How to facilitate and improve screening of sexually-transmitted infections in women population

7^th ASIA PACIFIC STD AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES CONGRESS

OCTOBER 23-25, 2017 OSAKA, JAPAN

Vittorio Sambri

The Great Romagna Hub Laboratory, Italy

Keynote: J AIDS Clin Res

Abstract :

Background & Aim: Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are increasing worldwide. Innovative approaches are required to eliminate barriers to STIs testing such as home-based self-sampling for patients that are difficult to reach. Aim of this study was to evaluate performance of a new home based self vaginal FLOQSwabTM (HBSVF, COPAN Italia, Brescia) in combination with a commercially available real-time PCR assay, Anyplex� II STI-7 (Seegene, Seoul, Korea) which detects seven pathogens in a single reaction (Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) and Ureaplasma parvum (UP). Methodology: 78 asymptomatic employees of a private industry (aged 18 to 45 years) were voluntarily enrolled to STIs screening. The subjects answered to standardize anonymized questionnaire regarding the ease of use of self-collection. The swab was collected in a domestic context by following the detailed how to use it instructions. After collection, swabs were shipped at room temperature to the laboratory in Pievesestina and processed within five weeks. The threshold cycle value (Ct) of a human genomic target (internal control, IC) and Ct of pathogens (CT, NG, TV, MH, MG, UU, UP) were taken as parameters to assess respectively, the efficiency of self-sampling and presence of any inhibitor effects, the stability of nucleic acids on dry swabs. Findings: No failure results were observed and the IC of all samples was amplified (average Ct 30). The real time PCR assay was able to be identified 2/78 CT, 4/78 UU, 40/78 UP, 6/78 MH, 1/78 TV positive patients. No MG and NG positive patients were detected. Women reported self-collection with HBSVF easy and comfortable (100%). Conclusions: HBSVF device showed excellent recovery and stability of nucleic acid of STI pathogens up to 5 weeks at room temperature. The HBSVF is suitable for screening of STIs with real-time PCR assay.

Biography :

Vittorio Sambri is the Director of the Great Romagna Hub Laboratory, Unit of Microbiology and he is also an Associate Professor of Microbiology at the University of Bologna. His research interests are spirochetes (in particular-Treponema palidum infection) and emerging viral arthropod diseases. He has 188 publications in peer reviewed journals.