1
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Manten K, Katzenschlager S, Brümmer LE, Schmitz S, Gaeddert M, Erdmann C, Grilli M, Pollock NR, Macé A, Erkosar B, Carmona S, Ongarello S, Johnson CC, Sacks JA, Faehling V, Bornemann L, Weigand MA, Denkinger CM, Yerlikaya S. Clinical accuracy of instrument-based SARS-CoV-2 antigen diagnostic tests: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Virol J 2024; 21:99. [PMID: 38685117 PMCID: PMC11059670 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02371-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, antigen diagnostic tests were frequently used for screening, triage, and diagnosis. Novel instrument-based antigen tests (iAg tests) hold the promise of outperforming their instrument-free, visually-read counterparts. Here, we provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 iAg tests' clinical accuracy. METHODS We systematically searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, medRxiv, and bioRxiv for articles published before November 7th, 2022, evaluating the accuracy of iAg tests for SARS-CoV-2 detection. We performed a random effects meta-analysis to estimate sensitivity and specificity and used the QUADAS-2 tool to assess study quality and risk of bias. Sub-group analysis was conducted based on Ct value range, IFU-conformity, age, symptom presence and duration, and the variant of concern. RESULTS We screened the titles and abstracts of 20,431 articles and included 114 publications that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Additionally, we incorporated three articles sourced from the FIND website, totaling 117 studies encompassing 95,181 individuals, which evaluated the clinical accuracy of 24 commercial COVID-19 iAg tests. The studies varied in risk of bias but showed high applicability. Of 24 iAg tests from 99 studies assessed in the meta-analysis, the pooled sensitivity and specificity compared to molecular testing of a paired NP swab sample were 76.7% (95% CI 73.5 to 79.7) and 98.4% (95% CI 98.0 to 98.7), respectively. Higher sensitivity was noted in individuals with high viral load (99.6% [95% CI 96.8 to 100] at Ct-level ≤ 20) and within the first week of symptom onset (84.6% [95% CI 78.2 to 89.3]), but did not differ between tests conducted as per manufacturer's instructions and those conducted differently, or between point-of-care and lab-based testing. CONCLUSION Overall, iAg tests have a high pooled specificity but a moderate pooled sensitivity, according to our analysis. The pooled sensitivity increases with lower Ct-values (a proxy for viral load), or within the first week of symptom onset, enabling reliable identification of most COVID-19 cases and highlighting the importance of context in test selection. The study underscores the need for careful evaluation considering performance variations and operational features of iAg tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Manten
- Department of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephan Katzenschlager
- Department of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lukas E Brümmer
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephani Schmitz
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mary Gaeddert
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Maurizio Grilli
- Library, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nira R Pollock
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Cheryl C Johnson
- Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jilian A Sacks
- Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Verena Faehling
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linus Bornemann
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Centre, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Markus A Weigand
- Department of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia M Denkinger
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Seda Yerlikaya
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
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2
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Chimoyi L, Hans L, Oladimeji M, Kindra G, Diallo K, Ayalew K, Setswe GK, Carmona S. Assessment of the performance of the plasma separation card for HIV-1 viral load monitoring in South Africa. J Clin Microbiol 2024; 62:e0164923. [PMID: 38470024 PMCID: PMC11026085 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01649-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Scaling up of newer innovations that address the limitations of the dried blood spot and the logistics of plasma monitoring is needed. We employed a multi-site, cross-sectional assessment of the plasma separation card (PSC) on blood specimens collected from all consenting adults, assenting young and pediatric patients living with HIV from 10 primary healthcare clinics in South Africa. Venous blood for EDTA-plasma samples was collected and analyzed according to the standard of care assay, while collected capillary blood for the PSC samples was analyzed using the Roche COBAS AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan (CAP/CTM) HIV-1 Test at the National Reference laboratories. McNemar tests assessed the differences in concordance between the centrifuged plasma and dried plasma spots. The usability of PSC by blood spotting, PSC preparation, and pre-analytical work was assessed by collecting seven-point Likert-scale data from healthcare and laboratory workers. We enrolled 538 patients, mostly adults [n = 515, 95.7% (95% CI: 93.7%-97.1%)] and females [n = 322, 64.2% (95% CI: 60.0%-68.1%)]. Overall, 536 paired samples were collected using both PSC- and EDTA-plasma diagnostics, and 502 paired PSC- and EDTA-plasma samples assessed. Concordance between the paired samples was obtained for 446 samples. Analysis of these 446 paired samples at 1,000 copies per milliliter threshold yielded an overall sensitivity of 87.5% [95% CI: 73.2%-95.8%] and specificity of 99.3% [95% CI: 97.9%-99.8%]. Laboratory staff reported technical difficulties in most tasks. The usability of the PSC by healthcare workers was favorable. For policymakers to consider PSC scale-up for viral load monitoring, technical challenges around using PSC at the clinic and laboratory level need to be addressed. IMPORTANCE Findings from this manuscript emphasize the reliability of the plasma separation card (PSC), a novel diagnostic method that can be implemented in healthcare facilities in resource-constrained settings. The agreement of the PSC with the standard of care EDTA plasma for viral load monitoring is high. Since the findings showed that these tests were highly specific, we recommend a scale-up of PSC in South Africa for diagnosis of treatment failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Chimoyi
- Implementation Research Division, The Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lucia Hans
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Hematology, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Hematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Matthew Oladimeji
- Implementation Research Division, The Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Gurpreet Kindra
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Karidia Diallo
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Kassahun Ayalew
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Geoffrey K. Setswe
- Implementation Research Division, The Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Health Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Hematology, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Hematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
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Carmona S, Martínez C, Zalazar G, Koohi N, Kaski D. Acute truncal ataxia without nystagmus. Eur J Neurol 2024; 31:e16185. [PMID: 38127109 DOI: 10.1111/ene.16185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Carmona
- Fundación San Lucas para la Neurociencia, Rosario, Argentina
| | | | - Guillermo Zalazar
- Hospital de San Luis, Fundación San Lucas para la Neurociencia, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Nehzat Koohi
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Diego Kaski
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Owusu Agyare B, Eder P, Shenai S, Chendi BH, Carlson C, Iradukunda A, Mukoka M, Ogony J, Manigart O, Ogbaini-Emovon E, Seida AA, Prado EO, Ghadrshenas A, Carmona S, Tucker JD. Potential implications of the climate crisis on diagnostics. PLOS Glob Public Health 2024; 4:e0002935. [PMID: 38457445 PMCID: PMC10923424 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Owusu Agyare
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Paul Eder
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Bih H. Chendi
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Colin Carlson
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | | | - Marithe Mukoka
- Rodolphe Meriuex Laboratory INRB- Goma, Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Jack Ogony
- College of Health Sciences, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Olivier Manigart
- GFA Consulting Group, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
- PROALAB, West African Health Organization, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | | | - Ahmed A. Seida
- Immunology and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | | | - Joseph D. Tucker
- Clinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
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Carmona S, Fernandez MG, Espona CD. Vestibular Drop Attack: An Analysis of the Therapeutic Response. Audiol Res 2023; 14:27-34. [PMID: 38247560 PMCID: PMC10801597 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres14010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The present study evaluates the response to betahistine in patients who presented vestibular drops attacks in the context of Ménière's disease (MD) and the factors that can predict an unfavorable response to it. A total of 43 patients were analyzed, out of which 33 were diagnosed with MD. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection. Data as regards age, accompanying symptoms, etiological diagnosis and response to MD treatment were collected. A statistical analysis was carried out, and we found that the disease evolution time and specific alterations in the vestibulospinal and oculomotor physical examination present an unfavorable response to betahistine. Failures for betahistine were treated with intratympanic gentamicin, with which symptomatic control was achieved in all cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Carmona
- Fundación San Lucas Para la Neurociencia, Rosario 2000, Argentina
| | | | - Cristian David Espona
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Provincial del Centenario, Rosario 2000, Argentina;
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Katzenschlager S, Brümmer LE, Schmitz S, Tolle H, Manten K, Gaeddert M, Erdmann C, Lindner A, Tobian F, Grilli M, Pollock NR, Macé A, Erkosar B, Carmona S, Ongarello S, Johnson CC, Sacks JA, Denkinger CM, Yerlikaya S. Comparing SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 self-testing/self-sampling with molecular and professional-use tests: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21913. [PMID: 38081881 PMCID: PMC10713601 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48892-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-testing is an effective tool to bridge the testing gap for several infectious diseases; however, its performance in detecting SARS-CoV-2 using antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) has not been systematically reviewed. This study aimed to inform WHO guidelines by evaluating the accuracy of COVID-19 self-testing and self-sampling coupled with professional Ag-RDT conduct and interpretation. Articles on this topic were searched until November 7th, 2022. Concordance between self-testing/self-sampling and fully professional-use Ag-RDTs was assessed using Cohen's kappa. Bivariate meta-analysis yielded pooled performance estimates. Quality and certainty of evidence were evaluated using QUADAS-2 and GRADE tools. Among 43 studies included, twelve reported on self-testing, and 31 assessed self-sampling only. Around 49.6% showed low risk of bias. Overall concordance with professional-use Ag-RDTs was high (kappa 0.91 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88-0.94]). Comparing self-testing/self-sampling to molecular testing, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 70.5% (95% CI 64.3-76.0) and 99.4% (95% CI 99.1-99.6), respectively. Higher sensitivity (i.e., 93.6% [95% CI 90.4-96.8] for Ct < 25) was estimated in subgroups with higher viral loads using Ct values as a proxy. Despite high heterogeneity among studies, COVID-19 self-testing/self-sampling exhibits high concordance with professional-use Ag-RDTs. This suggests that self-testing/self-sampling can be offered as part of COVID-19 testing strategies.Trial registration: PROSPERO: CRD42021250706.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Katzenschlager
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lukas E Brümmer
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephani Schmitz
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah Tolle
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Manten
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mary Gaeddert
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Lindner
- Charité Center for Global Health, Institute of International Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Tobian
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Nira R Pollock
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Cheryl C Johnson
- Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jilian A Sacks
- Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Claudia M Denkinger
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Seda Yerlikaya
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Han AX, Hannay E, Carmona S, Rodriguez B, Nichols BE, Russell CA. Estimating the potential impact and diagnostic requirements for SARS-CoV-2 test-and-treat programs. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7981. [PMID: 38042923 PMCID: PMC10693634 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43769-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral antivirals have the potential to reduce the public health burden of COVID-19. However, now that we have exited the emergency-phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, declining SARS-CoV-2 clinical testing rates (average testing rates = [Formula: see text]10 tests/100,000 people/day in low-and-middle income countries; <100 tests/100,000 people/day in high-income countries; September 2023) make the development of effective test-and-treat programs challenging. We used an agent-based model to investigate how testing rates and strategies affect the use and effectiveness of oral antiviral test-to-treat programs in four country archetypes of different income levels and demographies. We find that in the post-emergency-phase of the pandemic, in countries where low testing rates are driven by limited testing capacity, significant population-level impact of test-and-treat programs can only be achieved by both increasing testing rates and prioritizing individuals with greater risk of severe disease. However, for all countries, significant reductions in severe cases with antivirals are only possible if testing rates were substantially increased with high willingness of people to seek testing. Comparing the potential population-level reductions in severe disease outcomes of test-to-treat programs and vaccination shows that test-and-treat strategies are likely substantially more resource intensive requiring very high levels of testing (≫100 tests/100,000 people/day) and antiviral use suggesting that vaccination should be a higher priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin X Han
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Emma Hannay
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bill Rodriguez
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Brooke E Nichols
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Colin A Russell
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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8
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Empringham B, Karellis A, Kashkary A, D’Silva O, Carmona S, Suarez MF, Addae A, Pai NP, Zwerling AA. How much does HIV self-testing cost in low and middle income countries? A systematic review of evidence from economic studies. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1135425. [PMID: 38026397 PMCID: PMC10679730 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1135425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives HIV self-testing (HIVST) has been proposed as an innovative strategy to diagnose human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While HIVST offers the potential to broaden accessibility of early HIV diagnosis and treatment initiation, this testing strategy incurs additional cost and requires confirmatory testing and treatment. We have conducted the first systematic review to summarize the current economic literature for HIVST in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Design A search strategy was developed including key terms for HIV, self-testing and cost-effectiveness and was conducted in Medline and Embase databases. Studies were included that reported costs per outcome and included both cost-effectiveness and cost-utility outcome measures. The search strategy identified publications up until August 15, 2023 were included. Abstract and full text screening was conducted and a standardized data abstraction form was used for included studies. Costs are reported in USD, 2020. Results Our search strategy identified 536 total titles from the search strategy, which were screened down to 25 relevant studies that provided both cost and outcome data on HIVST. There was significant heterogeneity in the HIVST intervention, study population, costs and outcomes reported among included studies. Cost per person tested ranged from $1.09-155. Cost per case diagnosed ranged from $20-1,277. Cost-utility estimates ranged from cost-saving to $1846 per DALY averted. Higher cost-effectiveness estimates were associated with more expensive testing algorithms with increased support for linkage to care and post-test counseling. Conclusion All studies considered HIVST cost-effective although major drivers were identified included underlying HIV prevalence, testing cost and linkage to care. HIVST is likely to be cost-effective in a LMIC context, however policy makers should be aware of the drivers of cost-effectiveness when implementing HIVST programs as these underlying factors can impact the overall cost-effectiveness of HIVST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna Empringham
