scholarly journals Non-Invasive versus Invasive Samples for Zika Virus Surveillance: A Comparative Study in New Caledonia and French Guiana in 2015–2016

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1312
Author(s):  
Marie-Alice Fraiture ◽  
Wim Coucke ◽  
Morgane Pol ◽  
Dominique Rousset ◽  
Ann-Claire Gourinat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
French Guiana ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Simultaneous Detection ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Non Invasive

Zika virus, an arbovirus responsible for major outbreaks, can cause serious health issues, such as neurological diseases. In the present study, different types of samples (serum, saliva, and urine), collected in 2015–2016 in New Caledonia and French Guiana from 53 patients presenting symptoms and clinical signs triggered by arbovirus infections, were analyzed using a recently developed, and in-house validated, 4-plex RT-qPCR TaqMan method for simultaneous detection and discrimination of the Zika and Chikungunya viruses. Subsequently, statistical analyses were performed in order to potentially establish recommendations regarding the choice of samples type to use for an efficient and early stage Zika infection diagnosis. On this basis, the use of only urine samples presented the highest probability to detect viral RNA from Zika virus. Moreover, such a probability was improved using both urine and saliva samples. Consequently, the added value of non-invasive samples, associated with a higher acceptance level for collection among patients, instead of serum samples, for the detection of Zika infections was illustrated.

scholarly journals Panel of serum miRNAs as potential non-invasive biomarkers for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Imteyaz Ahmad Khan ◽  
Safoora Rashid ◽  
Nidhi Singh ◽  
Sumaira Rashid ◽  
Vishwajeet Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Next Generation Sequencing ◽  
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Ductal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Specific Symptoms ◽  
Generation Sequencing

AbstractEarly-stage diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is difficult due to non-specific symptoms. Circulating miRNAs in body fluids have been emerging as potential non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis of many cancers. Thus, this study aimed to assess a panel of miRNAs for their ability to differentiate PDAC from chronic pancreatitis (CP), a benign inflammatory condition of the pancreas. Next-generation sequencing was performed to identify miRNAs present in 60 FFPE tissue samples (27 PDAC, 23 CP and 10 normal pancreatic tissues). Four up-regulated miRNAs (miR-215-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-192-5p, and miR-181a-2-3p) and four down-regulated miRNAs (miR-30b-5p, miR-216b-5p, miR-320b, and miR-214-5p) in PDAC compared to CP were selected based on next-generation sequencing results. The levels of these 8 differentially expressed miRNAs were measured by qRT-PCR in 125 serum samples (50 PDAC, 50 CP, and 25 healthy controls (HC)). The results showed significant upregulation of miR-215-5p, miR-122-5p, and miR-192-5p in PDAC serum samples. In contrast, levels of miR-30b-5p and miR-320b were significantly lower in PDAC as compared to CP and HC. ROC analysis showed that these 5 miRNAs can distinguish PDAC from both CP and HC. Hence, this panel can serve as a non-invasive biomarker for the early detection of PDAC.

Acoustic determination of early stages of intravascular blood coagulation

2008 ◽  
Vol 366 (1880) ◽  
pp. 3649-3661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana G Uzlova ◽  
Konstantin G Guria ◽  
Georgy Th Guria
Keyword(s):  
Blood Coagulation ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Simultaneous Detection ◽  
Coagulation System ◽  
Complex Biological System ◽  
Ultrasonic Methods ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Major Disadvantage ◽  
Set Up

The blood coagulation system (BCS) is a complex biological system playing a principal role in the maintenance of haemostasis. Insufficient activity of the BCS may lead to bleeding and blood loss (e.g. in the case of haemophilia). On the other hand, excessive activity may cause intravascular blood coagulation, thromboses and embolization. Most of the methods currently used for BCS monitoring suffer from the major disadvantage of being invasive. The purpose of the present work is to demonstrate the feasibility of using ultrasonic methods for non-invasive registration of the early stages of blood coagulation processes in intensive flows. With this purpose, a special experimental set-up was designed, facilitating the simultaneous detection of optical and acoustic signals during the clotting process. It was shown that (i) as microemboli appear in the flow during the early stage of blood coagulation, the intensity of the Doppler signal increases twofold, and (ii) microemboli formation in the early stages of blood clotting always reveals itself through an acoustic contrast. Both of these effects are well defined, so we hope that they may be used for non-invasive BCS monitoring in clinical practice.

