IgG Positive Rate Research Articles

Seroprevalence and asymptomatic carrier status of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan City and other places of China.

Wuhan City (WH) in China was the first place to report COVID-19 in the world and the outbreak of COVID-19 was controlled in March of 2020 in WH. It is unclear what percentage of people were infected with SARS-CoV-2 and what percentage of population is carriers of SARS-CoV-2 in WH. We retrospectively analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibody positive rates in 63,107 healthy individuals from WH and other places of China using commercial colloidal gold detection kits from March 6 to May 3, 2020. Statistical approaches were utilized to explore the difference and correlation for the seropositive rate of IgG and IgM antibody on the basis of sex, age group, geographic region and detection date. The total IgG and IgM antibody positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 was 1.68% (186/11,086) in WH, 0.59% (226/38,171) in Hubei Province without Wuhan (HB), and 0.38% (53/13,850) in the nation except for Hubei Province (CN), respectively. The IgM positive rate was 0.46% (51/11,086) in WH, 0.13% (51/38,171) in HB, and 0.07% (10/13,850) in CN. The incidence of IgM positive rates in healthy individuals increased from March 6 to May 3, 2020 in WH. Female and older age had a higher probability of becoming infected than males (OR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.08–1.65) or younger age (OR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.06–4.78). The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was relatively low in WH and other places of China, but it is significantly high in WH than other places of China; a large amount of asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2 existed after elimination of clinical cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan City. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 may exist in a population without clinical cases for a long period.

The positivity rate of Epstein-Barr virus anti-viral capsid antigen IgG among children with infectious mononucleosis in Diyala-Iraq

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a double-stranded linear DNA human herpesvirus that is transmitted primarily through saliva during childhood. Although the majority of primary EBV infections are clinically asymptomatic, clinical cases are presented as infectious mononucleosis (IMN) syndrome. Objectives: This study was conducted to explore the rate of EBV anti-VCA IgG among children who were clinically suspected as having IMN in Diyala province. Subjects and methods: This is a cross sectional study that was carried out during 2018 in Diyala province- Iraq. A total of 370 blood samples were collected from 190 children under 15 years of age who were clinically suspected as having IMN, and 180 apparently healthy children as controls. The anti EBV VCA IgG antibodies were detected in serum using the VCA IgG ELISA kit (from Dia.Pro Diagnostic Bioprobes srl - Italy). Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS- version 25. A statistical significance was considered whenever the P value was ≤ 0.05. Results: The results showed that the IgG positivity rate among suspected IMN patients was insignificantly higher in the age group 10-14 years old children (80.8%, P = 0.364). In control subjects the highest positivity rate was in the age group of 1-4 years with a statistically significant difference (79.5%, P = 0.002). In suspected IMN patients, the age group of 10-14 years had the highest mean concentration ± SD of anti-VCA IgG (44.018 ± 38.644 arbitrary units per milliliter (arbU/ml)), while in controls, the highest value (38.018 ± 34.908 arbU/ml) was in the age group of 1-4 years, with insignificant difference in either group (P = 0.257 and 0.072, respectively). The results also showed that in both suspected IMN patients and control subjects, females showed higher IgG positivity rate (70.6%, and 75.5%) compared to males (64.8%, and 65.1%) with insignificant difference in both groups (P = 0.392 and 0.126, respectively). Similarly, the IgG mean concentration ± SD was insignificantly higher in females in both suspected IMN patients and control subjects (P = 0.447 and 0.256, respectively). 21 (87.5%) IgM positive suspected IMN patients were also IgG positive with a statistically significant association (P = 0.028). Conclusion: The positivity rate of anti-EBV VCA IgG among apparently healthy subjects in Diyala province was 70.6%, and the rate increases with age, with slight association with clinical suspicion of infectious mononucleosis.

Dynamics and Correlation Among Viral Positivity, Seroconversion, and Disease Severity in COVID-19 : A Retrospective Study.

