scholarly journals Zika RNA and Flavivirus-Like Antigens in the Sperm Cells of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Subjects

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 152
Author(s):  
Hernan Vanegas ◽  
Fredman González ◽  
Yaoska Reyes ◽  
Edwing Centeno ◽  
Jayrintzina Palacios ◽  
...  

Zika virus (ZIKV) RNA has been found to remain in human semen for up to one year after infection, but the presence of Flavivirus antigens in the different compartments of semen has been largely unexplored. Following the introduction of ZIKV in Nicaragua (2016), a prospective study of patients with clinical symptoms consistent with ZIKV was conducted in León to investigate virus shedding in different fluids. ZIKV infection was confirmed in 16 male subjects (≥18 years of age) by RT-qPCR in either blood, saliva or urine. Of these, three provided semen samples at 7, 14, 21, 28, 60 and 180 days postsymptom onset (DPSO) for Flavivirus antigens and RNA studies. These cases were compared with 19 asymptomatic controls. Flavivirus antigens were examined by immunofluorescence (IF) using the 4G2 Mabs, and confocal microscopy was used to explore fluorescence patterns. The three (100%) symptomatic subjects and 3 (16%) of the 19 asymptomatic subjects had Flavivirus antigens and viral RNA in the spermatozoa fraction. The percentage of IF Flavivirus-positive spermatozoa cells ranged from 1.9% to 25% in specimens from symptomatic subjects, as compared with 0.8% to 3.8% in specimens from asymptomatic controls. A marked IF-pattern in the cytoplasmic droplets and tail of the spermatozoa was observed. The sperm concentrations (45 × 106/mL vs. 63.5 × 106/mL, p = 0.041) and the total motility percentage (54% vs. 75%, p = 0.009) were significantly lower in specimens from ZIKV-positive than in those of ZIKV-negative. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the presence of Flavivirus antigens and RNA within a time frame of 28 DPSO in sperm cells of symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects during the ZIKV epidemic. These findings have implications for public health, in terms of nonarthropod-born, silent transmission facilitated by sperm cells and potential transmission from asymptomatic males to pregnant women, with consequences to the fetus.

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-12
Author(s):  
Nelema Jahan ◽  
Md. Mamunur Rahman ◽  
Mohammad Shahidul Alam ◽  
Md Saiful Islam

Background: A breast lump is the most common symptom associated with both benign and malignant breast diseases. Therefore, a distinction of benign from malignant lump is of importance for proper management. Though a definitive diagnosis is possible with imaging for all the lesions, histopathological study is proven essential for confirming the diagnosis. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of USG and histopathological findings of different breast lump in diagnosis and their comparison. Methods: A prospective study was conducted over a period of one year from January 2017 to December 2017. A total of 116 patients were included in this study. All breast lumps underwent surgery and the ultrasound findings of these lumps were compared with the histopathological findings. Data were collected from these patients by a preformed questionnaire and finally the data were analyzed. Results: Out of 116 patients only 21 cases were reported as malignant in ultrasound report but histopathology revealed 31 malignant patients. On histopathological examination 10 benign cases turned out to be malignant. Conclusion: The present study was undertaken to evaluate in diagnosing breast mass lesions individually by ultrasound and compared with histopathology for definitive management of a patient. Journal of Surgical Sciences (2019) Vol. 23 (1) : 10-12


2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  

“Tennis and golfer’s elbow” are common pathologies due to overload of forearm extensors and flexors, and actually occur mostly outside tennis and golf sports. Several differential diagnoses of medial and lateral epicondylitis have to be excluded as there are a number of other conditions with similar clinical symptoms. The high rate of spontaneous recovery has to be considered in treatment. Evidence based conservative treatment comprises excentric physiotherapy, local injections, and physical methods. Surgery is reserved for patients with persistence of symptoms for more than one year despite non-surgical treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Yin ◽  
Jiajun Tian ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Yi Tang ◽  
Youxiang Diao

Abstract Background A novel goose-origin astrovirus (GoAstV) has broken out across China in recent years, causing gout in goslings with a mortality rate of around 50%. However, our understanding of the dynamic distribution, tissue tropism and pathogenesis of GoAstV is incomplete. In order to assess its pathogenicity, one-day-old goslings were inoculated separately with GoAstV via oral and subcutaneous injection routes. Results Clinical symptoms, gross and microscopic lesions, blood biochemical parameters and viral loads were detected and recorded for 20 days after infection. Typical gout was observed in experimental goslings. GoAstV can be replicated in tissues and cause pathological damage, especially in the kidney, liver, heart and spleen. Virus-specific genomic RNA was detected in blood, cloacal swabs and all representative tissues, and virus shedding was detected up to 20 days after inoculation, suggesting that GoAstV has a wide tissue tropism and spread systematically after inoculation. The viral copy numbers examined in kidney were the highest, followed by spleen and liver. Conclusion This experiment determined the accurate value of viral loads and biochemical indicators of GoAstV-induced goslings. These findings increase our understanding of the pathogenicity of GoAstV in goslings and provide more reference for future research.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1319
Author(s):  
Maria del Pilar Martinez Viedma ◽  
Stephen Panossian ◽  
Kennedy Gifford ◽  
Kimberly García ◽  
Isis Figueroa ◽  
...  

