determination of hepatitis C virus genotype by pyrosequencing. Brunstein J, Thomas E (2006) Direct screening of clinical specimens for multiple respiratory pathogens using the Genaco Respiratory Panels 1 and 2. Loeffelholz, and Jiang Fan Introduction Infectious disease-related illnesses are a significant threat to human health resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality, worldwide. Timely and accurate diagnostic tools are critical for patient treatment decisions and disease outcomes. Molecular diagnostics are revolutionizing the clinical practice of infectious disease. The various formats of nucleic acid amplification are the most frequently used molecular tests in the diagnosis of infectious diseases due to its exquisite sensitivity and specificity. Gel electrophoresis and Southern hybridization are two basic technologies that are used to display the specific amplification of targeted gene and are still used in the laboratories for diagnosis because it is such a powerful technique, and yet reasonably easy and inexpensive. Due to significant advances in technology, the conventional gel electrophoresis and Southern hybridization are not mainstream methods in molecular diagnostic laboratories anymore. Loeffelholz Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd. Therefore, the gel electrophoresis and nucleic acid hybridization are the two basic technologies that are being used in most presently available advanced molecular diagnostic assays and systems. In addition, some complex electrophoresis methods, such as 2-D gel systems, have well developed and widely used in analyzing complex pathogenesis to get plenty of information and make molecular diagnosis even more powerful for clinicians providing better treatment and prevention. Thus, this section provides an up-to-date look at the general principles, diagnostic value, and the advances in development of the gel electrophoresis and Southern hybridization technology. The Principles and Application of Gel Electrophoresis Electrophoresis is a technique used to separate charged molecules in a gel matrix. Agarose is a polysaccharide consisting mainly of long chain of galactopyranose residues. Dissolved agarose can polymerize into a semisolid matrix by cross-linking the sugar polymers with each other to form the gel matrix. Polyacrylamide gels are formed from the polymerization of two compounds, acrylamide and N,N-methylenebis-acrylamide. The polyacrylamide gels are neutral, hydrophillic, 3-D networks of long hydrocarbons cross-linked by methylene groups. The separation of molecules within an agarose or polyacrylamide gel is determined by the relative size of the pores formed within the gel. For agarose gel, the pore size of a gel is determined by the concentration of agarose. The pore size of a polyacrylamide gel is determined by two factors, the total amount of acrylamide present (designated as %T) and the amount of cross-linker (%C). The total acrylamide is given as a % (w/v) of the acrylamide plus the bis-acrylamide. In spite of the many physical arrangements for the apparatus, electrophoretic separations depend upon the charge distribution of the molecules being separated. When the detergent sodium dodecyl 21 Gel Electrophoresis, Southern Blot, and Colorimetric Microwell. Therefore, all of the proteins can migrate toward the anode when separated on a polyacrylamide gel. The traditional electrophoresis process is time-consuming that do not fit the requirement of rapid molecular diagnosis. In addition, the size information of amplicons that gel electrophoresis acquired is not specific enough to determine etiological pathogen. Recently, automatic gel electrophoresis systems have been developed and released to the market [17, 18]. These automatic gel electrophoresis systems dramatically reduced the running time and sample handling time, and were designed to coordinate with automatic sample preparation system. Automatic electrophoresis systems provide the potential to be applied in the automatic diagnostic device that integrates the nucleic acid extraction, amplification, and detection together. They might become the new detection choice of the rapid, automatic diagnosis system. The gel result shows the bands of macromolecules on gel according to their size and can be integrated visually. The specific amplification of targeted pathogen gene can be detected by showing the specific size band on either agarose gel or 1-D polyacrylamide gel. The 1-D polyacrylamide gel can separate the proteins in a sample and then distinguish the presence of pathogen by hybridizing the protein band with specific antibody on the membrane. Therefore, molecules are more effectively separated in 2-D electrophoresis since complex protein mixtures within a sample (cell, pathogen, clinical specimen) can be resolved effectively according to their isoelectric points and molecular weights by 2-D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis [19].
