The rhizobacterial strain, Pseudomonas putida AKMP7, causes conditional pathogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana via negative regulation of salicylic acid signaling, under water stress.

We have previously reported a phenomenon of "conditional pathogenesis", in which, a drought-tolerant rhizobacterium, Pseudomonas putida AKMP7, promotes plant growth under well-watered conditions, while, deteriorating plant health under water-stressed conditions, in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. To understand the molecular mechanisms behind this phenomenon, we studied the modulation of salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis as well as SA-responsive gene expression, involved in systemic acquired resistance (SAR), in A. thaliana, by AKMP7, under well-watered and water-stressed conditions. We found that, the plant SA levels were upregulated by AKMP7, both under, well-watered as well as water-stressed conditions. However, the SA signaling gene, Non-expressor of Pathogenesis Related gene 1 (NPR1) and Pathogenesis Related gene 1 (PR1) were upregulated under well-watered conditions and suppressed under water-stress, in AKMP7 inoculated seedlings. To understand the reason for this, we studied the expression of NPR4, a negative regulator of NPR1, and, NPR3, a negative regulator of PR1. We observed that, AKMP7 suppresses NPR1 and, consequently, PR1 genes, by upregulating NPR4 under water stress. To understand the potential role of NPR4 in conditional-pathogenesis, we performed physiological studies with NPR4 knockout mutants of A. thaliana and found that the NPR4 mutants did not exhibit any signs of the characteristic growth retardation caused by AKMP7 inoculation, under water stress. Preliminary studies with the model pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae, indicate that AKMP7 may lead to enhanced disease suppression under well-watered conditions, but not under water-stress. Taken together, our data suggest that, AKMP7 causes conditional pathogenesis by an overall compromise in plant immune response under water-stress.

Native bio-control agents from the rice fields of Telangana, India: characterization and unveiling the potential against stem rot and false smut diseases of rice.

The stem rot caused by Sclerotium hydrophilum and false smut caused by Ustilaginoidea virens are two of the major production constraints in rice cultivation in India and other countries. Stem rot and false smut can be effectively controlled with synthetic fungicides. However, the indiscriminate use of chemical fungicides may cause development of resistance among the pathogens. In addition to this, synthetic fungicides also exhibit harmful impacts on the environment. Exploiting microbe-based alternatives for managing plant diseases diminishes public concerns about the ill effects of pesticide usage in crops. In this regard, the present study was designed to investigate the potential of native microbial biocontrol agents (BCAs) from rice rhizosphere for the sustainable management of stem rot and false smut diseases in rice. Potential BCAs and pathogens were identified and characterized through morphological, biochemical, and sanger sequencing techniques. Bio-efficacy tests of potential BCAs against stem rot and false smut diseases on rice under glasshouse conditions indicated higher seed vigour index of the treated seeds, significant improvement in the growth of the seedling, increased dry weight, reduction in percentage disease index viz., 70.03% (stem rot) and 69.24% (false smut) over the control plants. Phytohormones indole acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid (GA), salicylic acid (SA), and zeatin (tZ) were detected and quantified in the four potential BCAs using liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed the endophytic nature of the strains in rice. The study indicated a positive correlation between the diversity and concentration of phytohormones released by the bioagents and enhanced plant growth promotion and disease suppression in rice.

Facial expression recognition on partially occluded faces using component based ensemble stacked CNN.

Facial Expression Recognition (FER) is the basis for many applications including human-computer interaction and surveillance. While developing such applications, it is imperative to understand human emotions for better interaction with machines. Among many FER models developed so far, Ensemble Stacked Convolution Neural Networks (ES-CNN) showed an empirical impact in improving the performance of FER on static images. However, the existing ES-CNN based FER models trained with features extracted from the entire face, are unable to address the issues of ambient parameters such as pose, illumination, occlusions. To mitigate the problem of reduced performance of ES-CNN on partially occluded faces, a Component based ES-CNN (CES-CNN) is proposed. CES-CNN applies ES-CNN on action units of individual face components such as eyes, eyebrows, nose, cheek, mouth, and glabella as one subnet of the network. Max-Voting based ensemble classifier is used to ensemble the decisions of the subnets in order to obtain the optimized recognition accuracy. The proposed CES-CNN is validated by conducting experiments on benchmark datasets and the performance is compared with the state-of-the-art models. It is observed from the experimental results that the proposed model has a significant enhancement in the recognition accuracy compared to the existing models.

