scholarly journals What do we know about smell and taste dysfunction by SARS-CoV-2. Predictive Value of the Venezuelan Olfactory test and RT-PCR analysis in viral infection diagnosis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalinda Pieruzzini ◽  
Carlos Ayala-Grosso ◽  
Jose de Jesus Navas ◽  
Wilneg Rodríguez ◽  
Nathalia Parra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Value ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Taste Test ◽  
Molecular Tests ◽  
Olfactory Test ◽  
Taste Disorders ◽  
Asymptomatic Subjects

SUMMARYBackgroundSmell and taste disorders are reported very frequently and at an early stage in the evolution of the infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2. These symptoms could be sensitive and specific to establish the condition of the infection, and may suggest the flow of decisions as to further therapy. We asked whether smell and taste impairment are earlier and more sensitive symptoms than the RT-PCR molecular assays for SARS-CoV-2 detection.MethodologySubjects (N=275) with a probable COVID19 diagnosis were classified as follows: Symptomatic with chemosensory dysfunction, symptomatic without chemosensory dysfunction, and asymptomatic. Subjects received a general clinical and otorhinolaryngology examination. Evaluation of the chemosensory dysfunction was performed by means of the Venezuelan Olfactory Test and taste test. Nasal swabs and blood samples were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis (RT-PCR) and a rapid diagnostic test to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus and antiviral antibodies, respectively. Patients had access to molecular tests and smell and taste evaluations every 3 to 5 days until they recovered.ResultsOut of 44 patients that were positive for RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2: 45.83% had smell and taste disorders and COVID19 symptoms, 23.61% did not have smell or taste disorders, but had COVID19 symptoms, and 30.55% were asymptomatic. Mild hyposmia and hypogeusia account for the most frequent chemosensory disorders accompanying common SARS-CoV-2 symptoms. Time to recover from the chemosensory dysfunction ranges from 3 to 14 days, up to a maximum of 5 weeks, while RT-PCR becomes negative after 21 days and up to 35 days in some cases. The Venezuelan Olfactory Test and taste test has a 61.68% positive predictive value, 45.83% sensitivity, and 68.7% specificity for SARS-CoV-2 infection.ConclusionsSmell and taste disorders are frequent symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but not a significant predictor of the disease, as compared to the molecular RT-PCR test.

scholarly journals PREDICTIVE VALUE OF SMELL AND TASTE TEST VS PCR-RT SARS-COV-2 AND RAPID DIAGNOSTIC TESTS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF INFECTION BY COVID-19. A PROSPECTIVE MULTI-CENTRIC STUDY.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalinda Pieruzzini ◽  
Carlos Ayala ◽  
Jose Navas ◽  
Wilneg Carolina Rodriguez ◽  
Nathalia Parra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Value ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Rapid Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Variable Degree ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Taste Test ◽  
Taste Disorders ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
Diagnosis Of Infection

There is a relationship between smell and taste disturbances and coronavirus infection. These symptoms have been considered the best predictor of coronavirus infection, for this reason, it was decided to evaluate the predictive value of the smell and taste test and its association with the results of SARS-CoV-2 PCR-RT and rapid diagnostic tests. in the diagnosis of pathology. Methodology: 248 patients divided into 3 groups: asymptomatic, symptomatic without chemosensory disorders, and chemosensory disorders alone. All of them underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR-RT, a rapid diagnostic test and a test of Venezuelan smell and basic taste at the beginning. Weekly follow-up with smell and taste test and SARS-CoV-2 PCR-RT until recovery. Results: 20.56% of patients had smell and taste disorders to a variable degree and were positive by SARS-CoV-PCR-RT. 2.15.3% of patients with chemosensory disorders were negative for COVID-19. The positive predictive value of the smell and taste test was 57.3; Sensitivity 41.13% and specificity 69.35%. There were no statistically significant differences by age, sex and chemosensory disorders. The predominant chemosensory disorder was the combination of mild hyposmia and hypogeusia and appeared in the company of other symptoms. Recovery occurred in an average of 8.5 days, asynchronously with the SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR negativization, which occurred up to more than 15 days after the senses recovered. Maximum time of negativization of the RT-PCR of 34 days. Conclusion: chemosensory disorders are a symptom and / or sign of coronavirus disease but cannot be considered as predictors of said disease in this population studied. The gold standard remains the SARS-CoV-2 PCR-RT test. Rapid diagnostic tests should be used for follow-up. Recommendations: it is necessary to expand the sample, include routine psychophysical smell and taste tests to screen cases and take race and virus mutations into consideration to explain behavior in certain populations. Key words: Smell, taste, coronavirus, test, diagnosis.

