Development and clinical validation of the Genedrive point-of-care test for qualitative detection of hepatitis C virus

Objective: Recently approved direct acting antivirals provide transformative therapies for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The major clinical challenge remains to identify the undiagnosed patients worldwide, many of whom live in low-income and middle-income countries, where access to nucleic acid testing remains limited. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a point-of-care (PoC) assay for the qualitative detection of HCV RNA. Design: We developed a PoC assay for the qualitative detection of HCV RNA on the PCR Genedrive instrument. We validated the Genedrive HCV assay through a case–control study comparing results with those obtained with the Abbott RealTime HCV test. Results: The PoC assay identified all major HCV genotypes, with a limit of detection of 2362 IU/mL (95% CI 1966 to 2788). Using 422 patients chronically infected with HCV and 503 controls negative for anti-HCV and HCV RNA, the Genedrive HCV assay showed 98.6% sensitivity (95% CI 96.9% to 99.5%) and 100% specificity (95% CI 99.3% to 100%) to detect HCV. In addition, melting peak ratiometric analysis demonstrated proof-of-principle for semiquantification of HCV. The test was further validated in a real clinical setting in a resource-limited country. Conclusion: We report a rapid, simple, portable and accurate PoC molecular test for HCV, with sensitivity and specificity that fulfils the recent FIND/WHO Target Product Profile for HCV decentralised testing in low-income and middle-income countries. This Genedrive HCV assay may positively impact the continuum of HCV care from screening to cure by supporting real-time treatment decisions

IL-17A in Human Liver: Significant Source of Inflammation and Trigger of Liver Fibrosis Initiation

International audienceIL-17A is considered to guide liver inflammation and fibrosis. From twenty-two human liver samples of different fibrosis stages (F0 to F4), IL-17A, IL-22, and TGFβ1 protein expression in liver tissue lysates were analyzed. Ten paired samples of liver tissue (F0–F1 stage) and blood from the same patient were used to analyze intrahepatic and blood T-lymphoid IL-17A+ cells by flow cytometry. The analyses have been performed regardless of pathology, considering the stage of fibrosis. Human liver tissue was used for the primary human liver slice cultures, followed by subsequent cytokine stimulation and fibrotic markers’ analysis by ELISA. IL-17A production in human liver tissue was significantly higher in the early fibrotic stage compared with the advanced stage. Th17 T cells and, to a lesser extent, MAIT cells were the main sources of IL-17A in both compartments, the liver and the blood. Moreover, the presence of liver Th17IL-17A+INFγ+ cells was detected in the liver. IL-17A stimulation of human liver slice culture increased the expression of profibrotic and pro-inflammatory markers. IL-17A, secreted by Th17 and MAIT cells in the liver, triggered fibrosis by inducing the expression of IL-6 and profibrotic markers and could be a target for antifibrotic treatment. Further amplitude studies are needed to confirm the current results

Toi Même, a Mobile Health Platform for Measuring Bipolar Illness Activity: Protocol for a Feasibility Study

International audienceBackground The diagnosis and management of bipolar disorder are limited by the absence of available biomarkers. Patients with bipolar disorder frequently present with mood instability even during remission, which is likely associated with the risk of relapse, impaired functioning, and suicidal behavior, indicating that the illness is active. Objective This research protocol aimed to investigate the correlations between clinically rated mood symptoms and mood/behavioral data automatically collected using the Toi Même app in patients with bipolar disorder presenting with different mood episodes. This study also aimed to assess the feasibility of this app for self-monitoring subjective and objective mood/behavior parameters in those patients. Methods This open-label, nonrandomized trial will enroll 93 (31 depressive, 31 euthymic, and 31 hypomanic) adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder type I/II (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition criteria) and owning an iPhone. Clinical evaluations will be performed by psychiatrists at the baseline and after 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months during the follow-up. Rather than only accessing the daily mood symptoms, the Toi Même app also integrates ecological momentary assessments through 2 gamified tests to assess cognition speed (QUiCKBRAIN) and affective responses (PLAYiMOTIONS) in real-life contexts, continuously measures daily motor activities (eg, number of steps, distance) using the smartphone’s motion sensors, and performs a comprehensive weekly assessment. Results Recruitment began in April 2018 and the completion of the study is estimated to be in December 2021. As of April 2019, 25 participants were enrolled in the study. The first results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2020. This project has been funded by the Perception and Memory Unit of the Pasteur Institute (Paris) and it has received the final ethical/research approvals in April 2018 (ID-RCB: 2017-A02450-53). Conclusions Our results will add to the evidence of exploring other alternatives toward a more integrated approach in the management of bipolar disorder, including digital phenotyping, to develop an ethical and clinically meaningful framework for investigating, diagnosing, and treating individuals at risk of developing bipolar disorder or currently experiencing bipolar disorder. Further prospective studies on the validity of automatically generated smartphone data are needed for better understanding the longitudinal pattern of mood instability in bipolar disorder as well as to establish the reliability, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of such an app intervention for patients with bipolar disorder. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03508427; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03508427 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/1881

