-
Viruses Feb 2023Nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) is a glycoprotein among the flavivirus genus. It is found in both membrane-associated and soluble secreted forms, has an essential role in... (Review)
Review
Nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) is a glycoprotein among the flavivirus genus. It is found in both membrane-associated and soluble secreted forms, has an essential role in viral replication, and modulates the host immune response. NS1 is secreted from infected cells within hours after viral infection, and thus immunodetection of NS1 can be used for early serum diagnosis of dengue fever infections instead of real-time (RT)-PCR. This method is fast, simple, and affordable, and its availability could provide an easy point-of-care testing solution for developing countries. Early studies show that detecting NS1 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples is possible and can improve the surveillance of patients with dengue-associated neurological diseases. NS1 can be detected postmortem in tissue specimens. It can also be identified using noninvasive methods in urine, saliva, and dried blood spots, extending the availability and effective detection period. Recently, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay for detecting antibodies directed against Zika virus NS1 has been developed and used for diagnosing Zika infection. This NS1-based assay was significantly more specific than envelope protein-based assays, suggesting that similar assays might be more specific for other flaviviruses as well. This review summarizes the knowledge on flaviviruses' NS1's potential role in antigen and antibody diagnosis.
Topics: Humans; Antibodies; Autopsy; Biological Assay; Flavivirus Infections; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 36851784
DOI: 10.3390/v15020572 -
Global Health & Medicine Dec 2021In Japan, HIV testing has been offered anonymously and free-of-charge at local public health centers, together with pre- and post-test counseling since 1993. Since then,...
In Japan, HIV testing has been offered anonymously and free-of-charge at local public health centers, together with pre- and post-test counseling since 1993. Since then, the number of HIV tests increased steadily to reach a peak in 2008 but has since decreased by 30% during the last decade. The number of tests further decreased in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and steeply by 50% this year compared with the previous year, mostly due to a shift in the workload at these centers to COVID-19-related services. To deal with this decline and thinking beyond the current pandemic, more options for HIV testing are needed, such as self-testing/postal delivery of dried blood spot specimen, a method that is yet to be approved in Japan, in addition to the conventional plasma/serum-based HIV testing.
PubMed: 35036615
DOI: 10.35772/ghm.2021.01103 -
Health Reports Nov 2022The Statistics Canada Biobank (Biobank) is a valuable source of nationally representative health information. It contains biospecimens collected from the Canadian Health... (Review)
Review
The Statistics Canada Biobank (Biobank) is a valuable source of nationally representative health information. It contains biospecimens collected from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) and the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey (CCAHS). Both surveys are voluntary and aim to collect a variety of important health information from Canadians to create nationally representative estimates. This information is collected through questionnaires, physical measures, and self-administered sample collection. Biospecimens collected as part of the CHMS and CCAHS from consenting participants include whole blood, plasma, serum, urine, DNA samples, and dried blood spots. These samples are stored as part of the Biobank for future health research. Canadian researchers can apply to the Biobank program to use this nationally representative source of biospecimens. Results obtained from their research can also be combined with a wide variety of health and lifestyle information collected as part of the CHMS and CCAHS, making the Biobank a rich source of health-related information that can fill data gaps on the health concerns that are important to Canadians. This data resource profile provides an overview of the Biobank to inform researchers and data users about the program and how it can be used as a resource for the advancement of health-related research.
Topics: Humans; Biological Specimen Banks; Canada; COVID-19; Health Surveys; Life Style
PubMed: 36441616
DOI: 10.25318/82-003-x202201100003-eng -
Reproduction & Fertility Apr 2022To present an overview of different approaches and recent advances for long-term preservation of germ cells and gonadal tissues at ambient temperatures. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To present an overview of different approaches and recent advances for long-term preservation of germ cells and gonadal tissues at ambient temperatures.
METHODS
Review of the existing literature.
RESULTS
Preserving viable spermatozoa, eggs, embryos, and gonadal tissues for the long term is critical in human fertility treatment and for the management of animal populations (livestock, biomedical models, and wild species). The need and number of banked germplasms are growing very fast in all disciplines, but current storage options at freezing temperatures are often constraining and not always sustainable. Recent research indicates that structures and functions of gametes or gonadal tissues can be preserved for the long term using different strategies based on dehydration and storage at supra-zero temperatures. However, more studies are needed in rehydration and reanimation of germplasms (including proper molecular and cellular evaluations).
CONCLUSIONS
While a lot of research is still warranted to optimize drying and rehydration conditions for each sample type and each species, alternative preservation methods will change the paradigm in fertility preservation and biobanking. It will transform the way we maintain and manage precious biomaterials for the long term.
