1,721,031 research outputs found
Human cytomegalovirus DNAemia and preemptive treatment of CMV infection in children after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation: Is any question settled?
No full textRelationship between ABO blood group and pregnancy complications: a systematic literature analysis
No full textGiven the expression of ABO blood group antigens on the surface of a wide range of human cells and tissues, the putative interplay of the ABO system in human biology outside the area of transfusion and transplantation medicine constitutes an intriguing byway of research. Thanks to evidence accumulated over more than 50 years, the involvement of the ABO system in the pathogenesis of several human diseases, including cardiovascular, infectious and neoplastic disorders, is now acknowledged. However, there is controversial information on the potential association between ABO blood type and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including pre-eclampsia and related disorders (eclampsia, HELLP syndrome and intrauterine growth restriction), venous thromboembolism, post-partum haemorrhage and gestational diabetes. To elucidate the role of ABO antigens in pregnancy-related complications, we performed a systematic review of the literature published in the past 50 years. A meta-analytical approach was also applied to the existing literature on the association between ABO status and pre-eclampsia. The results of this systematic review are presented and critically discussed, along with the possible pathogenic implications
Vaginal dysplastic lesions in women with hysterectomy and receiving radiotherapy are linked to high-risk human papillomavirus
No full textPatients undergoing radiotherapy for advanced cervical and endometrial cancer bear a considerable risk of developing vaginal preneoplastic lesions. Radiotherapy itself has been considered to have a role in the pathogenesis of vaginal dysplasia, although human papillomavirus (HPV) involvement has also been suggested. A series of 88 patients who underwent hysterectomy and were irradiated for gynecological cancer, including 43 with postradiation vaginal dysplasia at colposcopy and 45 without vaginal lesions, were included in this study. Detection and genotyping of HPV DNA in vaginal scraping were carried out by a PCR-based method and compared with colposcopic and cytological findings and with other clinical and laboratory data. Forty-two (97.7%) colposcopy-positive subjects and 6 (13.3%) colposcopically-negative patients were PCR-positive for high-risk HPV DNA (P < 0.000001). Twenty-two out of the 43 patients with colposcopic lesions showed an abnormal Papanicolau (PAP) test. Cytologic examination was negative in all colposcopically negative women. Type 16 HPV DNA was more frequent in patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and in patients treated with external radiotherapy, whereas other types of high-risk HPV were more common in patients with low-grade lesions and in those treated with brachytherapy. When considering colposcopy as the standard for diagnosing vaginal dysplasia, HPV DNA testing was more sensitive than the PAP test. However, the specificity of the PAP test was higher with no false-positive case. In conclusion, vaginal preneoplastic changes in women post-hysterectomy and receiving radiotherapy for cervical, endometrial, and vaginal cancer represent an HPV-related nosologic entity. Whereas colposcopic examination can detect these preneoplastic lesions, HPV genotyping is a sensitive, inexpensive, and noninvasive method that may complement colposcopy and the PAP test
Evaluation of a near patient test and ELISA-based assays for detecting anti-herpes simplex virus type-2 antibodies
No full textSeveral type-specific serologic assays for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), based on glycoprotein G1 (gG1) and gG2, have recently been developed. These include immunodot (POCkit HSV-2) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The diagnostic value of POCkit HSV-2, a near-patient test, and of 2 immunoenzymatic, type-specific assays was evaluated on 122 patients attending an STD clinic. Western blot was used as the reference test. The sensitivity of POCkit HSV-2 was good but the specificity was poor, so that in a population with low seroprevalence, a positive result is likely to be a false positive. Analysis of 2 currently available HSV type-specific ELISAs yielded results suggesting that the sensitivity of these tests may also be suboptima
Evaluation of a near-patient test and 2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based assays for detecting anti-herpes simplex virus type-2 antbodies
No full textI.F. 1.30
Genetic determinants of extreme longevity: the role of ABO blood group
No full textGenetic determinants of extreme longevity: the role of ABO blood grou
Strong Cell-Mediated Immune Response to Human Cytomegalovirus Is Associated with Increased Risk of Fetal Infection in Primarily Infected Pregnant Women
No full textAssessment of CMV load in solid organ transplant recipients by pp65 antigenemia and real-time quantitative DNA PCR assay: correlation with pp67 RNA detection.
No full textAfter bone marrow (BM) or solid-organ (SO) transplantation viremic Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is observed frequently. Quantitative assay of CMV in blood helps the management of this clinical condition. In the present report, 83 samples from 39 solid organ recipients, three CMV assays were compared simultaneously for the first time: the Nuclisens CMV pp67 assay (nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, NASBA), an "in-house" quantitative real-time PCR assay (TaqMan) for CMV DNA, and pp65 antigenemia. The relation between CMV DNA and pp65 antigenemia, the quantitative assays, was evaluated on a larger group including 251 blood samples from 118 solid organ recipients. Real-time PCR provided the best results; > or =130 CMV DNA copies/2 x 10(5) peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) predicted > or =1 pp65 antigen positive (Ag+) cell/2 x 10(5) PBLs. By taking pp65 antigenemia as the "gold standard," the sensitivity of CMV DNA quantitation and of the pp67 RNA assay were 0.95 and 0.20, respectively, while the corresponding specificity values were 0.50 and 0.93. When real-time PCR was considered as the "gold standard," the sensitivity and specificity of the pp65 antigenemia were 0.65 and 0.91, respectively. Among the three tests examined, the sensitivity of the pp67 RNA assay was the lowest. On the other hand, the pp67 RNA assay was highly specific and effective in pinpointing high viremia patients. The present report, by providing predictive values for all three diagnostic profiles, DNA load, antigenemia, and pp67RNA, is a contribution for validation of real-time PCR as a new standard for quantitative assessment of CMV viremia in clinical settings
Efficacy and safety of fibrinogen concentrate in surgical patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
No full text- …
