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Rachelle Mendoza,1 Michael Silver,2,3 Alejandro R Zuretti,1,4 Manan Christian,4 Ballabh Das,5 Allen J Norin,5 Patrick Borgen,6 Jenny Libien,1,4 Martin H Bluth4 1Department of Pathology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; 2School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; 3Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA; 4Department of Pathology, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA; 5Department of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; 6Department of Surgery, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USACorrespondence: Martin H BluthBlood Transfusion and Donor Services, Clinical Laboratories, Translational Research (Pathology), Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 10 th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USAEmail MBluth@maimonidesmed.orgBackground: We investigated the utility of an automated chemiluminescent SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody assay platform in quantifying the amount of binding antibodies present in donated convalescent plasma.Methods: A total of 179 convalescent plasma units were analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using the Beckman-Coulter chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) platform. The equipment-derived numerical values (S/Co ratio) were recorded. Aliquots from the same units were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that detects IgG antibodies against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein. The relationship between ELISA titers and CLIA S/Co values was analyzed using linear regression and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve.Results: Twenty-one samples (11.7%) had S/Co values of less than 1.0 and were deemed negative for antibodies and convalescent plasma had S/Co values between > 1.0 and 5.0 (70/179, 39.1%). Fifteen units (8.4%) had negative ELISA titer. The majority of the units (95/179. 53.1%) had titers ≥ 1:1024. The sensitivities of ELISA to CLIA were comparable (90.5% vs 88.3%, respectively; p=0.18). There was positive linear correlation between CLIA S/Co values and ELISA IgG titer (Rho = 0.75; Spearman’s rank = 0.82, p-value = < 0.0001). The agreement between the two methods was fair, with a κ index of 0.2741. Using the ROC analysis, we identified a CLIA S/Co cutoff value of 8.2, which gives a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 82% in predicting a titer dilution of ≥ 1:1024.Conclusion: The utility of automated antibody detection systems can be extended from simply a screening method to a semi-quantitative and quantitative functional antibody analysis. CLIA S/Co values can be used to reliably estimate the ELISA antibody titer. Incorporation of chemiluminescent-based methods can provide rapid, cost-effective means of identifying anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers in donated plasma for use in the treatment of COVID-19 infection.Keywords: COVID-19, ELISA, chemiluminescence, antibody, titers

This article, published in the journal "Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology," discusses the use of ultrasound in diagnosing ovarian torsion, a gynecologic emergency. The study aimed to identify sonographic predictors for the severity of ischemia (lack of blood flow) in the ovary during torsion. The researchers conducted a retrospective study and found that certain sonographic characteristics, such as edema, abnormal flow on Doppler, and free fluid in the Douglas pouch, were associated with ischemic ovaries. They developed a scoring method based on these markers to predict ovarian ischemia, which could potentially aid in early identification and prompt surgical intervention. However, further validation and research are needed to optimize the clinical utility of this scoring method. [Extracted from the article]

In 2023, Africa experienced 180 public health emergencies, of which 90% were infectious diseases and 75% were related to zoonotic diseases. Testing capacity for epidemic-prone diseases is essential to enable rapid and accurate identification of causative agents, and for action to prevent disease spread. Moreover, testing is pivotal in monitoring disease transmission, evaluating public health interventions and informing targeted resource allocation during outbreaks. An online, self-assessment survey was conducted in African Union Member States to identify major challenges in testing for epidemic-prone diseases. The survey assessed current capacity for diagnosing priority epidemic-prone diseases at different laboratory levels. It explored challenges in establishing and maintaining testing capacity to improve outbreak response and mitigate public health impact. Survey data analysed diagnostic capacity for priority infectious diseases, diagnostic technologies in use, existing surveillance programmes and challenges limiting diagnostic capacity, by country. The survey result from 15 Member States who responded to the survey, showed high variability in testing capacity and technologies across countries and diverse factors limiting testing capacity for certain priority diseases like dengue and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. At the same time diagnostic capacity is better for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), polio, and measles due to previous investments. Unfortunately, many countries are not utilizing multiplex testing, despite its potential to improve diagnostic access. The challenges of limited laboratory capacity for testing future outbreaks are indeed significant. Recent disease outbreaks in Africa have underscored the urgent need to strengthen diagnostic capacity and introduce cost-effective technologies. Small sample sizes and differing disease prioritisation within each country limited the analysis. These findings suggest the benefits of evaluating laboratory testing capacity for epidemic-prone diseases and highlight the importance of effectively addressing challenges to detect diseases and prevent future pandemics.