Utility of serum amyloid A as a potential prognostic biomarker of acute primary basal ganglia hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) can lead to inflammation. Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase protein, which might be implicated in acute brain injury. We ascertain relationship between serum SAA and inflammation, severity plus outcome after ICH. METHODS: In this prospective, observational study, serum SAA concentrations were quantified in 159 healthy volunteers and 159 acute primary basal ganglia hemorrhage patients admitted within 24 h after stroke symptom. Prognostic parameters included death and a poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale score > 2) at 90 days after stroke. RESULTS: Serum SAA concentrations were substantially higher in patients than in controls. Among patients, serum SAA concentrations were strongly correlated with serum C-reactive protein concentrations, hematoma volume and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores. Serum SAA appeared to be an independent predictor for 90-day death, overall survival and poor outcome. Under receiver operating characteristic curve, this protein exhibited similar prognostic capability, as compared to hematoma volume and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores. CONCLUSIONS: Rising serum SAA concentrations, in close correlation with inflammation and hemorrhagic severity, are independently related to mortality and poor outcome after ICH, indicating that serum SAA might serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for ICH.

Serum tenascin-C predicts severity and outcome of acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Tenascin-C is a matricellular protein related to brain injury. We studied serum tenascin-C in acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and examined the associations with severity and outcome following the acute event. METHODS: Tenascin-C samples were obtained from 162 patients with acute hemorrhagic stroke and 162 healthy controls. Poor 90-day functional outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score > 2. Early neurological deterioration (END) and hematoma growth (HG) were recorded at 24 h. RESULTS: Patients had higher tenascin-C levels than controls. Tenascin-C levels were positively correlated with hematoma volume or National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at baseline. Elevated tenascin-C levels were independently associated with END, HG, 90-day mortality and poor functional outcome. Moreover, tenascin-C levels significantly predicted END, HG and 90-day outcomes under receiver operating characteristic curves. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in serum tenascin-C level is associated with an adverse outcome in ICH patients, supporting the potential role of serum tenascin-C as a prognostic biomarker for hemorrhagic stroke.

Dynamic distribution and tissue tropism of infectious laryngotracheitis virus in experimentally infected chickens.

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT), caused by infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), is an Office International des Epizooties (OIE) notifiable disease. However, we have not clearly understood the dynamic distribution, tissue tropism, pathogenesis, and replication of ILTV in chickens. In this report, we investigated the dynamic distribution and tissue tropism of the virus in internal organs of experimentally infected chickens using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and a histopathological test. The study showed that ILTV could be clearly detected in eight internal organs (throat, trachea, lung, cecum, kidney, pancreas, thymus and esophagus) of infected chickens, whereas the virus was difficult to detect in heart, spleen, proventriculus, liver, brain and bursa. Meanwhile, the thymidine kinase (TK) gene levels in eight internal organs increased from 3 days to 5 days postinfection, and then decreased from 6 days to 8 days postinfection. The log copy number of ILTV progressively increased over 3 days, which corresponds to the clinical score and the result of the histopathological test. The results provide a foundation for further clarification of the pathogenic mechanism of ILTV in internal organs and indicate that throat, lung, trachea, cecum, kidney, pancreas and esophagus may be preferred sites of acute infection, suggesting that the tissue tropism and distribution of ILTV is very broad.

Rapid detection of infectious laryngotracheitis virus isolates by loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method to detect infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) from commercial broiler and layer flocks in southern China. A set of six specific primers was designed to recognize six distinct genomic sequences of thymidine kinase (TK) from ILTV. The entire assay duration was recorded at 40 min under isothermal condition at 63.5 degrees C. The amplified products were analyzed by electrophoresis and visual judgment by the SYBR Green I dyeing. LAMP assay was 10-fold more sensitive than the routine PCR assay, with a detection limit of 46 copies per reaction. In detecting ILTV, the LAMP assay detected all 5 strains previously isolated, did not cross-react with other avian pathogens, and obtained a 100% sensitivity in 43 positive clinical samples with reference to virus isolation. Therefore, the LAMP assay may be a good alternative method for specific diagnosis of ILTV infection in primary care facilities, and in less well-equipped laboratories.