Disease relevance of Cat-Scratch Disease

• BACKGROUND: Bartonella henselae (formerly the genus Rochalimaea) has recently been isolated from patients with cat-scratch disease and their cats, and since September 1992 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has offered an indirect fluorescent antibody assay for Bartonella-specific antibody [1].
• Application of polymerase chain reaction assay in the diagnosis of orbital granuloma complicating atypical oculoglandular cat scratch disease [2].
• 16S rRNA sequences of Bartonella bacilliformis and cat scratch disease bacillus reveal phylogenetic relationships with the alpha-2 subgroup of the class Proteobacteria [3].
• Here we present a case of cat scratch disease neuroretinitis confirmed by polymerase chain reaction in addition to serologic examination [4].

High impact information on Cat-Scratch Disease

• Successful treatment of cat-scratch disease with ciprofloxacin [5].
• We describe three patients with cat-scratch disease who were treated successfully with gentamicin sulfate [6].
• Portal triad involvement in cat-scratch disease [7].
• Response of HIV-associated disseminated cat scratch disease to treatment with doxycycline [8].
• Convalescent-phase sera from patients with cat scratch disease react poorly with intracellular and extracellular bacteria, suggesting a poor humoral response [9].

Chemical compound and disease context of Cat-Scratch Disease

• These cases suggest that gentamicin may be efficacious in shortening the course of cat-scratch disease [6].
• Azithromycin for the treatment of cat-scratch disease [10].
• Rapid polymerase chain reaction-based detection of the causative agent of cat scratch disease (Bartonella henselae) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples [11].
• B. bacilliformis DNA showed no relatedness to the cat scratch disease bacillus or to a strain of a second species in the same genus as the cat scratch disease bacillus in hybridization reactions done at 65 degrees C. The guanine-plus-cytosine contents of DNAs from the two B. bacilliformis strains were 39 and 40 mol% [12].
• Warthin-Starry-positive bacilli within some of the lesions and their response to erythromycin may indicate that the proliferation is associated with an infectious agent, possibly the bacillus that causes cat-scratch disease [13].

Biological context of Cat-Scratch Disease

• CONCLUSION: Polymerase chain reaction is a valuable method of diagnosing cat-scratch disease when serology is considered negative or borderline [14].
• Three cases of cat scratch disease diagnosed by indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay and/or polymerase chain reaction of 16S rRNA gene of Bartonella henselae [15].

Gene context of Cat-Scratch Disease

• Levels of circulating interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, and IL-10, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, were significantly higher in patients with cat scratch disease (CSD) than in healthy control subjects; no induction of IL-12 was observed, and levels of interferon-gamma and IL-4 were generally not detectable [16].
• We speculate that the immunological changes associated with cat scratch disease in this patient may have triggered the development of IgA nephropathy [17].
• BACKGROUND: We report a case of ocular cat-scratch disease with permanent vision reduction in a patient who was cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (C-ANCA) positive [18].
• Cat scratch disease was known to afflict primarily children and adolescent; however, the incidence of CSD is increasing in immunocompromised groups, such as AIDS and transplant patients (3,4) [19].
• The intents of this paper are twofold: 1) to briefly review the current literature on cat scratch disease, 2) to demonstrate that cat scratch disease complicated by encephalopathy presents acutely with seizures, posturing and coma and resolves rapidly with supportive care [20].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Cat-Scratch Disease

• Diagnosis of cat scratch disease with Bartonella henselae infection in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues by two different PCR assays [21].
• Enzyme immunoassay for the diagnosis of cat-scratch disease defined by polymerase chain reaction [22].
• As positive control group, sera from 5 patients highly suspected of cat scratch disease (CSD) by clinical symptoms were tested [23].

References