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Following the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, numerous serological tests have been developed, including rapid diagnostic tests. This study aims at assessing the clinical performance of the Panbio immunoglobulin G (IgG)/IgM coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test (Abbott), a rapid lateral flow assay for the qualitative detection of IgG and IgM against SARS-CoV-2. One hundred and thirty-eight samples from 95 COVID-19 patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction were analyzed to assess the clinical sensitivity. Seventy-six pre-COVID-19 samples were used to evaluate the clinical specificity. Two independent and blinded raters determined visually the presence or absence of the IgG, IgM, and control lines for each test after 10 and 20 min. The sensitivity obtained from collected samples more than 14 days after the onset of symptoms was 95.2% for IgG. IgM was less frequently detected (highest sensitivity of 20.5%). The specificities obtained were 98.7% and 100% for IgG and IgM, respectively. In addition, the sensitivity of the assay was better when the reading was performed at 20 min than at 10 min, whereas the specificity was unchanged. The Panbio COVID-19 IgG/IgM rapid test detects IgG with high sensitivity 14 days since symptom onset but presents a low sensitivity for IgM. The specificity was excellent for both IgG and IgM., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Strategies to detect SARS-CoV-2 are increasingly being developed. Among them, serological methods have been developed. Nevertheless, although these may present an interesting clinical performance, they are often directed against only one antigen. This study aims at evaluating the clinical performance of an innovative multiplex immunoassay (i.e. CoViDiag assay) detecting simultaneously the presence of antibodies directed against N, S1, S2, RBD and NTD antigens. Sensitivity was evaluated in 135 samples obtained from 94 rRT-PCR confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Non-SARS-CoV-2 sera (n = 132) collected before the COVID-19 pandemic with potential cross-reactions to the SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay were included in the specificity analysis. The antibody signature was also studied in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. The specificity of the CoViDiag assay was excellent for all antibodies (99.2 to 100%) using adapted cut-offs. None of the false positive samples were positive for more than one antibody. The sensitivity obtained from samples collected 14 days since symptom onset varied from 92.0 to 100.0% depending on the antibody considered. Among samples collected more than 14 days after symptom onset, 12.8, 66.3, 3.5, 9.3, 5.8 and 2.3% were positive for 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0 antibodies, respectively. A trend toward higher antibody titers was observed in hospitalized patient in the early days since symptom onset. However, no significant difference was observed compared to non-hospitalized patients after 14 days since symptom onset. The clinical performance of the CoViDiag 5 IgG assay is sufficient to recommend its use for the detection and the characterization of the antibody signature following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The combination of several antigens in the same test improves the overall specificity and sensitivity of the test. Further research is needed to investigate whether this strategy may be of interest to identify severe disease outcome in pati, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The correlation between Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes, biofilm production, antibiotic susceptibility and drug efflux in isolates from patients suffering from acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) remains largely unexplored. Using 101 isolates collected from AECB patients for whom partial (n=51) or full (n=50) medical details were available, we determined serotypes (ST)/serogroups (SG) (Quellung reaction), antibiotic susceptibility patterns [MIC (microdilution) using EUCAST and CLSI criteria] and ability to produce biofilm in vitro (10-day model; crystal violet staining). The majority of patients were 55-75 years old and <5% were vaccinated against S. pneumoniae. Moreover, 54% showed high severity scores (GOLD 3-4), and comorbidities were frequent including hypertension (60%), cancer (24%) and diabetes (20%). Alcohol and/or tobacco dependence was >30%. Isolates of SG6-11-15-23, known for large biofilm production and causing chronic infections, were the most prevalent (>15% each), but other isolates also produced biofilm (SG9-18-22-27 and ST8-20 being most productive), except SG7, SG29 and ST5 (<2% of isolates each). Resistance (EUCAST breakpoints) was 8-13% for amoxicillin and cefuroxime, 35-39% for macrolides, 2-8% for fluoroquinolones and 2% for telithromycin. ST19A isolates showed resistance to all antibiotics, ST14 to all except moxifloxacin, and SG9 and SG19 to all except telithromycin, moxifloxacin and ceftriaxone (SG19 only). Solithromycin and telithromycin MICs were similar. No correlation was observed between biofilm production and MIC or efflux (macrolides, fluoroquinolones). S. pneumoniae serotyping may improve AECB treatment by avoiding antibiotics with predictable low activity, but it is not predictive of biofilm production.