The understanding of viral positivity and seroconversion during the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. To describe patterns of viral polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity and evaluate their correlations with seroconversion and disease severity. Retrospective cohort study. 3 designated specialty care centers for COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. 3192 adult patients with COVID-19. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data. Among 12 780 reverse transcriptase PCR tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 that were done, 24.0% had positive results. In 2142 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, the viral positivity rate peaked within the first 3 days. The median duration of viral positivity was 24.0 days (95% CI, 18.9 to 29.1 days) in critically ill patients and 18.0 days (CI, 16.8 to 19.1 days) in noncritically ill patients. Being critically ill was an independent risk factor for longer viral positivity (hazard ratio, 0.700 [CI, 0.595 to 0.824]; P < 0.001). In patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, the IgM-positive rate was 19.3% in the first week, peaked in the fifth week (81.5%), and then decreased steadily to around 55% within 9 to 10 weeks. The IgG-positive rate was 44.6% in the first week, reached 93.3% in the fourth week, and then remained high. Similar antibody responses were seen in clinically diagnosed cases. Serum inflammatory markers remained higher in critically ill patients. Among noncritically ill patients, a higher proportion of those with persistent viral positivity had low IgM titers (<100 AU/mL) during the entire course compared with those with short viral positivity. Retrospective study and irregular viral and serology testing. The rate of viral PCR positivity peaked within the initial few days. Seroconversion rates peaked within 4 to 5 weeks. Dynamic laboratory index changes corresponded well to clinical signs, the recovery process, and disease severity. Low IgM titers (<100 AU/mL) are an independent risk factor for persistent viral positivity. None.

Investigation of Seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus in 0-18 Age Children in Erzurum Region

Bu çalışmadaki amacımız 0-18 yaş arası çocuklarda Sitomegalovirüs’e karşı oluşmuş IgM ve IgG tipi antikorların varlığını retrospektif olarak incelemek ve seroprevalans oranlarını belirlemektir. Bu çalışmada 2018-2019 yıllarında Erzurum merkezde aile hekimlerince farklı nedenlerle muayene edilen ve CMV IgM-IgG serolojisi araştırılan kişilere ait sonuçların retrospektif olarak değerlendirilmesi yapıldı. Hastalardan alınan kan serumları Halk Sağlığı Seroloji Laboratuvarında ELISA yöntemi kullanılarak Architect İ2000 cihazında firmanın çalışma prosedürüne uygun olarak çalışıldı. Kit üretici firmanın tavsiyeleri doğrultusunda test sonuçları, CMV IgM için; &amp;lt;0.85 index negatif, 0.85-0.99 index aradeğer, &amp;gt;0.99 index pozitif, CMV IgG için; &amp;lt;5.99 AU/ml negatif, &amp;gt;5.99 AU/ml pozitif olarak kabul edildi. Araştırma grubunda anti-CMV IgG seropozitifliği %95,7 (491/513), anti-CMV IgM seropozitifliği %2.4 (13/546) bulundu. CMV IgG ve IgM pozitifliği sırasıyla, kız çocuklarında %96.7 ve %2.4, erkek çocuklarda % 92.6 ve %2.4 idi. Kız çocukları arasında anti-CMV IgG pozitiflik oranları daha yüksek idi. Çalışmamızda 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-15 ve 16-18 yaş gruplarında anti-CMV IgG seropozitifliği sırasıyla %94.7; %69.6; %100; %97.5; %88.2 ve %99.3 idi. Anti-CMV IgM seropozitifliği ise aynı yaş gruplarında %10.5; 0; 0; %2.4; %4.4 ve %1.7 idi. Çalışma grubumuzdaki çocuklarda CMV seropozitiflik oranları yüksekti. Bu durum bölgemizdeki çocukların erken yaşlarda (konjenital veya edinsel) CMV etkenine maruz kaldığını göstermektedir.

Unexpected diagnosis of COVID-19-associated disorders by SARS-CoV-2-specific serology.