Probing into the unique relationship between a soil bacterium, Pseudomonas putida AKMP7 and Arabidopsis thaliana: A case of "conditional pathogenesis".

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are beneficial soil bacteria that colonise the rhizosphere and help plants in growth, development, and stress tolerance. While there is a significant body of research elucidating their benefits to plants, studies on the "abnormal" or "unexpected" behavior of these bacteria are almost non-existent. One such study from our laboratory has previously reported a unique situation in which a certain strain of drought and thermo-tolerant PGPR, namely, Pseudomonas putida AKMP7, becomes pathogenic towards Arabidopsis thaliana under drought conditions, but not under normal (well-watered) conditions. In this study, we have probed deeper into this phenomenon of "conditional pathogenesis". We found that, AKMP7 imparts an enhancement in plant growth under well-watered conditions, while, causing a deterioration in plant health under drought conditions. In an attempt to understand the underlying reasons for this phenomenon, we analysed the phytohormones released by Pseudomonas putida AKMP7 using LC-ESI-MS/MS technique. We identified that AKMP7 releases zeatin (a cytokinin), the auxin derivative -indole acetamide and amino acid-conjugates of auxin (indole-3-acetyl-L-alanine, indole-3-acetyl-L-phenylalanine and indole-3-acetyl-L-aspartate) in the growth medium. By treating the plants with commercially obtained forms of these phytohormones, individually or in combination with AKMP7, we identified that zeatin and auxin derivative indole acetamide can play a crucial role in the conditional pathogenesis exhibited by this bacterium on A. thaliana under drought conditions. Our work lays a foundation for further understanding the precise molecular mechanisms involved in this unique phenomenon of conditional/opportunistic pathogenesis.

Pelargonidin Modulates Keap1/Nrf2 Pathway Gene Expression and Ameliorates Citrinin-Induced Oxidative Stress in HepG2 Cells.

Pelargonidin chloride (PC) is one of the major anthocyanin found in berries, radish and other natural foods. Many natural chemopreventive compounds have been shown to be potent inducers of phase II detoxification genes and its up-regulation is important for oxidative stress related disorders. In the present study, we investigated the effect of PC in ameliorating citrinin (CTN) induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress. The cytotoxicity of CTN was evaluated by treating HepG2 (Human hepatocellular carcinoma) cells with CTN (0-150 µM) in a dose dependent manner for 24 h, and the IC50 was determined to be 96.16 µM. CTN increased lactate dehydrogenase leakage (59%), elevated reactive oxygen species (2.5-fold), depolarized mitochondrial membrane potential as confirmed by JC-1 monomers and arrested cell cycle at G2/M phase. Further, apoptotic and necrotic analysis revealed significant changes followed by DNA damage. To overcome these toxicological effects, PC was pretreated for 2 h followed by CTN exposure for 24 h. Pretreatment with PC resulted in significant increase in cell viability (84.5%), restored membrane integrity, reactive oxygen species level were maintained and cell cycle phases were normal. PC significantly up-regulated the activity of detoxification enzymes: heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), glutathione transferase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and quinone reductase. Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus was also observed by immunocytochemistry analysis. These data demonstrate the protective effect of PC against CTN-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells and up-regulated the activity of detoxification enzyme levels through Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Lineage shift of dengue virus in Eastern India: an increased implication for DHF/DSS.

Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease, has become a major public health problem with marked expansion in recent decades. Dengue has now become hyperendemic in India with co-circulation of all the four serotypes. Herein, we report an unprecedented outbreak which occurred during August to October 2011 in Odisha, eastern India. This is the first report of a large epidemic in Odisha. Detailed serological and molecular investigation was carried out to identify the aetiology. Almost half of the samples were found to be dengue antigen (NS1) positive. Further molecular assays revealed circulation of mixed dengue serotypes (DENV-2 and DENV-3). Cosmopolitan genotype of DENV-2 and -3 were identified as the aetiology by phylogenetic analysis. Interestingly, a new lineage of DENV-3 within cosmopolitan genotype was incriminated in this outbreak. The emergence of the unprecedented magnitude of the dengue outbreak with the involvement of a novel lineage of DENV in a newer state of India is a major cause for concern. There is an urgent need to monitor phylodynamics of dengue viruses in other endemic areas.

Application of real-time RT-PCR in vector surveillance and assessment of replication kinetics of an emerging novel ECSA genotype of Chikungunya virus in Aedes aegypti.

Chikungunya has emerged as one of the most important arboviral infection of global significance. Expansion of Chikungunya virus endemic areas can be ascribed to naive population, increasing vector population and adaptability of virus to new vector. In this study, a SYBR Green I based quantitative RT-PCR assay was developed. The assay was found to be 10-fold more sensitive than conventional RT-PCR and no cross reactivity was observed with related alphaviruses and flaviviruses. The detection efficiency of the assay was impervious to mosquitoes of different pool sizes. Vector surveillance has resulted in detection of CHIKV RNA in Aedes aegypti, confirming its vectorial potential for CHIKV in northern India. The assessment of the assay was further carried out by studying the competence of Indian Ae. aegypti for CHIKV, which revealed 100% infection rate and dissemination rate with 60% transmission rate. The replication kinetics of CHIKV in different anatomical sites of Ae. aegypti revealed highest titre at day 6 post infection in midgut and at day 10 post infection in saliva, legs and wings. The implementation of the assay in detecting lower viral load makes it a remarkable tool for surveillance of virus activity in mosquitoes.

Fermentation and downstream process for high yield production of Plasmodium falciparum recombinant HRP II protein and its application in diagnosis.

Malaria represents the world's greatest public health problem in terms of number of people affected, levels of morbidity and mortality in tropical and subtropical countries. Malaria parasites are members of the Apicomplexa, family of Plasmodiidae. Histidine-rich protein-II secreted by Plasmodium falciparum is known to be a compelling marker in malaria diagnosis and follow-up. In our present study, we have optimized the batch fermentation and downstream process for large scale production of recombinant P. falciparum HRP-II 62 kDa protein for diagnostic application. The culture broth was effectively induced with IPTG twice at different time intervals to sustain induction for a long period. Batch fermentation resulted in a wet weight of 61.34 g/L and dry cell biomass 12.81 g/L. With the improved downstream process, purified recombinant protein had a yield of 304.60 mg/L. The authenticity of the purified recombinant protein was confirmed via western blotting using indigenously developed HRP-II specific monoclonal antibodies and known positive human clinical sera samples. Further, the reactivity of recombinant HRP-II protein was validated using commercially available immuno chromatographic strips. Indirect ELISA using recombinant purified protein recognized the P. falciparum specific antibodies in suspected human sera samples. Our results clearly suggest that the recombinant HRP-II protein produced via batch fermentation has immense potential for routine diagnostic application.

Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor for Detection of Bacillus anthracis, the Causative Agent of Anthrax from Soil Samples Targeting Protective Antigen.

Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax is one of the most important biological warfare agents. In this study, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology was used for indirect detection of B. anthracis by detecting protective antigen (PA), a common toxin produced by all live B. anthracis bacteria. For development of biosensor, a monoclonal antibody raised against B. anthracis PA was immobilized on carboxymethyldextran modified gold chip and its interaction with PA was characterized in situ by SPR and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. By using kinetic evaluation software, KD (equilibrium constant) and Bmax (maximum binding capacity of analyte) were found to be 20 fM and 18.74, respectively. The change in Gibb's free energy (∆G = -78.04 kJ/mol) confirmed the spontaneous interaction between antigen and antibody. The assay could detect 12 fM purified PA. When anthrax spores spiked soil samples were enriched, PA produced in the sample containing even a single spore of B. anthracis could be detected by SPR. PA being produced only by the vegetative cells of B. anthracis, confirms indirectly the presence of B. anthracis in the samples. The proposed method can be a very useful tool for screening and confirmation of anthrax suspected environmental samples during a bio-warfare like situation.

Fed batch fermentation and purification strategy for high yield production of Brucella melitensis recombinant Omp 28 kDa protein and its application in disease diagnosis.

Brucellosis is a disease caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Brucella. It affects cattle, goat, sheep, dog and humans. The serodiagnosis of brucellosis involves detection of antibodies generated against the LPS or whole cell bacterial extracts, however these tests lack sensitivity and specificity. The present study was performed to optimize the culture condition for the production of recombinant Brucella melitensis outer membrane protein 28 kDa protein in E.coli via fed batch fermentation. Expression was induced with 1.5mM isopropyl ß thiogalactoside and the expressed recombinant protein was purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. After fed-batch fermentation the dry cell weight of 17.81 g/L and a purified protein yield of 210.10 mg/L was obtained. The purified Brucella melitensis recombinant Omp 28 kDa protein was analyzed through SDS- poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blotting. The obtained recombinant protein was evaluated for its diagnostic application through Indirect ELISA using brucellosis suspected human sera samples. Our results clearly indicate that recombinant Omp28 produced via fed batch fermentation has immense potential as a diagnostic reagent that could be employed in sero monitoring of brucellosis.

Optimization of Dengue-3 recombinant NS1 protein expression in E. coli and in vitro refolding for diagnostic applications.

Dengue non-structural protein (NS1) is known to be protective antigen and also has immense application for serodiagnosis. Several serodiagnostic assays available for dengue viral infection are dependent on tissue culture-grown viral proteins. This task is unsafe, laborious, more expensive that makes it unsuitable for routine large-scale production. Although bacterial expression is relatively simple and easy for recombinant protein expression, it is more challenging to make NS1 protein with native structural and immunological features using bacterial expression system. We have successfully developed a method leading to the purification and refolding of recombinant dengue virus type 3 (DENV3) NS1. The gene encoding NS1 was amplified and cloned in pET28a (+) vector. In order to increase the purity of the recombinant NS1, the transgene was engineered to carry 6× Histidine tags at both N and C-terminal ends. The recombinant construct (pETNS1) was transformed into E. coli Rosetta-gami cells and the expression conditions viz IPTG concentration, media type, temperature, and harvest time were optimized. The size of the expressed protein was found to be ~45 kDa and the authenticity of the expressed protein was confirmed using anti-His and anti-NS1 monoclonal antibodies. The NS1 protein was purified under denaturing conditions, to attain the native conformation, NS1 protein was in vitro refolded and dialyzed. The refolded NS1 protein was detected by commercial Immuno chromatographic strip and NS1 specific monoclonal antibodies. IgM antibody capture ELISA was performed using refolded recombinant NS1 protein which recognized the IgM antibodies in dengue-positive samples of acute phase of infection. Our result suggests that rNS1 protein has immense diagnostic potential and can be used in developing point of care diagnostic assays.

A simple Pichia pastoris fermentation and downstream processing strategy for making recombinant pandemic Swine Origin Influenza a virus Hemagglutinin protein.

