Diagnostic performance of the bioline dengue duo rapid test on symptomatic patients assisted at Armed Forces Hospital (Hfa) in Brasília, Brazil.

Dengue necessitates accurate diagnosis. Rapid tests such as Bioline™ DENGUE DUO have gained traction, but validation in specific populations is essential. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Bioline™ test, alongside assessing the socio-epidemiological profile of symptomatic patients in a Brasília Military Hospital. The serum of 404 symptomatic patients was analyzed by the Bioline™ DENGUE DUO test, followed by Dengue virus detection and discrimination of the four serotypes by RT-qPCR. Accuracy was assessed using parameters including sensitivity (S), specificity (E), positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), and positive (RV +) and negative (RV-) likelihood ratios. The NS1 component exhibited a sensitivity of 70.37%, a specificity of 97.30%, and an overall efficiency of 90.10% when compared to RT-qPCR as the gold standard. The IgM component demonstrated a sensitivity of 26.85%, a specificity of 89.53%, and an overall efficiency of 72.77% when compared to RT-qPCR as the gold standard. The IgG component demonstrated a sensitivity of 23.15%, a specificity of 68.92%, and an overall efficiency of 56.68% when compared to RT-qPCR as the gold standard. Several rapid tests are commercially available. However, considering variations across regions and demographic groups, it is important to question their accuracy in specific populations. Rapid tests are important screening tools, but they can have limitations for the certainty of diagnosis. Bioline™ DENGUE DUO displayed good specificity, but sensitivity was slightly below optimal levels. While helpful for confirming dengue, improvements are needed to effectively rule out the disease.

Detection of arboviruses in Aedes aegypti through transovarian analysis: A study in Goiânia, Goiás.

BACKGROUND: Arboviral diseases are a group of infectious diseases caused by viruses transmitted by arthropods, mainly mosquitoes. These diseases, such as those caused by the dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), chikungunya (CHIKV), and yellow fever (YFV) viruses, have a significant impact worldwide. In this context, entomological surveillance plays a crucial role in the control and prevention of arboviruses by providing essential information on the presence, distribution, and activity of vector mosquitoes. Based on entomological surveillance, transovarian transmission provides information regarding the maintenance and dissemination of arboviruses. The objective of this study was to detect these arboviruses in Goiânia, Goiás, and analyze the occurrence of transovarian transmission. METHODS: Aedes aegypti eggs were collected from different regions of Goiânia and cultivated under controlled laboratory conditions until the emergence of adult mosquitoes. Adult females were grouped into pools containing their heads and thoraxes. These pools were subsequently evaluated using reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. RESULTS: A total of 157 pools (N=1570) were analyzed, with two pools testing positive for CHIKV and one pool testing positive for ZIKV, indicating that the offspring resulting from transovarian transmission are potentially infectious. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the demonstration of the vertical transmission mechanisms of CHIKV and ZIKV in A. aegypti serves as an alert to health authorities, as these diseases are still underreported, and their primary urban vector has likely acquired this capacity, contributing to the dissemination of these infections.

Dioclea violacea lectin inhibits tumorigenesis and tumor angiogenesis in vivo.

Dioclea violacea seed mannose-binding lectin (DvL) has attracted considerable attention because of its interesting biological activities, including antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. This study evaluated the cytotoxic effect of DvL on tumor and normal cells using the mitochondrial activity reduction (MTT) assay, the carcinogenic and anti-carcinogenic activity by the epithelial tumor test (ETT) in Drosophila melanogaster, and the anti-angiogenic effect by the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Data demonstrated that DvL promoted strong selective cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines, especially A549 and S180 cells, whereas normal cell lines were weakly affected. Furthermore, DvL did not promote carcinogenesis in D. melanogaster at any concentration tested, but modulated DXR-induced carcinogenesis at the highest concentrations tested. In the CAM and immunohistochemical assays, DvL inhibited sarcoma 180-induced angiogenesis and promoted the reduction of VEGF and TGF-ß levels at all concentrations tested. Therefore, our results demonstrated that DvL is a potent anticancer, anti-angiogenic, and selective cytotoxic agent for tumor cells, suggesting its potential application as a prototype molecule for the development of new drugs with chemoprotective and/or antitumor effects.

