Validation of the analytical performance of the NOVEOS™ System, a system which improves upon the third-generation in vitro allergy testing technology

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 1865-1874
Author(s):  
Daniel Bauersachs ◽  
Ekaterina Potapova ◽  
Harald Renz ◽  
Stephanie Hagner Benes ◽  
Paolo Maria Matricardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immunoglobulin E ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Skin Prick Testing ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Analytical Performance ◽  
World Health ◽  
Good Precision ◽  
Third Generation ◽  
Reference Standard

AbstractObjectivesDetection of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) is important for the diagnosis of allergy. IgE sensitization is commonly demonstrated in vivo by skin prick testing (SPT), or in vitro utilizing automated systems. Recently, HYCOR® Biomedical launched its new system for allergen sIgE testing called the NOVEOS™ Immunoanalyzer. This study aims to evaluate the analytical performance of the NOVEOS system in a bi-center study at Philipps-University Marburg (Site-1) and Charité Medical University Berlin (Site-2), respectively.MethodsThe analytical performance was evaluated based on the guidelines I/LA20-A3, EP5-A3, EP17-A2, EP6-A, EP7-A3, and EP9-A3 of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI).ResultsThe conducted repeatability and within-laboratory precision tests provided acceptable performance with 3.0%–11.9% coefficient of variation across both sites. The limit of blank (LoB) and limit of detection (LoD) were <0.1 kU/L at both centers. A within-parameter linearity for all tested allergens was reported at both sites. Of note, no significant interference was observed for high levels of biotin, methylprednisolone, diphenhydramine, omalizumab, or ranitidine. Method comparison between the NOVEOS calibration and the latest World Health Organization (WHO) reference standard showed good agreement at both sites.ConclusionsThe results from the analytical performance of the NOVEOS allergen sIgE assay and instrument testing at both sites were comparable. Overall, a good precision and linearity as well as a detection limit <0.1 kU/L were observed, with minimal impact of common interfering substances on patient recoveries. The NOVEOS is calibrated to the latest WHO reference standard and adds benefits like a small sample size and para-magnetic microparticles that improve upon third-generation allergen sIgE assays’ design and performance.

What is in your pantry? Entomologic anaphylaxis

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 290-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Galant-Swafford ◽  
Bruce L. Zuraw ◽  
Jack Herschbach ◽  
Manjula Mahata ◽  
Edward L. Mockford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immunoglobulin E ◽  
Competitive Inhibition ◽  
Skin Prick Testing ◽  
In Vitro Studies ◽  
Western Blots ◽  
Environmental Allergen ◽  
Control Serum ◽  
Dust Mite ◽  
Grain Products

Background: The booklouse, Liposcelis bostrychophila, is a potent environmental allergen clinically associated with rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma. Despite its known infestation of grain products, anaphylaxis from ingestion of this organism has, to our knowledge, not been previously reported. We present the case of a 44-year-old woman who developed anaphylaxis to ingested oats and rice shown to be contaminated with L. bostrychophila. Objective: The objective was to isolate a distinct antigen from L. bostrychophila implicated in a case of unexplained anaphylaxis. Methods: In vitro studies were obtained for relevant ingested materials and aeroallergens. Skin-prick testing (SPT) was performed with standard extracts, contaminated oats, fresh oats, and crushed L. bostrychophila. Western blots were conducted using subject and control serum to detect specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) against the grains and L. bostrychophila extract. Competitive inhibition immunoblotting was used to assess specificity of IgE binding. Results: In vitro studies and SPT were notable for positive responses to dust mite and flour contaminated by L. bostrychophila, along with contaminated oats. Testing results for fresh oat and rice were negative. Immunoblots that used the subject's serum revealed a strongly positive band in the contaminated oat and rice extracts at 24 kD, whereas dust-mite extract yielded a single 14-kD band. Isolated L. bostrychophila extract also yielded a 24-kD band. Competitive inhibition experiments demonstrated that the 24-kD band in the contaminated oat extract was immunologically distinct from the 14-kD dust-mite band. Conclusion: Our case highlights the importance of considering L. bostrychophila as a potential culprit for unexplained anaphylaxis due to ingested grain products. Given the ubiquitous presence of this insect, we suspect that this may be a more common problem than previously recognized.

