Influence of Fermentation and Drying Materials on the Contamination of Cocoa Beans by Ochratoxin A

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced mainly by species of Aspergillus and Penicillium. Contamination of food with OTA is a major consumer health hazard. In Côte d’Ivoire, preventing OTA contamination has been the subject of extensive study. The current study was conducted to evaluate the influence of fermentation and drying materials on the OTA content in cocoa. For each test, 7000 intact cocoa pods were collected, split open to remove the beans, fermented using 1 of 3 different materials, sun-dried on 1 of 3 different platform types and stored for 30 days. A total of 22 samples were collected at each stage of post-harvesting operations. The OTA content in the extracted samples was then quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. OTA was detected in beans at all stages of post-harvesting operations at varying levels: pod-opening (0.025 ± 0.02 mg/kg), fermentation (0.275 ± 0.2 mg/kg), drying (0.569 ± 0.015 mg/kg), and storage (0.558 ± 0.04 mg/kg). No significant relationships between the detected OTA level and the materials used in the fermentation and drying of cocoa were observed.     

A liquid biopsy for head and neck cancers

Head and neck cancer patients often present with advanced metastatic disease resulting in a poor 5-year survival. Therefore, there is a need for non-invasive diagnostic tools that could complement conventional imaging to inform clinicians of patient outcomes and treatment responses. A liquid biopsy addresses this unmet clinical need; a simple peripheral blood draw could provide information about the disseminated disease in terms of circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA. Moreover, detectable tumor DNA in the saliva of head and neck cancer patients could signify the early signs of the disease and present an opportunity for clinical intervention. This review provides an overview of the current literature with regard to the feasibility of such a test in the head and neck cancer field and highlights the need for such a test.     

Are Pathogenic Leptospira Species Agents of Community-Acquired Pneumonia? Case Reports of Leptospirosis Presenting as Pneumonia

We report four Indonesian cases meeting the clinical and radiological criteria for community-acquired pneumonia and other findings suggestive of leptospirosis. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) analyses of serum and urine samples and serology confirmed the diagnosis of leptospirosis in each. Results of qPCR analysis of throat swabs were concordant with those obtained with acute-phase serum samples, which suggests its potential for use as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for leptospirosis.     

Severe Mental Illness and Retention in Anti-Retroviral Care: A Retrospective Study

Severe mental illness (SMI) in people living with HIV (PLWH) may impact on the initiation and adherence to combination antiretroviral treatment. We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective folder review of 100 PLWH suffering from an SMI, in Cape Town, South Africa. Information pertaining to whether these patients had attended a six-month visit at the referral HIV clinic after discharge from a psychiatric hospital was obtained. Of the 100 participants, 63 did not attend a first 6-month HIV clinic follow-up. There were no significant differences between 6-month attenders and non-attenders on demographic or clinical variables. After adjustment, respondents who had been re-admitted to a psychiatric hospital more than once were more likely not to attend their follow-up visit compared to those with no re-admissions (1 re-admission: PR = 1.52, 95 % CI 1.00–2.31; 2 or more re-admissions: PR = 1.60, 1.08–2.37). PLWH who have a co-morbid SMI are an especially vulnerable group of patients. Psychosocial support and interventions such as case management may be useful.     

Hb Calais [β76(E20)Ala→Pro]: A Family Study of a Variant With Decreased Oxygen Affinity

Secondary to the detection of a chronic anemia with a slightly increased Hb F level in a 7‐year-old boy carrying a hemoglobin (Hb) variant, we investigated the members of his family and found that they were related to the original case of Hb Calais. In the present study, we report the clinical and biological impacts of this Hb variant in various members of three generations of this family.