Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Complement fixation antibody test for human nocardiosis.

J Z Shainhouse, A C Pier, D A Stevens

    Journal of Clinical Microbiology
    |November 1, 1978
    PubMed
    Summary

    A new diagnostic test for nocardiosis detected complement-fixing antibodies in 81% of patients. This improved sensitivity is crucial for diagnosing Nocardia infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Prominent animal mycoses from various regions of the world.

    Medical mycology·2001
    Same author

    Characterization of an anticryptococcal protein isolated from human serum.

    Infection and immunity·2000
    Same author

    Practice guideline for the treatment of coccidioidomycosis. Infectious Diseases Society of America.

    Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·2000
    Same author

    Practice guidelines for diseases caused by Aspergillus. Infectious Diseases Society of America.

    Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·2000
    Same author

    Initial case of Candida dubliniensis infection from Asia: non-mucosal infection.

    Medical mycology·2000
    Same author

    Cryptococcal meningitis in the immunocompromised host: intracranial hypertension and other complications.

    Mycopathologia·2000

    Area of Science:

    • Medical Microbiology
    • Immunology
    • Infectious Diseases

    Background:

    • Nocardia species cause infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.
    • Accurate serodiagnostic methods for nocardiosis are limited, with previous tests showing low sensitivity (~50%).
    • Nocardia asteroides shares antigens with mycobacteria, potentially causing cross-reactivity.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To develop and evaluate a novel serodiagnostic assay for Nocardia infections.
    • To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the new assay, particularly in immunocompromised patients.

    Main Methods:

    • Detection of complement-fixing antibodies using an antigen derived from Nocardia asteroides.
    • Testing patient sera against the N. asteroides antigen.
    • Comparison of results with clinical diagnosis, culture, and other serological methods.

    Main Results:

    • The assay detected complement-fixing antibodies in 13 of 16 patients with confirmed Nocardia infection (81% sensitivity).
    • High sensitivity was observed in immunocompromised patients (9 of 11 positive).
    • False positive reactions occurred in patients with leprosy and tuberculosis due to shared antigens, but tuberculosis cross-reactivity was deemed a diagnostic issue.

    Conclusions:

    • The developed serodiagnostic method demonstrates significantly improved sensitivity for detecting Nocardia infections compared to previous methods.
    • The assay shows promise for diagnosing nocardiosis, even in immunocompromised hosts.
    • Further refinement may be needed to address cross-reactivity with tuberculosis.

    Related Experiment Videos