The variable 56-kDa major outer membrane protein of Orientia tsutsugamushi is the immunodominant antigen in human scrub typhus infections. We developed a rapid immunochromatographic flow assay (RFA) for the detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies to O. tsutsugamushi. The RFA employs a truncated recombinant 56-kDa protein from the Karp strain as the antigen. The performance of the...

BACKGROUND An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) were evaluated for serological diagnosis of human strongyloidiasis. METHODS Serum specimens obtained from 46 individuals infected with Strongyloides stercoralis, 37 healthy persons and 381 persons with other parasitic infections were tested using an IgG-ELISA that used crude antigen of S. sterc...

We performed a serological, clinical, and parasitological follow-up of a dog population in an endemic area of American Visceral Leishmaniasis estimated by indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) and western blot (WB). After twelve months, the results obtained from IFA demonstrated that 50% were seropositive and two serological profiles were observed: the first one ranging from 1/40 to 1/80 and t...

BACKGROUND Q fever caused by Coxiella burnetii is transmitted to humans by inhalation of aerosols from animal birth products. Q fever in pregnancy is suspected to be a potential cause of fetal and maternal morbidity and fetal mortality but the pathogenesis is poorly understood, and even in Q fever endemic areas, the magnitude of a potential association is not established.We aimed to examine if ...

background : the aims of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of canine ehrlichiosis and risk factors of this disease in companion dogs’ population of mashhad, north east of iran. canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (cme) is a zoonotic disease transmitted by ticks, rhipicephalus sanguineus, and caused by an obligate intracellular bacterium, ehrlichia canis. methods : during september 2009 ...

We present the discovery of a distant methane dwarf, the first from the Institute for Astronomy (IfA) Deep Survey. The object (“IfA 0230-Z1”) was identified from deep optical I and z-band imaging, being conducted as an IfA-wide collaboration using the prime-focus imager Suprime-Cam on the Subaru 8.2-m Telescope. IfA 0230-Z1 is extremely red in the IzJ (0.8–1.2 μm) bands but relatively blue in J...

AIM To assess the predictive value for chronic autoimmune gastritis (AIG) of the combined assay of anti-parietal-cell antibodies (PCA), anti-intrinsic-factor antibodies (IFA), anti-Helicobacter pylori (Hp) antibodies, and measurement of blood gastrin. METHODS We studied 181 consecutive patients with anemia, due to iron deficiency resistant to oral replacement therapy or to vitamin B12 deficie...

Injection of autoantigens in IFA has been one of the most effective ways of preventing experimental, T cell-mediated, autoimmune disease in mice. The mechanism that underlies this protection has, however, remained controversial, with clonal deletion, induction of suppressor cells or of type 2 immunity being implicated at one time or another. Using high resolution enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISP...