疾病及处理

Viral DNA detection in dried blood spotted on filter paper, dried blood spots (DBS), is valuable in the diagnosis of viral infections, with at the moment congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) being the most common application. CMV detection in clinical samples taken within the first 2–3 weeks after ...

The identification of Chlamydia trachomatis genotypes is important for both molecular epidemiology and infection control such as contact tracing and identification of high-risk groups. Currently, at least 19 human serovars have been recognized by using polyclonal and monoclo ...

In healthy women, the vaginal ecosystem is dominated by Lactobacillus spp., but a diverse array of other bacteria can be present in lower amounts. The activity of lactobacilli is essential to protect women from genital infections and to maintain the natural healthy balance of the vaginal micro ...

More than 100 human papillomavirus (HPV) types have been identified, and over 40 of them infect the anogenital epithelium. Because each HPV type is associated with different risks for the development of cervical cancer, detecting and genotyping HPVs has increasingly become an integral pa ...

Urogenital tract infections can be caused by a number of pathogens, some of which, like the obligate intracellular Chlamydia trachomatis, are difficult to culture, or the cell wall-less mollicutes, like M. hominis or Ureaplasma spp. Real-time PCR (qPCR) has become an important diagnostic to ...

Etiologic agents of genital ulcer disease include herpes simplex 1 and 2, Treponema pallidum pallidum, Haemophilus ducreyi, and Klebsiella granulomatis. The advent of PCR has allowed for more rapid and sensitive detection of microbial pathogens. In this protocol, we describe the simul ...

This chapter describes a real-time PCR method for the detection of HIV-1 proviral DNA in whole blood samples using a novel double-stranded primer system. The assay utilizes a simple commercially available DNA extraction method and a rapid and easy-to-perform real-time PCR protocol to cons ...

Quantitative measurements of serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA are useful for tailoring of treatment schedules and the monitoring of HBV replication during therapy. We developed a novel fluorescence-based quantitative real-time PCR for quantitating HBV DNA based on the duplex mutat ...

Real-time PCR has engendered wide acceptance for quantitation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the blood due to its improved rapidity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and reduced contamination. Here we describe a cost-effective and highly sensitive HBV real-time quantitative assay b ...

DNA sensors that are capable of detecting specific DNA sequences in a bio-sample have recently been highlighted as a powerful and sensitive approach to detect infectious diseases caused by pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. Generally, DNA samples extracted from biological fluids ...

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks are routinely used for histopathological examination and are also useful for specific pathogen detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). FFPE tissue is stable at ambient temperature for an extended period of time and rel ...

We review here different state-of-the-art molecular methods currently used in the diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections.

Testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in children presents a number of problems for the practitioner that are not usually faced when testing adults for the same infections. The identification of an STI in a child, in addition to medical implications, can have serious legal impli ...

Gonorrhoea is no longer an easily treatable ailment but rather is now a challenging disease in terms of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with treatment options rapidly diminishing. The causative agent of gonorrhoea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, has managed to develop resistance to almost e ...

Gonorrhea is a continuing problem worldwide particularly in terms of the spread of multiple drug resistance. We have successfully developed an efficient PCR method for the simultaneous identification of gonococci and detection of the antimicrobial-resistant profile. By this me ...

The ability to introduce genetic constructs of choice into the genome of Anopheles mosquitoes provides a valuable tool to study the molecular interactions between the Plasmodium parasite and its insect host. In the long term, this technology could potentially offer new ways to control vec ...

Here we describe a series of methods that can be used to assess the activities of “vaccines,” drugs, and genetically modified vectors, for their abilities to inhibit transmission of Plasmodium from its vertebrate to its mosquito hosts. The selection of method to be used is determined by the purpose ...

Sterile immunity against malaria has been obtained in mammalian hosts exclusively through vaccination with whole parasite preparations. Induction of complete protection against challenge was obtained using sporozoites attenuated by irradiation or genetic manipulat ...

The attenuation of Plasmodium parasites by either radiation or targeted gene deletion can result in viable sporozoites that invade the liver and subsequently arrest. The death of the growth-arrested liver stage parasite and the ensuing recognition by the immune system of parasite anti ...

An effective malaria vaccine remains an important priority for the millions of people living in malaria endemic regions. Subambitious goals for the development of a vaccine have been set, which aim to achieve a licensed first-generation P. falciparum malaria vaccine with more than 50% prot ...