Publications by authors named "Elisangela F Silva"
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are more vulnerable to blood-borne viral infections due to frequent invasive procedures. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in this cohort of patients has been a matter of concern worldwide. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the frequency of serological markers for hepatitis B, and the occurrence of overt and occult HBV infection (OBI) and its molecular characterization in serum samples from 644 CKD patients in HD units located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 2013 to 2017.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Dried blood spots (DBSs) can be used as an alternative to serum samples because they are easily collected and can be transported without refrigeration to reference laboratories for diagnosis. The present study was performed to evaluate the utility of electrochemiluminescence immunoassay "ECLIA" for anti-HCV, HBsAg and anti-HBc detection from DBS samples.
Results: Anti-HCV was detected in 103 DBS samples from 108 paired, positive serum and undetected in 364 DBS samples from 366 paired, negative specimens, giving a sensitivity of 95.
Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) testing in oral fluid samples may provide advantages in diagnosis, screening or prevalence studies, especially among individuals with venous access difficulties. This study aims to optimize one commercially available assay for detecting total anti-HBc marker in oral fluid samples and to evaluate its utility under real life conditions in different settings for the purposes of prevalence and diagnostic studies.
Methods: Oral fluid was collected using a Salivette device and some parameters were initially evaluated: type of elution buffer and sample volume.
Article Synopsis
- Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) patients are more susceptible to viruses transmitted through blood, like hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV), which this study investigates in Brazil.
- A total of 537 DM2 patients were analyzed, showing a low prevalence of HBV (only 2 acute and 1 chronic cases) and a higher prevalence of HCV (2.42% had anti-HCV, with 7 confirmed HCV RNA+).
- The study also examined risk factors and found some associations with age and diabetes duration, although these weren't statistically significant when evaluated further.
Dried blood spots (DBSs) could be an alternative to serum for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) diagnosis. This study aims to evaluate two enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for HBsAg and anti-HCV detection using DBS. Serum was tested using commercial EIA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates the prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) among non-diabetic patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Rio de Janeiro, finding that 62.1% of the 214 patients tested positive for IR.
- Demographic and laboratory factors associated with IR included older age, higher levels of triglycerides, glucose, insulin, waist circumference, and body mass index, but these factors were not significant in a deeper statistical analysis.
- The findings emphasize a considerable risk for cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders in CHC patients due to the high prevalence of insulin resistance.
Background: Dried blood spots (DBS) could be an excellent alternative for HCV diagnosis, since it is less invasive and can be stored and transported without refrigeration.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to optimize quantitative and qualitative methods for HCV detection in DBS.
Study Design: DBS and serum samples were collected from 99 subjects (59 anti-HCV/HCV RNA positive and 40 seronegative samples).
Background: Rapid tests (RTs) might have several advantages over standard laboratory procedures, increasing access to diagnosis, especially among vulnerable populations and/or those living in remote areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of RTs for the detection of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) in samples from different populations/settings.
Methods: Three RTs for HBsAg detection (Vikia® HBsAg, HBsAg Teste Rápido®, and Imuno-Rápido HBsAg®) and different biological specimens (serum, whole blood, and saliva) were evaluated.
Background: Dengue is a major public health problem worldwide, especially in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Infection with a single Dengue virus (DENV) serotype causes a mild, self-limiting febrile illness called dengue fever. However, a subset of patients experiencing secondary infection with a different serotype progresses to the severe form of the disease, dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, a modified enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was evaluated for the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among whole saliva and oral fluid samples. Specimens were collected from 115 individuals who gave serum and oral fluid using Salivette (Sarstedt, Nümbrecht, Germany) and whole saliva. Saliva specimens were tested following a modified ELISA, and the results were compared with paired serum specimens that were tested according to the supplier's instructions.
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