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Angela Karellis
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology & Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Abdulhameed Kashkary
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Public Health Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Olivia D’Silva
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Angelina Addae
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Nitika Pant Pai
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology & Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alice Anne Zwerling
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Han AX, Hannay E, Carmona S, Rodriguez B, Nichols BE, Russell CA. Estimating the potential impact and diagnostic requirements for SARS-CoV-2 test-and-treat programs. medRxiv 2023:2022.10.05.22280727. [PMID: 36238715 PMCID: PMC9558441 DOI: 10.1101/2022.10.05.22280727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Oral antivirals have the potential to reduce the public health burden of COVID-19. However, now that we have exited the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, declining SARS-CoV-2 clinical testing rates (average testing rates = ≪10 tests/100,000 people/day in low- and-middle income countries; <100 tests/100,000 people/day in high-income countries; September 2023) make the development of effective test-and-treat programs challenging. We used an agent-based model to investigate how testing rates and strategies affect the use and effectiveness of oral antiviral test-to-treat programs in four country archetypes of different income levels and demographies. We find that in the post-emergency phase of the pandemic, in countries where low testing rates are driven by limited testing capacity, significant population-level impact of test-and-treat programs can only be achieved by both increasing testing rates and prioritizing individuals with greater risk of severe disease. However, for all countries, significant reductions in severe cases with antivirals are only possible if testing rates were substantially increased with high willingness of people to seek testing. Comparing the potential population-level reductions in severe disease outcomes of test-to-treat programs and vaccination shows that test-and-treat strategies are likely substantially more resource intensive requiring very high levels of testing (>>100 tests/100,000 people/day) and antiviral use suggesting that vaccination should be a higher priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin X. Han
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emma Hannay
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bill Rodriguez
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Brooke E. Nichols
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Colin A. Russell
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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Vialard F, Anand A, Leung Soo C, de Waal A, McGuire M, Carmona S, Fernández-Suárez M, Zwerling AA, Pant Pai N. Self-sampling strategies (with/without digital innovations) in populations at risk of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Sex Transm Infect 2023; 99:420-428. [PMID: 36990696 PMCID: PMC10447399 DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2022-055557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) resulted in over 200 million new sexually transmitted infections last year. Self-sampling strategies alone or combined with digital innovations (ie, online, mobile or computing technologies supporting self-sampling) could improve screening methods. Evidence on all outcomes has not yet been synthesised, so we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to address this limitation. METHODS We searched three databases (period: 1 January 2000-6 January 2023) for reports on self-sampling for CT/GC testing. Outcomes considered for inclusion were: accuracy, feasibility, patient-centred and impact (ie, changes in linkage to care, first-time testers, uptake, turnaround time or referrals attributable to self-sampling).We used bivariate regression models to meta-analyse accuracy measures from self-sampled CT/GC tests and obtain pooled sensitivity/specificity estimates. We assessed quality with Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool-2, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. RESULTS We summarised results from 45 studies reporting self-sampling alone (73.3%; 33 of 45) or combined with digital innovations (26.7%; 12 of 45) conducted in 10 high-income (HICs; n=34) and 8 low/middle-income countries (LMICs; n=11). 95.6% (43 of 45) were observational, while 4.4% (2 of 45) were randomised clinical trials.We noted that pooled sensitivity (n=13) for CT/GC was higher in extragenital self-sampling (>91.6% (86.0%-95.1%)) than in vaginal self-sampling (79.6% (62.1%-90.3%)), while pooled specificity remained high (>99.0% (98.2%-99.5%)).Participants found self-sampling highly acceptable (80.0%-100.0%; n=24), but preference varied (23.1%-83.0%; n=16).Self-sampling reached 51.0%-70.0% (n=3) of first-time testers and resulted in 89.0%-100.0% (n=3) linkages to care. Digital innovations led to 65.0%-92% engagement and 43.8%-57.1% kit return rates (n=3).Quality of studies varied. DISCUSSION Self-sampling had mixed sensitivity, reached first-time testers and was accepted with high linkages to care. We recommend self-sampling for CT/GC in HICs but additional evaluations in LMICs. Digital innovations impacted engagement and may reduce disease burden in hard-to-reach populations. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42021262950.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiorella Vialard
- Centre for Outcome Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Apoorva Anand
- Centre for Outcome Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Cindy Leung Soo
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anna de Waal
- Centre for Outcome Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Madison McGuire
- Centre for Outcome Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Alice Anne Zwerling
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nitika Pant Pai
- Centre for Outcome Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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11
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Brennan AT, Vetter B, Majam M, T. Msolomba V, Venter F, Carmona S, Kao K, Gordon A, Meyer-Rath G. Integration of point-of-care screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension with COVID-19 rapid antigen screening in Johannesburg, South Africa. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287794. [PMID: 37418394 PMCID: PMC10328308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS We sought to evaluate the yield and linkage-to-care for diabetes and hypertension screening alongside a study assessing the use of rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 in taxi ranks in Johannesburg, South Africa. METHODS Participants were recruited from Germiston taxi rank. We recorded results of blood glucose (BG), blood pressure (BP), waist circumference, smoking status, height, and weight. Participants who had elevated BG (fasting ≥7.0; random ≥11.1mmol/L) and/or BP (diastolic ≥90 and systolic ≥140mmHg) were referred to their clinic and phoned to confirm linkage. RESULTS 1169 participants were enrolled and screened for elevated BG and elevated BP. Combining participants with a previous diagnosis of diabetes (n = 23, 2.0%; 95% CI:1.3-2.9%) and those that had an elevated BG measurement (n = 60, 5.2%; 95% CI:4.1-6.6%) at study enrollment, we estimated an overall indicative prevalence of diabetes of 7.1% (95% CI:5.7-8.7%). When combining those with known hypertension at study enrollment (n = 124, 10.6%; 95% CI:8.9-12.5%) and those with elevated BP (n = 202; 17.3%; 95% CI:15.2-19.5%), we get an overall prevalence of hypertension of 27.9% (95% CI:25.4-30.1%). Only 30.0% of those with elevated BG and 16.3% of those with elevated BP linked-to-care. CONCLUSION By opportunistically leveraging existing COVID-19 screening in South Africa to screen for diabetes and hypertension, 22% of participants received a potential new diagnosis. We had poor linkage-to-care following screening. Future research should evaluate options for improving linkage-to-care, and evaluate the large-scale feasibility of this simple screening tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana T. Brennan
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | | | - Mohammed Majam
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Vanessa T. Msolomba
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Francois Venter
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | | | - Adena Gordon
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Gesine Meyer-Rath
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- South African DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA), Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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12
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Wüthrich M, Wang Z, Martinez CM, Carmona S, Mantokoudis G, Tarnutzer AA. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of spontaneous nystagmus patterns in acute vestibular syndrome. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1208902. [PMID: 37396773 PMCID: PMC10312004 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1208902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives For the assessment of patients presenting with acute prolonged vertigo meeting diagnostic criteria for acute vestibular syndrome (AVS), bedside oculomotor examinations are essential to distinguish peripheral from central causes. Here we assessed patterns of spontaneous nystagmus (SN) observed in AVS and its diagnostic accuracy at the bedside. Methods MEDLINE and Embase were searched for studies (1980-2022) reporting on the bedside diagnostic accuracy of SN-patterns in AVS patients. Two independent reviewers determined inclusion. We identified 4,186 unique citations, examined 219 full manuscripts, and analyzed 39 studies. Studies were rated on risk of bias (QUADAS-2). Diagnostic data were extracted and SN beating-direction patterns were correlated with lesion locations and lateralization. Results Included studies reported on 1,599 patients, with ischemic strokes (n = 747) and acute unilateral vestibulopathy (n = 743) being most frequent. While a horizontal or horizontal-torsional SN was significantly more often found in peripheral AVS (pAVS) than in central AVS (cAVS) patients (672/709 [94.8%] vs. 294/677 [43.4%], p < 0.001), torsional and/or vertical SN-patterns were more prevalent in cAVS than in pAVS (15.1 vs. 2.6%, p < 0.001). For an (isolated) vertical/vertical-torsional SN or an isolated torsional SN specificity (97.7% [95% CI = 95.1-100.0%]) for a central origin etiology was high, whereas sensitivity (19.1% [10.5-27.7%]) was low. Absence of any horizontal SN was more frequently observed in cAVS than in pAVS (55.2 vs. 7.0%, p < 0.001). Ipsilesional and contralesional beating directions of horizontal SN in cAVS were found at similar frequency (28.0 vs. 21.7%, p = 0.052), whereas for pAVS a contralesional SN was significantly more frequent (95.2 vs. 2.5%, p < 0.001). For PICA strokes presenting with horizontal SN, beating direction was ipsilesional more often than contralesional (23.9 vs. 6.4%, p = 0.006), while the opposite was observed for AICA strokes (2.2 vs. 63.0%, p < 0.001). Conclusions (Isolated) vertical and/or torsional SN is found in a minority (15.1%) of cAVS patients only. When present, it is highly predictive for a central cause. A combined torsional-downbeating SN-pattern may be observed in pAVS also in cases with isolated lesions of the inferior branch of the vestibular nerve. Furthermore, in cAVS patients the SN beating direction itself does not allow a prediction on the lesion side.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zheyu Wang
- Division of Quantitative Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Sergio Carmona
- Fundación San Lucas para la Neurosciencia, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Georgios Mantokoudis
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Andrea Tarnutzer
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, Cantonal Hospital of Baden, Baden, Switzerland
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13
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Hunt GM, Yousif M, Levin L, Ledwaba J, Steegen K, Kufa T, Zwane H, Kalimashe M, Kana V, Aynalem G, Perlman J, Ayalew K, Kindra G, Diallo K, Carmona S, Sherman G, Raizes EJ. Resistance is common in paediatric patients failing ART in South Africa. J Antimicrob Chemother 2023; 78:1160-1167. [PMID: 37017009 PMCID: PMC10616358 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkac443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Minimal data exist on HIV drug resistance patterns and prevalence among paediatric patients failing ART in resource-limited settings. We assessed levels of HIV drug resistance in children with virological failure. METHODS This cross-sectional study, performed from March 2017 to March 2019 in South Africa, enrolled HIV-positive children aged ≤19 years, receiving ART through public health facilities with recent evidence suggestive of virological failure (at least one viral load ≥1000 copies/mL), across 45 randomly selected high-volume clinics from all nine provinces. Resistance genotyping was performed using next-generation sequencing technologies. Descriptive analysis taking into account survey design was used to determine outcomes. RESULTS Among 899 participants enrolled, the adjusted proportion of HIV drug resistance among children with virological failure was 87.5% (95% CI 83.0%-90.9%). Resistance to NNRTIs was detected in 77.4% (95% CI 72.5%-81.7%) of participants, and resistance to NRTIs in 69.5% (95% CI 62.9%-75.4%) of participants. Overall, resistance to PIs was detected in 7.7% (95% CI 4.4%-13.0%) of children. CONCLUSIONS HIV drug resistance was highly prevalent in paediatric patients failing ART in South Africa, with 9 in 10 patients harbouring resistance to NNRTIs and/or NRTIs. PI-based regimens are predicted to be highly efficacious in achieving virological suppression amongst patients failing NNRTI-based regimens. Scaling up resistance testing amongst patients would facilitate access to second- and third-line regimens in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian M. Hunt
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Private Bag X4, Sandringham, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mukhlid Yousif
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Private Bag X4, Sandringham, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Leon Levin
- Right to Care, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Johanna Ledwaba
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Private Bag X4, Sandringham, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
| | - Kim Steegen
- National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tendesayi Kufa
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Private Bag X4, Sandringham, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Hloniphile Zwane
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Private Bag X4, Sandringham, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
| | - Monalisa Kalimashe
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Private Bag X4, Sandringham, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
| | - Vibha Kana
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Private Bag X4, Sandringham, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
| | - Getahun Aynalem
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jaclyn Perlman
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Kassahun Ayalew
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Gurpreet Kindra
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Karidia Diallo
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sergio Carmona
- National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Gayle Sherman
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Private Bag X4, Sandringham, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Elliot J. Raizes
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
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14