scholarly journals Simultaneous Detection of Colorectal Cancer Mutations in Stool Samples with Biochip Arrays

2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-292
Author(s):  
Helena Murray ◽  
Mark Latten ◽  
Andrew Cartwright ◽  
Damien McAleer ◽  
Stephen Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Simultaneous Detection ◽  
Occult Blood ◽  
Western World ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Invasive Test ◽  
Cancer Mutations ◽  
Dna Alterations ◽  
Stool Samples

Simultaneous Detection of Colorectal Cancer Mutations in Stool Samples with Biochip ArraysColorectal cancer (CRC) is the second main cause of cancer-related death in the Western world and like many other tumours is curable if detected at an early stage. Current detection options include faecal occult blood testing and invasive direct visualisation techniques such as flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy and barium enema. The availability of a more simple, non-invasive test that detects tumour specific products with optimal analytical performance might overcome barriers among patients who are not willing to undergo more sensitive but invasive tests. One such emerging technology, which has shown promise in recent years, is the analysis of DNA alterations exfoliated from tumour cells into stool. Here we report an analytical platform for non-invasive detection of 28 common mutations within CRC-related genesAPC, TP53, K-rasandBRAFin stool samples based on biochip array technology and applied to the semi-automated Evidence Investigator analyser. Mutation detection was possible in 1000-fold excess of wildtype DNA and analysis of 10 CRC-positive patient samples showed presence of targeted mutations with equivalent mutations also identified by an alternative method. This application represents an excellent tool for the multiplex detection of CRC-specific mutations using a single platform.

scholarly journals Impression cytology is a non-invasive and effective method for ocular cell obtention from babies with Congenital Zika Syndrome: perspectives in OMIC studies

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Hora Barbosa ◽  
Maria Luiza B. dos Santos ◽  
Thiago P. Silva ◽  
Liva Rosa-Fernandes ◽  
Ana Pinto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Ocular Surface ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Impression Cytology ◽  
Morphological Alterations ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Viable Cells ◽  
Congenital Zika Syndrome ◽  
Microscopic Features ◽  
Conjunctival Epithelial Cells

AbstractIMPORTANCENoninvasive techniques for obtaining ocular surface cells (neuroepithelial) from babies with Congenital Zika Syndrome CZS - resulting from infection by zika virus (ZIKV) during gestational period (malformations include ocular abnormalities and microcephaly) - remain to be determined.OBJECTIVESThe aim of this study was to describe an optimized impression cytology method for the isolation of viable cells from babies with CZS in satisfactory amounts and quality to enable the application in the context of genome approaches well as morphological and molecular evaluations.DESIGN, SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTSIn this observational study, ocular surface samples were obtained with a hydrophilic nitrocellulose membrane (through optimized impression cytology method) from twelve babies referred to the Pediatric Service of the Antonio Pedro Hospital, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Samples were collected with an authorized informed consent from both eyes of eight ZIKV infected babies according to the CZS diagnostic criteria (4 babies with positive PCR for Zika virus in gestation and presence of clinical signs which included ocular abnormalities and microcephaly and 4 babies with positive PCR for Zika virus during gestation but no clinical signs identified) and four unaffected babies (control samples / negative PCR, without clinical signs). Cells were used for microscopy analyses, transcriptomic and proteomic experiments and molecular procedure.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESThe microscopic features of the conjunctival epithelial cells were described by both direct analysis of the membrane-attached cells and analysis of cytospinned captured cells using several staining procedures, including viability evaluation. In parallel, molecular approaches were performed.RESULTSOn impression cytology, a considerable amount of viable cells were captured. Epithelial basal, polyhedral and goblet cells were clearly identified in all groups. All cases of ZIKV infected babies showed clear morphological alterations (cell keratinization, piknosis, karyolysis, anucleation and vacuolization). Genomic DNA and RNA were successfully isolated from all samples and allowed the establishment of transcriptomic and proteomic studies. Transcriptome analysis showed 8582 transcripts quantified in all samples and 63 differentially expressed genes in ocular cells from the exposed babies. Proteomics analysis allowed the identification of 2080, 2085 and 2086 high confident and unique proteins with at least one unique peptide in the unaffected, exposed to ZIKV and asymptomatic and CZS babies, respectively, being 2062 in common. Multivariate supervised analysis using the total quantitative protein features revealed a clear discrimination between the groups.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEOur method proved to be a suitable, fast, and non-invasive tool for detailed and precise morphological analyses with a perspective of application in OMIC studies for clinical and research studies of CZS.Key pointsQuestionAre the ocular surface cells of babies with Congenital Zika Syndrome viable to investigate the association between Zika virus infection during embryogenesis and ocular impairment?FindingsTo this date, this is the first study using an approach with perspectives in morphological, molecular and “OMICs” research from ocular samples captured by impression cytology of ZIKV infected babies during embryogenesis. The microscopic features of the conjunctival epithelial cells from all ZIKV infected babies showed clear morphological alterations.MeaningOcular cell surface capture offers a powerful model for studying the pathways involved in ocular diseases associated with ZIKV.

