A Polyclonal Antibody to NKX3.1 Identifies Fungal Organisms From the Esophagus.

NKX3.1 is a transcription factor used to identify prostatic adenocarcinomas. We describe novel functionality for NKX3.1 compared with Grocott and periodic acid-Schiff-diastase (PASD) on esophageal biopsies. We identified esophageal biopsies on the basis of the search term "candida" from March 28, 2012 to December 27, 2013. Of 85 cases for which 3 stains were available and at least 1 stain was positive for fungus consistent with Candida, 83 cases stained as positive with NKX3.1, compared with 79 with PASD and 75 with Grocott. NKX3.1 was significantly superior to Grocott but not to PASD (P<0.05). NKX3.1 was significantly more efficacious in leading to a positive diagnosis of esophageal candidiasis compared with Grocott, resulting in a significantly higher number of positive fragments per slide as well as the number of organisms per fragment, but not PASD. NKX3.1 will be useful to add to the stain armamentarium for Candida and possibly other fungal organisms.

Risk of bacterial exposure to the endoscopist's face during endoscopy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Nonuniversal use of facial protection during endoscopy may place endoscopists at risk of exposure to blood and body fluids; however, the frequency of exposure is unknown. METHODS: A prospective 6-month study of 4 gastroenterologists using a face shield during endoscopy was undertaken. The face shield was swabbed in a standardized fashion before and at the end of the session. Controls included pre- and post-swabs of face shields placed on the (1) endoscopy suite wall, (2) remote patient intake bay wall, and (3) after deliberate contamination with a colonoscope immediately after colonoscopy. The swabs were cultured for 48 hours, and growth was reported as no growth or by number of colony-forming units (CFUs). The groups were compared for +CFU rate and CFU number. RESULTS: A total of 1100 procedures were performed in 239 endoscopy sessions. The +CFU rate in the pre-endoscopy groups (2%-4.8%, not significant) was significantly lower than the postendoscopist face shield (45.8%, P < .001) and endoscopy suite wall groups (21.4%, P < .001), respectively. Using a cut-off of >15 CFUs as an indicator of definite exposure, the occurrence rate was 5.6 per 100 half days of endoscopy to the endoscopist's face and 3.4 per 100 half days of endoscopy 6 feet away. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to quantify the rate of unrecognized exposure to the endoscopist's face to potentially infectious biologic samples during endoscopy (5.6/100 days of endoscopy). This exposure may result in transmission of infectious diseases. As such, we recommend the use of universal facial protection during GI endoscopy.

Comparison of the diagnostic utility of digital pathology systems for telemicrobiology.

INTRODUCTION: Telemicrobiology is a growing component of clinical microbiology informatics. However, few studies have been performed to assess the diagnostic utility of telemicroscopy systems in evaluating infectious agents. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate multiple contemporary digital pathology platforms for use in diagnostic telemicrobiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A mix of thirty cases that included viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitological findings were evaluated by four experts using ×40 whole slide imaging (WSI) scans, ×83 oil-immersion WSI scans, ×100 oil-immersion WSI scans, digital photomicrographs, and glass slides. RESULTS: The ×83 WSI, ×100 WSI, and photomicrograph interpretations were not significantly different in quality and accuracy when compared to glass slide interpretations. The ×40 WSI interpretations were of lower quality and were more likely to be incorrect when compared to glass slide interpretations. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, high magnification, oil-immersion digital pathology platforms are better suited to support telemicrobiology applications and yield interpretations on par with glass slide evaluations.

Comparison of SmartCycler real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay in a public health laboratory with direct immunofluorescence and cell culture assays in a medical center for detection of influenza A virus.

A single-tube real-time (fluorogenic) reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with the SmartCycler instrument (SmartCycler RT-PCR) for influenza A virus detection was evaluated with 238 respiratory specimens. Direct immunofluorescence antibody staining (DFA) and primary rhesus monkey kidney cell culture were performed on-site at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Specimens were transported to the Connecticut Department of Public Health Laboratory for real-time RT-PCR. Cell culture detected influenza A virus in all 150 influenza A virus-positive specimens, DFA detected the virus in 148 influenza A virus-positive specimens, and SmartCycler RT-PCR detected the virus 143 influenza A virus-positive specimens. The sensitivity and specificity of RT-PCR were 95.3 and 100%, respectively. The high sensitivity and specificity and the rapid turnaround time made the SmartCycler RT-PCR valuable for the rapid diagnosis of influenza A, especially in a public health laboratory. The closed real-time RT-PCR system avoided cross-contamination possible with RT-PCR and the excessive manipulations required for conventional RT-PCR analysis and saved time and labor as well. In a medical center, rapid diagnosis by DFA was labor intensive but was 98.7% sensitive and 100% specific compared to the results of culture and provided results within 2 h throughout operating hours, helping with bed allocation on admission and patient management.