Validation of the INNO-LIA Syphilis Kit as a Confirmatory Assay for
            Treponema pallidum
            Antibodies

ABSTRACT The commercially available diagnostic tests for syphilis are mostly based on the use of extracted antigens of Treponema pallidum . Pronounced cross-reactivities with other spirochete antigens are often reported. The aim of this study was to validate a novel multiparametric assay (the assay performed with the kit) INNO-LIA Syphilis for the confirmation of syphilis antibodies in a set of 840 documented human serum samples. All serum samples were previously tested at the French World Health Organization reference center for venereal diseases (Institute Alfred Fournier, Paris, France), with a consensus result provided for each sample. The study was conducted in two phases, with each phase involving a validation set (500 well-documented serum samples) and an exploratory set (340 serum samples) of serum samples, respectively. By measuring the sensitivity and specificity, we compared the result of the new assay with the consensus result on the basis of the results of a variable number of classical serological methods and clinical information when available. A sensitivity of 99.6% (95% confidence internal [CI], 98.5 to 99.9%) and a specificity of 99.5% (95% CI, 98.1 to 99.9%) were found for the new line immunoassay. Six of seven samples with indeterminate results by classical serology tested positive with the INNO-LIA Syphilis kit. This single multiparametric assay provides reliable confirmatory diagnostic information that must currently be obtained by the performance and interpretation of results of a combination of serological assays.

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Developmental venous anomaly in adult patients with diffuse glioma

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000006690 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 92 (1) ◽

pp. e55-e62 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Alexandre Roux ◽

Myriam Edjlali ◽

Sayuri Porelli ◽

Arnault Tauziede-Espariat ◽

Marc Zanello ◽

...

Keyword(s):

External Validation ◽

Adult Patients ◽

World Health ◽

Diffuse Glioma ◽

Developmental Venous Anomaly ◽

Venous Anomaly ◽

Control Sets ◽

Control Set ◽

Validation Set ◽

Health Organization

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of developmental venous anomaly in adult patients with diffuse glioma.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study (2010–2016) of consecutive adult patients harboring a supratentorial diffuse glioma in 2 centers: Sainte-Anne Hospital (experimental and control sets) and Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (external validation set). We included 219 patients with diffuse glioma (experimental set), 252 patients with brain metastasis (control set), and 200 patients with diffuse glioma (validation set). The inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years at diagnosis, histopathologic diagnosis of diffuse glioma according to the 2016 World Health Organization classification of tumors of the CNS, surgery as first-line treatment without previous oncologic treatment, available presurgical MRI performed with similar acquisition protocol, and absence of a nodular-like or a ring-like pattern of contrast enhancement on MRI that may preclude the identification of a possible developmental venous anomaly within the glioma.ResultsWe found more developmental venous anomaly in the experimental set (21.5%) than in the control set (5.2%, p < 0.001). Similarly, we found more developmental venous anomaly in the validation set (23.5%) than in the control set (5.2%, p < 0.001). There was no difference in the developmental venous anomaly prevalence between the experimental and validation sets. The developmental venous anomaly distribution was not significantly associated with histopathologic, molecular, or imaging findings of the diffuse gliomas.ConclusionsWe report and replicate in an external cohort a high prevalence of developmental venous anomaly in adult patients with diffuse glioma, which suggests a potential underlying common predisposition or a causal relationship that requires deeper investigations.

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Myelodysplastic syndrome: classification and prognostic systems

Oncology Reviews ◽

10.4081/oncol.2010.45 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 25-33

Author(s):

Rosangela Invernizzi ◽

Agnese Filocco

Keyword(s):

Clinical Information ◽

Scoring Systems ◽

Classification Systems ◽

World Health ◽

Individual Risk ◽

Information Classification ◽

Definition Of ◽

Health Organization ◽

The Individual ◽

Prognostic Scoring Systems

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are acquired clonal disorders of hematopoiesis, that are characterized most frequently by normocellular or hypercellular bone marrow specimens, and maturation that is morphologically and functionally dysplastic. MDS constitute a complex hematological problem: differences in disease presentation, progression and outcome have made it necessary to use classification systems to improve diagnosis, prognostication and treatment selection. On the basis of new scientific and clinical information, classification and prognostic systems have recently been updated and minimal diagnostic criteria forMDS have been proposed by expert panels. In addition, in the last few years our ability to define the prognosis of the individual patient with MDS has improved. In this paper World Health Organization (WHO) classification refinements and recent prognostic scoring systems for the definition of individual risk are highlighted and current criteria are discussed. The recommendations should facilitate diagnostic and prognostic evaluations in MDS and selection of patients for new effective targeted therapies.

