Low-Cost Monitoring of Campylobacter in Poultry Houses by Air Sampling and Quantitative PCR

2014 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. S. R. SØNDERGAARD ◽  
M. H. JOSEFSEN ◽  
C. LÖFSTRÖM ◽  
L. S. CHRISTENSEN ◽  
K. WIECZOREK ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Air Sampling ◽  
Quantitative Risk Assessment ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Airborne Particle ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
Particle Count ◽  
Poultry Houses

The present study describes the evaluation of a method for the quantification of Campylobacter by air sampling in poultry houses. Sampling was carried out in conventional chicken houses in Poland, in addition to a preliminary sampling in Denmark. Each measurement consisted of three air samples, two standard boot swab fecal samples, and one airborne particle count. Sampling was conducted over an 8-week period in three flocks, assessing the presence and levels of Campylobacter in boot swabs and air samples using quantitative real-time PCR. The detection limit for air sampling was approximately 100 Campylobacter cell equivalents (CCE)/m3. Airborne particle counts were used to analyze the size distribution of airborne particles (0.3 to 10 μm) in the chicken houses in relation to the level of airborne Campylobacter. No correlation was found. Using air sampling, Campylobacter was detected in the flocks right away, while boot swab samples were positive after 2 weeks. All samples collected were positive for Campylobacter from week 2 through the rest of the rearing period for both sampling techniques, although levels 1- to 2-log CCE higher were found with air sampling. At week 8, the levels were approximately 104 and 105 CCE per sample for boot swabs and air, respectively. In conclusion, using air samples combined with quantitative real-time PCR, Campylobacter contamination could be detected earlier than by boot swabs and was found to be a more convenient technique for monitoring and/or to obtain enumeration data useful for quantitative risk assessment of Campylobacter.

scholarly journals Confirmation of multi-parallel quantitative real-time PCR as the gold standard for detecting soil-transmitted helminths in stool

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Papaiakovou ◽  
Nils Pilotte ◽  
Julia Dunn ◽  
David TJ Littlewood ◽  
Rubén O Cimino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Strongyloides Stercoralis ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Soil Transmitted Helminths ◽  
Stool Samples ◽  
Kappa Agreement

AbstractDue to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, microscopy has seen extensive field-use as the diagnostic standard for the detection of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in stool samples. However, the sensitivity of microscopy-based detection is inadequate in reduced-transmission settings where worm burden is oftentimes low. Equally problematic, eggs of closely related species oftentimes have indistinguishable morphologies, leading to species misidentification. In light of these shortcomings, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate multi-parallel quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) as the new “gold standard” for STH detection. Accordingly, stool samples from non-endemic participants were spiked with limited numbers of eggs or larvae (1 to 40) of five different species of STH. DNA extracts were tested using two unique multi-parallel real-time PCR-based diagnostic methods. These methods employed different target sequences (ribosomal internal transcribed spacer, or highly repetitive non-coding regions), to evaluate the detection of DNA from as little as one egg per sample. There was a statistically significant kendall correlation between egg/larvae counts and qPCR from both methods for Trichuris trichiura (0.86 and 0.872 for NHM and Baylor assays) and a strong correlation (0.602 and 0.631 for NHM and Baylor assays, respectively) for Ascaris lumbricoides. Less strong but still significant was the Kendall Tau-b value for A. duodenale (0.408 for both) and for S. stercoralis (0.483 and 0.653, respectively). In addition, using field stool samples from rural Argentina both assays had fair to moderate kappa agreement (0.329-0.454), except for Strongyloides stercoralis (0.121) that both assays had slight agreement. In spite of the small cohort of samples, both qPCR assays, targeting of two independent genomic regions, provided reproducible results and we believe that, low cost multi-parallel quantitative real-time PCR-based diagnostics should supplant microscopy as the new gold standard for stool-based detection of soil transmitted helminths in public-health and community settings.

scholarly journals A Multicenter Proposal for a Fast Tool To Screen Biosecure Chicken Flocks for the Foodborne Pathogen Campylobacter

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Hoorfar ◽  
Ivana Koláčková ◽  
Gro S. Johannessen ◽  
Giuliano Garofolo ◽  
Francesca Marotta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Air Sampling ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Air Filters ◽  
Direct Plating

