Journal of immunoassay & immunochemistry最新文献

Newcastle Disease (ND) is a major constraint to poultry production in sub-Saharan Africa. However, information on Newcastle disease in guinea fowls is scant in Ghana. This study seeks to detect circulating antibodies against ND and the risk factors for occurrence in guinea fowls in the Upper East region of Ghana. Sera was obtained from guinea fowls from households, live bird markets, and slaughter points in different locations in the Upper East region. The sera were evaluated for antibodies against Newcastle disease using the Haemagglutination Inhibition (HI) test. Questionnaire was administered to the farmers to assess risk factors such as vaccination status, management system, and contact with wild birds. Almost half, 213/431 (49.4%, 95% CI = 44.6-54.2) of the guinea fowls were seropositive. The seroprevalence was 46.2% in live bird markets, 36.63% in households, and 52.7% at slaughter points. A seroprevalence of 49.7% was observed in adults and 45.7% growers. There was a 53.4% prevalence in males and 43.9% in females. Antibodies to ND were found circulating in guinea fowls in the Upper East region. We recommend that guinea fowls be made an important component element in the ND surveillance for an effective monitoring and control in the region.

Objective: C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) is significantly associated with the development of various malignant tumors. This meta-analysis aims to investigate the expression of CXCR4 in the immunohistochemistry of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms (GI-NENs).

Methods: A comprehensive literature search regarding gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms and CXCR4 was conducted using PubMed,Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, with a cut off date of June 30, 2024.Two researchers independently screened the literature according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and assessed study quality using the Newcastle-OttawaScale. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata version 17.0. The pooled positive rate was employed to evaluate the expression of CXCR4 in the immunohistochemistry of GI-NENs.

Results: A total of eight studies involving 501 patients were included in this research. The immunohistochemical analysis revealed positive CXCR4 expression in 174 patients. The meta-analysis calculated and summarized the combined positive rate (R: 0.41; 95% CI = 0.21-0.60, p = 0.00), indicating that the differences were statistically significant.

Conclusion: CXCR4 is highly expressed in the immunohistochemistry of GI-NENs, which may provide some evidence for the therapeutic application of CXCR4 antagonists in treating neuroendocrine neoplasms.

Background: Oral mucositis is considered as one of the most prevalent complications of chemotherapy or radiation therapy in cancerous tumors, which can interrupt the patient's treatment and nutrition. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ginger-honey mouthwash on the prevention of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients suffering from various cancers.

Materials and methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, 70 patients receiving chemotherapy were divided into case and control groups. The former group (n = 34) received natural honey-ginger mouthwash and the latter (n = 36) used normal saline for 14 days. The presence and severity of oral mucositis, pain intensity, and other related characteristics were evaluated based on a two-part questionnaire (demographic and clinical information) and a checklist prepared from the protocols of the World Health Organization in each group.

Results: During a 14-day intervention, patients received a 7-day intervention with ginger-honey mouthwash revealed a significant reduction in the mean severity of oral mucositis compared to the control group (p = 0.03). However, a 14-day intervention with ginger-honey mouthwash indicated no significant impact on the mean severity of oral mucositis (p = 0.6). In addition, no significant difference was observed in pain intensity between case and control groups during these 14 days.

