ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The PreMed symposium is dedicated to presenting the potential contribution of laboratory medicine to preventive medicine and to the prediction of diseases. At the 2008 PreMed meeting, innovative research approaches, new technologies for laboratory medicine, late-breaking news for molecular medicine and new approaches for disease screening were presented by top scientists. OBJECTIVE: To reflect on the global state of research in preventive medicine and laboratory medicine, but also constraints such as reliability and cost-effectiveness of preventive and predictive measures, which include genomics and pharmacogenomics, new technologies for personalized medicine, management of cardiovascular diseases and biomarkers of dementia and preeclampsia. METHOD: The article presents an overview of some of the hot topics discussed at the PreMed 2008 meeting and recapitulates some lectures focused on new trends and current status of prevention and prediction of the diseases. CONCLUSION: This article represents an opportunity for those who did not attend the meeting to highlight challenges related to preventive medicine.
ABSTRACT
The analytical performances of the new Abbott RealTime hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 viral load assays were compared at nine laboratories with different competitor assays. These included the Abbott LcX, Bayer Versant bDNA, Roche COBAS Amplicor, and Roche COBAS TaqMan assays. Two different protocols used during the testing period with and without a pre-m1000 RNA isolation spin were compared. The difference proved to be nonsignificant. A uracil-N-glycosylase (UNG) contamination control option in the HCV test for previous Roche COBAS Amplicor users was evaluated. It proved to decrease amplicon carryover by 100-fold independent of the amplicon input concentration. The protocol including UNG proved to overcome problems with false-positive negative controls. Comparison with other assays revealed only minor differences. The largest difference was observed between the Abbott HCV RealTime assay and the Roche COBAS Amplicor HCV Monitor version 2.0 assay.
Subject(s)
HIV-1/isolation & purification , Hepacivirus/isolation & purification , RNA, Viral/blood , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic , Viral Load , HIV Infections/diagnosis , HIV Infections/virology , HIV-1/genetics , Hepacivirus/genetics , Hepatitis C/diagnosis , Hepatitis C/virology , Humans , RNA, Viral/isolation & purification , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Uracil-DNA Glycosidase/metabolismABSTRACT
Monotherapy with macrolides for the treatment of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteraemia leads to drug resistance and relapse of bacteraemia. Gastrointestinal intolerance is a common reason for treatment withdrawal of multidrug regimens. We have assessed the efficacy and safety of initial parenteral therapy together with a macrolide, for disseminated MAC infection, defined as two positive blood cultures, in AIDS patients. Patients received a daily infusion of amikacin 15 mg/kg + ethambutol 20 mg/kg + ciprofloxacin 400 mg/day, for 1 month, together with a macrolide by oral route. Fifteen patients were included and 13 (86%) achieved negative culture before the end of parenteral therapy.
