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Introduction: District Sheikhupura encountered its first dengue outbreak in 2014 but lacked serological evidence and reports of risk factors associated with it. To assess this, a hospital-based study was conducted from January 2014 to December 2017. Methodology: Blood from 333 participants was collected, the serum obtained was tested for IgG and IgM antibodies against DENV using a commercially available ELISA kit. Results: The results showed that out of all (n= 333) samples tested, 120 were turned up positive for DENV, making an overall prevalence of 36%. Of the 120 confirmed cases, 55% (n = 66) were recorded in 2014, 10% (n = 12) in 2015, 27.5% (n = 33) in 2016, and 7.5% (n = 9) in 2017. It was found that 68.3% (n = 82) were male and 31.7% (n = 38) were female, with 61% (n = 74) patients aged between 11-30 years. The highest prevalence of infection, 94.2% (n = 113), was noted after the rainy season. During the study, the highest number of cases appeared in Ferozewala Tehsil. The factors age, gender, and season were found statistically significant with the prevalence of infection (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The study is the first report on the detection of dengue in the Sheikhupura district. The survey anticipated its geographical expansion, determined associated risk factors, and suggests active disease surveillance in the area.

Determination of serum or plasma progesterone (P4) concentrations is important to recognize pregnant and non-pregnant ewes, and also to predict the number of carried lambs. The 2 most common methodologies for the detection of plasma P4 are radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme immunoassay (EIA). RIA is very expensive, and not all laboratories are equipped to perform this test; EIA is commercially available for human use, but only a few companies produce species-specific kits, which are expensive. We verified for ovine plasma a less expensive and easily available ELISA kit (DiaMetra) designed to quantify P4 in humans. Pools of ovine and human plasma were used to compare repeatability, accuracy, sensitivity, and stability of P4 measured by the DiaMetra kit. Repeatability data were within 15%, and accuracy values were ~90% for both plasma matrices. Stability data showed a loss of

Objective Patients who develop interferon-gamma autoantibodies (IFN-ɤ autoAbs) in adult-onset immunodeficiency (AOID) syndrome are more likely to develop opportunistic and recurrent intracellular infections. The assay to detect IFN-ɤ autoAbs is essential for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of AOID syndrome. Therefore, this study applied the QuantiFERON assay for the detection of IFN-ɤ autoAbs. Methods Serum from patients with AOID syndrome (n = 19) and serum from healthy patients (n = 20) was collected and applied using 2 neutralizing platforms of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits (the BD ELISA and the QuantiFERON ELISA) for IFN-ɤ autoAbs detection. Results The pooled serum from patients with AOID syndrome showed >50% inhibition at 1:5000 dilution (positive), whereas the pooled serum from healthy patients showed 1:5,000,000 according to the neutralizing QuantiFERON ELISA. Conclusion The QuantiFERON ELISA kit could be applied for the detection of IFN-ɤ autoAbs for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of AOID syndrome.

Vaccination was the main approach to control spreading of FMD disease in Egypt. This study was carried out for evaluation of vaccination by governmental and prevailing local vaccines in cattle sera in menofia governorate during the period from October 2018 to May 2019. A total 130 serum samples were collected to evaluate the antibodies against FMDV. 30 samples were used as control, 50 samples collected from animals received local governmental vaccine and 50 samples from animals received local prevailing vaccine. 49 out of 100 serum samples (37.7%) were positive and 81 out of 130 serum samples (62.3%) were negative for NSP. Results were (0.0), 3(3.7%) pre-vaccination and 27(33.33%), 18(22.22%) 1st MPV- 25(30.86%), 18(22.22%) 2nd MPV-15(18.52%), 13(16.05%) 3rd MPV and (0.0), 9(11.11%) 4th MPV for serotype A. For serotype (O): 9(11.1%), 10(12.4%) pre-vaccination- 36(44.44%), 28(34.56%) 1st MPV-33(40.74%), 27 (33.33%) 2nd MPV-24(29.63%), 20(24.7%) 3rd MPV-14(17.3%), 12(14.80%) 4th MPV. For serotype (SAT2): 4(4.9%), 24(4.93%) pre-vaccination-30 (37.03%), 21(25.93%) 1st MPV-27(33.33%), 21(25.93%) 2nd MPV- 18 (22.22%), 14(17.3%) 3rd MPV-3 (3.71%), 4(4.93%) 4th MPV. In Conclusion. FMD controlling requires vaccines that will supply disparity of infected from vaccinated animals.

Background: Echinococcosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus is a zoonotic disease of public health significance, but there have been few studies of the infection in dogs in Nigeria. This study aimed to establish the seroprevalence of E. granulosus in dogs in four Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria.Methods: A total of 179 dog sera were examined for the presence of E. granulosus antibody using an ELISA kit between May to October 2017.Results: Eleven of the sera (6.1%) were seropositive with a prevalence of 7.4% and 2.3% for dogs less than 2 years and those above 2 years of age respectively. More male dogs (7.5%) than females (4.1%) were seropositive. Seroprevalence was associated with 2 years dogs (OR=3.33, p=0.46) and male than female dogs (OR=1.90, p=0.53) but association were not significant. Dogs from Bassa had the highest seroprevalence (15.2%), followed by Mangu (5.9%), Kanke (4.8%) and Jos South (2.0%). Odds ratio showed an association which was not significant between Bassa (OR=3.3), Kanke (OR=2.50).Conclusion: This study shows that E. granulosus infection is present in dogs in some parts of Plateau State. More studies should be done to ascertain echinococcus infection in dogs in Nigeria to aid the formulation of control programmes to forestall its public health impacts. Annals of Medical Laboratory Science (2021) 1(2), 9 - 17

Tumour protein 53 (p53) plays an important role in the instruction of the cell cycle. In a variety of transformed cell lines, tumour protein is expressed in high amounts, and it is believed to contribute to transformation and malignancy. This research aimed to detect the anti-p53 antibodies in sera of patients with various malignant tumours and to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A case-control study was conducted on samples from 49 patients with various types of malignant tumours at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia, and 32 healthy control cases with non‐malignant disease collected from Universiti Sains Malaysia clinic, Penang, Malaysia. The antibodies against p53 protein in the serum samples were analysed using the commercial ELISA kit, Calbiochem® p53- ELISAPLUS. The results showed that the rate of anti-p53 antibodies in patients with various malignant tumours was 13 out of 49 (26.5 %), compared with only 2 out of 32 (6.25%) in healthy controls (p < 0.001). The sensitivity of this kit reached 28.6% and the specificity was 93.8%. In conclusion, these results suggest that the anti-p53 antibodies can be detected in different sera of malignant tumour patients and the ELISA kit is highly specific; nevertheless, its discrimination power is not perfect because of its low sensitivity to determine the anti-p53 antibodies.

