What to Do if the qPCR Test for SARS-CoV-2 or Other Pathogen Lacks Endogenous Internal Control? A Simple Test on Housekeeping Genes.

Some of the products for the molecular diagnosis of infections do not have an endogenous internal control, and this is necessary to ensure that the result is not a false negative. The aim of the project was to design a simple low-cost RT-qPCR test that can confirm the expression of basic metabolism proteins, thus confirming the quality of genetic material for molecular diagnostic tests. Two successful equivalent qPCR assays for the detection of the GADPH and ACTB genes were obtained. The course of standard curves is logarithmic, with a very high correlation coefficient R2 within the range of 0.9955-0.9956. The reaction yield was between 85.5 and 109.7%, and the detection limit (LOD) with 95% positive probability was estimated at 0.0057 ng/µL for GAPDH and 0.0036 ng/µL for ACTB. These tests are universal because they function on various types of samples (swabs, cytology, etc.) and can complement the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens, as well as potentially oncological diagnostics.

Molecular Diagnostic Tools against SARS-CoV-2 in Poland in 2022.

The most effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and isolate those infected as soon as possible. More than 1000 types of molecular and antigen-based immunoassay tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 are now commercially available worldwide. In this review, we present the possibilities of molecular diagnostics available in Poland in 2022. We provide a description of what samples have proven useful to confirm SARS-CoV-2 infection, we describe what methods are used, as well as what safeguards can and should be used to prevent false-negative and false-positive results, and finally we review the products that diagnostic laboratories have to choose from. We also describe diagnostic problems associated with the mutation of the virus.

Consequences of COVID-19 for the Pancreas.

Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related major health consequences involve the lungs, a growing body of evidence indicates that COVID-19 is not inert to the pancreas either. This review presents a summary of the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of pancreatic dysfunction during the course of COVID-19, the comparison of the effects of non-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on pancreatic function, and a summary of how drugs used in COVID-19 treatment may affect this organ. It appears that diabetes is not only a condition that predisposes a patient to suffer from more severe COVID-19, but it may also develop as a consequence of infection with this virus. Some SARS-CoV-2 inpatients experience acute pancreatitis due to direct infection of the tissue with the virus or due to systemic multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) accompanied by elevated levels of amylase and lipase. There are also reports that reveal a relationship between the development and treatment of pancreatic cancer and SARS-CoV-2 infection. It has been postulated that evaluation of pancreatic function should be increased in post-COVID-19 patients, both adults and children.

COVID-19 Diagnostics Outside and Inside the National Health Service: A Single Institutional Experience.

The COVID-19 epidemic has been going on continuously for more than 1.5 years. Fast and reliable diagnosis is a key component of an outbreak response strategy. Our goal is to present the statistics from one of the diagnostic points of a large city in Poland. Swabs of the throat or nasopharynx of people reporting for molecular diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2 presence were taken. CE-IVD-certified RNA isolation and RT-PCR assays were used. According to our data, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the examined population equaled 14.7%; however, large differences were observed depending on where the sampling point was located: as much as 50.3% of positive results for samples collected at a stationary point, 36.2% for samples from inpatients and hospital staff, and only 8.9% for samples from patients whose test was paid by their employer. The age structure of the infected population was fairly even, with a slightly higher number of people over 50 years of age. Men were examined more often, but it was among women that a higher percentage of infection was recorded. Every fifth test was performed for a foreigner, but compared to Poles, a much lower incidence of infection was found in these samples. We conclude that due to the high prevalence of infection in patients from social care centers and in those referred to hospitals, it is recommended that a special sanitary regime is followed in those settings. We will evaluate the effectiveness of vaccinations, expecting that the coming months bring positive changes in the statistics on prevalence.

What Every Diabetologist Should Know about SARS-CoV-2: State of Knowledge at the Beginning of 2021.

For almost a year, the major medical problem has been the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. People with diabetes who contract COVID-19 are likely to experience more serious symptoms than patients without diabetes. This article presents new research about the epidemiology of COVID-19 in a group of patients with diabetes. It details the mortality and prognosis in such patients, as well as the relationship between COVID-19 and the diseases most often coexisting with diabetes: obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and increased risk for infection. It also details how the virus infects and affects patients with hyperglycemia. The context of glycation and receptors for advanced glycation products (RAGE) seems to be of particular importance here. We also present a hypothesis related to the cause-and-effect axis-it turns out that diabetes can be both the cause of the more difficult course of COVID-19 and the result of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The last part of this article discusses the impact of antihyperglycemic drugs on the development of COVID-19 and other pharmacological implications, including which non-classical antihyperglycemic drugs seem to be effective in both the treatment of coronavirus infection and glucose homeostasis, and what strategies related to RAGE and glycation should be considered.