Evaluation of circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) urine-cassette assay as a survey tool for Schistosoma mansoni in different transmission settings within Bugiri District,Uganda

Diagnosis of schistosomiasis at the point-of-care (POC) is a growing topic in neglected tropical disease research. There is a need for diagnostic tests which are affordable, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid, equipment-free and delivered to those who need it, and POC is an important tool for disease mapping and guiding mass deworming. The aim of present study was to evaluate the relative diagnostic performance of two urine-circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) cassette assays, one commercially available and the other in experimental production, against results obtained using the standard Kato-Katz faecal smear method (six thick smears from three consecutive days), as a ‘gold-standard’, for Schistosoma mansoni infection in different transmission settings in Uganda. Our study was conducted among 500 school children randomly selected across 5 schools within Bugiri district, adjacent to Lake Victoria in Uganda. Considering results from the 469 pupils who provided three stool samples for the six Kato-Katz smears, 293 (76%) children had no infection, 109 (23%) were in the light intensity category, while 42 (9%) and 25 (5%) were in the moderate and heavy intensity categories respectively. Following performance analysis of CCA tests in terms of sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, overall performance of the commercially available CCA test was more informative than single Kato-Katz faecal smear microscopy, the current operational field standard for disease mapping. The current CCA assay is therefore a satisfactory method for surveillance of S. mansoni in an area where disease endemicity is declining due to control interventions. With the recent resolution on schistosomiasis elimination by the 65th World Health Assembly, the urine POC CCA test is an attractive tool to augment and perhaps replace the Kato-Katz sampling within ongoing control programmes.     

Prenatal exposure to PCBs in Cyp1a2 knock‐out mice interferes with F1 fertility,impairs long‐term potentiation,reduces acoustic startle and impairs conditioned freezing contextual memory with minimal transgenerational effects

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are toxic environmental pollutants. Humans are exposed to PCB mixtures via contaminated food or water. PCB exposure causes adverse effects in adults and after exposure in utero. PCB toxicity depends on the congener mixture and CYP1A2 gene activity. For coplanar PCBs, toxicity depends on ligand affinity for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Previously, we found that perinatal exposure of mice to a three‐coplanar/five‐noncoplanar PCB mixture induced deficits in novel object recognition and trial failures in the Morris water maze in Cyp1a2^?/?::Ahr^b1 C57BL6/J mice compared with wild‐type mice (Ahr^b1 = high AHR affinity). Here we exposed gravid Cyp1a2^?/?::Ahr^b1 mice to a PCB mixture on embryonic day 10.5 by gavage and examined the F₁ and F₃ offspring (not F₂). PCB‐exposed F₁ mice exhibited increased open‐field central time, reduced acoustic startle, greater conditioned contextual freezing and reduced CA1 hippocampal long‐term potentiation with no change in spatial learning or memory. F₁ mice also had inhibited growth, decreased heart rate and cardiac output, and impaired fertility. F₃ mice showed few effects. Gene expression changes were primarily in F₁ PCB males compared with wild‐type males. There were minimal RNA and DNA methylation changes in the hippocampus from F₁ to F₃ with no clear relevance to the functional effects. F₀ PCB exposure during a period of rapid DNA de‐/remethylation in a susceptible genotype produced clear F₁ effects with little evidence of transgenerational effects in the F₃ generation. While PCBs show clear developmental neurotoxicity, their effects do not persist across generations for effects assessed herein.     

Effect of iodixanol and ioxilan on QT interval and renal function in patients with systolic heart failure

Background

Contrast media (CM) exposure is associated with a substantial risk of arrhythmias and nephrotoxicity. These adverse effects may be exacerbated in high-risk conditions such as heart failure, although no studies have evaluated newer CM agents in this population. This study evaluated the electrophysiologic and renal effects of two newer CM agents, iodixanol and ioxilan, in heart failure patients undergoing angiography.

Methods

Eighty-seven consecutive systolic heart failure patients who received either iso-osmolar iodixanol (n = 44) or low-osmolar ioxilan (n = 43), stratified for concomitant amiodarone, were evaluated for QT interval and serum creatinine changes in comparison to baseline. QT values were corrected according to three formulae: Bazett's correction, Fridericia formula, and Framingham equation.

Results

Baseline patient characteristics were not significantly different in the iodixanol versus ioxilan groups, except for myocardial infarction and renal disease. No significant change in mean QTc was observed after exposure to either CM agent compared to baseline. These results were unaffected by amiodarone. A significant improvement in serum creatinine from baseline was observed in the iodixanol group compared to the ioxilan group (−0.121 ± 0.35 mg/dL vs. 0.033 ± 0.23 mg/dL, respectively; p = 0.045).

Conclusions

No significant change in QTc interval was observed in patients receiving either iodixanol or ioxilan during angiography. Iodixanol appeared to improve short-term renal function in patients with heart failure and should be further investigated.     

Social Stress Alters Inhibitory Synaptic Input to Distinct Subpopulations of Raphe Serotonin Neurons

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