Ebola Virus-Specific Neutralizing Antibody Persists at High Levels in Survivors 2 Years After Resolution of Disease in a Sierra Leonean Cohort.

Ebola virus (EBOV) infection results in Ebola virus disease (EVD), an often severe disease with a nonspecific presentation. Since its recognition, periodic outbreaks of EVD continue to occur in sub-Saharan Africa. The 2013-2016 West African EVD outbreak was the largest recorded, resulting in a substantial cohort of EVD survivors with persistent health complaints and variable immune responses.

Passive antibody transfer from pregnant women to their fetus are maximized after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination irrespective of prior infection.

Background: Pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of adverse symptoms and outcomes for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection for both mother and neonate. Antibodies can provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and are induced in pregnant women after vaccination or infection. Passive transfer of these antibodies from mother to fetus may provide protection to the neonate against infection.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence rates of children seeking medical care in Louisiana during the state stay at home order.

Serologic testing of residual blood samples from 812 children from a hospital in New Orleans, LA, between March and May 2020, demonstrated a SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence of 6.8% based on S and N protein IgG; Black and Hispanic children, and children living in zip codes with lower household incomes were over-represented.

Cross-Reactive Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV in Pre-COVID-19 Blood Samples from Sierra Leoneans.

Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have experienced lower COVID-19 caseloads and fewer deaths than countries in other regions worldwide. Under-reporting of cases and a younger population could partly account for these differences, but pre-existing immunity to coronaviruses is another potential factor. Blood samples from Sierra Leonean Lassa fever and Ebola survivors and their contacts collected before the first reported COVID-19 cases were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the presence of antibodies binding to proteins of coronaviruses that infect humans.

Trichomonas vaginalis infection and prostate-specific antigen concentration: Insights into prostate involvement and prostate disease risk.

Background: The protist Trichomonas vaginalis causes a common, sexually transmitted infection and has been proposed to contribute to the development of chronic prostate conditions, including benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. However, few studies have investigated the extent to which it involves the prostate in the current antimicrobial era. We addressed this question by investigating the relation between T.

Validation of a novel model for the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The biomarkers alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and protein induced by vitamin K absence/antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) may be useful for detecting early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluated the performance of AFP and PIVKA-II levels, alone and in combination with clinical factors, for the early detection of HCC.

Methods: In a case-control study, serum AFP and PIVKA-II were measured using the ARCHITECT immunoassay analyzer system in a cohort of 119 patients with HCC, 215 patients with non-malignant liver disease, and 34 healthy subjects.

Sustained influence of infections on prostate-specific antigen concentration: An analysis of changes over 10 years of follow-up.

Background: To extend our previous observation of a short-term rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration, a marker of prostate inflammation and cell damage, during and immediately following sexually transmitted and systemic infections, we examined the longer-term influence of these infections, both individually and cumulatively, on PSA over a mean of 10 years of follow-up in young active duty U.S. servicemen.

Insight into infection-mediated prostate damage: Contrasting patterns of C-reactive protein and prostate-specific antigen levels during infection.

Background: To investigate mechanisms underlying our previous observation of a large rise in serum prostate-specific antigen, a marker of prostate pathology, during both sexually transmitted and systemic infections, we measured serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, in our previous case-control study of young, male US military members and compared our findings to those for PSA.

Methods: We measured hsCRP before and during infection for 299 chlamydia, 112 gonorrhea, and 59 non-chlamydial, non-gonococcal urethritis (NCNGU) cases; before and after infection for 55 infectious mononucleosis (IM) and 90 other systemic/non-genitourinary cases; and for 220-256 controls.

Results: Only gonorrhea cases were significantly more likely to have a large hsCRP rise (≥1.

Comparative evaluation of three FDA-approved HIV Ag/Ab combination tests using a genetically diverse HIV panel and diagnostic specimens.

Background: HIV Ag/Ab combination assays are recommended by CDC for routine screening and several HIV Ag/Ab combination tests are now FDA-approved. Maintaining high specificity and consistent sensitivity across diverse HIV strains is critical for these assays to accurately detect HIV infection and expedite delivery of patient results.

Objectives: To evaluate performance of three FDA-approved HIV tests: ARCHITECT HIV Combo (Abbott), ADVIA Centaur HIV Combo (Siemens) and BioPlex HIV Ag-Ab (Bio-Rad).

Structure and Recognition of a Novel HIV-1 gp120-gp41 Interface Antibody that Caused MPER Exposure through Viral Escape.

A comprehensive understanding of the regions on HIV-1 envelope trimers targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies may contribute to rational design of an HIV-1 vaccine. We previously identified a participant in the CAPRISA cohort, CAP248, who developed trimer-specific antibodies capable of neutralizing 60% of heterologous viruses at three years post-infection. Here, we report the isolation by B cell culture of monoclonal antibody CAP248-2B, which targets a novel membrane proximal epitope including elements of gp120 and gp41.

Infectious mononucleosis, other infections and prostate-specific antigen concentration as a marker of prostate involvement during infection.

