scholarly journals Therapeutical evaluation of different dose regimens of praziquantel in schistosomiasis mansoni, based on the quantitative oogram technique

1987 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 295-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aloísio Sales da Cunha ◽  
J. Romeu Cançado ◽  
Getúlio Leonel de Rezende
Keyword(s):  
Total Dose ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Rectal Mucosa ◽  
Median Number ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Schistosomiasis Mansoni ◽  
Negative Findings ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Cure Rates

A clinical trial involving 80 patients of both sexes, from ages 15 to 55, with chronic intestinal or hepatointestinal schistosomiasis mansoni, was carried out to evaluate the therapeutical efficacy of different dose regimens of praziquantel. The patients were randomly allocated into four groups with an equal number of cases and were then treated with one of the following dosages: 60 mg/kg for 1 day; 60 mg/kg daily for 2 days; 60 mg/kg daily for 3 days; and 30 mg/kg daily for 6 days. The assessment of parasitological cure was based on the quantitative oogram technique through rectal mucosa biopsies which were undertaken prior to, as well as, 1,2,4 and 6 months post-treatment. Concurrently, stool examinations according to the qualitative Hoffman, Pons & Janer (HPJ) and the quantitative Kato-Katz (K-K) methods were also performed. The best tolerability was observed with 30 mg/kg daily for 6 days whereas the highest incidence of side-effects (mainly dizziness and nausea) was found with 60 mg/kg daily for 3 days. No serious adverse drug reaction has occurred. The achieved cure rates were: 25% with 60 mg/kg for 1 day; 60% with 60 mg/kg daily for 2 days; 89.5% with 60 mg/kg daily for 3 days; and 90% with 30 mg/kg daily for 6 days. At the same time there has been a downfall of 64%, 73%, 87% and 84% respectively, in the median number of viable S. mansoni ova per gram of tissue. Thus, a very clear direct correlation between dose and effect could be seen. The corresponding cure rates according to stool examinations by HPJ were 39%, 80%, 100% and 95%; by K-K 89%, 100%, 100% and 100%. This discrepancy in results amongst the three parasitological methods is certainly due to their unequal accuracy. In fact, when the number of viable eggs per gram of tissue fell below 5,000 the difference in the percentage of false negative findings between HPJ (28%) and K-K (80%) became significative. When this number dropped to less than 2,000 the percentage of false negative results obtained with HPJ (49%) turned significant in relation to the oogram as well. In conclusion, it has been proven that praziquantel is a highly efficacious agent against S. mansoni infections. If administered at a total dose of 180 mg/kg divided into either 3 or 6 days, it yields a 90% cure rate. Possibly, one could reach 100% by increasing the total dose to 240 mg/kg. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the quantitative oogram technique is the most reliable parasitological method when evaluating the efficacy of new drugs in schistosomiasis mansoni.

Continuing to work while receiving cancer treatment: A financial or a symbolic issue?

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6603-6603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard Ganem ◽  
Herve L. Naman ◽  
Nadine Dohollou ◽  
Thomas Facchini ◽  
Yvan Coscas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Median Number ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Health Care Center ◽  
Financial Gain ◽  
After Cancer ◽  
Cure Rates ◽  
Do So

6603 Background: As improved cure rates lead to longer life expectancy, occupational concerns during and after cancer treatment become important. The advent of new drugs with fewer side effects will increase the profile of this issue. We carried out a field survey to explore the question. Methods: We questioned 97 oncologists, and a subgroup of 216 patients treated for breast cancer who were working at the time of diagnosis and who wanted to continue to do so during at least part of the treatment period. Results: Data Collected from Patients: In total, 208 patients (96%) were satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. Only 68 (31%) were able to achieve the goal of working without interruption while being treated (physicians estimated that figure at only 11%). For the remaining women, who did stop working (69%), the median number of days off work was 59. Data Collected from Physicians: A total of 87 physicians (89%) stated that having information regarding working conditions is very important when counseling patients about whether they could continue to work. Comparison of the answers given by patients and physicians: 36% of physicians thought that the initiative in addressing the work/job issue was taken primarily by themselves, while 53% felt it came from the patient. The patient perspective was different: 61% of patients thought they took the initiative themselves and only 13% of them thought the physician took the lead. The main reason behind the desire to continue working is thought by 56% of physicians to be “Financial gain”; while for patients it is “To feel the same” (42%). A total of 90 (92%) physicians feared that those patients continuing to work would face at least one type of medical difficulty; only 143 (66%) patients shared this fear. Lastly, although 94% of the physicians have access to psychological or psychiatric support workers at the health care center, only 62% have access to a social worker. Conclusions: Of the patients who really wanted to work while being treated for breast cancer, only 31% could achieve that goal without any interruption. There is also a difference of perception regarding patient motivation, with physicians believing that the reasons are mainly financial while the patients see it as more of a symbolic issue.

