We proposed a new algorithm for automatic identification of fluorescent signal. Based on the features of chromatographic chips, mathematic morphology in RGB color space was used to filter and enhance the images, pyramid connection was used to segment the areas of fluorescent signal, and then the method of Gaussian Mixture Model was used to detect the fluorescent signal. Finally we calculated the average fluorescent intensity in obtained fluorescent areas. Our results show that the algorithm has a good efficacy to segment the fluorescent areas, can detect the fluorescent signal quickly and accurately, and finally realize the quantitative detection of fluorescent signal in chromatographic chip.
Algorithms ; Chromatography ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; methods ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted

OBJECTIVETo explore a method for combining Fluoro-Jade B (FJB) staining with immunofluorescent staining in rats with focal cortical infarction.

METHODPermanent distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO) was induced in rats by electrocoagulation. The rat models were randomized into two groups, and frozen sections of the brain tissues from each group were stained with FJB followed by immunofluorescent staining or in the reverse order.

RESULTSFJB staining followed by immunofluorescence staining clearly visualized both FJB-positive and immunofluorescence-positive cells in the frozen sections, but the staining protocol in the reverse sequence failed to clearly show the immunofluorescence-positive cells.

CONCLUSIONFJB staining prior to immunofluorescence staining does not affect the staining effect of protein immunofluorescent staining and better visualizes the positive cells.

Animals ; Brain ; pathology ; Fluoresceins ; chemistry ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; methods ; Fluorescent Dyes ; chemistry ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Rats ; Staining and Labeling ; methods

BACKGROUND/AIMS: For laboratory diagnostics in liver diseases, many enzymes have been used for the assessment of hepatocellular function. Among them, two transaminases, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, have been regarded as the most sensitive indicators of hepatocellular damage. However, the enhanced enzyme activities of the enzymes do not exactly indicate or represent the cause and progression of diseases in the patients with liver disease. To overcome such limitations, immunological methods have been suggested as one of the alternatives for the replacement or supplement of the conventional enzymatic analysis. METHODS: In the hope of developing a new assay system for measuring the AST concentration rather than its activity, we have developed a new assay using fluorescence labeled anti-AST monoclonal antibodies. Blood was obtained from a normal population of 234 patients and 43 liver disease patients. The linearity, limit of detection, and performance of the new assay system were tested and evaluated. The comparability of assay was examined with an ELISA and biochemical assays. RESULTS: The linearity fell in the range of 0-1 mg/L of AST (R=0.995), and the analytical detection limit was 12 microgram/L of AST. The mean recovery of the control was 102.4 % in a working range. The precision of the intra- and inter-assay in a range of 50-800 microgram/L was CVs < 7% and CVs < 6%, respectively. In the normal population, the mean AST concentration was 35.5 microgram/L. The mean AST concentration in patients with liver disease was 266.5 microgram/L. The new assay system correlated well with an ELISA and biochemical assay for quantification of AST concentration (R=0.92 and 0.88, respectively; N=43). CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a new immunological assay using generated monoclonal antibodies to human cytosolic AST and used them for the development of a fluorescent assay measuring the enzyme mass. Cytosolic AST mass in sera could be measured reproducibly by the immunological method. In conclusion, this study has provided us with a new type of tool for an accurate measurement of the enzyme amount in circulation.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Aspartate Aminotransferase, Cytoplasmic/*blood/immunology ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique/*methods ; Humans ; Liver Diseases/diagnosis