Conclusions: This study suggests that a seven-day intervention with ginger-honey mouthwash has a beneficial effect on reducing the severity of mucositis in patients under chemotherapy, unlike a 14-day intervention. The honey-ginger mouthwash fails to have a significant effect on the pain intensity due to mucositis in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Immunoassays are complementary diagnostic tools in human cystic echinococcosis (CE) despite sensitivity/specificity limitations, and synthetic peptides have been suggested to potentially overcome disadvantages reported for traditional antigens. Herein, a systematic study comparing the immunodiagnostic performance of AgB1 versus synthetic peptides derived from its sequence was carried out. Thus, a eukaryotic-expressed recombinant AgB1 was assessed, together with a reported synthetic peptide (p176, N-terminal portion of AgB1) and two new peptides within p176 (namely pB1a and pB1b) corresponding to predicted linear B-cell epitopes. Immunodiagnostic performances were evaluated by ELISA using a large collection of human sera from CE patients, healthy donors, and individuals with other parasitoses; assessing the sensitivity, specificity, indeterminacy, cross-reactivity, and diagnostic efficiency of the assay according to each antigen. Results suggest that peptides retaining most of the original protein sequence and 3D-structure display better overall diagnostic efficiencies (IgG_t values for rAgB1, p176, pB1a, and pB1b were 66.1%, 60.4%, 54.7%, and 49.0%, respectively), with a small N-terminal portion of AgB1 being immunodominant. Additionally, detection of specific IgG₄ antibodies significantly reduced cross-reactivity, while improving sensitivity (IgG_t-IgG₄ values for rAgB1, p176, and pB1a were 37.5%-42.7%, 24.0%-29.2%, and 11.5%-24.0%, respectively). Valuable information was obtained for rationally design novel peptide-based assays for CE immunodiagnosis.

Background: IL2 is one of the key cytokines essential for regulating the immune system and the inflammation-related carcinogenesis process. Few studies have examined the relationship between lung cancer and the IL2-330 (rs2069762) gene polymorphism, despite several studies demonstrating that it is linked to numerous cancer types.

Objective: Our study aimed to investigate the association between IL2-330 (rs2069762) polymorphism and lung cancer risk and explore the role of IL2-330 polymorphism in survival outcomes (OS and PFS).

Patients and methods: The study was conducted from October 2023 to November 2024, including 50 randomly selected patients diagnosed with lung cancer and 50 subjects matched for age and gender were used as controls in this case-control study. The IL2-330 (rs2069762) gene polymorphism was assessed using real-time PCR.

Results: We found that the AC genotype was associated with a notably lower risk of lung cancer in comparison to the AA genotype (95% CI: 0.06-0.61, p = 0.01). Conversely, the CC genotype showed no significant association with lung cancer risk when compared to the reference genotype. The comprehensive comparison of survival distributions among the AA, AC, and CC genotypes through the Log-Rank (Mantel-Cox) test indicated no statistically significant difference.

Conclusions: According to our research, The AC genotype of IL2-330 (rs2069762) is associated with a significantly higher survival rate and lower risk of lung cancer. Further future studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for over 90% of all oral malignancies and has a 50-60% five-year survival rate, despite advances in treatment. Ki67, a nuclear protein involved in cellular proliferation, has been studied as a prognostic marker in various malignancies, including OSCC. However, its link with different histological grades of OSCC is uncertain. The study aimed to evaluate Ki-67 expression in well-differentiated (WDOSCC), moderately differentiated (MDOSCC), and poorly differentiated (PDOSCC) tumors to ascertain its correlation with tumor differentiation and aggressiveness. Forty OSCC cases were classified using Broder's histological grading system. Ki67 immunohistochemical staining was performed, and three groups were categorized based on Ki67 expression: low (1-25%), moderate (26-50%), and high ( > 50%) proliferation. Statistical analysis assessed the significance of Ki67 expression across OSCC grades. Among 40 cases, 35% were WDOSCC, 45% MDOSCC, and 20% PDOSCC. Low Ki67 proliferation was seen in 64% of WDOSCC, moderate in 61% of MDOSCC, and high in 75% of PDOSCC. There was a significant (p < 0.001) association between OSCC grading and Ki67 expression. Ki67 expression correlates with OSCC histological grades, increasing with tumor proliferation. These findings support Ki67 as a prognostic marker, warranting further large-scale validation studies.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) using the BRAF V600E antibody is a sensitive and specific method for detecting BRAF V600E mutations in colorectal cancer (CRC). Given that BRAF and KRAS mutations are mutually exclusive, this study aimed to assess the expression of BRAF V600E in CRC according to KRAS mutation status. Automated IHC analysis was performed on tissue samples from metastatic CRC patients diagnosed between 2012 and 2022 using the anti-BRAF V600E antibody (GenomeME, IHC600). Positive and negative control tissues were used for validation. Cytoplasmic staining was considered positive, with intensity classified as weak, moderate, or strong. The percentage of positive tumor cells was recorded semi-quantitatively. Thirty-five cases were included.The mean age of patients was 60 years (±12.41), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.9. KRAS mutations were present in 48% of cases. BRAF V600E cytoplasmic staining was observed in 37.1%, with a mean percentage of positive cells of 50% (range: 5%-100%). Diffuse and focal staining were found in 7/13 and 6/13 cases, respectively. Significant associations were observed with mucinous carcinoma subtype, invasion patterns, and lymph node metastasis. All KRAS-mutated cases showed negative BRAF staining. Complete absence of BRAF V600E IHC staining in CRC is strongly associated with KRAS mutation, suggesting IHC as an efficient tool to predict KRAS mutational status.

