申请人:MacDonald Gavin John
公开号:US20070140971A1
公开(公告)日:2007-06-21
A method for rapidly detecting infectious conjunctivitis in a host is provided. The method includes contacting an ocular test sample with a chromogen (e.g., Reichardt's dye) that exhibits a color change in the presence of a microbe. The present inventors have discovered that the extent of the color change may vary depending on whether the microbe is a bacteria or virus. Without intending to be limited by theory, the present inventors believe that the chromogen interacts with the peptidoglycan-based cell wall structure of bacteria to induce a color change that is even more apparent at infectious levels. It is believed that this interaction occurs to a much greater extent in bacteria than in viruses. Accordingly, although the chromogen may still undergo a color change in the presence of the viruses, it is typically to a much lesser extent. In this manner, the degree of color change of the chromogen may be used in the present invention as a mechanism for differentiating between viral and bacterial conjunctivitis.
本发明提供了一种快速检测宿主中传染性结膜炎的方法。该方法包括将眼部测试样品与一种染色剂(例如Reichardt染料)接触,该染色剂在微生物存在时表现出颜色变化。本发明人发现,颜色变化的程度可能取决于微生物是细菌还是病毒。在不打算受到理论限制的情况下,本发明人认为染色剂与细菌的以肽聚糖为基础的细胞壁结构相互作用,诱导出颜色变化,这种变化在感染水平下更加明显。据信,这种相互作用在细菌中比病毒中更为明显。因此,尽管染色剂仍可能在病毒存在时发生颜色变化,但通常程度要小得多。以这种方式,染色剂的颜色变化程度可以在本发明中用作将病毒性和细菌性结膜炎区分开的机制。