ABSTRACT The present multicenter study aimed at assessing the performance of air sampling as a novel method for monitoring Campylobacter in biosecure poultry farms. We compared, using a harmonized procedure, the bacteriological isolation protocol (ISO 10272-1:2017) and a real-time PCR method used on air filter samples. Air samples and boot swabs were collected from 62 biosecure flocks from five European countries during the summer of 2019. For air filters, the frequency of PCR-positive findings was significantly higher (n = 36; 58%) than that obtained with the cultivation methods (P < 0.01; standardized residuals). The cultivation protocols (one with Bolton enrichment and one with Preston enrichment) were comparable to each other but returned fewer positive samples (0 to 8%). The association between type of sample and frequency of PCR-positive findings was statistically confirmed (P < 0.01; Fisher´s exact test), although no culture-positive air filters were detected using direct plating. For the boot swabs, the highest number of positive samples were detected after enrichment in Preston broth (n = 23; 37%), followed by direct plating after homogenization in Preston (n = 21; 34%) or Bolton broth (n = 20; 32%). It is noteworthy that the flocks in Norway, a country known to have low Campylobacter prevalence in biosecure chicken flocks, tested negative for Campylobacter by the new sensitive approach. In conclusion, air sampling combined with real-time PCR is proposed as a multipurpose, low-cost, and convenient screening method that can be up to four times faster and four times more sensitive than the current boot-swab testing scheme used for screening biosecure chicken production. IMPORTANCE Campylobacter bacteria are the cause of the vast majority of registered cases of foodborne illness in the industrialized world. In fact, the bacteria caused 246,571 registered cases of foodborne illness in 2018, which equates to 70% of all registered cases in Europe that year. An important tool to prevent campylobacters from making people sick is good data on where in the food chain the bacterium is present. The present study reports a new test method that quadruples the likelihood of identifying campylobacter-positive chicken flocks. It is important to identify campylobacter-positive flocks before they arrive at the slaughterhouse, because negative flocks can be slaughtered first in order to avoid cross-contamination along the production line.

scholarly journals KLK11 promotes the activation of mTOR and protein synthesis to facilitate cardiac hypertrophy

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Wang ◽  
Hongjuan Liao ◽  
Yueheng Wang ◽  
Jinlin Zhou ◽  
Feng Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Angiotensin Ii ◽  
Cardiac Hypertrophy ◽  
Western Blot ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Mtor Signaling ◽  
Heart Weight ◽  
Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases have become the leading cause of death worldwide, and cardiac hypertrophy is the core mechanism underlying cardiac defect and heart failure. However, the underlying mechanisms of cardiac hypertrophy are not fully understood. Here we investigated the roles of Kallikrein 11 (KLK11) in cardiac hypertrophy. Methods Human and mouse hypertrophic heart tissues were used to determine the expression of KLK11 with quantitative real-time PCR and western blot. Mouse cardiac hypertrophy was induced by transverse aortic constriction (TAC), and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was induced by angiotensin II. Cardiac function was analyzed by echocardiography. The signaling pathway was analyzed by western blot. Protein synthesis was monitored by the incorporation of [3H]-leucine. Gene expression was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Results The mRNA and protein levels of KLK11 were upregulated in human hypertrophic hearts. We also induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice and observed the upregulation of KLK11 in hypertrophic hearts. Our in vitro experiments demonstrated that KLK11 overexpression promoted whereas KLK11 knockdown repressed cardiomyocytes hypertrophy induced by angiotensin II, as evidenced by cardiomyocyte size and the expression of hypertrophy-related fetal genes. Besides, we knocked down KLK11 expression in mouse hearts with adeno-associated virus 9. Knockdown of KLK11 in mouse hearts inhibited TAC-induced decline in fraction shortening and ejection fraction, reduced the increase in heart weight, cardiomyocyte size, and expression of hypertrophic fetal genes. We also observed that KLK11 promoted protein synthesis, the key feature of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, by regulating the pivotal machines S6K1 and 4EBP1. Mechanism study demonstrated that KLK11 promoted the activation of AKT-mTOR signaling to promote S6K1 and 4EBP1 pathway and protein synthesis. Repression of mTOR with rapamycin blocked the effects of KLK11 on S6K1 and 4EBP1 as well as protein synthesis. Besides, rapamycin treatment blocked the roles of KLK11 in the regulation of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that KLK11 promoted cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by activating AKT-mTOR signaling to promote protein synthesis.