Facing the ongoing pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, there is an urgent need for serological assays identifying individuals with on-going infection as well as past coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19). We herein evaluated the analytical performances of the CE IVD-labeled Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay (Des Plaines, IL, USA) carried out with the automated Abbott Architect™ i2000 platform at Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France, using serum sample panels obtained from health-workers with COVID-19 history confirmed by positive nucleic acid amplification-based diagnosis and from patients randomly selected for whom serum samples were collected before the COVID-19 epidemic. The Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay showed sensitivity of 94 % and specificity of 100 %, demonstrating high analytical performances allowing convenient management of suspected on-going and past-infections. In addition, the SARS-CoV-2 IgG positivity rates were compared in COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 free areas from our hospital. Thus, the frequency of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG was around 10-fold higher in COVID-19 areas than COVID-19 free areas (75 % versus 8%; P < 0.001). Interestingly, several inpatients hospitalized in COVID-19 free areas suffering from a wide range of unexplained clinical features including cardiac, vascular, renal, metabolic and infectious disorders, were unexpectedly found seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG by systematic routine serology, suggesting possible causal involvement of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Taken together, these observations highlight the potential interest of SARS-CoV-2-specific serology in the context of COVID-19 epidemic, especially to assess past SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as possible unexpected COVID-19-associated disorders.

Evaluation of Epstein-Barr Virus Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay Results

Aim: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) causes Infectious Mononucleosis (IM) and chronic active EBV infections, malignant diseases such as Burkitt’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease. More than 90% of children are infected with EBV until the age of six. The aim of this study was to diagnose EBV infection using Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IIFA) method and to evaluate these patients clinically. Methods: The tests were studied by using EBV Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IIFA) method. A total of 247 patients, 186 adults, and 61 children, were included in the study. Results: Five (2.7%) of the adults were EBV-Capsid Antigen (EBV-CA) IgM positive, 175 (94.1%) were IgG positive and 6 (3.2%) were seronegative. 10 (16.4%) of the child patients were IgM positive, which is considered as an acute IM infection marker, whereas the child patients had a significantly higher IgM rate than adults (p &lt;0.001). 39 (63.9%) of the child patients were IgG positive and 12 (19.7%) of them were seronegative. The rate of IgG positivity in children was significantly lower than in adults (p &lt;0.001). There was no significant difference between the genders in terms of IgM and IgG positivity rates in both adults and children (p &gt;0.05 for each). Conclusion: These results suggest that the presence of an acute EBV infection should be considered when the patient has viral diseases with similar clinical picture especially for children.

SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody responses in New York City

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. Total cases of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide exceed 10.2 million, with over 503,000 deaths recorded. Little is known about the body's immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this paper, we describe SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody responses in 28,523 patients from the New York City metropolitan area and report a SARS-CoV-2 IgG positivity rate of 44%, indicating the widespread nature of the pandemic in the city and state of New York. Additionally, for a subset of patients, we report on the correlation between SARS-CoV-2 patient symptom severity and level of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody found in the patient sample.

Hepatitis Serology in Patients Receiving Immunosuppressive Treatment

Amaç: İmmünsupresif ilaç kullananlarda, hepatit B reaktivasyon riskine yönelik tarama yapılması önerilmektedir. Bu çalışmada immünsüpresif tedavi öncesi, Enfeksiyon hastalıkları kliniğine yönlendirilen hastalarda hepatit B virüsü (HBV), hepatit C virüsü (HCV) ve hepatit A virüsü (HAV) sonuçları retrospektif olarak irdelenmesi amaçlandı.Materyal ve Metod: Çalışmamızda Ocak 2018 - Aralık 2018 tarihleri arasında immünsüpresif tedavi öncesi, Enfeksiyon hastalıkları kliniğine yönlendirilen 148 hastanın hepatit B yüzey antijeni (HBsAg), hepatit B yüzey antikoru (Anti-HBs), hepatit B core protein antikoru (Anti-HBc IgG), anti hepatit C virüs antikoru (Anti-HCV) ve anti hepatit A virüs antikoru (Anti-HAV) hasta dosyalarından ve hastane otomasyon sisteminden retrospektif olarak incelendi.Bulgular: HBsAg pozitiflik oranı %4.1, Anti-HBs pozitiflik oranı %31.8, İzole Anti-HBc IgG pozitiflik oranı %1.4 ve iki hastada ise Anti-HBs bakılmamıştı. Anti-HCV pozitifliği %1.4 tespit edildi. Hastaların %79.7 Anti-HAV bakılmamış, Anti-HAV pozitifliği %12.2 ve Anti-HAV negatifliği %8.1 olarak saptandı. Sonuç: İmmünsüpresif tedavi öncesi tarama yapılmasına rağmen bazı taramaların eksik yapıldığı tespit edildi. Bu nedenle bu hastaları takip eden hekimlere eğitim verilmesi ve özellikle HBV enfeksiyonu konusunda farkındalık oluşturulmasını önermekteyiz.

