Latest Articles
Letter to the EditorKinetics of Anti-Zika Virus Antibodies after Acute Infection in Pregnant Women
BacteriologyMolecular Testing for Mycoplasma genitalium in the United States: Results from the AMES Prospective Multicenter Clinical StudyA prospective multicenter clinical study involving subjects from 21 sites across the United States was conducted to validate the performance of a new in vitro diagnostic nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for the detection of Mycoplasma genitalium.
VirologyMultilaboratory Assessment of Epstein-Barr Virus Serologic Assays: the Case for StandardizationIgA antibodies targeting Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) have been proposed for screening for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, methods differ, and the antigens used in these assays differ considerably between laboratories. To enable formal comparisons across a range of established EBV serology assays, we created a panel of 66 pooled serum samples and 66 pooled plasma samples generated from individuals with a broad range of IgA antibody...
BacteriologyPerformance Evaluation of the Luminex Aries C. difficile Assay in Comparison to Two Other Molecular Assays within a Multihospital Health Care CenterClostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remain a serious issue in the United States. Fast and accurate diagnosis of CDI is paramount to achieve immediate infection control initiation, triaging, and isolation, as well as appropriate antibiotic treatment. However, both, over- and underdiagnosis can lead to adverse patient outcomes, such as unnecessary administration of...
BacteriologyComparison of the Panther Fusion and BD MAX Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Assays for Detection of GBS in Prenatal Screening SpecimensStreptococcus agalactiae or group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the cause of early- and late-onset GBS disease in neonates and can present as septicemia, meningitis, and pneumonia. Our objective was to compare the performance of two FDA-approved nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), the Panther Fusion and BD MAX systems, for detection of GBS in vaginal-rectal...
BacteriologyImproved Species-Level Clinical Identification of Enterobacteriaceae through Broad-Range dnaJ PCR and SequencingEnterobacteriaceae represent a diverse and medically important family of bacteria that are difficult to identify to the species level using the standard molecular method of 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Prior work has demonstrated the value of dnaJ gene sequence analysis in resolving different members of the family. However, existing protocols are not optimized...
Mycobacteriology and Aerobic ActinomycetesComparing QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus with Other Tests To Diagnose Mycobacterium tuberculosis InfectionThe fourth-generation QuantiFERON test for tuberculosis infection, QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) has replaced the earlier version, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT). A clinical need exists for information about agreement between QFT-Plus and other tests. We conducted this study to assess agreement of test results for QFT-Plus with those of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT), T-SPOT.TB (T-SPOT), and the tuberculin skin test...
EpidemiologyMacrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the United States as Determined from a National Surveillance ProgramThere are sparse data to indicate the extent that macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMp) occurs in the United States or its clinical significance. Between 2015 and 2018, hospitals in 8 states collected and stored respiratory specimens that tested positive for M. pneumoniae and sent them to...
BacteriologyIncreased Clinical Specificity with Ultrasensitive Detection of Clostridioides difficile Toxins: Reduction of Overdiagnosis Compared to Nucleic Acid Amplification TestsClostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common health care-associated infections, resulting in significant morbidity, mortality, and economic burden. Diagnosis of CDI relies on the assessment of clinical presentation and laboratory tests. We evaluated the clinical performance of ultrasensitive single-molecule counting technology for detection of...
