New anti-SARS-CoV-2 aminoadamantane compounds as antiviral candidates for the treatment of COVID-19.

Here, the antiviral activity of aminoadamantane derivatives were evaluated against SARS-CoV-2. The compounds exhibited low cytotoxicity to Vero, HEK293 and CALU-3 cells up to a concentration of 1,000 µM. The inhibitory concentration (IC) of aminoadamantane was 39.

Serum biomarkers in patients with unilateral or bilateral active pulmonary tuberculosis: Immunological networks and promising diagnostic applications.

The present observational study was designed to characterize the integrative profile of serum soluble mediators to describe the immunological networks associated with clinical findings and identify putative biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of active tuberculosis. The study population comprises 163 volunteers, including 84 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis/(TB), and 79 controls/(C). Soluble mediators were measured by multiplexed assay.

Cost analysis for patients with presumed pulmonary tuberculosis attended in the public health system of rio de janeiro, Brazil.

Background: In last years, few attention has given to the patient's prediagnostic costs when evaluating the introduction of new technologies for tuberculosis (TB) and in this context, this study evaluated patient's costs and cost-effectiveness incurred with TB diagnosis comparing BactecMGIT960 system (MGIT) to the Löwestein-Jensen (LJ) culture in a health center and in a university hospital, in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil.

Methods: Patient's mean costs were evaluated during the diagnosis process and cost-effectiveness based on mean time in days for the adoption of appropriate clinical anti-TB treatment in two health units comparing culture by means LJ and MGIT.

Results: The mean cost of LJ and MGIT in the health center was U.

Characterization of heteroresistance by genotyping.

Background: Heteroresistance is the coexistence of susceptible and resistant strains in the same individual, considered the preliminary step for total resistance, and can stem from mixed infection or clonal heterogeneity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the heteroresistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to rifampicin and isoniazid and its characterization.

Method: GenoType MTBDRplus; Sanger sequencing of the rpoB, katG, and inhA genes; and Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit - Variable Number Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR) were performed.

The activity-based cost of drug-susceptibility test of through Kit SIRE Nitratase Plastlabor.

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is an ongoing health threat, and the greatest challenge to adequate control of TB in many countries lies in the lack of proper laboratory drug-susceptibility test. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity-based costs (ABC) of Kit SIRE Nitratase (Kit SIRE) and compare its values with the conventional drug-susceptibility test.

Methods: The ABC was calculated for three different approaches: Kit SIRE (clinical samples and cultures), proportion methods in Lowenstein Jensen (PM-LJ), and the Bactec™ MGIT™ 960 system based on Mycobacterial Research Laboratory's routine.

Rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA and genetic markers for Isoniazid resistance in Ziehl-Neelsen stained slides.

Background: Early diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and identification of strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to anti-TB drugs are considered the main factors for disease control.

Objectives: To standardise a real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay technique and apply it to identify mutations involved in M. tuberculosis resistance to Isoniazid (INH) directly in Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stained slides.

Mapping the tuberculosis scientific landscape among BRICS countries: a bibliometric and network analysis.

Background: The five BRICS (Brazil, Russian, Indian, China, and South Africa) countries bear 49% of the world's tuberculosis (TB) burden and they are committed to ending tuberculosis.

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to map the scientific landscape related to TB research in BRICS countries.

Methods: Were combined bibliometrics and social network analysis techniques to map the scientific publications related to TB produced by the BRICS.

Frequency of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis RD genotype and its association with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Background: In recent decades, Mycobacterium tuberculosis with the RD genotype, frequently isolated from tuberculosis patients in Rio de Janeiro, has become part of the Latin American - Mediterranean (LAM) family and has been associated with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of M. tuberculosis RD in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and its relationship with MDR-TB.

Evaluation of the Mean Cost and Activity Based Cost in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in the Laboratory Routine of a High-Complexity Hospital in Brazil.

At a global level, with the increase in healthcare costs, there is a need to assess the economic impact of the incorporation of new technologies in different health disorders in different countries. There is scarce information regarding costs incurred with the use of current or new diagnostic tests for tuberculosis or from the vantage point of their incorporation within the healthcare systems of high-burden countries. The present study aimed to assess the mean cost and the activity based cost of the laboratory diagnosis for tuberculosis by means of conventional techniques and from the Detect TBLabTest molecular test kit in a general high-complexity hospital of the public health system in Brazil.

Genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Background: We aimed to characterize the genetic diversity of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) clinical isolates and investigate the molecular epidemiology of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis from Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Methods: One hundred and four MTb clinical isolates were assessed by IS6110-RFLP, 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units variable-number tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR), TB-SPRINT (simultaneous spoligotyping and rifampicin-isoniazid drug-resistance mutation analysis) and 3R-SNP-typing (analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes involved in replication, recombination and repair functions).

Results: Fifty-seven different IS6110-RFLP patterns were found, among which 50 had unique patterns and 17 were grouped into seven clusters.

In-house PCR with DNA extracted directly from positive slides to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of tuberculosis: focus on biosafety.

The possibility to obtain DNA from smears is a valuable alternative to remedy the lack of samples when they are totally used for bacilloscopy; this technique solves the biosafety problem related to a possible accident with the transportation of flasks containing potentially transmissible clinical samples. Hence, the purpose of this study was to utilize the insertion sequence IS6110 for amplification of DNA from a smear-positive sample for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. Among the 52 positive bacilloscopies, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 52.

Evaluation of six different DNA extraction methods for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by means of PCR-IS6110: preliminary study.

Background: Developments in molecular detection and strain differentiation of members of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex have proved to be useful. The DNA extraction method influences the amplification efficiency, causing interference on the sensitivity and respective inhibitors. The aim of this study was to standardize a simple and fast DNA extraction method, providing DNA amplification by IS6110-PCR effectively free from undue interferences.