Diagnostic value and dynamic variance of serum antibody in coronavirus disease 2019

ObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic value of serological testing and dynamic variance of serum antibody in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). MethodsThis study retrospectively included 43 patients with a laboratory-confirmed infection and 33 patients with a suspected infection, in whom the disease was eventually excluded. The IgM/IgG titer of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay analysis. ResultsCompared to molecular detection, the sensitivities of serum IgM and IgG antibodies to diagnose COVID-19 were 48.1% and 88.9%, and the specificities were 100% and 90.9%, respectively.In the COVID-19 group, the IgM-positive rate increased slightly at first and then decreased over time; in contrast, the IgG-positive rate increased to 100% and was higher than IgM at all times. The IgM-positive rate and titer were not significantly different before and after conversion to virus-negative. The IgG-positive rate was up to 90% and not significantly different before and after conversion to virus-negative. However, the median IgG titer after conversion to virus-negative was double that before, and the difference was significant. ConclusionsViral serological testing is an effective means of diagnosis for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The positive rate and titer variance of IgG are higher than those of IgM in COVID-19.

Comparative studies of rubella virus immunity of immunized and non-immunized pregnant women visiting Kogi State University Teaching Hospital, Anyigba, North Central Nigeria

ABSTRACT Rubella is endemic worldwide and poses a serious threat to infants and pregnant women. Although the disease has been widely reported in parts of the country, there is currently no documented evidence of the disease in Anyigba. A comparative study of rubella immunity was conducted among immunized and non-immunized pregnant women visiting the Kogi State University Teaching Hospital, Anyigba. In a cross-sectional study, blood samples collected from 300 pregnant women (immunized = 127; non-immunized = 173) were tested for rubella antibodies using ELISA kit. Overall, anti-rubella-IgM and IgG seroprevalence rates of 38 (12.7%) and 83 (27.7%) were detected. Seventy (55.1%) of the immunized against 13 (7.5%) of non-immunized women had detectable IgG. The non-immunized women were significantly more seropositive for IgM than the immunized who recorded higher prevalence of IgG. Immunized and non-immunized women aged 23–32 years had higher IgG and IgM positivity rates. The difference in IgM and IgG seropositivity rates in relation to vaccination was statistically significant (P < 0.05) between the immunized (0.8%, 55.1%) and vaccine-naïve subjects (21.4%, 7.5%). Low level of awareness and high susceptibility to rubella virus infection especially among the non-immunized women was confirmed in study area, thus the need for government to strengthen education of masses and to make rubella vaccination freely available for women of childbearing age.

The Positivity Rate of Epstein-Barr Virus Anti-Viral Capsid Antigen IgG among Children with Infectious Mononucleosis in Diyala-Iraq

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a double-stranded linear DNA human herpesvirus that is transmitted primarily through saliva during childhood. Although the majority of primary EBV infections are clinically asymptomatic, clinical cases are presented as infectious mononucleosis (IMN) syndrome. Objectives: This study was conducted to explore the rate of EBV anti-VCA IgG among children who were clinically suspected as having IMNin Diyala province. Subjects and Methods: This is a cross sectional study that was carried out during 2018 in Diyala province-Iraq. A total of 370 blood samples were collected from 190 children under 15 years of age who were clinically suspected as having IMN, and 180 apparently healthy children as controls. The anti EBV VCA IgG antibodies were detected in serum using the VCA IgG ELISA kit (from Dia.Pro Diagnostic Bioprobessrl-Italy). Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS-version 25. A statistical significance was considered whenever the P value was ≤ 0.05. Results: The results showed that the IgG positivity rate among suspected IMN patients was insignificantly higher in the age group 10 - 14 years old children (80.8%, P = 0.364). In control subjects the highest positivity rate was in the age group of 1 - 4 years with a statistically significant difference (79.5%, P = 0.002). In suspected IMN patients, the age group of 10 - 14 years had the highest mean concentration ± SD of anti-VCA IgG 44.018 ± 38.644 arbitrary units per milliliter (arbU/ml), while in controls, the highest value 38.018 ± 34.908 (arbU/ml) was in the age group of 1 - 4 years, with insignificant difference in either group (P = 0.257 and 0.072, respectively). The results also showed that in both suspected IMN patients and control subjects, females showed higher IgG positivity rate (70.6%, and 75.5%) compared to males (64.8%, and 65.1%) with insignificant difference in both groups (P = 0.392 and 0.126) respectively. Similarly, the IgG mean concentration ± SD was insignificantly higher in females in both suspected IMN patients and control subjects (P = 0.447 and 0.256) respectively. 21 (87.5%) of IgM positive suspected IMN patients were also IgG positive with a statistically significant association (P = 0.028). Conclusion: The positivity rate of anti-EBV VCA IgG among apparently healthy subjects in Diyala province was 70.6%, which increases by age with slight association with clinical suspicion of infectious mononucleosis.