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Hrapcak S, Pals S, Itoh M, Peters N, Carpenter D, Hackett S, Prao AK, Adje-Toure C, Eboi E, Mutisya I, Nyabiage Omoto L, Ondondo RO, Bowen N, Nyanya W, Kayira D, Kaba MD, Mwenda R, Deus MI, Almeida J, Cuco RMM, Boylan A, Beard S, Ashikoto S, van Rooyen G, Kindra G, Diallo K, Carmona S, Nazziwa E, Mwangi C, Ntale J, Ssewanyana I, Nabadda SN, Nabukenya M, Ellenberger D, Rivadeneira E. HIV Viral Load Scale-up Among Children and Adolescents: Trends in Viral Load Suppression, Sample Type and Processing in 7 PEPFAR Countries, 2015-2018. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2023; 42:e102-e104. [PMID: 36728122 DOI: 10.1097/inf.0000000000003824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
HIV-positive children and adolescents face gaps in viral load (VL) testing. To understand trends in pediatric/adolescent VL testing, 7 countries collected data from Laboratory Information Management Systems. Results showed increasing proportion of VL tests done through dried blood spot (DBS) and decreased sample rejection rates for DBS compared with plasma, supporting use of DBS VL when skilled phlebotomy is unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Hrapcak
- From the Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
| | - Sherri Pals
- From the Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
| | - Megumi Itoh
- From the Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
| | | | - Deborah Carpenter
- From the Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
| | - Stephanie Hackett
- From the Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
| | - Aka K Prao
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | | | - Ehui Eboi
- HIV/AIDS Program (PNLS), Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa
| | | | | | - Raphael O Ondondo
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | | | | | - Dumbani Kayira
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | - Muluken D Kaba
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | | | - Maria Ines Deus
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | - Jose Almeida
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | | | - Ashley Boylan
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | - Suzanne Beard
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | | | | | - Gurpreet Kindra
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | - Karidia Diallo
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | | | - Esther Nazziwa
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | - Christina Mwangi
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | - Jonathan Ntale
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | | | | | | | - Dennis Ellenberger
- From the Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
| | - Emilia Rivadeneira
- From the Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
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15
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Carmona S, Martínez C, Zalazar G, Koohi N, Kaski D. Acute truncal ataxia without nystagmus in patients with acute vertigo. Eur J Neurol 2023; 30:1785-1790. [PMID: 36752029 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Differentiating between peripheral and central aetiologies can be challenging in patients with acute vertigo, given substantial symptom overlap. A detailed clinical history and focused physical eye movement examination such as the HINTS eye examination appear to be the most reliable approach to identify acute cerebellar/brainstem stroke, outperforming even acute brain imaging. We have observed, however, that isolated vertigo of central cause may be accompanied by acute truncal ataxia, in the absence of nystagmus. METHODS We explored the frequency of ataxia without concurrent nystagmus in a cross section of patients with acute vertigo who presented to the emergency department at two centres in Argentina (Group A) and the UK (Group B). Patients underwent detailed clinical neuro-otological assessments (Groups A and B), which included instrumented head impulse testing and oculography (Group B). RESULTS A total of 71 patients in Group A and 24 patients in Group B were included in this study. We found acute truncal ataxia-without nystagmus-in 15% (n = 14) of our overall cohort. Lesions involved stroke syndromes affecting the posterior inferior cerebellar artery, anterior inferior cerebellar artery, and superior cerebellar artery, thalamic stroke, cerebral hemisphere stroke, multiple sclerosis, and a cerebellar tumour. Additional oculomotor deficits did not reliably identify a central cause in these individuals, even with oculography. CONCLUSIONS We have identified a significant subpopulation of patients with acute vertigo in whom the current standard approaches such as the HINTS examination that focus on oculomotor assessment may not be applicable, highlighting the need for a formal assessment of gait in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Carmona
- Fundación San Lucas para la Neurociencia, Rosario, Argentina
| | | | - Guillermo Zalazar
- Hospital de San Luis, Fundación San Lucas para la Neurociencia, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Nehzat Koohi
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.,Ear Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Diego Kaski
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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16
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Anand A, Bigio J, MacLean E, Underwood T, Pai NP, Carmona S, Schumacher SG, Toporowski A. 317. Use cases for rapid antigen-detecting tests for COVID-19 screening and surveillance: a systematic review. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022. [PMCID: PMC9752011 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac492.395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Testing remains critical to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs), which can be used at the point of care, have the potential to increase access to COVID-19 testing, particularly in settings with limited laboratory capacity. This systematic review synthesized literature on specific use cases and performance of Ag-RDTs for detecting SARS-CoV-2, for the first comprehensive assessment of Ag-RDT use in real-world settings. Methods We searched three databases (PubMed, EMBASE and medRxiv) up to 12 April 2021 for publications on Ag-RDT use for large-scale screening and surveillance of COVID-19, excluding studies of only presumptive COVID-19 patients. We tabulated data on the study setting, populations, type of test, diagnostic performance, and operational findings. We assessed risk of bias using QUADAS-2 and an adapted tool for prevalence studies. Results From 4313 citations, 39 studies conducted in asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals were included. Of 39 studies, 37 (94.9%) investigated lateral flow Ag-RDTs and 2 (5.1%) investigated multiplex sandwich chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay Ag-RDTs. Six categories of testing initiatives were identified: mass screening (n=13), targeted screening (n=11), healthcare entry testing (n=6), at-home testing (n=4), surveillance (n=4) and prevalence survey (n=1). Sensitivity and specificity values by testing category are shown in the table. Ag-RDTs were noted as convenient, easy-to-use, and low cost, with a rapid turnaround time and high user acceptability. Risk of bias was generally low or unclear across studies.
![]() Conclusion During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ag-RDTs were used across a wide range of real-world settings for screening and surveillance of COVID-19 in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Ag-RDTs were fast and simple to run, but due to their often low sensitivity, careful consideration must be given to their implementation and interpretation. Ag-RDTs have subsequently been rolled out more broadly and recommended for COVID-19 self-testing. Disclosures Talya Underwood, MPhil, Oncotherapeutics: Medical writing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apoorva Anand
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, India
| | - Jacob Bigio
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre; McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Emily MacLean
- McGill International TB Centre; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Nitika Pant Pai
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre; Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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17
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Koeppel L, Dittrich S, Brenner Miguel S, Carmona S, Ongarello S, Vetter B, Cohn JE, Baernighausen T, Geldsetzer P, Denkinger CM. Addressing the diagnostic gap in hypertension through possible interventions and scale-up: A microsimulation study. PLoS Med 2022; 19:e1004111. [PMID: 36472973 PMCID: PMC9725126 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality globally with almost a third of all annual deaths worldwide. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately highly affected covering 80% of these deaths. For CVD, hypertension (HTN) is the leading modifiable risk factor. The comparative impact of diagnostic interventions that improve either the accuracy, the reach, or the completion of HTN screening in comparison to the current standard of care has not been estimated. METHODS AND FINDINGS This microsimulation study estimated the impact on HTN-induced morbidity and mortality in LMICs for four different scenarios: (S1) lower HTN diagnostic accuracy; (S2) improved HTN diagnostic accuracy; (S3) better implementation strategies to reach more persons with existing tools; and, lastly, (S4) the wider use of easy-to-use tools, such as validated, automated digital blood pressure measurement devices to enhance screening completion, in comparison to the current standard of care (S0). Our hypothetical population was parametrized using nationally representative, individual-level HPACC data and the global burden of disease data. The prevalence of HTN in the population was 31% out of which 60% remained undiagnosed. We investigated how the alteration of a yearly blood pressure screening event impacts morbidity and mortality in the population over a period of 10 years. The study showed that while improving test accuracy avoids 0.6% of HTN-induced deaths over 10 years (13,856,507 [9,382,742; 17,395,833]), almost 40 million (39,650,363 [31,34,233, 49,298,921], i.e., 12.7% [9.9, 15.8]) of the HTN-induced deaths could be prevented by increasing coverage and completion of a screening event in the same time frame. Doubling the coverage only would still prevent 3,304,212 million ([2,274,664; 4,164,180], 12.1% [8.3, 15.2]) CVD events 10 years after the rollout of the program. Our study is limited by the scarce data available on HTN and CVD from LMICs. We had to pool some parameters across stratification groups, and additional information, such as dietary habits, lifestyle choice, or the blood pressure evolution, could not be considered. Nevertheless, the microsimulation enabled us to include substantial heterogeneity and stochasticity toward the different income groups and personal CVD risk scores in the model. CONCLUSIONS While it is important to consider investing in newer diagnostics for blood pressure testing to continuously improve ease of use and accuracy, more emphasis should be placed on screening completion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Koeppel
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Dittrich
- FIND, Geneva, Switzerland
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | - Jennifer Elizabeth Cohn
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Till Baernighausen
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Medical Faculty and University Hospital, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Africa Health Research Institute, Somkhele, South Africa
- Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Pascal Geldsetzer
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Claudia M. Denkinger
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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18
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MacLeod WB, Bor J, Candy S, Maskew M, Fox MP, Bulekova K, Brennan AT, Potter J, Nattey C, Onoya D, Mlisana K, Stevens W, Carmona S. Cohort profile: the South African National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) National HIV Cohort. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e066671. [PMID: 36261238 PMCID: PMC9582381 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE South Africa's National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) National HIV Cohort was established in 2015 to facilitate monitoring, evaluation and research on South Africa's National HIV Treatment Programme. In South Africa, 84.8% of people living with HIV know their HIV status; 70.7% who know their status are on ART; and 87.4% on ART are virologically suppressed. PARTICIPANTS The NHLS National HIV Cohort includes the laboratory data of nearly all patients receiving HIV care in the public sector since April 2004. Patients are included in the cohort if they have received a CD4 count or HIV RNA viral load (VL) test. Using an anonymised unique patient identifier that we have developed and validated to linked test results, we observe patients prospectively through their laboratory results as they receive HIV care and treatment. Patients in HIV care are seen for laboratory monitoring every 6-12 months. Data collected include age, sex, facility location and test results for CD4 counts, VLs and laboratory tests used to screen for potential treatment complications. FINDINGS TO DATE From April 2004 to April 2018, 63 million CD4 count and VL tests were conducted at 5483 facilities. 12.6 million unique patients had at least one CD4 count or VL, indicating they had accessed HIV care, and 7.1 million patients had a VL test indicating they had started antiretroviral therapy. The creation of NHLS National HIV Cohort has enabled longitudinal research on all lab-monitored patients in South Africa's national HIV programme, including analyses of (1) patient health at presentation; (2) care outcomes such as 'CD4 recovery', 'retention in care' and 'viral resuppression'; (3) patterns of transfer and re-entry into care; (4) facility-level variation in care outcomes; and (5) impacts of policies and guideline changes. FUTURE PLANS Continuous updating of the cohort, integration with available clinical data, and expansion to include tuberculosis and other lab-monitored comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B MacLeod
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
| | - Jacob Bor
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
- Departments of Global Health and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sue Candy
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Sandringham, South Africa
| | - Mhairi Maskew
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
| | - Matthew P Fox
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
- Departments of Global Health and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Katia Bulekova
- Research Computing Services, IS&T, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alana T Brennan
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
- Departments of Global Health and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James Potter
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cornelius Nattey
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
| | - Dorina Onoya
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
| | - Koleka Mlisana
- Academic Affairs, Research & Quality Assurance, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Wendy Stevens
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
- National Priority Programmes, National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham, South Africa
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
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19
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Kattah JC, Martinez C, Zalazar G, Batuecas Á, Lemos J, Carmona S. Role of incubitus truncal ataxia, and equivalent standing grade 3 ataxia in the diagnosis of central acute vestibular syndrome. J Neurol Sci 2022; 441:120374. [PMID: 36063733 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2022.120374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES acute vestibular syndrome is a diagnostic challenge, requiring a rapid and precise diagnosis to take therapeutic actions. Truncal ataxia, inability to sit still, and Babinski flexor dysergy were evaluated. Material anf methods: 52 patients with central pathology (stroke in aica and pica territory) and vestibular neuritis were prospectively studied. MRI of the brain was used as the gold standard. RESULTS A combination of grade 2-3 ataxia to differentiate patients with vestibular neuritis from patients with stroke resulted in a 92% sensitivity (95% CI 79-100%), a 67% specificity (95% CI 47-86%). Flexion asynergy had a 70% sensitivity (95% CI 47-92%), and an 88% specificity (95% CI 69-100%). The inability to sit still correlated well with truncal ataxia. CONCLUSIONS vestibulospinal signs are useful in the differential diagnosis of acute vestibular syndromes, and the inability to sit is a good substitute for truncal ataxia when it cannot be evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge C Kattah
- Professor and Head of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria. IL, United States
| | | | - Guillermo Zalazar
- Neurologist, Hospital Central Dr. Ramón Carrillo, San Luis, Argentina.
