[Serological diagnosis of whooping cough using immunoblot methods]. / Sérologická diagnostika dávivého kasle imunoblotovacími metodami.

THE AIM OF STUDY: The aim of this study was to challenge the conclusion presented in the current recommendations of the EU Perstrain Group (European group of reference laboratories) [17] that immunoblotting methods are not appropriate serological methods for the diagnosis of pertussis because their results cannot be quantified. To consider benefits of these methods for the diagnosis of Bordetella infections was another aim of this work. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The residual sera from routine testing intended for disposal and results of routine tests for Bordetella infections performed in Spadia Lab in 2015 and 2016 were used in this study. The test samples were anonymized. Standard commercial ELISA and immunoblot kits were used for analyses. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Using the TestLine Clinical Diagnostics Company kits, we have shown that, contrary to the conclusion of the EU Perstrain Group, quantification of the immunoblot results is possible and that these methods can improve the diagnosis of Bordetella infections, ultimately making it more effective.

Highly reproducible capillary zone electrophoresis of humic acids in cyclodextrin- or oligosaccharide-modified background electrolytes.

Capillary zone electrophoresis has been used for the characterization and separation of humic acids. It was found that addition of saccharides like alpha-, beta-, gamma-cyclodextrins, maltose, hydroxyethylcellulose or dextran sulfate in the background electrolyte (50 mM Na2 B4 O7, pH 9.6) yields better separation patterns and highly reproducible electropherograms. Electropherograms with higher numbers of peaks and high reproducibility were obtained with alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins or with a mixture of alpha- + gamma-cyclodextrin-modified background electrolytes. Separation was carried out with the cathode at the detector end of the column. Adsorption of humic acids to the capillary wall was diminished using an epoxy-coated capillary tube.

Capillary zone electrophoresis determination of galanthamine in biological fluids and pharmaceutical preparatives: experimental design and artificial neural network optimization.

Galanthamine is a third-generation cholinesterase inhibitor used against Alzheimer's disease. New analytical methods for the determination of galanthamine in pharmaceutical preparatives and biological fluids, such as urine and serum, were developed. An experimental design and artificial neural network approach were used for method optimization. Thirty-five ppb of galanthamine were determined in serum samples (with addition of 10 mM magnesium chloride and using solid-phase preconcentration).

Srinivasan's coagulation test in taxonomically classified streptomycetes.

Srimivasan's coagulation test was performed in 18 strains of the genus Streptomyces and one strain of the genus Actinoplanes. The highest coagulation activity was detected in strains systematically classified in a series of streptomycetes with pink or red aerial mycelium: S. erythreus, Streptomyces sp. AJ/22, S. roseo-luteus and S. griseofuscus. With the exception of S. griscofuscus these three cultures also exhibited the highest inhibitory activity B. subtilis. When using hemoglobin as substrate it was possible to detect acid, neutral and alkaline proteinases with the highest poroteolytic activity at pH 3.0 to 4.0 in the most active strain of S. erythreus.