The Use of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra Testing for Early Diagnosis of Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Study from a Single-Center Database.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a multisystemic contagious disease produced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex bacteria (MTBC), with a prevalence of 65:100,000 inhabitants in Romania (six times higher than the European average). The diagnosis usually relies on the detection of MTBC in culture. Although this is a sensitive method of detection and remains the "gold standard", the results are obtained after several weeks. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), being a quick and sensitive method, represent progress in the diagnosis of TB. The aim of this study is to assess the assumption that NAAT using Xpert MTB/RIF is an efficient method of TB diagnosis and has the capacity to reduce false-positive results. Pathological samples from 862 patients with TB suspicion were tested using microscopic examination, molecular testing and bacterial culture. The results show that the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra test has a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 96.4% compared with 54.8% sensitivity and 99.5% specificity for Ziehl-Neelsen stain microscopy, and an average of 30 days gained in the diagnosis of TB compared with bacterial culture. The implementation of molecular testing in TB laboratories leads to an important increase in early diagnostics of the disease and the prompter isolation and treatment of infected patients.

Characterization of pathogen-inactivated COVID-19 convalescent plasma and responses in transfused patients.

BACKGROUND: Efficacy of donated COVID-19 convalescent plasma (dCCP) is uncertain and may depend on antibody titers, neutralizing capacity, timing of administration, and patient characteristics. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In a single-center hypothesis-generating prospective case-control study with 1:2 matched dCCP recipients to controls according to disease severity at day 1, hospitalized adults with COVID-19 pneumonia received 2 × 200 ml pathogen-reduced treated dCCP from 2 different donors. We evaluated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors and recipients using multiple antibody assays including a Coronavirus antigen microarray (COVAM), and binding and neutralizing antibody assays. Outcomes were dCCP characteristics, antibody responses, 28-day mortality, and dCCP -related adverse events in recipients. RESULTS: Eleven of 13 dCCPs (85%) contained neutralizing antibodies (nAb). PRT did not affect dCCP antibody activity. Fifteen CCP recipients and 30 controls (median age 64 and 65 years, respectively) were enrolled. dCCP recipients received 2 dCCPs from 2 different donors after a median of one hospital day and 11 days after symptom onset. One dCCP recipient (6.7%) and 6 controls (20%) died (p = 0.233). We observed no dCCP-related adverse events. Transfusion of unselected dCCP led to heterogeneous SARS CoV-2 antibody responses. COVAM clustered dCCPs in 4 distinct groups and showed endogenous immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 antigens over 14-21 days post dCCP in all except 4 immunosuppressed recipients. DISCUSSION: PRT did not impact dCCP anti-virus neutralizing activity. Transfusion of unselected dCCP did not impact survival and had no adverse effects. Variable dCCP antibodies and post-transfusion antibody responses indicate the need for controlled trials using well-characterized dCCP with informative assays.

Is sleep disordered breathing a risk factor for COVID-19 or vice versa?

Sleep disordered breathing may be a risk factor or a sequela of COVID-19. https://bit.ly/37v5Gyz.

Ninety-day outcome of patients with severe COVID-19 treated with tocilizumab - a single centre cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with severe COVID-19 may be at risk of longer term sequelae. Long-term clinical, immunological, pulmonary and radiological outcomes of patients treated with anti-inflammatory drugs are lacking. METHODS: In this single-centre prospective cohort study, we assessed 90-day clinical, immunological, pulmonary and radiological outcomes of hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19 treated with tocilizumab from March 2020 to May 2020. Criteria for tocilizumab administration were oxygen saturation <93%, respiratory rate >30/min, C-reactive protein levels >75 mg/l, extensive area of ground-glass opacities or progression on computed tomography (CT). Descriptive analyses were performed using StataIC 16. RESULTS: Between March 2020 and May 2020, 50 (27%) of 186 hospitalised patients had severe COVID-19 and were treated with tocilizumab. Of these, 52% were hospitalised on the intensive care unit (ICU) and 12% died. Eleven (22%) patients developed at least one microbiologically confirmed super-infection, of which 91% occurred on ICU. Median duration of hospitalisation was 15 days (interquartile range [IQR] 10–24) with 24 days (IQR 14–32) in ICU patients and 10 days (IQR 7–15) in non-ICU patients. At day 90, 41 of 44 survivors (93%) were outpatients. No long-term adverse events or late-onset infections were identified after acute hospital care. High SARS-CoV-2 antibody titres were found in all but one patient, who was pretreated with rituximab. Pulmonary function tests showed no obstructive patterns, but restrictive patterns in two (5.7%) and impaired diffusion capacities for carbon monoxide in 11 (31%) of 35 patients, which predominated in prior ICU patients. Twenty-one of 35 (60%) CT-scans at day 90 showed residual abnormalities, with similar distributions between prior ICU and non-ICU patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of severe COVID-19 patients, no tocilizumab-related long-term adverse events or late-onset infections were identified. Although chest CT abnormalities were highly prevalent at day 90, the majority of patients showed normal lung function. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04351503.

Osteoporosis Knowledge and Health Beliefs Among Female Community Leaders in Peru.

Background: Osteoporosis presents an increasing problem globally, primarily affecting older adults and postmenopausal women. Among important modifiable risk factors for osteoporosis, physical activity and calcium intake help reduce bone mineral loss and decrease the prevalence of osteoporosis. Although osteoporosis knowledge and health beliefs are associated with adopting preventive behavior and screening rates, few studies have evaluated them in Latin American populations. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among female community leaders in a Peruvian periurban setting. A total of 60 women participated in the study, with a mean age of 43.7 ± 8.3 years, mean body mass index of 30.4 ± 5.3 kg/m2, 88% being overweight or obese, and 58.3% having completed high school education or beyond. Participants completed translated and culturally adapted Osteoporosis Knowledge Test and Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale via semistructured interviews. Results: Most participants reported high knowledge regarding osteoporosis, perceived benefits to exercise and calcium intake, and health motivation. The level of osteoporosis knowledge was highly associated with the level of education, and we found a trend for the association between level of knowledge and perceived benefits of exercise and barriers to calcium intake among participants. Conclusions: Female community leaders with high health motivation and community engagement can contribute enormously to osteoporosis prevention programs in local communities in the future.