Rapid Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Typing of the Lymphogranuloma venereum associated L-Serovars by TaqMan PCR

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infection due to <it>Chlamydia trachomatis </it>is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial disease of global health significance, and especially the L-serovars causing lymphogranuloma venereum are increasingly being found in Europe in men who have sex with men.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The design and evaluation of a rapid, multiplex, real-time PCR targeting the major outer membrane protein (<it>omp-1</it>) -gene and a L-serovar-specific region of the polymorphic protein H (<it>pmp-H</it>) -gene for the detection of <it>Chlamydia trachomatis </it>is reported here. The PCR takes place as a single reaction with an internal control. For L1-, L2- and L3-serovar differentiation a second set of real-time PCRs was evaluated based on the amplification of serovar-specific <it>omp-1</it>-regions. The detection limit of each real-time PCR, multiplexed or not, was 50 genome copies per reaction with an efficiency ranging from 90,5–95,2%.</p> <p>In a retrospective analysis of 50 ocular, rectal and urogenital specimens formerly tested to be positive for <it>C. trachomatis </it>we identified six L2-serovars in rectal specimens of HIV-positive men, one in a double-infection with L3, and one L2 in a urethral specimen of an HIV-negative male.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This unique real-time PCR is specific and convenient for the rapid routine-diagnostic detection of lymphogranuloma venereum-associated L-serovars and enables the subsequent differentiation of L1, L2 and L3 for epidemiologic studies.</p

A time-resolved proteomic and prognostic map of COVID-19

COVID-19 is highly variable in its clinical presentation, ranging from asymptomatic infection to severe organ damage and death. We characterized the time-dependent progression of the disease in 139 COVID-19 inpatients by measuring 86 accredited diagnostic parameters, such as blood cell counts and enzyme activities, as well as untargeted plasma proteomes at 687 sampling points. We report an initial spike in a systemic inflammatory response, which is gradually alleviated and followed by a protein signature indicative of tissue repair, metabolic reconstitution, and immunomodulation. We identify prognostic marker signatures for devising risk-adapted treatment strategies and use machine learning to classify therapeutic needs. We show that the machine learning models based on the proteome are transferable to an independent cohort. Our study presents a map linking routinely used clinical diagnostic parameters to plasma proteomes and their dynamics in an infectious disease

Krevende personalsaker En studie av skoleleders håndtering av lederansvaret

Sammendrag Problemstilling: Hvordan må en leder opptre i en vanskelig personalsak for å ivareta organisasjonen som helhet? Etter åtte år som skoleleder, har jeg gjort meg noen erfaringer fra vanskelige personalsaker og det er dette som er hovedårsaken til at jeg ønsker å arbeide med dette i min studie. Andres master -og doktorgrader har også inspirert meg, og gjort meg motivert for eget arbeid med dette temaet. Jeg har valgt å bruke kvalitativ metode, og benytter semistrukturert intervju. Jeg har kombinert dette med fokusgruppeintervju. Det er tre hovedtillitsvalgte for Utdanningsforbundet som er mine intervjupersoner. Alle de tre intervjupersonene var opptatt av utfordringer knyttet til både sin egen og andres rolle i de mest krevende sakene. Dermed dreier funnene i stor grad om hvilken form for lederstøtte som trengs i håndteringen av vanskelige personalsaker, i tillegg til hvordan hovedtillitsvalgte kan påvirke og medvirke i slike saker. Andre funn i studien handler om at det kan være avgjørende for leder å bygge legitimitet i personalet i fredstid. Det kom videre fram at det er viktig å unngå unnfallenhet, ved at leder er på – og tar tak i kritikkverdige forhold fortløpende og ikke samler det opp til en stor sak. Betydningen av å unngå saksbehandlingsfeil er også et sentralt funn. Det som kanskje er aller mest framtredende i oppgaven, handler om at det er svært vanskelig å lykkes i de aller mest krevende personalsakene, nesten uansett hva leder gjør, og at utfallet i verste fall kan gi negative konsekvenser for alle involverte parter

Performance of Roche qualitative HEV assay on the cobas 6800 platform for quantitative measurement of HEV RNA.

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an increasingly recognized cause of acute and chronic hepatitis in high-income countries and is the most frequent cause of acute viral hepatitis in many European countries. Appropriate tools to detect and quantify HEV RNA are needed. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Roche cobas® HEV assay and compare it with the Fast Track Diagnostics (FTD) Hepatitis E RNA assay. Methods: HEV viral load determination and lower limit of detection (LOD, defined as the lowest amount of viral copies that could be detected in 95 % of repeats) were assessed using a WHO standard dilution panel, testing 240 samples of various concentrations. Reproducibility was tested at three different concentration levels, for different genotypes, and with different sample types (serum, plasma) in 30 samples. Sample stability was analyzed after three freeze/thaw cycles in 25 samples. Results: Cobas HEV assay showed a strong linear relationship between log of HEV WHO dilution series and Ct values over the reportable range from 200-5000 IU/mL HEV RNA copies. The amplification efficiency was higher than 92 %. LOD was 22 IU/mL (95 % CI: 17.4-31.8) and reproducibility tests showed a 100 % nucleic acid test (NAT) reactivity of cobas HEV for WHO dilution series (range 200-5000 IU/mL, n = 90). Cobas HEV assay detected all different HEV genotypes from biobank samples irrespective of the sample type. NAT reactivity of cobas HEV was not affected by three freeze/thaw cycles. Conclusions: Roche cobas HEV assay is a powerful NAT tool in terms of robustness, reproducibility and linearity. It is a feasible alternative for high-volume testing

Kinetics and Value of Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection during Antiviral Treatment

Background: The hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) correlates with HBV DNA in patients with chronic HBV infection without antiviral treatment. Its utility in monitoring patients during and after the cessation of nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) treatment is unknown. Methods: The levels of HBcrAg were longitudinally determined in two cohorts of chronic HBV-infected patients with (A) newly started NA treatment or (B) after NA cessation during a median follow up (FU) of 60 months or 48 weeks, respectively. The correlation of HBcrAg and HBV DNA and the predictive value for HBeAg seroconversion and HBsAg loss were evaluated. Results: Fifty-six patients with newly-started NA treatment and 22 patients with NA cessation were identified. HBcrAg and HBV DNA strongly correlated before NA treatment (r = 0.77, p p = 0.0063). At the individual level, the discrepant kinetics of HBcrAg and HBV DNA became evident. During NA treatment, 33% (6/18) and 9% (5/56) of patients showed HBeAg seroconversion or HBsAg loss/HBsAg < 100 IU/mL, respectively. Low levels of HBcrAg were associated with these endpoints. Conclusion: HBcrAg levels before antiviral treatment help to identify patients with chances of HBsAg loss or HBeAg seroconversion. However, its utility in replacing quantitative HBV DNA to evaluate treatment efficacy or virological relapse off-treatment is limited

Residual low HDV viremia is associated with HDV RNA relapse after PEG-IFNa-based antiviral treatment of hepatitis D (delta): results from the HIDIT-II study

[No Abstract Available