The present Influenza vaccine manufacturing process has posed a clear impediment to initiation of rapid mass vaccination against spreading pandemic influenza. New vaccine strategies are therefore needed that can accelerate the vaccine production. Pichia offers several advantages for rapid and economical bulk production of recombinant proteins and, hence, can be attractive alternative for producing an effective influenza HA based subunit vaccine. The recombinant Pichia harboring the transgene was subjected to fed-batch fermentation at 10 L scale. A simple fermentation and downstream processing strategy is developed for high-yield secretory expression of the recombinant Hemagglutinin protein of pandemic Swine Origin Influenza A virus using Pichia pastoris via fed-batch fermentation. Expression and purification were optimized and the expressed recombinant Hemagglutinin protein was verified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blot and MALDI-TOF analysis. In this paper, we describe a fed-batch fermentation protocol for the secreted production of Swine Influenza A Hemagglutinin protein in the P. pastoris GS115 strain. We have shown that there is a clear relationship between product yield and specific growth rate. The fed-batch fermentation and downstream processing methods optimized in the present study have immense practical application for high-level production of the recombinant H1N1 HA protein in a cost effective way using P. pastoris.

A convenient first aid kit for chemical and biological agents and for radiation exposure.

The chemical and biological warfare agents are extremely toxic in nature. They act rapidly even in very small quantities and death may occur in minutes. Hence, physical and medical protection must be provided immediately to save life or avoid serious injury. A first aid kit has thus been developed for providing immediate relief from chemical and biological warfare agents (FAKCBW) with the objective of easy detection, personal decontamination, antidote for chemical warfare agents (like nerve agents, sulphur mustard, phosgene, cyanide, radiation exposure and bacterial agents), along with basic medication aid for pain, fever and inflammation. The kit box also includes a user friendly handbook with a simple standard operating procedure. In addition, the kit is rugged to withstand normal jerks, vibration and is water-proof.

Influence of copy number on the expression levels of pandemic influenza hemagglutinin recombinant protein in methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris.

The hemagglutinin (HA) gene of novel Swine Origin Influenza A/California/04/2009 (H1N1) was engineered for expression in Pichia pastoris as a soluble secreted protein. The full length HA-synthetic gene having α secretory tag under the control of AOX1 promoter was integrated into P. pastoris genome through homologous recombination. The resultant Pichia clones having single and multiple copy integrants of the expression cassettes were screened for the expression of full length HA protein in the culture supernatant. In order to completely exploit the expression potential of the P. pastoris expression system, a systematic investigation on the influence of gene copy number on the expression of the recombinant protein was made. A panel of Pichia clones carrying increasing copies of the heterologous gene was selected based on Geneticin resistance and SYBR green-based quantitative real-time PCR approach. Using these strategies, recombinant Pichia transformants carrying up to a maximum of four to six copies of the transgene were identified. After optimising the expression conditions for shaker flask culture, the resultant clones demonstrated that the increase in copy number results in a proportional elevation in the expression level of H1N1HA recombinant protein. Our findings clearly suggest that the gene dosage effect play a vital role in high level expression of the pandemic Influenza HA protein in yeast system.

In vitro anti-plasmodial activity of some traditionally used medicinal plants against Plasmodium falciparum.

The anti-plasmodial activity of different solvent extracts of Adhatoda vasica (root), Caesalpinia pulcherrima (leaf), Carica papaya (pulp), Erythroxylum monogynum (leaf), Lantana camara (whole plant), Ocimum sanctum (root) and Phyllanthus niruri (whole plant) were studied against Plasmodium falciparum. Of the 35 extracts tested, seven extracts showed good anti-plasmodial activity. Methanol extract of C. pulcherrima showed the lowest IC50 value (10.96 µg/mL) followed by methanol extract of A. vasica (IC(50)=11.1 µg/mL), chloroform extract of O. sanctum (IC(50)=11.47 µg/mL), methanol extract of E. monogynum (IC(50)=12.23 µg/mL), acetone extract of C. pulcherrima (IC(50)=12.49 µg/mL), methanol extract of O. sanctum and acetone extract of A. vasica (IC(50)=14.04 µg/mL). The results of the present study justify the use of these medicinal plants in traditional practice, and also, a further study on the isolation of anti-plasmodial molecules from their active crude extracts is in progress.