This study evaluated the diagnostic role of cerebrospinal fluid leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (CSF LRG) concentration in children with acute bacterial meningitis, and its role in differentiation from aseptic meningitis. CSF LRG concentration was measured by ELISA Kit of 50 children with bacterial meningitis, 16 aseptic meningitis, and 20 children with normal CSF; control. CSF LRG was significantly elevated (p

This study was designed to detect the persistent infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus (PI- BVDV) among 114 bulls in Aswan Governorate. Sera samples were examined by ELISA and real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect BVDV antibodies and BVDV nucleic acid, respectively. The percent of infection was 23.7% (27/ 114) and 76.3% (87/ 114) were negative by ELISA technique, and 3.4% (3/ 87) for BVDV gene detection by real time PCR. Sensitivity of 89%and specificity of 96 % was reported using the commercially available ELISA kit for samples obtained from PI animals.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (M. gallisepticum) is the primary agent of chronic respiratory disease causing important economic losses in the poultry industry. Compared to antibodies, aptamers used to diagnose M. gallisepticum have many advantages, such as being chemically, animal-free produced and easily modifiable without affecting their affinity. Herein, a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamer Apt-236 which can specifically bind to PvpA protein of M. gallisepticum with a Kd of 1.30 ± 0.18 nM was selected successfully. An indirect blocking ELAA (ib-ELAA) for M. gallisepticum antibodies detection was also developed using Apt-236, in which M. gallisepticum antibodies would block the binding-position of aptamers. Therefor positive sera would prevent color development whereas negative sera will allow a strong color reaction. The ib-ELAA was consistent with other three widely used assays in terms of the growth and decline of the antibody response to M. gallisepticum, and showed substantial agreement with the results obtained using a commercial ELISA kit in clinical chicken sera samples. Therefore, the ib-ELAA developed in this study was a new format for aptamer application and would be an alternative method for the surveillance of M. gallisepticum.

The cross-sectional seroprevalence study of the peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goats was carried out in the Southern Peninsular region of India to ascertain the prevalence of PPR virus (PPRV) antibodies at the epidemiological units (epi-units) level in the small ruminant population. The serum samples were collected from various epi-units (villages) in the different states and union territory (UT) in Southern Peninsular region using a stratified random sampling methodology from August 2017 to March 2018. A total of 6643 serum samples [sheep (n = 2785) and goats (n = 3858)] were collected from 360 epi-units and were screened by PPR competitive ELISA kit for the detection of PPRV antibodies. The results revealed that the seroprevalence of PPR in small ruminants in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala states, and Puducherry UT was 87.0%, 66.4%, 64.3%, 47.8%, 11.4%, and 50.4%, respectively in the studied region. Further, the results of the chi-squared test revealed that the PPRV antibodies across different states and UT in the region were associated (sheep-χ(2) = 218.8, p

El objetivo fue evaluar la frecuencia serológica individual y de rebaño, así como detectar los factores de riesgo de C. abortus, en siete estados donde se realiza la producción ovina en México. Se efectuó un estudio multifactorial, transversal y estratificado, con análisis de 5,321 muestras serológicas en 323 rebaños de 61 municipios. Se realizó ELISA con un kit comercial. Los factores de riesgo asociados con la enfermedad se determinaron mediante cuestionarios y análisis estadísticos con una prueba de Ji cuadrada con un intervalo de confianza del 95%. Del total de 5, 231 muestras de suero que fueron colectadas, 581 (10.92 %) dieron positivas a la prueba de ELISA. Los resultados por estado de sueros positivos fueron: Tlaxcala 13.08% (73/558); Sonora 12.45 % (102/819); Chihuahua 11.56 % (107/925); Hidalgo 11.34 % (97/855); Chiapas 10.15 % (60/591); Querétaro 9.69 % (79/815); Estado de México 7.09 % (63/758). La frecuencia de hatos seropositivos, fue de 43.34 % (140/323). Los resultados al ser agrupados por estado fueron los siguientes: Hidalgo 67.39 % (31/46), Querétaro 67.18 % (43/64); Sonora 40.92 % (19/47); Tlaxcala 33.33 % (12/36); Chiapas 31.57 % (12/38); Estado de México 25.45 % (14/55) y Chihuahua 24.32 % (9/37). Los principales factores de riesgo que favorecen la presencia del aborto enzoótico de las ovejas, fueron que estuviesen gestantes, que tuviesen una edad entre los 37 a los 48 meses y que el sistema de producción fuese intensivo. Estos estudios serológicos identificaron la presencia del aborto enzoótico de las ovejas en México, así como algunos de los factores de riesgo que inciden para favorecer su presencia.

We examined anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies in 45 serum samples from 26 patients with COVID-19, who were admitted in our hospital by using three different ELISA kits. All patients had pneumonia at admission, and 7 patients required mechanical ventilator support and grouped in severe case. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies turned to be partially positive between the 6th and 10th days, more than 84% positive between the 11th and 15th days, and 100% after the 16th day. One ELISA kit revealed poorer sensitivity for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibody. Negative conversion of IgM antibody was not observed in the 30th day in our cohort. All three ELISA kits showed no false positive reaction for negative serum samples. Between severe and moderate cases, there was no significant difference in the trends of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibody.

The human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV 1/2) are well known causes of adult T cell leukemia lymphoma. Both viruses were established to be transmitted through various mode including sexual contact and blood transfusion. This study was aimed to determine the seroprevalence of HTLV-1/2 antibodies among blood donors in Public Health Laboratory. During the period of August 2019 to October 2019 a total of 394 blood samples were obtained from blood donors visiting the Blood bank of National Public Health Laboratory, both males and females were included. The blood samples were analyzed for the presence of anti - HTLV-1,2 by a commercially available enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay following the instructions of the manufacturer. The study participants were included 361 (91.6%) males and 33 (8.4%) females. The result show that of the 394 blood donors, four (4) were found to be seropositive for HTLV-1 antibodies giving a prevalence of 1.02%. While all samples were negative for the HTLV-2 antibodies. Among HTLV-1 positive cases 3 were male (75%) while only one female (25%) was found to be seropositive for HTLV-1 antibodies. None of the married donors was found to be seropositive for HTLV-1. We conclude that the seroprevalence of HTLV 1/2 were matched to the internationally estimated prevalence among blood donors at Blood Bank of national health laboratory and the majority of the cases were male under 40 years old. Further studies should be done with inclusion of more samples and using more sensitive technique like Western blot or PCR.