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Urdu Translation and Adaptation of Brief COPE Scale

Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research ◽

10.33824/pjpr.2020.35.1.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 1-21

Author(s):

Asma Nisa ◽

Salma Siddiqui

Keyword(s):

Coping Strategies ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

World Health ◽

World Health Organization Quality ◽

Brief Cope ◽

Quality Of Life Scale ◽

Convergent And Divergent Validity ◽

Two Phases ◽

Health Organization

The phenomenon of coping has received remarkable recognition and instruments have been developed to survey diverse coping strategies. This study was aimed to translate, adapt, and validate Brief Coping Orientation of Problems Experienced (Brief COPE) inventory (Carver, 1997) in Urdu language by focusing on dispositional coping. The study includes two phases: Phase I comprised of translation and adaptation of Brief COPE in Urdu while in Phase II, psychometric analyses were carried out. The sample of 400 students (men = 200, women = 200) with age range between 19 to 25 years was taken from universities of Islamabad. The Brief COPE (Urdu), World Health Organization - Quality of Life Scale-Brief (Khan, Akhter, Ayub, Alam, & Naeem, 2003), and Aga Khan University Anxiety and Depression Scale (Ali, Reza, Khan, & Jehan, 1998) were administered. Factor analysis of Brief COPE yielded three factors namely, Problem Focused Coping, Avoidance Coping and Emotion Focused Coping that explained 33.66% of variance. The subscales demonstrated acceptable alpha reliability. Psychological distress correlated with avoidance and emotion focused coping; whereas problem focused coping correlated with better life satisfaction. Brief COPE demonstrated good preliminary evidence of internal consistency, convergent, and divergent validity for coping strategies, therefore, could be used in research and clinical settings in future in our culture.

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Antibody titers measured by commercial assays are correlated with neutralizing antibody titers calibrated by international standards

10.1101/2021.07.16.21260618 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yu-An Kung ◽

Chung-Guei Huang ◽

Sheng-Yu Huang ◽

Kuan-Ting Liu ◽

Peng-Nien Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Vaccine Development ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Diagnostic Techniques ◽

International Standards ◽

World Health ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the importance of an international standard (IS) for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titer detection, with the aim of calibrating different diagnostic techniques. In this study, IS was applied to calibrate neutralizing antibody titers (IU/mL) and binding antibody titers (BAU/mL) in response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Serum samples were collected from participants receiving the Moderna (n = 20) and Pfizer (n = 20) vaccines at three time points: pre-vaccination, after one dose, and after two doses. We obtained geometric mean titers of 1404.16 and 928.75 IU/mL for neutralizing antibodies after two doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, respectively. These values provide an important baseline for vaccine development and the implementation of non-inferiority trials. We also compared three commercially available kits from Roche, Abbott, and MeDiPro for the detection of COVID-19 antibodies based on binding affinity to S1 and/or RBD. Our results demonstrated that antibody titers measured by commercial assays are highly correlated with neutralizing antibody titers calibrated by IS.

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miR-9-1 Is a New Circulating Biomarker for Higher-grade Meningioma Regulated via the EGFR-FOS Network

10.21203/rs.3.rs-52124/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daniele Baiz ◽

Caterina Negroni ◽

Sara Ferluga ◽

Emanuela Ercolano ◽

Claire L Adams ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tumor Grade ◽

World Health ◽

Tumor Growth Rate ◽

Low Grade ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Circulating Biomarker ◽

Mirna Array ◽

Malignant Grade ◽

Health Organization

Abstract Background: Meningiomas are the most common primary CNS tumors. According to the World Health Organization Classification (WHO), they are classified as benign (grade I), atypical (grade II), and anaplastic/malignant (grade III). Chemotherapy has proven ineffective in treating these tumors, which are primarily managed by surgery, radiotherapy, or a combination of them. Morbidity and mortality correlate with meningioma grade. Currently, risk assessment for treatment is based on the radiological assessment of tumor size, tumor growth rate, and/or clinical progression of symptoms. Methods: We performed a cancer miRNA array in an in vitro model of meningioma in order to identify circulating biomarkers in meningioma patients. We validated the miRNA biomarker candidate in cells and tissues and analyzed its regulation. We then investigated expression in tissues and blood. Results: We identified miR-9-1 as significantly overexpressed in atypical and anaplastic cells compared to benign. We further demonstrated that miR-9-1 overexpression is due to increased levels of FOS via upregulation of the EGFR receptor, and showed that miR-9-1 and FOS are upregulated in a cohort of higher-grade meningioma biopsies. Next, we isolated circulating exosomes from meningioma patients’ serum samples, and found higher levels of miR-9-1 in higher-grade compared to low-grade meningiomas patients. Conclusions: Overall, our study shows overexpression and the mechanism of miR-9-1 regulation and suggests miR-9-1 as a novel circulating biomarker candidate to identify tumor grade in meningioma.

