B. anthracis

Anthrax Medium from cuitures of B. anthracis 1 Separation of protective antigen from medium 2 Adsorption 3 + 3 quantal assay in guinea-pigs using challenge with B. anthracis Exclusion of live 6. anthracis and of anthrax toxin... 

B. anthracis and related species.41,44 6 Some of these peaks have been identified (e.g., as small acid soluble spore proteins and cyclic lipopeptides), but others remain uncharacterized. There is no agreement among different laboratories as to which markers are suitable for chemotaxonomic differentiata-tion of species (i.e., are consistently found in one species versus another) or for strain identification (i.e., are reproducibly found in one strain but not another). Further, although it might be anticipated that surface proteins can be preferentially ionized or extracted, the ultra-structural origin of some peptides within the cell is not always clear. 

Many diseases, including anthrax, are most effectively treated before actual manifestation of the symptoms is observed. Presently a presumptive identification of Bacillus anthracis can be made in about 3 hours however, if a full laboratory response network (LRN) confirmation procedure is utilized, the theoretical time increases substantially to approximately 48 hours. During the recent anthrax cases 72 to 96 hours were common to complete the entire LRN protocol. In the meantime antibiotics were administered as a precaution based on the presumptive results to individuals thought to be exposed to B. anthracis spores or with anthrax symptoms. The mass administering of antibiotics from a cost standpoint, as well as from medical prudence to prevent the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains, is not the optimal answer to the anthrax infection problem. Therefore it is important that early tests be rapid and reliable with a minimum number of false positive and false negative results. 

A majority of the work done in our laboratory has been conducted on E. coli and B. anthracis using MS2 and gamma-phage, respectively. Amplification results have been obtained from several other host bacteria and bacteriophages. Table 14.1 summarizes the materials studied. In all cases studied, no two bacteriophages contained the same proteins. 

Antigen found in the sterile filtrate of B. anthracis Purified capsular polysaccharide of... 

There are numerous other reports that illustrate the potential use of MALDI-TOF-MS for the rapid identification of various strains of B. anthracis. For instance, by using a new hybrid ion-trap MALDI-TOF instrument, in situ proteolytic digestion of... 

The advent of immunoproteomics made possible the identification of highly immunogenic proteins that can be used for vaccine development. Proteins that have the greatest potential for eliciting a protective immune response are collectively referred to as the pathogen s immunome. Immunoproteomics has been utilized to characterize the immu-nome of B. anthracis for the development of a safer and equally efficacious vaccine. The immunoreactive proteins are first identified by using 2DE Western blot analysis in conjunction with mass spectrometry. In B. anthracis, for example, antisera from humans post-infected with anthrax were used to probe Western blots of its various... 

Fig. 10.14. MALDI spectra of protein extracts from Bacillus species (matrix a-CHCA). (a) B. anthracis (Sterne), (b) B. thuringiensis (4A1), (c) B. cereus (6E1), (d) B. sub-...

Begin drug administration as soon as possible after suspected or confirmed exposure to B. anthracis spores. This indication is based on a surrogate endpoint, ciprofloxacin serum concentrations achieved in humans, reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. Total duration c ciprofloxacin administration (IV, IR, or oral) for inhalational anthrax (postexposure) is 60 days. 

It is mainly bacteriostatic and inhibits the growth of gram positive organisms which includes staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci, C. diphtheriae and B. anthracis. Like erythromycin it act by interfering with protein synthesis. 

Endospore-forming gram-positive rods and cocci. Aerobic Bacillus (B. anthracis, anthrax), anaerobic Clostridium (C. tetani, tetanus C. botulinum, botulism)... 

A clinically compatible case of either cutaneous, inhalational, or gastrointestinal disease that is laboratory confirmed by isolation of B. anthracis from an affected tissue or site. 

Other laboratory evidence of B. anthracis infection based on at least two supporting tests. 

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