Application of Natural Zeolite as Catalyst in the Degradation of the Azo Dye DO39 by Plasma.

The discharge of industrial wastewater with dyes into natural tributaries has serious environmental consequences on aquatic ecosystems and the health of living beings. Atmospheric plasmas have proven to be very useful for the degradation of organic contaminants in water; in this context, corona type discharge, owing to its physical characteristics, is capable of degrading and even mineralizing dyes dissolved in water. In this work, zeolite was used as a catalyst in the degradation of the textile azo dye Direct Orange 39 (DO39) through interaction with plasma generated at atmospheric pressure.

Hepatitis C virus deep sequencing for sub-genotype identification in mixed infections: A real-life experience.

Background: The effectiveness of the new generation of hepatitis C treatments named direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) depends on the genotype, subtype, and resistance-associated substitutions present in individual patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate a massive sequencing platform for the analysis of genotypes and subtypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in order to optimize therapy.

Methods: A total of 84 patients with hepatitis C were analyzed.

Comparison of urine and cervical samples for detecting human papillomavirus (HPV) with the Cobas 4800 HPV test.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. The development of non-invasive self-sample collection methods would have the potential advantage of increasing the acceptance of the screening procedures.

Objectives: To compare human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection and genotyping with the Cobas 4800 HPV test (Roche Diagnostic, Spain) on paired cervical and first voided urine.

HPV testing by cobas HPV test in a population from Catalonia.

Background: HPV testing in cervical cancer screening has been proposed as an alternative or complementary to cytology in women older than 30 years. However, adequate clinical sensitivity and specificity are crucial for a new test to be implemented. Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) has proved good clinical performance in selecting women at risk for high-grade intraepithelial lesions with a high sensitivity and specificity.

Evaluation of the cobas 4800 CT/NG Test for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae DNA in urogenital swabs and urine specimens.

We have evaluated 696 samples (488 swabs and 208 urine specimens) with the cobas 4800 (c4800) CT/NG Test for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae DNA in swab and urine specimens. c4800 results were compared with those obtained from COBAS AMPLICOR (CAM) CT/NG Test. Discordant results were reanalyzed with the MultiNA system and compared with clinical data.

Clinical, virological and biochemical evidence supporting the association of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase polymorphism R284K and thymidine analogue resistance mutations M41L, L210W and T215Y in patients failing tenofovir/emtricitabine therapy.

Background: Thymidine analogue resistance mutations (TAMs) selected under treatment with nucleoside analogues generate two distinct genotypic profiles in the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT): (i) TAM1: M41L, L210W and T215Y, and (ii) TAM2: D67N, K70R and K219E/Q, and sometimes T215F. Secondary mutations, including thumb subdomain polymorphisms (e.g.

HIV-coinfection leads to a modest increase in plasma HCV-RNA load in patients with chronic HCV infection.

The influence of HIV coinfection on plasma hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA load has not been reliably evaluated. We analyzed plasma HCV RNA load in 396 HCV-monoinfected and 467 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients. Median HCV RNA concentrations (interquartile range) in HCV-monoinfected patients were 5.

Comparison of the Cobas 4800 Human Papillomavirus test against a combination of the Amplicor Human Papillomavirus and the Linear Array tests for detection of HPV types 16 and 18 in cervical samples.

The greater prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 compared to the other high-risk HPV types of cervical cancer led to the development of clinical tests that detect both types separately from other genotypes. One method is the Roche Cobas 4800 HPV test, which is based on a real-time PCR. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Cobas 4800 HPV test for detecting genotypes 16 and 18 by comparing the results with those obtained in a combination of the Roche Amplicor HPV assay and the Roche Linear Array (LA) HPV genotyping assay.

Low prevalence of occult HBV infection among HIV-infected patients in Southern Spain.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of occult HBV infection in HIV-positive patients in a centre in Southern Spain.

Methods: The HBV serological markers were investigated in all the patients and the presence of HBV-DNA was tested by PCR in patients with isolated anti-HBc.

