Dried blood spots are an acceptable and useful HIV surveillance tool in a remote developing world setting.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis of dried blood spots (DBS) on filter paper have been shown to be as sensitive and specific as analysis of serum, and therefore may be a cost-effective and culturally appropriate HIV seroprevalence tool in remote areas. This study examines the acceptability of DBS in a tropical, rural population from an outpatient clinic in Andhra Pradesh, India, where participation was offered to every fifth patient seeking general medical care between March and April 2001. All 1413 patients approached for the study agreed to participate and provide a DBS for examination. The overall HIV seroprevalence in this sample was 2.8%. Of the participants, 51.7% were male, 93.2% were between the ages of 18 and 40, 85.3% were married, 29.7% were employed, 47.6% had no education and 73.1% resided in a rural setting. In the univariate analysis, history of genital warts (P = 0.01), sexually transmitted disease (P = 0.001), premarital sexual intercourse (P = 0.002), sexual contact with a commercial sex worker (P = 0.003), being employed (P = 0.011) and having more than 10 injections for medical purposes (P = 0.006) all correlated with being HIV-infected. Given the uniform willingness of these clinic attendees to be tested, we conclude that DBS is a useful, cost-effective tool in HIV serosurveillance in a rural, tropical setting.

Novel terpenoids from the West Indian sea whip Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae (Bayer). Elisapterosins A and B: rearranged diterpenes possessing an unprecedented cagelike framework.

Four diterpenes and a nor-diterpenoid, all of which possess unusual carbocyclic skeletons, were isolated from the hexane solubles of the West Indian gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae. The structures and relative configurations of novel metabolites elisabethin D (2), elisabethin D acetate (3), 3-epi-elisabanolide (5), elisapterosin A (6), and elisapterosin B (7) were elucidated by interpretation of overall spectral data, which included 2D NMR correlation methods, IR, UV, and accurate mass measurements (HREI-MS and HRFAB-MS), chemical reactions, and X-ray diffraction analyses. The tetracyclic carbon skeleton of the elisapterosins is undescribed and constitutes a new class of C(20) rearranged diterpenes. Elisapterosin B displays strong in vitro anti-tuberculosis activity.

Elisabatins A and B: new amphilectane-type diterpenes from the West Indian sea whip Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae.

A chemical study of the hexane extracts of the gorgonian octocoral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae collected in San Andrés Island, Colombia, led to the isolation of two highly conjugated amphilectane-type diterpenes, compounds 1 and 2. Their structures were established by spectroscopic studies, which included 2D NMR correlation methods, IR, UV, and accurate mass measurements (HREIMS).

Novel antimycobacterial benzoxazole alkaloids, from the west Indian Sea whip Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae.

[formula: see text] Our screening for marine natural products with anti-tuberculosis activity from the West Indian gorgonian coral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae resulted in the isolation of two active diterpenoid alkaloids, pseudopteroxazole (1) and seco-pseudopteroxazole (2). Their structures were elucidated by NMR spectral analysis, including a variety of two-dimensional techniques. Compounds 1 and 2 are previously undescribed diterpenoids containing the uncommon benzoxazole moiety. Biological screening studies indicated that pseudopteroxazole (1) is a potent growth inhibitor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, while seco-pseudopteroxazole (2) shows moderate to strong inhibitorial activity.