| DB ID | MyCo_6521 |
| Title | APPLICATION OF 3-HYDROXYBUTYRATE MEASUREMENT AND PLASMA PROTEIN ELECTROPHORESIS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF ASPERGILLOSIS IN AFRICAN PENGUINS ( SPHENISCUS DEMERSUS) |
| Year | 2018 |
| PMID | 30212328 |
| Fungal Diseases involved | Aspergillosis |
| Associated Medical Condition | None |
| Genus | Aspergillus |
| Species | spp. |
| Organism | Aspergillus spp. |
| Ethical Statement | None |
| Site of Infection | None |
| Opportunistic invasive | None |
| Sample type | Body fluid |
| Sample source | Plasma |
| Host Group | Animal |
| Host Common name | Penguin |
| Host Scientific name | Spheniscus demersus |
| Biomarker Name | 3-hydroxybutyrate |
| Biomarker Full Name | 3-hydroxybutyrate |
| Biomarker Type | Diagnostic |
| Biomolecule | Protein |
| Geographical Location | USA |
| Cohort | Overall, 172 blood samples were collected from naturally infected cases (n1= 47) and from control penguins with inflammatory disease (n2 = 29, inclusive of chronic arthritis, mild viral bronchitis, malaria, chronic anemia, and metastatic adenocarcinoma) or clinically normal status (n3 = 96, as reported by submitting institutions). |
| Cohort No. | 47 cases and 29+96 control |
| Age Group | None |
| P Value | p=0.002 |
| Sensitivity | None |
| Specificity | None |
| Positive Predictive Value | None |
| MIC | None |
| Fold Change | None |
| Pathway | None |
| Disease Introduction Mechanism | Aspergillosis is a fungal airborne infection caused by ubiquitous molds of the Aspergillus genus. Aspergillosis can lead to a fatal outcome both in diseased humans and animals, especially when the diagnosis is delayed and the antifungal therapy is inadequate. Some birds are known to be particularly susceptible to aspergillosis, including African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) that are maintained under human care in aquaria or during rehabilitation. Unfortunately, avian aspergillosis remains difficult to diagnose, as current laboratory diagnostics do not have con-sistent high sensitivity and specificity. In pen- guins, samples are often found negative for galactomannan antigen detection, whereas most have high levels of anti-Aspergillus antibody reactivity regardless of clinical status. Biopsy sampling for fungal culture or histopathology can be difficult to perform in ill or debilitated patients. Furthermore, some medical imaging, e.g. celioscopy, is also not readily available in every facility, whereas radiography is often unreliable and rarely yields findings for aspergillosis in penguins. |
| Technique | Assay |
| Analysis Method | RX Daytona reagents assay |
| ELISA kits | RX Daytona +® instrument with Randoxt reagents Kit (Randox Lab- oratories, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA). |
| Assay Data | None |
| Validation Techniques used | RX Daytona reagents assay |
| Up Regulation Down Regulation | Increase |
| Sequence Data | None |
| External Link | None |
