Laboratory Diagnosis of Infectious Disease: Advances and Challenges

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 3208

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Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
Interests: clinical pathology; molecular diagnosis; genome; epidemiology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is committed to highlighting the advancements in innovation and progress in infectious disease diagnostics. This edition is set to focus on the latest laboratory techniques and innovative diagnostic methodologies, especially emphasizing their role in the detection and understanding of infectious diseases. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive review of the present trends, the inherent challenges they present and future directions in laboratory diagnostics. Particular focus will be placed on enhancing diagnostic accuracy, speeding up diagnostic processes and improving accessibility. Through a collection of distinguished papers, this Special Issue aspires to deepen our understanding of the dynamic field of infectious disease diagnosis and emphasize its crucial importance in global health.

Dr. Hung-Sheng Shang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • infectious diseases
  • diagnostic techniques
  • laboratory innovation
  • diagnostic accuracy
  • global health
  • disease detection
  • diagnostic challenges
  • medical technology

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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20 pages, 1075 KiB  
Article
sCD14-ST and Related Osteoimmunological Biomarkers: A New Diagnostic Approach to Osteomyelitis
by Emanuela Galliera, Luca Massaccesi, Virginia Suardi, Elena de Vecchi, Francesca Villa, Zhang Yi, Guorui Suo, Arianna B. Lovati, Nicola Logoluso, Massimiliano M. Corsi Romanelli and Antonio V. Pellegrini
Diagnostics 2024, 14(15), 1588; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14151588 - 23 Jul 2024
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Abstract
Osteomyelitis (OM) is a major challenge in orthopedic surgery. The diagnosis of OM is based on imaging and laboratory tests, but it still presents some limitations. Therefore, a deeper comprehension of the pathogenetic mechanisms could enhance diagnostic and treatment approaches. OM pathogenesis is [...] Read more.
Osteomyelitis (OM) is a major challenge in orthopedic surgery. The diagnosis of OM is based on imaging and laboratory tests, but it still presents some limitations. Therefore, a deeper comprehension of the pathogenetic mechanisms could enhance diagnostic and treatment approaches. OM pathogenesis is based on an inflammatory response to pathogen infection, leading to bone loss. The present study aims to investigate the potential diagnostic role of a panel of osteoimmunological serum biomarkers in the clinical approach to OM. The focus is on the emerging infection biomarker sCD14-ST, along with osteoimmunological and inflammatory serum biomarkers, to define a comprehensive biomarker panel for a multifaced approach to OM. The results, to our knowledge, demonstrate for the first time the diagnostic and early prognostic role of sCD14-ST in OM patients, suggesting that this biomarker could address the limitations of current laboratory tests, such as traditional inflammatory markers, in diagnosing OM. In addition, the study highlights a relevant diagnostic role of SuPAR, the chemokine CCL2, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, the Wnt inhibitors DKK-1 and Sclerostin, and the RANKL/OPG ratio. Moreover, CCL2 and SuPAR also exhibited early prognostic value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laboratory Diagnosis of Infectious Disease: Advances and Challenges)
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6 pages, 6197 KiB  
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Pulmonary Actinomycosis in a 65-Year-Old Female with Poor Oral Dentition
by Sha Yi, Rabindra Ghimire, Thomas A. Sporn, Ann T. Sutton, Dora A. Lebron Figueroa and John E. Markantonis
Diagnostics 2024, 14(13), 1421; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14131421 - 3 Jul 2024
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Abstract
Pulmonary actinomycosis is an uncommon clinical entity that can be challenging to diagnose due to its non-specific symptomatology. Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment may result in invasive procedures and extended antimicrobial treatment courses. We report a case involving a 65-year-old female with poor oral [...] Read more.
Pulmonary actinomycosis is an uncommon clinical entity that can be challenging to diagnose due to its non-specific symptomatology. Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment may result in invasive procedures and extended antimicrobial treatment courses. We report a case involving a 65-year-old female with poor oral dentition admitted for acute respiratory failure subsequently found to have a left-sided pleural effusion and perihepatic abscess formation. Cytopathology examination and microbiology studies confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary actinomycosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laboratory Diagnosis of Infectious Disease: Advances and Challenges)
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11 pages, 2100 KiB  
Brief Report
Comparative Performance of COVID-19 Test Methods in Healthcare Workers during the Omicron Wave
by Emma C. Tornberg, Alexander Tomlinson, Nicholas T. T. Oshiro, Esraa Derfalie, Rabeka A. Ali and Marcel E. Curlin
Diagnostics 2024, 14(10), 986; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14100986 - 8 May 2024
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Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic presents unique requirements for accessible, reliable testing, and many testing platforms and sampling techniques have been developed over the course of the pandemic. Not all test methods have been systematically compared to each other or a common gold standard, and [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents unique requirements for accessible, reliable testing, and many testing platforms and sampling techniques have been developed over the course of the pandemic. Not all test methods have been systematically compared to each other or a common gold standard, and the performance of tests developed in the early epidemic have not been consistently re-evaluated in the context of new variants. We conducted a repeated measures study with adult healthcare workers presenting for SARS-CoV-2 testing. Participants were tested using seven testing modalities. Test sensitivity was compared using any positive PCR test as the gold standard. A total of 325 individuals participated in the study. PCR tests were the most sensitive (saliva PCR 0.957 ± 0.048, nasopharyngeal PCR 0.877 ± 0.075, oropharyngeal PCR 0.849 ± 0.082). Standard nasal rapid antigen tests were less sensitive but roughly equivalent (BinaxNOW 0.613 ± 0.110, iHealth 0.627 ± 0.109). Oropharyngeal rapid antigen tests were the least sensitive (BinaxNOW 0.400 ± 0.111, iHealth brands 0.311 ± 0.105). PCR remains the most sensitive testing modality for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and saliva PCR is significantly more sensitive than oropharyngeal PCR and equivalent to nasopharyngeal PCR. Nasal AgRDTs are less sensitive than PCR but have benefits in convenience and accessibility. Saliva-based PCR testing is a viable alternative to traditional swab-based PCR testing for the diagnosis of COVID-19. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laboratory Diagnosis of Infectious Disease: Advances and Challenges)
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