Advancing Chikungunya Diagnosis: A Cost-Effective and Rapid Visual employing Loop-mediated isothermal reaction.

The diagnosis of Chikungunya (CHIKV), along with the simultaneous monitoring of virus circulation in the population or vectors, is essential for global health. Although effective diagnostic methods for CHIKV, such as RT-qPCR, exist, their utilization is constrained by high costs. With the aim of contributing to the field of diagnostics, we have developed a diagnostic assay using isothermal amplification technology with visually interpretable results. This test can detect the virus within a maximum timeframe of 30 minutes. The detection limit of RT-LAMP CHIKV was found to be 66 copies of RNA molecules (Ct ≅ 31.28), and no cross-reactivity with other arboviruses was observed. During test validation, our assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 80.43%, specificity of 100%, and an overall accuracy of 88.89%. By utilizing more cost-effective reagents and equipment compared to RT-qPCR, this test holds the potential for broader application and enhanced accessibility, particularly in point-of-care settings.

Detection of arboviruses in Aedes aegypti through transovarian analysis: A study in Goiânia, Goiás

Abstract Background: Arboviral diseases are a group of infectious diseases caused by viruses transmitted by arthropods, mainly mosquitoes. These diseases, such as those caused by the dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), chikungunya (CHIKV), and yellow fever (YFV) viruses, have a significant impact worldwide. In this context, entomological surveillance plays a crucial role in the control and prevention of arboviruses by providing essential information on the presence, distribution, and activity of vector mosquitoes. Based on entomological surveillance, transovarian transmission provides information regarding the maintenance and dissemination of arboviruses. The objective of this study was to detect these arboviruses in Goiânia, Goiás, and analyze the occurrence of transovarian transmission. Methods: Aedes aegypti eggs were collected from different regions of Goiânia and cultivated under controlled laboratory conditions until the emergence of adult mosquitoes. Adult females were grouped into pools containing their heads and thoraxes. These pools were subsequently evaluated using reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. Results: A total of 157 pools (N=1570) were analyzed, with two pools testing positive for CHIKV and one pool testing positive for ZIKV, indicating that the offspring resulting from transovarian transmission are potentially infectious. Conclusions: In summary, the demonstration of the vertical transmission mechanisms of CHIKV and ZIKV in A. aegypti serves as an alert to health authorities, as these diseases are still underreported, and their primary urban vector has likely acquired this capacity, contributing to the dissemination of these infections.

Report of natural Mayaro virus infection in Mansonia humeralis (Dyar & Knab, Diptera: Culicidae).

BACKGROUND: Arboviruses are a group of viruses transmitted to vertebrate hosts by certain blood-feeding arthropods. Among urban vectors of arboviruses, mosquitoes of the genus Aedes are the most common. However, other mosquitoes may be susceptible to infection and involved in the transmission, such as Mansonia spp. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether Mansonia humeralis can be infected with the Mayaro virus (MAYV). METHODS: These insects were collected from 2018 to 2020 in chicken coops of rural communities in Jaci Paraná in Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil, while performing blood-feeding on roosters. The mosquitoes were randomly grouped in pools from which the head and thorax were macerated and checked for the presence of MAYV by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The positive pools were used to infect the C6/36 cell line, and on different days post-infection, the supernatant of the infected cells was subjected to viral detection by RT-qPCR. RESULTS: A total of 183 pools of female mosquitoes were tested, of which 18% were positive for MAYV; some samples from insect pools inoculated into C6/36 cells showed in vitro multiplication capacity between 3 and 7 days post-infection. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of Ma. humeralis mosquitoes that are naturally infected by MAYV, indicating that these vectors may be potential transmitting agents of this arbovirus.

The presence of antibiotics and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus reservoir in a low-order stream spring in central Brazil.