A cross sectional study was conducted during the period 2014-2015, to estimate the prevalence and assess contribution of some risk factors for the occurrence of enterotoxaemia in sheep, goats, cattle and camels in the Kingdom Saudi Arabia. A total of 1593 animals from 476 herds were investigated. ELISA tests were conducted using a commercial kit for the detection of different toxins produced by Clostridium perfringens causing the disease. The toxicogenic typing of C. perfringens in clinical samples by ELISA kit, revealed that the predominant types were C. perfringens type A (67.2%) followed by type D (16.4%), then type B (13.4%) and type C (3%). Further confirmation of representative C. perfringens isolated from enterotoxaemia positive animals was performed using polymerase chain reaction. The overall prevalence of enterotoxaemia disease at the animal and herd level was 27.2% and 26.47% respectively. There were significant differences in the prevalence of enterotoxaemia in animals between the different regions in KSA, animal species and months of the year. The highest prevalence was detected in Aljouf region (41.7 %), followed by Hail region (40.9%), Qassim (37.8%), Jazan (31.1%), the eastern region (26.1%) and Riyadh region (10.4%). The prevalence was the highest cattle (64.3%), followed by goats (29.9%), camels (21.5%) and sheep (21.4%). Risk factors such as regions (χ2 = 89.65, p = 0.000), months of the year (χ2 = 76.65, p = 0.000), animal species (χ2 = 50.81, p = 0.000), disease presence by years (χ2 = 29.75, p = 0.000), herds prevalence (χ2 = 1443.6, p = 0.000) showed statistically significant association with enterotoxaemia disease. In the multivariate analysis, species of animals (OR = 4.88, p = 0.000) was found to be the most statistically significant risk factor associated with enterotoxaemia. Cattle were found to be approximately five times more likely to have infection with enterotoxaemia (OR = 4.88, CI = 2.55-9.37, p=0.0001) compared to other animal species. High overall prevalence of enterotoxaemia cases in all animal species occurred during the period August – December of the year 2015 with the highest prevalence in September (50%).

Objective To explore whether auricular concha eletroacupuncture (ACEA) is effective in regulating lipid-lipoprotein metabolism in rats submitted to cold stress. Methods Thirty-six adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were placed in four groups(9 rats in each group), the rats in three groups of which were submitted to cold stress for fourteen days, the last one of which was a control group. After the cold stress process, in those three groups, the rats of one group were with no treatment (stress only), two were treated with either ACEA or auricular margin eletroacupuncture (AMEA) repeated for fourteen days. On the 14th day, all the rats were sacrificed after all experimental procedure for blood sampling. Blood glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were tested by using the collected serum. Plasma lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) was measured with ELISA kit. Results ACEA down-regulated the TG level (P Conclusion ACEA played an important role in regulating lipid-lipoprotein metabolism in rats submitted to cold stress.

AimTo explore the impact of puberty on refractive development and its interaction with outdoor time in children and adolescents.MethodsIn this 2-year observational study, students aged 7–13 years were selected with cluster sampling. All participants underwent cycloplegic refraction and axial length measurements once every year. Information of related factors was acquired through proper questionnaire or inquiry. The level of testosterone/estradiol was detected from the saliva of the subjects using the ELISA kit. Multiple linear regression and generalised estimating equation (GEE) were used to analyse the relationship among puberty, outdoor activities and refractive indicators.ResultsA total of 776 children and adolescents were included, with an average baseline age of 9.64±1.54 years and 53.6% boys. There were 350 myopes (55.2% of the 634 cyclopleged subjects) at baseline. There was a significant difference in the mean axial length changes and outdoor time among different puberty groups (for axial length: p=0.017, for outdoor time: p=0.015). Myopic parents, less outdoor time and more changes in estradiol were associated with greater changes in axial length and spherical equivalent (SE) (axial length changes: parental myopia β=0.230, outdoor time β=−0.250, changes in estradiol β=0.261; SE changes: parental myopia β=−0.267, outdoor time β=0.256, changes in estradiol β=−0.297). In the GEE model, the interaction between outdoor time and puberty was significantly associated with axial length (p=0.024, β=1.199).ConclusionsThis study implies puberty may play a regulating role on the relationship between outdoor time and refractive development among Chinese children and adolescents, which provides clues for in-depth mechanism interpretation and efficient intervention strategies.

Consumption of game in Germany has increased during the past 10 years. Wild boar (Sus scrofa), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) are the most frequently hunted and consumed game animals in Germany, yet information on the occurrence of zoonotic pathogens in these animal species is scarce. To better estimate the public health risk emanating from handling and consumption of game, this study investigated seroprevalences of Toxoplasma gondii in game hunted in the German federal state of Brandenburg during two hunting seasons from 2017 to 2019. Toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies were detected in 24.4% (44/180, 95% CI: 18.4%-31.4%) of wild boar, 12.8% (16/125, 95% CI: 7.5%-20%) of roe deer and 6.4% (3/47, 95% CI: 1.3%-17.5%) of red deer using a commercial ELISA kit. Seroprevalences were similar in the two hunting seasons. Correlation between sex and seropositivity could not be observed. A rise in seroprevalence was seen with increasing age in all studied game species. Observed seroprevalences suggest that T. gondii is endemic in the sylvatic environment in the German federal state of Brandenburg and imply that game could represent a relevant source for human T. gondii infection.

Sepsis is a cause of non-cardiac death in the hospital. Early and rapid diagnosis of septic patients is a challenge toincrease the expectancy of life. IL-6 and TNF-α are groups of pro inflammatory cytokines that initiate an initial inflammatoryresponse. Procalcitonin is a specific marker of bacterial infection. This study aimed to analyze the correlation of serumcytokine IL-6, TNF-α, procalcitonin and leukocyte count in suspected sepsis patients. This was a cross-sectionalobservational study consisting of 45 patients with suspected sepsis with procalcitonin level > 0.5 ng/mL. Procalcitonin levelwas measured with Enzyme-Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) (VIDAS), IL-6 and TNF-α levels were measured with theU-CyTech Human Elisa kit (Bioscience, INC) and leukocyte counts were measured with SYSMEX-XN 1000. It was found in thisstudy that IL-6 levels ranged in 0 pg/mL – 73.29 ng/mL (mean 29.43 ng/mL), TNF-α levels were 0 pg/mL – 390.5 pg/mL (mean27.62 pg/mL), and the mean value of leukocytes was 20,139/μL. There was no correlation between leukocyte counts with IL-6(p=0.798 and r=0.040), TNF-α (p=0.304 and r = -0.160), and procalcitonin (p=0.323 and r = 0.154). There was no correlationbetween IL-6 levels with TNF-α levels (p=0.871 and r = -0.025), and procalcitonin levels (p = 0.466 and r = 0.112). There wasa weak negative correlation between TNF-α level and procalcitonin levels (p=0.006 and r = -0.403) and there was a weaknegative correlation between procalcitonin and TNF-α levels in suspected sepsis patients.

