pH dependent high transfection efficiency of mouse neuroblastomas using TransFectin

10.1016/j.jneumeth.2006.05.017Journal of Neuroscience Methods158156-63JNME

Dengue hemorrhagic fever transmitted by blood transfusion

10.1056/NEJMc0708673New England Journal of Medicine359141526-152

Annexin A3 is associated with cell death in lactacystin-mediated neuronal injury

10.1016/j.neulet.2010.08.089Neuroscience Letters4852129-133NELE

A Prospective Clinical Study on the Use of Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Early Diagnosis of Dengue Fever

Laboratory testing for dengue virus is used to confirm the diagnosis of dengue virus infection and to differentiate dengue from other febrile tropical illnesses. There are few data on the clinical use of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for diagnosis of dengue virus infection. We prospectively evaluated 121 consecutive patients with possible dengue who had samples submitted for RT-PCR, IgM serology, and virus culture. Results were compared with the final discharge diagnosis. Semi-nested RT-PCR was performed using genus- and serotype-specific NS3 consensus primers. Results of 112 patients were available for the final analysis. The RT-PCR was positive in 40 of 62 patients with dengue. Patients who were RT-PCR-positive alone showed a mean of 4.4 days to RT-PCR positivity compared with 5.9 days in patients who were RT-PCR-negative and IgM serology-positive (P = 0.03, Mann-Whitney U-test). The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value were 70, 100, 84, and 100%, respectively, for samples analyzed within 5 days of illness onset. The RT-PCR also provided epidemiological data regarding the prevailing dengue virus serotypes: 25 with Den-2, eight with Den-3, and seven with Den-1 infection. We propose an algorithm of dengue testing that uses RT-PCR within 5 days of illness onset, whereas IgM capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is preferred for those presenting later

Comparative global epidemiology of influenza, respiratory syncytial and parainfluenza viruses, 2010–2015

Objectives: To improve our understanding of the global epidemiology of common respiratory viruses by analysing their contemporaneous incidence at multiple sites. Methods: 2010–2015 incidence data for influenza A (IAV), influenza B (IBV), respiratory syncytial (RSV) and parainfluenza (PIV) virus infections were collected from 18 sites (14 countries), consisting of local (n = 6), regional (n = 9) and national (n = 3) laboratories using molecular diagnostic methods. Each site submitted monthly virus incidence data, together with details of their patient populations tested and diagnostic assays used. Results: For the Northern Hemisphere temperate countries, the IAV, IBV and RSV incidence peaks were 2–6 months out of phase with those in the Southern Hemisphere, with IAV having a sharp out-of-phase difference at 6 months, whereas IBV and RSV showed more variable out-of-phase differences of 2–6 months. The tropical sites Singapore and Kuala Lumpur showed fluctuating incidence of these viruses throughout the year, whereas subtropical sites such as Hong Kong, Brisbane and Sydney showed distinctive biannual peaks for IAV but not for RSV and PIV. Conclusions: There was a notable pattern of synchrony of IAV, IBV and RSV incidence peaks globally, and within countries with multiple sampling sites (Canada, UK, Australia), despite significant distances between these sites