LAY SUMMARY
Living sperm cells, eggs, embryos, and reproductive tissues can be preserved at freezing temperatures for human fertility treatments and used to manage breeding in livestock, laboratory animals, and wild species through assisted reproduction. These cells can be stored in cell banks and demand for them is growing fast. However, current long-term storage options at freezing temperatures are expensive. Instead of using low temperatures, recent research indicates that these cells can be dried and stored above freezing temperatures for an extended amount of time. While a lot of research is still needed to optimize how different samples are dried and rehydrated, alternative methods of preserving cells will make fertility preservation and cell banking easier. It will also transform the way we keep and manage samples for the long term.
Topics: Animals; Biological Specimen Banks; Cryopreservation; Freeze Drying; Gonads; Humans; Male; Ovum; Preservation, Biological; Semen; Spermatozoa; Temperature
PubMed: 35514540
DOI: 10.1530/RAF-22-0008 -
Bioanalysis Sep 2023A sensitive and selective method for the determination of PF-07059013 in dried blood collected by Mitra™ tips was developed and qualified from 50 to 50,000 ng/ml.... (Review)
Review
A sensitive and selective method for the determination of PF-07059013 in dried blood collected by Mitra™ tips was developed and qualified from 50 to 50,000 ng/ml. PF-07059013 is isolated from 10 μl of human dried blood by extraction with methanol and analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS. In addition to routine validation elements, impact of hematocrit and Mitra tip's lot-to-lot variation on assay accuracy were evaluated. The qualified method was used in one clinical study with excellent performance. Correlation coefficient between blood concentrations obtained from liquid-incurred blood samples and dried-incurred blood samples is 0.95. NCT04323124 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
Topics: Humans; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Dried Blood Spot Testing; Specimen Handling; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Hematocrit
PubMed: 37584365
DOI: 10.4155/bio-2023-0066 -
Applied Microscopy May 2020Plant specimens for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are commonly treated using standard protocols. Conventional fixatives consist of toxic chemicals such as... (Review)
Review
Plant specimens for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are commonly treated using standard protocols. Conventional fixatives consist of toxic chemicals such as glutaraldehyde, paraformaldehyde, and osmium tetroxide. In 1996, methanol fixation was reported as a rapid alternative to the standard protocols. If specimens are immersed in methanol for 30 s or longer and critical-point dried, they appear to be comparable in preservation quality to those treated with the chemical fixatives. A modified version that consists of methanol fixation and ethanol dehydration was effective at preserving the tissue morphology and dimensions. These solvent-based fixation and dehydration protocols are regarded as rapid and simple alternatives to standard protocols for SEM of plants.
PubMed: 33580311
DOI: 10.1186/s42649-020-00028-5 -
Current Environmental Health Reports Sep 2020The advent of low-volume biosampling and novel biomarker matrices offers non- or minimally invasive approaches to sampling in children. These new technologies, combined... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
The advent of low-volume biosampling and novel biomarker matrices offers non- or minimally invasive approaches to sampling in children. These new technologies, combined with advancements in mass spectrometry that provide high sensitivity, robust measurements of low-concentration exposures, facilitate the application of untargeted metabolomics in children's exposome research. Here, we review emerging sampling technologies for alternative biomatrices-dried capillary blood, interstitial fluid, saliva, teeth, and hair-and highlight recent applications of these samplers to drive discovery in population-based exposure research.
RECENT FINDINGS
Biosampling and biomarker technologies demonstrate potential to directly measure exposures during key developmental time periods. While saliva is the most traditional of the reported biomatrices, each technology has key advantages and disadvantages. For example, hair and teeth provide retrospective analysis of past exposures, and dried capillary blood provides quantitative measurements of systemic exposures that can be more readily compared with traditional venous blood measurements. Importantly, all technologies can or have the potential to be used at home, increasing the convenience and parental support for children's biosampling. This review describes emerging sample collection technologies that hold promise for children's exposome studies. While applications in metabolomics are still limited, these novel matrices are poised to facilitate longitudinal exposome studies to discover key exposures and windows of susceptibility affecting children's health.
Topics: Biomarkers; Child; Child Health; Environmental Exposure; Exposome; Female; Humans; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Metabolomics; Research Design; Specimen Handling
PubMed: 32535858
DOI: 10.1007/s40572-020-00277-2 -
Pediatrics International : Official... Jan 2022Newborn screening of inborn errors of metabolism using tandem mass spectrometry has become a public health strategy in many developed countries. Retrospective analyses...
BACKGROUND
Newborn screening of inborn errors of metabolism using tandem mass spectrometry has become a public health strategy in many developed countries. Retrospective analyses using stored dried blood specimens have been limited, mainly due to a lack of biochemical information on the long-term stability of acylcarnitines and amino acids in stored specimens. We studied the characteristic profiles of the stability of amino acid, free carnitine, and acyl carnitines in dried blood specimens stored in a refrigerator after newborn screening.