Diagnostic and analytical performance of a screening panel for allergy

2005 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ileana Herzum ◽  
Nicole Blümer ◽  
Werner Kersten ◽  
Harald Renz
Keyword(s):  
Immunoglobulin E ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Screen Test ◽  
Allergic Diseases ◽  
Analytical Performance ◽  
Screening Tests ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Early Assessment ◽  
Prick Test

AbstractWorldwide, allergic diseases are increasing in prevalence and incidence. Early assessment of the immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitisation status has a major impact on clinical outcome and selection of therapeutic options. Recently, a number of new IgE-detecting test systems have entered the market, including screening tests allowing identification of a wide spectrum of sensitising allergens. We evaluated the analytical and diagnostic performance of the newly developed Allergy Screen test panel for atopy (Mediwiss Analytic, Moers, Germany). The evaluation was performed for four major respiratory and four major nutritional allergens in 142 patients with clinical suspicion of respiratory and/or food allergies. For all allergens, the test showed acceptable concordance to the skin-prick test and the in vitro IgE CAP system (Pharmacia, Freiburg, Germany). The analytical performance was acceptable, with CVs between 2 and 8% in the positive range and good dilution linearity (R=0.9735). Imprecision in the low IgE concentration range dramatically improved by lowering the cut-off value to 0.2IU/mL IgE. In conclusion, the Allergy Screen panel yields reliable results in the detection of allergic sensitisation to common allergens.

scholarly journals One-week recall period gives a more accurate estimate of exclusive breastfeeding practice than 24-h recall among infants younger than six months of age

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sewitemariam Desalegn Andarge ◽  
Esete Habtemariam Fenta ◽  
Seifu Hagos Gebreyesus ◽  
Robel Yirgu Belachew
Keyword(s):  
Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Recall Period ◽  
World Health ◽  
Reference Standard ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Recall Method ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Breastfeeding Practice

Abstract Background The World Health Organization recommends a 24-h recall period to estimate breastfeeding practice of mothers of infants aged younger than six-months. Though 24-h recall was preferred for its low recall bias and for practical reasons, it can overestimate exclusive breastfeeding practice (EBF). Validating this indicator will help account for the deviation from the true estimate. This prospective cohort study measured accuracy of the 24-h recall method and validates a week recall as an alternative approach for use in a small sample population. Method The study was conducted from March to April 2018 involving 408 mother-infant pairs living in Butajira Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS), Southern Ethiopia. Participants were prospectively followed for 14 consecutive days; where their breastfeeding practice in the past 24 h was measured daily. Exclusive breastfeeding prevalence estimate obtained using the 24-h recall method and recall periods spanning a varying number of days (short period recalls) was compared against the cumulative of the responses from a prospectively measured repeated 24-h recalls over the course of 14 days. McNemar statistics was used to assess statistical significance of the difference in the EBF prevalence estimates of the single 24-h recall and the reference standard. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values were calculated to determine the level of accuracy. Receiver Operating Characteristics curve was used to measure the difference in performance between the two methods. Result The highest prevalence (71.4%) of exclusive breastfeeding practice was estimated using the single 24-h recall method whereas the lowest breastfeeding practice (47.1%) was obtained from a cumulative of 14 repeated 24-h recalls. A week recall (a recall over 7 days’ period), resulted in the smallest discrepancy in estimate (7.1%) as compared to cumulative estimate of 14 repeated 24-h recalls. Comparing against our reference standard, a week recall had 96.7% sensitivity and 83.5% specificity in estimating exclusive breastfeeding practice. Conclusions Using single 24-h recall method overestimated exclusive breastfeeding prevalence. However, a week recall gave an estimate close to the estimate from the standard method. A week recall has a potential to balance the tradeoff between the accuracy of EBF estimates and the resource implication of using multiple prospective measurements that have a proven superior accuracy.

Probing the ultrastructure of the mitotic and meiotic spindle in eggs: An expeditious approach based on semi-thin (0.25 μm) serial sections

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 552-555
Author(s):  
Conly L. Rieder ◽  
S. Bowser ◽  
R. Nowogrodzki ◽  
K. Ross ◽  
G. Sluder
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Meiotic Spindle ◽  
Serial Sections ◽  
Mitotic Apparatus ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Cell Cycles ◽  
Ultrastructural Studies

Eggs have long been a favorite material for studying the mechanism of karyokinesis in-vivo and in-vitro. They can be obtained in great numbers and, when fertilized, divide synchronously over many cell cycles. However, they are not considered to be a practical system for ultrastructural studies on the mitotic apparatus (MA) for several reasons, the most obvious of which is that sectioning them is a formidable task: over 1000 ultra-thin sections need to be cut from a single 80-100 μm diameter egg and of these sections only a small percentage will contain the area or structure of interest. Thus it is difficult and time consuming to obtain reliable ultrastructural data concerning the MA of eggs; and when it is obtained it is necessarily based on a small sample size.We have recently developed a procedure which will facilitate many studies concerned with the ultrastructure of the MA in eggs. It is based on the availability of biological HVEM's and on the observation that 0.25 μm thick serial sections can be screened at high resolution for content (after mounting on slot grids and staining with uranyl and lead) by phase contrast light microscopy (LM; Figs 1-2).