Diseases
- Conradi H?nermann syndrome
- Hypomagnesemia primary
- Tetraamelia pulmonary hypoplasia
- 3-hydroxyacyl-coa dehydrogenase deficiency
- Strongyloidiasis
- Tricyclic antidepressant overdose
- Renoprival hypertension
- Oral leukoplakia
- Progressive acromelanosis
- Pseudo-Turner syndrome
Several international registries have reported that the overall success rate with inhibitor eradication in severe hemophilia A is about 70% hair loss 2016 purchase discount finasteride on-line. In general hair loss cure quick generic 5mg finasteride with amex, once the inhibitor resolves hair loss under chin in cats buy cheap finasteride on line, the patients are placed on indefinite prophylaxis regimens hair loss cure they dont want you know finasteride 1 mg amex. An inhibitor should be suspected when administration of factor concentrate at quantities historically sufficient to raise the deficient factor level to an adequate hemostatic level does not result in improvement in bleeding and/or the expected target plasma factor level hair loss heart medication purchase finasteride 5mg free shipping. Once an inhibitor is suspected hair loss cure 2020 buy 5mg finasteride with amex, the Bethesda assay (or the Nijmegen modification of the Bethesda assay) may be used to measure its strength. Dr von Willebrand named the disorder hereditary pseudohemophilia when he recognized a distinctive autosomal pattern of inheritance rather than the typical X-linked recessive pattern noted in hemophilia. The most common bleeding symptoms are epistaxis, bleeding after dental extractions and menorrhagia. However, the bleeding tendency can be quite variable and also depends on the type and the severity of the disease. The bleeding time is invasive, time consuming and operator dependent, which has led to its fall from favor as a screening test. These gels are used to detect the presence, absence or decrease in the high molecular weight multimers that may be used to differentiate between type 1 (where there is a global decrease in all multimers) and some of the type 2 subtypes. In practice, laboratory studies in certain patients may deviate slightly from these expectations. The inheritance is autosomal recessive, in contrast to hemophilia A, which is inherited in a sex-linked recessive manner. There may be mild thrombocytopenia as the large multimers bind to platelets spontaneously in plasma and the subsequent aggregates may be cleared from the circulation. The degree of baseline thrombocytopenia may be exaggerated during periods of stress (for example, after surgery or during pregnancy). These agents promote clot stabilization by inhibiting plasmin-mediated fibrinolysis. They are also contraindicated in the management of gross hematuria from the upper urinary tract as resultant ureteral obstruction by insoluble clot has been described. However, since virucidal methods cannot be applied to cryoprecipitate, this option has largely been replaced in the well-resourced world with plasma-derived clotting factor concentrates. Many of these disorders are inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, and they are therefore more prevalent in societies in which consanguinity is a cultural norm, and/or where a founder effect has arisen (see Table 34. Disordersoffibrinogen Congenital disorders of fibrinogen may result from absent production (afibrinogenemia) or synthesis of a dysfunctional protein (dysfibrinogenemia). Fibrinogen is a 340 kD homodimer composed of two identical pairs of three chains, and, that are connected by three disulfide bonds. Symptoms often manifest in the neonatal period as umbilical stump bleeding or bleeding after circumcision. In this situation, thrombosis (particularly arterial) is believed to be explained by thrombinmediated platelet activation. The vast majority are due to missense point mutations that result in a dysfunctional protein. It is characterized by a concordant decrease in both prothrombin antigen and activity. In the reported cases of hypoprothrombinemia, severe hemorrhage including intracranial hemorrhage, mucus membrane bleeding and deep-tissue bleeding have been reported. Although heterozygous individuals are usually asymptomatic, bleeding following tooth extraction and tonsillectomy has been reported. Plasma exchange can be used preoperatively in patients who are unable to tolerate the required volume of transfusion. In the more than 30 kindreds reported, affected subjects experience excessive postoperative bleeding, mucosal bleeding and hemarthrosis. Prothrombindeficiency Congenital prothrombin deficiency is extremely rare, with an estimated incidence of 1: 2 000 000. Bleeding patterns, however, are often unpredictable and some patients with severe deficiency remain asymptomatic. It has been suggested that such concentrates should be used with caution in individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Clinically patients may present with severe umbilical stump bleeding or intracranial hemorrhage. Homozygous patients typically present with menorrhagia, hematuria, epistaxis and hemarthrosis, while heterozygous patients may only demonstrate increased hemorrhagic symptoms following surgery or trauma. The molecular basis of hemophilia A: genotypephenotype relationships and inhibitor development. An age-related homeostasis mechanism is essential for spontaneous amelioration of hemophilia B Leyden. Effect