OBJECTIVES With the aim of rapid, culture-independent identification of microorganisms directly from urine specimens, we developed a diafiltration matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) method. METHODS In this procedure, urine specimens are desalted, fractionated, and concentrated prior to MS analysis. The analytic performance characteristi...

Aggregatibacter aphrophilus is a fastidious gram-negative coccobacillus, known to be dif icult to identify. Recent studies have shown that extended blood culture incubation is unnecessary. We present a case of thoracic vertebral osteomyelitis and spinal epidural abscess caused by A. aphrophilus in a 62-year old who presented with acute fever, back pain, and urinary incontinence. MRI con irmed o...

A novel method for the production of adenoviral vectors on a scale sufficient to support most research applications and early phase clinical trials is presented. This method utilizes serum-free cell culture medium and a hollow fiber cell culture apparatus. Significantly less time and space are required than in conventional methods, and the resulting adenovirus is collected in a much smaller vol...

The presence of Helicobacter pullorum in intestinal tract of broiler chickens may be a potential risk for human health. In this study, a total of 100 caecal samples of broilers carcasses from 20 flocks at a poultry abattoir in Mashhad suburb were tested for the presence of H. pullorum using modified conventional culture method by combination of culturing on Brucella sheep blood agar and a filte...

BACKGROUND Many methods are used to detect urethral Neisseria gonorrhea (NG) infection among asymptomatic men who have sex with men (MSM). The objective of this study was to define the performance of conventional culture compared to real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for diagnosis of asymptomatic urethral gonorrhea among MSM. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 147 clinical specimen...

In a new method of anaerobic culture, a transparent, gas-impermeable bag is used and the anaerobic environment is established with copper sulfate-saturated steel wool. An Alka-Seltzer tablet generates carbon dioxide. The agar plate surface can be inspected through the bag at any time without interrupting the anaerobic atmosphere or disturbing other specimens. Methylene blue indicator strips are...

Two dendritic cell (DC) subsets have been identified in the murine system on the basis of their differential CD8alpha expression. CD8alpha(+) DCs and CD8alpha(-) DCs are considered as lymphoid- and myeloid-derived, respectively, because CD8alpha(+) but not CD8alpha(-) splenic DCs were generated from lymphoid CD4(low) precursors, devoid of myeloid reconstitution potential. Although CD8alpha(-) D...

An evaluation was undertaken to determine the utility of the BACTEC Peds Plus/F bottle and the BACTEC 9240 instrument (Becton Dickinson Diagnostic Instrument Systems, Sparks, Md.) for the detection of clinically significant microorganisms in synovial fluid specimens. The Peds Plus/F bottle was used because in our laboratory the quantity of synovial fluid available for culture is frequently in t...