COMPARACIÓN DE TRES MÉTODOS DIAGNÓSTICOS PARA LA DETECCIÓN DE ROTAVIRUS EN HECES DE NIÑOS DIARREICOS

Para encontrar un método diagnóstico de Rotavirus asequible a laboratorios clínicos pequeños, se compararon dos inmunoensayos enzimáticos y un método de electroforesis en gel de poliacrilamida (PAGE). Se comparó la sensibilidad de los métodos entre sí, y la especificidad se determinó por microscopía electrónica de transmisión (MET) como método de referencia. Las tres técnicas resultaron con una sensibilidad del 100%, sin embargo, PAGE tuvo la mayor especificidad (100%), seguido por ELISA no comercial (96%) y por último la ELISA comercial con un (79%). La prueba de PAGE resultó ser la más ventajosa por tener una alta sensibilidad y especificidad de detección de rotavirus, se puede realizar en un tiempo relativamente corto y resulta mucho más económica, a diferencia de las ELISA que cada día elevan sus costos en el comercio.   PALABRAS CLAVES: Rotavirus, ELISA, electroforesis.   ABSTRACT A commercial and a non commercial branded enzyme linked immunoasorbent assays (ELISA) and a polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic assay (PAGE) for detecting human rotavirus from feces, were compared for determining their sensitivity and specificity as criteria to find a reliable analysis of human rotavirus in a basic clinical laboratory. Transmision electron microscope (TEM) was used as reference method to test the specificity of the assays. All the tested assay displayed 100% sensitivity, however PAGE showed 100% specificity followed in a decreasing order by the non commercial (96%) and commercial (79%) ELISA methods. The PAGE assay showed a better sensitivity and specificity than the ELISAs tested and demonstrated to be a most effective, low cost and rapid system for diagnosis of human rotavirus.   KEY WORDS: Rotavirus, ELISA, electrophoresis

Impact of individual-level social capital on quality of life among AIDS patients in China.

With growing recognition of the social determinants of health, social capital is an increasingly important construct in international health. However, the application of social capital discourse in response to HIV infection remains preliminary. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of social capital on quality of life (QoL) among adult patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). A convenient sample of 283 patients receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) was investigated in Anhui province, China. QoL data were collected using the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Survey (MOS-HIV) questionnaire. Social capital was measured using a self-developed questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to explore associations between social capital and QoL. The study sample had a mean physical health summary (PHS) score of 50.13 ± 9.90 and a mean mental health summary (MHS) score of 41.64 ± 11.68. Cronbach's α coefficients of the five multi-item scales of social capital ranged from 0.44 to 0.79. When other variables were controlled for, lower individual levels of reciprocity and trust were associated with a greater likelihood of having a poor PHS score (odds ratio [OR] =2.02) or PHS score (OR=6.90). Additionally, the factors of social support and social networks and ties were associated positively with MHS score (OR=2.30, OR=4.17, respectively). This is the first report to explore the effects of social capital on QoL of AIDS patients in China. The results indicate that social capital is a promising avenue for developing strategies to improve the QoL of AIDS patients in China, suggesting that the contribution of social capital should be fully exploited, especially with enhancement of QoL through social participation. Social capital development policy may be worthy of consideration