SARS-CoV-2 in Conjunctiva and Tears and Ocular Symptoms of Patients with COVID-19

This study investigates the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival secretions and tears and evaluates ocular symptoms in a group of patients with COVID-19. We included 56 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in this cross-sectional cohort study. Conjunctival secretions and tears were collected using flocked swabs and Schirmer strips for SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Assessment of ocular surface manifestations included an OSDI (Ocular Surface Disease Index) questionnaire. Patients had been admitted to hospital for an average of 2.4 days (range 0–7) and had shown general symptoms for an average of 7.1 days (range 1–20) prior to ocular testing. Four (7.1%) of 56 conjunctival swabs and four (4%) of 112 Schirmer strips were positive for SARS-CoV-2. The mean E-gene cycle threshold values (Ct values) were 31.2 (SD 5.0) in conjunctival swabs and 32.9 (SD 2.7) in left eye Schirmer strips. Overall, 17 (30%) patients presented ocular symptoms. No association was found between positive ocular samples and ocular symptoms. This study shows that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected on the conjunctiva and tears of patients with COVID-19. Contact with the ocular surface may transmit the virus and preventive measures should be taken in this direction.

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To Correlate Serum Ferritin Levels with Clinical Outcome in Covid-19 Patients

Asian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.3126/ajms.v12i5.34371 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 25-29

Author(s):

Avinash Hanbe Rajanna ◽

Ravi Krishnegowda ◽

Rohith Maraludevanapura Govindaiah

Keyword(s):

Serum Ferritin ◽

Cytokine Storm ◽

Single Center ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Male Preponderance ◽

The Mean ◽

Polymerase Chain

Background: COVID-19 a pandemic, affecting worldwide causing significant morbidity and to some extent mortality needs to be evaluated and urgently identify reliable predictors of disease severity and outcome. The fatal outcomes by COVID-19 are accompanied by cytokine storm syndrome. The cytokine storm is determined by serum ferritin. Aims and Objective: To determine the role of Serum ferritin in assessing the severity and outcome of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A single-center, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among SARS-CoV-2 infected patients from March 2020 to May 2020. The diagnosis was confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum ferritin levels were compared with the treatment outcomes of COVID-19 positive patients. Results: A total of 1977 COVID-19 patients were studied. The mean age was 43.89±15.58 years and had male preponderance of 61.56% of the total subjects. The mean serum ferritin levels among recovered and expired patients were 1225.6 ± 2502.91 ng/ml and 285.71 ± 391.99 ng/ml, respectively. Conclusion: Serum ferritin was markedly increased in COVID-19 patients who could not survive as compared to the patients who finally recovered from the infection, proving it as a useful marker for assessing the severity of COVID-19.

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OCULAR MANIFESTATIONS IN LABORATORY CONFIRMED COVID-19

International Journal of Medical and Biomedical Studies ◽

10.32553/ijmbs.v5i8.2068 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (8) ◽

Author(s):

Shakti Krishan Rajguru ◽

Udesh Rajpurohit

Keyword(s):

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Ocular Pain ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Hospital Unit ◽

Ocular Manifestations ◽

Ocular Symptoms ◽

Eyelid Swelling ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Isolation Facility

Background: Scarce literature has been published thus far regarding ocular findings in the COVID-19. Methods: All patients were confirmed by SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcriptase– polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nasopharynx or oropharynx swab specimens collected at an isolation facility, fever clinic, or hospital unit designated for suspected cases pending confirmation. Results: Overall, 25 patients (25.00%) had various ocular symptoms during COVID-19 infection. Among those with ocular symptoms, 19 patients (76.00%) presented with increased conjunctival discharge, including white mucoid (6 [24.00%]), thin watery (3 [12.00%]) and yellow-green purulent (11 [44.00%]) discharge, and with conjunctival congestion (2 [8.00%]). Other ocular manifestations contained ocular pain (3 [12.00%]), tearing (1 [4.00%]), and eyelid swelling (1 [4.00%]). Conclusion: We concluded that common ocular manifestations were conjunctival discharge, eye rubbing, and conjunctival congestion. Keywords: COVID-19, Ocular, Eye.

