Occupational Safety and Health in a Community of Shellfish Divers: A Community-Based Participatory Approach.

In artisanal fishing communities in Chile, the access to occupational safety and health (OSH) is limited by factors such as the informality of employment. Our objective was to analyze the working and health conditions of workers in a coastal town in Southern Chile, under a community-based participatory approach. We carried out two independent social dialogue workshops within the community. The first one (N of participants = 25) was aimed to identify the strengths, weaknesses and challenges for preventing decompression sickness among divers. The second workshop (N of participants = 10) was set to identify the work processes and to map the occupational risks during seafood harvesting and processing in the community. Community members' training for handling and preventing decompression sickness among divers, and the collaboration between a local health representative, stakeholders and authorities, were identified as contributing factors in reducing fatalities and sequels among divers in the past. Technology and safety on board the vessels, training of healthcare personnel in OSH, and access to health programs, were identified as remaining challenges. Through risk mapping, the participants identified the relationship between working and health conditions in the community, reinforcing the necessity of improving access to health and social security. The community participation in identifying and analyzing working and health conditions could be the first step for a strategy to address OSH through primary health care in rural communities. Community empowerment and involvement in action plans, training on basic OSH for health care workers, and public policies are required.

[Knowledge among physicians of the main cause of death in women]. / Percepción en médicos del impacto de la enfermedad cardiovascular en la mortalidad femenina.

BACKGROUND: There is a misconception that the main cause of death among women is breast cancer, even among physicians, who may neglect cardiovascular preventive measures in this gender Aim: To assess the knowledge among physicians about the main cause of death among women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A survey was answered by 231 physicians attending a Cardiology and a Gynecology Meeting. RESULTS: Sixty eight percent of respondents indicated that cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death among women. A higher proportion of specialists than trainees, answered correctly the question (72 and 56% respectively). No gender differences in the answers were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge about cardiovascular risk in women should be reinforced among physicians.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among school teachers from urban and rural areas in Chuquisaca, Bolivia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are important health problems in working populations. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of MSD among school teachers from urban and rural areas in Chuquisaca, Bolivia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 60 randomly selected schools. In total, 1062 teachers were invited to participate (response 58%). The Spanish version of the Standardized Nordic questionnaire was used assessing the 12-months and 7-days prevalence of MSD as well as the 12-months prevalence of work limiting pain. Prevalence were calculated for the different parts of the body; as summary measures, MSD in any part of the body and in ≥3 parts of the body were assessed. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex, teaching level and school type. RESULTS: Prevalence of MSD in any part of the body was 86% during the last 12 months, 63% during the last 7 days and 15% for work limiting pain. MSD was most common in the neck (12-months prevalence 47%) and least common in the wrist/hands (26%). In the adjusted model, teachers working in rural areas presented significantly higher odds than teachers from urban schools for work-limiting pain during the last 12-months considering any part of the body (aOR 2.2; 95% CI 1.1-4.1), and for ≥3 parts of the body (aOR 3.7; 95% CI 1.3-10.6). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MSD is high in School teachers, even more in teachers working in rural areas. It is needed to identify risk factors for MSD in teachers in order to propose appropriate strategies to control and reduce it.

Contribution of Candida biomarkers and DNA detection for the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis in ICU patients with severe abdominal conditions.