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne Flavivirus with a positive-sense RNA genome, which are generally transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. ZIKV infections could be associated with neurological sequelae that, and otherwise produces similar clinical symptoms as other co-circulating pathogens. Past infection with one member of the Flavivirus genus often induces cross-reactive antibodies against other flaviruses. These attributes complicate the ability to differentially diagnose ZIKV infection from other endemic mosquito-borne viruses, making it both a public health issue as well as a diagnostic challenge. We report the results from serological analyses using arbovirus-specific peptides on 339 samples that were previously collected from 6 countries. Overall, we found that our multiplexed peptide-based ELISA was highly efficient for identifying ZIKV antibodies as early as 2 weeks post infection, and that it correlates with microneutralization, plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNTs) and commercial tests for ZIKV in previously characterized samples. We observed that seropositivity varied by patient cohort, reflecting the sampling period in relation to the 2015–2016 ZIKV outbreak. This work evaluates the accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of our peptide-based ELISA method for detecting ZIKV antibodies from geographically diverse regions. These findings can contribute to ongoing serological methods development and can be adapted for use in future studies.


2008 ◽  
Vol 122 (10) ◽  
pp. 1088-1091 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Jayashankar ◽  
K P Morwani ◽  
M J Shaan ◽  
S R Bhatia ◽  
K T Patil

AbstractGold eyelid implantation is widely considered the procedure of choice to reanimate the upper eyelid in paralytic lagophthalmos. Commercially supplied implants are not readily available in all places and are sometimes cumbersome to import.Objective:We aimed to devise a method whereby every surgeon performing gold eyelid implantation could have easy and quick access to the implant. Furthermore, we aimed to develop a means of creating an implant of the exact weight required for complete eyelid closure.Study design and setting:A prospective study was performed from 1997 to 2005 in a tertiary research hospital, involving 50 subjects requiring gold upper eyelid implantation and using the technique in question.Results:Only patients with a minimum follow up of one year were included in the study group. Symptoms improved in 96 per cent of subjects, who were able to dispense with eyedrops and eye ointments. Visual acuity improved in 92 per cent of patients. There were two extrusions amongst the early cases.Conclusion and significance:Customised gold eyelid implantation offers an alternative in regions where commercial implants are not easily obtained.


2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Sigdel ◽  
R Nepali

Introduction: Ear diseases are common in children mainly due to altered anatomy of Eustachian tube which is straighter in children as compared to that in adults. However, the cause of hearing loss in children is more varied, including the etiologies. This study was done to find out the pattern of ear diseases in paediatric age group attending ear, nose and throat OPD in a tertiary care centre in Pokhara, Nepal. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study done in paediatric patients attending ENT OPD over a period of one year from January 2010 to January 2011. The diagnoses were made on the basis of history and clinical examination. Results were expressed in numbers and percentages. Results: Out of 1632 Pediatric ENT patients, 944 had ear diseases, 59.2% were males and 40.8% females. Wax (33.4%) was the commonest diagnosis followed by Chronic suppurative otitis media (24.3%) and Acute ottitis media (13%). Conclusion: Ear diseases are most common condition in ENT OPD among paediatric age group. Wax, CSOM and ASOM were the three most common ear diseases. J. Nepal Paediatr. Soc. 32(2) 2012 142-145 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jnps.v32i2.5673


Author(s):  
Mori M ◽  
◽  
Seko T ◽  
Ogawa S ◽  
Kitazawa K ◽  
...  

Background: A light-burden and indoor physical exercise program called Net-Step Exercise (NSE) has been developed in Hokkaido, Japan. Conducting the two-year repeated survey with the Kihon Checklist (KCL) for the same older subjects living in a rural area of Hokkaido where a relatively large proportion of the older persons have participated in NSE activity, we assessed the effectiveness of NSE activity. Methods: The whole of 3,155 community-dwelling persons aged from 75 years to 79 years in 8 towns were the candidates of the study subjects, and 2,183 subjects (69.2%) responded to the first survey (2018 Survey), answering the questions about both frequency of participation in NSE and each item in KCL. The same survey (2019 Survey) was conducted one year later, and completed by 1,956 subjects (93.3%), excluding 25 dead persons or 60 persons who had moved away from the community during the year. In the 2018 Survey as well as the 2019 Survey, Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) and its 95% confidence interval (95%CI) of each sub-category of KCL for NSE Participants compared with NSE Non-participants was calculated with unconditional logistic regression by sex, adjusting for age, smoking status, and other potentially confounding variables. Repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was also applied by sex. Results: Significantly reduced risk (AOR with 95% CI) was observed in NSE participants in difficulty in activities of daily living in the male subjects in the 2018 Survey (0.64, 0.42-0.98) and in the 2019 Survey (0.50, 0.32-0.79), as well as in the female subjects in the 2018 Survey (0.52, 0.38-0.70) and in the 2019 Survey (0.46, 0.33-0.65), houseboundness in the female subjects in the 2018 Survey (0.42, 0.29-0.60) and in the 2019 Survey (0.70, 0.51-0.96), impaired cognitive function in the male subjects in the 2018 Survey (0.58, 0.36-0.92), and depressive status in the female subjects in the 2018 Survey (0.66, 0.49-0.88). Significant findings were also shown in most of the above four sub-categories by analysis with repeated-measures ANOVA. Conclusion: Either performance of NSE itself or participation in the program, or both, may promote healthy status in the older persons.


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