Development of a simple fed-batch process for the high-yield production of recombinant shiga toxin B-chain protein.

Shiga toxins are one of the very potent agents for causing dysentery, diarrhoea and haemolytic uremic syndrome with very low LD50. For better understanding of their biology, detection and neutralization, the components of toxins are needed to be expressed and purified in bulk amounts. However, following traditional expression procedures, this task is very tedious as the yield of the toxin is very low. In this manuscript, we have described the optimization of media for enhanced production of recombinant Shiga toxin B (rStx-B) chain protein in Escherichia coli. This protein is known to have neutralization ability against shiga toxins. Furthermore, fed-batch cultivation process in E. coli was also developed in the optimized medium. Expression was induced with 1 mM isopropyl-beta-thiogalactoside (IPTG). The purification of protein involved Ni-NTA affinity chromatography under native conditions followed by gel filtration chromatography. After fed-batch cultivation, the recombinant E. coli resulted in cell weight and purified protein of about 19.41 g/l (dry cell weight, 11.38 g/l) and 30 mg/l of culture, respectively. The purity of the recombinant StxB protein was checked by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. Reactivity of this protein was determined by Western blotting as well as indirect ELISA using specific antibodies. These results establish the application of this protein for diagnosis of shiga toxin infection or for neutralizing the toxicity.

Yeast expressed recombinant Hemagglutinin protein of novel H1N1 elicits neutralising antibodies in rabbits and mice.

Currently available vaccines for the pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 produced in chicken eggs have serious impediments viz limited availability, risk of allergic reactions and the possible selection of sub-populations differing from the naturally occurring virus, whereas the cell culture derived vaccines are time consuming and may not meet the demands of rapid global vaccination required to combat the present/future pandemic. Hemagglutinin (HA) based subunit vaccine for H1N1 requires the HA protein in glycosylated form, which is impossible with the commonly used bacterial expression platform. Additionally, bacterial derived protein requires extensive purification and refolding steps for vaccine applications. For these reasons an alternative heterologous system for rapid, easy and economical production of Hemagglutinin protein in its glycosylated form is required. The HA gene of novel H1N1 A/California/04/2009 was engineered for expression in Pichia pastoris as a soluble secreted protein. The full length HA- synthetic gene having α-secretory tag was integrated into P. pastoris genome through homologous recombination. The resultant Pichia clones having multiple copy integrants of the transgene expressed full length HA protein in the culture supernatant. The Recombinant yeast derived H1N1 HA protein elicited neutralising antibodies both in mice and rabbits. The sera from immunised animals also exhibited Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) activity. Considering the safety, reliability and also economic potential of Pichia expression platform, our preliminary data indicates the feasibility of using this system as an alternative for large-scale production of recombinant influenza HA protein in the face of influenza pandemic threat.

Effect of dehydrozingerone, a half analog of curcumin on dexamethasone-delayed wound healing in albino rats.

Oxidative stress is triggered by the wound which results in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby delaying normal wound repair. Therefore, it is important to reduce the level of ROS to improve healing. A known antioxidant, dehydrozingerone (DHZ) was synthesized and selected for the study. The authors aimed to investigate the wound healing action of topical (100 mg/wound) and systemic (100 mg/kg, p. o.). DHZ on different wound models in normal and dexamethasone (DEX)-suppressed healing. Topical DHZ showed a significant (P < 0.05) rise in tensile strength when compared to control in normal healing. Significant (P < 0.05) wound closure was observed from 3 to 9 days in DHZ oral and gel treated groups. There was a significant (P < 0.05) rise in hydroxyproline content with the DHZ treated groups when compared to control. Systemic DHZ exhibited a significant (P < 0.05) increase in lysyl oxidase (LO) levels of 3.73 ± 0.15 nmol of H(2)O(2) when compared to control. In DEX-suppressed healing, showed good pro-healing activity with respect to the parameters mentioned above. DHZ treatment exhibited a parabolic dose response of ROS inhibition with a plateau effect at 75 µM. There was a steady and constant increase in the % NO inhibition with increasing doses of DHZ. Oral DHZ is effective in accelerating the healing process in both normal and dexamethasone-suppressed wounds. Our study suggests that DHZ (half analog of curcumin) supplementation reduces the steroid-induced delay in wound healing.