This study aims to investigate the concentration of traffic air pollution and the level of testosterone, fasting glucose, cortisol, and lipid profile among traffic police in Jakarta. Testosterone plasma and blood biochemicals in traffic police and the police officer were analyzed using ELISA kit. Air quality data from the Regional Environmental Agency (BPLHD) Jakarta 2012 were used for the characterization of exposure. The analysis used a t-test and linear regression test to show the relationship levels of pollutants exposure with the effects of reproductive dysfunction (p

Introduction: The U-Dream line of products are marketed as natural health product sleep aids in Canada and as dietary supplements in the United States. Several user reviews of the product mention concerning side effects not typically associated with the listed herbal ingredients stated on the product label. Based on these concerns an analytical study was undertaken to determine if the products contained any undeclared pharmaceuticals. Methods: Product was screened by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) for known pharmaceuticals with sedative and sleep promoting properties. Based on the mass spectral screens an unknown compound was isolated for characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and presence confirmed by Enzymelinked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Results: The mass spectral analyses indicated the presence of an undeclared analogue of the pharmaceutical drug zopiclone within the product lot tested. NMR characterization confirmed the compound to be a brominated analogue of zopiclone and a commercial zopiclone/eszopiclone ELISA kit tested positive. Discussion: The undeclared compound was found to be an analogue of zopiclone whereby the chlorine atom was substituted with bromine. Given the results of the ELISA assay and the structural similarity to zopiclone it is likely the compound exhibits biological activity. Of considerable concern is not only the potential of the unknown compound to exhibit pharmacological activity, but the lack of a safety profile by which the risk can be properly assessed. Conclusions: The natural health product regulations provide a framework for high quality, safe and efficacious products to access the market. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to assure traceability and transparency in their supply chain and establish verifiable compliance with GMP. This study illustrates the importance of careful evaluation of analytical data in order to detect undeclared adulterants and highlights the need for an active monitoring and surveillance system for potentially high-risk products.

Objective This study aimed to examine whether honey and propolis Trigona can reduce the level of leptin in central obesity human. Methods It was a quasi-experimental study, population and sample were central obesity and normal weight as control. Sample size was 30 participants taken using purposive sampling. Results Intervention as long as 14 days make an increased level of leptin as many as 97.076 pg/ml in control group and decreasing respectively 171.803 pg/ml and 245.293 pg/ml in honey and propolis intervention group, both significant statistically. The dose of honey given was 105 mg/days divided into 3 packs, and each pack contains 35 mg. The dose of propolis was 60 mg/days and divided into 3 capsules, each of it contains 20 mg. Intervention as long as 14 days and leptin levels examined using human ELISA Kit three times, that is before intervention, 7 days after the intervention and 14 days after intervention. Conclusion Honey and propolis Trigona has the ability to decrease leptin level of central obesity participants. These honey bee products are potential to be a dietary supplement for central obesity patients.

Objective The objective of the research was to determine the giving of Holothuria scabra on the level of Docoxahexaenoic Acid (DHA) of breast milk with preterm chilbirth. Methods The research was a quasi experimental study with control group design. The samples were postpartum mothers with preterm childbirth consisted of 40 people divided into two groups. Postpartum mothers given Holothuria scabra capsule were intervention group and the postpartum mothers not given Holothuria scabra were control group. The sample of mother's milk of pretest of each group was taken in the seventh day and seven day later the sample was taken 3 cc. Intervention was done for 7 days per sample with 3 times dosage consisted of 2 capsules per day. The sample of breast milk was examined with Human DHA ELISA kit. The data were analyzed using Mann–Whitney test and Wilcoxon test. Results The results of the research indicated the difference of DHA level between intervention group and control group with a value of p = value 0.006. After the intervention, the average increase was 187.02 μg/mL for intervention group and 7.05 μg/mL for control group with a value of 1151.04 μg/mL.

Background Defective cellular elements constitute an important challenge to achieve predictable periodontal regeneration. In an attempt to improve the cellularity of periodontal defects, gingival fibroblasts were implanted without their associated extracellular elements in periodontal defects to expose them to periodontal tissue mediators. In order to investigate the regenerative potential of gingival fibroblasts translocated into periodontal defects, the present study was designed to clinically and biochemically investigate the use of gingival fibroblasts (GF) and their associated mesenchymal stem cells (GMSC) in the treatment of intrabony periodontal defects. Methods A total of 20 subjects were randomly divided into two groups (n = 20). Group I: ten patients were included with ten intrabony periodontal defects that received β-calcium triphosphate (β-TCP) followed by collagen membrane defect coverage, while group II: (10 patients) ten periodontal defects received cultured gingival fibroblasts (GF) on the β-TCP scaffold and covered by a collagen membrane. The clinical evaluation was carried out at the beginning and at 6 months. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were collected directly from the test sites for the quantitative measurement of PDGF-BB and BMP-2 using the ELISA kit at 1, 7, 14, and 21 days after surgery. Results Group II reported a significantly greater reduction in vertical pocket depth (VPD) and CAL gain compared with group I after 6 months. Radiographic bone gain was statistically higher in group II compared with group I. A significantly higher concentration of PDGF-BB was observed in group II on days 1, 3, and 7 compared with group I. Conclusions Translocation of gingival fibroblasts from gingival tissue to periodontal defects could be a promising option that increases cellular elements with regeneration potential. The concept of total isolation of gingival fibroblasts using occlusive membranes must be re-evaluated.

Furazolidone, a banned nitrofuran antibiotic, is still illegally used in aquaculture and livestock husbandry. A commercial Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) from Europroxima, The Netherlands is described, and validated for the screening of 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ), metabolite of furazolidone antibiotic in the muscle of shrimp. Research works was conducted at Veterinary Drug Residue Analysis Laboratory, Institute of Food and Radiation Biology, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Savar, Dhaka-1349, between July 2018 and December 2019. Validation was done in accordance with the European Commission (EC) decision 2002/657/EC in terms of specificity, detection capability CCβ, selectivity, ruggedness, and stability. Homogenized sample was subjected to acid hydrolysis for releasing of tissue bound metabolite AOZ, and derivatized with o-nitrobenzaldehyde followed by ethyl acetate/n-hexane extraction and detection by ELISA reader. The detection capability CCβ of the method was lower or at 0.3 µg/kg accepting 0% false compliant result. Cut-off factor Fm and the positivity threshold value T was 0.716 and 0.982, respectively. Mean OD of blank sample B was1.225. The assay was valid because T was greater than Fm and smaller than B. The kit was stable even after ten months of storage at recommended temperature and showed good sensitivity. From the practical point of view, the kit studied has good reliability, and could be used in the routine application for the control of illegal use of the drug.

Level of enzyme peptidyl arginine deiminase type 4 (PAD-4) was determined in serum samples collected from 98 females with primary breast cancer within January, 2017 – April, 2018 divided into 5 groups according to immunohistochemistry data: group 1 – luminal A cancer, 2 – luminal B Her-2 negative, 3 – luminal B Her-2 positive, 4 – non-luminal Her-2 positive, 5 – triple negative cancer. Samples were collected prior to the onset of any anti-cancer treatment, and in 41 cases – 15-24 days after performing radical surgery. Control samples were obtained from 20 healthy females. Serum PAD-4 level was measured with Human PAD-4 ELISA Kit (Wuhan Fine Biotech Co., Ltd, China) on automatic analyzer ADALTIS Personal LAB (Adaltis S.r.l., Italy). Statistical analysis was performed by using software IBM SPSS Statistics 19. Mean serum PAD-4 level before treatment was 9.0 ng/ml that did not change after surgery. However, mean PAD-4 level for healthy females was 1.5 ng/ml (0.0-2.0) ng/ml that significantly differed from cancer group (Mann–Whitney U test, U = 38.500, p0.001). in contrast PAD-4 level in various cancer groups was: group 1 – 11.05 ng/ml, group 2 – 11.9 ng/ml, group 3 – 10.8 ng/ml, group 4 – 7.99 ng/ml, group 5 – 9.9 ng/ml. Thus, level of serum PAD-4 was higher in groups with more favorable luminal cancer, but further research is needed to make definitive conclusions.