scholarly journals Impact of Zika Virus Emergence in French Guiana: A Large General Population Seroprevalence Survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 220 (12) ◽  
pp. 1915-1925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude Flamand ◽  
Sarah Bailly ◽  
Camille Fritzell ◽  
Léna Berthelot ◽  
Jessica Vanhomwegen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Survey ◽  
French Guiana ◽  
Recombinant Antigen ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Seroprevalence Study ◽  
Virus Emergence

Abstract Background Since the identification of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil in May 2015, the virus has spread throughout the Americas. However, ZIKV burden in the general population in affected countries remains unknown. Methods We conducted a general population survey in the different communities of French Guiana through individual interviews and serologic survey during June–October 2017. All serum samples were tested for anti-ZIKV immunoglobulin G antibodies using a recombinant antigen-based SGERPAxMap microsphere immunoassay, and some of them were further evaluated through anti-ZIKV microneutralization tests. Results The overall seroprevalence was estimated at 23.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 20.9%–25.9%) among 2697 participants, varying from 0% to 45.6% according to municipalities. ZIKV circulated in a large majority of French Guiana but not in the most isolated forest areas. The proportion of reported symptomatic Zika infection was estimated at 25.5% (95% CI, 20.3%–31.4%) in individuals who tested positive for ZIKV. Conclusions This study described a large-scale representative ZIKV seroprevalence study in South America from the recent 2015–2016 Zika epidemic. Our findings reveal that the majority of the population remains susceptible to ZIKV, which could potentially allow future reintroductions of the virus.

scholarly journals Identification of Circulating Serum miRNAs as Novel Biomarkers in Pancreatic Cancer Using a Penalized Algorithm

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1007
Author(s):  
Jaehoon Lee ◽  
Hee Seung Lee ◽  
Soo Been Park ◽  
Chanyang Kim ◽  
Kahee Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Training Model ◽  
Carbohydrate Antigen ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Absolute Deviation ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Diagnosis Model

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is difficult to detect in the early stages; thus, identifying specific and sensitive biomarkers for PC diagnosis is crucial, especially in the case of early-stage tumors. Circulating microRNAs are promising non-invasive biomarkers. Therefore, we aimed to identify non-invasive miRNA biomarkers and build a model for PC diagnosis. For the training model, blood serum samples from 63 PC patients and 63 control subjects were used. We selected 39 miRNA markers using a smoothly clipped absolute deviation-based penalized support vector machine and built a PC diagnosis model. From the double cross-validation, the average test AUC was 0.98. We validated the diagnosis model using independent samples from 25 PC patients and 81 patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and compared the results with those obtained from the diagnosis using carbohydrate antigen 19-9. For the markers miR-155-5p, miR-4284, miR-346, miR-7145-5p, miR-5100, miR-661, miR-22-3p, miR-4486, let-7b-5p, and miR-4703-5p, we conducted quantitative reverse transcription PCR using samples from 17 independent PC patients, 8 ICC patients, and 8 healthy individuals. Differential expression was observed in samples from PC patients. The diagnosis model based on the identified markers showed high sensitivity and specificity for PC detection and is potentially useful for early PC diagnosis.

