Kinetics-Based Measurement of Hypoxia in Living Cells and Animals Using an Acetoxymethyl Ester Chemiluminescent Probe.

Oxygenation and tissue hypoxia play critical roles in mammalian biology and contribute to aggressive phenotypes in cancerous tumors, driving research to develop accurate and easy-to-implement methods for monitoring hypoxia in living cells and animal models. This study reports the chemiluminescent probe HyCL-4-AM, which contains a nitroaromatic sensing moiety and, importantly, an acetoxymethyl (AM) ester that dramatically improves operation in cells and animals. HyCL-4-AM provides a selective 60 000-fold increase in luminescence emission in the presence of rat liver microsomes (RLM).

Screening for Hepatitis C in injecting drug users: a cost utility analysis.

Background: Hepatitis C is a major public health problem of increasing importance among injecting drug users, among whom screening has been proposed. We therefore estimated the cost utility of screening for hepatitis C infection among people with a history of injecting drug use in contact with drug misuse services.

Methods: A spreadsheet-based model of screening using ELISA followed by polymerase chain reaction tests and treatment using combination therapy with interferon alpha and ribavirin was developed.

Screening for hepatitis C in genito-urinary medicine clinics: a cost utility analysis.

Background/aims: To estimate the cost utility (cost per QALY) of screening for hepatitis C (HCV) infection in people attending genito-urinary medicine clinics in England.

Methods: An epidemiological model of screening and diagnosis was combined with a Markov chain model of treatment with combination therapy to estimate cost utility. Parameters for the model were informed by literature review, expert opinion and a survey of current screening practice.