| | - Ángel Batuecas
- Unidad de Otoneurología, Servicio de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Máxilofacial, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Joao Lemos
- Department of Neurology, Coimbra University Hospital Centre, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Neuro-otologist, Fundación San Lucas para la Neurociencia, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
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20
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Patel P, Castro P, Koohi N, Arshad Q, Gargallo L, Carmona S, Kaski D. Head shaking does not alter vestibulo ocular reflex gain in vestibular migraine. Front Neurol 2022; 13:967521. [PMID: 36247796 PMCID: PMC9561915 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.967521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Vestibular Migraine (VM) is the most common cause of non-positional episodic vestibular symptoms. Patients with VM commonly report increased motion sensitivity, suggesting that vestibular responses to head movement may identify changes specific to VM patients. Here we explore whether the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain alters in response to a clinical “headshake” maneuver in patients with VM. Thirty patients with VM in the inter-ictal phase, 16 patients with Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo (BPPV) and 15 healthy controls were recruited. Patients responded to the question “Do you feel sick reading in the passenger seat of a car?” and completed a validated motion sickness questionnaire as a measure of motion sensitivity. Lateral canal vHIT testing was performed before and after headshaking; the change in VOR gain was calculated as the primary outcome. Baseline VOR gain was within normal limits across all participants. There was no significant change in VOR gain after headshaking in any group (p = 0.264). Patients were 4.3 times more likely to be in the VM group than in the BPPV group if they reported nausea when reading in the passenger seat of a car. We postulate that a headshake stimulus may be insufficient to disrupt cortical interactions and induce a change in VOR gain. Alternatively, changes in VOR gain may only be apparent in the acute phase of VM. Reading in the passenger seat of a car was considered uncomfortable in all VM patients suggesting that this specific question may be useful for the diagnosis of VM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyani Patel
- Adult Diagnostic Audiology Department, University College London Hospitals, London, United Kingdom
- The Ear Institute, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia Castro
- Adult Diagnostic Audiology Department, University College London Hospitals, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Universidad del Desarrollo, Escuela de Fonoaudiologia, Facultad de Medicina Clinica Alemana, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nehzat Koohi
- The Ear Institute, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Centre for Vestibular and Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Qadeer Arshad
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Centre for Vestibular and Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- inAmind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Lucia Gargallo
- Fundación San Lucas para la Neurociencia, Rosario, Argentina
- Cátedra Neurofisiología de la Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Fundación San Lucas para la Neurociencia, Rosario, Argentina
- Cátedra Neurofisiología de la Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Diego Kaski
- The Ear Institute, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Centre for Vestibular and Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Diego Kaski
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21
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Han AX, Toporowski A, Sacks JA, Perkins MD, Briand S, van Kerkhove M, Hannay E, Carmona S, Rodriguez B, Parker E, Nichols BE, Russell CA. SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing rates determine the sensitivity of genomic surveillance programs. medRxiv 2022:2022.05.20.22275319. [PMID: 35664998 PMCID: PMC9164450 DOI: 10.1101/2022.05.20.22275319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The first step in SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance is testing to identify infected people. However, global testing rates are falling as we emerge from the acute health emergency and remain low in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (mean = 27 tests/100,000 people/day). We simulated COVID-19 epidemics in a prototypical LMIC to investigate how testing rates, sampling strategies, and sequencing proportions jointly impact surveillance outcomes and showed that low testing rates and spatiotemporal biases delay time-to-detection of new variants by weeks-to-months and can lead to unreliable estimates of variant prevalence even when the proportion of samples sequenced is increased. Accordingly, investments in wider access to diagnostics to support testing rates of ~100 tests/100,000 people/day could enable more timely detection of new variants and reliable estimates of variant prevalence. The performance of global SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance programs is fundamentally limited by access to diagnostic testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin X. Han
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,Corresponding authors. and
| | - Amy Toporowski
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jilian A. Sacks
- Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, Emergency Preparedness Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mark D. Perkins
- Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, Emergency Preparedness Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sylvie Briand
- Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, Emergency Preparedness Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maria van Kerkhove
- Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, Emergency Preparedness Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Emma Hannay
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bill Rodriguez
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Edyth Parker
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Brooke E. Nichols
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Colin A. Russell
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA,Corresponding authors. and
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22
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Kattah JC, Zalazar G, Martinez C, Carmona S. Truncal ataxia and the vestibulo spinal reflex. A historical review. J Neurol Sci 2022; 441:120375. [PMID: 35988348 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2022.120375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The vestibulospinal pathway was described many years ago. Along with it, the vestibulospinal signs that are used for the diagnosis of vestibular disorders were described. In this work we summarize the history of the vestibulospinal pathway, the classic signs and the new signs that can be used in the diagnosis of vestibular disorders, paying special attention to truncal ataxia as a useful element to differentiate central from peripheral pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge C Kattah
- Professor and Head of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine. Peoria, IL, United States
| | - Guillermo Zalazar
- Neurologist, Hospital Central Dr. Ramón Carrillo, San Luis, Argentina.
| | | | - Sergio Carmona
- Neuro-otologist, Fundación San Lucas para la Neurociencia, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
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23
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Vojnov L, Carmona S, Zeh C, Markby J, Boeras D, Prescott MR, Mayne ALH, Sawadogo S, Adje-Toure C, Zhang G, Perez Gonzalez M, Stevens WS, Doherty M, Yang C, Alexander H, Peter TF, Nkengasong J. The performance of using dried blood spot specimens for HIV-1 viral load testing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Med 2022; 19:e1004076. [PMID: 35994520 PMCID: PMC9447868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate routine HIV viral load testing is essential for assessing the efficacy of antiretroviral treatment (ART) regimens and the emergence of drug resistance. While the use of plasma specimens is the standard for viral load testing, its use is restricted by the limited ambient temperature stability of viral load biomarkers in whole blood and plasma during storage and transportation and the limited cold chain available between many health care facilities in resource-limited settings. Alternative specimen types and technologies, such as dried blood spots, may address these issues and increase access to viral load testing; however, their technical performance is unclear. To address this, we conducted a meta-analysis comparing viral load results from paired dried blood spot and plasma specimens analyzed with commonly used viral load testing technologies. METHODS AND FINDINGS Standard databases, conferences, and gray literature were searched in 2013 and 2018. Nearly all studies identified (60) were conducted between 2007 and 2018. Data from 40 of the 60 studies were included in the meta-analysis, which accounted for a total of 10,871 paired dried blood spot:plasma data points. We used random effects models to determine the bias, accuracy, precision, and misclassification for each viral load technology and to account for between-study variation. Dried blood spot specimens produced consistently higher mean viral loads across all technologies when compared to plasma specimens. However, when used to identify treatment failure, each technology compared best to plasma at a threshold of 1,000 copies/ml, the present World Health Organization recommended treatment failure threshold. Some heterogeneity existed between technologies; however, 5 technologies had a sensitivity greater than 95%. Furthermore, 5 technologies had a specificity greater than 85% yet 2 technologies had a specificity less than 60% using a treatment failure threshold of 1,000 copies/ml. The study's main limitation was the direct applicability of findings as nearly all studies to date used dried blood spot samples prepared in laboratories using precision pipetting that resulted in consistent input volumes. CONCLUSIONS This analysis provides evidence to support the implementation and scale-up of dried blood spot specimens for viral load testing using the same 1,000 copies/ml treatment failure threshold as used with plasma specimens. This may support improved access to viral load testing in resource-limited settings lacking the required infrastructure and cold chain storage for testing with plasma specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Vojnov
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Sergio Carmona
- National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Clement Zeh
- Center for Global Health, Division of Global HIV/TB, US Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | | | - Debrah Boeras
- Center for Global Health, Division of Global HIV/TB, US Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Marta R. Prescott
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Souleymane Sawadogo
- Center for Global Health, Division of Global HIV/TB, US Centers for Disease Control, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Christiane Adje-Toure
- Center for Global Health, Division of Global HIV/TB, US Centers for Disease Control, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
| | - Guoqing Zhang
- Center for Global Health, Division of Global HIV/TB, US Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | | | - Wendy S. Stevens
- National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Meg Doherty
- World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chunfu Yang
- Center for Global Health, Division of Global HIV/TB, US Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Heather Alexander
- Center for Global Health, Division of Global HIV/TB, US Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Trevor F. Peter
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - John Nkengasong
- Center for Global Health, Division of Global HIV/TB, US Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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24
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Kumar CK, Balasubramanian R, Ongarello S, Carmona S, Laxminarayan R. SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies for outbreak mitigation in vaccinated populations. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271103. [PMID: 35830457 PMCID: PMC9278727 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although COVID-19 vaccines are globally available, waning immunity and emerging vaccine-evasive variants of concern have hindered the international response and transition to a post-pandemic era. Testing to identify and isolate infectious individuals remains the most proactive strategy for containing an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. We developed a stochastic, compartmentalized model to simulate the impact of using Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) assays, rapid antigen tests, and vaccinations on SARS-CoV-2 spread. We compare testing strategies across an example high-income country (the United States) and low- and middle-income country (India). We detail the optimal testing frequency and coverage in the US and India to mitigate an emerging outbreak even in a vaccinated population: overall, maximizing testing frequency is most important, but having high testing coverage remains necessary when there is sustained transmission. A resource-limited vaccination strategy still requires high-frequency testing to minimize subsequent outbreaks and is 16.50% more effective in reducing cases in India than the United States. Tailoring testing strategies to transmission settings can help effectively reduce disease burden more than if a uniform approach were employed without regard to epidemiological variability across locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chirag K. Kumar
- Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America
| | | | | | - Sergio Carmona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
- University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ramanan Laxminarayan
- Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America
- Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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25
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Chevalier JM, Sy KTL, Girdwood SJ, Khan S, Albert H, Toporowski A, Hannay E, Carmona S, Nichols BE. Optimal use of COVID-19 Ag-RDT screening at border crossings to prevent community transmission: A modeling analysis. PLOS Glob Public Health 2022; 2:e0000086. [PMID: 36962136 PMCID: PMC10021421 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Countries around the world have implemented restrictions on mobility, especially cross-border travel to reduce or prevent SARS-CoV-2 community transmission. Rapid antigen testing (Ag-RDT), with on-site administration and rapid turnaround time may provide a valuable screening measure to ease cross-border travel while minimizing risk of local transmission. To maximize impact, we developed an optimal Ag-RDT screening algorithm for cross-border entry. Using a previously developed mathematical model, we determined the daily number of imported COVID-19 cases that would generate no more than a relative 1% increase in cases over one month for different effective reproductive numbers (Rt) and COVID-19 prevalence within the recipient country. We then developed an algorithm-for differing levels of Rt, arrivals per day, mode of travel, and SARS-CoV-2 prevalence amongst travelers-to determine the minimum proportion of people that would need Ag-RDT testing at border crossings to ensure no greater than the relative 1% community spread increase. When daily international arrivals and/or COVID-19 prevalence amongst arrivals increases, the proportion of arrivals required to test using Ag-RDT increases. At very high numbers of international arrivals/COVID-19 prevalence, Ag-RDT testing is not sufficient to prevent increased community spread, especially when recipient country prevalence and Rt are low. In these cases, Ag-RDT screening would need to be supplemented with other measures to prevent an increase in community transmission. An efficient Ag-RDT algorithm for SARS-CoV-2 testing depends strongly on the epidemic status within the recipient country, volume of travel, proportion of land and air arrivals, test sensitivity, and COVID-19 prevalence among travelers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M. Chevalier