Although Epstein-Barr virus has been detected in prostate tissue, no associations have been observed with prostate cancer in the few studies conducted to date. One possible reason for these null findings may be use of cumulative exposure measures that do not inform the timing of infection, i.e.

Implementing a collaborative framework for academic support for registered nurses.

This paper describes the collaboration between a national health service acute hospital trust and a higher education institution, to implement a framework for academic support for registered nurses undertaking learning beyond registration. A small percentage of the educational budget was utilised to fund two academic staff (0.6 whole time equivalent) to work within the trusts' own learning and development department.

Prostate-specific antigen concentration in young men: new estimates and review of the literature.

Unlabelled: Study Type--Diagnostic (cohort) Level of Evidence 2b. What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Although non-recommended PSA testing has been reported in men younger than 40 years of age, there are few recognized data on PSA in younger American men, particularly younger African-American men, to provide age- and race-specific references. Using data from an existing large study of young, male members of the US military, aged 28-36 years, the present study provides PSA reference distributions for young Caucasian-American men (median = 0.

Improvement and multicenter evaluation of the analytical performance of an automated chemiluminescent immunoassay for alpha fetoprotein.

Background: A new ARCHITECT® alpha fetoprotein (AFP) assay was developed to improve the linearity at the upper end of the calibration curve and to enhance other performance characteristics. In addition, this reformulation eliminated the possibility of falsely depressed samples at high AFP concentrations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate its analytical performance at multiple sites.

A comparative evaluation of Golgi protein-73, fucosylated hemopexin, α-fetoprotein, and PIVKA-II in the serum of patients with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Golgi protein-73 (GP73) and fucosylated proteins have been proposed as potential serum markers for liver disease and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of serum GP73 and fucosylated hemopexin (Fuc-HPX) with α-fetoprotein (AFP) and with protein induced by the absence of vitamin K or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) for diagnosing chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and HCC.

Methods: The concentration of GP73 in human sera was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay employing mouse monoclonal and rabbit polyclonal GP73 antibodies.

Analytical performance of 4 automated assays for measurement of cystatin C.

Background: We evaluated the analytical performance of 4 cystatin C assays (Siemens N Latex on BNII, Roche Tina-quant on Cobas c501, Genzyme on Cobas c501, and Tosoh ST AIA-PACK on Tosoh AIA-600II) according to guidelines published by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.

Methods: We evaluated total imprecision, limit of detection, and limit of quantification for each assay using patient serum pools and linearity/recovery using serial dilutions of a patient serum pool with cystatin C-free serum. We compared patients (n = 102) using the Siemens assay as a comparison method.

Quaternary epitope specificities of anti-HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies generated in rhesus macaques infected by the simian/human immunodeficiency virus SHIVSF162P4.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that neutralize human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) have been isolated from HIV-1-infected individuals or animals immunized with recombinant HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein constructs. The epitopes of these neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) were shown to be located on either the variable or conserved regions of the HIV-1 Env and to be linear or conformational. However, one neutralizing MAb, 2909, which was isolated from an HIV-1-infected subject, recognizes a more complex, quaternary epitope that is present on the virion-associated functional trimeric Env spike of the SF162 HIV-1 isolate.

The presence of circulating tumor cells does not predict extravesical disease in bladder cancer patients prior to radical cystectomy.

Objective: Due to imprecise clinical staging, the finding of extravesical and node-positive disease at the time of radical cystectomy (RC) for patients with clinically localized bladder cancer is not uncommon. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been shown to be present in the peripheral blood of patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma. The object of this study was to evaluate the ability of CTCs to predict extravesical disease in bladder cancer patients prior to RC.

Neurologic presentations of hepatic disease.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric syndrome that develops in the context of portosystemic venous shunting, in the presence or absence of intrinsic hepatic disease. HE is clinically characterized by altered sensorium and a spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of altered brain function associated with advanced hepatic disease and portosystemic shunting.

Development and analytical performance evaluation of an automated chemiluminescent immunoassay for pro-gastrin releasing peptide (ProGRP).

Background: Pro-gastrin releasing peptide (ProGRP) concentrations in blood play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The automated quantitative ARCHITECT ProGRP assay was developed to aid in the differential diagnosis and in the management of SCLC. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the analytical performance of this chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay at multiple sites.

Neurosarcoidosis: clinical features, diagnosis, and management.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disease, which uncommonly affects nervous system. However, when present, it may affect both central and peripheral nervous systems and potentially mimics other chronic diseases of the nervous system. Pathogenesis of neurosarcoidosis remains largely unknown, and its diagnosis and management pose serious challenges to clinicians.

Migraine and stroke: current perspectives.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to review the latest concepts regarding migraine and ischemic stroke. In addition, focal neurological deficits and MRI changes in migraine patients will be reviewed.

Methods: A PubMed search of neurological literature pertaining to this study was conducted using specific keyword search terms pertaining to migraine and ischemic stroke.