Assessment of the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay on rapid diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra for EPTB (Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis) patients on different types of extrapulmonary specimens from different anatomic sites. Methods: Patients with suspected EPTB were prospectively included, extrapulmonary specimens were collected and subjected to culture, Xpert and Xpert Ultra assays in accordance with relevant guidelines. Results: A total of 225 cases were included which contained 200 EPTB cases (43 culture-positive EPTB, 157 culture-negative EPTB which were diagnosed based on pathological results and a satisfied response to anti-TB treatment) and 25 non-EPTB cases. Sensitivities of Xpert Ultra and Xpert for culture-positive cases were 83.7% (95%CI, 68.7–92.7) and 67.4% (95% CI, 51.3–80.5) respectively. Specificities of Xpert Ultra and Xpert were 92.0% (95% CI, 72.5–98.6) and 96.0% (95% CI, 77.7–99.8) respectively. The sensitivities of Xpert Ultra, Xpert and culture for 200 EPTB cases were 52.5% (105/200, 95% CI, 45.4–59.6), 34.0% (68/200, 95% CI, 27.6–41.1) and 21.5% (43/200, 95% CI, 16.2–28.0) respectively. By comparison among different types of specimens, Xpert Ultra can detect 78.9% (56/71) of EPTB on fine-needle aspiration (FNA) tissues which was higher than that on pleural fluid (43.7% (45/103), p < 0.05. Conclusions: Xpert Ultra assay had a higher sensitivity than those of Xpert and culture on extrapulmonary specimens, which could be a promising approach for rapid EPTB diagnosis. Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra, Xpert MTB/RIF, Extrapulmonary tuberculosis, Diagnosi

Assessment of the Cepheid 3-gene Host Response Fingerstick Blood Test (MTB-HR) on rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis

ABSTRACTThe World Health Organization has identified high-priority target product profiles for new TB diagnostics which include rapid biomarker-based, non-sputum-based diagnostic testing, using an easily accessible sample. The Cepheid 3-gene Host Response Fingerstick Blood Prototype Test (MTB-HR) quantifies relative mRNA levels of a 3-gene signature (GBP5, DUSP3, and KLF2) from a whole-blood sample on the GeneXpert platform. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the performance of the MTB-HR to distinguish between active tuberculosis (ATB), latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI), other pulmonary diseases, and healthy volunteers at a tertiary care centre. Among 653 participants enrolled in this study, 192 were diagnosed as having ATB, and the remaining 461 were classified as non-ATB, including 137 cases of LTBI, 224 cases of other pulmonary diseases, and 100 healthy volunteers. The corresponding AUCs of the MTB-HR in distinguishing untreated ATB from non-ATB, LTBI, other pulmonary diseases, and healthy volunteers were 0.814 (95% CI, 0.760-0.868, sensitivity 76.1%, specificity 71.6%), 0.739 (95% CI, 0.667-0.812, sensitivity 59.7%, specificity 78.1%), 0.825 (95% CI, 0.770-0.880, sensitivity 82.1%, specificity 65.6%), 0.892 (95% CI, 0.839-0.945, sensitivity 76.1%, specificity 88.0%), respectively. When only samples with TAT of less than 1 h were included, the AUC of the MTB-HR in distinguishing untreated ATB from non-ATB was largest, 0.920 (95% CI, 0.822-1.000, sensitivity 81.3%, specificity 87.7%). In conclusion, the MTB-HR assay shows potential as a rapid, blood-based screening and triage test for ATB, especially for untreated ATB, with the advantage of increased diagnostic yield since blood is more readily available

F33: A-: B-, IncHI2/ST3, and IncI1/ST71 plasmids drive the dissemination of fosA3 and blaCTX−M−55/−14/−65 in Escherichia coli from chickens in China

The purpose of this study was to examine the occurrence of fosfomycin-resistant Escherichia coli from chickens and to characterize the plasmids carrying fosA3. A total of 661 E. coli isolates of chicken origin collected from 2009 to 2011 were screened for plasmid-mediated fosfomycin resistance determinants by PCR. Plasmids were characterized using PCR-based replicon typing, plasmid multilocus sequence typing, and restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Associated addiction systems and resistance genes were identified by PCR. PCR-mapping was used for analysis of the genetic context of fosA3. Fosfomycin resistance was detected in 58 isolates that also carried the fosA3 gene. Fifty-seven, 17, and 52 FosA3-producers also harbored blaCTX-M, rmtB, and floR genes, respectively. Most of the 58 fosA3-carrying isolates were clonally unrelated, and all fosA3 genes were located on plasmids belonged to F33:A-:B- (n=18), IncN-F33:A-:B- (n=7), IncHI2/ST3 (n=10), IncI1/ST71 (n=3), IncI1/ST108 (n=3), and others. The genetic structures, IS26-ISEcp1-blaCTX-M-55-orf477-blaTEM-1-IS26-fosA3-1758bp-IS26 and ISEcp1-blaCTX-M-65- IS903-iroN-IS26-fosA3-536bp-IS26 were located on highly similar F33:A-:B- plasmids. In addition, blaCTX-M-14-fosA3-IS26 was frequently present on similar IncHI2/ST3 plasmids. IncFII plasmids had a significantly higher frequency of addiction systems (mean 3.5) than other plasmids. Our results showed a surprisingly high prevalence of fosA3 gene in E. coli isolates recovered from chicken in China. The spread of fosA3 can be attributed to horizontal dissemination of several epidemic plasmids, especially F33:A-:B- plasmids. Since coselection by other antimicrobials is the major driving force for the diffusion of the fosA3 gene, a strict antibiotic use policy is urgently needed in China

EGCG modulates PKD1 and ferroptosis to promote recovery in ST rats

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes devastating loss of function and neuronal death without effective treatment. (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has antioxidant properties and plays an essential role in the nervous system. However, the underlying mechanism by which EGCG promotes neuronal survival and functional recovery in complete spinal cord transection (ST) remains unclear