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Background and Aims: The prevalence of HDV infection in HBsAg carriers is about 9.9% in Italy. However, the real prevalence is underestimated because the anti‐HDV test is not performed routinely in all HBsAg carriers. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence and the absolute number of HDV infection identified in HBsAg‐positive subjects tested at University Hospital Federico II before and after the introduction of anti‐HDV reflex testing. Methods: From January to December 2022, reflex test for the detection of total HDV antibodies was performed in all HBsAg‐positive subjects tested at University Hospital Federico II. The control group consisted of all the HBsAg‐positive subjects tested at the same laboratory in 2019, before the implementation of anti‐HDV reflex testing. Sera were evaluated with ADVIA Centaur HBsAgII Qualitative, Liaison Murex HBsAg Quantitative and Liaison Murex Total Anti‐HDV Qualitative. Results: Before reflex testing, anti‐HDV had been tested in 16.4% (84/512) of HBsAg‐positive subjects, while after its implementation, 100% (484/484) of HBsAg‐positive patients was tested for anti‐HDV. The anti‐HDV positive prevalence was lower than before the introduction of reflex test (10.7% vs. 16.6%) but the absolute number of anti‐HDV positive patients increased (14 vs. 52 subjects). HDV‐RNA was detectable in 26 (53%) of 49 tested subjects. Conclusions: Our data showed that the implementation of anti‐HDV reflex testing increased the diagnoses of HDV infection. In this setting, due to the approval of specific anti‐HDV drugs, a reflex test for anti‐HDV should be implemented to early identify patients with HBV/HDV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) can be considered the most important agent of congenital infection. Long-term sequelae of congenital infection occur in about 15% of infants asymptomatic at birth. To avoid long-term sequelae or to reduce their burden, it is necessary to identify infected children for early interventions. CMV DNA can be detected in dried blood spots (DBSs). DBSs have been used in several studies for the retrospective diagnosis of congenital CMV (CCMV). It has been proposed to use DBSs for the newborn screening of CMV infection; however, manual methods are not suitable for newborn screening of CCMV. Methods: We evaluated in an off-label application the use of an automated instrument, the QIAsymphony SP/AS, in combination with the artus CMV QS-RGQ kit and the RotorGene Q real-time polymerase chain reaction system. Results: We analyzed 100 DBSs from newborns positive or negative for plasma CMV DNA with a 94% concordance in positive samples. Conclusions: We show that the QIAsymphony SP/AS and RotorGene Q workflow is suitable for CMV DNA extraction and detection from DBSs and that the system correctly identified newborns at risk of late sequelae due to CMV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: The etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is currently unknown. Few studies have explored the role of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) as potential etiological factors of ASD. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the seropositivity rate and antibody titre to CMV and EBV in children with ASD compared to same-aged healthy controls., Patients and Methods: We compared the seropositivity rate and titre of antibodies to CMV and EBV in 54 children with ASD (19 with autistic disorder and 35 with non-autistic disorder ASD) and in 46 controls., Results: Seropositivity rate and titre of the two antibodies were not dissimilar between cases and controls. However, considering only patients with ASD, those seropositive for CMV tended to test worse to the major severity scales than the seronegative ones., Conclusion: Titre and seropositivity rate of antibodies to CMV and EBV are similar between children with ASD and healthy controls., (Copyright © 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

We have previously shown that in vivo ras-transformed cell lines display natural doxorubicin resistance compared with the normal cells and that such resistance is accompanied by a plasma membrane depolarization. In this article we first extend the analysis of doxorubicin effect to other ras-transformed cell lines, which are characterized by an increasing degree of malignant phenotype. Rat thyroid ras-transformed cells are markedly resistant to doxorubicin and the degree of drug resistance correlates with the degree of cell malignancy. The lower amount of drug accumulated inside the malignant and resistant cells is a consequence of their constitutive depolarized membrane potential and may account for their lack of drug-induced apoptosis. Verapamil, a known modulator of drug resistance, is able to decrease the resistance of all the malignant cell lines, initially causing a higher incorporation of doxorubicin as a consequence of its ability to hyperpolarize the membrane potential. In resistant cells, verapamil is also able to alter the mitochondrial membrane potential allowing apoptosis. In conclusion, these studies demonstrate that ras transformation induces the natural resistance to doxorubicin of the malignant cells. We suggest that the most malignant and resistant cells, of metastatic origin, could be preferentially destroyed by manipulation of their membrane properties, and we confirm the possibility of overcoming drug resistance by the administration of verapamil also in P-gp170-nonexpressing cells.