Comparative validation and clinical performance data are essential for the reliable interpretation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody test results. This study ...aimed to assess the performance of six SARS-CoV-2 IgG immunoassays in the context of different disease severities. Four automated chemiluminescence immunoassays (Access Beckman Coulter, Architect Abbott, Atellica-IM Siemens, and Elecsys Roche) as well as two ELISA assays (SARS-CoV-2 IgG-S1-based and NCP IgG Euroimmun) were evaluated using samples from 143 patients as well as 50 pre-pandemic control serum samples. Accuracy and precision tests were performed for validation purposes. Overall sensitivity ranged between 73.38–88.65% and was higher in spike protein-based assays, while the specificity was ≥98% in all immunoassays. The clinical performance of the immunoassays differed depending on disease severity and target antigen. For instance, the IgG response was lower for samples taken <20 days post-symptom onset (87.30%) compared with those taken ≥20 days post-symptom onset (94.80%). Moreover, moderate disease levels led to the highest levels of IgG. Higher levels of antibodies were detected in the clinically moderate disease group. In asymptomatic and mild groups, more antibody positivity was detected with spike protein-based assays. All the assays tested could be used to detect SARS-CoV-2 IgG. However, spike-based assays revealed relatively higher sensitivity rates than nucleoprotein-based assays, particularly in cases of asymptomatic and mild disease.
Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The development of rapid antigen tests has ...contributed to easing the burden on healthcare and lifting restrictions by detecting infected individuals to help prevent further transmission of the virus. We developed a state-of-art rapid antigen testing system, named DIAGNOVIR, based on immune-fluorescence analysis, which can process and give the results in a minute. In our study, we assessed the performance of the DIAGNOVIR and compared the results with those of the qRT-PCR test. Our results demonstrated that the sensitivity and specificity of the DIAGNOVIR were 94% and 99.2%, respectively, with a 100% sensitivity and 96.97% specificity, among asymptomatic patients. In addition, DIAGNOVIR can detect SARS‑CoV‑2 with 100% sensitivity up to 5 days after symptom onset. We observed that the DIAGNOVIR Rapid Antigen Test's limit of detection (LoD) was not significantly affected by the SARS‑CoV‑2 variants including Wuhan, alpha (B1.1.7), beta (B.1.351), delta (B.1.617.2) and omicron (B.1.1.529) variants, and LoD was calculated as 8 × 10
, 6.81 × 10
, 3.2 × 10
, 1 × 10
, and 1 × 10
TCID50/mL, respectively. Our results indicated that DIAGNOVIR can detect all SARS-CoV-2 variants in just seconds with higher sensitivity and specificity lower testing costs and decreased turnover time.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
Objectives
Sterile body fluids (BFs) include key information for the diagnosis and monitoring of a variety of diseases. A cornerstone test is the total white blood cell (WBC) count, which ...comprises the differential of WBC of body fluid analysis. It is important to test automated hematology analyzers that should be verified using patient samples. The aim of this study is to compare both the performance of the Sysmex XN-1000 system’s body fluid module for cell counting and differentiation to the results of a cell counting chamber.
Methods
This study was performed on 200 routinely laboratory sent BFs. Cell counts and differentiation were determined with both bright-lined Neubauer Cell Counting Chamber and Sysmex XN-1000 system body fluid mode.
Results
The correlation coefficients of WBC count by two methods indicated very strong correlation (r≥0.90, p<0.0001) for any specimen except pleural fluid. According to Passing-Bablok regression analysis, Sysmex XN-1000 showed acceptable performance according to bias of the slope criteria (<±20%).
Conclusions
The XN-1000 hematological analyzer’s body fluid mode can rapidly count and identify cells, and it can be used as a simple and rapid screening method for laboratory testing of sterile body fluids, particularly in laboratories with a massive quantity of biological fluids.
Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to present our 10-year IA experience at a single center. Fifty-nine pediatric patients with IA were included ...in this study. The male-to-female ratio was 42/17. The median age was 8.75 years. Hematologic malignancy was present in the majority of the patients (40/59, 68%). The mean neutropenia duration was 18.5 days. Cytosine arabinoside was the most common immunosuppressive therapy directed at T cells during IA diagnosis. IA cases were categorized as proven (27%), probable (51%), or possible (22%) according to the 2008 European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) criteria. The lungs (78%) were the most common site of IA, and nodules were the most frequent radiological findings (75.5%). In 38 patients (64.4%) receiving antifungal prophylaxis, prophylactic agents included fluconazole (30.5%), liposomal amphotericin B (23.7%), posaconazole (8.5%), and voriconazole (1.7%). Initial treatment was most commonly administered as monotherapy (69.5%). The median antifungal treatment duration was 67 days. Eleven deaths (18.6%) were due to aspergillosis. With the increased use of corticosteroids, biological agents, and intensive immunosuppressive chemotherapy, IA will most likely continue to occur frequently in pediatric patients.