scholarly journals VALIDATION OF A SALIVA-BASED TEST FOR THE MOLECULAR DIAGNOSIS OF SARS-CoV-2 INFECTION

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Bulfoni ◽  
Emanuela Sozio ◽  
Barbara Marcon ◽  
Maria De Martino ◽  
Daniela Cesselli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Value ◽  
Saliva Sample ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Clinical Sensitivity ◽  
Virus Identification ◽  
Stabilizing Solution ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Asymptomatic Subjects ◽  
Screening And Diagnosis

Background: Since the beginning of the pandemic, clinicians and researchers have been searching for alternative tests to improve screening and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Currently, the gold standard for virus identification is the nasopharyngeal (NP) swab. Saliva samples, however, offer clear practical and logistical advantages but due to lack of collection, transport, and storage solutions, high-throughput saliva-based laboratory tests are difficult to scale up as a screening or diagnostic tool. With this study, we aimed to validate an intra-laboratory molecular detection method for SARS-CoV-2 on saliva samples collected in a new storage and inactivating solution, comparing the results to NP swabs to determine the difference in sensitivity between the two tests. Methods: In this study, 156 patients (cases) and 1005 asymptomatic subjects (controls) were enrolled and tested simultaneously for the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome by RT-PCR on both NP swab and saliva samples. Saliva samples were collected in a preservative and inhibiting saline solution (Biofarma Srl). Internal method validation was performed to standardize the entire workflow for saliva samples. Results: The identification of SARS-CoV-2 conducted on saliva samples showed a clinical sensitivity of 95.1% and specificity of 97.8% compared to NP swabs. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 81% while the negative predictive value (NPV) was 99.5%. Test concordance was 97.6% (Cohen's Kappa=0.86; 95% CI 0.81-0.91). The LoD of the test was 5 viral copies for both samples. Conclusions: RT-PCR assays conducted on a stored saliva sample achieved similar performance to those on NP swabs and this may provide a very effective tool for population screening and diagnosis. Collection of saliva in a stabilizing solution makes the test more convenient and widely available; furthermore, the denaturation properties of the solution reduces the infective risks belonging to sample manipulation.

MXene Nanosheets May Induce Toxic Effect on the Early Stage of Embryogenesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 364-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hashim Alhussain ◽  
Robin Augustine ◽  
Essraa A. Hussein ◽  
Ishita Gupta ◽  
Anwarul Hasan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxic Effect ◽  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Normal Development ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Chorioallantoic Membrane ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Potential Toxicity ◽  
Avian Embryos ◽  
Low Concentrations

MXene (Ti3C2Tx), as a novel 2D material, has produced a great interest due to its promising properties in biomedical applications, nevertheless, there is a lack of studies dedicated to investigate the possible toxic effect of MXene in embryos. Herein, we aim to scrutinize the potential toxicity of MXene nanosheets on the early stage of the embryo as well as angiogenesis. Avian embryos at 3 and 5 days of incubation were used as an experimental model in this investigation. Our findings reveal that MXene may produce adverse effect on the early stage of embryogenesis as ∼46% of MXene-exposed embryos died during 1–5 days after exposure. We also found that MXene at tested concentration inhibits angiogenesis of the chorioallantoic membrane of the embryo after 5 days of incubation. More significantly, RT-PCR analysis of seven genes, which are key regulators of cell proliferation, survival, cell death and angiogenesis, revealed that these genes were deregulated in brain, heart and liver tissues from MXene-treated embryos in comparison with their matched controls. Our study clearly suggests that MXene at studied concentration might induce a toxic effect on the early stage of embryogenesis; nevertheless, more investigations are necessary to understand the effect at low concentrations and elucidate its mechanism at the early stage of normal development.

scholarly journals The landscape of gene fusions in hepatocellular carcinoma

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengpei Zhu ◽  
Yanling Lv ◽  
Liangcai Wu ◽  
Jinxia Guan ◽  
Xue Bai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Gene Fusion ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Gene Fusions ◽  
Fusion Genes ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Critical Function