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Accuracy of real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect Schistosoma mansoni – infected individuals from an endemic area with low parasite loads

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s003118202000089x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 147 (10) ◽

pp. 1140-1148

Author(s):

Fernanda do Carmo Magalhães ◽

Samira Diniz Resende ◽

Carolina Senra ◽

Carlos Graeff-Teixeira ◽

Martin Johannes Enk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Schistosoma Mansoni ◽

Real Time ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Control Measures ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intestinal Schistosomiasis ◽

Polymerase Chain

AbstractDue to the efforts to control schistosomiasis transmission in tropical countries, a large proportion of individuals from endemic areas present low parasite loads, which hinders diagnosis of intestinal schistosomiasis by the Kato-Katz (KK) method. Therefore, the development of more sensitive diagnostic methods is essential for efficient control measures. The aim was to evaluate the accuracy of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect Schistosoma mansoni DNA in fecal samples of individuals with low parasite loads. A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted in a rural community (n = 257) in Brazil. POC-CCA® was performed in urine and feces were used for RT-PCR. In addition, fecal exams were completed by 18 KK slides, saline gradient and Helmintex techniques. The combined results of the three parasitological tests detected schistosome eggs in 118 participants (45.9%) and composed the consolidated reference standard (CRS). By RT-PCR, 117 out of 215 tested samples were positive, showing 91.4% sensitivity, 80.2% specificity and good concordance with the CRS (kappa = 0.71). RT-PCR identified 86.9% of the individuals eliminating less than 12 eggs/g of feces, demonstrating much better performance than POC-CCA® (50.8%). Our results showed that RT-PCR is a valuable alternative for the diagnosis of intestinal schistosomiasis in individuals with very low parasite loads.

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Association of Myeloid Aberrant Antigens and the Presence of BCR-ABL Gene Re-arrangements in ALL Patients

Haematology Journal of Bangladesh ◽

10.37545/haematoljbd202060 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 13-15

Author(s):

Md. Shafiul Azam ◽

Khaza Amirul Islam ◽

Sharmin Mafruha ◽

Mirza Golam Sarwar ◽

Md. Salahuddin Shah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukaemia ◽

Selection Criteria ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Genetic Abnormality ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Made In

Background: BCR-ABL translocation is the most common genetic abnormality associated with adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) with poor outcome. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the association of myeloid aberrant antigens and the presence of BCR-ABL gene rearrangements in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) patients in our context. Method: A total of 38 ALL patients were included in this cross-sectional study from August 2018 to July 2019 according to selection criteria. BCR-ABL was detected by Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Results: The median age at diagnosis was 27.5 years with male (76.3%) predominance. Aberrant myeloid markers, e.g.CD13 was present in 9(64.3%) patients who were BCR-ABL positive which was statistically significant (p:<0.05). Conclusion: Early suspicion about BCR-ABL positivity can be made in ALL patients who show aberrant myeloid expression.

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Detection of blaVIM and blaIMP Carbapenemase-Producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Clinical Samples in Iran

International Journal of Medical Laboratory ◽

10.18502/ijml.v8i3.7324 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mohammad Reza Zolfaghari

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

High Level

Background and Aims: The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strains has been recently reported worldwide. Therefore, accurate and rapid detection of carbapenemase-producing isolates is essential. So, this study aimed to detect blaVIM and blaIMP carbapenemase-producing strains using the modified Hodge test (MHT) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, P. aeruginosa strains were collected from clinical samples (blood, urine, wound, and other liquids body) in Firoozgar and Shahid Motahari Hospitals in Tehran and Velayat Hospital in Rasht Province, from May to December 2018. After identifying the isolates using the standard microbial tests, carbapenemase-producing strains were isolated by the modified hodge test. After that, the detection of blaVIM and blaIMP genes was performed by RT-PCR technique. Results: One hundred P. aeruginosa were isolated from different clinical samples. Among these, 74 (74%) isolates were considered as carbapenemase positive using MHT. The frequencies of blaVIM and blaIMP genes were obtained as 83% and 11%, respectively. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate a high level of resistance to most of the antibiotics tested and a high prevalence of blaVIM gene in P. aeruginosa strains.

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Headache associated with COVID-19: Frequency, characteristics and association with anosmia and ageusia

Cephalalgia ◽

10.1177/0333102420966770 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 40 (13) ◽

pp. 1443-1451 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pedro Augusto Sampaio Rocha-Filho ◽

João Eudes Magalhães

Keyword(s):

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Severe Intensity ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

Polymerase Chain

Objectives To assess the frequency and characteristics of headache in patients with COVID-19 and whether there is an association between headache and anosmia and ageusia. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. Consecutive patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique, were assessed by neurologists. Results Seventy-three patients were included in the study, 63% were male; the median age was 58 years (IQR: 47–66). Forty-seven patients (64.4%) reported headaches, which had most frequently begun on the first day of symptoms, were bilateral (94%), presenting severe intensity (53%) and a migraine phenotype (51%). Twelve patients (16.4%) presented with headache triggered by coughing. Eleven (15%) patients reported a continuous headache. Twenty-eight patients (38.4%) presented with anosmia and 29 (39.7%) with ageusia. Patients who reported hyposmia/anosmia and/or hypogeusia/ageusia experienced headache more frequently than those without these symptoms (OR: 5.39; 95% CI:1.66–17.45; logistic regression). Patients with anosmia and ageusia presented headache associated with phonophobia more often compared to those with headache without these complaints (Chi-square test; p < 0.05). Headache associated with COVID-19 presented a migraine phenotype more frequently in those experiencing previous migraine ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Headaches associated with COVID-19 are frequent, are generally severe, diffuse, present a migraine phenotype and are associated with anosmia and ageusia.

