The BioCaPPE (Biomarkers of Prostate Cancer/Prevention and Environment) study is a multicentre prospective observational cohort designed to identify biomarkers associated with prostate cancer (PCa) risk that may be modifiable through lifestyle factors. This paper describes the cohort, along with the data and bio-samples available for future studies in PCa risk assessment.

Canadian men at risk of PCa were enrolled based on one of two criteria (1) negative first prostate biopsy within 6 months from enrolment (Group 1); or (2) a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood level between 2.5 and 10 ng/mL without prior prostate biopsy (Group 2). At baseline, blood samples and comprehensive data were collected. PCa incidence and lifestyle factors were updated for all participants over 2 years, with extended follow-up for those who provided additional consent.

Recruitment was conducted across four health centres in Quebec, Canada. A total of 2053 men were enrolled—1499 in Group 1 and 554 in Group 2. All participants completed the initial visit, which included collection of medical and family history, anthropometric measurements, demographic information, dietary and alcohol intake, physical activity, tobacco use, medication use, and quality of life assessments, and candidate biomarker measurements. At the 2-year mark, 7.2% of participants had developed PCa; this figure has since increased to 15.3% (median follow-up: 6.1 years). Additionally, 84% (n=1718) consented to ongoing annual follow-up.

This large, prospective cohort of men at risk of PCa offers valuable resources for risk stratification and primary prevention. The BioCaPPE biosamples and data are available to support the identification of lifestyle-related biomarkers associated with PCa risk in this population.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03383016.

Vital signs such as heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR), crucial for clinical assessment, are often challenging to measure in paediatric populations. Remote photoplethysmography (rPPG), a video-based measurement tool, has demonstrated accuracy in adults. The objective of this study is to compare HR and RR measurements obtained using rPPG with those from standard clinical monitoring in a paediatric population.

This is a monocentric, prospective study enrolling 600 paediatric participants. Each participant will have standard monitoring electrodes (ECG/impedance) placed on the chest while seated facing a camera for rPPG recording. Simultaneous HR and RR measurements will be recorded over periods of 30 and 60 s using both the standard monitor and the rPPG device. The intraclass correlation coefficient will be calculated to assess agreement between the rPPG and standard monitor measurements.

The study protocol has been approved by the French Agency for the Safety of Health Products (ANSM (Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament) registration no. IDRCB 2023-A02524-41) and by a French ethics committee (CPP Sud Méditerranée III at 29 August 2024, n°2024-A01324-43). The study’s findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at national and international conferences and through press releases.

Clinical Trials Registry (NCT06231654).

The study was conducted to assess the diagnostic performance of the Hightop Syphilis Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) in comparison with the ELISA test used as a reference method.

A laboratory-based cross-sectional and comparative study was conducted to assess the diagnostic performance of the Hightop Syphilis RDT.

Blood samples obtained from adult participants in eight health facilities were analysed at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), Ministry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon.

From 29 April to 25 August 2023, 583 adult participants of both sexes (aged ≥21 years), including both syphilis positive and syphilis negative, were recruited consecutively in eight health facilities in eight regions of Cameroon.

Blood samples were screened for the detection of anti-Treponema pallidum antibodies using the One Step Rapid Test (Qingdao Hightop Biotech), a non-treponemal test and ELISA (Biorex Diagnostics, UK), a treponemal test used as a reference method. Diagnostic performance of the Syphilis RDT was analysed using Epi Info V.7 and validated through online statistical tools such as StatPages, GraphPad, QuickCalcs and MedCalc software.

Of the 583 samples tested, the Hightop Syphilis RDT revealed a sensitivity of 84.6% (95% CI: 74.8% to 91.1%) and specificity of 98.5% (95% CI: 97.5% to 99.1%). The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 84.6% (95% CI: 74.8% to 91.1%) and 98.5% (95% CI: 97.5% to 99.1%), respectively. Regarding the stratification of diagnostic performance by clinical stage, the test showed a sensitivity of 100.0% (95% CI: 71.51% to 100.0%) and specificity of 99.06% (95% CI: 94.86% to 99.98%). The PPV and NPV were 91.67% (95% CI: 61.00% to 98.72%) and 100.0% (95% CI: 96.55% to 100.0%), respectively, in symptomatic individuals. Among asymptomatic individuals, sensitivity was 97.56% (95% CI: 87.14% to 99.94%) and specificity was 100.0% (95% CI: 99.14% to 100.0%). The PPV and NPV were 100.0% (95% CI: 91.19% to 100.0%) and 99.77% (95% CI: 98.40% to 99.97%), respectively.

The Hightop Syphilis RDT demonstrated adequate diagnostic performance, particularly among symptomatic individuals, supporting its utility as a reliable tool for syphilis detection in clinical settings.