Search Results (3)

Background/Objectives: N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) is a biomarker released into the blood in response to heart failure, reflecting the extent of cardiac stress and damage. QuidelOrtho Diagnostics released its latest reformulation of its NT-proBNP assay, the Vitros NT-proBNP II assay. This study aims to evaluate the analytical performance of the Vitros NT-proBNP II assay. Methods: Repeatability, reproducibility, carryover, analytical measurement range, and clinical reportable range (AMR and CRR) were assessed using commercially available materials and dilution of patient specimens. Accuracy was evaluated by comparing results from the Vitros NT-proBNP II and the Vitros NT-proBNP assays. Paired heparin and EDTA plasma specimen results were compared, and instrument-to-instrument comparison was performed using two different Vitros 5600 Integrated Systems. NT-proBNP stability was evaluated at room temperature, 2–8 °C, and −18 °C for up to five days. Results: Repeatability and reproducibility were ≤10% CV, and no carryover was observed. The AMR was 20–30,000 pg/mL and dilution up to 80 times was verified. Passing–Bablok analysis showed a significant proportional bias with a slope of 1.37. Instrument-to-instrument and heparin-to-EDTA plasma comparisons showed no significant biases. NT-proBNP is stable up to five days at room temperature, 4 °C, and −20 °C. Conclusions: Our evaluation demonstrated acceptable analytical performances of the Vitros NT-proBNP II assay except for the positive proportional bias compared with the Vitros NT-proBNP assay. Full article

In the rapidly emerging field of biomedical applications, multifunctional nanoparticles, especially those containing magnetic and plasmonic components, have gained significant attention due to their combined properties. These hybrid systems, often composed of iron oxide and gold, provide both magnetic and optical functionalities and offer promising avenues for applications in multimodal bioimaging, hyperthermal therapies, and magnetically driven selective delivery. This paper focuses on the implementation of advanced characterization methods, comparing statistical analyses of individual multifunctional particle properties with macroscopic properties as a way of fine-tuning synthetic methodologies for their fabrication methods. Special emphasis is placed on the size-dependent properties, biocompatibility, and challenges that can arise from this versatile nanometric system. In order to ensure the quality and applicability of these particles, various novel methods for characterizing the magnetic gold particles, including the analysis of their morphology, optical response, and magnetic response, are also discussed, with the overall goal of optimizing the fabrication of this complex system and thus enhancing its potential as a preferred diagnostic agent. Full article

SERINC5 is a restriction factor that becomes incorporated into nascent retroviral particles, impairing their ability to infect target cells. In turn, retroviruses have evolved countermeasures against SERINC5. For instance, the primate lentiviruses (HIV and SIV) use Nef, Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus (MLV) uses GlycoGag, and Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) uses S2 to remove SERINC5 from the plasma membrane, preventing its incorporation into progeny virions. Recent studies have shown that SERINC5 also restricts other viruses, such as Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV), although through a different mechanism, suggesting that SERINC5 can interfere with multiple stages of the virus life cycle. To investigate whether SERINC5 can also impact other steps of the replication cycle of HIV, the effects of SERINC5 on viral transcripts, proteins, and virus progeny size were studied. Here, we report that SERINC5 causes significant defects in HIV gene expression, which impacts virion production. While the underlying mechanism is still unknown, we found that the restriction occurs at the transcriptional level and similarly affects plasmid and non-integrated proviral DNA (ectopic or non-self-DNA). However, SERINC5 causes no defects in the expression of viral RNA, host genes, or proviral DNA that is integrated in the cellular genome. Hence, our findings reveal that SERINC5’s actions in host defense extend beyond blocking virus entry. Full article