scholarly journals Low Sensitivity of NS1 Protein Tests Evidenced during a Dengue Type 2 Virus Outbreak in Santos, Brazil, in 2010

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 1972-1976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvina Clara Felix ◽  
Camila Malta Romano ◽  
Cristiane de Campos Centrone ◽  
Célia Lima Rodrigues ◽  
Lucy Villas-Boas ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn 2010, a large outbreak of dengue occurred in Santos, Brazil. The detection of the NS1 antigen was used for diagnosis in addition to the detection of IgG, IgM, and RNA. A large number of NS1 false-negative results were obtained. A total of 379 RNA-positive samples were selected for thorough evaluation. NS1 was reactive in 37.7% of cases. Most of the cases were characterized as a secondary infection by dengue 2 virus. Sequencing of NS1 positive and negative isolates did not reveal any mutation that could justify the diagnostic failure. Use of existing NS1 tests in the Brazilian population may present a low negative predictive value, and they should be used with caution, preferentially after performing a validation with samples freshly obtained during the ongoing epidemic.

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 1035-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra Vives ◽  
Francisca Gonzalez Lopez ◽  
Joan Benach

Abstract This study aims to assess the accuracy of temporary employment as indicator or proxy measure of precarious employment. Using sensitivity and specificity analysis, we compared type of contract (temporary versus permanent) with the Chilean version of the multidimensional Employment Precariousness Scale. Temporary employment exhibited very low sensitivity (<30%) (specificity >90%), resulting in roughly 38% of false negative results. Different EPRES-Ch cut-off scores produced similar results. The main implication of these findings is that the public health relevance of precarious employment is being underestimated both in terms of prevalence and of its association with health, making it critical that valid multidimensional measures of precarious employment be implemented.


1991 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 1700-1707 ◽  
Author(s):  
D E Pollet ◽  
E L Saman ◽  
D C Peeters ◽  
H M Warmenbol ◽  
L M Heyndrickx ◽  
...  

Abstract We evaluated the use of the INNO-LIA HIV-1/HIV-2 Ab test (LIA HIV; Innogenetics) for the confirmation of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2). The test includes three recombinant HIV-1 proteins: p24 (gag), p17 (gag), and endonuclease (p31; pol), in combination with two synthetic peptides derived from the env gene of HIV-1 and one synthetic peptide selected from the env gene of HIV-2. Analysis of 450 sera from blood donors, 220 sera from patients with non-HIV pathology, and 28 Western blot (WB) p24-only reactive sera revealed no false-positive results, and the rate of indeterminate results was substantially lower than that with WB. Testing of 334 WB-confirmed HIV antibody-positive sera (309 HIV-1; 25 HIV-2) revealed no false-negative results. In two of seven seroconversion panels tested, LIA HIV detected the presence of HIV antibodies before WB did. In the other five panels, LIA HIV and WB confirmed the presence of HIV antibodies in the same sample. The LIA HIV assay therefore appears well suited for routine confirmation of the presence of HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Abdulkader Helwan ◽  
Mohammad Khaleel Sallam Ma’aitah ◽  
Hani Hamdan ◽  
Dilber Uzun Ozsahin ◽  
Ozum Tuncyurek

The reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is still the routinely used test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). However, according to several reports, RT-PCR showed a low sensitivity and multiple tests may be required to rule out false negative results. Recently, chest computed tomography (CT) has been an efficient tool to diagnose COVID-19 as it is directly affecting the lungs. In this paper, we investigate the application of pre-trained models in diagnosing patients who are positive for COVID-19 and differentiating it from normal patients, who tested negative for coronavirus. The study aims to compare the generalization capabilities of deep learning models with two thoracic radiologists in diagnosing COVID-19 chest CT images. A dataset of 3000 images was obtained from the Near East Hospital, Cyprus, and used to train and to test the three employed pre-trained models. In a test set of 250 images used to evaluate the deep neural networks and the radiologists, it was found that deep networks (ResNet-18, ResNet-50, and DenseNet-201) can outperform the radiologists in terms of higher accuracy (97.8%), sensitivity (98.1%), specificity (97.3%), precision (98.4%), and F1-score (198.25%), in classifying COVID-19 images.