of the factor V Leiden mutation on the clinical expression of severe hemophilia A. Contribution of natural anticoagulant and fibrinolytic factors in modulating the clinical severity of haemophilia patients. Symptomatic onset of severe hemophilia A in childhood is dependent on the presence of prothrombotic risk factors. Self-treatment with desmopressin intranasal spray in patients with bleeding disorders: effect on bleeding symptoms and socioeconomic factors. Prospective multicenter study on subcutaneous concentrated desmopressin for home treatment of patients with von Willebrand disease and mild or moderate hemophilia A. Risk stratification for inhibitor development at first treatment for severe hemophilia A: a tool for clinical practice. Long-term outcome of individualized prophylactic treatment of children with severe haemophilia. The discriminant power of bleeding history for the diagnosis of type 1 von Willebrand disease: an international, multicenter study. A new automated method for von Willebrand factor antigen measurement using latex particles. Use of the collagen-binding assay for von Willebrand factor in the analysis of type 2M von Willebrand disease: a comparison with the ristocetin cofactor assay. The Evaluation and Management of Von Willebrand Disease, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 2007. For the Subcommittee on von Willebrand Factor of the Scientific and Standardization 34. The missense mutation Arg593Cys is related to antibody formation in a patient with mild hemophilia A. Clinical manifestations and complications of childbirth and replacement therapy in 385 Iranian patients with type 3 von Willebrand disease. Multisite management study of menorrhagia with abnormal laboratory haemostasis: a prospective crossover study of intranasal desmopressin and oral tranexamic acid. Estrogen stimulates von Willebrand factor production by cultured endothelial cells. Gene deletions correlate with the development of alloantibodies in von Willebrand disease. Missense mutations in the human beta fibrinogen gene cause congenital afibrinogenemia by impairing fibrinogen secretion. Successful treatment of two brothers with congenital afibrinogenemia for splenic rupture using heat- and solvent detergent-treated fibrinogen concentrates. Identification and three-dimensional structural analysis of nine novel mutations in patients with prothrombin deficiency. Homozygosity for a novel missense mutation in the prothrombin gene causing a severe bleeding disorder. Clinical significance of antibodies to bovine and human thrombin and factor V after surgical use of bovine thrombin. Compound heterozygosity of novel missense mutations in the gamma-glutamyl-carboxylase gene causes hereditary combined vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor deficiency. Hereditary deficiency of all vitamin K-dependent procoagulants and anticoagulants. Congenital factor X deficiency: spectrum of bleeding symptoms in 32 Iranian patients. Drug-induced bleeding disorders Drugs are a common cause of an acquired bleeding disorder. Bleeding in patients receiving heparin is usually secondary to excessive anticoagulation. The risk of hemorrhage is significantly increased if there is concomitant use of other anticoagulants particularly anti-platelet agents such as aspirin or clopidogrel. Other patient-specific factors, including impaired renal function, disordered liver function, thrombocytopenia and invasive procedures, significantly increase the risk of bleeding. In individuals who are actively bleeding, unfractionated heparin can be effectively neutralized by protamine sulphate, a strongly basic drug that binds to the heparin. A dose of 1 mg of protamine sulphate will neutralize approximately 100 units of heparin. In overdose, protamine sulphate can function as an anticoagulant and no more than 50 mg of protamine sulphate should be administered at any one time. Protamine sulphate neutralizes only 60% of the anti-Xa activity of the low molecular weight heparins and is, therefore, less effective in correcting the bleeding problems associated with their use. Cardiopulmonary bypass and extracorporeal circuits Miscellaneous Snake venoms and other toxic agents Myeloproliferative disorders Malignancy Paraproteinemias Introduction Acquired disorders of hemostasis are significantly more common than inherited disorders of hemostasis and as such are frequently encountered in routine clinical practice. Acquired disorders of coagulation may be physiological such as those that are seen in pregnancy, the newborn and with advancing age or they may be pathological. The latter often arise as a complication of multi-system disease and may therefore be associated with multiple clotting abnormalities (Table 35. Physiological deficiencies Neonates the coagulation system of the newborn infant is complex and reflects hepatic immaturity. Fondaparinux inhibits exclusively Xa and so its activity, when necessary, is monitored using an anti-Xa assay. The elimination of fondaparinux from the body is reduced in individuals with renal impairment as the drug is primarily excreted in the urine. The clearance of fondaparinux from the body is reduced by approximately 25%, 40%, and 55% in patients with mild, moderate, and severe kidney impairment, respectively. Rivaroxaban is an oral and highly selective inhibitor of factor Xa which inhibits free Xa and