BACKGROUND: To assess the performance of Candida albicans germ tube antibody (CAGTA), (1 → 3)-ß-D-glucan (BDG), mannan antigen (mannan-Ag), anti-mannan antibodies (mannan-Ab), and Candida DNA for diagnosing invasive candidiasis (IC) in ICU patients with severe abdominal conditions (SAC). METHODS: A prospective study of 233 non-neutropenic patients with SAC on ICU admission and expected stay ≥ 7 days. CAGTA (cutoff positivity ≥ 1/160), BDG (≥80, 100 and 200 pg/mL), mannan-Ag (≥60 pg/mL), mannan-Ab (≥10 UA/mL) were measured twice a week, and Candida DNA only in patients treated with systemic antifungals. IC diagnosis required positivities of two biomarkers in a single sample or positivities of any biomarker in two consecutive samples. Patients were classified as neither colonized nor infected (n = 48), Candida spp. colonization (n = 154) (low-grade, n = 130; high-grade, n = 24), and IC (n = 31) (intra-abdominal candidiasis, n = 20; candidemia, n = 11). RESULTS: The combination of CAGTA and BDG positivities in a single sample or at least one of the two biomarkers positive in two consecutive samples showed 90.3 % (95 % CI 74.2-98.0) sensitivity, 42.1 % (95 % CI 35.2-98.8) specificity, and 96.6 % (95 % CI 90.5-98.8) negative predictive value. BDG positivities in two consecutive samples had 76.7 % (95 % CI 57.7-90.1) sensitivity and 57.2 % (95 % CI 49.9-64.3) specificity. Mannan-Ag, mannan-Ab, and Candida DNA individually or combined showed a low discriminating capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Positive Candida albicans germ tube antibody and (1 → 3)-ß-D-glucan in a single blood sample or (1 → 3)-ß-D-glucan positivity in two consecutive blood samples allowed discriminating invasive candidiasis from Candida spp. colonization in critically ill patients with severe abdominal conditions. These findings may be helpful to tailor empirical antifungal therapy in this patient population.

Job strain, bullying and violence at work and asthma in Peruvian cleaners-a cross-sectional analysis.

OBJECTIVES: An increased asthma prevalence was found in cleaners. Many of them work in precarious employment conditions, potentially leading to stress, a known risk factor for asthma. We aimed to analyze whether asthma in cleaners might partly be explained by psychosocial working conditions. METHODS: The study population of this cross-sectional study included 199 cleaners employed at regional public health services in Puno Province (Peru). They were compared to 79 unexposed workers from Lima, Peru (response 83%). Both groups answered the short version of the European Working Condition Survey and a modified version of the European Community Respiratory Health screening questionnaire. After multiple imputation, the association between psychosocial working conditions and asthma (wheeze without cold or use of asthma medication) was assessed. RESULTS: The 12-months prevalence of asthma was 22% among cleaners versus 5% among unexposed workers (pChi(2) = .001). Cleaners were more likely than unexposed workers to work with temporary or sub-contracts, have a high employment insecurity, high strain working conditions and low social support (all pChi(2) < .05). Twenty-six percent vs. 10% reported a high bullying score; 39% vs. 8% had experienced violence at work (both pChi(2) < .001). High bullying score (adjusted Odds Ratio 5.6; 95% Confidence Interval 1.5-21.4) and violence (2.4; 1.1-5.4) were the main predictors of asthma. Taking these factors into account, being a cleaner was not statistically significantly associated with the outcome (3.5; 0.9-13.8). CONCLUSIONS: Poor psychosocial working conditions of cleaners may partly explain the high prevalence of asthma. The underlying mechanism might be a stress-induced inflammatory immune response.

SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence in a pediatric cohort of unvaccinated children in Mérida, Yucatán, México.

The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in children during the global COVID-19 pandemic has been underestimated due to lack of testing and the relatively mild symptoms in adolescents. Understanding the exposure rates in the pediatric population is essential as children are the last to receive vaccines and can act as a source for SARS-CoV-2 mutants that may threaten vaccine escape. This cross-sectional study aims to quantify the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 serum antibodies in children in a major city in México in the Spring of 2021 and determine if there are any demographic or socioeconomic correlating factors. We obtained socioeconomic information and blood samples from 1,005 children from 50 neighborhood clusters in Mérida, Yucatán, México. We then tested the sera of these participants for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies using lateral flow immunochromatography. We found that 25.5% of children in our cohort were positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and there was no correlation between age and antibody prevalence. Children that lived with large families were statistically more likely to have antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Spatial analyses identified two hotspots of high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in the west of the city. These results indicate that a large urban population of unvaccinated children has been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and that a major correlating factor was the number of people within the child's household with a minor correlation with particular geographical hotspots. There is also a larger population of children that may be susceptible to future infection upon easing of social distancing measures. These findings suggest that in future pandemic scenarios, limited public health resources can be best utilized on children living in large households in urban areas.

Arterial thrombosis after REBOA use in placenta accreta spectrum: a case series.

