Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Linkou Branch

Chang Gung Medical Foundation

Cheng-Hsun Chiu

Chyi-Liang Chen

Rajendra Prasad Janapatla

Hsiu-Ling Chen

Yao-Kuang Huang

Chung-Tsui Huang

Hsin-Ju Chang

Mei-Hua Hsu

Wan-Ting Liao

The invention provides a method and a kit for measuring the levels of serum fetuin-A in children to reflect the severity of invasive pneumococcal diseases caused by, including necrotizing pneumonia and hemolytic uremic syndrome. The mean fetuin-A levels in the HUS patients are significantly lower (207&#xb1;80 mg/L, p&#x3c;0.001) when compared to patients with lobar pneumonia (610&#xb1;190 mg/L) and the healthy controls (630&#xb1;250 mg/L). A serum fetuin-A level is a useful biomarker to classify the severity of pneumococcal infection in children. The level of biomarker fetuin-A can be monitored and evaluated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot hybridization.

Method and kit for detection of hemolytic uremic syndrome and necrotizing pneumonia in children with pneumococcal disease using serum fetuin-A levels as a biomarker

A method of providing protection against pneumococcal infection in a subject is disclosed. The method includes steps of administering to the subject a composition that includes combination of three recombinant pneumococcal neuraminidases: NanA, NanB, and NanC ofstrains CGSP14, wherein administration of the recombinant pneumococcal neuraminidases elicits an immune response to, and treats the subject. In one embodiment, the method further includes a step of adding adjuvants to enhance the immune response. The method also includes a step of using passive antibodies, wherein said passive antibodies are anti-neuraminidase antibodies generated from neuraminidases-immunized humanized animals: NanA, NanB, and NanC. Meanwhile, this invention also provides a method for the molecular diagnosis of pneumococcal infection.

Method of diagnosing and preventing pneumococcal diseases using pneumococcal neuraminidases

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A method of creating a biotechnological product and an efficient and stable bio-luminescence vector which could be used for tracking Gram-negative bacteria when distributing inside animal body are provided. Through conjugation, this auto-luminescence vector can be easily transmitted from bacteria to bacteria among Gram-negative bacteria, and may facilitate bacteria to be luminescence-labeled for subsequently analyzing the dynamic change of bio-luminescent bacteria within animal body in vivo. This system includes a lacZ promoter-driven luxABCDE, a high copy number of ColE1 replicon, and a high plasmid stability of the conjugative and broad host-ranged plasmid pSE34 fromSal550. This resulting construct pSE-Lux1 can not only conjugatively transmit among bacteria with broad host range, but also stably maintain in bacteria to efficiently express the bio-luminescent luxABCDE without supplementing the subtract for luciferases and the antibiotics for plasmid selection.

Method for tracing gram-negative bacteria inside animal model using stable and bioluminescence-based expression system therefor

A method of creating a biotechnological product and an efficient and stable bio-luminescence vector which could be used for tracking Gram-negative bacteria when distributing inside animal body are provided. Through conjugation, this auto-luminescence vector can be easily transmitted from bacteria to bacteria among Gram-negative bacteria, and may facilitate bacteria to be luminescence-labeled for subsequently analyzing the dynamic change of bio-luminescent bacteria within animal body in vivo. This system includes a lacZ promoter-driven luxABCDE, a high copy number of ColE1 replicon, and a high plasmid stability of the conjugative and broad host-ranged plasmid pSE34 fromserovarSal550. This resulting construct pSE-Lux1 can not only conjugatively transmit among bacteria with broad host range, but also stably maintain in bacteria to efficiently express the bio-luminescent luxABCDE without supplementing the subtract for luciferases and the antibiotics for plasmid selection.

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Taoyuan County, Taiwan

Cheng-Hsun Chiu