Detecting HIV among persons accompanying patients to an infectious diseases clinic.

Background: Infectious diseases (ID) clinics are locations where members of at risk social networks, including sex partners of HIV-infected patients, make contact with a medical care setting when they accompany HIV-positive patients to appointments.

Methods: We implemented a free point-of-care rapid HIV testing program for anyone accompanying a patient to the University of North Carolina ID clinic. Acceptability of the program among the general clinic population was assessed via an anonymous survey 1 year after program implementation.

Experiences with HIV testing, entry, and engagement in care by HIV-infected women of color, and the need for autonomy, competency, and relatedness.

Self-determination theory examines the needs of people adopting new behaviors but has not been applied to the adoption of HIV healthcare behaviors. The current study applied self-determination theory to descriptions of healthcare behaviors adopted by ethnic minority women after an HIV diagnosis. Women of color were asked to describe their experiences with HIV testing, entry, and engagement-in-care in qualitative interviews and focus groups.

FOXL2 molecular testing in ovarian neoplasms: diagnostic approach and procedural guidelines.

A single, recurrent somatic point mutation (402C→G) in FOXL2 has been described in almost all adult-type granulosa cell tumors but not other ovarian neoplasms. Histopathological features of adult-type granulosa cell tumors can be mimicked by a variety of other tumors, making diagnosis of adult-type granulosa cell tumor challenging. It has been suggested that molecular testing for FOXL2 mutation might be a useful tool in the diagnosis of adult-type granulosa cell tumors.

Nucleic acid quantity and quality from paraffin blocks: defining optimal fixation, processing and DNA/RNA extraction techniques.

Although the extraction and analysis of nucleic acids from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues is a routine and growing part of pathology practice, no generally accepted recommendations exist to guide laboratories in their selection of tissue fixation, processing and DNA/RNA extraction techniques. The aim of this study was to determine how fixation method and length, paraffin embedding, processing conditions and nucleic acid extraction methods affect quality and quantity of DNA and RNA, and their performance in downstream applications. Nine tissue samples were subjected to freezing, fixation in formalin for <24 h and 7 days followed by conventional processing, and fixation in molecular fixative for <24 h and 7 days followed by rapid processing.

ARID1A mutations in endometriosis-associated ovarian carcinomas.

Background: Ovarian clear-cell and endometrioid carcinomas may arise from endometriosis, but the molecular events involved in this transformation have not been described.

Methods: We sequenced the whole transcriptomes of 18 ovarian clear-cell carcinomas and 1 ovarian clear-cell carcinoma cell line and found somatic mutations in ARID1A (the AT-rich interactive domain 1A [SWI-like] gene) in 6 of the samples. ARID1A encodes BAF250a, a key component of the SWI–SNF chromatin remodeling complex.