Human lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a major cause of disability globally. The success of global elimination programmes for LF depends upon effectiveness of tools for diagnosis and treatment. In this study on stage-specific antigen detection in brugian filariasis, L3, adult worm (AW) and microfilarial antigenaemia were detected in around 90-95% of microfilariae carriers (MF group), 50-70% of adenolymphangitis (ADL) patients, 10-25% of chronic pathology (CP) patients and 10-15% of endemic normal (EN) controls. The sensitivity of the circulating filarial antigen (CFA) detection in serum samples from MF group was up to 95%. In sera from ADL patients, unexpectedly, less antigen reactivity was observed. In CP group all the CFA positive individuals were from CP grade I and II only and none from grade III or IV, suggesting that with chronicity the AWs lose fecundity and start to disintegrate and die. Amongst EN subject, 10-15% had CFA indicating that few of them harbour filarial AWs, thus they might not be truly immune as has been conventionally believed. The specificity for antigen detection was 100% when tested with sera from various other protozoan and non-filarial helminthic infections.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031182015001675 | DOI Listing |
Clin Chem Lab Med
January 2025
Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata, Udine, Italy.
Objectives: External quality assessment (EQA) programs play a pivotal role in harmonizing laboratory practices, offering users a benchmark system to evaluate their own performance and identify areas requiring improvement. The objective of this study was to go through and analyze the UK NEQAS "Immunology, Immunochemistry and Allergy" EQA reports between 2012 and 2021 to assess the overall level of harmonization in autoimmune diagnostics and identify areas requiring improvement for future actions.
Methods: The EQA programs reviewed included anti-nuclear (ANA), anti-dsDNA, anti-centromere, anti-extractable nuclear antigen (ENA), anti-phospholipids, anti-neutrophil cytoplasm (ANCA), anti-proteinase 3 (PR3), anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO), anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), mitochondrial (AMA), liver-kidney-microsomal (LKM), smooth muscle (ASMA), APCA, and celiac disease antibodies.
Background and objective Prostate cancer (PCA) is the most prevalent cancer among males. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends referral to PCA diagnostic pathway based on two criteria: (1) abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) and (2) elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This study evaluates the diagnostic value of routine DRE in patients undergoing PCA assessment with pre-biopsy MRI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJTCVS Open
December 2024
Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
Objective: To identify clinicopathologic and genomic features associated with brain metastasis after resection of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and to evaluate survival after brain metastasis.
Methods: Patients who underwent complete resection of stage I-IIIA LUAD between 2011 and 2020 were included. A subset of patients had broad-based panel next-generation sequencing performed on their tumors.
J Neuroinflammation
January 2025
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, 92697, USA.
Background: Immunothrombosis is the process by which the coagulation cascade interacts with the innate immune system to control infection. However, the formation of clots within the brain vasculature can be detrimental to the host. Recent work has demonstrated that Toxoplasma gondii infects and lyses central nervous system (CNS) endothelial cells that form the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Transl Med
January 2025
Department of General Surgery of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No.26, Erheng Road, Yuancun, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510655, China.
Purpose: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are pivotal immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME), exhibiting dual roles across various cancer types. Depending on the context, TAMs can either suppress tumor progression and weaken drug sensitivity or facilitate tumor growth and drive therapeutic resistance. This study explores whether targeting TAMs can suppress the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and improve the efficacy of chemotherapy.
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