Artificial intelligence-assisted identification and retrieval of chronic hepatitis C patients lost to follow-up in the health area of Pontevedra and O Salnés (Spain).

Objective: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection offer an opportunity to eliminate the disease. This study aimed to identify and relink to care HCV patients previously lost to medical follow-up in the health area of Pontevedra and O Salnés (Spain) using an artificial intelligence-assisted system.

Patients And Methods: Active retrospective search of previously diagnosed HCV cases recorded in the Galician Health Service proprietary health information exchange database using the Herramientas para la EXplotación de la INformación (HEXIN) application.

Reversions of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus in tuberculosis contact investigation: A prospective multicentre cohort study.

Background: Interferon-y Release Assays (IGRA) reversions have been reported in different clinical scenarios for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) infection. This study aimed to determine the rate of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) reversions during contact investigation as a potential strategy to reduce the number of preventive treatments.

Methods: Prospective, multicentre cohort study of immunocompetent adult contacts of patients with pulmonary TB tested with QFT-Plus.

Generalized implementation of reflex testing of hepatitis C in Galicia: Results for reflection.

Introduction: The implementation of reflex testing of active hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, together with the incorporation of informative alerts in the reports, has shown that it significantly reduces the number of patients who were not referred for therapeutic evaluation.

Methods: Since the implementation in 2018 of the DUSP in the Microbiology Services of the Galician Health Service hospitals (SERGAS), new diagnoses of active HCV infection have been retrospectively identified and characterized.

Results: In 2018, a total of 258 patients with unknown active HCV infection (70,2% men, middle age 52 years) were identified through by reflex testing from consultations of primary and specialized care units in 54.

Identification of Recent Tuberculosis Exposure Using QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, a Multicenter Study.

We investigated whether the difference of antigen tube 2 (TB2) minus antigen tube 1 (TB1) (TB2-TB1) of the QuantiFERON-TB gold plus test, which has been postulated as a surrogate for the CD8 T-cell response, could be useful in identifying recent tuberculosis (TB) exposure. We looked at the interferon gamma (IFN-γ) responses and differences in TB2 and TB1 tubes for 686 adults with QFT-plus positive test results. These results were compared among groups with high (368 TB contacts), low (229 patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases [IMID]), and indeterminate (89 asylum seekers or people from abroad [ASPFA]) risks of recent TB exposure.

Generalized implementation of reflex testing of hepatitis C in Galicia: Results for reflection.

Introduction: The implementation of reflex testing of active hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, together with the incorporation of informative alerts in the reports, has shown that it significantly reduces the number of patients who were not referred for therapeutic evaluation.

Methods: Since the implementation in 2018 of the DUSP in the microbiology services of the Galician Health Service hospitals (SERGAS), new diagnoses of active HCV infection have been retrospectively identified and characterized.

Results: In 2018, a total of 258 patients with unknown active HCV infection (70,2% men, middle age 52 years) were identified through by reflex testing from consultations of primary and specialized care units in 54.

Sample pooling for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR screening.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of sample pooling compared to the individual analysis for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by using different commercial platforms for nucleic acid extraction and amplification.

Methods: A total of 3519 nasopharyngeal samples received at nine Spanish clinical microbiology laboratories were processed individually and in pools (342 pools of ten samples and 11 pools of nine samples) according to the existing methodology in place at each centre.

Results: We found that 253 pools (2519 samples) were negative and 99 pools (990 samples) were positive; with 241 positive samples (6.

Direct, indirect and total effectiveness of bivalent HPV vaccine in women in Galicia, Spain.

Bivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was incorporated into the childhood vaccination calendar in Galicia, Spain in 2008. The objectives of this study were to estimate direct, indirect and total effectiveness of HPV vaccine and to identify sexual habits changes in the post-vaccination period in Galicia, Spain.Endocervical scrapings of 745 women attending 7 Health Areas of the Galician Public Health Service were collected in the post-vaccination period, from 2014-2017.

QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube as a Confirmatory Test for Tuberculin Skin Test in Tuberculosis Contact Tracing: A Noninferiority Clinical Trial.

Background: Screening strategies based on interferon-γ release assays in tuberculosis contact tracing may reduce the need for preventive therapy without increasing subsequent active disease.

Methods: We conducted an open-label, randomized trial to test the noninferiority of a 2-step strategy with the tuberculin skin test (TST) followed by QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) as a confirmatory test (the TST/QFT arm) to the standard TST-alone strategy (TST arm) for targeting preventive therapy in household contacts of patients with tuberculosis. Participants were followed for 24 months after randomization.

Value of the tuberculin skin testing and of an interferon-gamma release assay in haemodialysis patients after exposure to M. tuberculosis.

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection pose a high risk of developing active TB disease. It is therefore important to detect latent TB infection (LTBI) to be able to offer treatment and prevent progression to TB disease. We assessed the value of the tuberculin skin test (TST) and of an interferon-gamma release assay (Quantiferon®-TB Gold in-Tube, QFT) for diagnosing LTBI in ESRD patients, after prolonged exposure to a highly contagious TB case in a haemodialysis unit.

Trends in the prevalence and distribution of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections in Spain.

Background: Although most HTLV infections in Spain have been found in native intravenous drug users carrying HTLV-2, the large immigration flows from Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa in recent years may have changed the prevalence and distribution of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections, and hypothetically open the opportunity for introducing HTLV-3 or HTLV-4 in Spain. To assess the current seroprevalence of HTLV infection in Spain a national multicenter, cross-sectional, study was conducted in June 2009.

Results: A total of 6,460 consecutive outpatients attending 16 hospitals were examined.

HTLV infection among foreign pregnant women living in Spain.

Background: The overall seroprevalence of HTLV infection among pregnant women in Spain is below 0.02% and accordingly universal antenatal screening is not recommended. However, as the number of immigrants has significantly increased during the last decade, this population might warrant specific considerations.

Tuberculin skin test and interferon-γ release assay show better correlation after the tuberculin 'window period' in tuberculosis contacts.

Background: T-cell interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) have been shown to be effective tools for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, offering an enhanced specificity compared to the tuberculin skin test (TST). Most tuberculosis (TB) contact studies have shown a better correlation of IGRA with the intensity of M. tuberculosis exposure than that obtained using the TST.

Prevalence of HTLV-1/2 infections in Spain: A cross-sectional hospital-based survey.

The presence of antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) types 1 and 2 was examined in 5742 sera belonging to consecutive adult outpatients attended during June 2008 at 13 different hospitals across Spain. Overall, 58.8% were female.

Identification of a new HIV type 1 circulating BF intersubtype recombinant form (CRF47_BF) in Spain.

We report the identification of a new HIV-1 circulating recombinant form (CRF47_BF) derived from subtypes B and F. It was initially identified in protease-reverse transcriptase sequences from nine individuals from three separate regions of Spain who acquired HIV-1 infection via sexual contact. All nine sequences formed a strongly supported phylogenetic cluster, branching apart from all known CRFs, and in bootscan analyses were BF mosaics with two coincident breakpoints.

Seroprevalence of HTLV-1/2 infection among native and immigrant pregnant women in Spain.

HTLV-1=2 antenatal screening is not mandatory in European countries. The rapid increase in immigrants coming from areas endemic for HTLV-1 infection has compelled a review of this policy in Spain. From February 2006 to December 2007, a cross-sectional study was carried out in all pregnant women attended at 10 different Spanish hospitals.