Prevention of food allergy

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 450-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley L. Devonshire ◽  
Rachel Glick Robison
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergy ◽  
Peanut Allergy ◽  
Immunoglobulin E ◽  
Skin Prick Testing ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Conclusive Evidence ◽  
Severe Atopic Dermatitis ◽  
Early Introduction ◽  
Infant Diet ◽  
Specific Immunoglobulin E

Primary prevention and secondary prevention in the context of food allergy refer to prevention of the development of sensitization (i.e., the presence of food-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) as measured by skin-prick testing and/or laboratory testing) and sensitization plus the clinical manifestations of food allergy, respectively. Until recently, interventions that target the prevention of food allergy have been limited. Although exclusive breast-feeding for the first 6 months of life has been a long-standing recommendation due to associated health benefits, recommendations regarding complementary feeding in infancy have significantly changed over the past 20 years. There now is evidence to support early introduction of peanut into the diet of infants with egg allergy, severe atopic dermatitis, or both diagnoses, defined as high risk for peanut allergy, to try to prevent development of peanut allergy. Although guideline-based recommendations are not available for early introduction of additional allergenic foods, this topic is being actively studied. There is no evidence to support additional dietary modification of the maternal or infant diet for the prevention of food allergy. Similarly, there is no conclusive evidence to support maternal avoidance diets for the prevention of food allergy.

Natural products from the traditional Moroccan pharmacopoeia: A potential lead for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1278-1285
Author(s):  
Mohamed Yafout ◽  
Amine Ousaid ◽  
Ibrahim Sbai El Otmani ◽  
Youssef Khayati ◽  
Amal Ait Haj Said
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Extracts ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Treatment Protocol ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Promising Source

The new SARS-CoV-2 belonging to the coronaviruses family has caused a pandemic affecting millions of people around the world. This pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization as an international public health emergency. Although several clinical trials involving a large number of drugs are currently underway, no treatment protocol for COVID-19 has been officially approved so far. Here we demonstrate through a search in the scientific literature that the traditional Moroccan pharmacopoeia, which includes more than 500 medicinal plants, is a fascinating and promising source for the research of natural molecules active against SARS-CoV-2. Multiple in-silico and in-vitro studies showed that some of the medicinal plants used by Moroccans for centuries possess inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2. These inhibitory activities are achieved through the different molecular mechanisms of virus penetration and replication, or indirectly through stimulation of immunity. Thus, the potential of plants, plant extracts and molecules derived from plants that are traditionally used in Morocco and have activity against SARS-CoV-2, could be explored in the search for a preventive or curative treatment against COVID-19. Furthermore, safe plants or plant extracts that are proven to stimulate immunity could be officially recommended by governments as nutritional supplements.

Treatment Options in COVID-19: The Role of Bioavailable Antiviral Ribonucleoside Analog on NHC in vitro

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Bittmann
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Clinical Picture ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
World Health ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

On December 31, 2019, WHO was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, China. A novel coronavirus was identified as the cause by Chinese authorities on January 7, 2020 and was provisionally named "2019-nCoV". This new Coronavirus causes a clinical picture which has received now the name COVID-19. The virus has spread subsequently worldwide and was explained on the 11th of March, 2020 by the World Health Organization to the pandemic.

Antimicrobial peptides for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, allies or foes?

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1138-1147
Author(s):  
Bruno Rivas-Santiago ◽  
Flor Torres-Juarez
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Tuberculosis ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Drug Resistant Strains

Tuberculosis is an ancient disease that has become a serious public health issue in recent years, although increasing incidence has been controlled, deaths caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been accentuated due to the emerging of multi-drug resistant strains and the comorbidity with diabetes mellitus and HIV. This situation is threatening the goals of World Health Organization (WHO) to eradicate tuberculosis in 2035. WHO has called for the creation of new drugs as an alternative for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, among the plausible molecules that can be used are the Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs). These peptides have demonstrated remarkable efficacy to kill mycobacteria in vitro and in vivo in experimental models, nevertheless, these peptides not only have antimicrobial activity but also have a wide variety of functions such as angiogenesis, wound healing, immunomodulation and other well-described roles into the human physiology. Therapeutic strategies for tuberculosis using AMPs must be well thought prior to their clinical use; evaluating comorbidities, family history and risk factors to other diseases, since the wide function of AMPs, they could lead to collateral undesirable effects.