Xa bound to the prothrombinase complex. Rivaroxaban is licensed for the primary prevention of venous thromboembolism in adult patients who have undergone elective total hip or knee replacement surgery. Ecarin is isolated from the venom of the saw-scaled viper Echis carinatus and in the assay a known amount of ecarin is added to the plasma. This prolongation in the clotting time increases in a linear fashion with increasing concentrations of lepirudin but also with bivalirudin, dabigatran and argatroban, another direct thrombin inhibitor. The ecarin chromogenic assay employs a similar approach but the concentration of meizothrombin is measured using a chromogenic substrate. Bivalirudin and lepirudin are direct thrombin inhibitors and bind to both the catalytic site and the anionbinding exosite of circulating and clot-bound thrombin but do not require antithrombin for their anticoagulant activity. Lepirudin is a potent anticoagulant but has a very narrow therapeutic window and plasma levels of lepirudin show high levels of inter-individual variability even when the dose is adjusted for body weight. Lepirudin has a short half-life and its natural clearance through the kidneys may be sufficiently rapid such that in cases of overdose, specific neutralization is not required. The major complication of all vitamin K antagonists is bleeding and this risk increases as the intensity of treatment, i. Dabigatran is a direct thrombin inhibitor which inhibits both clot-bound and free thrombin. Dabigatran is cleared primarily by the kidneys (85%) and a smaller amount (6%) is excreted in the feces. Dabigatran is licensed for the primary prevention of venous thromboembolism in adult patients who have undergone elective total hip or knee replacement surgery. Laboratory monitoring of dabigatran is not routinely indicated although it is possible that in some cases, for example in the bleeding patient, this may be of value. Phenindione is a vitamin K antagonist but differs from warfarin in its chemical structure. Phenindione is rarely used because of the higher risk of side-effects including skin rashes and abnormal liver function tests.
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Kofoed K hair loss news cheap 5mg finasteride, Andersen O hair loss from chemotherapy quality 1 mg finasteride, Kronborg G et al (2007) Use of plasma C-reactive protein hair loss in men 2 syndrome order finasteride master card, procalcitonin hair loss cure prediction discount finasteride amex, neutrophils hair loss in men 4x100 5mg finasteride with visa, macrophage migration inhibitory factor hair loss with chemotherapy finasteride 1mg sale, soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor, and soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 in combination to diagnose infections: a prospective study. Jabaudon M, Futier E, Roszyk L et al (2011) Soluble form of the receptor for advanced glycation end products is a marker of acute lung injury but not of severe sepsis in critically ill patients. Harbarth S, Holeckova K, Froidevaux C et al (2001) Diagnostic value of procalcitonin, interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in critically ill patients with suspected sepsis. Guignant C, Voirin N, Venet F et al (2009) Assessment of pro-vasopressin and proadrenomedullin as predictors of 28-day mortality in septic shock patients. Sherwin C, Broadbent R, Young S et al (2008) Utility of interleukin-12 and interleukin-10 in comparison with other cytokines and acute-phase reactants in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Liaudat S, Dayer E, Praz G, Bille J, Troillet N (2001) Usefulness of procalcitonin serum level for the diagnosis of bacteremia. Paugam-Burtz C, Albuquerque M, Baron G et al (2010) Plasma proteome to look for diagnostic biomarkers of early bacterial sepsis after liver transplantation: a preliminary study. Science 321:1760 Chapter 8 Functional Assessment of Microbial and Viral Infections by Real-Time Cellular Analysis System Xiao Xu and Min Zheng Introduction Microbes and viruses infect their host cells and in doing so alter the physiological functions of the host cells leading to diseases. Mammalian cell culture has long been used to detect microbial and viral infections. Such changes include altered shape, detachment from substrate, lysis, membrane fusion, altered membrane permeability, inclusion bodies, and apoptosis. Zheng For example, human rhinovirus infection of HeLa cells results in the cells changing shape, becoming round and more refractile (brighter) under phase contrast microscopy [3]. Some infected cells detach from the tissue culture flask and float in the medium, which can be measured by colorimetric cell viability assays. In addition, plaque formation assays are routinely being used for quantitative assessment of virus particles where the plaques resulting from virus-induced cytolytic effect can be seen and counted in cell culture lawns after staining. Cellular analysis has also been used for assessing bacteria and host cell interaction and bacteria toxin detection. Bacterial pathogens express various molecules or structures able to promote attachment to host cells [4]. These adhesins rely on interactions with host cell surface receptors or soluble proteins acting as a bridge between bacteria and host. Adhesion is a critical first step prior to invasion and/or secretion of toxins, thus it