Cryptosporidium can cause gastrointestinal diseases worldwide, consequently posing public health problems and economic burden. Effective techniques for detecting contaminated oocysts in water are important to prevent and control the contamination. Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) method has been widely employed recently due to its efficiency, but, it is costly. Sucrose floatation technique is generally used for separating organisms by using their different specific gravity. It is effective and cheap but time consuming as well as requiring highly skilled personnel. Water turbidity and parasite load in water sample are additional factors affecting to the recovery rate of those 2 methods. We compared the efficiency of IMS and sucrose floatation methods to recover the spiked Cryptosporidium oocysts in various turbidity water samples. Cryptosporidium oocysts concentration at 1, 10(1), 10(2), and 10(3) per 10 microliter were spiked into 3 sets of 10 ml-water turbidity (5, 50, and 500 NTU). The recovery rate of the 2 methods was not different. Oocyst load at the concentration < 10(2) per 10 ml yielded unreliable results. Water turbidity at 500 NTU decreased the recovery rate of both techniques. The combination of sucrose floatation and immunofluorescense assay techniques (SF-FA) showed higher recovery rate than IMS and immunofluorescense assay (IMS-FA). We used this SF-FA to detect Cryptosporidium and Giardia from the river water samples and found 9 and 19 out of 30 (30% and 63.3%) positive, respectively. Our results favored sucrose floatation technique enhanced with immunofluorescense assay for detecting contaminated protozoa in water samples in general laboratories and in the real practical setting.
Animals ; Cryptosporidium/*isolation & purification ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique/*methods ; Immunomagnetic Separation/*methods ; *Oocysts ; Parasitology/*methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Water/*parasitology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can be isolated from umbilical cords and are therapeutically used because of their ability to differentiate into various types of cells, in addition to their immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. Fetal bovine serum (FBS), considered as the standard additive when isolating and culturing MSCs, has a major limitation related to its animal origin. Here, we employed a simple and economically efficient protocol to isolate MSCs from human umbilical cord tissues without using digestive enzymes and replacing FBS with umbilical cord blood serum (CBS). METHODS AND RESULTS: MSCs were isolated by culturing umbilical cord pieces in CBS or FBS supplemented media. Expansion and proliferation kinetics of cells isolated by explant method in the presence of either FBS or CBS were measured, with morphology and multi-differentiation potential of expanded cells characterized by flow cytometry, RT-PCR, and immunofluorescence. MSCs maintained morphology, immunophenotyping, multi-differentiation potential, and self-renewal ability, with better proliferation rates for cells cultured in CBS compared to FBS supplement media. CONCLUSIONS: We here present a simple, reliable and efficient method to isolate MSCs from umbilical cord tissues, where cells maintained proliferation, differentiation potential and immunophenotyping properties and could be efficiently expanded for clinical applications.
Animals ; Fetal Blood* ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans* ; Immunophenotyping ; Kinetics ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Methods* ; Multipotent Stem Cells ; Umbilical Cord*

To explore the clinical diagnostic efficacy of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated vasculitis (AAV) by comparing the consistency and coincidence rate of serum anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) antibody and anti-protease 3 (PR3) antibody detected by digital liquid chip method (DLCM) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To provide reference for the selection of detection methods of anti-MPO antibody and anti-PR3 antibody in clinical laboratory. This study is a cross-sectional study, a total of 307 cases of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies were detected in the Department of Clinical Immunology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January to March 2021. The serum samples and related clinical information were collected. At the same time, the levels of anti-MPO antibody and anti-PR3 antibody in serum samples were detected by ELISA and DLCM, indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) was used to re-test the differential samples between the two methods. SPSS 26.0 was used to analyze the test results, Cohen's kappa coefficient analysis was used to compare the consistency of the two methods, and paired chi-square test was used to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the two methods to AAV. The results showed that the positive cases of anti-MPO antibody detected by ELISA and DLCM were 63 and 44, and the negative cases were 244 and 263; the positive cases of anti-PR3 antibody detected by ELISA and DLCM were 34 and 28, and the negative cases were 273 and 279. The results of anti-MPO antibody and anti-PR3 antibody detected by the two methods had good consistency and coincidence rate, in which the total coincidence rate of anti-MPO antibody was 92.51%, the positive coincidence rate was 66.67%, and the negative coincidence rate was 99.18%. The results of consistency analysis showed that kappa=0.741 had well consistency. The total coincidence rate of anti-PR3 antibody is 96.74%, the positive coincidence rate is 76.47%, and the negative coincidence rate is 99.27%. The consistency analysis results show that kappa=0.821 had strong consistency. The results of IIF re-test of differential samples showed that the coincidence rate between DLCM and IIF was higher. The results of comparative analysis of anti-MPO antibody and anti-PR3 antibody showed that the specificity of DLCM was better than that of ELISA, and its sensitivity was lower than that of ELISA. In conclusion, the results of anti-MPO antibody and anti-PR3 antibody detected by DLCM were consistent with those of ELISA. In the combined detection of anti-MPO antibody and anti-PR3 antibody, the specificity of DLCM is better than that of ELISA.
Humans ; Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic/analysis* ; Myeloblastin ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods*