BACKGROUND. Adiponectin, vaspin and leptin are only a few of these numerous adipocytokines. Little is known about the behavior of adipocytokines and how adipose tissue metabolism is affected in this Type 1 DM model. In this study we investigated the serum levels of adiponectin, leptin, vaspin in streptozotocin(STZ) induced diabetic rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Twelve Spraque Dawley albino rats were included in the study. The animals were divided into two groups. The first group was diabetic (D) (n: 6) and 60mg / kg STZ was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) to these rats. The second group was the non-diabetic control (ND) group (n: 6). All the animals were euthanized by cervical dislocation. Quantification of vaspin, Adiponectin, leptin in serum was performed using the ELISA kit. RESULTS. Adiponectin, vaspin levels of diabetic group were found to be statistically lower than of control group (p

Background: In September 2017, the AOAC INTERNATIONAL Stakeholder Panel for Alternative Methods adopted Standard Method Performance Requirement (SMPR®) 2017.021, “Quantitation of Wheat, Rye, and Barley Gluten in Oats,” as guidance for the validation of methods for measuring gluten in oat products. The SMPR requires prospective methods to demonstrate adequate recovery (50–200%) based on the analysis of a set of reference samples. Objective: This document provides specific methods and data on the preparation of such validation materials and their analysis by an R5 ELISA kit to demonstrate the SMPR recovery estimation procedure. Methods: Seven reference samples were made by spiking wheat, rye, and barley into gluten-free oat flour at two levels, 10 and 20 mg/kg. The levels of gluten were determined by a wet chemical method based on the Codex Alimentarius definition of gluten. Results: The recoveries for wheat, rye, and barley were 122, 425, and 349%, respectively, for the R5 ELISA kit. The wet chemical method for estimating gluten in a sample of pure grain demonstrated repeatability relative SDs ranging from 1.40 to 2.75%. Conclusions: The reference materials are suitable to estimate ELISA kit responses to wheat, rye, and barley and calculate recoveries. Highlights: A series of oat flours spiked with wheat, rye, and barley flours were developed to be used as reference materials. A wet chemical method was established to estimate gluten contents based on the Codex definition. The reference materials are available for purchase to support further method development and validation.

Bacground. Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is associated with increased incidence and progression of atrial fibrillation (AF). Experimental studies indicate that OSAHS can modify the cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM). However, significant mechanisms of cardiac remodeling in AF patients with OSAHS have not been uncovered. The aim: to evaluate the impact of OSAHS on serum levels of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in AF patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and/or arterial hypertension (AH), suffering from OSAHS. Material and methods. We examined 140 non-valvular AF patients with IHD and/or AH. Cardiorespiratory monitoring was conducted in the studied subjects and they were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of OSAHS: group 1 – non-OSAHS patients; group 2 – patients with OSAHS. Serum levels of TIMP-1 and HIF-1α were assayed using commercially available ELISA kit. Results. The patients with OSAHS had higher levels of TIMP-1 and HIF-1α than non-OSAHS patients (p

Objective: To compare the salivary MMP – 9 concentration among subjects with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD), tobacco users, and control groups. Materials and methods: A total of 88 subjects were enrolled and divided into four study groups viz., OSCC (n=24), OPMD (n=20), tobacco habits (n=22), and healthy controls (n=22). All subjects gave unstimulated saliva samples for the evaluation MMP – 9 by ELISA kit. Demographic information like age, gender, type of tobacco, and duration of the habit were recorded. Results: Subjects with OSCC and OPMD had significantly higher mean MMP-9 levels than subjects with tobacco habits and control groups (P

The aim was to evaluate the use of a bovine procalcitonin (PCT) ELISA kit (Cusabio, China) for assessing PCT in bovine milk samples. Validation was performed by using 10 plasma and corresponding milk samples from mastitic cows. The limit of detection (LOD) was calculated. The coefficient of variation (CV%) of the readings of five plasma samples measured five times in the same plate (intra-assay) and the CV% of the same five samples read five times in three separate plates was evaluated. Parallelism was determined by serial twofold dilutions of five plasma and corresponding milk samples. Milk samples were analyzed with and without centrifugation. Regarding plasma PCT, the method presented an inter- and intra-CV < 23.7% and parallelism had very good recovery values. The ELISA kit studied can measure bovine plasma PCT concentrations. The kit antibodies fail in binding PCT in milk samples because all centrifuged milk samples showed a lower LOD than blank samples. Only three uncentrifuged milk samples showed measurable PCT concentrations. Due to these results, the commercial ELISA kit investigated could not be employed for the detection of PCT in milk samples.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an emerging mosquito-borne zoonosis that threatens public health and animal agriculture in the endemic areas causing devastating epizootics characterized by abortion storms and high mortalities, especially in newborn animals. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and investigate risk factors associated with exposure to the virus in camels slaughtered in Maiduguri abattoir, Borno state of Nigeria. Camels presented for slaughtered were sampled and data on age, sex, source or origin, utility, presence of post mortem lesions, body weights and body condition score were collected. Blood samples were collected and sera were harvested and stored at -20°C until tested. The sera were tested using a commercial ELISA kit based on the manufacturer's instructions. The overall seroprevalence in the study was 20.7% (95% CI, 13.6 – 30.0). The analysis showed no significant differences between presence of antibodies and variables that included the sex of camels (c2=0.015, df = 1, p = 0.904) and presence of post mortem lesion on the carcass (c2=0.009, df = 1, p = 0.925). There were significant differences between presence of antibodies and three variables that included the age (c2= 4.89, df = 1, p = 0.027), the source (c2= 7.077, df = 2, p = 0.029) and the main utility (c2= 8.057, df = 3, p = 0.045) of the camels. It was concluded that camels presented for slaughter at the Maiduguri abattoir have evidence of exposure to the RVF virus and may be means of transmission of the virus. Regular monitoring and control of transboundary animal movements were recommended in the study area.