AbstractMost hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients are diagnosed at advanced stages and suffer limited treatment options. Challenges in early stage diagnosis may be due to the genetic complexity of HCC. Gene fusion plays a critical function in tumorigenesis and cancer progression in multiple cancers, yet the identities of fusion genes as potential diagnostic markers in HCC have not been investigated.Paired-end RNA sequencing was performed on noncancerous and cancerous lesions in two representative HBV-HCC patients. Potential fusion genes were identified by STAR-Fusion in STAR software and validated by four publicly available RNA-seq datasets. Fourteen pairs of frozen HBV-related HCC samples and adjacent non-tumor liver tissues were examined by RT-PCR analysis for gene fusion expression.We identified 2,354 different gene fusions in the two HBV-HCC patients. Validation analysis against the four RNA-seq datasets revealed only 1.8% (43/2,354) as recurrent fusions that were supported by public datasets. Comparison with four fusion databases demonstrated that three (HLA-DPB2-HLA-DRB1, CDH23-HLA-DPB1, and C15orf57-CBX3) out of 43 recurrent gene fusions were annotated as disease-related fusion events. Nineteen were novel recurrent fusions not previously annotated to diseases, including DCUN1D3-GSG1L and SERPINA5-SERPINA9. RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing of 14 pairs of HBV-related HCC samples confirmed expression of six of the new fusions, including RP11-476K15.1-CTD-2015H3.2.Our study provides new insights into gene fusions in HCC and could contribute to the development of anti-HCC therapy. RP11–476K15.1-CTD–2015H3.2 may serve as a new therapeutic biomarker in HCC.

Significant Toxic Effect of Carbon Nanofibers at the Early Stage of Embryogenesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 975-984
Author(s):  
Ghada G. Abdo ◽  
Hadeel Kheraldine ◽  
Ishita Gupta ◽  
Balsam Rizeq ◽  
Ahmed Elzatahry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxic Effect ◽  
Carbon Nanofibers ◽  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Normal Development ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Chorioallantoic Membrane ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
The Impact

Implementation of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in biomedical applications have successful outcomes, however, they are still considered as a potential hazard. We herein used avian embryos at 3 days and its chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) at 6 days of incubation to evaluate the impact of synthesized CNFs on the early stage of embryogenesis and angiogenesis. Our data point out that 50 μg/embryo concentration of CNFs provoke adverse effects as 75% of CNFs-exposed embryos die within 1–5 days after exposure compared with their matched controls. Furthermore, CNFs significantly inhibit angiogenesis of the CAM after 48-hours post-treatment. Additionally, RT-PCR analysis on seven key controller genes responsible for proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, and apoptosis showed that these genes are deregulated in brain, heart, and liver tissues of CNFs-exposed embryos compared to their matched control. Our investigation suggests that CNFs could have a toxic effect on the early stages of embryogenesis as well as angiogenesis. Nevertheless, further investigations are required to evaluate the effects of CNFs and elucidate their mechanism on the early stage of the normal development and human health.

Encephalomyelitis Associated with Akabane Virus Infection in Adult Cows

2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Lee ◽  
J. S. Park ◽  
J. H. Choi ◽  
B. K. Park ◽  
B. C. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Neuronal Loss ◽  
Ventral Horn ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Akabane Virus ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Adult Cattle ◽  
The Brain

Between August and September 2000, five 2–7-year-old cows in Korea exhibited neurologic signs and were diagnosed as infected with Akabane virus based on the results of histopathology, immunohistochemistry, serology, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR were equally effective and sensitive for diagnosing Akabane virus infection during the early stage of infection. Typical lymphohistiocytic inflammation characterized by perivascular mononuclear cell infiltration, gliosis, neuronophagia, and neuronal loss was noted in the brain and the ventral horn gray matter of the spinal cord. The lesions in the brain were most prominent in the pons and medulla oblongata. Akabane virus antigen was detected in the brain and spinal cord, mainly in degenerating neurons and glial cells. RTPCR analysis revealed a target band of expected size in four cows. This is the first report on an outbreak of natural Akabane virus infection in adult cattle.

