ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Symptomatic forms of toxoplasmosis are a serious public health problem and occur in around 10-20% of the infected people. Aiming to improve the molecular diagnosis of symptomatic toxoplasmosis in Brazilian patients, this study evaluated the performance of real time PCR testing two primer sets (B1 and REP-529) in detecting Toxoplasma gondii DNA. The methodology was assayed in 807 clinical samples with known clinical diagnosis, ELISA, and conventional PCR results in a 9-year period. All samples were from patients with clinical suspicion of several features of toxoplasmosis. According to the minimum detection limit curve (in CT), REP-529 had greater sensitivity to detect T. gondii DNA than B1. Both primer sets were retrospectively evaluated using 515 DNA from different clinical samples. The 122 patients without toxoplasmosis provided high specificity (REP-529, 99.2% and B1, 100%). From the 393 samples with positive ELISA, 146 had clinical diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and positive conventional PCR. REP-529 and B1 sensitivities were 95.9% and 83.6%, respectively. Comparison of REP-529 and B1 performances was further analyzed prospectively in 292 samples. Thus, from a total of 807 DNA analyzed, 217 (26.89%) had positive PCR with, at least one primer set and symptomatic toxoplasmosis confirmed by clinical diagnosis. REP-529 was positive in 97.23%, whereas B1 amplified only 78.80%. After comparing several samples in a Brazilian referral laboratory, this study concluded that REP-529 primer set had better performance than B1 one. These observations were based after using cases with defined clinical diagnosis, ELISA, and conventional PCR.
Subject(s)
Humans , Toxoplasma/genetics , Toxoplasmosis/diagnosis , Toxoplasmosis/classification , Prospective Studies , Retrospective Studies , DNA, Protozoan/genetics , Sensitivity and Specificity , DNA Primers/genetics , Real-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
OBJETIVO: Avaliar os parâmetros ultrassonográficos relacionados às características morfológicas de massas anexiais pélvicas por meio da obtenção de imagens bidimensionais por um observador presencial, encaminhadas eletronicamente (via tele-ecografia) nos modos estático e dinâmico a observadores não presenciais (à distância) para análises comparativas inter e intraobservadores a fim da validação de uma segunda opinião. MÉTODOS: No período de março a agosto de 2010 foram selecionadas 50 pacientes que apresentavam visualização de massa anexial pélvica no exame ecográfico. Elas foram submetidas ao exame ultrassonográfico por vias abdominal e endovaginal. As imagens foram capturadas nos modos estático e dinâmico, encaminhadas eletronicamente para avaliação de dois examinadores não presenciais e avaliadas de acordo com parâmetros morfológicos ultrassonográficos previamente determinados. RESULTADOS: Os avaliadores não presenciais nas modalidades estática e dinâmica obtiveram concordância quase perfeita para todos os parâmetros morfológicos com valores de Kappa entre 0,6 e 0,8. Não houve diferença entre as modalidades empregadas, exceto para o parâmetro morfológico projeção papilar na modalidade estática, em que a concordância foi quase perfeita (0,8) enquanto na modalidade dinâmica foi substancial (0,6). CONCLUSÕES: Os parâmetros ultrassonográficos das características de massas anexiais pélvicas encaminhadas por tele-ecografia são passíveis de serem validadas para emissão de uma segunda opinião. Não houve diferenças significativas quanto à metodologia empregada na emissão das imagens tele-ecográficas (estática ou dinâmica) na caracterização da composição das massas anexiais pélvicas.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the sonographic parameters related to morphological characteristics of pelvic adnexal masses by obtaining two-dimensional images by an observer presence, forwarded electronically (via tele-ultrasound) in static and dynamic modes observers do not face (distance) for comparative analyzes inter intraobserver and to the validation of a second opinion. METHODS: From March to August 2010 were selected 50 patients with adnexal mass viewing of the pelvic ultrasound. They were subjected to ultrasound for abdominal and transvaginal routes. The images were captured in static and dynamic modes, electronically forwarded for evaluation of non-presence and two examiners evaluated according to morphological ultrasonographic parameters previously determined. RESULTS: The evaluators did not face in static and dynamic modes obtained almost perfect agreement for all morphological parameters with Kappa values between 0.6 and 0.8. There was no difference between the methods employed, except for the morphological parameter papillary projection in the static mode , in which the agreement was almost perfect ( 0.8 ) while in dynamic mode was substantial (0.6). CONCLUSIONS: The sonographic parameters of the features of adnexal masses pelvic sent by tele-ultrasound are capable of being validated for issuing a second opinion. There were no significant differences in the methodology used in the issue of tele-ultrasound images (static or dynamic) to characterize the composition of pelvic adnexal masses.