Analytical reactivity of 13 commercially available rapid influenza diagnostic tests with H3N2v and recently circulating influenza viruses.

Objectives: Rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) used widely in clinical practice are simple to use and provide results within 15 minutes; however, reported performance is variable, which causes concern when novel or variant viruses emerge. This study's goal was to assess the analytical reactivity of 13 RIDTs with recently circulating seasonal and H3N2v influenza viruses, using three different viral measures.

Design: Virus stocks were characterized by infectious dose (ID50 ) and nucleoprotein (NP) concentration, diluted at half-log dilutions, and tested with each RIDT and real-time RT-PCR.

Characterization of two classes of pancreatic shock factors: functional differences exhibited by hydrophilic and hydrophobic shock factors.

Pancreatic tissue homogenate induces a powerful pathophysiologic response sufficient to produce lethal shock in a rat. However, limited progress has been made in the biochemical characterization of these pancreas-derived active factors or their mechanisms of action. It has been shown that the pancreas is a major source of these shock-inducing factors and that they are generated by pancreatic proteinases.