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Surveillance of adverse events in the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis: first global report

European Respiratory Journal ◽

10.1183/13993003.01522-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 54 (6) ◽

pp. 1901522 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Sergey Borisov ◽

Edvardas Danila ◽

Andrei Maryandyshev ◽

Margareth Dalcolmo ◽

Skaidrius Miliauskas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adverse Events ◽

Active Drug ◽

Clinical Information ◽

World Health ◽

Drug Resistant ◽

Serious Adverse Events ◽

Resistant Tuberculosis ◽

Drug Safety Monitoring ◽

Grade 3 ◽

Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that countries implement pharmacovigilance and collect information on active drug safety monitoring (aDSM) and management of adverse events.The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the frequency and severity of adverse events to anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs in a cohort of consecutive TB patients treated with new (i.e. bedaquiline, delamanid) and repurposed (i.e. clofazimine, linezolid) drugs, based on the WHO aDSM project. Adverse events were collected prospectively after attribution to a specific drug together with demographic, bacteriological, radiological and clinical information at diagnosis and during therapy. This interim analysis included patients who completed or were still on treatment at time of data collection.Globally, 45 centres from 26 countries/regions reported 658 patients (68.7% male, 4.4% HIV co-infected) treated as follows: 87.7% with bedaquiline, 18.4% with delamanid (6.1% with both), 81.5% with linezolid and 32.4% with clofazimine. Overall, 504 adverse event episodes were reported: 447 (88.7%) were classified as minor (grade 1–2) and 57 (11.3%) as serious (grade 3–5). The majority of the 57 serious adverse events reported by 55 patients (51 out of 57, 89.5%) ultimately resolved. Among patients reporting serious adverse events, some drugs held responsible were discontinued: bedaquiline in 0.35% (two out of 577), delamanid in 0.8% (one out of 121), linezolid in 1.9% (10 out of 536) and clofazimine in 1.4% (three out of 213) of patients. Serious adverse events were reported in 6.9% (nine out of 131) of patients treated with amikacin, 0.4% (one out of 221) with ethionamide/prothionamide, 2.8% (15 out of 536) with linezolid and 1.8% (eight out of 498) with cycloserine/terizidone.The aDSM study provided valuable information, but implementation needs scaling-up to support patient-centred care.

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Measurement of Content of 226Ra in Drinking Water From Some States of Mexican Republic by Liquid Scintillation Method

Journal of Nuclear Physics Material Sciences Radiation and Applications ◽

10.15415/jnp.2020.72025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 195-201

Author(s):

A. Ángeles ◽

E. Quintero ◽

I. Gaso ◽

C. P. Zepeda ◽

T. Palma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Water Samples ◽

Liquid Scintillation ◽

Screening Program ◽

Radioactive Material ◽

World Health ◽

Reference Level ◽

Gross Alpha ◽

Two Phases ◽

Health Organization

To assess the quality of drinking water in respect to the content of radioactivity, usually is carried out an screening program in the locations of interest, that program consist in pick representative samples of drinking water from the wells in that locations, water samples are analyzed to measuring the gross alpha/beta radioactivity by a low background proportional counter or a liquid scintillation system. When some sample exceeds the normative limit then it must be known which radionuclides are in that sample. Expected radionuclides in water are the NORM (normal occurring radioactive material) from the natural radioactive chains. 226Ra is frequently present in drinking water and is one of most important radionuclide because its “radiotoxicity”, the WHO [World Health Organization, Guidelines for drinking-water Quality, (2016)] recommends a reference level for 226Ra of 1 Bq/L (the dose coefficient for 226Ra is 2.8 x 10-7 Sv/Bq). From a national program of drinking water screening in the Mexican Republic, the samples that exceeded the national normative limits were picked again in the same well and analyzed by LS (liquid Scintillation), using the method of two phases with a not water miscible scintillator cocktail. Results of concentrations of 226Ra from drinking water are presented. In general the content of 226Ra in drinking water samples was lower that the guide values recommended for the WHO.