is a key event to be studied in bacterial pathogenesis. Furthermore, adhered bacteria often induce exquisitely fine-tuned cellular responses, the studies of which have given birth to the field of "cellular microbiology" [5]. Cell culture using McCoy cells has been the gold standard assay for the diagnosis of genital chlamydial infections [9] [10]. The infection of Chlamydia in McCoy cells forms specific inclusion bodies which can be recognized by microscopy. These cell based assays are now conducted on routine basis by most laboratories working on bacterial pathogenesis. In many other cases, bacterial toxins are recognized as virulent factors produced by pathogenic bacterial infections. These toxins are very potent and require only a relative small number of molecules to affect cells through endocytotic pathways mediated by cell surface receptors. Many of these toxins such as Clostridium difficile toxin, Clostridium botulinum toxin, and diphtheria toxin are lethal to the host cells. Taken together, bacterial host interaction is a multistep process which ultimately culminates in infection of the host cell. The precise mechanism of infection is specific to the bacterial strain and the host cell being infected. In terms of designing cell-based assays for bacterial infection, each step of the infection process can potentially lend itself to design of specific assays. It is imperative for diagnostic purposes that the assay and the detection methods should be extremely sensitive and functional. It has been estimated that Vero cell express approximately 150,000 receptor molecules for diphtheria toxin with the Ka of 10-9 M for binding to the receptor. The abundance of toxin-specific receptor with high binding affinity has allowed these cells to be extremely sensitive to bacterial toxin. Therefore, cell-based assays can serve as sensitive and functional measurements of bacterial toxin. Although a variety of diagnostic assays based on cellular analysis has been developed for microbial infections, very few platform technologies have been employed specifically for this purpose thus far. The majority of assays are still built on conventional optical-based technologies, which use different staining processes 8 Functional Assessment of Microbial and Viral Infections. Experienced staffs are often required to perform such assays and readouts are descriptive and often nonquantitative. Development of a quantitative, functional, faster, affordable, and yet easy to use cellular analysis system is urgently needed. The system is comprised of three components, an electronic analyzer, an E-Plate station, and a microelectronic plate (E-Plate). Microelectrode sensor arrays are fabricated on glass slides with lithographical microfabrication methods and the electrode-containing slides are assembled to plastic trays to form electrode-containing wells. The E-Plate station receives the E-Plate and is capable of electronically switching any one of the wells to the sensor analyzer for impedance measurement. In the operation mode, the E-Plates with cells cultured in the wells are connected to the E-Plate station which is connected to the sensor analyzer. The impedance data from the analyzer is transferred to a computer, analyzed, and processed by the integrated software. Impedance measured between electrodes in an individual well depends on electrode geometry, ionic concentration in the well and whether there are cells attached to the electrodes. In the absence of the cells, electrode impedance is mainly determined by the ionic environment both at the electrode/solution interface and in the bulk solution. In the presence of the cells, cells attached to the electrode sensor surfaces will alter the local ionic environment at the electrode/solution interface, leading to an increase in the impedance. The system is configured to contain three elements, the analyzer, the E-plate station and the microelectrode-integrated 96-well microtiter E-plate. A cell attaches to the electrode surface and blocks partially the electrical current in the circuit, leading to an increase in the electrode impedance (middle panel). Two cells attach to the electrode surface and reduce even further the electrical current, leading to doubly increased impedance as compared with the top and middle panels (bottom panel). For the same amount of cells on the electrodes, better cell attachment and more cell spread onto the electrodes lead to a larger increase in the electrode impedance bottom panel) [13] increase in cell-electrode impedance. Furthermore, the impedance change also depends on cell morphology and the extent to which cells attach to the electrodes. The frequency-dependent electrode impedance 8 Functional Assessment of Microbial and Viral Infections. The impedance readout harnesses and quantifies these unique changes in cell number, morphology, and adhesion allowing for an unbiased detection of specific cellular processes in real time. Therefore, label-free, real-time cell-based technologies have recently received considerable attention for implementation in cellular analysis. As the name implies, the preclusion of label allows for assessment of cells in their native and physiologically relevant environment circumventing the potential negative impact of label on cellular processes. The inclusion of certain labels and reporters, particularly labels for live cells has been