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Karla Therese L. Sy
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sarah J. Girdwood
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Shaukat Khan
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Heidi Albert
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Amy Toporowski
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Emma Hannay
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Brooke E. Nichols
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
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26
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Brümmer LE, Katzenschlager S, McGrath S, Schmitz S, Gaeddert M, Erdmann C, Bota M, Grilli M, Larmann J, Weigand MA, Pollock NR, Macé A, Erkosar B, Carmona S, Sacks JA, Ongarello S, Denkinger CM. Accuracy of rapid point-of-care antigen-based diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression analyzing influencing factors. PLoS Med 2022; 19:e1004011. [PMID: 35617375 PMCID: PMC9187092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Comprehensive information about the accuracy of antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential to guide public health decision makers in choosing the best tests and testing policies. In August 2021, we published a systematic review and meta-analysis about the accuracy of Ag-RDTs. We now update this work and analyze the factors influencing test sensitivity in further detail. METHODS AND FINDINGS We registered the review on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42020225140). We systematically searched preprint and peer-reviewed databases for publications evaluating the accuracy of Ag-RDTs for SARS-CoV-2 until August 31, 2021. Descriptive analyses of all studies were performed, and when more than 4 studies were available, a random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled sensitivity and specificity with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing as a reference. To evaluate factors influencing test sensitivity, we performed 3 different analyses using multivariable mixed-effects meta-regression models. We included 194 studies with 221,878 Ag-RDTs performed. Overall, the pooled estimates of Ag-RDT sensitivity and specificity were 72.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 69.8 to 74.2) and 98.9% (95% CI 98.6 to 99.1). When manufacturer instructions were followed, sensitivity increased to 76.3% (95% CI 73.7 to 78.7). Sensitivity was markedly better on samples with lower RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values (97.9% [95% CI 96.9 to 98.9] and 90.6% [95% CI 88.3 to 93.0] for Ct-values <20 and <25, compared to 54.4% [95% CI 47.3 to 61.5] and 18.7% [95% CI 13.9 to 23.4] for Ct-values ≥25 and ≥30) and was estimated to increase by 2.9 percentage points (95% CI 1.7 to 4.0) for every unit decrease in mean Ct-value when adjusting for testing procedure and patients' symptom status. Concordantly, we found the mean Ct-value to be lower for true positive (22.2 [95% CI 21.5 to 22.8]) compared to false negative (30.4 [95% CI 29.7 to 31.1]) results. Testing in the first week from symptom onset resulted in substantially higher sensitivity (81.9% [95% CI 77.7 to 85.5]) compared to testing after 1 week (51.8%, 95% CI 41.5 to 61.9). Similarly, sensitivity was higher in symptomatic (76.2% [95% CI 73.3 to 78.9]) compared to asymptomatic (56.8% [95% CI 50.9 to 62.4]) persons. However, both effects were mainly driven by the Ct-value of the sample. With regards to sample type, highest sensitivity was found for nasopharyngeal (NP) and combined NP/oropharyngeal samples (70.8% [95% CI 68.3 to 73.2]), as well as in anterior nasal/mid-turbinate samples (77.3% [95% CI 73.0 to 81.0]). Our analysis was limited by the included studies' heterogeneity in viral load assessment and sample origination. CONCLUSIONS Ag-RDTs detect most of the individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, and almost all (>90%) when high viral loads are present. With viral load, as estimated by Ct-value, being the most influential factor on their sensitivity, they are especially useful to detect persons with high viral load who are most likely to transmit the virus. To further quantify the effects of other factors influencing test sensitivity, standardization of clinical accuracy studies and access to patient level Ct-values and duration of symptoms are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas E. Brümmer
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Sean McGrath
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stephani Schmitz
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mary Gaeddert
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Marc Bota
- Agaplesion Bethesda Hospital, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maurizio Grilli
- Library, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jan Larmann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus A. Weigand
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nira R. Pollock
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Claudia M. Denkinger
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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Carmona S, Hans L, Njoya M, Simon CO, Marins EG, Michel-Treil V, Cunningham P. A multi-center study comparing the analytical sensitivity and clinical concordance of three HIV-1 viral load assays. J Virol Methods 2021; 300:114373. [PMID: 34826517 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV-1 viral load assays are essential tools for clinical management of people living with HIV-1. OBJECTIVES AND STUDY DESIGN We evaluated concordance between three assays: the cobas® HIV-1 test for use on the cobas® 6800 and cobas® 8800 systems (cobas HIV-1); the COBAS® TaqMan® HIV-1 Test, v2.0 for use with the High Pure System and the COBAS® AmpliPrep/COBAS® TaqMan® HIV-1 test, v2.0. Analytical sensitivity, precision and accuracy of all three methods were assessed using the WHO 2nd International Standard for HIV-1, with concentrations from 5 to 1000 copies/mL. Accuracy and concordance were evaluated using 212 clinical specimens. Overall percent agreement (OPA) was determined using three different thresholds used as medical decision points. RESULTS The limit of detection was below 20 copies/mL for each assay. The hit rate for each assay was 100 % for concentrations ≥ 50 copies/mL. Only the cobas HIV-1 test generated quantifiable data for all replicates at 50 copies/mL. Between 50 and 400 copies/mL, results for all assays were accurate within 0.09 log10 copies/mL, with standard deviation less than 0.14 log10 copies/mL. The mean difference between paired results in clinical specimens ranged from -0.050 to 0.107 log10 copies/mL across all assay comparisons. The OPA between pairs of assays ranged from 94.8 to 98.1% at the 50 copies/mL cutoff, and improved to a range of 97.6-99.0% at the 200 copies/mL cutoff. At the 1000 copies/mL cutoff, OPA between assays was 98.5-99.0%. CONCLUSIONS The cobas HIV-1 assay is highly sensitive, accurate and suitable for use in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Carmona
- HIV & Haematology Molecular Laboratory, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand - NHLS, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lucia Hans
- HIV & Haematology Molecular Laboratory, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand - NHLS, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | | | | | - Ed G Marins
- Roche Molecular Systems, Pleasanton, CA, USA
| | | | - Philip Cunningham
- St Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney Limited, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
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McGuire M, de Waal A, Karellis A, Janssen R, Engel N, Sampath R, Carmona S, Zwerling AA, Suarez MF, Pai NP. HIV self-testing with digital supports as the new paradigm: A systematic review of global evidence (2010-2021). EClinicalMedicine 2021; 39:101059. [PMID: 34430835 PMCID: PMC8367787 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV self-testing (HIVST) is recommended by the WHO as an innovative strategy to reach UNAIDS targets to end HIV by 2030. HIVST with digital supports is defined as the use of digital interventions (e.g., website-based, social media, mobile HIVST applications (apps), text messaging (SMS), digital vending machines (digital VMs)) to improve the efficiency and impact of HIVST. HIVST deployment and integration in health services is an emerging priority. We conducted a systematic review aiming to close the gap in evidence that summarizes the impact of digitally supported HIVST and to inform policy recommendations. METHODS We searched PubMed and Embase for articles and abstracts on HIVST with digital supports published during the period February 1st, 2010 to June 15th, 2021, following Cochrane guidelines and PRISMA methodology. We assessed feasibility, acceptability, preference, and impact outcomes across all populations and study designs. Metrics reported were willingness to use HIVST, preferences for HIVST delivery, proportion of first-time testers, HIVST uptake, HIVST kit return rate, and linkage to care. Heterogeneity of the interventions and reported metrics precluded us from conducting a meta-analysis. FINDINGS 46 studies were narratively synthesized, of which 72% were observational and 28% were RCTs. Half of all studies (54%, 25/46) assessed web-based innovations (e.g., study websites, videos, chatbots), followed by social media (26%, 12/46), HIVST-specific apps (7%, 3/46), SMS (9%, 4/46), and digital VMs (4%, 2/46). Web-based innovations were found to be acceptable (77-97%), preferred over in-person and hybrid options by more first-time testers (47-48%), highly feasible (93-95%), and were overall effective in supporting linkage to care (53-100%). Social media and app-based innovations also had high acceptability (87-95%) and linkage to care proportions (80-100%). SMS innovations increased kit return rates (54-94%) and HIVST uptake among hard-to-reach groups. Finally, digital VMs were highly acceptable (54-93%), and HIVST uptake was six times greater when using digital VMs compared to distribution by community workers. INTERPRETATION HIVST with digital supports was deemed feasible, acceptable, preferable, and was shown to increase uptake, engage first-time testers and hard-to-reach populations, and successfully link participants to treatment. Findings pave the way for greater use of HIVST interventions with digital supports globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison McGuire
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, 1020 Pine Ave W, Montreal, QC H3A 1A2, Canada
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Decarie Blvd, 5252 blvd de Maisonneuve W., Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Anna de Waal
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, 1020 Pine Ave W, Montreal, QC H3A 1A2, Canada
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Decarie Blvd, 5252 blvd de Maisonneuve W., Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Angela Karellis
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Decarie Blvd, 5252 blvd de Maisonneuve W., Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, 3605 rue de la Montagne, Montréal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada
| | - Ricky Janssen
- Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Maastricht University, Postbus 616 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherland
| | - Nora Engel
- Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Maastricht University, Postbus 616 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherland
| | - Rangarajan Sampath
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Chemin des Mines 9, Geneva 1202, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Chemin des Mines 9, Geneva 1202, Switzerland
| | - Alice Anne Zwerling
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON K1G 5Z, Canada
| | | | - Nitika Pant Pai
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Decarie Blvd, 5252 blvd de Maisonneuve W., Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, 3605 rue de la Montagne, Montréal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada
- Corresponding author at: The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Decarie Blvd, 5252 blvd de Maisonneuve W., Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada.
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Abstract
"Fit-for-purpose" diagnostic tests have emerged as a prerequisite to achieving global targets for the prevention, control, elimination, and eradication of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), as highlighted by the World Health Organization's (WHO) new roadmap. There is an urgent need for the development of new tools for those diseases for which no diagnostics currently exist and for improvement of existing diagnostics for the remaining diseases. Yet, efforts to achieve this, and other crosscutting ambitions, are fragmented, and the burden of these 20 debilitating diseases immense. Compounded by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, programmatic interruptions, systemic weaknesses, limited investment, and poor commercial viability undermine global efforts-with a lack of coordination between partners, leading to the duplication and potential waste of scant resources. Recognizing the pivotal role of diagnostic testing and the ambition of WHO, to move forward, we must create an ecosystem that prioritizes country-level action, collaboration, creativity, and commitment to new levels of visibility. Only then can we start to accelerate progress and make new gains that move the world closer to the end of NTDs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mwelecele Malecela
- Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
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Hans L, von Allmen N, Edelmann A, Hofmann J, Nilsson AY, Simon CO, Seiverth B, Gohl P, Carmona S. Early Diagnosis of HIV-1 and HIV-2 Using Cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 Qualitative Test: A Novel Qualitative Nucleic Acid Amplification Test for Plasma, Serum, and Dried Blood Spot Specimens. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2021; 87:1187-1195. [PMID: 33883470 PMCID: PMC8263138 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nucleic acid amplification tests (NATs) minimize the time from HIV infection to diagnosis, reducing transmission during acute HIV. NATs are especially useful for diagnosing HIV in children younger than 18 months and discriminating between HIV-1 and HIV-2. METHODS We evaluated the performance of the cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 qualitative (cobas HIV-1/2 Qual) test for use on cobas 6800/8800 Systems. The results of adult plasma and serum samples and pediatric dried blood spots were compared with those of the recomLine HIV-1 & HIV-2 Immunoglobulin G serological test and COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 qualitative test, v2.0. Genotype inclusivity and limits of detection were determined, and sensitivity on seroconversion panels was compared with that in the Bio-Rad Geenius HIV 1/2 Confirmatory Assay, Abbott ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo serological test, and cobas TaqScreen MPX, v2.0. RESULTS Concordance of cobas HIV-1/2 Qual test with the comparator serological test and COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan test was ≥99.6% with all sample types. Reactivity with all HIV genotypes was 100%. LOD in plasma samples was 14.8, 12.6, and 27.9 copies/mL for HIV-1 group M, HIV-1 group O, and HIV-2, respectively, with similar results for serum samples. LOD in dried blood spots was 255 copies/mL for HIV-1 and 984 copies/mL for HIV-2. HIV infection was detected 18.9 days and 8.5 days earlier than the confirmatory and serological assays, respectively, and at a similar time to the NAT. CONCLUSIONS The cobas HIV-1/2 Qual test enables early and accurate diagnoses of HIV-1 and HIV-2 in adults and children across sample types. The assay could help avert transmission during acute HIV, simplify HIV diagnostic algorithms, and promote the survival of HIV-infected children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Hans
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa;
| | | | - Anke Edelmann
- Department of Virology, Labor Berlin—Charité Vivantes Services GmbH
| | - Jörg Hofmann
- Department of Virology, Labor Berlin—Charité Vivantes Services GmbH
| | - Alex Y. Nilsson
- Global Development, Roche Diagnostics International AG, Rotkreuz, Switzerland;
| | | | - Britta Seiverth
- Global Clinical Operations, Roche Diagnostics International AG, Rotkreuz, Switzerland; and
| | - Peter Gohl
- Bioscientia Institut für Medizinische Diagnostik, Ingelheim, Germany.
