Evaluation of TBMDR® and XDRA® for the detection of multidrug resistant and pre-extensively drug resistant tuberculosis.

This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of the AccuPower® TB&MDR Real-Time PCR (TBMDR®) and AccuPower® XDR-TB Real-Time PCR Kit-A (XDRA®) to detect multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR-TB) in comparison with phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) using MGIT 960 on 234 clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. Discrepant results were confirmed by direct-sequencing. Sensitivity and specificity of TBMDR and XDRA for cultured isolates were 81.2% and 95.8% for isoniazid (INH) resistance, 95.7% and 95.7% for rifampicin (RIF) resistance, 84.1% and 99.1% for fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance, and 67.4% and 100% for second-line injectables resistance. The sensitivities of each drug were equivalent to other molecular DST methods. High concordance was observed when compared to direct-sequencing. We also found that TBMDR and XDRA assays can detect INH, RIF and FQ resistance in isolates with low level resistance-associated mutations which were missed by phenotypic DST. Our study showed TBMDR and XDRA assays could be the useful tools to detect MDR-TB and pre-XDR-TB.

Recombinant influenza virus carrying the conserved domain of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) G protein confers protection against RSV without inflammatory disease.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most important causes for viral lower respiratory tract disease in humans. There is no licensed RSV vaccine. Here, we generated recombinant influenza viruses (PR8/RSV.HA-G) carrying the chimeric constructs of hemagglutinin (HA) and central conserved-domains of the RSV G protein. PR8/RSV.HA-G virus showed lower pathogenicity without compromising immunogenicity in mice. Single intranasal inoculation of mice with PR8/RSV.HA-G induced IgG2a isotype dominant antibodies and RSV neutralizing activity. Mice with single intranasal inoculation of PR8/RSV.HA-G were protected against RSV infection as evidenced by significant reduction of lung viral loads to a detection limit upon RSV challenge. PR8/RSV.HA-G inoculation of mice did not induce pulmonary eosinophilia and inflammation upon RSV infection. These findings support a concept that recombinant influenza viruses carrying the RSV G conserved-domain can be developed as a promising RSV vaccine candidate without pulmonary disease.

CT findings of clear cell carcinoma of the ovary.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article was to retrospectively evaluate computed tomographic (CT) findings in patients with pathologically proved clear cell carcinoma of the ovary. METHODS: CT scans of seven patients (age range, 28-79 years; mean age, 46 years) with nine lesions of histologically proved primary ovarian clear cell carcinoma of the ovary were retrospectively evaluated by two radiologists in consensus. Scans were evaluated for the laterality, size, mass characteristic, margin, attenuation of the cystic portion, internal architecture, and presence of lumen protruding mass. RESULTS: Tumors were unilateral in five patients. The average size of the tumors was 8.6 cm (range, 2.6-12.1 cm). All the masses showed mainly cystic appearance. All nine masses had smooth margin. Average attenuation of the cystic portion of the masses was 24.2 HU (Hounsfield unit) (range, 13-34 HU). Tumors usually appeared as unilocular cystic mass (n=6). Lumen protruding masses appeared in seven tumors. CONCLUSION: On CT scans, primary ovarian clear cell carcinomas appeared as large unilocular, mainly cystic, smooth marginated mass with lumen protruding solid portion and high-attenuated cystic portion.