Research of hepatitis a virus antibodies in children 0-18 aged in the province of Erzurum, Turkey

Aim: The aim of the study was to compare the anti-HAV IgG and Anti-HAV IgM seropositivity in children aged 0-18 in Erzurum with studies in our country and other countries, and also to evaluate the effect of seasons on hepatitis A infection.Material and Methods: The study was conducted on the serum samples of 5086 patients aged 0-18 years, who were considered to have Hepatitis A or who applied with different complaints as a result of the examination of family physicians in Erzurum between 2015 and 2018. The results of these patients, obtained from Anti-HAV IgM and Anti-HAV IgG analysis by ELISA method in the Public Health Microbiology Laboratory, were evaluated retrospectively. Pearson chi-square test was used to analyze the categorical data such as gender, age and seasonal differences in anti-HAV IgM and Anti-HAV IgG positivity rates and p 0.05 was considered significant.Results: Anti-HAV IgG seropositivity was 69.0% (3510/5086) and Anti-HAV IgM positivity was 0.7% (33/5063). Anti-HAV IgM was positive in 1.1% of girls and 0.1% of boys. Anti-HAV IgG positivity was 89.9%, 83.3%, 62.5% 61.9% and 74.5% in the 0-3 age group, 4-7 age group, 8-11 age group, 12-15 age group and 16-18 age groups, respectively. Anti-HAV IgM positivity was 0, 0.2%, 0.2%, 1.0%, 0.9% in the 0-3 age group, 4-7 age group, 8-11 age group, 12-15 age group and 16-18 age groups, respectively. The highest anti-HAV IgM positivity was found in November (1.7%).Conclusion: Total anti-HAV IgG seropositivity rate in our province showed many similarities with studies in Turkey and developing countries. The prevalence of anti-HAV IgM was the highest in November.

Epidemiological and clinical features of dengue fever outbreak in Jiangxi Province in 2019

Objective To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 91 cases of dengue fever outbreak in Jiangxi Province in 2019, and to strengthen the management and prevention of dengue fever. Methods The clinical data, laboratory results and etiology tests of 91 patients with dengue fever from the Ninth Hospital of Nanchang, Zhangshu People′s Hospital, Fengcheng People′s Hospital and Nanchang County People′s Hospital from July 31, 2019 to September 27, 2019 were retrospectively collected. The t test was used for continuous variables and chi-square test was used for categorical variables. Results A total of 91 dengue fever patients were reviewed. The patients age ranged from 4 to 87 years old, and the majority were adult patients. Most patients were farmers and they all had mosquito-biting history. Local cases were the major source of this outbreak. The incubation time was (5.19±2.96) days. All patients had fever over 38 ℃. Thirty-eight (41.8%) patients developed rashes, mainly distributed on the limbs and trunk, and 15 patients (16.5%) developed myalgia and fatigue. The incidence of rashes in patients admitted in September was 15.9% (7/44), which was significantly lower than 68.1% (32/47) in July and August (χ2=25.262, P<0.01). The incidence of headache in patients admitted in September was 27.3%(12/44), which was significantly lower than 78.7% (37/47) in July and August (χ2 =24.206, P<0.01). Among the 91 patients, 64 (70.3%) patients had white blood cell counts less than 4×109/L, 14(15.4%) patients had platelet counts less than 50×109/L. The positive rate of dengue non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen was 100.0%(37/37), the positive rates of dengue antibody IgM and IgG were 50.0%(11/22) and 13.6%(3/22), respectively. Among the 113 serum samples tested for dengue virus RNA, 106 were identified with dengue virus type-1 and two were dengue virus type-2. In 22 patients who received tests within 7 days, the positive rate of NS1 antigen was 100.0% (22/22), the IgM and IgG positive rates were 50.0%(11/22) and 13.6% (3/22), respectively, and 19 patients were infected with dengue type-1. Among the IgM antibody positive cases, the onset days before sampling was (5.09±1.64) days, longer than that of IgM antibody negative cases ((2.82±1.83) days), with statistical significance (t=3.063, P=0.007). The onset time before sampling in dengue virus RNA-positive group was (3.53±1.87) days, which was shorter than that of RNA-negative group ((6.67±0.58) days), and the difference was statistically significant (t=2.839, P=0.013). Conclusions The dengue fever outbreak cases in Jiangxi Province in 2019 have typical clinical manifestations of dengue fever. Using the NS1 antigen test, IgM and IgG antibody tests and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction for dengue virus genotyping during early onset of the disease can assistant clinicians in clinical management, controlling infectious source and stopping disease transmission. Key words: Dengue; Disease outbreaks; Epidemiology; Clinical manifestations

2138. Follow-up Investigation of Antibody Titers and Diagnostic Antibody Cut-Off Values in Scrub Typhus Patients in Korea

BackgroundScrub typhus is a mite-borne infectious disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. There have been few follow-up studies assessing antibody titers using serologic tests from various commercial labs.MethodsA prospective investigation to assess antibody titers of scrub typhus patients and seroprevalence for health checkup individuals were evaluated. The antibody titers of former patients diagnosed with scrub typhus at least 1 year and a maximum of 13 years were also investigated. The following tests were performed simultaneously: (i) immunofluorescence antibody assays (IFAs) that detect immunoglobulin(Ig) M and IgG, (ii) IFA that detects total Ig by a commercial lab, (iii) antibody tests using two commercially available kits.ResultsIn prospective analyses with cutoff values set to ≥1:16 for IgM, ≥1:256 for IgG based on the KCDC’s criteria, and ≥1:40 for total Ig. The antibody positive rates of 102 confirmed scrub typhus patients were 44%, 35.3%, and 57.6%, respectively, in the first week after symptom onset. Among 91 former patients recovered, the follow-up IgM, IgG, and total Ig positivity rates were 38.5% (35/91), 22% (20/91), and 76.9% (70/91), respectively. In overall cohort of 216 health checkup subjects, 4.2% (9/216) IgM and 0% (0/216) IgG seroprevalence was observed.ConclusionThe IFA from KCDC and commercial lab, and rapid commercial kits cannot differentiate between former patients recovered from scrub typhus and current scrub typhus. In Korea and other countries where low antibody cut-off titer values have been used as criteria for diagnosing and reporting scrub typhus, upward adjustments of cut-off values may be necessary. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Maligniteli hastalarda HHV-8 antikor prevalansı

Amaç: Bu çalışmada değişik maligniteleri olan non-Hodgkin lenfoma, Hodgkin lenfoma, akut lenfositer lösemi, akut myelositer lösemi, multipl myelom, kronik myelositer lösemi hastalarında HHV-8 IgM ve IgG pozitiflik oranlarının karşılaştırılması amaçlandı. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya 50 maligniteli hasta ile 8 sağlıklı birey olmak üzere 58 kişi dahil edildi. Hasta ve kontrol grubunda HHV-8 IgM ve HHV-8 IgG antikorları indirekt floresan antikor yöntemiyle araştırıldı. İstatistiksel analizler SPSS programı kullanılarak yapıldı. İstatistiksel değerlendirmede Fisher’in Kesin Ki-kare testleri kullanıldı. İstatistiksel olarak p<0,05 değerleri anlamlı kabul edildi. Bulgular: Maligniteli hastalarda HHV-8 IgM antikor pozitifliği %20 (10/50) oranında saptanırken, kontrol grubunda HHV-8 IgM pozitifliği saptanmadı. Maligniteli hastalarda HHV-8 IgG pozitifliği %56 (28/50) oranında saptanırken, kontrol grubunda ise %50 (10/16) oranında saptandı. HHV-8 IgM pozitifliği hasta grubunda kontrol grubuna göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı oranda yüksekti. HHV-8 Ig M pozitifliği en fazla AML saptanırken, HHV-8 IgG pozitifliği en fazla MM hastalarında saptandı. Sonuç: Maligniteli hastalarda saptadığımız HHV-8 IgM ve HHV-8 IgG pozitiflikleri reaktivasyon veya reenfeksiyonla ilişkili olabilir. HHV-8 virüsünün maligniteli hastalardaki klinik öneminin belirlenebilmesi için farklı maligniteleri olan daha fazla sayıda olguyla yapılacak ve virüs DNA’sının da moleküler yöntemlerle (PZR vb.) araştırıldığı başka çalışmalara gereksinim olduğu görüşündeyiz.

