HIV
MycologyDiagnostic Accuracy of the Biosynex CryptoPS Cryptococcal Antigen Semiquantitative Lateral Flow Assay in Patients with Advanced HIV DiseaseHigh cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) titers in blood are associated with subclinical meningitis and mortality in CrAg-positive individuals with advanced HIV disease (AHD). We evaluated a novel semiquantitative lateral flow assay (LFA), CryptoPS, that may be able to identify individuals with high CrAg titers in a cohort of AHD patients undergoing CrAg screening. In a prospective cohort of patients with AHD (CD4 cell count, ≤200/μl) receiving...
MycologyEvaluation of the Amplex eazyplex Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Rapid Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii PneumoniaQuantitative PCR (qPCR) assays are the gold standard for diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP). However, they are laborious and require skilled personnel. Therefore, execution outside regular working hours of the molecular biology laboratory is limited. The eazyplex P. jirovecii assay...
VirologyA Comprehensive Genomics Solution for HIV Surveillance and Clinical Monitoring in Low-Income SettingsViral genetic sequencing can be used to monitor the spread of HIV drug resistance, identify appropriate antiretroviral regimes, and characterize transmission dynamics. Despite decreasing costs, next-generation sequencing (NGS) is still prohibitively costly for routine use in generalized HIV epidemics in low- and middle-income countries. Here, we present veSEQ-HIV, a high-throughput, cost-effective NGS sequencing method and computational...
Mycobacteriology and Aerobic ActinomycetesAn Optimal Diagnostic Strategy for Tuberculosis in Hospitalized HIV-Infected Patients Using GeneXpert MTB/RIF and Alere Determine TB LAM AgThe diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-infected patients is challenging. Both a urinary lipoarabinomannan (LAM) test (Alere TB LAM) and GeneXpert-MTB/RIF (Xpert) are useful for the diagnosis of TB. However, how to optimally integrate Xpert and LAM tests into clinical practice algorithms remain unclear. We performed a post hoc analysis of 561 HIV-infected sputum-expectorating patients (median CD4 count of 130 cells/ml) from a...
MycologyEvaluation of a Novel Semiquantitative Cryptococcal Antigen Lateral Flow Assay in Patients with Advanced HIV DiseaseHigher cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) titers are strongly associated with mortality risk in individuals with HIV-associated cryptococcal disease. Rapid tests to quantify CrAg levels may provide important prognostic information and enable treatment stratification. We performed a laboratory-based validation of the IMMY semiquantitative cryptococcal antigen (CrAgSQ) lateral flow assay (LFA) against the current gold standard CrAg tests. We...
MycologyEvaluation of Serum Cryptococcal Antigen Testing Using Two Novel Semiquantitative Lateral Flow Assays in Persons with Cryptococcal AntigenemiaEarly cryptococcal disease can be detected via circulating antigen in blood before fulminant meningitis develops, when early antifungal therapy improves survival. Two semiquantitative cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) lateral flow assays (LFAs) have been developed, but their diagnostic performance has not been defined. Cryopreserved serum samples from HIV-infected Ugandans obtained as part of a prospective CrAg-screening cohort were tested in...
ImmunoassaysClinical Significance of Low Serum Cryptococcal Antigen Titers by Lateral Flow Assay in Immunocompromised Patients: a Retrospective Case-Control StudyCryptococcus species are associated with invasive fungal infections in immunosuppressed individuals. The clinical significance of low-titer cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) by lateral flow assay is frequently uncertain. We investigated the correlation of low CrAg titers with disease in an immunocompromised patient population. Patients with first-time positive CrAg results with low serum titers (≤1:10) at two medical centers (Los...
VirologyFalse-Positive Results for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing in Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell TherapyChimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy has been a major advancement in cancer therapeutics. Reprogramming of T cells is achieved by using gammaretroviral or lentiviral vectors, which may interfere with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT).
MinireviewBringing HIV Self-Testing to Scale in the United States: a Review of Challenges, Potential Solutions, and Future OpportunitiesHIV self-testing (HIVST) provides an at-home option to counter the barriers that patients face with testing performed in health care settings. HIVST has gradually increased in popularity in a time when social media and technology-based solutions are preferred. In this paper, we consider the aspects of self-testing that merit its integration into HIV testing and prevention systems in the United States.