BACKGROUND: The use of resuscitative endovascular balloon of the aorta (REBOA) is a useful strategy for bleeding control in placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) management. The incidence of complications associated with this procedure is variable. We report three cases of arterial thrombosis associated with REBOA, and we also analyze the factors that facilitated its occurrence. CASE REPORT: Three women with PAS, presented common femoral and external iliac arterial thrombosis after REBOA use. Among the contributing factors probably associated with thrombosis, we identified the absence of ultrasound guidance for vascular access and the not using of heparin during aortic occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: REBOA use is not exempt from complications and must be performed by experienced groups applying strategies to reduce the risks of complications.

[Evaluation of the cobas 4800 CT/NG test for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis]. / Evaluación del cobas 4800 CT/NG test para la detección de Chlamydia trachomatis.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the new automated system cobas 4800 CT/NG test for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in urogenital specimens. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed 696 specimens (488 swabs from urethral or cervical specimens, and 208 urines) to detect C. trachomatis. The results of the cobas 4800 CT/NG test (c4800) were compared to those obtained with Cobas AMPLICOR CT/NG test (CAM). Discordant results were analyzed with a conventional PCR assay and microchip electrophoresis system in agarose gel, MultiNA. RESULTS: We made two simultaneous analyses. In the first one, we compared the results obtained with swab specimens using the c4800 system and CAM. In this case, the sensitivity, the specificity, the positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were: 77.9%, 100%, 100% and 96% respectively. In the second one, we compared the results obtained for urine and its corresponding swab specimens on the c4800. The values obtained were: 100%, 98.9%, 92.9% and 100% respectively. The kappa values of these comparisons were: 0.857 for swab specimens on the c4800 and CAM, and 0.957 for urine versus swab specimens on the c4800. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained with c4800 system were completely comparable with those obtained with CAM. We also noted an excellent correlation with these results when we compared swab specimens with their urine samples in the c4800 system. Therefore this sample type could be used routinely to diagnose infections in men and women.

Executive Function among Chilean Shellfish Divers: A Cross-Sectional Study Considering Working and Health Conditions in Artisanal Fishing.

Knowledge about professional diving-related risk factors for reduced executive function is limited. We therefore evaluated the association between decompression illness and executive functioning among artisanal divers in southern Chile. The cross-sectional study included 104 male divers and 58 male non-diving fishermen from two fishing communities. Divers self-reported frequency and severity of symptoms of decompression illness. Executive function was evaluated by perseverative responses and perseverative errors in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Age, alcohol consumption, and symptoms of depression were a-priori defined as potential confounders and included in linear regression models. Comparing divers and non-divers, no differences in the executive function were found. Among divers, 75% reported a history of at least mild decompression sickness. Higher frequency and severity of symptoms of decompression illness were associated with reduced executive function. Therefore, intervention strategies for artisanal divers should focus on prevention of decompression illness.

Courses on Basic Occupational Safety and Health: A Train-the-Trainer Educational Program for Rural Areas of Latin America.

Integrating basic occupational health services into primary care is encouraged by the Pan American Health Organization. However, concrete initiatives are still scarce. We aimed to develop a training program focusing on prevention of occupational risks for primary healthcare professionals. This train-the-trainer program was piloted at four universities in Chile and Peru. Occupational health or primary healthcare lecturers formed a team with representative(s) of one rural primary healthcare center connected to their university (Nparticipants = 15). Training started with a workshop on participatory diagnosis of working conditions. Once teams had conducted the participatory diagnosis in the rural communities, they designed in a second course an active teaching intervention. The intervention was targeted at the main occupational health problem of the community. After implementation of the intervention, teams evaluated the program. Evaluation results were very positive with an overall score of 9.7 out of 10. Teams reported that the methodology enabled them to visualize hazardous working conditions. They also stated that the training improved their abilities for problem analysis and preventive actions. Aspects like time constraints and difficult geographical access were mentioned as challenges. In summary, addressing occupational health in primary care through targeted training modules is feasible, but long-term health outcomes need to be evaluated.

