[Feasibility and effectiveness of application of internet-based HIV testing in men who have sex with men].

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the application of internet-based HIV testing in men who have sex with men (MSM) in practical application and provide evidence for its application in the future. Methods: MSM who visited the internet-based intervention platform for at least one time from June to December 2020 were selected for the study. The information about platform visit, the number of self-test kits provided, the basic characteristics of the MSM and their satisfactory level were collected. And multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the potential factors associated with the reporting of self-test results. Results: By the end of December 31th, 2020, a total of 132 267 platform visits had been recorded, and 3 511 HIV self-test kits had been provided upon the MSM's requests, and 3 237 MSM (92.2%) reported self-test results. The HIV positive rate was 2.4% (69/2 855) and the confirmation rate of positive HIV test results was 86.7% (52/60). The MSM who asked for self-test kits online were mainly aged ≤30 years, had education level of college or above, and found their sexual partners through internet or dating software. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that repeat of online HIV self-test kits application (OR=3.50,95%CI:2.10-5.83), guarantee deposit of 50 yuan at application (OR=2.55,95%CI:1.33-4.89), monthly economic income 1-3 000 yuan (OR=1.54,95%CI:1.05-2.28) or no income (OR=1.71,95%CI:1.20-2.42) and online sexual partners finding (OR=1.49,95%CI:1.13-1.95) were associated with higher reporting rate of self-test results. The satisfactory rate the MSM to the service of platform was 99.5% (217/218). Conclusions: The study confirmed the feasibility and effectiveness of internet-based intervention for HIV tests in MSM, which could promote the self-test of HIV in MSM and facilitate the early detection of HIV infection through social media platforms and multi-channel promotion.

A diagnostic kit for the enteroviruses Coxsackie A6 and A10.

Recently, there has been an upward trend in the occurrence of hand-foot-mouth disease, which is correlated with Coxsackie A6 and A10 infections. Although two separate diagnostic reagents are available for these two viral strains, the protocol and diagnosis efficiency still need to be improved. More importantly, as co-infection with these viruses is common, the development of a single test kit that can diagnose both viruses would be most beneficial for clinical practice. In our study, specific primers targeting viral nucleic acids were designed and modified. Viral nucleic acids were extracted from fecal or throat swab samples by ultrasonic rupture and silicon membrane purification. The consistency, specificity, and sensitivity of the tests were further optimized by adjusting the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conditions. The efficiency of viral nucleic acid extraction was significantly enhanced by the ultrasonic rupture and silicon membrane elution approach. Specific amplifications of both viral nucleic acids were achieved using modified primers. The optimal conditions for PCR were also determined (60°C for 30 min and 95°C for 2 min, followed by 40 cycles of denaturation for 30 s at 95°C, annealing for 30 s at 60°C, and elongation for 50 s at 72°C). Amplified products were confirmed as viral specific nucleotides by agarose gel electrophoresis and sequencing. The minimal nucleic acid concentration required for detection was 0.2 ng/L, which was adequate to yield satisfactory specificity and consistency. This novel diagnostic method has many advantages, including rapid protocols and accurate results, and can be promoted for large-scale clinical trials.