Performance assessment of a new serological diagnostic test for COVID-19 with candidate peptides from spike and nucleocapsid viral proteins.

Numerous commercial tests for the serological diagnosis of COVID-19 have been produced in recent years. However, it is important to note that these tests exhibit significant variability in their sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of results. Therefore, the objective of this study was to utilize bioinformatics tools to map SARS-CoV-2 peptides, with the goal of developing a new serological diagnostic test for COVID-19.

Interferon-gamma gene diplotype (AA-rs2069716 / AG-rs2069727) may play an important role during secondary outcomes of severe dengue in Brazilian patients.

Dengue is a global and growing health threat, especially in Southeast Asia, West Pacific and South America. Infection by the dengue virus (DENV) results in dengue fever, which can evolve to severe forms. Cytokines, especially interferons, are involved in the immunopathogenesis of dengue fever, and so may influence the disease outcomes.

Neck Circumference Predicts Mortality in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

We aimed to determine whether neck circumference predicts mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure. We performed a prospective multicenter (Italy and Brasil) study carried out from March to December 2020 on 440 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure. Baseline neck circumference was measured.

Guillain-Barré syndrome related to Zika virus infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical and electrophysiological phenotype.

Background: The Zika virus (ZIKV) has been associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in epidemiological studies. Whether ZIKV-associated GBS is related to a specific clinical or electrophysiological phenotype has not been established. To this end, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all published studies on ZIKV-related GBS.

Use of the Coding Causes of Death in HIV in the classification of deaths in Northeastern Brazil.

Objective: Describe the coding process of death causes for people living with HIV/AIDS, and classify deaths as related or unrelated to immunodeficiency by applying the Coding Causes of Death in HIV (CoDe) system.

Methods: A cross-sectional study that codifies and classifies the causes of deaths occurring in a cohort of 2,372 people living with HIV/AIDS, monitored between 2007 and 2012, in two specialized HIV care services in Pernambuco. The causes of death already codified according to the International Classification of Diseases were recoded and classified as deaths related and unrelated to immunodeficiency by the CoDe system.

[Anthropometric assessment of nutritional status in pregnancy: comparison of five diagnostic methods used in Latin AmericaClasificación antropométrica de las embarazadas: comparación de cinco métodos de diagnóstico utilizados en América Latina].

Objective: To determine the agreement between five anthropometric methods used for nutritional assessment in pregnancy and to compare the distribution of nutritional status obtained with each method to that of the population of non-pregnant young women in Brazil.

Method: This is a cross-sectional study with data from 1 108 pregnant women aged 19 to 35 years who received prenatal care from September 2011 to April 2012 in health services in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Nutritional status (underweight, appropriate weight, overweight/obesity) was determined using the criteria of Mardones and Rosso, Mardones et al.

Could the erythrocyte indices or serum ferritin predict the therapeutic response to a trial with oral iron during pregnancy? Results from the Accuracy study for Maternal Anaemia diagnosis (AMA).

Background: Treatment of maternal iron-deficiency anaemia can reduce risks of prematurity and low birth weight; hence a reliable diagnosis of maternal iron needs is critical. However, erythrocyte indices and serum ferritin have shown a weak correlation with iron status during pregnancy. This study verified the accuracy of those tests to predict the responsiveness to a therapeutic test with oral iron as reference standard for iron deficiency in pregnant women.

Diagnostic accuracy of hemoglobin for iron deficiency in pregnancy: disclosing results of a cited clinical trial.

Objective: To analyze the accuracy of hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations as a diagnostic indicator of iron deficiency in pregnant women and to measure the efficacy of oral iron therapy using Hb z-scores rather than Hb absolute values.

Methods: The sensitivity and specificity of Hb < 11.0 g/dL, and its receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, in the diagnosis of iron deficiency (serum ferritin (SF) < 12.