Accuracy of dipstick urinalysis as a screening method for detection of glucose, protein, nitrites and blood

This study determined the reliability of dipstick urinalysis for detection of protein, glucose, blood and nitrites in non-random urine samples from 300 people aged > 50 years attending a health centre for check-up. The gold standards were fasting blood glucose for glucosuria and the sulfosalicylic acid method for urine protein. Microscopic examination of urinary sediment and urine culture were also performed for positive dipstick results for haematuria and nitrites. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of the dipstick test for detection of protein were 80.0%, 95.0%, 22.2% and 99.6% and for glucose were 100%, 98.5%, 87.0% and 100% respectively. Dipstick urinalysis can be a reliable screening method for diagnosis of urinary tract infection and diabetes mellitus but not for proteinuria

The interdomain region of dengue NS5 protein interacts with NS3 and host proteins.

Although dengue virus genome replication occurs in the cytoplasm of infected cells, it has been shown that the NS5 protein (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase) is hyperphosphorylated at a late stage in infection and localized to the cell nucleus. A 37 amino acid sequence of NS5 (residues 369-405)was shown to contain a functional unclear localization signal (NLS) that interacted with the cellular nuclear transport factor, importin α/β heterodimer. Further studies using the yeast two-hybrid system revealed that the NS5 region (residues 320-368) immediately adjacent to the NLS contained an importin β-binding site that abuts or overlaps the binding site for the NS3 protein (protease/helicase). The importin β-binding site has also been shown to be a functional NLS (bNLS). Intriguingly, when both bNLS and NLS (residues 320-405) were present,the fused β -galactosidase protein did not accumulate in the nucleus. Here we provide a review of our studies on the NS5 interdomain region and compare it to other members of the Flavivirus genus in order to highlight the importance of this region as a possible target for developing broad-acting antiviral agent against dengue and other mechanistically-related viruses.