The disposal of industrial effluents strongly influences low-order streams, which makes them fragile ecosystems that can be impacted by contamination. In central Brazil, the Extrema River spring targets the dumping of pharmaceutical products from the surrounding industries. So, this work aimed to investigate the presence of antibiotics in Extrema River spring samples and the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus, a potential multidrug-resistant bacteria, verifying the antimicrobial resistance profile of these isolates. Three campaigns were carried out in different locals (P1-P3) between October and December 2021, in the dry and rainy seasons. The high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS) approach indicated the presence of sulfamethoxazole (≥ 1 ng/L), metronidazole (< 0.5 ng/L), and chloramphenicol (< 5 ng/L) in the water samples in November (rainy season). S. aureus was isolated in P1 (n = 128), P2 (n = 168), and P3 (n = 36), with greater resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (90%), clindamycin (70%), and gentamicin (60%). The presence of antibiotics in the Extrema River spring may cause S. aureus antibiotic resistance development. The presence of antibiotics and the high percentage of isolated multidrug-resistant S. aureus in the Extrema River spring cause concern and indicate the clandestine dumping of effluents from nearby pharmaceutical industries. Since preserving the springs of low-order streams is important for the environment and public health, we encourage monitoring the wastewater from Extrema River's nearby pharmaceutical industries and preserving the spring of this river.

Immunogenic Cell Death Photothermally Mediated by Erythrocyte Membrane-Coated Magnetofluorescent Nanocarriers Improves Survival in Sarcoma Model.

Inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) during cancer therapy is a major challenge that might significantly improve patient survival. The purpose of this study was to develop a theranostic nanocarrier, capable both of conveying a cytotoxic thermal dose when mediating photothermal therapy (PTT) after its intravenous delivery, and of consequently inducing ICD, improving survival. The nanocarrier consists of red blood cell membranes (RBCm) embedding the near-infrared dye IR-780 (IR) and camouflaging Mn-ferrite nanoparticles (RBCm-IR-Mn). The RBCm-IR-Mn nanocarriers were characterized by size, morphology, surface charge, magnetic, photophysical, and photothermal properties. Their photothermal conversion efficiency was found to be size- and concentration-dependent. Late apoptosis was observed as the cell death mechanism for PTT. Calreticulin and HMGB1 protein levels increased for in vitro PTT with temperature around 55 °C (ablative regime) but not for 44 °C (hyperthermia), suggesting ICD elicitation under ablation. RBCm-IR-Mn were then intravenously administered in sarcoma S180-bearing Swiss mice, and in vivo ablative PTT was performed five days later. Tumor volumes were monitored for the subsequent 120 days. RBCm-IR-Mn-mediated PTT promoted tumor regression in 11/12 animals, with an overall survival rate of 85% (11/13). Our results demonstrate that the RBCm-IR-Mn nanocarriers are great candidates for PTT-induced cancer immunotherapy.

Synthesis, characterization, solution chemistry and anticancer activity of [NiCl2(Ph2P-N(R)-PPh2)] (R = 2-CH2Py, CH2Ph and p-tol) complexes.

In this work three Ni2+ complexes with general formula [NiCl2(Ph2P-N(R)-PPh2)], R = 2-CH2Py (Py = pyridine) - 1, CH2Ph (Ph = phenyl) - 2 and p-tol (p-tol = p-tolyl) - 3, were synthesized and characterized. These complexes were obtained in high yield by the reaction of NiCl2.6H2O and the corresponding diphenylphosphinoamine ligand (Ph2P-N(R)-PPh2) in CH2Cl2/MeOH (1:1) solution, at room temperature (∼25 °C), and characterized by 1H and 31P {1H} NMR, vibrational spectroscopy in the infrared region, electronic spectroscopy in the UV-Vis regions, elemental analysis (%C, %H, %N) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The solution chemistry was studied in CDCl3/dmso-d6 (dimethylsulfoxide) or neat dmso-d6 using complex 2 as a model. The complexes were evaluated as cytotoxic agents against two cancer cells lines, A549 (lung cancer cells), B16F10 (melanoma cells) and the health cells HaCaT (human epithelial keratinocytes).

Fast, low-cost and highly specific colorimetric RT-LAMP assays for inference of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 lineages.

