SARS Antibody Testing in Children: Development of Oral Fluid Assays for IgG Measurements.

Seroepidemiological studies to monitor antibody kinetics are important for assessing the extent and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a population. Noninvasive sampling methods are advantageous for reducing the need for venipuncture, which may be a barrier to investigations, particularly in pediatric populations. Oral fluids are obtained by gingiva-crevicular sampling from children and adults and are very well accepted.

A comparison of two biological markers of recent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection: implications for the monitoring of interventions and strategies to reduce HCV transmission among people who inject drugs.

BackgroundMonitoring hepatitis C virus (HCV) incidence is important for assessing intervention impact. Longitudinal studies of people who inject drugs (PWID), using repeated biological tests, are costly; alternatively, incidence can be estimated using biological markers of recent infection in cross-sectional studies.AimWe aimed to compare incidence estimates obtained from two different biological markers of recent infection in a cross-sectional study to inform monitoring approaches for HCV elimination strategies.

One or two serological assay testing strategy for diagnosis of HBV and HCV infection? The use of predictive modelling.

Background: Initial serological testing for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is conducted using either rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) or laboratory-based enzyme immunoassays (EIA)s for detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV), typically on serum or plasma specimens and, for certain RDTs, capillary whole blood. WHO recommends the use of standardized testing strategies - defined as a sequence of one or more assays to maximize testing accuracy while simplifying the testing process and ideally minimizing cost. Our objective was to examine the diagnostic outcomes of a one- versus two-assay serological testing strategy.

Injection into the jugular vein among people who inject drugs in the United Kingdom: Prevalence, associated factors and harms.

Background: While people who inject drugs (PWID) typically use peripheral veins, some inject into their central veins, including the femoral and jugular veins. Injection into the jugular vein can have serious adverse health consequences, including jugular vein thrombosis, deep neck infections, pneumothorax, endocarditis and sepsis. This study examined the prevalence of, and factors associated with, jugular vein injection among a large sample of PWID in the United Kingdom.

Risk of HIV and Hepatitis B and C Over Time Among Men Who Inject Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs in England and Wales: Results From Cross-Sectional Prevalence Surveys, 1992-2013.

Background: Infection risks among people who inject drugs (PWID) are widely recognized, but few studies have focused on image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs). Globally, concern about IPED injection has increased and, in the United Kingdom, IPED injectors have become the largest group using Needle and Syringe Programmes. Blood-borne virus prevalence trends among IPED injectors are explored.

Home sampling for sexually transmitted infections and HIV in men who have sex with men: a prospective observational study.

To determine uptake of home sampling kit (HSK) for STI/HIV compared to clinic-based testing, whether the availability of HSK would increase STI testing rates amongst HIV infected MSM, and those attending a community-based HIV testing clinic compared to historical control. Prospective observational study in three facilities providing STI/HIV testing services in Brighton, UK was conducted. Adult MSM attending/contacting a GUM clinic requesting an STI screen (group 1), HIV infected MSM attending routine outpatient clinic (group 2), and MSM attending a community-based rapid HIV testing service (group 3) were eligible.

Human Papillomavirus 16, 18, 31 and 45 viral load, integration and methylation status stratified by cervical disease stage.

Background: Persistent infection with oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with the development of cervical cancer with each genotype differing in their relative contribution to the prevalence of cervical disease. HPV DNA testing offers improved sensitivity over cytology testing alone but is accompanied by a generally low specificity. Potential molecular markers of cervical disease include type-specific viral load (VL), integration of HPV DNA into the host genome and methylation of the HPV genome.

Human papillomavirus type 16 long control region and E6 variants stratified by cervical disease stage.

Objective: Certain intra-type variants of HPV16 have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of developing high grade cervical disease, but their potential association is confounded by apparent geographic and phylogenetic lineage dependency. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between HPV16 sequence variants and cervical disease stage in monospecific infection samples from a single lineage (European, EUR) in England.