shown to impact various aspects of cellular behavior. Label-free technologies have the added advantage of being noninvasive and therefore live cells present in tissue culture wells can be continuously interrogated. Real-time monitoring of cellular processes offers distinct and important advantages over traditional end-point assays. First, comprehensive representation of the entire length of the assay is possible, allowing the user to make informed decisions regarding timing of manipulations or treatments. Second, the actual kinetic response of cells provides important information regarding the biological status of the cells such as growth, arrest, and morphological changes. Therefore, this system is well suited to serve as a functional assay for bacterial detection. Whether the detection and the sensitivity can be achieved in real clinical patient samples remained to be tested. The toxin caused cytotoxic effects on the cells, resulting in a dose-dependent and time-dependent decrease in cellular impedance. Clinical validation was performed on 300 consecutively collected stool specimens from patients with suspected C. The kinetic curves were recorded by real-time monitoring of cytotoxic effect of C. The detection results for two representative patient samples are summarized in the table. The y-axis shows the toxin concentration and the x axis shows the time points when the sample collected Detection of Clostridium botulinum Toxin Botulinum neurotoxin produced by neurotoxigenic clostridia are the most potent naturally occurring toxin known [36]. Based on their antigenic specificity, the toxins, zinc-containing metalloproteins, are distinguished into seven serotypes, with type A, B, and E accounting for nearly all recorded cases of human botulism. Endocytotic internalization 8 Functional Assessment of Microbial and Viral Infections. Animal study is the only standard assay for functional assessment of botulium toxin. However, due to the drawback of nonfunctional nature of these assays, it is difficult to predict whether the toxin is functional or nonfunctional inside the cells [40]. Attempts have been made to develop reliable cell-based assays to conduct functional assessment. Since botulinum toxin can have a complex effect on the cells, including binding to cell surface receptors, uptake, processing, and prevention of synaptic vesicle anchoring to the cell membrane, the underlying cellular mechanisms responsible for the cellular processes after toxin treatment remain unknown and need to be studied further. Detection of Meningococcal Infection Interaction of meningococcus (Neisseria meningitidis) with host cells leads to physiological and pathological changes of the host cells, some of which are critical and required for bacterial infection. Zheng from cells rounding up or detachment were correlated well with infection dose of N. Typically, a thin, single layer of cells, called a monolayer, is inoculated with a virus specimen and observed for morphological changes. Louis encephalitis, influenza virus, and Hand-foot-mouth virus, as well as specific neutralizing antibodies. Both viruses are maintained and amplified within Culex-passerine bird cycle that intermittently spills over to induce equines and humans that suffer variable symptoms and disease, but are dead-end hosts for these viruses [44, 45]. Human disease caused by these two viruses varies clinically and is frequently confused with influenza viruses. Disease onset typically occurs after peak viremia, making clinical diagnosis difficult and requiring laboratory confirmation by serology [46, 47]. This method is slow, time-consuming, 8 Functional Assessment of Microbial and Viral Infections. Goodness of regression fit to experimental data is shown by R2 and difficult to measure in real time. Normalized cell index plotted as a function of time in hours after infection of the virus. Samples of two human subjects from different days after vaccination were tested for neutralizing activity against H1N1 virus challenge. For neutralization assays, all subjects could be ensured that they obtained the immune protection against wide influenza virus. Moreover, the rates of seroconversion, as measured using hemagglutinin-inhibition assays and neutralization assays, were 73. The disease causes fever and blister-like eruptions in the mouth and/or a skin rash. This group of viruses includes polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, and enteroviruses [49]. Parasitic worms cause untold morbidity and mortality of billions of people and livestock worldwide [52]. Drugs are available but resistance is problematic in livestock parasites and is a looming threat for human helminths. Currently, new drug discovery and resistance monitoring is hindered as drug efficacy is assessed by observing motility or development of parasites using laborious, subjective, low-throughput methods evaluated by using low throughput techniques such as visualization by light microscopy. This technique overcomes the current low-throughput bottleneck in anthelmintic drug development and resistance-detection pipelines. The widespread use of this device to screen for new therapeutics or emerging drug resistance will be an invaluable asset in the fight against human, animal, and plant parasitic helminths and other pathogens that plague our planet.
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