METHODS
Dried blood specimens from 198 healthy newborns, which had been stored in a refrigerator at 5 °C after newborn screening, were prospectively subjected to tandem mass spectrometry analyses after 1, 3, 6 months, 1 and 2 years of storage. We also retrospectively re-analyzed the stored samples from 90 newborns, which had been analyzed and stored at 5 °C for 4 years.
RESULTS
We found that proline (Pro) and tyrosine (Tyr) were stable for 2 years, and that alanine (Ala), arginine (Arg), and phenylalanine (Phe) decayed with linear regression. The C0 increased during the time-course of 2 years, whereas most acylcarnitines gradually decayed and some showed a linear correlation. The retrospective analysis of samples stored for 4 years revealed that Ala, Phe, Pro and Tyr were almost stable, leucine (Leu), valine (Val) decayed with linear regression, C0 increased, and C10, C12, C14, C14:1, C16, C18, C18:1 decreased, while maintaining a linear correlation.
CONCLUSIONS
These data suggested that some metabolic parameters from refrigerator-stored dried blood specimens were applicable for the detection of inborn errors of metabolism.
Topics: Amino Acids; Carnitine; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Neonatal Screening; Retrospective Studies; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 34817917
DOI: 10.1111/ped.15072 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2022Onion ( L.), rich in flavonoids (particularly quercetin), reportedly has anti-obesity properties, but the underlying mechanisms and associated health issues remain...
Onion ( L.), rich in flavonoids (particularly quercetin), reportedly has anti-obesity properties, but the underlying mechanisms and associated health issues remain unclear. In this study, we compared the effects of dried onion powder (DO) with that of quercetin on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and retinal neovascularization. Briefly, rats ( = 9-10 per group) were divided into control, HFD alone (43% fat), HFD + DO (1% DO), HFD + 5DO (5% DO, /), and HFD + quercetin (180 mg/kg). After 12 weeks, body fat, markers of metabolism, fatty liver, steatohepatitis, and retinopathy were analyzed. The results revealed that DO and 5DO dose-dependently suppressed body weight, visceral and subcutaneous fat accumulation, and epididymal adipocyte in HFD-fed rats. DO also decreased HFD-induced ALT, AST, free fatty acid, glucose, proinflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress. DO and 5DO groups had lower triglycerides, total cholesterol, proinflammatory cytokine levels, and ACC-α (a fatty acid synthesis-associated enzyme) expression but higher hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities and fecal lipids. 5DO exhibited better or similar efficacy to quercetin. Both 5DO and quercetin increased fecal levels of acetic acid and butyric acid similarly. They also reduced lipid peroxidation of the eye, retinal adiposity, and neovascularization. However, quercetin resulted in a more apparent decrease in regulation of the Raf/MAPK pathway than DO in eye specimens. Conclusively, DO suppresses visceral, subcutaneous, and liver fat accumulation better than quercetin likely due to higher fecal fat excretion and lower oxidative stress, proinflammatory cytokine levels, and ACC-α expression. Quercetin regulating signal pathways is better than DO at reducing retinal adiposity and neovascularization.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Butyric Acid; Cholesterol; Cytokines; Diet, High-Fat; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; Glucose; Liver; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Obesity; Onions; Powders; Quercetin; Rats; Retinal Diseases; Triglycerides
PubMed: 36232387
DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911091 -
Veterinary Research Communications Sep 2022Dried Blood Spots (DBS) technology has become a valuable tool in medical studies, however, in veterinary and biological research DBS technology applications are still... (Review)
Review
Dried Blood Spots (DBS) technology has become a valuable tool in medical studies, however, in veterinary and biological research DBS technology applications are still limited. Up-to-date no review has comprehensively integrated all the evidence existing across the fields, technologies and animal species. In this paper we summarize the current applications of DBS technology in the mentioned areas, and provide a scope of different types of dried sample carriers (cellulose and non-cellulose), sampling devices, applicable methods for analyte extraction and detection. Mammals, birds, insects and other species are represented as the study objects. Besides the blood, the review considers a variety of specimens, such as milk, saliva, tissue samples and others. The main applications of dried samples highlighted in the review include epidemiological surveys and monitoring for infections agents or specific antibodies for disease/vaccination control in households and wildlife. Besides the genetic investigations, the paper describes detection of environmental contaminants, pregnancy diagnosis and many other useful applications of animal dried samples. The paper also analyses dried sample stability and storage conditions for antibodies, viruses and other substances. Finally, recent developments and future research for DBS technology in veterinary medicine and biological sciences are discussed.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Mammals; Retrospective Studies; Technology
PubMed: 35771305
DOI: 10.1007/s11259-022-09957-w