Wednesday June 14, 9:01 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Pathobiotek Diagnostics Inc.
Pathobiotek Reports on the Presentation Given at the American Society Of
Microbiology 'Discovery and Characterization of Bloodborne Microorganism'
HOUSTON, June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Pathobiotek Diagnostics Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PBTK - news; pathobiotek.com), a developer of products
for the diagnosis and evaluation of treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other immune disorders, announced the content and comments of the ASM presentation
on ``The discovery and characterization of a bloodborne organism with a working name Luey''.
The poster presentation was delivered by Drs. Elena Jouravleva and Kathleen MacPhee, scientists of Pathobiotek Diagnostics Inc. at the meeting of the American
Society for Microbiology on May 25th, 2000 describing the identification of a previously unrecognized bacterium in human blood.
More persons than expected attended the presentation. There were many healthy and challenging questions about the breakthrough technology. The participants
showed much enthusiasm and the resulting discussions could ultimately lead to collaborative opportunities with Pathobiotek. The overall experience was very positive
for the presenters and it is expected that it will result in increased acceptance of the technology and subsequent sale of Pathobiotek products or licensing agreements.
The focus of this presentation was on the discovery and characterization of the Pathobiotek bloodborne organism. Future papers and presentations will address the
role of the organism and other significant factors. The mere fact that it is in the human blood is highly significant.
Some of the highlights of the presentation ``Discovery and characterization of bloodborne microorganism'' are as follows:
More than 800 serum samples have been tested for the presence of this microorganism. These samples were cultured in a proprietary medium developed to
encourage the growth of this organism. All samples tested appeared to contain a moving, viable organism when examined by light microscopy. This microorganism
has not been recognized in blood because it is very slow growing and fastidious therefore difficult to detect. Electron micrographs demonstrated the presence of a
gram-negative bacterium in samples from cultures of serum.
DNA was isolated from these cultures and PCR was performed using a primer set designed to identify 16S rRNA sequences from all genera of bacteria. After
eliminating numerous sources of contaminating bacterial DNA from media components, water and recombinant TAQ polymerase, a specific PCR primer set was
designed that amplified the microorganism of interest, an alpha- proteobacterium.
PCR was performed on DNA isolated from cultures of more than 70 individuals using this primer set. Of these 70 samples about 70% yielded positive results. We
are unsure whether the remaining 30% are below detectable levels or do not contain this bacterium. The PCR products were sub-cloned and subjected to DNA
sequence analyses. This process yielded sequences 97-99% similar to four species of a known bacterial genus. The significance of these four separate species is
under investigation.
Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) assays were utilized to assure that the organism visualized and sequenced was actually present and viable in blood and serum.
This assay binds a fluorescently-labelled specific primer to RNA present in samples fixed directly from blood. This process eliminates any possible contamination and
assures that the bacteria actually originated from the serum or blood samples.
These data demonstrate that the blood of at least 70% of the individuals in our sample contain this alpha-proteobacterium species. The number of bacteria varied
from one individual to another. The presence of this bacterium in such a large percentage of the population may have important implications for blood banks. These
results are significant because they demonstrate not only the routine presence of this bacterium in human blood but also a variation in the amount and species present.
At this point, it is unknown whether this bacterium has a detrimental effect on the human host or not. Based on preliminary data, we suspect it is linked to autoimmune
diseases.
Additional information on Pathobiotek Diagnostics Inc. can be obtained at pathobiotek.com.
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this press release are forward-looking statements
that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks
and uncertainties, which may cause the company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. These risks and uncertainties include,
among other things, product price volatility, product demand, market competition, risk inherent in the company's domestic and international operations, imprecision in
estimating product reserves and the company's ability to replace and expand its holdings. |
