Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.8 (FAST)
 758 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Using well-characterized serum pools from patients (with schistosomiasis mansoni), we modified the FAST-ELISA system for detecting serum antibodies to Schistosoma mansoni for field use. We found little or no change in test function or results when the test was run 1) with blood instead of serum, 2) after addition of sodium azide preservation to diluted and lysed blood specimens, 3) using impure water in wash steps, and 4) without a spectrophotometer (i.e., read with the naked eye). Our evaluation of the modified FAST-ELISA showed that it can be successfully used under the restraints of minimally equipped field laboratories.
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PMID:Modification of the FAST-ELISA for field diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni with serum or blood samples. 251 78

The aim of the present work was to apply and evaluate a dipstick assay for the serodiagnosis of human hydatidosis as well as human and experimental trichinosis using camel hydatid cyst fluid (HCF) and Trichinella spiralis muscle larval (TSML) antigens, respectively, and compare this to enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) and Falcon assay screening test-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (FAST-ELISA). Sera samples were collected from patients with confirmed hydatidosis and trichinosis and with other parasitic diseases as well as from normal healthy individuals. Also, sera samples were collected from mice experimentally infected with T. spiralis which were sacrificed at different time points post-infection (PI). HCF and TSML antigens were used in EITB after separation and characterization of their antigenic components using 5-22.5% sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under non-reducing condition. For the diagnosis of hydatidosis, the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of the dipstick assay and EITB were 100, 91.4 and 95.1% while those of FAST-ELISA were 96.2, 100 and 98.4%, respectively. For the diagnosis of human trichinosis, the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of the dipstick assay and EITB were 100% while those of FAST-ELISA were 85.7%. FAST-ELISA proved to be more sensitive in the early diagnosis of experimental T. spiralis infection (100% sensitivity from the second week PI) than the dipstick and EITB (100% sensitivity from the third week PI). All tests retained their sensitivity till the 12th week PI. Since the dipstick assay is extremely easy to perform with a visually interpreted result within 15 min, in addition to being both sensitive and specific, the test could be an acceptable alternative for use in clinical laboratories lacking specialized equipment and the technological expertise needed for EITB and FAST-ELISA.
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PMID:Application and assessment of a dipstick assay in the diagnosis of hydatidosis and trichinosis. 1510 52

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is well studied for its regulation of blood pressure and fluid homeostasis, as well as for increased activity associated with a variety of diseases and conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. The enzyme renin cleaves angiotensinogen to form angiotensin I (ANG I), which is further cleaved by angiotensin-converting enzyme to produce ANG II. Although ANG II is the main effector molecule of the RAS, renin is the rate-limiting enzyme, thus playing a pivotal role in regulating RAS activity in hypertension and organ injury processes. Our objective was to develop a near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) renin-imaging agent for noninvasive in vivo detection of renin activity as a measure of tissue RAS and in vitro plasma renin activity. We synthesized a renin-activatable agent, ReninSense 680 FAST (ReninSense), using a NIRF-quenched substrate derived from angiotensinogen that is cleaved specifically by purified mouse and rat renin enzymes to generate a fluorescent signal. This agent was assessed in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo to detect and quantify increases in plasma and kidney renin activity in sodium-sensitive inbred C57BL/6 mice maintained on a low dietary sodium and diuretic regimen. Noninvasive in vivo fluorescence molecular tomographic imaging of the ReninSense signal in the kidney detected increased renin activity in the kidneys of hyperreninemic C57BL/6 mice. The agent also effectively detected renin activity in ex vivo kidneys, kidney tissue sections, and plasma samples. This approach could provide a new tool for assessing disorders linked to altered tissue and plasma renin activity and to monitor the efficacy of therapeutic treatments.
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PMID:A fluorogenic near-infrared imaging agent for quantifying plasma and local tissue renin activity in vivo and ex vivo. 2267 25