Isolation of Malassezia pachydermatis and M. sympodialis from the external ear canal of cats with and without otitis externa

2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Dizotti ◽  
Selene Coutinho
Keyword(s):  
Otitis Externa ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Tween 20 ◽  
External Ear ◽  
Ear Canal ◽  
Malassezia Pachydermatis ◽  
External Ear Canal ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Difference

The objective of this study was to determine the presence of Malassezia spp. in the external ear canal of cats with and without otitis. Forty-five animals were studied, 20 with and 25 without otitis externa (OE). Cerumen or secretion from external ear canal samples was cultured on modified Mycosel agar and sterile olive oil was added to the surface of the medium before specimen seeding. The isolates were analysed for macro- and micromorphology and identified by catalase tests and on the basis of growth on Tween 20, 40, 60 and 80. Malassezia spp. were isolated from 15 out of 20 (75%) animals with otitis and from 7 out of 25 (28%) cats without OE; the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05). Malassezia pachydermatis and M. sympodialis were isolated from 60% (12/20) and 40% (8/20) of cats with otitis, respectively, with no significant difference in the frequency of isolation between the two species. In the microflora of the healthy ear canal M. pachydermatis was significantly more common (6/25, 24%) than M. sympodialis (1/25, 4%). The present investigation confirms that M. sympodialis can also act as an aetiological agent of feline OE, and if commercial veterinary laboratories do not use media with added lipids for the isolation of Malassezia spp., this might lead to false-negative results.

Does a change in quality control results influence the sensitivity of an anti-HCV test?

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 1372-1380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne J. Dimech ◽  
Giuseppe A. Vincini ◽  
Liza M. Cabuang ◽  
Megan Wieringa
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
False Negative ◽  
External Quality Assessment Scheme ◽  
Clinical Sensitivity ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
False Negative Results ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
The Difference

AbstractBackgroundLaboratories use quality control (QC) testing to monitor the extent of normal variation. Assay lot number changes contribute the greatest amount of variation in infectious disease serology testing. An unexpected change in six lots of an anti-HCV assay allowed the determination of the effect these lot changes made to the assay’s clinical sensitivity.MethodsTwo sets of seroconversion samples comprising of 44 individual samples and 9 external quality assessment scheme (EQAS) samples, all positive to anti-HCV, were tested in affected and unaffected assay lots, and the difference in the quantitative and qualitative results of the samples was analyzed.ResultsOf 44 low-positive seroconversion samples tested in affected and unaffected assay lots, only three samples had results reported below the assay cutoff when tested on two of the six affected assay lot. A further sample had results below the cutoff for only one affected lot. None of the EQAS samples reported false-negative results. Samples having a signal to cutoff value of less than 6.0 generally had lower results in the affected lots compared with the unaffected lots.ConclusionsUnexpected changes in QC reactivity related to variation, in particular assay lot changes, may affect patient results. This study demonstrated that QConnect Limits facilitated the detection of an unexpectedly large variation in QC test results, allowed for the identification of the root cause of the change, and showed that the risk associated with the change was low but credible. The use of evidence-based QC program is essential to detect changes in test systems.

scholarly journals Newborn Screening for Congenital Hypothyroidism-Clinical Evaluation and Comparison of Two Different Test Kits for the Determination of TSH in Dried Blood Samples on Two Different Platforms

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Ralph Fingerhut
Keyword(s):  
Newborn Screening ◽  
Congenital Hypothyroidism ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Recall Rate ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Difference

