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Lack Specificity (lack + specificity)
Selected AbstractsOligonucleotide probes for specific detection of Giardia lamblia cysts by fluorescent in situ hybridizationJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2001M.R. Dorsch Aims:,Our study focused on the design of oligonucleotide probes and a suitable hybridization protocol that would allow rapid and specific identification of potentially viable cysts of the waterborne parasite Giardia lamblia. Methods and Results:,Comparative analysis of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences of Giardia lamblia and a number of closely and more distantly related species identified six regions that appear to be specific for the G. lamblia 16S rRNA. Fluorescently labelled probes targeting these regions were produced and employed in fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments. Two of the six probes tested successfully. Conclusions:,Our study provides the first reported probes for specific FISH detection of G. lamblia. The method depends on sufficient amounts of intact rRNA in the target organism, which is unlikely to be present in nonviable cysts that have been exposed to the environment for a prolonged period. Significance and Impact of the Study:,Currently, detection of G. lamblia cysts is largely based on immunofluorescence assays (IFA) targeting cyst wall surface antigens. These assays lack specificity and will detect species others than G. lamblia. Further, IFA will detect nonviable cysts and cyst wall fragments that do not pose a public health risk. In contrast, FISH probes allow specific detection and are likely to only detect viable, infectious cysts. [source] Management of laryngopharyngeal reflux: an unmet medical needNEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY, Issue 2 2010F. Zerbib However, these symptoms are difficult to characterize and the laryngoscopic signs lack specificity. Moreover, to date, the diagnosis of LPR can rely neither on esophageal investigations (endoscopy, pH/impedance monitoring) nor on response to high dose proton pump inhibitors because of a high placebo effect. Therefore, there is a need for the development of new tools which may help to better identify the subgroup of patients with laryngeal symptoms related to supra-esophageal reflux. [source] Ballooned neurones in the limbic lobe are associated with Alzheimer type pathology and lack diagnostic specificityNEUROPATHOLOGY & APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2004Y. Fujino Ballooned neurones (BNs) are one of the pathological hallmarks of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Pick's disease, corticobasal degeneration and argyrophilic grain disease (AGD). They have also been described in Alzheimer disease (AD), but the frequency of BNs in AD has not been systematically addressed. In the present study, immunohistochemistry for ,B-crystallin was used as a sensitive method to detect BNs to determine the frequency of BNs in the limbic lobe in AD. At least a few BNs were detected in the limbic lobe of virtually all AD cases, and their density correlated with Braak stage, as well as the density of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques in the limbic lobe. The density of BN tended to be greater in AD cases with concurrent AGD than in pure AD. Given the high prevalence of AD in brain banks for neurodegenerative disease and the frequent presence of BNs in these areas with ,B-crystallin immunohistochemistry, the present findings further indicate that BNs confined to the limbic lobe lack specificity in diagnostic neuropathology. [source] Prostate-specific antigen velocity (PSAV): a practical role for PSA?ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 10 2009Ruban Thanigasalam Abstract Background:, Prostate cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Australian men. Early detection and treatment are critical to patient outcome, but detection is often difficult because of the limited accuracy of available tests. This paper assesses whether the use of prostate specific antigen kinetics has a practical use in the contemporary urological setting. Methods:, A Medline literature review was performed examining related articles on the commonly available tests for prostate cancer, what they mean, their limited accuracy in cancer detection, and how this accuracy can be improved. Discussion:, Detection of significant organ-confined prostate cancer should be the goal of general practitioners and urologists alike. Prostate-specific antigen and digital rectal examination are commonly used but lack specificity and sensitivity, especially for small organ-confined cancers. The additional use of prostate-specific antigen velocity may enhance the specificity and sensitivity of detection. [source] The ratio of serum transferrin receptor and serum ferritin in the diagnosis of iron statusBRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Babatyi I. Malope Laboratory tests used in the diagnosis of iron status lack specificity in defining iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and anaemia of inflammation (AI). The serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) may provide more information in this regard. The iron status of 561 pre-school children was determined and classified using the conventional measurements. The value of the concentration of sTfR, the ratio of sTfR (µg/ml) to LogSF (µg/l) (TfR-Index), and the Log of the ratio of sTfR (µg/l) to SF (µg/l) , (LogTfR:Fer ratio), in the classification of the iron status were determined by comparing their distributions across the classification of iron status. Although there were significant differences in sTfR and TfR-Index across the categories of iron status, there was considerable overlap. All subjects with iron deficiency had LogTfR:Fer ratio >,2·55, whereas in all subjects classified as AI it was < 2·55, thus clearly separating the two. The LogTfR:Fer ratio was not able to exclude IDA in the presence of inflammation. However, in cases of combined IDA and AI the LogTfR:Fer ratio was <,2·55 but increased to >,2·55 after resolution of the inflammation. This novel method of calculating the LogTfR:Fer ratio may provide a more precise classification of the iron status of children. [source] Immunocytochemistry in liquid-based cervical cytology: Analysis of clinical use following a cross-sectional studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 5 2006Shaira Sahebali Abstract Cytological screening for cervical cancer is hampered by imperfect sensitivity and low inter-observer reproducibility. Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing lacks specificity as a primary screening method. Studies indicate that immunocytochemical detection of alterations caused by HPV in the host cells can optimise screening. Here, the potential of p16INK4a (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p16) and MIB-1 (Ki-67 proliferation marker) as adjunct molecular markers for cervical lesions was investigated in a prospective, cross-sectional study of 500 samples in the framework of opportunistic screening in Flanders, Belgium. A consecutive series of 200 samples and 100 samples from the cytological categories ASC, LSIL and HSIL were investigated. Surepath samples were interpreted according to the Bethesda 2001 reporting system. HPV testing was done with MY09/MY11 consensus PCR. Immunocytochemistry for p16INK4a and MIB-1 was performed with an automated staining protocol. The number of immunoreactive cells/1,000 cervical cells was assessed. There was a higher mean number of p16INK4A and MIB-1 immunoreactive cells/1,000 cells in HSIL (4.06 ± 1.93 and 11.13 ± 2.83, respectively) compared to other cytological categories. Both markers showed a large spread in counts, for all categories. In cases of HSIL without immunoreactive cells for either marker, low cellularity and long-term storage in water were often the cause of false negativity. This study confirms that positive staining for p16INK4a and MIB-1 is highly correlated with presence of high-grade lesions. These markers could be used as adjuncts to increase the sensitivity of cytological screening as well as the specificity of the HPV test. However, clear methodological standards are needed for optimal performance of immunocytochemistry in a clinical setting. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Black holes in multiple sclerosis: definition, evolution, and clinical correlationsACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2010M. A. Sahraian Sahraian MA, Radue E-W, Haller S, Kappos L. Black holes in multiple sclerosis: definition, evolution, and clinical correlations. Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 122: 1,8. © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a sensitive paraclinical test for diagnosis and assessment of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) and is often used to evaluate therapeutic efficacy. The formation of new T2-hyperintense MRI lesions is commonly used to measure disease activity, but lacks specificity because edema, inflammation, gliosis, and axonal loss all contribute to T2 lesion formation. As the role of neurodegeneration in the pathophysiology of MS has become more prominent, the formation and evolution of chronic or persistent Tl-hypointense lesions (black holes) have been used as markers of axonal loss and neuronal destruction to measure disease activity. Despite the use of various detection methods, including advanced imaging techniques such as magnetization transfer imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, correlation of persistent black holes with clinical outcomes in patients with MS remains uncertain. Furthermore, although axonal loss and neuronal tissue destruction are known to contribute to irreversible disability in patients with MS, there are limited data on the effect of therapy on longitudinal change in Tl-hypointense lesion volume. Measurement of black holes in clinical studies may elucidate the underlying pathophysiology of MS and may be an additional method of evaluating therapeutic efficacy. [source] | ||||||||||