Comparison of the Diagnostic Accuracy of Serological and Histology Tests for Helicobacter Pylori in Patients with Dyspepsia and Metabolic Syndrome

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a major cause of chronic gastritis, especially in metabolic syndrome patients. The use of a accessible and easy diagnostic method, can speed up the treatment of this infection This study compared two methods of histology and serology for diagnosis of H. pylori in metabolic syndrome patients.Methods: This study was done on 175 metabolic syndrome patients with dyspepsia referred to Shahroud Imam Hossain hospital in 2014. From each patient, standard biopsy and serology tests were taken with endoscopy. This data will be analyzed with sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value.Results: Of the 175 patients studied, 90 (51.4%) were male and 85 (48.6%) were female. The mean patient age was 46.9±18.6 years. From 175 patients, 114(65.1%)  and 149 (85.3%) patients tested positive by serology and histology, respectively. For the serological test, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 66.4%, 42.3%, 86.8%, and 18.1%. It was also found that with IgG values higher than 1.3, there was a sensitivity of 90.7%, and specificity of 72.8%, which was considered a positive test. The cut-off point performance test means that  maximum at this point with 78.3% the area under the curve (AUC),  there is the highest sensitivity and specificity.Conclusions: Due to the relative sensitivity and specificity of serological tests in comparison with other diagnostic methods as well as the simplicity, speed, and low cost, it is recommended that this test be used for screening metabolic syndrome patients

Comparison of the Diagnostic Accuracy of Serological and Histology Tests for Helicobacter Pylori in Patients with Dyspepsia and Metabolic Syndrome

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a major cause of chronic gastritis, especially in metabolic syndrome patients. The use of a accessible and easy diagnostic method, can speed up the treatment of this infection This study compared two methods of histology and serology for diagnosis of H. pylori in metabolic syndrome patients.Methods: This study was done on 175 metabolic syndrome patients with dyspepsia referred to Shahroud Imam Hossain hospital in 2014. From each patient, standard biopsy and serology tests were taken with endoscopy. This data will be analyzed with sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value.Results: Of the 175 patients studied, 90 (51.4%) were male and 85 (48.6%) were female. The mean patient age was 46.9±18.6 years. From 175 patients, 114(65.1%)  and 149 (85.3%) patients tested positive by serology and histology, respectively. For the serological test, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 66.4%, 42.3%, 86.8%, and 18.1%. It was also found that with IgG values higher than 1.3, there was a sensitivity of 90.7%, and specificity of 72.8%, which was considered a positive test. The cut-off point performance test means that  maximum at this point with 78.3% the area under the curve (AUC),  there is the highest sensitivity and specificity.Conclusions: Due to the relative sensitivity and specificity of serological tests in comparison with other diagnostic methods as well as the simplicity, speed, and low cost, it is recommended that this test be used for screening metabolic syndrome patients

Plasma and PBMC miRNA profile in sexually HIV-1 exposed seronegative individuals

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small 20- to 24-nt non-coding RNAs involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression which play important defensive roles in several viral infections. Global expression profiles of cellular miRNAs have identified alterations of specific miRNAs post-HIV-1 infection both in vitro and in different patient cohorts suggesting potential roles for miRNA in pathogenesis and disease progression. We therefore decided to verify if natural resistance to HIV-1 infection observed in seronegative individuals repeatedly exposed to HIV-1 (HESN) through unprotected sexual intercourse could be secondary to a different expression of their miRNA profile. Methods: Expression levels of 25 miRNAs selected according to their proven anti-HIV-1 properties were analyzed in plasma, basal PBMC and in in vitro HIV-1 infected macrophages isolated from 30 HESN, 30 HIV seropositive subjects (HIV + ) and 30 healthy controls (HC).Results: In plasma the expression of mir-155, mir-382, mir-28 and mir-198 was significantly augmented in both HIV + and HESN compared to HC probably as a consequence of viral exposure. Conversely the expression of mir-223 and mir-150 in plasma was significantly increased only in HESN and this result was also confirmed in basal PBMC suggesting a protective effect for these miRNAs in resistance to HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, the expression of mir-150 was significantly increased in HESN macrophages following HIV-1 infection. Conclusions: mir-223 and mir-150 can target the 3\ua2UTR of HIV-1 transcripts, and they have already been identified as anti-HIV-1 miRNAs. The higher expression of these miRNA in HESN samples could therefore represent a key protection mechanism against HIV infection

Disaster relief operations: past, present and future

The aim of the preface is to introduce the scope of this special issue (SI). We explain our editorial approach and summarise our findings based on articles included in this SI. Finally, we outline future research questions which stemmed out of the discussions of this SI

Identification of a Specific miRNA Profile in HIV-Exposed Seronegative Individuals

Objective: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression that play important roles in viral infections. Alterations of specific miRNAs are described in HIV infection, suggesting a role for miRNAs in pathogenesis of this disease. We verified whether a particular miRNA signature could be identified in natural resistance to HIV-1. Methods: Expression level of 84 miRNAs was analyzed by RT-qPCR in plasma and unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) of 30 seronegative individuals repeatedly exposed to HIV-1 (HESN), 30 HIV seropositive subjects (HIV+), and 30 healthy controls (HC). Results were confirmed by individual RT-qPCR in in vitro HIV-1-infected PBMC and in their cell culture medium. Dicer and Drosha expression was analyzed in basal PBMC. Results: Whereas Dicer and Drosha expression was comparable in HESN, HIV+ and HC, several miRNAs were upregulated both in HESN and HIV+ compared with HC. Furthermore, miRNA-29a and miR-223 were upregulated in both unstimulated PBMC and plasma of HESN alone; their expression was reduced upon in vitro HIV-1 infection of HESN PBMC indicating that, upon infection, they are secreted in the extracellular milieu. These results were confirmed by individual qPCR. Conclusions: Our studies demonstrate that HIV-1 exposure modifies miRNAs expression even in the absence of productive infection. Because those miRNAs that are specifically increased only in HESN have been known to reduce HIV-1 replication, their modulation could represent an important mechanism in resistance to HIV-1 infection

Plasma and PBMC miRNA profile in sexually HIV- exposed seronegative individuals

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small 20- to 24-nt non-coding RNAs involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression which play important defensive roles in several viral infections. Global expression profiles of cellular miRNAs have identified alterations of specific miRNAs post-HIV-1 infection both in vitro and in different patient cohorts suggesting potential roles for miRNA in pathogenesis and disease progression. We therefore decided to verify if natural resistance to HIV-1 infection observed in seronegative individuals repeatedly exposed to HIV-1 (HESN) through unprotected sexual intercourse could be secondary to a different expression of their miRNA profile. Method: expression levels of 25 miRNAs selected according to their proven anti-HIV-1 properties were analyzed in plasma, basal PBMC and in in vitro HIV-1 infected macrophages isolated from 30 HESN, 30 HIV seropositive subjects (HIV+) and 30 healthy controls (HC). Result: In plasma the expression of mir-155, mir-382, mir-28 and mir-198 was significantly augmented in both HIV+ and HESN compared to HC probably as a consequence of viral exposure. Conversely the expression of mir-223 and mir-150 in plasma was significantly increased only in HESN and this result was also confirmed in basal PBMC suggesting a protective effect for these miRNAs in resistance to HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, the expression of mir-150 was significantly increased in HESN macrophages following HIV-1 infection. Conclusion: mir-223 and mir-150 can target the 3\u2019UTR of HIV-1 transcripts, and they have already been identified as anti-HIV-1 miRNAs. The higher expression of these miRNA in HESN samples could therefore represents a key protection mechanism against HIV infection