ABSTRACT
In 731 persons seeking COVID-19 testing at a walk-up San Francisco community site in January 2022, simultaneous nasal rapid antigen testing (BinaxNOW) and RT-PCR testing was performed. There were 296 (40.5%) positive tests by RT-PCR; 98.5% of a random sample (N=67) were the omicron variant. Sensitivity of a single antigen test was 95.2% (95% CI 92-98%); 82.1% (95% CI 77-87%) and 65.2% (95% CI 60-71%) for Ct threshold of < 30, < 35 and no threshold, respectively. We also compared BinaxNOW to RT-PCR from oral cheek swabs to nasal swabs (N=75); oral cheek specimen was significantly less sensitive than nasal swab. A single BinaxNOW oral cheek rapid antigen test failed to detect 91% (20 of 22) of specimens that were BinaxNOW positive from the standard nasal sampling. In a separate direct comparison of BinaxNOW between specimens collected from nasal or throat (tonsillar) swab (N=115), sensitivity was 97.7% for nasal and 48.8% for throat swabs that were PCR-positive on nasal swab with a Ct threshold < 30. Among persons with either a nasal or throat RT-PCR positive swab with Ct<30, BinaxNOW sensitivity was 85.7% for nasal and 89.8% for nasal plus throat swabs. BinaxNOW continues to be a very useful diagnostic during the omicron surge; oral (throat or cheek swab) should not replace nasal swabs due to significantly reduced sensitivity compared to nasal. As currently recommended, repeat testing should be done for high-risk persons with an initial negative antigen test result.
ABSTRACT
The vacuum erectile device (VED) uses negative pressure to increase blood inflow into the corpora cavernosum, with a ring at the base of the penis to maintain erection for intercourse or without a ring for penile rehabilitation. Owing to the limitation of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5I) shown in the treatment of refractory erectile dysfunction (ED), the use of VED has resurged and is becoming the first line therapy in the treatment of ED following radical prostatectomy (RP). Currently, the combination therapy of VED with PDE5I and that of VED with intracavernous injection are advocated for post-RP ED. Hereby, we review the role of VED in penile rehabilitation, its underlying mechanisms, and the combination therapies for it.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Coitus , Combined Modality Therapy , Methods , Erectile Dysfunction , Drug Therapy , Rehabilitation , Penile Prosthesis , Penis , Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors , Therapeutic Uses , Prostatectomy , Regional Blood Flow , VacuumABSTRACT
Several lines of evidence show that the daily amount of melatonin produced differs greatly between individuals. Any polymorphism in the gene of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT), a critical enzyme involved in melatonin biosynthesis, may contribute to the variability of melatonin production. The present study investigated the possible association between overnight melatonin excretion and a commonly occurring -263G/C polymorphism in the promoter region of the human AA-NAT gene. However, we found that -263G/C variant had no effect on the overnight 6-OHMS excretion. In this study, individual genotyping for -263G/C was determined by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and confirmed by sequencing. The overnight urinary 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate (6-OHMS) excretion was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Subject(s)
Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase/genetics , Melatonin/analogs & derivatives , Melatonin/metabolism , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Gene Frequency , Genotype , Humans , Melatonin/urine , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Promoter Regions, GeneticABSTRACT
Several mammalian thioredoxin cDNA sequences, namely that of human, macaca, ovine, bovine, equine and murine have been already registered in the Genbank database; but that of porcine is still not known. In this communication, we report the full-length cDNA sequence of porcine thioredoxin as determined by RT-PCR method. We also compared the protein sequence of thioredoxin from various mammals. Multialignment of the amino acid sequences between porcine and other mammalian species revealed that the sequences are highly conserved. Only one difference exists between the amino acid sequences of porcine and bovine thioredoxin.