BackgroundPrevious animal studies have revealed that CTRP7 is related to energy metabolism. However, little is known regarding the relationship between CTRP7 and metabolic diseases in humans. Hence, this study was designed to explore the association between CTRP7 and MetS through a cross-sectional study and multiple intervention studies.MethodsA total of 624 individuals were enrolled in this study. The levels of CTRP7 and APN were determined by ELISA kit. HEC, OGTT and lipid infusion were performed in heathy individuals to investigate the association of CTRP7 and glucose, insulin and FFA. Bioinformatics analysis was then undertaken to identify genes and signaling pathways associated with CTRP7. The relationship between CTRP7 with MetS components was also evaluated.ResultsIn MetS patients, serum CTRP7 concentrations were significantly higher than in healthy controls, and was positively correlated with WC, BP, FBG, 2h-BG and TG, but negatively correlated with HDL-C and APN. Multivariate logistic regression analysis uncovered that CTRP7 was strongly correlated with the occurrence of MetS. In addition, circulating levels of CTRP7 in patients with two or more MetS components were higher than those with one MetS component. In the intervention studies, OGTTs resulted in a significant reduction in serum CTRP7 concentration. However, the increase in insulin levels caused by EHC and the increase of FFA caused by lipid-infusion led to the significant increase of serum CTRP7 concentration. Meanwhile, bioinformatics analysis revealed that CTRP7 was strongly associated with metabolism-related genes and signal pathways, which further illustrate the association of CTRP7 with whole-body metabolism.ConclusionsSerum CTRP7 is increased in MetS patients, which may be a biomarker related to metabolic diseases.Clinical Trial Registration NumberChiCTR2000032878

Background: An apicomplexan protozoon Neospora caninum, causative agent of neosporosis, is recognized as one of the most common and important cause of sporadic and endemic bovine abortion and reduced reproductivity in dairy and beef cattle worldwide. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between N. caninum seroprevalence and infertility problems in 400 cows in Burdur city, Turkey. Methods: Blood samples were collected from vena jugularis into sterile serum tubes from 49 aborted, 58 infertil, 48 pregnant and 245 healthy cows for the findings of reproductive anamnesis during a period of March 2010 to March 2011. Sera samples were analyzed by competitive ELISA kit. Results: The seroprevalences were 7.7%, 6.4% and 4.2% in 2-4, ≤2 and ≥4 age groups respectively and no statistically significance observed between age groups. Seropositivity rates were 5.7%, 5.1%, 4.5%, 3.6% in Holstein, Montofon, cross-breeds and Simental breeds respectively. Seroprevalence differences was not statistically significant among cattle breeds. Antibodies to N. caninum were found in rates of 16.3%, 6.9%, 6.3%, 2.4% in aborted, infertile, pregnant and healthy cows respectively and there was a significant difference (P

Aim of the work: The aim of this study was to evaluate Vimentin, Fetuin-A, and lipoprotein(a) level in the sera of Acute myocardial Infarction (AMI) patients and to determine its relation with disease activity and severity. Patients and methods: Fifty one adult AMI patients (26 females and 27 males) and 41 healthy subjects (23 males and 18 females) matching age serving as the control group, were included in this study. Five milliliters of blood were collected from patients and controls, then centrifuged and the serum was separated and frozen as aliquots at -20 co until use. Measurement of the serum Vimentin, Fetuin-A, and lipoprotein(a) level in AMI patients and controls was done using the ELISA Kit. Results: Serum level of vimentin, and Lp(a)were significantly increased in AMI patient as compared to control group. Serum fetuin-A, albumin, and TP level in RA patient was significantly lower than control group. Hence present study concluded that vimentin, fetuin-A, and Lp(a) could be a useful marker for disease activity in AMI.

The reported incidence of pertussis in European countries varies considerably. We aimed to study specific Bordetella pertussis seroprevalence in Europe by measuring serum IgG antibody levels to pertussis toxin (anti-PT IgG). Fourteen national laboratories participated in this study including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. Each country collected approximately 250 samples (N = 7903) from the age groups 20-29 years (N = 3976) and 30-39 years (N = 3927) during 2010-2013. Samples were anonymous residual sera from diagnostic laboratories and were analyzed at the national laboratories by a Swedish reference method, a commercial ELISA kit, or were sent to Sweden for analysis. The median anti-PT IgG concentrations ranged from 4 to 13.6 IU/mL. The proportion of samples with anti-PT IgG ≥100 IU/mL, indicating a recent infection ranged from 0.2% (Hungary) to 5.7% (Portugal). The highest proportion of sera with anti-PT IgG levels between 50 and

Serological method has been used as an auxiliary tool in the clinical severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnosis due to the low sensitivity of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method for respiratory specimens. The serums from 57 confirmed COVID-19 patients, 10 healthy cohorts and 46 tuberculosis patients were employed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of two commercially available enzyme linked immunosorbent (ELISA) kits in their detections of SARS-CoV-2. The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA kit from Beijing company can reach 87.8% and 83.9%, respectively, suggesting a high practical application value. In contrast, the ELISA kit from Zhuhai shows a lower sensitivity (70.1%) but a slightly higher specificity (89.2%). Moreover, a higher detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 IgM is observed in patients that have a longer duration of disease (more than 14 d after onset) than that of people presenting clinical symptoms less than 14 d. Collectively, these results prove the feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 IgM detections by ELISA in the clinical SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, although these commercially available ELISA kits show different capacities in their diagnosis.

Background Toxocariasis is a zoonotic disease in human with worldwide distribution. Recently a relationship between toxocariasis and some autoimmune diseases has been considered. We aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of toxocariasis among multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in comparison with healthy persons. Materials and methods In the present study, 96 blood samples from MS patients, 50 blood samples from RA patients and 100 blood samples from healthy persons were collected. Collected samples were examined to detect anti-Toxocara antibodies using commercial ELISA kit. Results The most of the participants in present study were females (69.1%). The average age of MS patient, RA patients and healthy persons were 37.5, 47.6 and 42.1 years old, respectively. Anti-Toxocara antibody was detected in serum of 8 out of 96 (8.3%) MS patients and 3 out of 100 (3%) healthy persons while anti-Toxocara antibodies were not detected in serum of RA cases. Conclusions This study indicates that there was no significant correlation between IgG antibodies against Toxocara and variables such as gender and age. Based on the statistical analysis, there was no significant difference in Toxocara seropositivity between our control population with MS and RA patients.

This cross-sectional study aimed to study animal, farm, and within-farm seroprevalence of C. burnetii and to identify associated risk factors in goat and sheep farm in northern Jordan. Questionnaire was developed to collect information about risk factors and farms management practices. Blood samples from 730, ≥ 1-year-old females (goat n = 250; sheep n = 480) were randomly collected from 20 goat herds and 40 sheep flocks. IDEXX ELISA Kit was used to detect C. burnetii antibodies. The overall goat and sheep seroprevalence level was 32.5% (237/730) and was significantly higher in goats (43.3%, 108/250; 95% CI 37-49.6) than sheep (27%, 129/480; 95% CI 29.1-36.2) (χ2 test, p ≤ 0.001). Eighty percent (16/20) of goat herds and 60% (24/40) of sheep flocks had at least one seropositive animal (p ≥ 0.05). The average within goat herds and sheep flock seroprevalence were 36.4% (ranged: 0-91%) and 23.4% (ranged: 0-82%), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression model revealed that seroprevalence increased 1.79 times in goat herds compared with sheep flocks, 3.2 times more in farms containing ≥ 100 animals, and 1.7 times higher in farms with their animals that were ≥ 2 years of age than in farms with their animals that are < 2 years of age. In addition, seroprevalence significantly increased 1.52 times in farms loaning bucks or rams during breeding season and 1.63 times in farms containing cats on premises (p ≤ 0.05). Farm biosecurity measures are essential to prevent introduction and minimize transmission of C. burnetii infection to humans and animals.