scholarly journals The usefulness of a quantitative olfactory test for the detection of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos A Lessa ◽  
Stella M Cotta-Pereira ◽  
Frederico A Ferreira ◽  
Therezinha Marta P P Castiñeiras ◽  
Rafael M Galliez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Value ◽  
Nasal Congestion ◽  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Olfactory Dysfunction ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Early Symptom ◽  
Olfactory Test ◽  
Response Card ◽  
Polymerase Chain

AbstractBackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, olfactory dysfunction (anosmia or hyposmia) has been reported by many patients and recognized as a prevalent and early symptom of infection. This finding has been associated with viral-induced olfactory neuron dysfunction rather than the nasal congestion typically found in cold- or flu-like states. In literature, the prevalence of anosmia varies from 15% to 85%, and the studies, in general, were based on the subjective evaluation of patients’ self-reports of loss of smell (yes or no question). In the present study, we quantitatively evaluated olfactory dysfunction and the prevalence of fever in symptomatic patients suspected of having COVID-19 using a scratch-and-sniff olfactory test and infrared temperature testing with RT-PCR as the gold-standard comparator method to diagnose COVID-19 infection.MethodsOutpatients had their forehead temperature checked with an infrared non-contact thermometer (temperature guns). After that, they received two olfactory smell identification test (SIT) cards (u-Smell-it™; CT, USA) that each had 5 scent windows and were asked to scratch with a pencil and sniff each of the 10 small circles containing the microencapsulated fragrances and mark the best option on a response card. Nasopharyngeal swabs were then collected for Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) to determine if the patients were positive or negative for COVID-19 infection. We considered the number of ‘hits’ (correct answers) ≤ 5 as positive for loss of smell (LOS) in the olfactory test; ≥ 6 hits was considered negative for LOS (i.e. normal olfactory function). All data were analyzed using Excel and Matlab software.ResultsIn the present study, 165 patients were eligible for the olfactory test and nasopharyngeal swab collection RT-PCR. Five patients were excluded because of inconclusive PCR results (n=2) and missing data (n=3). A total of 160 patients completed all the protocols. The RT-PCR positivity rate for COVID-19 was 27.5% (n=44), and PCR+ patients scored significantly worse in the olfactory test (5.5±3.5) compared to RT-PCR-patients (8.2±1.8, p<0.001). 0/44 PCR+ patients presented with a fever (≥37.8°C). In contrast an olfactory SIT had a specificity of 94.8% (95% CI, 89.1 – 98.1), sensitivity of 47.7% (95% CI, 32.7 – 63.3), accuracy of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.75 – 0.87), positive predictive value of 77.8% (95% CI, 59.6 – 88.8), negative predictive value of 82.7% (85% CI, 78.7 – 86.7), and odds ratio of 16.7.ConclusionOur results suggest that temperature checking failed to detect COVID-19 infection, while an olfactory test may be useful to help identify COVID-19 infection in symptomatic patients.

Novel Intraoperative Molecular Test for Sentinel Lymph Node Metastases in Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (20) ◽  
pp. 3338-3345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas B. Julian ◽  
Peter Blumencranz ◽  
Kenneth Deck ◽  
Pat Whitworth ◽  
Donald A. Berry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lymph Node ◽  
Sentinel Lymph Node ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Frozen Section ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Cytokeratin 19 ◽  
Axillary Lymph ◽  
Molecular Tests ◽  
Permanent Section

PurposeAn accurate, intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) test could decrease delayed axillary dissections. Molecular tests may be more sensitive than current intraoperative tests but historically have not been rapid enough and have not been properly validated. We present the results from a large, prospective evaluation of the first rapid molecular SLN test, the Breast Lymph Node (BLN) Assay.MethodsA beta trial (n = 304) to determine the threshold levels of mammaglobin and cytokeratin 19 correlating with metastasis greater than 0.2 mm and a validation trial (n = 416) to validate the threshold cutoffs were conducted. Alternating portions from each SLN were processed for histology and the BLN Assay.ResultsBLN Assay performance against extensive permanent-section histology verified by central pathology review was similar to that expected of standard permanent-section histology: sensitivity, 87.6%; specificity, 94.2%; positive predictive value, 86.2%; and negative predictive value (NPV), 94.9%. In 319 patients with both frozen-section hematoxylin and eosin results and BLN Assay results, the BLN Assay had higher sensitivity (95.6%) and NPV (98.2%) than frozen section (sensitivity, 85.6%; NPV, 94.5%). The assay can be performed in approximately 36 to 46 minutes for one to three nodes.ConclusionThe BLN Assay allows a rapid evaluation of 50% of each SLN. Comparison with permanent-section histology on adjacent node pieces evaluated by expert pathologists indicated that the BLN Assay was more sensitive than current intraoperative techniques while maintaining high specificity. These data indicate that the assay may be clinically useful for intraoperative or postoperative axillary lymph node dissection decisions.