Methods: One hundred and twelve women singly infected with HPV16 and displaying normal and abnormal cytology grades were selected.

Prevalence of, and risk factors for, HIV, hepatitis B and C infections among men who inject image and performance enhancing drugs: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To describe drug use, sexual risks and the prevalence of blood-borne viral infections among men who inject image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs).

Design: A voluntary unlinked-anonymous cross-sectional biobehavioural survey.

Setting: 19 needle and syringe programmes across England and Wales.

Male IDUs who have sex with men in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: are they at greater risk of bloodborne virus infection and harm than those who only have sex with women?

Objectives: In the UK, although transmission of HIV among injecting drug user (IDUs) has been limited since the 1980s, IDUs and men who have sex with men (MSM) have higher HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalences than the general population. MSM who are also IDUs (MSM-IDUs) may therefore have a higher risk of infection than male IDUs who only have sex with women.

Methods: Analysis of data from a national survey of IDUs attending services (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) between 1998 and 2007, which collected demographic and behavioural data and oral fluid samples for HIV and HCV antibody testing.

The effect of sample handling on cross sectional HIV incidence testing results.

Objective(s): To determine if mishandling prior to testing would make a sample from a chronically infected subject appear recently infected when tested by cross-sectional HIV incidence assays.

Methods: Serum samples from 31 subjects with chronic HIV infection were tested. Samples were subjected to different handling conditions, including incubation at 4 °C, 25 °C and 37 °C, for 1, 3, 7 or 15 days prior to testing.

Human papillomavirus genotype detection and viral load in paired genital and urine samples from both females and males.

The ability to detect type-specific high risk HPV (HR-HPV) infections in samples from females and males is important for monitoring the epidemiology of HPV and the impact of vaccination. Type-specific detection concordance between paired urine and genital samples from females (n = 264) undergoing routine colposcopy and males (n = 88) attending a genito-urinary medicine clinic was evaluated using an in-house genotyping assay. The overall inter-rater agreement (κ) was 0.

Determinants of HIV-1 transmission in men who have sex with men: a combined clinical, epidemiological and phylogenetic approach.

Objectives: To identify biological factors associated with HIV transmission in men who have sex with men (MSM).

Design: A longitudinal phylogenetic analysis of HIV-1 from an MSM cohort, incorporating clinical and epidemiological data.

Methods: Potential individuals were HIV-infected MSM attending a sexual health clinic between 2000 and 2006.

Hepatitis C infection among injecting drug users in England and Wales (1992-2006): there and back again?

Changes in hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence from 1992 to 2006 were examined by using 24,311 records from unlinked anonymous surveillance of injecting drug users in England and Wales. Bayesian logistic regression was used to estimate annual prevalence, accounting for changing recruitment patterns (age, gender, injecting duration, geographic region, interactions) and the sensitivity and specificity of different oral fluid testing devices. After controlling for these differences, the authors found that the adjusted HCV prevalence decreased from 70% (95% credible interval: 62, 78) in 1992 to 47% (95% credible interval: 43, 51) in 1998 before rising again to 53% (95% credible interval: 48, 58) in 2006.

Improving survey methods in sero-epidemiological studies of injecting drug users: a case example of two cross sectional surveys in Serbia and Montenegro.

Background: Little is known about the prevalence of HIV or HCV in injecting drug users (IDUs) in Serbia and Montenegro. We measured prevalence of antibodies to HIV (anti-HIV) and hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), and risk factors for anti-HCV, in community-recruited IDUs in Belgrade and Podgorica, and determined the performance of a parallel rapid HIV testing algorithm.

Methods: Respondent driven sampling and audio-computer assisted survey interviewing (ACASI) methods were employed.

Serological testing algorithm shows rising HIV incidence in a UK cohort of men who have sex with men: 10 years application.

Objectives: To investigate whether combining clinical data with the serological testing algorithm for recent HIV seroconversion (STARHS) reliably identifies otherwise unrecognized recent infections and observe their trends.

