Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma in Sicilian children with Mediterranean spotted fever

A 3D-Printed Do-It-Yourself ELISA Plate Reader as a Biosensor Tested on TNFα Assay

Simple analytical devices suitable for the analysis of various biochemical and immunechemical markers are highly desirable and can provide laboratory diagnoses outside standard hospitals. This study focuses on constructing an easily reproducible do-it-yourself ELISA plate reader biosensor device, assembled from generally available and inexpensive parts. The colorimetric biosensor was based on standard 96-well microplates, 3D-printed parts, and a smartphone camera as a detector was utilized here as a tool to replace the ELISA method, and its function was illustrated in the assay of TNFα as a model immunochemical marker. The assay provided a limit of detection of 19 pg/mL when the B channel of the RGB color model was used for calibration. The assay was well correlated with the ELISA method, and no significant matrix effect was observed for standard biological samples or interference of proteins expected in a sample. The results of this study will inform the development of simple analytical devices easily reproducible by 3D printing and found on generally available electronics.

Rickettsiales in Italy

There is no updated information on the spread of Rickettsiales in Italy. The purpose of our study is to take stock of the situation on Rickettsiales in Italy by focusing attention on the species identified by molecular methods in humans, in bloodsucking arthropods that could potentially attack humans, and in animals, possible hosts of these Rickettsiales. A computerized search without language restriction was conducted using PubMed updated as of December 31, 2020. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology was followed. Overall, 36 species of microorganisms belonging to Rickettsiales were found. The only species identified in human tissues were Anaplasma phagocytophilum,Rickettsia conorii, R. conorii subsp. israelensis, R. monacensis, R. massiliae, and R. slovaca. Microorganisms transmissible by bloodsucking arthropods could cause humans pathologies not yet well characterized. It should become routine to study the pathogens present in ticks that have bitten a man and at the same time that molecular studies for the search for Rickettsiales can be performed routinely in people who have suffered bites from bloodsucking arthropods.