Background: Diagnosis is an important factor in controlling disease. Single-chain fragment variables (scFvs) can be used for diagnosis; however, due to their immobilization issues, their application has been limited. Herein, we isolated a SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid phosphoprotein (NP)-specific scFv and propose it as a diagnostic tool in the scFv-displaying phage format to overcome the immobilization issue.

Method: Spleen from NP-immunized BALB/c mice was isolated, total RNA was extracted, and cDNA was synthesized. An scFv library was constructed, using the splicing by overlap extension (SOE) PCR technique, which was cloned into the pCANTAB5E phagemid. The phage library was panned against the NP antigen, and the output phages with the highest binding capability were screened for the most qualified scFv, which was later assessed in terms of sensitivity and specificity.

Results: The scFv-displaying phage library was panned against the recombinant NP in three rounds and 40 randomly selected colonies from the third round's outputs were screened. Alongside several clones, clone #31 was chosen as the most qualified scFv, which later exhibited favorable sensitivity and specificity against NP in further ELISA-based experiments.

Conclusions: Clone #31 could be utilized to develop diagnostic tools and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a major global health concern with significant morbidity and mortality, characterized by heterogeneity influenced by inflammation, oxidative stress, and autoimmunity. This study investigated the role of autoimmunity in stable and exacerbated COPD phenotypes using proteomic and immunological analyses to elucidate molecular mechanisms and identify potential biomarkers. Plasma samples from COPD phenotypes and healthy controls were analyzed using label-free mass spectrometry to identify differentially expressed proteins. Functional annotation and pathway enrichment analysis highlighted proteins linked to autoimmunity, while immunological assays assessed anti-nuclear antibody prevalence and intensity using ANA ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence. The study identified differentially expressed proteins, namely, DNA repair protein XRCC2, phosphatidyl inositol glycan-specific phospholipase D, E3 ubiquitin protein ligase SHPRH, and Protocadherin-β, implicated in autoimmune pathways. Pathway enrichment analysis of these proteins highlighted the uPAR-mediated signaling, mTOR, PI3K/Akt, ARF6, and S1P signaling pathways, known for their roles in autoimmunity. Immunological assays revealed ANA positivity in 47% of stable COPD and 36% of exacerbated COPD, among which, 80% exhibited a speckled fluorescence pattern, often associated with anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibodies. The findings highlight the potential role of autoimmunity in COPD pathogenesis, suggesting phenotype-specific immune dysregulation, providing a basis for future biomarker and therapeutic research.

Serum-free light-chain assays are important in the diagnosis and in monitoring therapeutic responses of plasma cell disorders and are complementary to serum protein electrophoresis. The serum-free light-chain assay detects the light-chain portion of immunoglobulin in its free form with high sensitivity. In combination with serum protein electrophoresis and serum immunofixation electrophoresis, the free light-chain assay serves an important role in predicting disease progression in monoclonal gammopathy. Here, we compare the performance of a cartridge-based system Mispa i3 using Diazyme reagent in comparison to Roche Cobas using Freelite reagent. Both of these reagents use polyclonal antibodies for the detection of serum-free light chains. Mispa i3 is a cartridge-based protein analyzer and has a unique channel shifting technology with both turbidimetric and nephelometric principles for immuno assays. Samples of 196 patients were included in this study, and very good agreement was observed between these two assays. Our data show that even though discrepancies were observed for high concentration samples, they are clinically correlated by the free light-chain ratios. We observed a very good concordance of 89% between these two assays for free light-chain ratios.