gene predicts clinical recovery after sustained virological response in decompensated hepatitis C cirrhosis.

Background: Patients with decompensated hepatitis C virus (HCV) cirrhosis experience various outcomes after sustained virological response (SVR), ranging from clinical recovery to further deterioration. We hypothesised that the genetic risk for steatosis, namely the polymorphisms rs738409 of Patatin-like Phospholipase Domain-Containing 3 (), rs58542926 of Transmembrane-6-Superfamily-2 (), and rs641738 of Membrane-bound O-acyltransferase Domain-Containing 7 (), is predictive of recovery.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 56 patients with Child-Pugh (CPT) B/C cirrhosis who underwent antiviral therapy.

Sensitivity of lateral flow tests to mixtures of saxitoxins and applications to shellfish and phytoplankton monitoring.

We have investigated some characteristics of antibodies in the lateral flow format for detecting paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins and compared them with the mouse bioassay (MBA). The MBA is still the most reliable test for toxicity in shellfish because it provides an estimate of toxicity directly and can include more than one contaminant. Most other methods, including those involving antibodies, provide estimates of toxin concentration from which toxicity is implied or calculated using conversion factors.

Assessment of a new lateral flow immunochromatographic (LFIC) assay for the okadaic acid group of toxins using naturally contaminated bivalve shellfish from the Portuguese coast.

A new rapid assay for the okadaic acid group of toxins, based on lateral flow immunochromatographic (LFIC) test strips developed by Jellett Rapid Testing Ltd., was assessed on naturally contaminated bivalves from the Portuguese coast. One prototype was evaluated using samples harvested during 2005, extracted with 80% methanol, followed by dilution with the running buffer of a methanolic extract after alkaline hydrolysis for esters.

Prevalence of HIV-1 in blood donations following implementation of a structured blood safety policy in South Africa.

Context: The South African National Blood Service collects more than 700,000 units of blood annually from a population in which 11.4% is infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). The prevalence of HIV-1 in blood donations increased to 0.

Relative sensitivities of licensed nucleic acid amplification tests for detection of viremia in early human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus infection.

Background: Screening donors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA is primarily performed on minipools (MPs) with one of two commercial nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT; Roche Molecular Systems; or Gen-Probe/Chiron). We compared these assays with respect to detection of RNA in early HIV and HCV infection.

Study Design And Methods: Twelve HIV plasma donor panels (116 serial samples) and 12 HCV panels (180 serial samples) were selected to optimally represent early viremia.