Quantitative real-time PCR assay to detect transgene copy number in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

2008 ◽  
Vol 375 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Xin Yi ◽  
Jun Zhang ◽  
Ka Man Chan ◽  
Xiao Kun Liu ◽  
Yan Hong
Keyword(s):  
Gossypium Hirsutum ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Transgene Copy Number

scholarly journals Virological Diagnosis of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Esophagitis by Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay

2011 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 948-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-F. Jazeron ◽  
C. Barbe ◽  
E. Frobert ◽  
F. Renois ◽  
D. Talmud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ◽  
Virological Diagnosis ◽  
Simplex Virus

scholarly journals Regulation of virulence and β-lactamase gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus isolates: cooperation of two-component systems in bloodstream superbugs

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanaz Dehbashi ◽  
Hamed Tahmasebi ◽  
Behrouz Zeyni ◽  
Mohammad Reza Arabestani
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Gene Expressions ◽  
Resistance Development ◽  
Component Systems ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Two Component Systems ◽  
Lactamase Gene

Abstract Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-bloodstream infections (BSI) are predominantly seen in the hospital or healthcare-associated host. Nevertheless, the interactions of virulence factor (VFs) regulators and β-lactam resistance in MRSA-BSI are unclear. This study aims to characterize the molecular relationship of two-component systems of VFs and the expression of the β-lactamase gene in MRSA-BSI isolates. In this study, 639 samples were collected from BSI and identified by phenotypic methods. We performed extensive molecular characterization, including SCCmec type, agr type, VFs gene profiles determinations, and MLST on isolates. Also, a quantitative real-time PCR (q-RT PCR) assay was developed for identifying the gene expressions. Results Ninety-one (91) S. aureus and 61 MRSA (67.0%) strains were detected in BSI samples. The presence of VFs and SCCmec genes in MRSA isolates were as follows: tst (31.4%), etA (18.0%), etB (8.19%), lukS-PVL (31.4%), lukF-PV (18.0%), lukE-lukD (16.3%), edin (3.2%), hla (16.3%), hlb (18.0%), hld (14.7%), hlg (22.9%), SCCmecI (16.3%), SCCmecII (22.9%), SCCmecIII (36.0%), SCCmecIV (21.3%), and SCCmecV (16.3%). Quantitative real-time PCR showed overexpression of mecRI and mecI in the toxigenic isolates. Moreover, RNAIII and sarA genes were the highest expressions of MRSA strains. The multi-locus sequence typing data confirmed a high prevalence of CC5, CC8, and CC30. However, ST30, ST22, and ST5 were the most prevalent in the resistant and toxigenic strains. Conclusion We demonstrated that although regulation of β-lactamase gene expressions is a significant contributor to resistance development, two-component systems also influence antibiotic resistance development in MRSA-BSI isolates. This indicates that resistant strains might have pathogenic potential. We also confirmed that some MLST types are more successful colonizers with a potential for MRSA-BSI.

Diagnosis of neuroschistosomiasis by antibody specificity index and semi-quantitative real-time PCR from cerebrospinal fluid and serum

2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Härter ◽  
Hagen Frickmann ◽  
Sebastian Zenk ◽  
Dominic Wichmann ◽  
Bettina Ammann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Diagnostic Procedures ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Antibody Specificity ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Specific Antibodies ◽  
Routine Diagnosis

We describe the case of a 16-year-old German male expatriate from Ghana who presented with obstipation, dysuria, dysaesthesia of the gluteal region and the lower limbs, bilateral plantar hypaesthesia and paraesthesia without pareses. A serum–cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Schistosoma spp. specific antibody specificity index of 3.1 was considered highly suggestive of intrathecal synthesis of anti-Schistosoma spp. specific antibodies, although standardization of this procedure has not previously been described. Diagnosis was confirmed by detection of Schistosoma DNA in CSF by semi-quantitative real-time PCR at 100-fold concentration compared with serum. Accordingly the two diagnostic procedures, which have not previously been applied for routine diagnosis, appear to be useful for the diagnosis of neuroschistosomiasis. Clinical symptoms resolved following anthelmintic and anti-inflammatory therapy.

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