Associations between effort-reward imbalance and health indicators among school teachers in Chuquisaca, Bolivia: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and health indicators among Bolivian school teachers. DESIGN: School-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: Sixty randomly selected schools from rural (33) and urban (27) schools in Chuquisaca, Bolivia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1062 school teachers were invited to participate, of which 597 answered the questionnaire (response 56.2%). EXPOSURE MEASURE: Psychosocial factors at work were explored through the short version of the Effort-Reward Questionnaire. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Health outcomes included self-rated overall health, mental distress (12-item General Health Questionnaire ≥5) and the 7-day prevalence of low back pain (LBP) as well as neck or shoulder pain (Nordic Questionnaire). Crude and adjusted ORs and their 95% CIs for each health outcome were calculated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: The median value for the effort-reward ratio was 0.91 (range: 0.3-2.3) with higher values for teachers from rural versus urban schools. Overall, about 43% of the teachers reported their overall health as fair or poor; 45% suffered mental distress, 17% reported LBP and 29% neck or shoulder pain. Prevalences were higher for teachers employed at rural schools compared with those at urban schools. After adjusting for potential confounders and school location, ERI was statistically significantly associated with fair/poor self-rated health (adjusted OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.9); mental distress (1.9; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.1) and LBP (2.3; 95% CI 1.3 to 4.1). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate the urgent need to improve psychosocial working conditions among Bolivian school teachers, in order to promote their health and well-being.

Evaluación de la percepción de riesgo cardiovascular en mujeres posterior a un programa de rehabilitación cardíaca / Perception of cardiovascular risk in women after a rehabilitation program

RESUMEN: Introducción: La rehabilitación cardíaca después de padecer un evento cardiovascular (CV) grave es un proceso en el cual el paciente establece una relación cercana con el equipo médico, brindando la oportunidad de conocer factores psicosociales que influyeron en el desenlace cardíaco y los eventuales aprendizajes de la experiencia. El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la percepción sobre su propia salud de mujeres que participaron de un programa de rehabilitación cardíaca. Método: Se invitó a participar a 35 mujeres de 35 a 75 años con diverso nivel educativo, ingreso familiar y situación laboral. Los datos se recolectaron por medio de entrevistas presenciales semiestructuradas. Resultados: A pesar de haber pasado por un proceso de rehabilitación posterior a un evento CV las mujeres mencionaron en forma mayoritaria al cáncer de mama como la principal eventual causa de muerte. En relación con los factores de riesgo de CV, el más nombrado fue el estrés (57%), aunque solo el 29% de las entrevistadas realizó con posterioridad actividades orientadas a su manejo y control. En cuanto a las motivaciones más frecuentes para realizar cambios de hábitos, destacaron el cuidado de la familia (29%), el vivir más (26%) y el deseo de sentirse mejor (23%). Conclusión: Estos resultados sugieren la necesidad de una educación más integral en la mujer durante la rehabilitación, promoviendo no solo hábitos más saludables desde el punto de vista físico, sino también psicológico. Se sugiere integrar el manejo del estrés en los programas de prevención y rehabilitación CV.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: After suffering a serious cardiovascular event (CV), cardiac rehabilitation is a process in which the patient establishes a close relationship with the medical team, providing an opportunity to learn about psychosocial factors that influence cardiac outcome and eventual learnings from the experience. The objective of this study was to learn about women´s perception of their own health after participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program. Method: 35 women from 35 to 75 years of age with varying educational level, household income and employment status were invited to participate. Data was collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Results: Women mentioned breast cancer as the leading cause of death (60%) despite having gone through a post-CV rehabilitation process. Stress was mentioned as the main CV risk factor (57%). Only 29% of responders subsequently carried out activities aimed at their management and control. The most common motivations for making changes in habits, were family care (29%), living longer (26%) and a desire to feel better (23%). Conclusion: These results suggest the need for a more comprehensive education in women during rehabilitation, promoting not only healthier habits from a physical but also from a psychological points of view. The introduction of stress management into CV prevention and rehabilitation programs is suggested.