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa;
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Brümmer LE, Katzenschlager S, Gaeddert M, Erdmann C, Schmitz S, Bota M, Grilli M, Larmann J, Weigand MA, Pollock NR, Macé A, Carmona S, Ongarello S, Sacks JA, Denkinger CM. Accuracy of novel antigen rapid diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2: A living systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Med 2021; 18:e1003735. [PMID: 34383750 PMCID: PMC8389849 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) are increasingly being integrated in testing strategies around the world. Studies of the Ag-RDTs have shown variable performance. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed the clinical accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of commercially available Ag-RDTs. METHODS AND FINDINGS We registered the review on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42020225140). We systematically searched multiple databases (PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, medRvix, bioRvix, and FIND) for publications evaluating the accuracy of Ag-RDTs for SARS-CoV-2 up until 30 April 2021. Descriptive analyses of all studies were performed, and when more than 4 studies were available, a random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled sensitivity and specificity in comparison to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing. We assessed heterogeneity by subgroup analyses, and rated study quality and risk of bias using the QUADAS-2 assessment tool. From a total of 14,254 articles, we included 133 analytical and clinical studies resulting in 214 clinical accuracy datasets with 112,323 samples. Across all meta-analyzed samples, the pooled Ag-RDT sensitivity and specificity were 71.2% (95% CI 68.2% to 74.0%) and 98.9% (95% CI 98.6% to 99.1%), respectively. Sensitivity increased to 76.3% (95% CI 73.1% to 79.2%) if analysis was restricted to studies that followed the Ag-RDT manufacturers' instructions. LumiraDx showed the highest sensitivity, with 88.2% (95% CI 59.0% to 97.5%). Of instrument-free Ag-RDTs, Standard Q nasal performed best, with 80.2% sensitivity (95% CI 70.3% to 87.4%). Across all Ag-RDTs, sensitivity was markedly better on samples with lower RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values, i.e., <20 (96.5%, 95% CI 92.6% to 98.4%) and <25 (95.8%, 95% CI 92.3% to 97.8%), in comparison to those with Ct ≥ 25 (50.7%, 95% CI 35.6% to 65.8%) and ≥30 (20.9%, 95% CI 12.5% to 32.8%). Testing in the first week from symptom onset resulted in substantially higher sensitivity (83.8%, 95% CI 76.3% to 89.2%) compared to testing after 1 week (61.5%, 95% CI 52.2% to 70.0%). The best Ag-RDT sensitivity was found with anterior nasal sampling (75.5%, 95% CI 70.4% to 79.9%), in comparison to other sample types (e.g., nasopharyngeal, 71.6%, 95% CI 68.1% to 74.9%), although CIs were overlapping. Concerns of bias were raised across all datasets, and financial support from the manufacturer was reported in 24.1% of datasets. Our analysis was limited by the included studies' heterogeneity in design and reporting. CONCLUSIONS In this study we found that Ag-RDTs detect the vast majority of SARS-CoV-2-infected persons within the first week of symptom onset and those with high viral load. Thus, they can have high utility for diagnostic purposes in the early phase of disease, making them a valuable tool to fight the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Standardization in conduct and reporting of clinical accuracy studies would improve comparability and use of data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas E. Brümmer
- Division of Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Mary Gaeddert
- Division of Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Stephani Schmitz
- Division of Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marc Bota
- Agaplesion Bethesda Hospital, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maurizio Grilli
- Library, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jan Larmann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus A. Weigand
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nira R. Pollock
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | - Claudia M. Denkinger
- Division of Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Partner Site Heidelberg University Hospital, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Heidelberg, Germany
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Lecher SL, Fonjungo P, Ellenberger D, Toure CA, Alemnji G, Bowen N, Basiye F, Beukes A, Carmona S, de Klerk M, Diallo K, Dziuban E, Kiyaga C, Mbah H, Mengistu J, Mots’oane T, Mwangi C, Mwangi JW, Mwasekaga M, N’tale J, Naluguza M, Ssewanyana I, Stevens W, Zungu I, Bhairavabhotla R, Chun H, Gaffga N, Jadczak S, Lloyd S, Nguyen S, Pati R, Sleeman K, Zeh C, Zhang G, Alexander H. HIV Viral Load Monitoring Among Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy - Eight Sub-Saharan Africa Countries, 2013-2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021; 70:775-778. [PMID: 34043612 PMCID: PMC8158895 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7021a2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Hans L, Marins EG, Simon CO, Magubane D, Seiverth B, Carmona S. Classification of HIV-1 virological treatment failure using the Roche cobas plasma separation card on cobas 8800 compared to dried blood spots on Abbott RealTime HIV-1. J Clin Virol 2021; 140:104839. [PMID: 33991979 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2021.104839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Measurement of HIV-1 viral load (VL) is essential for monitoring antiretroviral treatment (ART) efficacy. In remote settings, dried blood spots (DBS) may be used as the specimen type. However, cellular components in DBS not present in the gold standard specimen type, plasma, may result in low specificity i.e., over-estimation of VL results from DBS compared to plasma. The Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assay system has been reported to have improved specificity using DBS compared to other tests. A new specimen collection matrix, the cobas plasma separation card (PSC, Roche Molecular Systems), enables specimen collection from a finger prick or venous blood, using a multi-layer absorption and filtration design that results in a specimen similar to plasma. OBJECTIVES AND STUDY DESIGN We performed a direct comparison between VL results from PSC tested with the cobas 6800/8800 assay (c8800) and DBS tested with the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assay. RESULTS Overall concordance between PSC and plasma around the 1000 copies/mL threshold was high (>97%). Compared to VL measured using DBS and the RealTime assay, PSC and c8800 showed improved sensitivity (96.9% vs 90.6%) and specificity (97.4% vs. 87.2%) using plasma as the reference, as there were fewer patients with VL below 1000 copies/mL in plasma in whom VL was over this threshold using PSC compared to DBS. The limit of detection for PSC was lower than for DBS (575 vs. 2314 copies/mL). CONCLUSIONS cobas PSC represents a promising specimen type for use with the cobas 6600/8800 system in settings where plasma cannot be used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Hans
- University of the Witwatersrand, School of Pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Johannesburg, South Africa; National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Ed G Marins
- Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, United States
| | | | - Dieketseng Magubane
- University of the Witwatersrand, School of Pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Johannesburg, South Africa; National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Sergio Carmona
- University of the Witwatersrand, School of Pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Johannesburg, South Africa; National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Hermans LE, Steegen K, Ter Heine R, Schuurman R, Tempelman HA, Moraba R, van Maarseveen E, Nijhuis M, Pillay T, Legg-E'Silva D, Snyman T, Schapiro JM, Burger DM, Carmona S, Wensing AM. Drug level testing as a strategy to determine eligibility for drug resistance testing after failure of ART: a retrospective analysis of South African adult patients on second-line ART. J Int AIDS Soc 2021; 23:e25501. [PMID: 32515898 PMCID: PMC7282495 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction When protease inhibitor (PI)‐based second‐line ART fails, guidelines recommend drug resistance testing and individualized third‐line treatment. However, PI‐resistant viral strains are rare and drug resistance testing is costly. We investigated whether less costly PI‐exposure testing can be used to select those patients who would benefit most from drug resistance testing. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of South African adults living with HIV experiencing failure of ritonavir‐boosted‐lopinavir (LPV/r)‐based second‐line ART for whom drug resistance testing results were available. We included patients who received plasma‐based drug resistance testing at a central South African reference laboratory in 2017 and patients who received dried blood spots (DBS)‐based drug resistance testing at a rural South African clinic between 2009 and 2017. PI‐exposure testing was performed on remnant plasma or DBS using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS). Additionally, a low‐cost immunoassay was used on plasma. Population genotypic drug resistance testing of the pol region was performed on plasma and DBS using standard clinical protocols. Results Samples from 544 patients (494 plasma samples and 50 DBS) were included. Median age was 41.0 years (IQR: 33.3 to 48.5) and 58.6% were women. Median HIV‐RNA load was 4.9 log10 copies/mL (4.3 to 5.4). Prevalence of resistance to the NRTI‐backbone was 70.6% (349/494) in plasma samples and 56.0% (28/50) in DBS. Major PI‐resistance mutations conferring high‐level resistance to LPV/r were observed in 26.7% (132/494) of plasma samples and 12% (6/50) of DBS. PI‐exposure testing revealed undetectable LPV levels in 47.0% (232/494) of plasma samples and in 60.0% (30/50) of DBS. In pooled analysis of plasma and DBS samples, detectable LPV levels had a sensitivity of 90% (84% to 94%) and a negative predictive failure of 95% (91% to 97%) for the presence of major LPV/r resistance. Conclusions PI‐exposure testing revealed non‐adherence in half of patients experiencing failure on second‐line ART and accurately predicted the presence or absence of clinically relevant PI resistance. PI‐exposure testing constitutes a novel screening strategy in patients with virological failure of ART that can differentiate between different underlying causes of therapy failure and may allow for more effective use of limited resources available for drug resistance testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas E Hermans
- Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
| | - Kim Steegen
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Rob Ter Heine
- Department of Pharmacy, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Schuurman
- Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo A Tempelman
- Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
| | - Robert Moraba
- Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
| | | | - Monique Nijhuis
- Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
| | - Taryn Pillay
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Derryn Legg-E'Silva
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tracy Snyman
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - David M Burger
- Department of Pharmacy, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Annemarie Mj Wensing
- Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
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McLaughlin K, Snelgrove JW, Audette MC, Syed A, Hobson SR, Windrim RC, Melamed N, Carmona S, Kingdom JC. PlGF (Placental Growth Factor) Testing in Clinical Practice: Evidence From a Canadian Tertiary Maternity Referral Center. Hypertension 2021; 77:2057-2065. [PMID: 33840202 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.121.17047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey McLaughlin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (K.M., J.W.S., M.C.A., S.R.H., R.C.W., S.C., J.C.K.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada.,The Research Centre for Women's and Infants' Health, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (K.M., M.C.A., J.C.K.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada.,Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine (K.M.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada
| | - John W Snelgrove
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (K.M., J.W.S., M.C.A., S.R.H., R.C.W., S.C., J.C.K.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada
| | - Melanie C Audette
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (K.M., J.W.S., M.C.A., S.R.H., R.C.W., S.C., J.C.K.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada.,The Research Centre for Women's and Infants' Health, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (K.M., M.C.A., J.C.K.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada
| | - Atif Syed
- Information Services (A.D., S.C.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sebastian R Hobson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (K.M., J.W.S., M.C.A., S.R.H., R.C.W., S.C., J.C.K.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada
| | - Rory C Windrim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (K.M., J.W.S., M.C.A., S.R.H., R.C.W., S.C., J.C.K.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nir Melamed
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada (N.M.)