Two lineages (BA.1 and BA.2) of the Omicron variant are the main ones responsible for the recent COVID-19 pandemic waves worldwide. Monitoring the prevalence and spread of these variants is important as the presence of mutations might lower the efficacy of vaccines and hinder the benefits of monoclonal antibody therapies. Although the need to screen these new lineages is emerging, genetic sequencing is scarce due to its high cost. Alternatively, we propose using reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) to infer the prevalence of these lineages and aid in genomic surveillance in countries with limited genetic sequencing capacity. For this, we designed specific primers and tested them on a panel of 267 sequenced RNA genomes from different lineages. The test for BA.1 and its descendants showed 96.63% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 98.85% accuracy, and the test for BA.2 and descendants showed 90.00% sensitivity, 98.85% specificity, and 98.52% accuracy. These results demonstrate the potential of RT-LAMP to be an alternative to help monitor variants, especially in countries with scarce resources.

Detecting lineage-defining mutations in SARS-CoV-2 using colorimetric RT-LAMP without probes or additional primers.

Despite the advance of vaccination worldwide, epidemic waves caused by more transmissible and immune evasive genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 have sustained the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19. Monitoring such variants is expensive, as it usually relies on whole-genome sequencing methods. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternatives that could help identify samples from specific variants. Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification is a method that has been increasingly used for nucleic acid amplification, as it is cheaper and easier to perform when compared to other molecular techniques. As a proof of concept that can help distinguish variants, we present an RT-LAMP assay capable of detecting samples carrying a group of mutations that can be related to specific SARS-CoV-2 lineages, here demonstrated for the Variant of Concern Gamma. We tested 60 SARS-CoV-2 RNA samples extracted from swab samples and the reaction showed a sensitivity of 93.33%, a specificity of 88.89% and a kappa value of 0.822 for samples with a Ct ≤ 22.93. The RT-LAMP assay demonstrated to be useful to distinguish VOC Gamma and may be of particular interest as a screening approach for variants in countries with poor sequencing coverage.

TP53 Pathogenic Variants in Early-Onset Breast Cancer Patients Fulfilling Hereditary Breast and Ovary Cancer and Li-Fraumeni-like Syndromes.

TP53 gene mutation is the most common genetic alteration in human malignant tumors and is mainly responsible for Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Among the several cancers related to this syndrome, breast cancer (BC) is the most common. The TP53 p.R337H germline pathogenic variant is highly prevalent in Brazil's South and Southeast regions, accounting for 0.3% of the general population. We investigated the prevalence of TP53 germline pathogenic variants in a cohort of 83 BC patients from the Midwest Brazilian region. All patients met the clinical criteria for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC) and were negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Moreover, 40 index patients fulfilled HBOC and the Li-Fraumeni-like (LFL) syndromes criteria. The samples were tested using next generation sequencing for TP53. Three patients harbored TP53 missense pathogenic variants (p.Arg248Gln, p.Arg337His, and p.Arg337Cys), confirmed by Sanger sequencing. One (1.2%) patient showed a large TP53 deletion (exons 2-11), which was also confirmed. The p.R337H variant was detected in only one patient. In conclusion, four (4.8%) early-onset breast cancer patients fulfilling the HBOC and LFL syndromes presented TP53 pathogenic variants, confirming the relevance of genetic tests in this group of patients. In contrast to other Brazilian regions, TP53 p.R337H variant appeared with low prevalence.

"pySewage": a hybrid approach to predict the number of SARS-CoV-2-infected people from wastewater in Brazil.

It is well known that the new coronavirus pandemic has global environmental, public health, and economic implications. In this sense, this study aims to monitor SARS-CoV-2 in the largest wastewater treatment plant of Goiânia, which processes wastewater from more than 700,000 inhabitants, and to correlate the molecular and clinical data collected. Influent and effluent samples were collected at Dr. Helio de Seixo Britto's wastewater treatment plant from January to August 2021. Viral concentration was performed with polyethylene glycol before viral RNA extraction. Real-time qPCR (N1 and N2 gene assays) was performed to detect and quantify the viral RNA present in the samples. The results showed that 43.63% of the samples were positive. There is no significant difference between the detection of primers N1 (mean 3.23 log10 genome copies/L, std 0.23) and N2 (mean 2.95 log10 genome copies/L, std 0.29); also, there is no significant difference between the detection of influent and effluent samples. Our molecular data revealed a positive correlation with clinical data, and infection prevalence was higher than clinical data. In addition, we developed a user-friendly web application to predict the number of infected people based on the detection of viral load present in wastewater samples and may be applied as a public policy strategy for monitoring ongoing outbreaks.