Olfactory function in congenital cytomegalovirus infection: a prospective study

International audienceCongenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection leads to olfactory bulb lesions in the fetus, yet little is known about its impact on olfaction after birth. Here, we have assessed in a prospective study conducted on children in two French hospitals from 2016 to 2019, infection severity and olfactory performance after congenital CMV infection. Children with congenital CMV infection aged 3 to 10 years and healthy controls (CTL) matched for age and sex to CMV children symptomatic at birth (sCMV) were enrolled. Olfactory discrimination was assessed using mono-odorants and binary mixtures. Data were analyzed for 54 children with PCR-confirmed congenital CMV infection, including 34 sCMV (median [IQR] age, 6 [5-8] years; 19 [55.9%] male), and 20 CMV asymptomatic at birth (aCMV, median [IQR] age, 4 [3-6] years; 12 [60.0%] male). sCMV were compared to 34 CTL children. Olfactory scores in CMV-infected children were independent from vestibular deficit and hearing loss. The olfactory score was efficient to discriminate between CTL and sCMV for children > 6 years (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC, 0.85; P = 0.0006), but not for children  6 years, the proportion of children with total olfactory score < 4 differed between sCMV and CTL groups (91.2% and 18.7%, P < 0.001), but not between aCMV and age-matched healthy control groups. Conclusion: Congenital CMV infection is associated with reduced olfactory performance in children with infection symptoms at birth. Clinical trial registration: NCT02782988 (registration date: May 26, 2016). What is Known: •Congenital cytomegalovirus infection leads to olfactory bulb lesions in the fetus, yet little is known about its impact on olfaction after birth. •Depending on neonatal clinical presentation, children are either categorized as having a symptomatic or asymptomatic infection at birth. What is New: •Congenital cytomegalovirus infection is associated with reduced olfactory performance in children with infection symptoms at birth

An in vitro diagnostic certified point of care single nucleotide test for IL28B polymorphisms.

Numerous genetic polymorphisms have been identified as associated with disease or treatment outcome, but the routine implementation of genotyping into actionable medical care remains limited. Point-of-care (PoC) technologies enable rapid and real-time treatment decisions, with great potential for extending molecular diagnostic approaches to settings with limited medical infrastructure (e.g., CLIA certified diagnostic laboratories). With respect to resource-limited settings, there is a need for simple devices to implement biomarker guided treatment strategies. One relevant example is chronic hepatitis C infection, for which several treatment options are now approved. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL-28B / IFNL3 locus have been well described to predict both spontaneous clearance and response to interferon based therapies. We utilized the Genedrive® platform to develop an assay for the SNP rs12979860 variants (CC, CT and TT). The assay utilizes a hybrid thermal engine, permitting rapid heating and cooling, enabling an amplification based assay with genetic variants reported using endpoint differential melting cure analysis in less than 60 minutes. We validated this assay using non-invasive buccal swab sampling in a prospective study of 246 chronic HCV patients, achieving 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity (95% exact CI: 98.8-100%)) in 50 minutes as compared to conventional lab based PCR testing. Our results provide proof of concept that precision medicine is feasible in resource-limited settings, offering the first CE-IVD (in vitro diagnostics) validated PoC SNP test. We propose that IL-28B genotyping may be useful for directing patients towards lower cost therapies, and rationing use of costly direct antivirals for use in those individuals showing genetic risk

Summary of clinical test results in runs, remelts, and retests.

<p>Summary of clinical test results in runs, remelts, and retests.</p

Clinical study validation of 246 HCV patients.

<p>(A) Workflow and Layout of Assay. (B) Contingency table for sensitivity and specificity to detect CC genotype. (C) Contingency table for sensitivity and specificity to discriminate CC, CT, and TT genotypes.</p

Patient demographics and baseline characteristics.

<p>Patient demographics and baseline characteristics.</p