Background: Counting of cells in sterile body fluids other than blood and
urine provides important diagnostic information. The aim of the study is to
evaluate the performance of the body fluid module ...of Sysmex UF-1000i
system in comparison with cell counting chamber results.
Methods: 71 routinely collected sterile body fluid samples were evaluated.
The samples were cerebrospinal fluid, peritoneal fluid, pleural fluid, synovial
fluid, drain fluid and bile. Cell counts were simultaneously determined with
both bright lined Neubauer Cell Counting Chamber® (Marienfeld, Germany)
and Sysmex UF-1000i BF (Sysmex, Japan) according to the manufacturers’
recommendations. The results were evaluated statistically with interclass
correlation coefficient (ICC) and related p- values were calculated.
Results: There were seven purulent samples. Outliers were seen between
microscopic examination and Sysmex UF-1000i results with purulent
samples. The difference between the cell counts of the two methods was
1979 cells (cells/ml) with outliers, and 69 cells (cells/ml) without outliers. The
ICC with and without outliers were 0.128 and 0.963, respectively. With
outliers, correlation between the two methods was not statistically
significant (p=0.139). Without outliers, correlation between two methods
was statistically significant (p<0.001) and good agreement was observed.
Conclusions: our results showed that especially for macroscopically purulent
samples, counting chambers would still be the best choice for WBC counting,
however for macroscopically non-purulent samples Sysmex UF1000i is a
good alternative instrument for rapid workflow especially in routine
microbiology laboratory in sterile body fluids other than blood and urine.
Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to present our 10-year IA experience in a single center. Fifty-nine pediatric patients diagnosed ...with IA were included in the study. The male/female ratio of these patients was 42/17. The median age was 8.75 years. Hematologic malignancy was present in the majority of the patients (40/59, 68%). The mean duration of neutropenia was 18.5 days. Cytosine arabinoside was the most common immunosuppressive therapy directed at T-cells at the time of IA diagnosis. IA cases were categorized as proven (27%), probable (51%) and possible (22%) according to the 2008 EORTC/MSG criteria. The most common site of invasive aspergillosis was the lungs (78%) and nodules were the most frequent radiological finding (75.5%). In 38 (64.4%) patients receiving antifungal prophylaxis, prophylactic agents included fluconazole (30.5%), liposomal amphotericin B (23.7%), posaconazole (8.5%) and voriconazole (1.7%) Initial treatment was most commonly administered as monotherapy (69.5%). The median duration of antifungal treatment was 67 days. A total of 11 (18.6%) deaths occurred due to aspergillosis. We will probably continue to see IA frequently in pediatric patients with increased use of corticosteroids, biological agents, and intensive immunosuppressive chemotherapies.
The aims of this study were 1) to identify the level of inflammatory biomarkers interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, C-reactive protein (CRP), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF), ...ferritin, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in serum and synovial fluid samples of patients who underwent revision arthroplasty surgery; 2) to establish the relationship between serum and synovial fluid levels; 3) to determine if any of the 11 genetic polymorphisms of TNFα, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, and GCSF on the encoding genes was associated with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI).
Synovial fluid and serum was collected from 88 patients who underwent revision arthroplasty surgery. The Musculoskeletal Infection Society definition was used to classify these patients into 2 groups: 36 PJIs and 52 aseptic failures. Synovial fluid and serum samples were tested for 9 biomarkers using a micro enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Genetic polymorphisms were evaluated with polymerase chain reaction and restriction endonuclease analysis.
Synovial fluid-derived IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-17, CRP, GCSF, TNFα, and serum-derived IL-6, IL-17, ferritin, CRP were found suitable to classify PJI and aseptic failure. In addition, IL-17 and CRP levels demonstrated a positive correlation between synovial fluid and serum. TNFα-238, IL6-174, GCSF3R, and IL1 RN-VNTR genetic polymorphisms occurred more frequently in individuals with septic failure.
Significant differences between the two groups were observed in the functional polymorphisms of the genes encoding the cytokines investigated. These differences could be interpreted as indicating that there is an association between PJI and genetic polymorphisms.
Level III, diagnostic study.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Disseminated Nocardia infections occur particularly in immunosuppressed hosts and are most often due to Nocardia farcinica, Nocardia nova, and Nocardia cyriacigeorgica. Here, we report an unusual ...case of disseminated N. farcinica infection presenting as a paravertebral abscess in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica
is a rare pathogen that was first isolated from
Wohlfahrtia magnifica
, a parasitic fly. It is an uncommon, but an emerging human pathogen reported only in Europe and ...South America. Until today, it has been reported to be a zoonotic pathogen originating from different geographic locations. The present case, a patient suffering from osteomyelitis in Turkey, represents the first report of this pathogen in this country and so far no reports of related osteomyelitis associated with
W. chitiniclastica
is available. Clinical awareness of these emerging human pathogens is crucial for controlling infectious diseases.
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