title: Determination of the presence of diphtheria toxin in the myocardial tissue of rabbits and a female subject by using an immunofluorescent antibody method.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical diagnosis of diphtheria is often difficult, in particular in countries where the disease is rarely observed, such as Turkey. In 2011, after 12 years of no recorded diphtheria cases in Turkey, a 34-year-old woman was diagnosed with diphtheria; she later died of myocarditis. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the diagnostic potential of an immunofluorescent antibody method to determine the presence of diphtheria toxin (DT) in the myocardial cells of DT-injected rabbits and the female subject.
  
  
  METHODS
  We randomly divided rabbits into two groups: a control group and a DT-injected group. Diphtheria intoxication was simulated in the rabbits by intravenous injection of DT. The myocardium of the rabbits and the female subject were harvested for histopathologic and immunofluorescence examination. A mouse monoclonal anti-DT antibody was used for the immunofluorescent antibody method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of DT in the myocardial cells of both the rabbits and the female subject was visualized using the immunofluorescent method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laboratory diagnosis of diphtheria is challenging because of non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae strains and/or the dysfunction of DT. However, visualizing the presence of DT in the myocardial tissue may act as an indicator of biologically active DT. We validated that an immunofluorescent method, which utilizes a monoclonal anti-DT (A-subunit specific) antibody, is a useful diagnostic tool to determine the presence of DT in the myocardium of rabbits and human.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey ; These authors contributed equally to this work and shared first authorship.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceyhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey ; These authors contributed equally to this work and shared first authorship.
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozsurekci
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Merve M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kamil Can
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Akcali
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Pathology Unit, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Beril
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Talim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Melda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Eda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karadag Oncel
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Venhar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gurbuz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Emre
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Aycan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Animal Breeding and Research Unit, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ilyas
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Onbasilar
authors.affiliation: Turkish Public Health Institute, Turkey.
authors.forename: Turan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buzgan
keywords: Animal model; Diagnosis; Diphtheria; Diphtheria antibody