A method and kit for for determining of an effective concentration of an antimicrobial agent for inhibiting bacterial growth are provided. The method and kit involve the use of a first and second multiwell receptacle. A fluid sample containing or suspected to contain one or more microbial organisms is dispensed into the wells of the first multiwell receptacle containing a range of dilutions of an antimicrobial agent, growth medium and a bacteriophage to form assay mixtures in the wells. The assay mixtures are then transferred to the corresponding wells of the second multiwell receptacle for detection.

The invention relates to a method for identification and discrimination of bacteria and/or mutant bacterial strains in a biological fluid. The method includes illuminating the biological fluid with a beam of light; obtaining Raman data from light scattered from the illuminated biological fluid; and finding Raman signatures corresponding to each type of bacteria and/or mutant bacterial strains from the obtained Raman data, so as to identify and discriminate each type of bacteria and/or mutant bacterial strains in the biological fluid from the Raman signatures.

A method and device for detection of specific bacteria of interest by monitoring for chemical changes in media using electrical circuits. The present invention provides an inexpensive method to detect and measure particular bacteria of interest in samples, and is useful in particular as a means of monitoring for contamination in water sources.

The disclosure provides molecules with an affinity for (or an ability to bind to), sialic acid, for use in compositions, medicaments and methods for the treatment of sepsis, its symptoms and sepsis associated pathologies and immune responses.

A method for treating infection of group A Streptococcus (GAS) includes grouping a patient infected with GAS into an invasive infected candidate. An antibiotic is then administrated to the invasive infected candidate to treat the infection of GAS. Moreover, the patient is grouped into the invasive infected candidate when a first detected level, determined by ex vivo contacting a first biopsy obtained from the patient with a FSBM recombinant protein having an amino acid sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 10, is smaller than 0.6.

The present invention provides a panel of at least five clinical analyses or tests (using serum samples) to determine the risk of pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and/or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS) in an individual. These include enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) to measure antibody titers against neuronal antigens present in the brain; the neuronal antigens include lysoganglioside, tubulin, dopamine receptor D1, dopamine receptor D2, serotonin receptor 5HT2A, and serotonin receptor 5HT2C. Antibody titers against at least four of these neuronal antigens are required in the present methods; preferably antibody titers against all of these neuronal antigens are measured. A final assay is used to quantify calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity using a neuronal cell line. The results of these analyses or tests are then combined using an algorithm to determine whether a PANS or PANDAS diagnosis is appropriate for the individual. Depending on the diagnosis, an appropriate treatment can be determined.

The present disclosure provides an immunochromatographic test piece which prevents a non-specific reaction by efficiently and continuously contacting and neutralizing a developing solution containing nitrous acid with a neutralizing reagent in an immunochromatography method of extracting and measuring a sugar chain antigen by nitrous acid extraction on the immunochromatographic test piece. The present disclosure also provides an immunochromatographic test piece for extracting and measuring a sugar chain antigen in a specimen, which comprises: a sample pad; a label region; a detection region on which the antibody against the sugar chain antigen is immobilized; a region impregnated with a neutralizing reagent upstream of the label region, and a region impregnated with a solid acid reagent or a region impregnated with nitrite, upstream of the region impregnated with the neutralizing reagent.

Provided are methods for diagnosing a disease in a subject with a previous streptococcal infection by determining the presence or absence of one or more autoantibodies in a biological sample from the subject, wherein the one or more autoantibodies recognize an antigen from a protein selected from the group consisting of ELAVL2, ELAVL3, ELAVL4, Nova-1, Nova-2, Cdr1, Cdr2; and Cdr3. The presence of such autoantibodies is indicative of a positive diagosis for a post-streptococcal disease such as PANDAS, post-GABHS glomerulonephritis, rheumatic fever, autism and Syndenham's chorea.

A method for treating infection of group A Streptococcus (GAS) includes grouping a patient infected with GAS into an invasive infected candidate. An antibiotic is then administrated to the invasive infected candidate to treat the infection of GAS. Moreover, the patient is grouped into the invasive infected candidate when a first detected level, determined by ex vivo contacting a first biopsy obtained from the patient with a FSBM recombinant protein having an amino acid sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 10, is smaller than 0.6.

The present invention provides a panel of at least five clinical analyses or tests (using serum samples) to determine the risk of pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and/or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS) in an individual. These include enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) to measure antibody titers against neuronal antigens present in the brain; the neuronal antigens include lysoganglioside, tubulin, dopamine receptor D1, dopamine receptor D2, serotonin receptor 5HT2A, and serotonin receptor 5HT2C. Antibody titers against at least four of these neuronal antigens are required in the present methods; preferably antibody tiers against all of these neuronal antigens are measured. A final assay is used to quantify calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity using a neuronal cell line. The results of these analyses or tests are then combined using an algorithm to determine whether a PANS or PANDAS diagnosis is appropriate for the individual. Depending on the diagnosis, an appropriate treatment can be determined.