RESUMO
Gold nanoparticles functionalized with 18-crown 6-ether (18C6-AuNPs) can be used for detection of tannic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, and epicatechin gallate by color change in the µg mL-1 range. 18C6-AuNPs were insensitive to l-ascorbic acid and l-tyrosine unlike conventional detection methods, such as Folin & Ciocalteu assay, whose principle is based on the redox reaction of polyphenols. Although 18C6-AuNPs did not respond to some polyphenols, such as gallic acid and epicatechin, if the polyphenols of interest are responsive to this approach, these are expected to be effective nanomaterial for simple sensing of polyphenols.
RESUMO
Echinococcosis, caused by Echinococcus spp., often affects the lungs and liver, and spinal involvement is rare. Echinococcus multilocularis is prevalent in Japan, particularly in Hokkaido. We herein report a rare case of spinal echinococcosis in a 31-year-old woman who was diagnosed in Tokyo. Spinal echinococcosis is uncommon and often leads to misdiagnoses. The patient likely contracted the disease via contaminated fresh produce transported from an endemic region. This study emphasizes the diagnostic challenges of spinal echinococcosis in non-endemic regions and highlights the public health concerns related to the spread of infections in non-endemic areas.
RESUMO
This study aimed to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in saliva samples treated with a guanidine-based or guanidine-free inactivator, using nasopharyngeal swab samples (NPS) as referents. Based on the NPS reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results, participants were classified as with or without COVID-19. Fifty sets of samples comprising NPS, self-collected raw saliva, and saliva with a guanidine-based, and guanidine-free inactivator were collected from each group. In patients with COVID-19, the sensitivity of direct RT-PCR using raw saliva and saliva treated with a guanidine-based and guanidine-free inactivator was 100.0%, 65.9%, and 82.9%, respectively, with corresponding concordance rates of 94.3% (κ=88.5), 82.8% (κ=64.8), and 92.0% (κ=83.7). Among patients with a PCR Ct value of <30 in the NPS sample, the positive predictive value for the three samples was 100.0%, 80.0%, and 96.0%, respectively. The sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection was lower in inactivated saliva than in raw saliva and lower in samples treated with a guanidine-based than with a guanidine-free inactivator. However, in individuals contributing to infection spread, inactivated saliva showed adequate accuracy regardless of the inactivator used. Inactivators can be added to saliva samples collected for RT-PCR to reduce viral transmission risk while maintaining adequate diagnostic accuracy.