Objective: assess five EIA tests aimed to quantify specific antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and compared to a surrogate viral neutralization for assessing neutralizing antibodies. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study during the period from July to October 2020, in which the sera of 96 participants whose ages were between 18 and 65 years were evaluated, all recovered from COVID-19 and obtained between 28 and 212 days after the onset of symptoms. ELISA tests used for testing include measurement of total antibodies (IgG & IgM); IgG antibodies against S protein (IgG S1/S2, IgG S, IgG S-RBD); IgG antibodies against nucleocapsid antigens, and IgM antibodies against S-RBD antigen. Pearson's linear correlation coefficient was used to know the degree of correlation between the values of the viral neutralization antibody titer and the values of the titer level of antibodies evaluated by each of ...

Objectives Peruvian men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) are highly vulnerable to HIV infection (HIV), but stigma, access issues and fear of venipuncture hamper testing. The oral HIV test - which uses oral fluids and provides results in 20 minutes - could reduce these barriers. The objective of this study was to determine the acceptability of the oral HIV test and the individual-level factors associated with its acceptability among MSM and TGW. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis among Peruvian MSM and TGW attending a community-based health centre between February 2012 and February 2013 to determine the individual-level factors associated with oral HIV test acceptability. Results Of 334 participants, 88% were MSM and 12% TGW. Overall, 85% of participants indicated their acceptability of the oral HIV test. Acceptability was higher in MSM than T...

Experts recommend exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months because it protects against deadly childhood illness, including respiratory tract infections and diarrhea. We hypothesized that exclusive breastfeeding would decrease the risk of active tuberculosis (TB) in children. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 279 children in Lima, Peru aged 6 to 59 months with TB symptoms and a close adult contact with TB. Mothers self-reported breastfeeding, and children were evaluated for TB per national guidelines. To quantify the association between exclusive breastfeeding and TB, we estimated prevalence ratios using a generalized linear model with a log link, binomial distribution, and robust variance. Twenty-two percent of children were diagnosed with TB and 72% were exclusively breastfed for six months. We found no evidence that six months of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with ...

Fondo La sífilis se concentra en los grupos de alto riesgo, pero la epidemiología de la sífilis reinfección es poco conocida. Hemos caracterizado los factores asociados con la incidencia de la sífilis, incluyendo la reinfección, en una cohorte de alto riesgo en Perú. métodos Los participantes en el ensayo CPOL NIMH se evaluaron al inicio y 2 visitas anuales con la prueba del VIH / ITS y encuestas de comportamiento. Los participantes diagnosticados con sífilis también asistieron a las visitas de 4 y 9 meses. Todos los participantes se sometieron a pruebas de sífilis con la detección y confirmación RPR TPPA. Se proporcionó tratamiento antibiótico según las directrices de los CDC. La reinfección se definió como un aumento del título de 4 veces o recurrencia de serorreactividad después del tratamiento exitoso con posteriores títulos de RPR negativos. El análisis longitu...