Explore the vast range of titles available.

Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease, is caused by dengue virus (DENV) which includes four major serotypes (DENV-1, -2, -3, and -4). Some serotypes cause more severe diseases than the other; severe dengue is associated with secondary infections by a different serotype. Timely serotyping can provide early warning of dengue epidemics to improve management of patients and outbreaks. A mobile insulated isothermal PCR (iiPCR) system is available to allow molecular detection of pathogens near points of need. In this study, side-by-side comparison with the CDC DENV-1-4 Real Time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to evaluate the performance of four singleplex DENV-1-4 serotyping reverse transcription-iiPCR (RT-iiPCR) reagents for DENV subtyping on the mobile PCR system. The four RT-iiPCRs did not react with Zika virus and chikungunya virus; tests with serial dilutions of the four DENV serotypes made in human serum showed they had detection endpoints comparable to those of the reference method, indicating great analytical sensitivity and specificity. Clinical performance of the RT-iiPCR reagents was evaluated by testing 40 serum samples each (around 20 target serotype-positive and 20 DENV-negative); all four reagents had high agreement (97.5-100%) with the reference qRT-PCR. Moreover, testing of mosquitoes separately infected experimentally with each serotype showed that the four reagents detected specifically their target DENV serotypes in mosquito. With analytical and clinical performance comparable to the reference qRT-PCR assay, the four index RT-iiPCR reagents on the field-deployable PCR system can serve as a useful tool for DENV detection near points of needs.

The insulated isothermal PCR (iiPCR) technology enables consistent PCR amplification and detection in a simple heating device. A pan-dengue virus (DENV) RT-iiPCR, targeting the 5' untranslated region, was validated previously on the semi-automated POCKIT combo system (involving separate devices for nucleic acid extraction and PCR amplification/detection) to offer performance comparable to a laboratory real-time PCR. Working on the same technologies, a compact automated sample-in-answer-out system (POCKIT Central Nucleic Acid Analyser) has been available commercially for iiPCR, minimizing human error risks and allowing easy molecular bio-detection near points of need. Here, we evaluated the analytical and clinical performance of the pan-DENV RT-iiPCR on the fully automated system by comparison to those on the semi-automated system. Testing sera containing serial diluted DENV-1, -2, -3, or -4 cell culture stock, the pan-DENV RT-iiPCR system had similar 100% detection endpoints on the two systems; i.e. at 1, 10, 1 and 10 PFU/ml, respectively, on the fully automated system, and at 10, 1, 10 and 10 PFU/ml, respectively, on the semi-automated system. Furthermore, both fully automated and semi-automated PCR system can detect all four DENV serotypes in mosquitos. Clinical performance of the reagent on the two systems was evaluated by testing 60 human serum samples. Both systems detected the same 40 samples (ten DENV-1, -2, -3, and -4 positive each) and did not detect the other 20; 100% agreement (κ = 1) was found between the two systems. With performance comparable to a previously validated system, the fully-automated PCR system allows applications of the pan-DENV reagent as a useful tool near points of need to facilitate easy, fast and effective detection of dengue virus and help mitigate versatile public health challenges in the control and management of dengue disease.

Background The recent emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil and its precipitous expansion throughout the Americas has highlighted the urgent need for a rapid and reliable on-site diagnostic assay suitable for viral detection. Such point-of-need (PON), low-cost diagnostics are essential for ZIKV control in vulnerable areas with limited resources. Methods We developed and evaluated a ZIKV-specific field-deployable RT-iiPCR reagent set targeting the E gene for rapid detection of ZIKV in ZIKV-spiked human and mosquito specimens, and compared its performance to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) RT-qPCR assays targeting the E and NS2B genes, respectively. Results These assays demonstrated exclusive specificity for ZIKV (African and Asian lineages), had limits of detection ranging from 10 to 100 in vitro transcribed RNA copies/μl and detection endpoints at 10 plaque forming units/ml of infectious tissue culture fluid. Analysis of human whole blood, plasma, serum, semen, urine, and mosquito pool samples spiked with ZIKV showed an agreement of 90% (k = 0.80), 92% (k = 0.82), 95% (k = 0.86), 92% (k = 0.81), 90% (k = 0.79), and 100% (k = 1), respectively, between the RT-iiPCR assay and composite results from the reference RT-qPCR assays. Overall, the concurrence between the ZIKV RT-iiPCR and the reference RT-qPCR assays was 92% (k = 0.83). Conclusions The ZIKV RT-iiPCR has a performance comparable to the reference CDC and PAHO RT-qPCR assays but provides much faster results (~1.5 h) with a field-deployable system that can be utilized as a PON diagnostic with the potential to significantly improve the quality of the health care system in vulnerable areas.

