Rapid detection of Panton-Valentine leukocidin in Staphylococcus aureus cultures by use of a lateral flow assay based on monoclonal antibodies.

Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a virulence factor of Staphylococcus aureus, which is associated with skin and soft-tissue infections and necrotizing pneumonia. To develop a rapid phenotypic assay, recombinant PVL F component was used to generate monoclonal antibodies by phage display. These antibodies were spotted on protein microarrays and screened using different lukF-PV preparations and detection antibodies. This led to the identification of the optimal antibody combination that was then used to establish a lateral flow assay. This test was used to detect PVL in S. aureus cultures. The detection limit of the assay with purified native and recombinant antigens was determined to be around 1 ng/ml. Overnight cultures from various solid and liquid media proved suitable for PVL detection. Six hundred strains and clinical isolates from patients from America, Europe, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East were tested. Isolates were genotyped in parallel by DNA microarray hybridization for confirmation of PVL status and assignment to clonal complexes. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the assay in this trial were 99.7, 98.3, 98.4, and 99.7%, respectively. A total of 302 clinical isolates and reference strains were PVL positive and were assigned to 21 different clonal complexes. In summary, the lateral flow test allows rapid and economical detection of PVL in a routine bacteriology laboratory. As the test utilizes cultures from standard media and does not require sophisticated equipment, it can be easily integrated into a laboratory's workflow and might contribute to timely therapy of PVL-associated infections.

Distribution of Clostridium difficile strains from a North American, European and Australian trial of treatment for C. difficile infections: 2005-2007.

Clostridium difficile is a widely distributed pathogen with multiple strain types as determined by restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) and by PCR ribotyping, two well-characterized typing systems. In this study, REA typing was performed on 894C. difficile isolates from patients enrolled from 16 countries on three continents in two large, recently conducted clinical treatment trials of C. difficile infection. REA group BI (Ribotype 027) isolates were the most common strains identified and were widely distributed throughout North America, but restricted to three of thirteen countries in Europe. REA group J (Ribotype 001) isolates were the most common strains identified in Europe and non-specific REA groups (historically less frequent) were the most common strains identified in Australia. REA groups BI, J, G and CF correlated with specific PCR ribotypes whereas more than one ribotype was found within REA groups Y, BK, and K. International surveillance of C. difficile strains is important to document the changing epidemiology of this enteric pathogen that continues to cause healthcare facility outbreaks and sporadic infections in other settings.

Comparative genomic hybridization detects secondary chromosomal deletions in Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 mutants and highlights instability in the flhDC region.

The use of whole-genome microarrays for monitoring mutagenized or otherwise engineered genetic derivatives is a potentially powerful tool for checking genomic integrity. Using comparative genomic hybridization of a number of unrelated, directed deletion mutants in Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655, we identified unintended secondary genomic deletions in the flhDC region in delta fnr, delta crp, and delta creB mutants. These deletions were confirmed by PCR and phenotypic tests. Our findings show that nonmotile progeny are found in some MG1655 directed deletion mutants, and studies on the effects of gene knockouts should be viewed with caution when the mutants have not been screened for the presence of secondary deletions or confirmed by other methods.