Pregnancy is a special condition where a female lodges one or more young ones within her uterus. It is maintained by various endocrine physiology and metabolic changes between maternal and fetal circumstances. Space dine secreted by corpus luteum increases extraordinarily throughout the pregnancy, estrogen increases rapidly during first trimester and prolonged lifespan of corpus luteum and small quantity of estrogen prevents prostaglandins pulsatic secretion. We reviewed available literature to evaluate the accuracy of progesterone ELISA test kit in pregnancy diagnosis in farm animals. We found varying accuracy in global and Nepalese context but found that this is an important tool for early pregnancy diagnosis and infertility monitoringwith high accuracy which contributes to increase economic efficiency of a farm. This kit has been used for qualitative and quantitative study of progesterone to understand the reproductive status of animals. Therefore, its use is increasing in globally and in Nepal. This kit has been used at various breeding centers, and livestock service centers of Nepal. However, wider level use is still difficult due to lack of infrastructuresand subsistence farming.

We present the comparative study of plasma chromogranin A (CgA) levels measured in 232 patients with different types of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and 66 healthy individuals using enzyme immunoassay Chromogranin A ELISA kit (Dako). CgA levels were significantly higher in patients with all types of NETs than in healthy subjects. CgA secretion were highly variable. The study demonstrate high diagnostic sensitivity of CgA, which was 80.6 % in overall group of NETs with specificity 98.5 %. We confirmed the prognostic significance of CgA, in this case the high basal levels of CgA (above 100 U/l) were significantly associated with less favorable prognosis of progression free survival after different types of treatment. The data confirms high efficiency of CgA as biomarker, which measurement enhances the accuracy of diagnosis and prognosis of NETs.

The selective properties of a solution of oligonucleotide specific to IL-6 on the concentration of IL-6 in mixed saliva of patients with oral inflammatory processes were studied using SDS-PAGE by electrophoresis and enzyme immunoassay. The application of these methods showed that in the mixed saliva of patients after rinsing with a solution of an oligonucleotide specific for IL-6, the amount of IL-6 decreases. The ELISA Kit and 20% SDS-PAGE showed the highest sensitivity to determine the concentration of IL-6 in saliva, which should be considered in clinical laboratory practice.

Validation is the process of confirming that the method used has capabilities that are consistent with what is needed while being used continuously. The AMH ELISA kit has carried out a method validation process before marketed and used in a laboratory to determine AMH levels. AMH is a specific biomarker used to diagnose PCOS patients. The laboratory can adopt a validated procedure but the laboratory still needs to confirm its ability to apply this method. Verification is the provision of objective evidence that the measured parameters meet the specified requirements. The purpose of this study was to find out how well verification of the ELISA AMH kit and comparing the calculation of 4 PL with linear regression. Based on the statistical test obtained p = 0.871 (p>0.05). It can be said that there was no significant difference between Optical Density days 1 and 7(p = 0.05). Linear regression equation (r) 0.9543 (p = 0.000; p

Toxoplasmosis, caused by T. gondii, is an important zoonosis worldwide. In Ghana, information on the disease in humans abounds but scanty in animals. This study was therefore conducted to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection sheep and goats sampled from the Kumasi Abattoir in Ashanti Region, Ghana. A total of 347 serum samples collected from 170 sheep and 177 goats were analyzed for the presence of T. gondii antibodies using a commercial ELISA kit. Results of this study estimated the seroprevalence of 23.7% in goats an, 35.9% in sheep. In sheep, 24 (35.82%) out of a total of 67 male samples were positive and 37 (35.92%) out of a total of 104 female samples were positive while in goats, 6 (8.2%) bucks out of a total of 73 were positive while 36 (34.6%) does out of a total of 104 were positive. There was a significant difference in the rate of seropositivity of female goats (p-value 0.01). This study confirms the existence of T. gondii infection in small ruminants in Ghana and it showed that sheep and dogs are more at risk to T. gondii infection hence meat from such animals could be a potential risk to public health if consumed raw or undercooked.

Objective We aimed to examine the ELABELA levels at different stages of pregnancy among normotensive controls and women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Study design A total of 336 blood samples of 169 women were collected from pre-pregnancy, the first, second, and third trimesters. Women were divided into the following six groups: 1) non-pregnant healthy women; 2) healthy pregnant controls; 3) chronic hypertension; 4) gestational hypertension; 5) preeclampsia; and 6) preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension. ELABELA plasma concentrations were measured by human ELA Elisa Kit (Peninsula Laboratories International, Inc. USA). Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test whether ELABELA level in each type of HDP differed from that in gestational week-matched normotensive controls. Main outcome measures Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Results In the first trimester, patients with gestational hypertension had higher ELABELA level than gestational week-matched normotensive controls [median (ng/ml): 31.9, (IQR (ng/ml): 16.3, 47.6) vs. 19.7 (13.7, 23.2), p = 0.03]. In the second trimester, the levels were 49.2 (32.2, 69.1) vs 24.0 (13.0, 32.6) (p = 0.002), respectively. The level for gestational hypertensive women in the third trimester did not differ significantly from that of normotensive women [43.8 (30.8, 62.7) vs 25.0 (12.3, 74.0), p = 0.82]. The ELABELA levels were similar between preeclamptic women and normotensive controls throughout pregnancy. Conclusions Maternal blood ELABELA levels in the first and second trimesters were elevated in women who developed gestational hypertension late in pregnancy, but the ELABELA level bears no significant relationship with preeclampsia during any stage of pregnancy.

This study aims to determine the effect of monosodium glutamate on LH and testosterone levels in serum of adult male rats ( Rattus norvegicus ). A total of 12 male Wistar-strained rats divided into three groups with 4 rats per group. Control group was given distilled water, while M1 was given MSG at a dose of 4mg g -1 BW for 15 days and M2 was given MSG at a dose of 4 mg g -1 BW for 45 days. All substances were given orally. At the end of the study, rats were sacrificed with a dislocation to draw blood from the heart. Then, the blood was incubated at room temperature to obtain serum. Serum was used to analyze LH and testosterone levels using the ELISA kit. Data were analyzed using one way ANOVA (p ≤ 0.05) with SPPS 16.0 for windows. The results showed that serum LH levels after MSG treatments for 45 days was significantly decreased compared with the control. The serum testosterone levels M2 was significantly difference with the control group (p ≤ 0.01). This study predicts that monosodium glutamate have a direct and indirect effect on male reproductive organs. Keywords: Luteinizing hormone, Monosodium glutamate, testosterone.

