Biomaterial Database

Diagnostic limulus lysate assay for endophthalmitis and keratitis. 1978

J McBeath, and R K Forster, and G Rebell

The limulus lysate assay is an inexpensive, reliable, and rapid means of detecting and presence of Gram-negative endotoxin. In all ten cases of experimentally induced Proteus endophthalmitis in rabbits, the assay was positive, and the assay was appropriately negative in all ten cases of Staphylococcal endophthalmitis, ten cases of Candida endophthalmitis, and ten cases of sterile endophthalmitis in rabbits. In a clinical assessment of keratitis, the assay of corneal scrapings was positive in 11 of 13 Gram-negative corneal ulcers. In a similar study of clinical endophthalmitis, both Gram-negative cases had a negative limulus assay, but two cases are insufficient to be conclusive. The assay may prove to be a useful adjunct both to standard diagnostic evaluations and in the rapid direction of appropriate therapy for these conditions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007634	Keratitis	Inflammation of the cornea.	Keratitides
D008033	Limulus Test	Sensitive method for detection of bacterial endotoxins and endotoxin-like substances that depends on the in vitro gelation of Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), prepared from the circulating blood (amebocytes) of the horseshoe crab, by the endotoxin or related compound. Used for detection of endotoxin in body fluids and parenteral pharmaceuticals.	Limulus Tests,Test, Limulus,Tests, Limulus
D009877	Endophthalmitis	Suppurative inflammation of the tissues of the internal structures of the eye frequently associated with an infection.	Ophthalmia,Infectious Endophthalmitis,Endophthalmitides,Endophthalmitides, Infectious,Endophthalmitis, Infectious,Infectious Endophthalmitides,Ophthalmias
D011512	Proteus Infections	Infections with bacteria of the genus PROTEUS.	Infections, Proteus,Infection, Proteus,Proteus Infection
D002177	Candidiasis	Infection with a fungus of the genus CANDIDA. It is usually a superficial infection of the moist areas of the body and is generally caused by CANDIDA ALBICANS. (Dorland, 27th ed)	Candida Infection,Moniliasis,Candida Infections,Candidiases,Infection, Candida,Moniliases
D003320	Corneal Ulcer	Loss of epithelial tissue from the surface of the cornea due to progressive erosion and necrosis of the tissue; usually caused by bacterial, fungal, or viral infection.	Keratitis, Ulcerative,Keratitides, Ulcerative,Ulcer, Corneal,Ulcerative Keratitides,Ulcerative Keratitis
D004731	Endotoxins	Toxins closely associated with the living cytoplasm or cell wall of certain microorganisms, which do not readily diffuse into the culture medium, but are released upon lysis of the cells.	Endotoxin
D005188	False Negative Reactions	Negative test results in subjects who possess the attribute for which the test is conducted. The labeling of diseased persons as healthy when screening in the detection of disease. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	False Negative Reaction,Reaction, False Negative,Reactions, False Negative
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia