Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonisation is dynamic over time, whilst GBS capsular polysaccharides-specific antibody remains stable

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes due to invasive infection. This study investigated longitudinal variation in GBS rectovaginal colonization, serum and vaginal GBS capsular polysaccharide (CPS)-specific antibody levels. Non-pregnant women were recruited in the UK and were sampled every 2 weeks over a 12-week period. GBS isolates were taken from recto-vaginal swabs and serotyped by polymerase chain reaction. Serum and vaginal immunoglobulin G (IgG) and nasal immunoglobulin A (IgA) specific to CPS were measured by Luminex, and total IgG/A by ELISA. Seventy women were enrolled, of median age 26. Out of the 66 participants who completed at least three visits: 14/47 (29.8%) women that were GBS negative at screening became positive in follow-up visits and 16/19 (84.2%) women who were GBS positive at screening became negative. There was 50% probability of becoming negative 36 days after the first positive swab. The rate of detectable GBS carriage fluctuated over time, although serum, vaginal, and nasal CPS-specific antibody levels remained constant. Levels of CPS-specific antibodies were higher in the serum of individuals colonized with GBS than in non-colonized, but similar in the vaginal and nasal mucosa. We found correlations between antibody levels in serum and the vaginal and nasal mucosa. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of elution methods to retrieve vaginal and nasal antibodies, and the optimization of immunoassays to measure GBS-CPS-specific antibodies. The difference between the dynamics of colonization and antibody response is interesting and further investigation is required for vaccine development.

A phase II trial of bevacizumab and rucaparib in recurrent carcinoma of the cervix or endometrium

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the tolerability and efficacy of combination bevacizumab rucaparib therapy in patients with recurrent cervical or endometrial cancer.

PATIENTS & METHODS

Thirty-three patients with recurrent cervical or endometrial cancer were enrolled. Patients were required to have tumor progression after first line treatment for metastatic, or recurrent disease. Rucaparib was given at 600 mg BID twice daily for each 21-day cycle. Bevacizumab was given at 15 mg/kg on day 1 of each 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was efficacy as determined by objective response rate or 6-month progression free survival.

RESULTS

Of the 33 patients enrolled, 28 were evaluable. Patients with endometrial cancer had a response rate of 17% while patients with cervical cancer had a response rate of 14%. Median progression free survival was 3.8 months (95% C·I 2.5 to 5.7 months), and median overall survival was 10.1 months (95% C·I 7.0 to 15.1 months). Patients with ARID1A mutations displayed a better response rate (33%) and 6-month progression free survival (PFS6) rate (67%) than the entire study population. Observed toxicity was similar to that of previous studies with bevacizumab and rucaparib.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of bevacizumab with rucaparib did not show significantly increased anti-tumor activity in all patients with recurrent cervical or endometrial cancer. However, patients with ARID1A mutations had a higher response rate and PFS6 suggesting this subgroup may benefit from the combination of bevacizumab and rucaparib. Further study is needed to confirm this observation. No new safety signals were seen.

Characterization of a vga gene variant recovered from a Staphylococcus saprophyticus causing a community-acquired urinary tract infection: report from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program 2017

A patient with a history of UTI acquired an isolate of Staphylococcus saprophyticus that was resistant to clindamycin, streptogramin A, pleuromutilins (LSPs), and oxacillin. A plasmid-located vga variant was identified in this pathogen, and the encoded protein showed a 39% to 67% identity to other previously characterized vga.

Unfixed in a fixated world: identity, sexuality, race and culture

At the dusk of the twentieth century the confluence of sexuality and the multicultural subject offers a deep interrogation into identity. On the edge of the world, Australia is experiencing a poignant moment of identity crisis. For someone who is from a multicultural, multisexual background, identity is fragmented. Law and society demand unambiguous subjects, fixed by socio-political-cultural mores and expectations. To be unfixed presents difficulties in negotiating systems of knowledge and power which are fundamentally homeostatic. In the end it is all a matter of being unfixed but connected to "others," aware of the substance beyond identity and labels. This is being unfixed in a fixated world, challenging gravity, resisting definition and compromise.

Automated microparticle enzyme immunoassay for neural thread protein in cerebrospinal fluid from Alzheimer's disease patients

An automated microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) with the IMx analyzer for the detection of neural thread protein (NTP) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients was developed. This assay uses monoclonal antibodies produced against the purified pancreatic form of the protein. The assay employs one monoclonal antibody covalently coupled to the microparticle to capture immunoreactive material in CSF or brain tissue. The second monoclonal antibody was conjugated to alkaline phosphatase and serves as detection antibody. The assay provides results in approximately 45 minutes with a sensitivity of 60 pg/ml (3 fmoles/ml). The titration curve of both normal and AD CSF resulted in a linear relationship with respect to the volume of CSF used. A similar relationship was observed when normal and AD brain tissue extracts were serially diluted. The molecular weight of NTP in CSF was approximately 20 kD as determined by gel filtration method under non-denaturing conditions. The recovery for pancreatic thread protein (PTP) spiked in either normal or AD CSF was 104% and 108%, respectively. Intra-, inter-, and total assay CVs (coefficient of variation) for controls were less than 2.9%, 3.3% and 3.0%, respectively. This assay will provide a useful tool in the study of the Alzheimer's disease and may help research in diagnosis and prognosis of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

Fluorescence polarization immunoassay of urinary 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid

Fluorescence polarization immunoassay of 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid in urine is described and compared with liquid chromatography (electrochemical detection) and colorimetry. Reports of in-house performance data and results of clinical trials are included to emphasize the usefulness of the assay for routine work.

Fluorescence polarization immunoassay of urinary 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid

Fluorescence polarization immunoassay of 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid in urine is described and compared with liquid chromatography (electrochemical detection) and colorimetry. Reports of in-house performance data and results of clinical trials are included to emphasize the usefulness of the assay for routine work.