Seroepidemiology and genotyping of hepatitis E virus in Singapore reveal rise in number of cases and similarity of human strains to those detected in pig livers.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes 20million infections worldwide yearly, of which only about 3.3million are symptomatic. In developed Asian countries, HEV strains detected in human sera and in food sources were genetically similar, suggesting that indigenous HEV infections may be largely food-borne. To assess the burden of hepatitis E in Singapore, we performed a seroepidemiologic study of the infection. Additionally, we carried out HEV genotyping on archived, residual HEV IgM-positive serum samples collected between 2014 and 2016 (n=449), and on pig liver samples (n=36) purchased from wet markets and supermarkets. Our study shows a rise in hepatitis E incidence (IgM) from 1.7 to 4.1 cases per 100,000 resident population from 2012 to 2016 and an increase in hepatitis E IgG positivity rate among residents from 14% in 2007 to 35% in 2016. Other findings also suggest the epidemiology of hepatitis E in Singapore has shifted, from it being mainly a disease imported from the Indian subcontinent, to one that is now increasingly prevalent in our resident population. Genotypes obtained from 143 human samples identified the majority to be genotype 3 (n=121), 21 to be genotype 1 and one to be genotype 4. Further phylogenetic analyses suggest genotype 3a to be the cause of indigenous infections in residents, which showed genetic similarity to the genotype 3a strains detected in pig livers. This link between the strains in the majority of human samples and those in pig livers consumed by the public suggests a possible food-borne route of HEV infection in Singapore.

Seroprevalence of Cytomegaloviruses in Afghanistan

Objective: Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the Herpesviridae family, with the ability to establish a long-lived latent infection. CMV infection causes problems in immunocompromised hosts undergoing organ and stem cell transplantation. The prevalence of CMV in adults varies in different geographic regions. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of CMV in the adult population of Afghanistan, which did not have epidemiologic information for CMV infection. Methods: A total of 500 adults residing in main regional provinces of Afghanistan including Nangarhar, Herat, Mazar-i Sharif, Kandahar and Kabul in the age range of 25-70 years old were randomly selected to include in the study. Among the participants, 263 (52.6%) were female and 237 (47.4%) were male. The samples were tested for the presence of CMV IgM and IgG antibodies using chemiluminescence immunoassay on the Abbott Architect automated platform. Results: The seropositivity of CMV was found 99.79 % in Afghanistan. There were no significant differences in the prevalence CMV infection among the five regions. The seropositivity anti-CMV IgG positive rate in Kandahar, Kabul, Nangarhar and, Herat was determined as 100%. The CMV IgG prevalence was 98.99% in Mazar-i Sharif. Anti CMV IgM was found 1.24% in Afghanistan. Conclusions: Our study shown that the seroprevalence is high in Afghanistan. Because of the high frequency of seropositivity in general population in Afghanistan, the approaches for preventing CMV reactivation need to be developed. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2019; 9(2): 78-82.