Detection of Mayaro virus in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes circulating in Goiânia-Goiás-Brazil.

The Arboviral diseases are caused by arthropod-borne viruses, such as Mayaro virus (MAYV), the etiological agent of Mayaro fever. This disease has been drawing the attention of the public health authorities for the increased number of cases likely due to virus adaptation for survival to urban areas as well as infection and multiplication in other vectors insects. Therefore, this work aimed to identify the MAYV infecting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Goiânia, the capital of state of Goiás, Brazil. For the development of study, the larvae of A. aegypti were collected in Basic Health Units from different regions of Goiânia then the larvae were grown to adult mosquitoes in controlled laboratory conditions. The female mosquitoes were submitted to the procedure of head and body separation. The RNAs obtained from these samples were analyzed by real-time PCR for identification of arboviruses. We only detect the presence of MAVY in the mosquitoes, in this sense our findings suggest that A. aegypti harbor MAYV in different anatomical sites, and potentially the process of vertical transmission of MAYV can occur in this vector.

Secondary household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among children and adolescents: Clinical and epidemiological aspects.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the secondary attack rate (SAR) in children and adolescents, contacts of essential activities workers who were infected by SARS-CoV-2; and to describe associated clinical and epidemiological data. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted in children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years of age, that were household contacts of parents and other relatives who were infected by SARS-CoV-2 in the city of Goiânia, Central Brazil, from March to October 2020. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from all participants. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and SAR were analyzed using Poisson regression. RESULTS: A total of 267 children and adolescents were investigated. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by the real-time RT-PCR test and/or the presence of COVID-19 associated symptoms (anosmia/ageusia and flu syndrome) was 25.1% (95.0% Confidence Interval [95.0% CI] = 20.3-30.6). More than half (55.1%) of the participants had sygns and symptoms. The most prevalent signs and symptoms in positive individuals were nasal congestion (62.7%), headache (55.2%), cough (50.8%), myalgia (47.8%), runny nose (47.8%), and anosmia (47.8%). The Poisson model showed that the following signs or symptoms were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection: fever, nasal congestion, decreased appetite, nausea, anosmia, and ageusia. Families that had more than one infected adult, in addition to the index case, presented greater transmissibility to children and adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Our results contribute to the hypothesis that children and adolescents are not important sources of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the home environment during a period of social distancing and school closure; even though they are susceptible to infection in the household (around » of our study population).

Ru(II)/amino acid complexes inhibit the progression of breast cancer cells through multiple mechanism-induced apoptosis.

For some cancer subtypes, such as triple-negative breast cancer, there are no specific therapies, which leads to a poor prognosis associated with invasion and metastases. Ruthenium complexes have been developed to act in all steps of tumor growth and its progression. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ruthenium (II) complexes coupled to the amino acids methionine (RuMet) and tryptophan (RuTrp) on the induction of cell death, clonogenic survival ability, inhibition of angiogenesis, and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells (human triple-negative breast cancer). The study also demonstrated that the RuMet and RuTrp complexes induce cell cycle blockage and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells, as evidenced by an increase in the number of Annexin V-positive cells, p53 phosphorylation, caspase 3 activation, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Moreover, morphological changes and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential were detected. The RuMet and RuTrp complexes induced DNA damage probably due to reactive oxygen species production related to mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Therefore, the RuMet and RuTrp complexes acted directly on breast tumor cells, leading to cell death and inhibiting their metastatic potential; this reveals the potential therapeutic action of these drugs.

Anti-angiogenic activity of azathioprine.

Azathioprine (AZA) is the main drug used in immunomodulatory therapy in post-transplant patients or with autoimmune diseases. However, no study has evaluated the AZA angiogenic response. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of AZA on the angiogenic process through macroscopic, histological, and immunohistochemical analyses in chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). Our results showed potent anti-angiogenic activity of AZA at the higher concentrations tested in the CAM assay. The histological analysis of CAM confirmed this effect, since AZA induced a significant reduction in all parameters evaluated. In addition, immunohistochemical evaluation of CAM revealed that AZA decreased TGF-ß and VEGF levels, important cytokines involved in the angiogenic process. Therefore, the AZA anti-angiogenic effect identified in our study provides new information for the possible application of this drug in anticancer treatment.

