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Analytical and stability performances of ten media were compared to PreservCyt medium using the Cobas 4800 HPV test: Easyfix (Labonord SAS, France), Qualicyt (Qualicyt, France), NovaPrep HQ+ (NovaCyt, France), CMDH (SARL Alphapath France), Cyt-All (Cytomega, France), Digene Cervical Sampler (Qiagen, USA), Aptima (Gen-Probe, USA), Multi-Collect (Abbott, Allemagne), M4RT Micro Test (Remel, USA), et PCR-Media (Roche, Suisse). Most of media show a good correlation for all the performance characteristics studied. Cyt-All and NovaPrep HQ+ media are perfectly concordant with PreservCyt all parameters and genotypes considered. CMDH and M4RT have a reduced stability at +25°C (3 and 2 days respectively) and would not be conformed to current shipping practices. Most of media tested show analytical and stability performances equivalent with the reference medium. The prospects of such study are interesting because in the near future, providers would make available media adapted to the problem of cervical smear but also to the conservation, transport of virus or bacteria for performing simultaneous searches of HPV, Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhea.

Objective: In 30 to 50% of cases, the route of transmission of virus C remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of manual cleaning and disinfection procedures after endoscopic examinations in highly infected patients., Methods: In 39 patients with chronic hepatitis C and a high level of replication, a gastroscopy with biopsy was performed with a fully submersible endoscope. Cleaning and disinfection were carried out with the following protocol: cleaning with detergent solution (Sekulyse), rinsing, 3 to 5 min immersion into a glutaraldehyde disinfectant solution (Sekucid) and final rinsing. One hundred mL of sterile water was flushed through the biopsy channel immediately after removal of the endoscope (T1), after cleaning (T2), and after final disinfection (T3). These 100 mL were collected in aliquots for viral and bacterial screening. Virus C particles were searched for in the effluent of the biopsy channel using two methods of polymerase chain reaction., Results: Virus C particles were found in 2 of 39 patients in T1 aliquots collected before washing. Routine cleaning with a detergent eliminated all viral particles, as tests were negative at T2 and T3. The usual bacteria (Pseudomonas, Streptococcus, Neisseria...) were detected at T1 and had disappeared after total disinfection at T3., Conclusion: Virus C hepatitis could be transmitted during endoscopic examination, but cleaning and disinfection procedures effectively eliminated all viral particles.