Chlamydia trachomatis genotypes in a cross-sectional study of urogenital samples from remote Northern and Central Australia

his is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/Abstract OBJECTIVES: The objective was to determine the frequency of trachoma genotypes of Chlamydia trachomatis-positive urogenital tract (UGT) specimens from remote areas of the Australian Northern Territory (NT). SETTING: The setting was analysis of remnants of C. trachomatis positive primarily UGT specimens obtained in the course of clinical practice. The specimens were obtained from two pathology service providers. PARTICIPANTS: From 3356 C. trachomatis specimens collected during May 2012-April 2013, 439 were selected for genotyping, with a focus on specimens from postpubescent patients, in remote Aboriginal communities where ocular trachoma is potentially present. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was the proportion of successfully genotyped UGT specimens that were trachoma genotypes. The secondary outcome measures were the distribution of genotypes, and the frequencies of different classes of specimens able to be genotyped. RESULTS: Zero of 217 successfully genotyped UGT specimens yielded trachoma genotypes (95% CI for frequency=0-0.017). For UGT specimens, the genotypes were E (41%), F (22%), D (21%) and K (7%), with J, H and G and mixed genotypes each at 1-4%. Four of the five genotyped eye swabs yielded trachoma genotype Ba, and the other genotype J. Two hundred twenty-two specimens (50.6%) were successfully genotyped. Urine specimens were less likely to be typable than vaginal swabs (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Unlike in some other studies, in the remote NT, trachoma genotypes of C. trachomatis were not found circulating in UGT specimens from 2012 to 2013. Therefore, C. trachomatis genotypes in UGT specimens from young children can be informative as to whether the organism has been acquired through sexual contact. We suggest inclusion of C. trachomatis genotyping in guidelines examining the source of sexually transmitted infections in young children in areas where trachoma genotypes may continue to circulate, and continued surveillance of UGT C. trachomatis genotypes

Molecular Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Northern Territory, Australia

Emerging Infectious Disease's an open access journal in the public domain. All content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution.Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a globally recognized health threat; new strategies are needed to enhance AMR surveillance. The Northern Territory of Australia is unique in that 2 different first-line therapies, based primarily on geographic location, are used for gonorrhea treatment. We tested 1,629 N. gonorrhoeae nucleic acid amplification test-positive clinical samples, collected from regions where ceftriaxone plus azithromycin or amoxicillin plus azithromycin are recommended first-line treatments, by using 8 N. gonorrhoeae AMR PCR assays. We compared results with those from routine culture-based surveillance data. PCR data confirmed an absence of ceftriaxone resistance and a low level of azithromycin resistance (0.2%), and that penicillin resistance was <5% in amoxicillin plus azithromycin regions. Rates of ciprofloxacin resistance and penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae were lower when molecular methods were used. Molecular methods to detect N. gonorrhoeae AMR can increase the evidence base for treatment guidelines, particularly in settings where culture-based surveillance is limited

Transcriptional effects of a lupus-associated polymorphism in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of human complement receptor 2 (CR2/CD21)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with a strong genetic component that determines risk. A common three single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype of the complement receptor 2 (CR2) gene has been associated with increased risk of SLE (Wu et al., 2007; Douglas et al., 2009), and a less common haplotype consisting of the major allele at SNP1 and minor alleles at SNP2 and 3 confers protection (Douglas et al., 2009). SNP1 (rs3813946), which is located in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the CR2 gene, altered transcriptional activity of a CR2 promoter-luciferase reporter gene construct transiently transfected into a B cell line (Wu et al., 2007) and had an independent effect in the protective haplotype (Douglas et al., 2009). In this study, we show that this SNP alters transcriptional activity in a transiently transfected non B-cell line as well as in stably transfected cell lines, supporting its relevance in vivo. Furthermore, the allele at this SNP affects chromatin accessibility of the surrounding sequence and transcription factor binding. These data confirm the effects of rs3813946 on CR2 transcription, identifying the 5' UTR to be a novel regulatory element for the CR2 gene in which variation may alter gene function and modify the development of lupus

A critical assessment of the factors affecting reporter gene assays for promoter SNP function: a reassessment of −308 TNF polymorphism function using a novel integrated reporter system

One of the greatest challenges facing genetics is the development of strategies to identify functionally relevant genetic variation. The most common test of function is the reporter gene assay, in which allelic regulatory regions are used to drive the expression of a reporter gene, and differences in expression in a cell line after transient transfection are taken to be a reflection of the polymorphism. Many studies have reported small differences in single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-specific reporter activity, including the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) G−308A polymorphism. However, we have established that many variables inherent in the reporter gene approach can account for the reported allelic differences. Variables, such as the amount of DNA used in transfection, the amount of transfection control vector used, the method of transfection, the growth history of the host cells, and the quality and purity of DNA used, all influence TNF −308 SNP-specific transient reporter gene assays and serve as a caution for those researchers who apply this method to the functional assessment of polymorphic promoter sequences. We have developed an integrated reporter system that obviates some of these problems and shows that the TNF G−308A polymorphism is functionally relevant in this improved assay, thus confirming that the −308A allele expresses at a higher level compared with the −308G allele

Comprehensive overview of optimizing PV-DG allocation in power system and solar energy resource potential assessments

Distributed Generation based on Photovoltaic (PV-DG) injected in the power system is considered a highly promising solution due to the advantage of clean energy use. However, the investigation of the optimal PV-DG allocation (site and size) is a significant task for power system requirements and assessment of PV potentials. Recent research works on PV-DG allocation are reviewed from two viewpoints; (1) DG, optimization algorithms and objectives and (2) methodologies of PV potential assessments. Due to the review of recent research works, the research gaps are identified and new methodology will be proposed. The authors strongly believe that this work can be helpful to mitigate power system challenges. Besides, it helps to maximize the PV harness within the power system in particular developing countries. © 2019 The AuthorsArizona Research Institute for Solar Energy, AzRISEAt the beginning, the author is grateful from YTB (Yurtd??? T?rkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Ba?kanl???) to provide the chance for conducting this study in Turkey. He would also like to thank each of Solar Energy Institute (G?ne? Enerjisi Enstit?s?) in Ege University for providing all necessary needs to complete this work, my supervisor for his tangible guiding and motivating during this academic research and my parents for spiritual support