Concomitant Sjögren’s Syndrome Was Not Associated with a Poorer Response or Outcomes in Ursodeoxycholic Acid-Treated Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Aim Patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) have at least 60% probability of having an autoimmune extrahepatic condition, with the most common being Sjögren's syndrome (SS). The impacts of SS on the response and outcomes in ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)-treated patients with PBC, however, remain unclear. The aim of this study was to document the biochemical responses and clinical outcomes of UDCA-treated patients with concomitant SS and to compare the findings to those of patients with PBC alone. Methods Data from consecutive patients with PBC who visited West China Hospital affiliated with Sichuan University between October 2013 and October 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. Results The study populations consisted of 226 patients with PBC alone and 56 with PBC/SS. The median ages, proportions of female patients, Fib-4 scores, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/platelet ratio index (APRI) at baseline in the two cohorts were similar. At presentation, patients with PBC/SS had higher serum IgG levels and positive rates for serum antinuclear antibody (ANA) than patients with PBC alone (all P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the rate of biochemical response to UDCA at 1 year in the PBC/SS and PBC alone groups. The UK-PBC risk scores and GLOBE scores in UDCA-treated patients in the two cohorts were also similar. During the follow-up period, the differences in the liver enzyme levels, Fib-4 scores, APRI, and incidence of liver-related adverse events were not significant. Conclusions The results of this retrospective, single-center study suggest that the response and clinical outcomes of UDCA-treated patients with PBC are not adversely affected by concomitant SS.

Seroepidemiologic investigation of human Toxoplasma gondii infections in border areas of Yunnan Province, China

To ascertain the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in different genders, ages, and ethnic populations of three border regions in Yunnan Province, China, in order to provide the basic data for prevention and control of toxoplasmosis in these areas. A total of 561 serum samples were collected from the local hospitals of three border regions of Yunnan Province (222 serum samples from China-Vietnam border region, 170 serum samples from China-Laos border region, and 169 serum samples from China-Myanmar border region) from November 2015 to May 2016. The detection of IgG antibodies of T. gondii was performed by ELISA. In total, 44 (7.84%) of the 561 serum samples were anti-Toxoplasma IgG positive. The positive rates were 8.56% (19/222), 8.82% (15/170) and 5.92% (10/169) in China-Vietnam, China-Laos, and China-Myanmar border regions, respectively. The anti-Toxoplasma IgG positive rates were 5.63%(16/284) in Han, 10.96% (8/73) in Hani, 13.70% (10/73) in Dai, 4.17% (2/48) in Miao, 11.11% (1/9) in Lahu, 7.69% (1/13) in Jinuo, 12.00% (3/25) in Yao, and 11.11% (3/27) in Yi, respectively. The anti-Toxoplasma IgG positive rate in minorities was 10.11%, which was higher than that in Han significantly (χ2 = 3.884, P < 0.05), and the positive rate in Dai was higher than that in Han significantly (χ2 = 5.594, P < 0.05). The anti-Toxoplasma IgG positive rate in the 11-20-year age group was 23.53% (4/17), which was higher than that in the 0-10 [4.23% (3/71)] (χ2 = 4.593, P < 0.05) and 31-40-year groups [4.00% (3/75)] (χ2 = 4.997, P < 0.05). There are different degrees of T. gondii infection in the human population in the border areas in Yunnan Province, and the risk of infection in ethnic minorities is higher than that in Han nationality. The prevention and control of toxoplasmosis should focus on the minority population.

Chronic Food Antigen-specific IgG-mediated Hypersensitivity Reaction as A Risk Factor for Adolescent Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common nonfatal disease burden worldwide. Systemic chronic low-grade inflammation has been reported to be associated with MDD progression by affecting monoaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission. However, whether various proinflammatory cytokines are abnormally elevated before the first episode of depression is still largely unclear. Here, we evaluated 184 adolescent patients who were experiencing their first episode of depressive disorder, and the same number of healthy individuals was included as controls. We tested the serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IgE, 14 different types of food antigen-specific IgG, histamine, homocysteine, S100 calcium-binding protein B, and diamine oxidase. We were not able to find any significant differences in the serum levels of hs-CRP or TNF-α between the two groups. However, the histamine level of the patients (12.35 μM) was significantly higher than that of the controls (9.73 μM, P < 0.001, Mann–Whitney U test). Moreover, significantly higher serum food antigen-specific IgG positive rates were also found in the patient group. Furthermore, over 80% of patients exhibited prolonged food intolerance with elevated levels of serum histamine, leading to hyperpermeability of the blood–brain barrier, which has previously been implicated in the pathogenesis of MDD. Hence, prolonged high levels of serum histamine could be a risk factor for depressive disorders, and antihistamine release might represent a novel therapeutic strategy for depression treatment.