Newborn screening (NBS) for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) started in the 1970s, with the introduction of radioimmuno assays (RIA) for the measurement of thyroxine (T4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). With the development of sensitive enzyme immune assays (EIA, FIA, FEIA), RIAs were replaced in the newborn screening laboratories. With the increasing number of analytes and centralization of NBS, there is a growing demand of total automation. In the course of method validation, two fully automated platforms for the determination of TSH in dried blood samples (DBS) were compared. The GSP from PerkinElmer (PE), and the NS2400 from Labsystems (LDx), together with the recommended test kits from both manufacturers. Both systems showed good performance, with recoveries, of 103.0% (LDx) and 98.5% (PE), and CVs for intra and interassay variations at various concentrations, between 4.3 and 15.7. Both assays had a good correlation (r2 = 0.8814). With LDx/NS2400 platform, TSH values were in the mean 2.09 mU/L higher; however, the difference of both results from the mean was within ±2 SD, up to 30 mU/L, and only for values above 50 mU/L did the difference become bigger. However, this has no influence on the clinical interpretation. No false negative results were observed with either of the two platforms. TSH results obtained with the LDx/NS2400 were slightly higher than those obtained with the PE/GSP; however, the recall rate was lower: 0.059% compared to 0.063%. This can be explained by the much narrower distribution of TSH values. In conclusion, both platforms are equally suitable for medium and large NBS laboratories. However, due to the more open structure the LDx/NS2400 platform has a lot of advantages compared to the totally closed PE/GSP platform.

Critical Evaluation of Impedance Phlebography for the Diagnosis of Deep Vein Thrombosis

1974 ◽  
Vol 31 (02) ◽  
pp. 273-278
Author(s):  
Kenneth K Wu ◽  
John C Hoak ◽  
Robert W Barnes ◽  
Stuart L Frankel
Keyword(s):  
Deep Vein Thrombosis ◽  
False Positive ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Original Method ◽  
Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
False Negative Results ◽  
Deep Vein ◽  
Positive Results

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.

The role of serum periostin in the diagnosis of asthma: A meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 240-247
Author(s):  
Lei Yang ◽  
Qingtao Zhao ◽  
Shuyu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic ◽  
True Negative ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Noninvasive Biomarker ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity ◽  
Serum Periostin

Background: Serum periostin has been proposed as a noninvasive biomarker for asthma diagnosis and management. However, its accuracy for the diagnosis of asthma in different populations is not completely clear. Methods: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of periostin level in the clinical determination of asthma. Several medical literature data bases were searched for relevant studies through December 1, 2019. The numbers of patients with true-positive, false-positive, false-negative, and true-negative results for the periostin level were extracted from each individual study. We assessed the risk of bias by using Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2. We used the meta-analysis to produce summary estimates of accuracy. Results: In total, nine studies with 1757 subjects met the inclusion criteria. The pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratios for the detection of asthma were 0.58 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38‐0.76), 0.86 (95% CI, 0.74‐0.93), and 8.28 (95% CI, 3.67‐18.68), respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.79‐0.85). And significant publication bias was found in this meta‐analysis (p = 0.39). Conclusion: Serum periostin may be used for the diagnosis of asthma, with moderate diagnostic accuracy.

Anti-adhesion Molecules in IBD: Does Gut Selectivity Really Make the Difference?

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ferdinando D'Amico ◽  
Giulia Roda ◽  
Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet ◽  
Silvio Danese
Keyword(s):  
Adhesion Molecules ◽  
Biological Treatment ◽  
Current Data ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Inflammatory Infiltration ◽  
New Class ◽  
Bowel Diseases ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Necrosis Factor

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is lifetime chronic progressive inflammatory disease. A considerable portion of patients, do not respond or lose response or experience side effect to “traditional” biological treatment such as anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α agents. The concept that the blockade of T cell traffic to the gut controls inflammation has stimulated the development of new drugs which selectively targets molecules involved in controlling cell homing to the intestine. The result is the reduction of the chronic inflammatory infiltration in the gut. In this regard, anti-adhesion molecules represent a new class of drugs for patients who don’t respond or lose response to traditional therapy. Moreover, some of these molecules such as vedolizumab, offer the advantage to target the delivery of a drug to the gut (gut selectivity) which could increase clinical efficacy and limit potential adverse events. In this article, we will give an overview of the current data on anti-adhesion molecules in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Scoring System for the Diagnosis of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 413-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Farouk Allam
Keyword(s):  
Scoring System ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
False Negative Results ◽  
Symptoms And Signs

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document