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Performance of Oropharyngeal Swab Testing Compared With Nasopharyngeal Swab Testing for Diagnosis of Coronavirus Disease 2019—United States, January 2020–February 2020

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/cid/ciaa759 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Monita R Patel ◽

Darin Carroll ◽

Emily Ussery ◽

Hilary Whitham ◽

Christopher A Elkins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽

Threshold Values ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Illness Onset ◽

Oropharyngeal Swab ◽

Polymerase Chain

Abstract Among 146 nasopharyngeal (NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) swab pairs collected ≤7 days after illness onset, Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction assay for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR) diagnostic results were 95.2% concordant. However, NP swab cycle threshold values were lower (indicating more virus) in 66.7% of concordant-positive pairs, suggesting NP swabs may more accurately detect the amount of SARS-CoV-2.

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Comparing SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Anterior Nasal Vestibular Swabs vs. Oropharyngeal Swabs

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fcimb.2021.653794 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Meiyan Li ◽

Ruoyan Wei ◽

Yaling Yang ◽

Taiwen He ◽

Yinzhong Shen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nasal Swab ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Nasal Vestibule ◽

Specimen Collection ◽

Clinical Center ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Sectional Analysis

PurposeTo investigate the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 testing in specimens collected from the anterior nasal vestibules of COVID-19 patients.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was performed on 30 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center from March 14, 2020 to March 21, 2020. Paired specimens were collected from both the anterior nasal vestibule and the oropharynx from all patients. All specimens were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays.ResultsOf the 30 patients with confirmed COVID-19, 17 patients (56.7%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 when oropharyngeal specimens were used, while 20 patients (66.7%) tested positive when nasal swab specimens were used. There was no statistically significant difference in sensitivity between the two methods.ConclusionsRespiratory swabs collected from the nasal vestibule offer a less invasive alternative to oropharyngeal swabs for specimen collection in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and have adequate sensitivity.

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Loss of Sense of Smell and Taste among Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction Positive COVID-19 Patients of a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Birat Journal of Health Sciences ◽

10.3126/bjhs.v6i2.40359 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 1561-1564

Author(s):

Rajeev Shah ◽

Bipin Koirala ◽

Sangya Gyawali

Keyword(s):

Tertiary Care Hospital ◽

Strong Association ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Taste And Smell

Results: A total of 166 patients were included in the study. The age of the patients ranged from 10 to 84 years with a mean age of 44.34 ± 23.059 years. Out of the 166 RT-PCR positive patients 103 (62%) had a loss of taste while 114 (68.7%) had a loss of smell. Nearly half of the subjects about 99 (51.6%) had dysfunction in both taste and smell. Conclusions: The present study shows the strong association between the olfactory and gustatory dysfunction with that of COVID infection. Patients with loss of taste and smell should be evaluated properly at the time of COVID pandemic. Olfactory and Gustatory dysfunction can be the early and only manifestation of COVID infection. The prevalence of loss of smell and taste was similar to other studies done in similar settings.

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Increased expression of Cardiotrophin-1 in cardiomyopathy patients

Balkan Journal of Medical Genetics ◽

10.2478/bjmg-2021-0008 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 21-26

Author(s):

S Sharif ◽

A Saleem ◽

S Naz ◽

F Rashid ◽

M Iqtedar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Control Group ◽

Cardiomyocyte Differentiation ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Group A ◽

Causes Of Mortality ◽

The Mean ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Genetic And Environmental Factors

Abstract Cardiomyopathy (CM) is a condition of cardiac dysfunction. It is one of the leading causes of mortality in which both genetic and environmental factors are involved. Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) level in plasma is associated with CM. It affects the cardiomyocyte differentiation. To evaluate the expression of CT-1 in cardiomyopathy, this study was done on CM subjects attending the Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, between January and June, 2016. A total of 40 subjects were enrolled who were divided into two groups; CM group (n = 20) and a control group (n = 20). A self-designed questionnaire was filled in by each subject to collect data regarding age, body mass index (BMI) and CM history. RNA was isolated from blood after its quantification, cDNA was prepared and reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed for expression of CT-1. The mean age in CM subjects was 40.1±6.03 years, while it was 35.0±3.7 years in the control group. The mean expression of CT-1 in the CM subjects was 5.2±0.66, while it was 1.00±0.001 in the control group. A highly significant difference was observed in CT-1 expression in the CM group, and expression was significantly correlated with age and BMI in CM subjects.

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