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVE To explore the advantage and feasibility of fluorescent antibody method for detection of blood type in biological material. METHODS: According to theory of specific binding of antigen and antibody, at first the anti-A monoclonal antibody (MA) and anti-B MA were labeled with the fluorescent, then fluorescent-labeled antibodies (FLA) were bound with corresponding biological material (such as bloodstain) in the optimum condition, finally the ABO blood type of bloodstain was determined under microscope fluorescent. RESULTS: The fluorescent antibody method is highly sensitive, accurate and simple. CONCLUSION The fluorescent antibody method is an accurate and reliable method for detection of ABO blood type in biological material.
ABO Blood-Group System/immunology* ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/blood* ; Antigen-Antibody Reactions ; Blood Group Antigens/blood* ; Blood Stains ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique/methods* ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity

In Papua New Guinea, the laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection is based on proof of HIV antibody in the patient's serum. Under the government scheme, the testing is done in 30 laboratories, including the Papua New Guinea HIV Reference Laboratory (NRL), the Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service in Port Moresby, and 19 provincial and 9 district laboratories. An alternative testing strategy was adopted in 1993 based on a WHO recommendation, replacing the classical testing strategy (enzyme immunoassay + Western blot). The alternative testing strategy uses several EIA, rapid or simple HIV antibody assays for the detection and confirmation of the HIV antibody. This approach is faster and cheaper, with the same sensitivity and specificity as the classical testing algorithm. Except for the NRL, the Serodia Fujirebio HIV-1 gelatin particle agglutination assay is used throughout the country as the screening test. The PNG National HIV Reference Laboratory is the only laboratory authorized to perform confirmatory testing and to release positive results. Therefore, all serum samples reactive in the screening assay are sent to the NRL for confirmation by the battery of EIA, rapid or simple assays in accordance with the alternative testing strategy adopted. The paper explains the alternative testing strategy and highlights the principle of each individual test that is employed. PIP: In Papua New Guinea, HIV antibody testing is performed in 19 provincial and 9 district laboratories, the HIV National Reference Laboratory, and the Port Moresby Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service. Before 1993, enzyme immunoassay and Western blot were used for HIV serotesting and positive findings were sent to Australia for confirmation. Since 1993, the Serodia Fujirebio HIV gelatin particle agglutination assay has been used as the first screening test, followed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; the third test used for repeatedly reactive samples is generally the Immunocomb. All repeatedly positive results are forwarded to the reference laboratory for confirmation. Results are available within 7 days. In Papua New Guinea, the specificity of the Serodia Fujirebio test is consistently greater than 99%.
AIDS Serodiagnosis - methods ; Blotting, Western - methods ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; HIV Infections - diagnosis ; Papua New Guinea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Fractal dimension has been widely used in medical images processing and analysis. The neurite growth of cultured dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was detected by fluorescent immunocytochemistry treated with nerve regeneration factor (0.1, 0.5, 2.0 mg/L). A novel method based on triangular prism surface area (TPSA) was introduced and adopted to calculate the fractal dimension of the two-dimensional immunofluorescent images. Experimental results demonstrate that this method is easy to understand and convenient to operate, and the quantititve results are concordant with the observational findings under microscope. This method can be guidelines for analyzing and deciding experimental results.
Cells, Cultured ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; methods ; Fractals ; Ganglia, Spinal ; cytology ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Nerve Growth Factors ; pharmacology ; Neurites ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo analyze the effect of special staining and immunohistochemical staining in distinguishing the types of renal amyloidosis to improve the diagnosis accuracy.

METHODSCongo red staining with different methods, and immunohistochemical staining of Kappa, Lambda and Amyloid A with different antigen retrieval methods were used for staining frozen and paraffin-embedded renal tissue sections.

RESULTSWright's Congo red staining produced a better contrast and a higher resolution and showed a greater stability than the other 2 methods after repeated use for staining the renal tissue sections (P<0.05). Immunofluorescent staining produced better results in frozen renal tissue sections than in paraffin-embedded tissues. Immunofluorescent staining produced had better performance than immunohistochemical staining in paraffin-embedded tissues. The retrieval effect with protein kinase K was the best among the antigen retrieval methods in paraffin-embedded tissues.

CONCLUSIONWright's Congo red staining is better than the other 2 methods in diagnosing renal amyloidosis. Immunohistochemical staining of Kappa, Lambda and Amyloid A in frozen renal tissue sections is necessary to discriminate the types of renal amyloidosis. For paraffin-embedded renal tissues, antigen retrieval using protein kinase K is better than the other 2 methods.

Amyloidosis ; classification ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Coloring Agents ; Congo Red ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; methods ; Frozen Sections ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; classification ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Paraffin Embedding ; Staining and Labeling ; methods