Novel Phytochemical Constituents and their Potential to Manage Diabetes

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaik Ibrahim Khalivulla ◽  
Arifullah Mohammed ◽  
Kokkanti Mallikarjuna
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Large Population ◽  
World Health ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Antidiabetic Activity ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Pharmacological Activities ◽  
Chemical Structures

Background: Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting a large population worldwide and stands as one of the major global health challenges to be tackled. According to World Health Organization, about 400 million are having diabetes worldwide and it is the seventh leading cause of deaths in 2016. Plant based natural products had been in use from ancient time as ethnomedicine for the treatment of several diseases including diabetes. As a result of that, there are several reports on plant based natural products displaying antidiabetic activity. In the current review, such antidiabetic potential compounds reported from all plant sources along with their chemical structures are collected, presented and discussed. This kind of reports are essential to pool the available information to one source followed by statistical analysis and screening to check the efficacy of all known compounds in a comparative sense. This kind of analysis can give rise to few numbers of potential compounds from hundreds, whom can further be screened through in vitro and in vivo studies, and human trails leading to the drug development. Methods: Phytochemicals along with their potential antidiabetic property were classified according to their basic chemical skeleton. The chemical structures of all the compounds with antidiabetic activities were elucidated in the present review. In addition to this, the distribution and their other remarkable pharmacological activities of each species is also included. Results: The scrutiny of literature led to identification of 44 plants with antidiabetic compounds (70) and other pharmacological activities. For the sake of information, the distribution of each species in the world is given. Many plant derivatives may exert antidiabetic properties by improving or mimicking the insulin production or action. Different classes of compounds including sulfur compounds (1-4), alkaloids (5-11), phenolic compounds (12-17), tannins (18-23), phenylpropanoids (24-27), xanthanoids (28-31), amino acid (32), stilbenoid (33), benzofuran (34), coumarin (35), flavonoids (36-49) and terpenoids (50-70) were found to be active potential compounds for antidiabetic activity. Of the 70 listed compounds, majorly 17 compounds are from triterpenoids, 13 flavonoids and 7 are from alkaloids. Among all the 44 plant species, maximum number (7) of compounds are reported from Lagerstroemia speciosa followed by Momordica charantia (6) and S. oblonga with 5 compounds. Conclusion: This is the first paper to summarize the established chemical structures of phytochemicals that have been successfully screened for antidiabetic potential and their mechanisms of inhibition. The reported compounds could be considered as potential lead molecules for the treatment of type-2 diabetes. Further, molecular and clinical trials are required to select and establish the therapeutic drug candidates.

Identification of a Potential Inhibitor Targeting MurC Ligase of the Drug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain through Structure-Based Virtual Screening Approach and In Vitro Assay

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (14) ◽  
pp. 1203-1212
Author(s):  
Abdelmonaem Messaoudi ◽  
Manel Zoghlami ◽  
Zarrin Basharat ◽  
Najla Sadfi-Zouaoui
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Virtual Screening ◽  
Homology Model ◽  
Generation Cephalosporin ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
Vitro Assay ◽  
Priority List

Background & Objective: Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows resistance to a large number of antibiotics, including carbapenems and third generation cephalosporin. According to the World Health Organization global report published in February 2017, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is on the priority list among resistant bacteria, for which new antibiotics are urgently needed. Peptidoglycan serves as a good target for the discovery of novel antimicrobial drugs. Methods: Biosynthesis of peptidoglycan is a multi-step process involving four mur enzymes. Among these enzymes, UDP-N-acetylmuramate-L-alanine ligase (MurC) is considered to be an excellent target for the design of new classes of antimicrobial inhibitors in gram-negative bacteria. Results: In this study, a homology model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MurC ligase was generated and used for virtual screening of chemical compounds from the ZINC Database. The best screened inhibitor i.e. N, N-dimethyl-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,3-benzodiazole-5-sulfonamide was then validated experimentally through inhibition assay. Conclusion: The presented results based on combined computational and in vitro analysis open up new horizons for the development of novel antimicrobials against this pathogen.

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