The emergence of COVID-19 has caused unprecedented impacts on global public health and many other aspects. Meanwhile, many types of methods have been developed to detect the causative agent, SARS-CoV-2; this has greatly advanced the technologies in the diagnostic field. Here, we describe the development and validation of a sample-in-result-out POCKIT Central SARS-CoV-2 PCR system for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in comparison with a commercial reference real-time RT-PCR assay (TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit). Both assays were specific and did not cross-react with non-SARS-CoV-2 agents. Both assays were able to detect various SARS-CoV-2 strains including some variants. Based on testing serial dilutions of SARS-CoV-2 USA-WA1/2020 isolate, the limit of detection was 0.8 TCID50/mL (1.87 × 103 genomic copies/mL) for POCKIT Central SARS-CoV-2 PCR and 0.16 TCID50/mL (3.75 × 102 genomic copies/mL) for the reference PCR. Subsequently, 183 clinical samples were tested by both assays and the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and agreement of the POCKIT Central SARS-CoV-2 PCR were 91.7%, 100%, and 94.0%, respectively, when compared to the reference PCR. The compact sample-to-result POCKIT Central SARS-CoV-2 PCR system is a simplified and efficient point-of-care tool for SARS-CoV-2 detection. In addition, this platform can be readily adapted to detect other human and animal viruses.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214328.].

Dengue remains an important public health problem in Indonesia. Rapid diagnosis of dengue infection is critical in disease management and control. A pan-dengue virus (DENV) RT-insulated isothermal (ii)PCR assay method, which is a field-deployable system, was evaluated in detection of DENV isolates and human serum samples collected in Indonesia in comparison with a DENV reference multiplex quantitative (q)RT-PCR assay system and a DENV NS1 antigen rapid test. RT-iiPCR and reference qRT-PCR showed comparable sensitivity in detecting DENV isolates of all four serotypes. Compared to composite results of serum samples (two out of the three methods giving the same result, ie 90 DENV positives and 69 DENV negatives), sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the pan DENV RT-iiPCR assay was 100% [95% confidence interval (CI): 97-100], 100% (95% CI: 96-100) and 100% (95% CI: 98-100), respectively, reference multiplex qRT-PCR assay 98% (95% CI: 94-100), 98% (95% CI: 94-100) and 98% (95% CI: 95100), respectively, and DENV NS1 antigen rapid test 89% (95% CI: 82-96), 81% (95% CI: 72-91) and 85% (95% CI: 80-91), respectively. Thus, this field-deployable battery-operated pan-DENV RT-iiPCR system should serve as an important tool to facilitate diagnosis of dengue infection in rural and remote communities of Indonesia and other developing countries.

A full-length salt-induced transcript homologous to SKD1 (suppressor of K(+) transport growth defect) of the AAA (ATPase associated with a variety of cellular activities)-type ATPase family has been identified from the halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant). The expression of mcSKD1 was induced by 200 mM NaCl or higher in cultured ice plant cells. When cultured ice plant cells were grown in a high K(+) (42.6 mM) medium, the level of mcSKD1 expression decreased. At the whole plant level, constitutive expression of mcSKD1 was observed in roots, stems, leaves and floral organs. Addition of 400 mM NaCl increased the transcript level in roots and stems. The expression of atSKD1 , a homologue gene in Arabidopsis , was down regulated by salt stress. Under salt stress, mcSKD1 was preferentially expressed in the outer cortex of roots and stems and in the epidermal bladder cells of leaves. The mcSKD1 transcript was constitutively expressed in placenta and integuments of the developing floral buds. Expression of the full-length or C-terminal deletion of mcSKD1 was able to complement the K(+) uptake-defect phenotype in mutant Saccharomyces cerevisiae , which is defective in high- and low-affinity K(+) uptake. Deletion of the N-terminal coiled-coil motif of mcSKD1, a structure required for membrane association, resulted in greatly reduced K(+) transport. Expression of mcSKD1 also increased the salt-tolerant ability of yeast mutants and either N- or C-terminal deletion decreased the efficiency. The physiological relevancies of mcSKD1 for K(+) uptake under high salinity environments are discussed.

A full-length salt-induced transcript homologous to SKD1 (suppressor of K^sup +^ transport growth defect) of the AAA (ATPase associated with a variety of cellular activities)-type ATPase family has been identified from the halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant). The expression of mcSKD1 was induced by 200 mM NaCl or higher in cultured ice plant cells. When cultured ice plant cells were grown in a high K^sup +^ (42.6 mM) medium, the level of mcSKD1 expression decreased. At the whole plant level, constitutive expression of mcSKD1 was observed in roots, stems, leaves and floral organs. Addition of 400 mM NaCl increased the transcript level in roots and stems. The expression of atSKD1, a homologue gene in Arabidopsis, was down regulated by salt stress. Under salt stress, mcSKD1 was preferentially expressed in the outer cortex of roots and stems and in the epidermal bladder cells of leaves. The mcSKD1 transcript was constitutively expressed in placenta and integuments of the developing floral buds. Expression of the full-length or C-terminal deletion of mcSKD1 was able to complement the K^sup +^ uptake-defect phenotype in mutant Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is defective in high- and low-affinity K^sup +^ uptake. Deletion of the N-terminal coiled-coil motif of mcSKD1, a structure required for membrane association, resulted in greatly reduced K^sup +^ transport. Expression of mcSKD1 also increased the salt-tolerant ability of yeast mutants and either N- or C-terminal deletion decreased the efficiency. The physiological relevancies of mcSKD1 for K^sup +^ uptake under high salinity environments are discussed.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]