Working Conditions, Workplace Violence, and Psychological Distress in Andean Miners: A Cross-sectional Study Across Three Countries.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial working conditions are well-known determinants of poor mental health. However, studies in mining populations where employment and working conditions are frequently precarious have, to our knowledge, only focused on occupational accidents and diseases. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess psychosocial working conditions and psychological distress in Andean underground miners. METHODS: The study population consisted of 153 Bolivian miners working in a silver mining cooperative, 137 Chilean informal gold miners, and 200 formal Peruvian silver miners employed in a remote setting. High work demands, minimal work control, minimal social support at work, and workplace exposure to violence and bullying were assessed using the Spanish short form of the European Working Condition Survey. A general health questionnaire score >4 was used as cutoff for psychological distress. Associations between psychosocial work environment and psychological distress were tested using logistic regression models controlling for potential confounding and effect modification by country. FINDINGS: Prevalence of psychological distress was 82% in the Bolivian cooperative miners, 29% in the Peruvian formal miners, and 22% in the Chilean informal miners (pχ(2) < 0.001). 55% of the miners had suffered violence during the 12-months before the survey. Workplace demands were high (median 12.5 on a scale from 7-14), as was social support (median 5.5 on a scale from 3-6). After adjustment for country and other relevant exposure variables and considering interactions between country and job strain, miners in active (odds ratio [OR], 6.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1-22.7) and high strain jobs (OR, 7.2; 95% CI, 1.7-29.9) were at increased odds of distress compared with those in low strain jobs. Violence at work also contributed to increased odds of distress (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.1-3.1). CONCLUSIONS: Psychological distress is associated with the psychosocial work environment in Andean underground miners. Interventions in mining populations should take the psychosocial work environment into account.

Percepción sobre mortalidad cardiovascular femenina en trabajadoras de la salud / Perception of cardiovascular disease as a cause of mortality among working women

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Most women perceive oncological disease as their principal cause of death. However, it has been shown that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is currently the leading cause of mortality in women in developed countries. Aim: to evaluate how this perception has changed in relation to health education campaigns present in Chile during the study period. Method: A survey was performed in 2007 (n= 409) and repeated in 2016 (n=431), including women working at a health institution, divided in 2 groups: professionals with a university degree (U) or health administrative and technical workers (W). The overall perception of CVD as a cause of death increased from 20% in 2007 to 37% in 2016 (p<0.01). The increase in the % of women perceiving CVD as main cause of death was greater in W women (14% to 34%, p<0.01) than in U women (39% to 44%, NS). Oncological diseases, mainly breast cancer, continued to be perceived as the main mortality cause in both groups of women in 2016. Conclusion: Although significant, the increase in % of women naming CVD as the main cause of death at a health institution was relatively small. Campaigns to increase the awareness of the significance of CVD in women should probably be revised.

Incidence and natural history of hepatitis E virus coinfection among HIV-infected patients.

OBJECTIVES: To know the prevalence, incidence and factors associated with hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in HIV-infected individuals in Spain, as well as to provide information on the natural history of HIV/HEV coinfection. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Serum HEV IgG antibodies were tested in 613 HIV-infected patients at baseline and 2 years thereafter. Positive samples were tested for HEV-RNA. In patients with seroconversion, changes in liver function tests, serum HEV IgM antibodies and HEV RNA in samples collected between the baseline and the final time points were analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-one (26%) patients tested positive for serum HEV IgG antibodies at baseline. HEV exposure was more common in men than in women (28 vs. 18%; P = 0.022) and increased linearly with age: 16, 26 and 44% in younger than 40, from 40 to 49 and older than 50 years, respectively (P = 0.000002). One patient bore the serum HEV-RNA at baseline. Eighteen (4%) HEV-seronegative patients seroconverted during the follow-up. None of the factors predicted seroconversion. One patient with seroconversion developed acute hepatitis and four mild hypertransaminasemia without another apparent cause. No case of seroconversion evolved to chronic HEV infection. Seroreversion was detected in 19% of the HEV-seropositive patients at baseline. Patients with seroreversion showed more commonly CD4 cell counts below 500 cells/µl than those who remained seropositive (77 vs. 46%; P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to HEV among HIV-infected patients in Spain is very common, and this increases with age. Evolution to chronic infection is extremely unusual. Most cases of acute HEV infection seem to be clinically and biochemically unexpressive, therefore going unnoticed.

