Identification of a specific marker for hepatitis C virus infection using capillary zone electrophoresis

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is now becoming a common health problem in both developed and developing countries. The limitation of the available diagnostic approaches enhances the efforts to have a rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnostic testing for HCV infection. Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) is a fully automated analytical technique whose popularity is quickly increasing in the clinical chemistry laboratory. CZE can analyze nanoliters or less of samples with detection sensitivity at the attomole level (10(-18) mol) or less. METHODS: CZE was optimized for the identification of a specific marker of HCV infection. The performance characteristics of the CZE for the detection of HCV RNA peak were evaluated in comparison with standard nested PCR. RESULTS: A characteristic peak at 2.72 min was identified only in the CZE electropherogram of urine samples from HCV-infected individuals. The nature of the characteristic peak was investigated and confirmed to be HCV RNA using PCR and other biochemical treatments including RNase, DNase, and trypsin enzymes. CZE showed high degrees of sensitivity (94%) and specificity (96%) in comparison with the nested PCR. CONCLUSION: CZE provides a rapid, inexpensive, sensitive, and specific analytical method for diagnosis and mass screening of a large number of HCV-infected individuals.     

Assessment of β-amyloid deposits in human brain: a study of the BrainNet Europe Consortium

β-Amyloid (Aβ) related pathology shows a range of lesions which differ both qualitatively and quantitatively. Pathologists, to date, mainly focused on the assessment of both of these aspects but attempts to correlate the findings with clinical phenotypes are not convincing. It has been recently proposed in the same way as ι and α synuclein related lesions, also Aβ related pathology may follow a temporal evolution, i.e. distinct phases, characterized by a step-wise involvement of different brain-regions. Twenty-six independent observers reached an 81% absolute agreement while assessing the phase of Aβ, i.e. phase 1 = deposition of Aβ exclusively in neocortex, phase 2 = additionally in allocortex, phase 3 = additionally in diencephalon, phase 4 = additionally in brainstem, and phase 5 = additionally in cerebellum. These high agreement rates were reached when at least six brain regions were evaluated. Likewise, a high agreement (93%) was reached while assessing the absence/presence of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and the type of CAA (74%) while examining the six brain regions. Of note, most of observers failed to detect capillary CAA when it was only mild and focal and thus instead of type 1, type 2 CAA was diagnosed. In conclusion, a reliable assessment of Aβ phase and presence/absence of CAA was achieved by a total of 26 observers who examined a standardized set of blocks taken from only six anatomical regions, applying commercially available reagents and by assessing them as instructed. Thus, one may consider rating of Aβ-phases as a diagnostic tool while analyzing subjects with suspected Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Because most of these blocks are currently routinely sampled by the majority of laboratories, assessment of the Aβ phase in AD is feasible even in large scale retrospective studies.     

Specificity of cognitive distortions to antisocial behaviours

Introduction/Background Cognitive distortions have long been posited to facilitate antisocial behaviours, but the specificity of such distortions has rarely been studied. Aims To replicate findings of specificity between particular cognitions and externalizing or internalizing behaviours; to test for specificity of relationship between particular cognitions and different types of externalizing behaviours. Methods The participants were 239 male youths aged 10 to 19 years (mean (M) = 14.22, standard deviation (SD) = 1.64) from schools on the island of Curaçao. Their cognitive distortions and problem behaviours were investigated through self‐report. Results In controlled analyses, self‐serving cognitive distortions were associated with externalizing behaviours whereas self‐debasing cognitive distortions were associated with internalizing behaviours. Within the externalizing domain, self‐serving distortions with overt behavioural referents were linked to aggressive behaviour while self‐serving distortions with covert behavioural referents were linked to delinquent behaviour. Within the aggression domain, distortions with opposition‐defiance referents related to verbal aggression whereas distortions with physical aggression referents related to physically aggressive behaviour. Conclusions and implications for practice The degree of cognitive‐behavioural specificity documented by this study was remarkable. The observed pattern suggests that cognitive interventions designed for externalizing versus internalizing behaviours should differ in therapeutic approach. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.