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Interferon Gamma Release Assays For Detection Of Latent Mycobacterium Tuberculosis In Older Hispanic People, Julia M. Scordo, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Doris Ayala, Ana Paulina Quirino-Cerrillo, Eminé Rodriguez-Reyna, Mateo Joya-Ayala, Francisco Mora-Guzmán, Eder Ledezma-Campos, Alejandro Villafañez, Larry S. Schlesinger, Blanca I. Restrepo

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background: Interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) are used to detect latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection (LTBI) in adults, but their performance in older people is not well-established. We evaluated IGRAs for LTBI detection in older Hispanic recent TB contacts (ReC) or community controls (CoC).

Methods: Cross-sectional assessment of LTBI with T-SPOT.TB and/or QuantiFERON-Gold in-tube or -Plus assay in older (≥60 years) and adult (18-50 years) Hispanic people.

Results: We enrolled 193 CoC (119 adults, 74 older persons) and 459 ReC (361 adults, 98 older persons). LTBI positivity increased with age in CoC (19%-59%, P<0.001), but was similar in ReC (59%-69%, P=0.329). Older people had lower concordance between IGRAs (kappa 0.465 vs 0.688 in adults) and more inconclusive results (indeterminate/borderline 11.6% vs 5.8% in adults, P=0.012). With simultaneous IGRAs, inconclusive results were resolved as positive or negative with the other IGRA. The magnitude of response to M.tb peptides in IGRAs was similar among age groups, but responsiveness to mitogens was lower in older people.

Conclusions: IGRAs are suitable for LTBI …

Crispr Systems For Covid-19 Diagnosis, Hossein Rahimi, Marziyeh Salehiabar, Murat Barsbay, Mohammadreza Ghaffarlou, Taras Kavetskyy, Ali Sharafi, Soodabeh Davaran, Subhash C. Chauhan, Hossein Danafar, Murali M. Yallapu

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

The emergence of the new coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) was first seen in December 2019, which has spread rapidly and become a global pandemic. The number of cases of COVID-19 and its associated mortality have raised serious concerns worldwide. Early diagnosis of viral infection undoubtedly allows rapid intervention, disease management, and substantial control of the rapid spread of the disease. Currently, the standard approach for COVID-19 diagnosis globally is the RTqPCR test; however, the limited access to kits and associated reagents, the need for specialized lab equipment, and the need for highly skilled personnel has led to a detection slowdown. Recently, …