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In-House Developed ELISA Indicates High Prevalence of Anti-Echinococcus granulosus IgG in Sheep Population—An Update from Pakistan

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens9110905 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 905

Author(s):

Mughees Aizaz Alvi ◽

John Asekhaen Ohiolei ◽

Li Li ◽

Muhammad Saqib ◽

Muhammad Hammad Hussain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Echinococcus Granulosus ◽

Statistical Technique ◽

World Health ◽

Health Concern ◽

Age Group ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Sheep Population ◽

Apparent Prevalence ◽

Potential Risk Factors ◽

Health Organization

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a World Health Organization (WHO)-listed neglected tropical farm economy jeopardizing and public health concern disease. This study was aimed at furnishing sero-epidemiological baseline data of CE in sheep in Pakistan, where data are non-existent. For this purpose, two sheep-rich provinces of Pakistan were selected, and 728 sheep sera were collected using probability proportional to size (PPS) statistical technique. Epidemiological information was recorded on a questionnaire for the estimation of potential risk factors. The serum samples were analyzed for IgG antibodies against Echinococcus granulosus using an in-house-developed EgAgB-based ELISA kit. The overall seroprevalence recorded was 21.98% (160/728) in the tested sheep, suggesting higher seropositivity in sheep from Punjab (23.73%) as compared to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) (19.04%). The overall apparent prevalence observed by this ELISA method was almost similar to the calculated true prevalence (21.77%). Prevalence was significantly different (p < 0.05) among sheep from different districts. Higher prevalence was found in females (22.54%, OR 1.41), age group > 5 years (29.66%, OR 1.64), crossbreeds (42.85%, OR 2.70), and sheep with pasture access (25.96%, OR 3.06). Being in age group > 5 years and having pasture access were the factors significantly associated with seropositivity (p < 0.05). This study provides serological evidence of E. granulosus infection in sheep and can be used as a model for ante-mortem screening of the sheep globally.

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Zika Virus Epidemiology in Selected West African Countries between 2007 and 2012

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/proceedings2020050100 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 100

Author(s):

Serena Marchi ◽

Simonetta Viviani ◽

Emanuele Montomoli ◽

Yuxiao Tang ◽

Adele Boccuto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Zika Virus ◽

West African ◽

The Gambia ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

World Health ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Limited Data ◽

Serum Samples ◽

African Countries ◽

Health Organization

Before its recent spread, serological investigations conducted between the 1960s and the 1990s showed the wide presence of Zika virus in Africa. According to the World Health Organization, the entire Africa continent is at risk of Zika outbreak due to the presence of the virus, competent vectors, and the low capacity for surveillance and containment of an epidemic. However, limited data are available on the recent prevalence in the African population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunity against Zika virus in samples of a selected cohort from West Africa, in order to investigate the circulation of the virus in the region during the first years of its emergence in the Pacific. Human serum samples were collected in 2007 and between 2011 and 2012 from a cohort of subjects from Mali, Senegal, and The Gambia. The samples were tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection kit and positives were further confirmed by microneutralization test. The results indicate that Zika virus is present and actively circulating in Senegal and The Gambia, with prevalence values of 13.7% and 6.9% in 2012, respectively. Although no significant differences in prevalence were found for the considered time period, seroconversion of some subjects showed the active circulation of Zika virus in the West African area. Analysis by age showed an increase in immunity in relation to increasing age, demonstrating that the population is consistently exposed to the virus throughout life and with a high possibility of being infected during reproductive age. In conclusion, the obtained results allow for better knowledge of the circulation of Zika virus within three different ecological and demographic contexts, and represent an update to the limited data currently available.

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Comparison of Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis Scoring Systems

Tumori Journal ◽

10.1177/030089160208800506 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 88 (5) ◽

pp. 379-384 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Durmuş Etiz ◽

Bülent Orhan ◽

Canan Demirüstü ◽

Kazim Özdamar ◽

Ahmet Çakmak

Keyword(s):

Radiation Therapy ◽

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group ◽

Clinical Information ◽

Scoring Systems ◽

World Health ◽

Oncology Group ◽

Oral Toxicity ◽

Radiation Induced ◽

Health Organization ◽

Toxicity Scoring

Background A number of oral toxicity scoring systems have been described, but their direct comparison has rarely been undertaken and little data exists. An impediment to mucositis research has been the lack of an accepted, validated scoring system. The objective of this study was to design a test and validation of scoring systems. Materials and methods Forty-three patients with head and neck malignancies who had been irradiated were evaluated. Five different mucositis scoring systems (World Health Organization, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, “Hickey”, “Van der Schueren” and “Makkonen”) were compared with each other. Results Daily mucositis scores demonstrated a high correlation among scoring systems (P <0.05 and coefficient of correlation κ and r = 0.5 - 0.95). Objective mucositis scores demonstrated a strong correlation with symptoms. Conclusions All scoring systems were equally valid. The exact grading of mucositis is achieved by combining clinical information about pain and nutritional status with oral mucosal reactions.

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