Serum specimens obtained from 680 individuals were examined to measure the amounts of pepsinogens 1 and 2, anti-CagA antibodies, and anti-Helicobacter pylori antibodies. We examined sera obtained from 610 Mongolian individuals living in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar. Seventy serum specimens were collected from Japanese people who were health-screened: These were stored at the gastroenterology laboratory of Jichi Medical University. The sera of the Japanese people were used as a control specimen. Two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits, an E-plate ELISA kit from Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), and a Biohit ELISA kit from Biohit Oyj (Helsinki, Finland), were used for the detection of anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies in the sera of the 610 Mongolian people. An ELISA kit EIA-4138 from DRG Instruments GmbH (Germany) was used for the detection of anti-CagA IgG antibodies in the serum specimens. Serum pepsinogens were detected by an ELISA kit from Biohit Oyj. Of the 610 serum specimens, 385 specimens tested positive for the detection of anti-H. pylori antibodies using the two ELISA kits, and 47 tested negative. For the detection of anti-H. pylori antibodies by the Biohit ELISA kit, 560 and 50 specimens were positive and negative, respectively. The ratio of serum pepsinogen 1/2 was statistically lower (p &lt, 0.0001) in the H. pylori-positive (560 specimens) than in the H. pylori-negative (50 specimens) specimens. However, the levels of serum pepsinogen 1 had no statistical significance (p = 0.465) between the specimens of the H. pylori-positive and -negative specimens. The ratio of serum pepsinogen 1/2 was 6.74 &plusmn, 0.12 in the H. pylori-positive specimens, whereas the ratio of serum pepsinogen 1/2 was 12.69 &plusmn, 1.02 in the H. pylori-negative specimens. This study demonstrated the high prevalence of H. pylori infection in Mongolian people, including young generations, and the people infected with H. pylori possessed low pepsinogen 1/2 ratios, indicating atrophic gastritis. The serological examinations by the two ELISA kits did not consistently reflect the prevalence of H. pylori infection in Mongolian people.

The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of EGUS and to quantify serum gastrin levels in jumping horses during competition season and interseason period. Forty jumping horses, competing at high level were randomly allocated into two groups, the Training Group: twenty jumping horses undergoing intense training and participating in competitions, and the Rest Group: twenty jumping horses in the interseason (resting period). The gastroscopic examinations and blood samples of the horses in the training group were performed 1-2 days following the competition while in the horses of the rest group, following 4 weeks of rest. The serum gastrin levels were measured at two different times: pre-feeding and two hours after feeding the horses (postprandial) by ELISA kit. Gastric lesion score data were compared by the Mann-Whitney U test (α= 0.05) and the mean gastrin values were compared between the groups and between the two moments by the paired tet tests, respectively (α= 0, 05). Squamous gastric ulcers were detected in 42.5% of all jumping horses examined independent of the period, competition season or interseason. Serum gastrin levels were significantly higher in the Training Group with no difference between pre-feeding and postprandial values. RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a ocorrência de EGUS e quantificar os níveis séricos de gastrina em cavalos de hipismo durante a época de competições e o período de férias. Quarenta cavalos de hipismo de alta performance foram aleatoriamente distribuídos em dois grupos, grupo treinamento: vinte cavalos de hipismo submetidos a treinamento intenso e participando de competições, e grupo descanso: vinte cavalos de hipismo em férias (período de descanso). As avaliações gastroscópicas e as coletas de sangue dos cavalos em treinamento foram realizadas um ou dois dias após as competições, enquanto nos cavalos do grupo descanso foram realizadas após quatro semanas de repouso. Os níveis séricos de gastrina foram mensurados por kit de ELISA, em dois momentos: antes da alimentação e duas horas após. Os dados de escore das lesões gástricas foram comparados pela prova U de Mann-Whitney (α= 0,05) e os valores médios de gastrina foram comparados entre os grupos e entre os dois momentos pelos testes t e t pareado, respectivamente (α= 0,05). Foram encontradas úlceras gástricas em 42,5% de todos os cavalos examinados, independentemente do período de competições ou repouso. Os níveis séricos de gastrina foram significativamente maiores no grupo treinamento, sem diferença entre os períodos pré e pós-alimentação.

Aim of the study: The aim of the present randomized clinical study was to evaluate the effect of OneShape and Protaper Next rotary system on the removal of endotoxins from teeth with asymptomatic necrotic pulp.Materials and Methods: Thirty patients were randomly allocated into two groups (n=15) according to the type of rotary system used in mechanical preparation; either Group OS (OneShape) or Group PN (Protaper Next). Samples were taken before and after mechanical preparation and quantification of endotoxins was done using Human Elisa kit. Statistical analyses were performed using Mann-Whitney U test to compare between the two groups then Wilcoxon signed- rank test was used to study the changes after treatment within each group. The significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05.Results: Group OS, showed a statistically significant reduction in endotoxins levels after treatment (P-value < 0.001, Effect size = 0.880). In Group PN, there was a statistically significant reduction in endotoxins levels after treatment (P-value

Objectives: The early identification of patients who are being treated for low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (LRGTN) with single-agent chemotherapy, who are at high risk of developing chemoresistance, is of crucial importance. The aim of our research was to evaluate the pretreatment beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (βhCG) concentration and its decrease after the administration of the first course of methotrexate (MTX) in predicting later chemo-resistance to single-agent chemotherapy. Material and methods: A total of 46 patients diagnosed with LRGTN treated with a 5-day methotrexate (MTX) regimen were retrospectively studied. 24 of the patients were successfully cured with only MTX therapy (MTX group). The disease was considered resistant in the remaining 22 patients who, after MTX therapy, required further chemotherapy with an EMA/CO regimen (EMA/CO group). To compare changes in the βhCG concentrations between the two courses of treatment (and the two groups), we calculated the percentage of decline. We determined the specificity and sensitivity of the initial βhCG level and its percentage decline, as a potential predictor of the need for a future EMA/CO regimen. For diagnostic purposes, βhCG levels were measured before the first and second administrations of MTX with a commercial ELISA kit. Results: In the EMA/CO group, we found the initial βhCG level before the first MTX dose was higher (median = 6275 mIU/mL, range: 21.53–192.610.0 mIU/mL) than in the MTX group (median = 532 mIU/mL, range: 56.5 mIU/mL–360.397.0 mIU/mL) (p = 0.034, Mann-Whitney test). The percentage decreases in the βhCG values relative to the initial concentrations were higher in the MTX group (median decrease = 82.7%, range: from 13.3% to 99.9%) than in the EMA/CO group (median de- crease = 71.1%, range: from an increase of 56.1% to a decrease of 97.1%) (p = 0.0079, Mann-Whitney test). An analysis of the ROC curves implied optimal cutoff values for the initial βHCG (6054 IU, sensitivity = 55%, specificity = 86%) and the percentage change in βhCG levels (decrease by 76.5%, sensitivity = 72%, specificity = 71%). Conclusions: Women with initially higher βhCG levels have a greater risk of developing MTX chemo resistance. It would be advantageous to consider administering an EMA/CO regimen in women with LRGTN when their initial βhCG levels are greater than 6000.