Design: Incorporation of STARHS into routine HIV diagnosis.

Methods: STARHS was applied to serum collected between 1996 and 2005 at HIV diagnosis and routine clinical/laboratory markers of recent infections were determined.

Low specificity of the Murex fourth-generation HIV enzyme immunoassay in Tanzanian adolescents.

Objective: To determine the specificity of the Abbott Murex HIV antigen/antibody combination enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the diagnosis of HIV infection in Tanzania.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 7333 Tanzanian adolescents and young adults was carried out. Sera testing positive by the Murex assay were further evaluated using a battery of other EIA which detect either antibody to HIV-1 or p24 antigen, and by PCR using pol primers.

A tale of three cities: persisting high HIV prevalence, risk behaviour and undiagnosed infection in community samples of men who have sex with men.

Objectives: To examine the geographical variations in HIV prevalence (diagnosed and undiagnosed), use of sexual health services, sexually transmitted infections and sexual behaviour in a community sample of men who have sex with men in three cities in England, specifically London, Brighton and Manchester.

Methods: Cross-sectional surveys of men visiting gay community venues in three large cities in England. Men self-completed a questionnaire and provided an anonymous oral fluid sample for HIV antibody testing.

Do tests devised to detect recent HIV-1 infection provide reliable estimates of incidence in Africa?

The objective of this study was to assess the performance of 4 biologic tests designed to detect recent HIV-1 infections in estimating incidence in West Africa (BED, Vironostika, Avidity, and IDE-V3). These tests were assessed on a panel of 135 samples from 79 HIV-1-positive regular blood donors from Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, whose date of seroconversion was known (Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA et les Hépatites Virales 1220 cohort). The 135 samples included 26 from recently infected patients (< or =180 days), 94 from AIDS-free subjects with long-standing infection (>180 days), and 15 from patients with clinical AIDS.

Spontaneous HIV-1 seroreversion in an adult male.

A man developed HIV-1 antibodies, which disappeared spontaneously. He had negative HIV viral load and p24 antigen tests and did not develop immunosuppression. Further investigations suggest the HIV-positive result was a nonspecific reaction.

High HIV prevalence among injecting drug users in Estonia: implications for understanding the risk environment.

We found a high prevalence of HIV among injecting drug users (IDU) 54% in Tallinn and 90% in Kohtla Jarve, Estonia. Risk factors for HIV in Tallinn included use of the drug 'china white', being registered as an IDU at a drug treatment clinic, and sharing injecting equipment with sex partners. Differences existed in risk behaviour between the cities.

Effects of sex work on the prevalence of syphilis among injection drug users in 3 Russian cities.

Objectives: We examined risk factors for syphilis infection among injection drug users in 3 Russian Federation cities, focusing particular attention on the potential roles of gender and sex work.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of injection drug users in Moscow, Volgograd, and Barnaul, collecting behavioral data and testing for antibodies to Treponema pallidum. Associations between presence of antibodies to T pallidum and covariates were explored.

Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis among injecting drug users in Russia: a multi-city study.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis in injecting drug users (IDUs) in Russia.

Methods: Unlinked anonymous cross-sectional survey of 1473 IDUs recruited from non-treatment settings in Moscow, Volgograd and Barnaul (Siberia), with oral fluid sample collection for HIV, HCV antibody (anti-HIV, anti-HCV) and syphilis testing.

Results: Prevalence of antibody to HIV was 14% in Moscow, 3% in Volgograd and 9% in Barnaul.

Hepatitis C virus infection, HIV co-infection, and associated risk among injecting drug users in Togliatti, Russia.

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and co-infection with HIV among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Togliatti City, Russia. Unlinked anonymous cross-sectional survey of IDUs recruited from community settings, with oral fluid sample collection for HCV and HIV antibody (anti-HCV, anti-HIV) testing, was carried out. The anti-HCV prevalence was 87% (357/411), anti-HIV prevalence 56% (234/418), and 93% (214/230) of HIV-positive IDUs were co-infected with HCV.