1974 ◽  
Vol 31 (02) ◽  
pp. 273-278
Author(s):  
Kenneth K Wu ◽  
John C Hoak ◽  
Robert W Barnes ◽  
Stuart L Frankel

SummaryIn order to evaluate its daily variability and reliability, impedance phlebography was performed daily or on alternate days on 61 patients with deep vein thrombosis, of whom 47 also had 125I-fibrinogen uptake tests and 22 had radiographic venography. The results showed that impedance phlebography was highly variable and poorly reliable. False positive results were noted in 8 limbs (18%) and false negative results in 3 limbs (7%). Despite its being simple, rapid and noninvasive, its clinical usefulness is doubtful when performed according to the original method.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 413-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Farouk Allam

Due to the international spread of COVID-19, the difficulty of collecting nasopharyngeal swab specimen from all suspected patients, the costs of RT-PCR and CT, and the false negative results of RT-PCR assay in 41% of COVID-19 patients, a scoring system is needed to classify the suspected patients in order to determine the need for follow-up, home isolation, quarantine or the conduction of further investigations. A scoring system is proposed as a diagnostic tool for suspected patients. It includes Epidemiological Evidence of Exposure, Clinical Symptoms and Signs, and Investigations (if available). This scoring system is simple, could be calculated in a few minutes, and incorporates the main possible data/findings of any patient.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pegah Shakib ◽  
Mohammad Reza Zolfaghari

Background: Conventional laboratory culture-based methods for diagnosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae are time-consuming and yield false negative results. Molecular methods including real-time (RT)-PCR rapid methods and conventional PCR due to higher sensitivity and accuracy have been replaced instead traditional culture assay. The aim of the current study was to evaluate lytA gene for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the cerebrospinal fluid of human patients with meningitis using real-time PCR assay. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 30 clinical specimens were collected from patients in a period from September to December 2018. In order to evaluate the presence of lytA gene, conventional and real-time PCR methods were used without culture. Results: From 30 sputum samples five (16.66%) isolates were identified as S. pneumoniae by lytA PCR and sequencing. Discussion: In this research, an accurate and rapid real-time PCR method was used, which is based on lytA gene for diagnosis of bacteria so that it can be diagnosed. Based on the sequencing results, the sensitivity for detection of lytA gene was 100% (5/5).


Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Silvia De Feo ◽  
Viviana Frantellizzi ◽  
Giuseppe De Vincentis

Background: We present the case of a 55-year-old woman, admitted to the Infectious Disease Department of Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, in mid-March 2020, with suspicion of COVID-19 infection. Objective: The rRT-PCR was negative and the following CT scan, performed to exclude false-negative results and help diagnosis, was inconclusive. Methods: It was decided to submit the patient to 99mTc-HMPAO-labelled leukocyte scan. Results: This exam led to the diagnosis of infective endocarditis. Conclusion: In the present pandemic scenario, 99mTc-HMPAO-labelled leukocyte scan represents a reliable imaging technique for differential diagnosis with COVID-19 in patients with confusing clinical signs, possible false-negative rRT-PCR results and inconclusive CT scan.


Author(s):  
Hyoung-Jin Moon ◽  
Won Lee ◽  
Ji-Soo Kim ◽  
Eun-Jung Yang ◽  
Hema Sundaram

Abstract Background Aspiration testing before filler injection is controversial. Some believe that aspiration can help prevent inadvertent intravascular injection, while others cite false-negative results and question its value given that the needle position always changes somewhat during injection procedures. Objectives To test the relation of false-negative results to the viscosity of the material within the needle lumen and determine whether a less viscous material within the needle lumen could decrease the incidence of false-negative results. Methods In vitro aspiration tests were performed using 30-G and 27-G needle gauges, two cross-linked hyaluronic acid fillers, normal saline bags pressurized at 140 and 10 mmHg to mimic human arterial and venous pressures, and three needle lumen conditions (normal saline, air, and filler). Testing was repeated three times under each study condition (72 tests in total). For in vivo correlation, aspiration tests were performed on femoral arteries and central auricular veins in three rabbits (4–5 aspirations per site, 48 tests in total). Results In vitro and in vivo testing using 30-G needles containing filler both showed false-negative results on aspiration testing. In vitro and in vivo testing using needles containing saline or air showed positive findings. Conclusions False-negative results from aspiration testing may be reduced by pre-filling the needle lumen with saline rather than a filler. The pressurized system may help overcome challenges of animal models with intravascular pressures significantly different from those of humans. The adaptability of this system to mimic various vessel pressures may facilitate physiologically relevant studies of vascular complications.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document