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Information Services (A.D., S.C.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada
| | - John C Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (K.M., J.W.S., M.C.A., S.R.H., R.C.W., S.C., J.C.K.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada.,The Research Centre for Women's and Infants' Health, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (K.M., M.C.A., J.C.K.), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Ruhwald
- Foundation of Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Foundation of Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Madhukar Pai
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Bor J, Gage A, Onoya D, Maskew M, Tripodis Y, Fox MP, Puren A, Carmona S, Mlisana K, MacLeod W. Variation in HIV care and treatment outcomes by facility in South Africa, 2011-2015: A cohort study. PLoS Med 2021; 18:e1003479. [PMID: 33789340 PMCID: PMC8012100 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite widespread availability of HIV treatment, patient outcomes differ across facilities. We propose and evaluate an approach to measure quality of HIV care at health facilities in South Africa's national HIV program using routine laboratory data. METHODS AND FINDINGS Data were extracted from South Africa's National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) Corporate Data Warehouse. All CD4 counts, viral loads (VLs), and other laboratory tests used in HIV monitoring were linked, creating a validated patient identifier. We constructed longitudinal HIV care cascades for all patients in the national HIV program, excluding data from the Western Cape and very small facilities. We then estimated for each facility in each year (2011 to 2015) the following cascade measures identified a priori as reflecting quality of HIV care: median CD4 count among new patients; retention 12 months after presentation; 12-month retention among patients established in care; viral suppression; CD4 recovery; monitoring after an elevated VL. We used factor analysis to identify an underlying measure of quality of care, and we assessed the persistence of this quality measure over time. We then assessed spatiotemporal variation and facility and population predictors in a multivariable regression context. We analyzed data on 3,265 facilities with a median (IQR) annual size of 441 (189 to 988) lab-monitored HIV patients. Retention 12 months after presentation increased from 42% to 47% during the study period, and viral suppression increased from 66% to 79%, although there was substantial variability across facilities. We identified an underlying measure of quality of HIV care that correlated with all cascade measures except median CD4 count at presentation. Averaging across the 5 years of data, this quality score attained a reliability of 0.84. Quality was higher for clinics (versus hospitals), in rural (versus urban) areas, and for larger facilities. Quality was lower in high-poverty areas but was not independently associated with percent Black. Quality increased by 0.49 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.53) standard deviations from 2011 to 2015, and there was evidence of geospatial autocorrelation (p < 0.001). The study's limitations include an inability to fully adjust for underlying patient risk, reliance on laboratory data which do not capture all relevant domains of quality, potential for errors in record linkage, and the omission of Western Cape. CONCLUSIONS We observed persistent differences in HIV care and treatment outcomes across South African facilities. Targeting low-performing facilities for additional support could reduce overall burden of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Bor
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, BA, United States of America
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, BA, United States of America
| | - Anna Gage
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, BA, United States of America
| | - Dorina Onoya
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mhairi Maskew
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, BA, United States of America
| | - Matthew P. Fox
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, BA, United States of America
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, BA, United States of America
| | - Adrian Puren
- National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sergio Carmona
- National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Koleka Mlisana
- National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - William MacLeod
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, BA, United States of America
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Morgado G, Gomes A, Cruz I, Carmona S, Fazendas P, João I, Santos A, Lopes L, Pereira H. Exertional chest pain is sometimes more than just coronary atherosclerosis. Revista Portuguesa de Cardiologia (English Edition) 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.repce.2018.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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39
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de Vos M, Scott L, David A, Trollip A, Hoffmann H, Georghiou S, Carmona S, Ruhwald M, Stevens W, Denkinger CM, Schumacher SG. Comparative Analytical Evaluation of Four Centralized Platforms for the Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex and Resistance to Rifampicin and Isoniazid. J Clin Microbiol 2021; 59:e02168-20. [PMID: 33268535 PMCID: PMC8106716 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.02168-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Failure to rapidly identify drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) increases the risk of patient mismanagement, the amplification of drug resistance, and ongoing transmission. We generated comparative analytical data for four automated assays for the detection of TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB): Abbott RealTime MTB and MTB RIF/INH (Abbott), Hain Lifescience FluoroType MTBDR (Hain), BD Max MDR-TB (BD), and Roche cobas MTB and MTB-RIF/INH (Roche). We included Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) and GenoType MTBDRplus as comparators for TB and drug resistance detection, respectively. We assessed analytical sensitivity for the detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex using inactivated strains (M. tuberculosis H37Rv and M. bovis) spiked into TB-negative sputa and computed the 95% limits of detection (LOD95). We assessed the accuracy of rifampicin and isoniazid resistance detection using well-characterized M. tuberculosis strains with high-confidence mutations accounting for >85% of first-line resistance mechanisms globally. For H37Rv and M. bovis, we measured LOD95 values of 3,781 and 2,926 (Xpert), 322 and 2,182 (Abbott), 826 and 4,301 (BD), 10,398 and 23,139 (Hain), and 2,416 and 2,136 (Roche) genomes/ml, respectively. Assays targeting multicopy genes or targets (Abbott, BD, and Roche) showed increased analytical sensitivity compared to Xpert. Quantification of the panel by quantitative real-time PCR prevents the determination of absolute values, and results reported here can be interpreted for comparison purposes only. All assays showed accuracy comparable to that of Genotype MTBDRplus for the detection of rifampicin and isoniazid resistance. The data from this analytical study suggest that the assays may have clinical performances similar to those of WHO-recommended molecular TB and MDR-TB assays.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lesley Scott
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Anura David
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Andre Trollip
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Harald Hoffmann
- Institute of Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, Department IML Red GmbH, WHO-Supranational Reference Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Munich-Gauting, Germany
- SYNLAB Gauting, SYNLAB Human Genetics Munich, Munich-Gauting, Germany
| | | | - Sergio Carmona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Morten Ruhwald
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Wendy Stevens
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Claudia M Denkinger
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
- Division of Tropical Medicine, Center of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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McLaughlin K, Audette M, Carmona S, Kingdom J. Clinical phenotype & outcomes of women who develop severe hypertension in pregnancy 2020. Can J Cardiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2020.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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41
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Harlow AF, Bor J, Brennan AT, Maskew M, MacLeod W, Carmona S, Mlisana K, Fox MP. Impact of Viral Load Monitoring on Retention and Viral Suppression: A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of South Africa's National Laboratory Cohort. Am J Epidemiol 2020; 189:1492-1501. [PMID: 32648905 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaa140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
South African guidelines recommend repeat viral load testing within 6 months when human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral loads exceed 1,000 copies/mL. We assessed whether South African facilities follow viral load monitoring guidelines and whether guidelines improve HIV-related outcomes, using a regression discontinuity design in a national HIV cohort of 174,574 patients (2013-2015). We assessed whether patients with viral loads just above versus just below 1,000 copies/mL were more likely to receive repeat testing in 6 months, and we compared differences in clinic transfers, retention, and viral suppression. The majority (67%) of patients with viral loads of >1,000 copies/mL did not receive repeat testing within 6 months, and these patients were 8.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.2, 9.7) more likely to receive repeat testing compared with ≤1,000 copies/mL. Eligibility for repeat testing (>1,000 copies/mL) was associated with greater 12-month retention (risk difference = 2.9%, 95% CI: 0.6, 5.2) and combined suppression and retention (risk difference = 5.8%, 95% CI: 3.0, 8.6). Patients with viral loads of >1,000 copies/mL who actually received repeat testing were 85.2% more likely to be both retained and virally suppressed at 12 months (95% CI: 35.9, 100.0). Viral load monitoring might improve patient outcomes, but most patients with elevated viral loads do not receive monitoring within recommended timelines.
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Sánchez-Sánchez J, Alarcón-Loayza J, Villa-Castillo L, Kohli M, Boehme CC, Carmona S, Garcia PJ, Pai M, Ugarte-Gil C. Availability of essential diagnostics at primary care public clinics in Peru. Microbes Infect 2020; 23:104761. [PMID: 32992008 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luz Villa-Castillo
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Mikashmi Kohli
- McGill International TB Center, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | | | - Patricia J Garcia
- Unit of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Madhukar Pai
- McGill International TB Center, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; McGill Global Health Programs, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Cesar Ugarte-Gil
- School of Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
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Jordan MR, Hamunime N, Bikinesi L, Sawadogo S, Agolory S, Shiningavamwe AN, Negussie T, Fisher-Walker CL, Raizes EG, Mutenda N, Hunter CJ, Dean N, Steegen K, Kana V, Carmona S, Yang C, Tang AM, Parkin N, Hong SY. High levels of HIV drug resistance among adults failing second-line antiretroviral therapy in Namibia. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e21661. [PMID: 32925712 PMCID: PMC7489739 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000021661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
To support optimal third-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) selection in Namibia, we investigated the prevalence of HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) at time of failure of second-line ART. A cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2016 and February 2017. HIV-infected people ≥15 years of age with confirmed virological failure while receiving ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI/r)-based second-line ART were identified at 15 high-volume ART clinics representing over >70% of the total population receiving second-line ART. HIVDR genotyping of dried blood spots obtained from these individuals was performed using standard population sequencing methods. The Stanford HIVDR algorithm was used to identify sequences with predicted resistance; genotypic susceptibility scores for potential third-line regimens were calculated. Two hundred thirty-eight individuals were enrolled; 57.6% were female. The median age and duration on PI/r-based ART at time of enrolment were 37 years and 3.46 years, respectively. 97.5% received lopinavir/ritonavir-based regimens. The prevalence of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), and PI/r resistance was 50.6%, 63.1%, and 13.1%, respectively. No significant association was observed between HIVDR prevalence and age or sex. This study demonstrates high levels of NRTI and NNRTI resistance and moderate levels of PI resistance in people receiving PI/r-based second-line ART in Namibia. Findings underscore the need for objective and inexpensive measures of adherence to identify those in need of intensive adherence counselling, routine viral load monitoring to promptly detect virological failure, and HIVDR genotyping to optimize selection of third-line drugs in Namibia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R. Jordan
- Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Disease, Tufts Medical Center
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ndapewa Hamunime
- Directorate of Special Programmes, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Leonard Bikinesi
- Directorate of Special Programmes, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Windhoek, Namibia
| | | | - Simon Agolory
- United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
| | | | - Taffa Negussie
- Directorate of Special Programmes, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Windhoek, Namibia
| | | | | | - Nicholus Mutenda
- Directorate of Special Programmes, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Windhoek, Namibia
| | | | - Natalie Dean
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kim Steegen
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Vibha Kana
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Chunfu Yang
- United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Alice M. Tang
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Neil Parkin
- Data First Consulting, Inc., Sebastopol, CA, USA
| | - Steven Y. Hong
- Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Disease, Tufts Medical Center
- United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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44
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Fox MP, Brennan AT, Nattey C, MacLeod WB, Harlow A, Mlisana K, Maskew M, Carmona S, Bor J. Delays in repeat HIV viral load testing for those with elevated viral loads: a national perspective from South Africa. J Int AIDS Soc 2020; 23:e25542. [PMID: 32640101 PMCID: PMC7343337 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In South Africa, HIV patients with an elevated viral load (VL) should receive repeat VL testing after adherence counselling. We set out to use a national HIV Cohort to describe time to repeat viral load testing across South Africa and identify predictors of time to repeat testing. METHODS We conducted a cohort study of prospectively collected laboratory data. HIV treatment guidelines have changed over time in South Africa, but call for repeat VL testing within six months if 400 to 1000 copies/mL and two to three months if >1000 copies/mL. We included patients with suppressed viral loads (indicating they are on ART) and a first elevated VL (>400 copies/mL) between April 2004 and December 2014. Follow-up began at first elevated VL and continued until repeat testing, loss to follow-up or December 2016. We calculated adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS Of 371,648 patients with a VL > 400, 83.9% (311,790) had a repeat VL, in a median (IQR) of 7.0 (4.1 to 12.2) months. Of those with a first viral load 400 to 1000 copies/mL, 56.4% had a repeat VL within guideline recommended six months (defined as up to nine months), whereas among those >1000 copies/mL only 47.7% had a repeat viral load within guideline recommended two to three months (defined as up to six months). We found a small increase in repeat testing associated with higher VL value (aHR 1.11; 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.12 comparing >1000 vs 400 to 1000 copies/mL) and very low CD4 counts at first elevated VL (aHR 1.16; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.19 comparing CD4 < 50 vs <500 cells/mm3 ). We also found strong variation in time to repeat VL testing by province. CONCLUSIONS Median time to repeat viral load testing for those with an elevated viral load was longer than guidelines recommend. Future work should identify whether delays are due to patient or provider factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Fox
- Department of EpidemiologyBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMAUSA
- Department of Global HealthBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMAUSA
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Alana T Brennan
- Department of EpidemiologyBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMAUSA
- Department of Global HealthBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMAUSA
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Cornelius Nattey
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - William B MacLeod
- Department of Global HealthBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMAUSA
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Alyssa Harlow
- Department of EpidemiologyBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMAUSA
| | - Koleka Mlisana
- National Health Laboratory ServiceJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Mhairi Maskew
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Sergio Carmona
- National Health Laboratory ServiceJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Jacob Bor
- Department of EpidemiologyBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMAUSA
- Department of Global HealthBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMAUSA
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
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Carmona S, Zalazar G, Dachesky I. Abecedario del examen vestibuloespinal. Revisión bibliográfica. ORL 2020. [DOI: 10.14201/orl.23214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introducción y objetivo: Durante las largas cuarentenas impuestas en el mundo por la pandemia de COVID-19 los médicos hemos empezado a usar con mayor asiduidad la modalidad de consulta virtual. La neurootología no ha sido una excepción en este contexto y usando el mecanismo de las videollamadas hemos podido dar atención y contención a un buen número de pacientes durante este período. Por esta razón y basados en la experiencia singular de este periodo, hemos diseñado un examen sistemático, basado en pruebas vestíbulo-espinales simples y presentadas en forma nemotécnica (abecedario). Sobre la base de nuestra experiencia y con una revisión de la literatura se intenta demostrar la etiología y topografía vestibular de los hallazgos. Método: Revisión narrativa. Para la búsqueda de la bibliografía se utilizó la metodología de revisión sistemática de documentos en metabuscadores y bases de datos. Periodo analizado del 2001 al 2019, en diversas revistas científicas. Resultados: El examen se dividió en cuatro pasos de acuerdo con las cuatro primeras letras del alfabeto: Ataxia (gradación), Bárány (desviación de los índices), Cefálico (tilt o inclinación cefálica de la cabeza en relación con el tronco) y Desviación (desviación oblicua de los ojos Test de skew). Discusión: Se plantea el uso de la mnemotecnia abecedario para ordenar el examen vestíbulo espinal en los pacientes con afección del sistema vestibular, de manera simple y práctica, permitiendo la modalidad virtual. Conclusiones: Este sencillo abecedario vestíbulo-espinal permite, asociado a un interrogatorio exhaustivo, realizar un examen vestibular eficaz por medios virtuales, separar eficazmente lesiones centrales de periféricas en cuadros vestibulares agudos con alta sensibilidad y especificidad y finalmente hacer un topodiagnóstico del lado de lesión vestibular.