scholarly journals Emergence of the Zika virus Asian lineage in Angola

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah C. Hill ◽  
Jocelyne Vasconcelos ◽  
Zoraima Neto ◽  
Domingos Jandondo ◽  
Líbia Zé-Zé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Cabo Verde ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Asian Lineage

Research In ContextEvidence before this studyWe searched PubMed without language restrictions using the keywords ‘Zika’ and ‘Africa’ for papers published to October 2018. We also checked available ‘Situation Report’ publications from WHO for evidence of Zika virus (ZIKV) or congenital Zika disease in Africa. ZIKV African lineage has been detected within Africa since the mid 20th century, yet evidence for spread of the ZIKV Asian lineage within Africa is limited. Two countries in Africa (Cabo Verde and Angola) have reported ZIKV cases that are believed to be caused by a newly introduced Asian lineage virus. Sequence data are critical for confirming and understanding the spread of ZIKV Asian lineage within Africa, but these data are currently limited to a single 193bp fragment of the ZIKV NS1 gene from Angola. In addition, whilst epidemiological data on ZIKV and suspected microcephaly cases have been reported in detail from Cabo Verde, data from Angola are extremely limited.Added value of this studyWe provide a detailed report of detected ZIKV acute cases and suspected microcephaly cases in Angola. We sequence ZIKV genomes from three acutely infected cases. These represent the first three Asian lineage genomes available from Africa, one of which was acquired from a baby with confirmed microcephaly. Analysis of these sequences suggests that ZIKV may have been introduced to Angola between July 2015 and June 2016, after which it likely circulated for at least one year. This provides the first genetic confirmation of autochthonous ZIKV Asian lineage transmission within Africa. We suggest that the virus was more likely introduced to Angola directly from Brazil, rather than from Cabo Verde. Our analyses from Angola, only the second African country to report presence of the Asian virus lineage, therefore improve our understanding of the extent and clinical impact of ZIKV Asian lineage in the continent.Implications of all the available evidenceThe circulation of ZIKV Asian lineage within parts of sub-Saharan Africa is concerning given the potential for continued viral spread across much of the continent. Available evidence suggests that ZIKV has circulated and caused cases of microcephaly in Cabo Verde and in Angola. Detecting additional ZIKV transmission using only clinical data on suspected microcephaly or clusters of mild illness may be challenging in countries where systems for reporting birth defects are limited and infectious disease burden is high. Further spread of the ZIKV Asian lineage would likely not be detected unless molecular surveillance systems for ZIKV are implemented to routinely monitor ZIKV transmission in Africa. Implementation of such a surveillance system is especially important in countries that are linked by high human mobility to areas that have experienced recent or ongoing outbreaks of ZIKV.AbstractBackgroundZika virus (ZIKV) infections and suspected microcephaly cases have been recently reported in Angola, but no data are available on the origins, epidemiology, and diversity of the virus.MethodsSerum samples from 54 suspected ZIKV cases, 76 suspected microcephaly cases, and 24 mothers of infants with suspected microcephaly were received by the Angolan Ministry of Health. Computed tomographic brain imaging and serological assays (PRNT) were conducted on one microcephalic infant. All sera were tested for ZIKV by RT-qPCR. 349 samples from HIV+ patients and 336 samples from patients suspected of chikungunya virus or dengue virus infection were also tested. Portable sequencing was used to generate Angolan ZIKV genome sequences, including from a ZIKV+ neonate with microcephaly born in Portugal to an Angolan resident. Genetic and mobility data were analysed to investigate the date of introduction and geographic origin of ZIKV in Angola.FindingsFour autochthonous cases were ZIKV positive via RT-qPCR, with all positive samples collected between December 2016 and June 2017. Viral genomes were generated for two of these cases, and from the neonate with microcephaly identified in Portugal. Genetic analyses and other data indicate that ZIKV was introduced to Angola from Brazil between July 2015 and June 2016. This introduction likely initiated local ZIKV circulation in Angola that continued until June 2017. The scanned microcephaly case showed brain abnormalities consistent with congenital Zika syndrome and serological evidence for maternal ZIKV infection.InterpretationOur analyses confirm the autochthonous transmission of the ZIKV Asian lineage in continental Africa. Conducting ZIKV surveillance throughout Africa is critical in the light of presented evidence for autochthonous ZIKV transmission in Angola, and associated microcephaly cases.FundingRoyal Society, Wellcome Trust, CNPq, CAPES, ERC, Oxford Martin School, Global Challenges Research Fund, Africa Oxford, and John Fell Fund.