Molecular epidemiological investigation of Mayaro virus in febrile patients from Goiania City, 2017-2018.

Mayaro virus (MAYV) has historically been associated with sylvatic transmission; however, urban outbreaks have been reported in Brazil, including cases of co-detection with dengue virus (DENV). Therefore, we performed a molecular survey to investigate MAYV circulation and cocirculation with DENV within Goiania, a major city in Central-West Brazil. Among 375 subjects with arbovirus-like symptoms, 259 were positive for DENV and 26 for MAYV. Of these, 17 were coinfected with DENV-2, suggesting co-transmission of the viruses. The most common complaints at the time of inclusion were myalgia, headache, fever, arthralgia, retro-orbital pain, and skin rash. No specific symptoms were associated with MAYV when either detected alone or co-detected with DENV, compared to that when DENV was detected alone. Most MAYV-infected subjects were women with no recent travel history to rural/sylvatic areas. Phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that the MAYV identified in this study is closely related with a lineage observed in Peru, belonging to genotype D. Our results corroborate the growing circulation of MAYV in urban environments in Brazil and reinforce the need to implement laboratory diagnosis in the Unified Health System, considering that the clinical manifestations of Mayaro fever are similar to those of other arboviruses, particularly dengue. Furthermore, most cases occurred in association with DENV-2. Further phylogenetic studies are needed to evaluate MAYV, which has not been widely examined.

Can a field molecular diagnosis be accurate? A performance evaluation of colorimetric RT-LAMP for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in a hospital setting.

SARS-CoV-2 currently represents a serious global public health problem. Non-pharmaceutical intervention measures (NPIs) have been widely adopted, and the testing strategy since the beginning of the infection is the most effective tool for tracking, isolating, and minimizing transmission. The high operating costs and the need for sophisticated instrumentation related to gold standard diagnostic for COVID-19, Reverse Transcription quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR), have highlighted the urgency and importance of developing and applying new diagnostic techniques, especially in places with scarce resources. Thus, alternative molecular tests, such as Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP), based on isothermal amplification have been used to detect SARS-CoV-2 using different protocols. The potential for field application of RT-LAMP is due to the lower cost and time and not requiring high-cost instrumentation. Here, we evaluate the colorimetric RT-LAMP to detect SARS-CoV-2 in a hospital environment and correlate its performance with tests performed in a reference laboratory. The analysis performed at the hospital showed high sensitivity (88.89%), specificity (98.55%), accuracy (95.83%), and a Cohen's kappa of 0.895. However, we achieved 100% of agreement when comparing the RT-LAMP results with the gold standard (qRT-PCR) results for samples with Ct < 30 in the hospital-based test. In addition, a similar performance was found in the field compared to the reference laboratory, corroborating the proposal to apply the test directly at point-of-care.

Ruthenium (II)/allopurinol complex inhibits breast cancer progression via multiple targets.

Metal complexes based on ruthenium have established excellent activity with less toxicity and great selectivity for tumor cells. This study aims to assess the anticancer potential of ruthenium(II)/allopurinol complexes called [RuCl2(allo)2(PPh3)2] (1) and [RuCl2(allo)2(dppb)] (2), where allo means allopurinol, PPh3 is triphenylphosphine and dppb, 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane. The complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis and NMR spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, molar conductance measurements, as well as the X-ray crystallographic analysis of complex 2. The antitumor effects of compounds were determined by cytotoxic activity and cellular and molecular responses to cell death mechanisms. Complex 2 showed good antitumor profile prospects because in addition to its cytotoxicity, it causes cell cycle arrest, induction of DNA damage, morphological and biochemical alterations in the cells. Moreover, complex 2 induces cell death by p53-mediated apoptosis, caspase activation, increased Beclin-1 levels and decreased ROS levels. Therefore, complex 2 can be considered a suitable compound in antitumor treatment due to its cytotoxic mechanism.