Results: An isolated anti-HBc pattern was detected in 144/520 (27.

Molecular diagnosis of Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis.

A 66-year-old male with ischaemic cardiomyopathy and chronic lymphocytic leukemia developed signs of severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Serial blood cultures were negative and a SeptiFast test detected the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus DNA. Afterwards, detection of galactomannan and 1,3-β-D-glucan showed a positive result.

[Evaluation of the cobas 4800 CT/NG test for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis].

Introduction: To evaluate the new automated system cobas 4800 CT/NG test for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in urogenital specimens.

Material And Methods: We analyzed 696 specimens (488 swabs from urethral or cervical specimens, and 208 urines) to detect C. trachomatis.

Prediction of response to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin by IL28B gene variation in patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus.

Background: Variation in the IL28B gene is associated with sustained virologic response (SVR) to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-monoinfected patients with genotype 1. Data on other genotypes and on patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HCV are more limited. We aimed to assess the predictive ability of variations in the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs12979860 for SVR in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, regardless of HCV genotype.

Impact of observer experience on the reproducibility of transient elastometry in HIV/HCV co-infected patients.

Background: Data on the influence of observer experience on transient elastometry (TE) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are scarce, and there are no data on HCV/HIV co-infected patients.

Methods: TE determination was conducted by an experienced and an inexperienced observer in 93 patients who were divided into three groups according to the chronological order of their attendance. The interobserver variability of TE results was analyzed by the intraclass correlation index (ICC) and the interobserver agreement of the classification of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis by the kappa index.

Molecular detection and identification of Aspergillus spp. from clinical samples using real-time PCR.

The definite and rapid diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis is necessary because of the high mortality caused. The objective of this study was to evaluate a real-time PCR assay to detect Aspergillus spp. in clinical samples, based on the Light Cycler technology.

Transient rebounds of HIV plasma viremia are associated with the emergence of drug resistance mutations in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Background: There are very few and contradictory data about the consequences of 'blips', transient rebounds of HIV viremia. We assessed the emergence of new drug resistance mutations during blips among HIV-infected patients on HAART from a cohort in which we found no association between blips and virological failure.

Methods: Seventeen patients with blips were selected from 330 patients under HAART for over 48 weeks according to these criteria: (1) presence of only one blip, viremia < or =1000copies/ml preceded by two consecutive visits and followed by one visit showing undetectable viremia; (2) therapy adherence > or =95%; (3) availability of frozen sera.

Direct detection of rifampin- and isoniazid-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in auramine-rhodamine-positive sputum specimens by real-time PCR.

Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility of a molecular assay based on a real-time PCR technique, carried out with a LightCycler instrument (Roche Biochemicals), to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli and to detect rifampin and isoniazid resistance in DNA extracts from sputum samples. We studied three genes: rpoB, which is associated with rifampin resistance, and katG and inhA, which are associated with isoniazid resistance. A total of 205 sputum samples collected from 108 patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis with positive auramine-rhodamine-staining (AR) sputum samples, were tested.

Improved real-time PCR for rapid detection of rifampin and isoniazid resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates.

In this study we designed two pairs of probes for the detection of rifampin and isoniazid resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis with real-time PCR procedures. One pair of probes spans the region between codon 510 and 528 of the rpoB gene, and the other one screens for mutation at the regulatory region of the inhA gene. We have evaluated these probes in combination with two other pairs of probes previously described to detect mutations in 20 susceptible and 53 unique resistant M.

Rapid detection and identification of Staphylococcus aureus from blood culture specimens using real-time fluorescence PCR.

Molecular surveillance of pathogens has shown the need for rapid and dependable methods for the detection and identification of organisms of clinical and epidemiologic importance. Staphylococcus aureus, one of the most frequent causes of human infections, was used as a model organism to develop and refine a real-time fluorescence PCR assay and enhanced DNA purification method. One hundred clinical isolates of S.