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Kufa T, Mazanderani AH, Sherman GG, Mukendi A, Murray T, Moyo F, Technau K, Carmona S. Point-of-care HIV maternal viral load and early infant diagnosis testing around time of delivery at tertiary obstetric units in South Africa: a prospective study of coverage, results return and turn-around times. J Int AIDS Soc 2020; 23:e25487. [PMID: 32329186 PMCID: PMC7180267 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Maternal viral load monitoring (mVL) and early infant diagnosis (EID) are necessary to achieve elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Point-of-care testing can achieve better outcomes compared to centralized laboratory testing (CLT). We describe the first implementation of point-of-care (POC) mVL and EID testing around delivery at four high volume tertiary obstetric units (TOUs) in Gauteng, South Africa. METHODS Prospective study of pregnant women living with HIV (WLHIV) and their infants. During the period 1 June 2018 to 31 March 2019, routine staff collected blood specimens from women and their infants around delivery. Specimen collection occurred throughout the week while dedicated POC operators, conducted testing during working hours on weekdays. Descriptive statistics and multivariable Poisson regression with robust error variance were used to describe outcomes and associated factors. Outcomes determined were (i) coverage of mVL and EID testing defined as a proportion of live births to WLHIV admitted at each facility (ii) results returned prior to discharge (iii) turn-around time (TAT) and iv) performance of POC testing compared to CLT. RESULTS In total, 8147 live births to pregnant WLHIV were recorded in the implementation period. Of these, 2912 mVL and 5074 EID specimens were included in the analysis, with 131 (4.5%) mVL and 715 (14.1%) EID specimens having initial invalid/error results. Overall coverage of POC mVL and EID testing was 35.6% (range 20.9% to 60.1%) and 61.9% (range 47.0% to 88.0%) respectively. Proportions of POC tested mothers and infants with results returned prior to discharge were 74.3% (range 39.0% to 95.7%) and 73.0% (range 50.0 to 97.9%). Return of results was independently associated with TOU, after-hours specimen collection, having an initial invalid or error result and period of implementation. Overall TAT for specimens collected from mother-infant pairs where both had POC testing, during weekdays was longer for EID compared to mVL testing (median 3.3 hours vs. 2.9 hours, p-value sign test <0.001). POC results were comparable to those from laboratory testing. CONCLUSION Accurate and timely POC mVL and EID testing around delivery was implemented with variable success across TOUs. Further scale up would need to address health system factors at facility level and high analytical error rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tendesayi Kufa
- Centre for HIV and STIsNational Institute for Communicable DiseasesJohannesburgSouth Africa
- Faculty of Health SciencesSchool of Public HealthUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Ahmad H Mazanderani
- Centre for HIV and STIsNational Institute for Communicable DiseasesJohannesburgSouth Africa
- Department of Medical VirologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- Paediatric HIV DiagnosticsWits Health Consortium Pty LtdJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Gayle G Sherman
- Centre for HIV and STIsNational Institute for Communicable DiseasesJohannesburgSouth Africa
- Paediatric HIV DiagnosticsWits Health Consortium Pty LtdJohannesburgSouth Africa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child HealthFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand JohannesburgJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Aurélie Mukendi
- Paediatric HIV DiagnosticsWits Health Consortium Pty LtdJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Tanya Murray
- Paediatric HIV DiagnosticsWits Health Consortium Pty LtdJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Faith Moyo
- Paediatric HIV DiagnosticsWits Health Consortium Pty LtdJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Karl‐Günter Technau
- Department of PaediatricsFaculty of Health SciencesEmpilweni Services and Research UnitRahima Moosa Mother and Child HospitalUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Sergio Carmona
- National Priority ProgrammesNational Health Laboratory ServiceJohannesburgSouth Africa
- Department of Molecular Medicine and HaematologyFaculty of Health SciencesSchool of PathologyUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
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Balint B, Guerreiro R, Carmona S, Dehghani N, Latorre A, Cordivari C, Bhatia KP, Bras J. KCNN2 mutation in autosomal-dominant tremulous myoclonus-dystonia. Eur J Neurol 2020; 27:1471-1477. [PMID: 32212350 DOI: 10.1111/ene.14228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Despite recent advances in neurogenetics that have facilitated the identification of a number of dystonia genes, many familial dystonia syndromes remain without known cause. The aim of the study was to identify the cause of autosomal dominant tremulous myoclonus-dystonia in a UK kindred with affected individuals in three generations. METHODS Known genetic causes of myoclonus-dystonia were excluded. We combined clinical and electrophysiological phenotyping with whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing to identify candidate causal variants in a family with tremulous myoclonus-dystonia. RESULTS The core phenotype consisted of childhood-onset dystonia predominantly affecting hands and neck, with a fast tremor with superimposed myoclonus and, in some individuals, subtle cerebellar signs. We identified a novel missense variant in potassium calcium-activated channel subfamily N member 2 (KCNN2) [NM_021614:c.1112G>A:p.(Gly371Glu)], which was the only variant that we were able to identify as segregating with the phenotype over three generations. This variant, which is absent from the most recent version of gnomAD, was predicted to be deleterious by SIFT and PolyPhen-2 and had an overall CADD score of 29.7. CONCLUSIONS KCNN2, a member of the KCNN family of potassium channel genes, is highly conserved across species and in humans is highly expressed in the brain, particularly the cerebellum. KCNN2 mutations have never been described as pathological in human disease, but are recognized abnormalities in two rodent models of fast, jerky tremor. Segregation, absence of the variant in the normal population and in-silico prediction of a deleterious effect together with animal models compatible with the clinical phenotype are all in line with KCNN2 mutations being a plausible cause underlying myoclonus-dystonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Balint
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - R Guerreiro
- Dementia Research Institute at UCL and Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.,Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - S Carmona
- Dementia Research Institute at UCL and Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.,Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - N Dehghani
- Dementia Research Institute at UCL and Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.,Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - A Latorre
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.,Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - C Cordivari
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - K P Bhatia
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - J Bras
- Dementia Research Institute at UCL and Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.,Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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Nichols BE, Girdwood SJ, Shibemba A, Sikota S, Gill CJ, Mwananyanda L, Noble L, Stewart-Isherwood L, Scott L, Carmona S, Rosen S, Stevens W. Cost and Impact of Dried Blood Spot Versus Plasma Separation Card for Scale-up of Viral Load Testing in Resource-limited Settings. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 70:1014-1020. [PMID: 31321438 PMCID: PMC7931834 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Routine plasma viral load (VL) testing is recommended for monitoring human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy. In Zambia, VL scale-up is limited due to logistical obstacles around plasma specimen collection, storage, and transport to centralized laboratories. Dried blood spots (DBSs) could circumvent many logistical challenges at the cost of increased misclassification. Recently, plasma separation cards (PSCs) have become available and, though more expensive, have lower total misclassification than DBSs. METHODS Using a geospatial model created for optimizing VL utilization in Zambia, we estimated the short-term cost of uptake/correct VL result using either DBSs or PSCs to increase VL access on equipment available in-country. Five scenarios were modeled: (1) plasma only (status quo); (2) plasma at high-volume sites, DBS at low-volume sites; (3) plasma at high-volume sites, PSC at low-volume sites; (4) PSC only; (5) DBS only. RESULTS Scenario 1 resulted in 795 342 correct results due to limited patient access. When allowing for full and partial adoption of dried specimens, access increases by 19%, with scenario 3 producing the greatest number of correct results expected (929 857). The average cost per correct VL result was lowest in the plasma + DBS scenario at $30.90 compared to $31.62 in our plasma + PSC scenario. The cost per correct result of using dried specimens only was dominated in the incremental analysis, due primarily to fewer correct results. CONCLUSIONS Adopting the partial use of dried specimens will help achieve improved VL access for patients at the lowest cost per correct result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E Nichols
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Massachusetts
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sarah J Girdwood
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Sharper Sikota
- Right to Care Zambia, Lusaka
- Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J Gill
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Massachusetts
| | - Lawrence Mwananyanda
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Massachusetts
- Right to Care Zambia, Lusaka
| | - Lara Noble
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
| | - Lynsey Stewart-Isherwood
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
- National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lesley Scott
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
- National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sydney Rosen
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Massachusetts
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Wendy Stevens
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
- National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Sinajon P, Chitayat D, Roifman M, Wasim S, Carmona S, Ryan G, Noor A, Kolomietz E, Chong K. Microarray and RASopathy-disorder testing in fetuses with increased nuchal translucency. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2020; 55:383-390. [PMID: 31115076 DOI: 10.1002/uog.20352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities, submicroscopic chromosomal abnormalities and RASopathy-disorder (RD) pathogenic variants in a cohort of pregnancies with nuchal translucency thickness (NT) ≥ 3.5 mm, and to propose a clinical protocol for surveillance of this group of patients. METHODS This was a retrospective chart review of patients referred to The Prenatal Diagnosis and Medical Genetics Program at Mount Sinai Hospital between January 2013 and December 2015, due to NT ≥ 3.5 mm, who underwent chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. Patients underwent extensive genetic counseling prior to invasive procedures and testing. Quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) was performed as the first-line test for aneuploidy. If the result was negative, patients underwent karyotyping and/or chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), and if the findings were normal, they had testing for RD pathogenic variants, which included nine known genes. Patients also underwent detailed fetal ultrasound examinations and echocardiography, performed by expert operators. RESULTS A total of 226 eligible patients were identified. In 116/226 (51.3%) patients, QF-PCR identified a chromosomal aneuploidy. The remaining 110/226 (48.7%) patients had further genetic testing. Karyotyping/CMA detected an abnormal/pathogenic cytogenetic result in 9/110 (8.2%) patients, as well as five variants of unknown significance (VOUS). RD testing yielded three pathogenic variants (3/103), giving a detection rate of 2.9%, and one VOUS. The optimal NT cut-off for RD screening was 7.9 mm in this population. In 92/110 (83.6%) patients, the genetic investigations were normal. Of these pregnancies, an early (14-16 weeks' gestation) detailed fetal ultrasound examination identified a structural abnormality in 24 (26.1%), 15 (16.3%) had an abnormal detailed ultrasound examination at 18-22 weeks' gestation and fetal echocardiography showed a cardiac abnormality in nine (9.8%). The birth outcome in the 83 pregnancies that had normal genetic investigations and known outcome included seven (8.4%) cases of termination of pregnancy, seven (8.4%) cases of intrauterine fetal death and 69 (83.1%) cases of live birth. Nine (9.8%) patients were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Both CMA and molecular testing for RD are important investigations in pregnancies with NT ≥ 3.5 mm. The use of genetic testing combined with fetal ultrasound examination provides valuable information that can influence pregnancy outcome, and provide recurrence risks, in this patient population. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sinajon
- The Prenatal Diagnosis and Medical Genetics Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - D Chitayat
- The Prenatal Diagnosis and Medical Genetics Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Roifman
- The Prenatal Diagnosis and Medical Genetics Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - S Wasim
- University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - S Carmona
- Medical Informatics Information Services, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - G Ryan
- Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - A Noor
- Division of Diagnostic Medical Genetics, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - E Kolomietz
- Division of Diagnostic Medical Genetics, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - K Chong
- The Prenatal Diagnosis and Medical Genetics Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Hermans LE, Carmona S, Nijhuis M, Tempelman HA, Richman DD, Moorhouse M, Grobbee DE, Venter WDF, Wensing AMJ. Virological suppression and clinical management in response to viremia in South African HIV treatment program: A multicenter cohort study. PLoS Med 2020; 17:e1003037. [PMID: 32097428 PMCID: PMC7041795 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uptake of antiretroviral treatment (ART) is expanding rapidly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Monitoring of virological suppression is recommended at 6 months of treatment and annually thereafter. In case of confirmed virological failure, a switch to second-line ART is indicated. There is a paucity of data on virological suppression and clinical management of patients experiencing viremia in clinical practice in LMIC. We report a large-scale multicenter assessment of virological suppression over time and management of viremia under programmatic conditions. METHODS AND FINDINGS Linked medical record and laboratory source data from adult patients on first-line ART at 52 South African centers between 1 January 2007 and 1 May 2018 were studied. Virological suppression, switch to second-line ART, death, and loss to follow-up were analyzed. Multistate models and Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess suppression over time and predictors of treatment outcomes. A total of 104,719 patients were included. Patients were predominantly female (67.6%). Median age was 35.7 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 29.9-43.0). In on-treatment analysis, suppression below 1,000 copies/mL was 89.0% at month 12 and 90.4% at month 72. Suppression below 50 copies/mL was 73.1% at month 12 and 77.5% at month 72. Intention-to-treat suppression was 75.0% and 64.3% below 1,000 and 50 copies/mL at month 72, respectively. Viremia occurred in 19.8% (20,766/104,719) of patients during a median follow-up of 152 (IQR: 61-265) weeks. Being male and below 35 years of age and having a CD4 count below 200 cells/μL prior to start of ART were risk factors for viremia. After detection of viremia, confirmatory testing took 29 weeks (IQR: 16-54). Viral resuppression to below 1,000 copies/mL without switch of ART occurred frequently (45.6%; 6,030/13,210) but was associated with renewed viral rebound and switch. Of patients with confirmed failure who remained in care, only 41.5% (1,872/4,510) were switched. The median time to switch was 68 weeks (IQR: 35-127), resulting in 12,325 person-years spent with a viral load above 1,000 copies/mL. Limitations of this study include potential missing data, which is in part addressed by the use of cross-matched laboratory source data, and the possibility of unmeasured confounding. CONCLUSIONS In this study, 90% virological suppression below the threshold of 1,000 copies/mL was observed in on-treatment analysis. However, this target was not met at the 50-copies/mL threshold or in intention-to-treat analysis. Clinical management in response to viremia was profoundly delayed, prolonging the duration of viremia and potential for transmission. Diagnostic tools to establish the cause of viremia are urgently needed to accelerate clinical decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas E. Hermans
- Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
| | - Sergio Carmona
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Monique Nijhuis
- Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
- University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Hugo A. Tempelman
- Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
- University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Douglas D. Richman
- Center for AIDS Research, University of California San Diego, United States of America
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, California, United States of America
| | - Michelle Moorhouse
- Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Diederick E. Grobbee
- Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
- Clinical Epidemiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Willem D. F. Venter
- Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
| | - Annemarie M. J. Wensing
- Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Ndlovu Research Consortium, Elandsdoorn, South Africa
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