Performance of the Sofia SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Pediatric Patients

The sensitivity and specificity of SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests have not been widely assessed in children. We evaluated children presenting to outpatient care with Quidel Sofia SARS-CoV-2 antigen test (Sofia-Ag-RDT) compared against Cepheid Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test from November 2020 to April 2021. Sofia-Ag-RDT had the highest sensitivity in symptomatic (82%; 95% confidence interval, 68%-91%) children.

[Clinical trials in Germany and in the EU in the new legislative environment. An analysis from the industry's point of view]

The European Union's (EU) Directive 2001/20/EC and its accompanying directives and guidance aim at approximating laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the implementation of Good Clinical Practice and Good Manufacturing Practice in the conduct of clinical trials on investigational medicinal products for human use in the EU member states. In addition, the establishment of two European databases for collecting information on clinical trials and suspected unexpected serious adverse events, respectively, should increase the transparency of clinical trials in the EU and thus improve patient safety. Some member states have not implemented the EU directive yet, others have implemented modified requirements, i.e. the pharmaceutical industry in the EU is confronted with different national solutions for specific aspects of the conduct of clinical trials. For industry, this creates additional work and expense. There is the hope that patient safety will be improved by these measures. The future task of all involved stakeholders will be to work on a harmonisation of the different requirements in order to achieve the original goals intended by the Directive 2001/20/EC.

Comparison of visual results in initial and re-treatment laser in situ keratomileusis procedures for myopia and astigmatism

PURPOSE

To report the results of initial and re-treatment laser in situ keratomileusis procedures for myopia and astigmatism.

METHODS

A total of 1161 consecutive inital and retreatment laser in situ keratomileusis procedures in 697 patients performed between September 19, 1996, and June 20, 1998, were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline and postoperative best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, uncorrected visual acuity, spherical and cylindrical refractions, computerized video keratography, and biomicroscopy were measured or performed on each eye.

RESULTS

Of 1,071 eyes, 900 (84%) underwent a single-laser in situ keratomileusis procedure, and 171 of 1,071 eyes (16%) underwent one or two re-treatment procedures. The preoperative mean +/- SD spherical equivalent was -5.09 +/- 3.15 diopters (range, -0.75 to -14.38 diopters) and the cylinder was 0.97 +/- 1.09 diopters (range, 0.00 to 3.25 diopters) in the group that underwent a single laser in situ keratomileusis treatment. The preoperative mean +/- SD spherical equivalent was -6.26 +/- 3.04 diopters (range, -1.75 to -12.88 diopters) and the cylinder was 1.53 +/- 1.11 diopters (range, 0.00 to 3.50 diopters) in the group that underwent re-treatment. Before re-treatment, 110 eyes (64.3%) in the group that underwent re-treatment achieved 20/40 or better uncorrected visual acuity and 23 eyes (13.5%) achieved 20/25 or better. Three months after re-treatment, 155 eyes (90.6%) achieved 20/40 or better, and 80 eyes (46.8%) achieved 20/25 or better. In the single-procedure group, uncorrected visual acuity at 3 months revealed 20/40 vision or better in 856 eyes (95.1%) and 20/25 vision or better in 572 eyes (63.6%). In this study group, 23.6% of eyes with a preoperative spherical equivalent greater than -6.0 diopters underwent re-treatment compared with 11.8% of eyes with a preoperative spherical equivalent of -6.0 diopters or less.

CONCLUSIONS

Laser in situ keratomileusis appears to be an effective procedure for mild, moderate, and severe myopia. In eyes with residual refractive error, re-treatment laser in situ keratomileusis procedures can result in good visual outcomes.

The insulin receptor: a protein kinase with dual specificity?

We have studied serine phosphorylation of the beta-subunit of highly purified human placental insulin receptors. Each purification step was analyzed with respect to phosphotyrosine and phosphoserine content, incorporated in the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor. Independent of the purification state the analysis of the phosphoamino acids of the insulin receptor beta-subunit showed tyrosine and serine phosphorylation in an insulin dependent manner. In the presence of insulin up to seven phosphates per alpha beta-half receptor, indicating a ratio of Tyr(P) and Ser(P) of approximate 3:1 were incorporated, while in the absence of the hormone this ratio did not exceed 1:10. Comparison of the phosphorylation reactions on tyrosine and serine residues makes it highly probable that both phosphoryltransfer reactions obey the same hormone dependence. Half maximal incorporation of total phosphate in the receptor protein was about 5 minutes in contrast to the half maximal serine phosphorylation of about 8 minutes. Our data corroborate that autophosphorylation of serine residues is an intrinsic activity of the receptor kinase itself suggesting a dual-specificity type protein kinase.