OBJECTIVES: Preparation of intravenous solutions in advance could be an efficient approach to improve quality assurance, security, time management, and cost saving of drug provision. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the stability of sodium folinate solutions at 3.2 mg mL-1 in 5% dextrose polyolefin bags at 4degreesC. METHODS: The stability of five polyolefin bags of solution containing approximately 3.2 mg mL-1 of sodium folinate in 5% dextrose prepared under aseptic conditions and stored at 48degreesC have been studied over 30 days. Sodium folinate concentrations have been measured by high performance liquid chromatography and the results have been analysed by regression analysis. Solutions have been visually inspected and pH measured. RESULTS: No colour change or precipitation occurred in the preparations. Based on a shelf-life of 90% residual potency, sodium folinate solutions have been observed to be stable for a period of at least 30 days at 4degreesC, where lower confidence limits of the results value remain above 90% of the initial concentration. During this stability period, the pH values of infusions have been observed to decrease slightly without affecting chromatographic parameters. CONCLUSION: Within these limits, sodium folinate in 5% dextrose infusion may be prepared and stored in advance by a centralized intravenous admixture service.

Deficiency of alkaline and acid DNase is a hallmark in all non-necrotic cancer cells in animals and humans. These enzymes are reactivated at early stages of cancer cell death by vitamin C (acid DNase) and vitamin K(3) (alkaline DNase). Moreover, the coadministration of these vitamins (in a ratio of 100:1, for C and K(3), respectively) produced selective cancer cell death. Detailed morphological studies indicated that cell death is produced mainly by autoschizis, a new type of cancer cell death. Several mechanisms are involved in such a cell death induced by CK(3), they included: formation of H(2)O(2) during vitamins redox cycling, oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation, no caspase-3 activation, and cell membrane injury with progressive loss of organelle-free cytoplasm. Changes in the phosphorylation level of some critical proteins leading to inactivation of NF-kappaB appear as main intracellular signal transduction pathways. The increase knowledge in the mechanisms underlying cancer cells death by CK(3) may ameliorate the techniques of their in vivo administration. The aim is to prepare the introduction of the association of vitamins C and K(3) into human clinics as a new, non-toxic adjuvant cancer therapy.

The decision of stressed cells to die or to survive is made by integrating signals at different levels through multiple check points. However, initiation and continued progression toward cell death by apoptosis in cancer cells may be blocked by mutation of the tumor suppressor p53 or overexpression of members of the bcl-2 family of proteins. The existence of such mechanisms indicates that cancer cells lose the controls regulating their cell cycle. Therefore, the activation of their programmed cell death appears as a major therapeutic target. Oxidative stress can stimulate growth, trigger apoptosis, or cause necrosis depending upon the dose and the exposure time of the oxidizing agent. A large body of evidence supports the idea that oxidative stress induced by redox cycling of vitamins C and K(3) in association surpasses cancer cellular defense systems and results in cell death. The molecular mechanisms underlying such a process are, however, still unknown. Indeed, several types of cell death may be produced, namely autoschizis, apoptosis and necrosis. Combined vitamin C and K(3) administration in vitro and in vivo produced tumor growth inhibition and increased the life-span of tumor-bearing mice. CK(3)-treatment selectively potentiated tumor chemotherapy, produced sensitization of tumors resistant to some drugs, potentiated cancer radiotherapy and caused inhibition of the development of cancer metastases without inducing toxicity in the host. We propose the association of vitamins C and K(3) as an adjuvant cancer therapy which may be introduced into human cancer therapy without any change in the classical anticancer protocols, and without any supplementary risk for patients.