Review of Various Tasks Performed in the Preprocessing Phase of a Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis System

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-426
Author(s):  
Muhammad Nadeem Ashraf ◽  
Muhammad Hussain ◽  
Zulfiqar Habib
Keyword(s):  
Diabetic Retinopathy ◽  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Spherical Shape ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Lesion Detection ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Cad System ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Optic Discs

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of blindness in diabetic patients. The increasing population of diabetic patients and difficulty to diagnose it at an early stage are limiting the screening capabilities of manual diagnosis by ophthalmologists. Color fundus images are widely used to detect DR lesions due to their comfortable, cost-effective and non-invasive acquisition procedure. Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) of DR based on these images can assist ophthalmologists and help in saving many sight years of diabetic patients. In a CAD system, preprocessing is a crucial phase, which significantly affects its performance. Commonly used preprocessing operations are the enhancement of poor contrast, balancing the illumination imbalance due to the spherical shape of a retina, noise reduction, image resizing to support multi-resolution, color normalization, extraction of a field of view (FOV), etc. Also, the presence of blood vessels and optic discs makes the lesion detection more challenging because these two artifacts exhibit specific attributes, which are similar to those of DR lesions. Preprocessing operations can be broadly divided into three categories: 1) fixing the native defects, 2) segmentation of blood vessels, and 3) localization and segmentation of optic discs. This paper presents a review of the state-of-the-art preprocessing techniques related to three categories of operations, highlighting their significant aspects and limitations. The survey is concluded with the most effective preprocessing methods, which have been shown to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the CAD systems.

scholarly journals Immunoglobulin-like Domain of HsFcμR as a Capture Molecule for Detection of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus- and Zika Virus-Specific IgM Antibodies

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Rackow ◽  
Christa Ehmen ◽  
Ronald von Possel ◽  
Raquel Medialdea-Carrera ◽  
David Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Specific Binding ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Fever Virus ◽  
Size Exclusion ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever Virus ◽  
Igm Antibodies

Abstract BACKGROUND The cellular surface molecule HsTOSO/FAIM3/HsFcμR has been identified as an IgM-specific Fc receptor expressed on lymphocytes. Here, we show that its extracellular immunoglobulin-like domain (HsFcμR-Igl) specifically binds to IgM/antigen immune complexes (ICs) and exploit this property for the development of novel detection systems for IgM antibodies directed against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and Zika virus (ZIKV). METHODS His-tagged HsFcμR-Igl was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography, oxidative refolding, and size-exclusion chromatography. Specific binding of HsFcμR-Igl to IgM/antigen ICs was confirmed, and 2 prototypic ELISAs for the detection of anti-CCHFV and anti-ZIKV IgM antibodies were developed. Thereby, patient sera and virus-specific recombinant antigens directly labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were coincubated on HsFcμR-Igl-coated ELISA plates. Bound ICs were quantified by measuring turnover of a chromogenic HRP substrate. RESULTS Assay validation was performed using paired serum samples from 15 Kosovar patients with a PCR-confirmed CCHFV infection and 28 Brazilian patients with a PCR-confirmed ZIKV infection, along with a panel of a priori CCHFV/ZIKV-IgM-negative serum samples. Both ELISAs were highly reproducible. Sensitivity and specificity were comparable with or even exceeded in-house gold standard testing and commercial kits. Furthermore, latex beads coated with HsFcμR-Igl aggregated upon coincubation with an IgM-positive serum and HRP-labeled antigen but not with either component alone, revealing a potential for use of HsFcμR-Igl as a capture molecule in aggregation-based rapid tests. CONCLUSIONS Recombinant HsFcμR-Igl is a versatile capture molecule for IgM/antigen ICs of human and animal origin and can be applied for the development of both plate- and bead-based serological tests.

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