Evaluation of a commercial Dengue NS1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for early diagnosis of dengue infection.

PURPOSE: Dengue is one of the most serious mosquito-borne viral infections affecting tropical and subtropical countries in the world. Since there is no immunoprophylactic or specific antiviral therapy available, timely and rapid diagnosis plays a vital role in patient management and implementation of control measures. This paper evaluates a commercially available NS1 antigen capture ELISA vis-a-vis SD bioline Dengue NS1 antigen test for early detection of dengue virus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To evaluate a commercial NS1 antigen detection kit vis-a-vis SD bioline Dengue NS1 antigen test, a total of 91 clinical samples were tested. Virological investigations with regard to dengue virus, viz. NS1 antigen capture ELISA (Panbio, Australia), SD bioline Dengue NS1 antigen test, RT-PCR and virus isolation were performed. RESULTS: Out of 91 samples, 24 (26%) were positive by NS1 antigen capture ELISA, 15 (16%) by SD bioline Dengue NS1 antigen test and 11(12%) positive by RT-PCR analysis. The RT-PCR-positive samples were further subjected to virus isolation and resulted in three isolates. The results of the Panbio NS1 antigen capture ELISA, SD bioline Dengue NS1 antigen test, RT-PCR and virus isolation were correlated among themselves. CONCLUSIONS: The present study comprehensively established the utility of NS1 antigen ELISA in early diagnosis of dengue infection.

Highly sensitive amperometric immunosensor for detection of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 in serum of humans with malaria: comparison with a commercial kit.

A disposable amperometric immunosensor was developed for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP-2) in the sera of humans with P. falciparum malaria. For this purpose, disposable screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) were modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Au nanoparticles. The electrodes were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. In order to study the immunosensing performances of modified electrodes, a rabbit anti-PfHRP-2 antibody (as the capturing antibody) was first immobilized on an electrode. Further, the electrode was exposed to a mouse anti-PfHRP-2 antibody from a serum sample (as the revealing antibody), followed by a rabbit anti-mouse immunoglobulin G-alkaline phosphatase conjugate. The immunosensing experiments were performed on bare SPEs, MWCNT-modified SPEs, and Au nanoparticle- and MWCNT-modified SPEs (Nano-Au/MWCNT/SPEs) for the amperometric detection of PfHRP-2 in a solution of 0.1 M diethanolamine buffer, pH 9.8, by applying a potential of 450 mV at the working electrode. Nano-Au/MWCNT/SPEs yielded the highest-level immunosensing performance among the electrodes, with a detection limit of 8 ng/ml. The analytical results of immunosensing experiments with human serum samples were compared with the results of a commercial Paracheck Pf test, as well as the results of microscopy. The specificities, sensitivities, and positive and negative predictive values of the Paracheck Pf and amperometric immunosensors were calculated by taking the microscopy results as the "gold standard." The Paracheck Pf kit exhibited a sensitivity of 79% (detecting 34 of 43 positive samples; 95% confidence interval [CI], 75 to 86%) and a specificity of 81% (correctly identifying 57 of 70 negative samples; 95% CI, 76 to 92%), whereas the developed amperometric immunosensor showed a sensitivity of 96% (detecting 41 of 43 positive samples; 95% CI, 93 to 98%) and a specificity of 94% (correctly identifying 66 of 70 negative samples; 95% CI, 92 to 99%). The developed method is more sensitive and specific than the Paracheck Pf kit.