Comparison of urine and cervical samples for detecting human papillomavirus (HPV) with the Cobas 4800 HPV test.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. The development of non-invasive self-sample collection methods would have the potential advantage of increasing the acceptance of the screening procedures. OBJECTIVES: To compare human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection and genotyping with the Cobas 4800 HPV test (Roche Diagnostic, Spain) on paired cervical and first voided urine. STUDY DESIGN: Paired urine and cervical samples were collected from 125 women referred for evaluation of abnormal Pap smear results. RESULTS: The overall percent agreement between HPV detection in urine and cervical samples was 88%. A substantial concordance rate of HPV DNA detection in both samples was observed (κ=0.76; 95% IC: 64-87). In this high prevalence population the sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV for detection of HPV DNA from urine versus cervical samples were 90.5% (95% IC: 80-95%), 85%, (95% IC: 74-92%), 89.8% (95% IC: 79.5-95.3) and 86.4% (95% IC: 76.1-92.7) respectively. Compared to histologically confirmed CIN 2/3 disease, the clinical sensitivity and specificity for the detection of high-risk HPV in urine samples were 95% (95% IC: 76-97%) and 52.4% (95% IC: 40-64%) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that urine samples processed with Cobas 4800 HPV test may be useful for clinical management of HPV infection.

Percepción en médicos del impacto de la enfermedad cardiovascular en la mortalidad femenina / Knowledge among physicians of the main cause of death in women

Background: There is a misconception that the main cause of death among women is breast cancer, even among physicians, who may neglect cardiovascular preventive measures in this gender Aim: To assess the knowledge among physicians about the main cause of death among women. Material and methods: A survey was answered by 231 physicians attending a Cardiology and a Gynecology Meeting. Results: Sixty eight percent of respondents indicated that cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death among women. A higher proportion of specialists than trainees, answered correctly the question (72 and 56% respectively). No gender differences in the answers were recorded. Conclusions: The knowledge about cardiovascular risk in women should be reinforced among physicians.

HPV testing by cobas HPV test in a population from Catalonia.

BACKGROUND: HPV testing in cervical cancer screening has been proposed as an alternative or complementary to cytology in women older than 30 years. However, adequate clinical sensitivity and specificity are crucial for a new test to be implemented. Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) has proved good clinical performance in selecting women at risk for high-grade intraepithelial lesions with a high sensitivity and specificity. cobas HPV Test has been recently launched and its performance in different clinical settings needs to be determined. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cobas HPV Test for the detection of cervical HPV infection in a population of women in Catalonia (Spain) using HC2 as a reference. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cervical liquid cytology samples from 958 women have been studied. Sensitivity was analyzed in 60 samples from patients with a high-grade intraepithelial lesion (≥ CIN2) on histology and specificity was determined in 898 samples from women with no ≥ CIN2. All cases had HC2 and cobas HPV Test performed. Statistical analyses of sensitivity, specificity and comparison between HC2 and cobas HPV Test by a non-inferiority test were applied. RESULTS: Sensitivity of HC2 and cobas HPV Test for detecting ≥ CIN2 proved identical (98.3%) while specificity was 85.3% and 86.2% respectively. The non-inferiority test demonstrated that cobas HPV Test surpassed 90% sensitivity and 98% specificity of HC2. CONCLUSION: The cobas HPV Test results fulfilled sensitivity and specificity requirements for HPV based cervical cancer screening and for the triage of minor cytological abnormalities, allowing its introduction in clinical settings.

Comparison of the Cobas 4800 Human Papillomavirus test against a combination of the Amplicor Human Papillomavirus and the Linear Array tests for detection of HPV types 16 and 18 in cervical samples.

The greater prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 compared to the other high-risk HPV types of cervical cancer led to the development of clinical tests that detect both types separately from other genotypes. One method is the Roche Cobas 4800 HPV test, which is based on a real-time PCR. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Cobas 4800 HPV test for detecting genotypes 16 and 18 by comparing the results with those obtained in a combination of the Roche Amplicor HPV assay and the Roche Linear Array (LA) HPV genotyping assay. Excellent concordance was found between both methods (92.7%, kappa value=0.872). The Cobas 4800 HPV test could be used as a single test for identifying HPV types 16 and 18 directly from clinical specimens.