scholarly journals Plasma-derived exosomal miR-4732-5p is a promising noninvasive diagnostic biomarker for epithelial ovarian cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Liu ◽  
Jigeun Yoo ◽  
Jung Yoon Ho ◽  
Yuyeon Jung ◽  
Sanha Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Epithelial Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Roc Curves ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
Exosomal Mirnas ◽  
Exosomal Mirna

Abstract Background Exosomal miRNAs regulate gene expression and play important roles in several diseases. We used exosomal miRNA profiling to investigate diagnostic biomarkers of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods In total, 55 individuals were enrolled, comprising healthy (n = 21) and EOC subjects (n = 34). Small mRNA (smRNA) sequencing and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) were performed to identify potential biomarkers. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were conducted to determine biomarker sensitivity and specificity. Results Using smRNA sequencing, we identified seven up-regulated (miR-4732-5p, miR-877-5p, miR-574-3p, let-7a-5p, let-7b-5p, let-7c-5p, and let-7f-5p) and two down-regulated miRNAs (miR-1273f and miR-342-3p) in EOC patients when compared with healthy subjects. Of these, miR-4732-5p and miR-1273f were the most up-regulated and down-regulated respectively, therefore they were selected for RT-PCR analysis. Plasma derived exosomal miR-4732-5p had an area under the ROC curve of 0.889, with 85.7% sensitivity and 82.4% specificity in distinguishing EOC patients from healthy subjects (p<0.0001) and could be a potential biomarker for monitoring the EOC progression from early stage to late stage (p = 0.018). Conclusions Plasma derived exosomal miR-4732-5p may be a promising candidate biomarker for diagnosing EOC.

scholarly journals Altered staining patterns and expression level of Engrailed-2 in Benign prostatic hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer predict Prostatic disease progression

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Li ◽  
Yibo Shi ◽  
Rigai Sa ◽  
Jun Hao ◽  
Jinhao Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Clinical Stage ◽  
Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Rt Pcr

Abstract Background: Prostate cancer (PC) as a kind of malignant tumor, causes the most death of cancer among males. Successful curing of PC greatly relies on its diagnose in the early stage. Engrailed-2 (EN2), which has been confirmed being existed in the high level in the urine of PC patients. In this study, we determine if there were differences in the staining patterns and expression level of EN2 in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and PC.Methods: Immunohistochemical and RT-PCR analysis of the expression of EN2 was conducted in 25 PC and 25 BPH cases. EN2 monoclonal antibody against EN2 helix 3 was developed and its specificity was identified. The subcellular localization of endogenic and exogenous EN2 in three PC cell lines (LNCap, PC3, and DU145) was detected by immunofluorescence. Correlation among clinical indicators and EN2 immunohistochemical scores of these 25 PC and 25 BPH cases were analyzed and two representative PC cases with different EN2 expression were used to vividly illustrate the correlation between EN2 expression and PC clinical stage. Results: The results of western-blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence showed homemade EN2 monoclonal antibody could specifically bind endogenic and ectogenic EN2 protein in three different PC cell lines. Results of immunofluorescence showed the endogenic EN2 was generally expressed in the cytoplasm and ectogenic EN2 has mostly existed in the nucleus of three PC cell lines. Immunohistochemical staining of EN2 in PC was extremely higher than in BPH confirmed by RT-PCR. The staining areas were mostly nucleus and cytoplasm in BPH tissues but cytomembrane in PC tissues. The expression level of EN2 was positively correlated with the PC clinical stage. Conclusion: The EN2 monoclonal antibody we made could be used in immunohistochemistry to display the expression pattern of EN2 in BPH and PC. The staining patterns and expression level of EN2 in BPH and PC are different.

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