Immature Platelet Counts and Thrombopoietin Plasma Concentrations in Thrombocytopenic and Non-thrombocytopenic Preterm Infants.

Immature platelet counts (IPC) may prove useful in guiding platelet transfusion management in preterm neonates. However, the relationship between IPCs and thrombopoietin (Tpo) concentrations has not been evaluated in preterm neonates. Prospective cohort study in thrombocytopenic ( = 31) and non-thrombocytopenic very low birth weight (VLBW) infants ( = 38), and healthy term neonates (controls; = 41).

Diagnostic value of plasma NGAL and intraoperative diuresis for AKI after major gynecological surgery in patients treated within an intraoperative goal-directed hemodynamic algorithm: A substudy of a randomized controlled trial.

Unlabelled: Data on early markers for acute kidney injury (AKI) after noncardiovascular surgery are still limited. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic value of plasma neutrophil-gelatinase-associated lipocalin (pNGAL) and intraoperative diuresis for AKI in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery treated within a goal-directed hemodynamic algorithm.This study is a post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled pilot trial comparing intravenous solutions within a hemodynamic goal-directed algorithm based on the esophageal Doppler in patients undergoing epithelial ovarian cancer surgery.

Delta-He, Ret-He and a New Diagnostic Plot for Differential Diagnosis and Therapy Monitoring of Patients Suffering from Various Disease-Specific Types of Anemia.

Background: The present study was aimed to prove the usefulness of a new diagnostic plot (Hema-Plot), illustrating the relationship between the hemoglobin content of reticulocytes (Ret-He) as a marker of functional iron deficiency and the difference between the reticulocyte and erythrocyte hemoglobin content (Delta-He) as a marker of an impaired hemoglobinization of newly formed reticulocytes occurring during inflammatory processes, to differentiate between various disease-specific types of anemia.

Methods: A complete blood and reticulocyte count was performed on routine EDTA blood samples from 345 patients with and without various disease-specific types of anemia using the Sysmex XN-9000 hematology analyzer: blood healthy newborns (n = 23), blood healthy adults (n = 31), patients suffering from anemia of chronic disease (ACD) due to diverse oncological, chronic inflammatory, or autoimmune diseases (total n = 138) with (n = 65) and without therapy (n = 73), patients with thalassemia and/or hemoglobinopathy (n = 18), patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) (n = 35), patients with a combination of ACD and IDA (n = 17), as well as patients suffering from sepsis (total n = 83) with (n = 32) and without therapy (n = 51). The results for Ret-He, Delta-He, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were statistically compared (Mann-Whitney U Test) between the particular patient groups and the diagnostic plots were drawn.

Nucleated red blood cells as marker for an increased risk of unfavorable outcome and mortality in very low birth weight infants.

Background: Nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) are normoblastic cells that failed to extrude their nuclei before exiting from bone marrow or liver. While NRBC are frequently found in umbilical cord blood after fetal distress, NRBC counts drop rapidly after birth.

Aims: To determine the predictive value of the NRBC count during the first 120h after birth as marker for later risk of unfavorable outcome in very preterm infants.

Detection and quantification of hypo- and hypergranulated neutrophils on the new Sysmex XN hematology analyzer: establishment of an adapted reference interval for the neutrophil-granularity-intensity compared to XE-technology in adult patients.

Background: Since the recent introduction of Sysmex hematology analyzers of the XN-series it can be expected that the values of individual hematological parameters might differ between the new XN and the well-established XE platform. One such parameter is called Neutrophil-Granularity-Intensity or NEUT-GI on the XN-series and NEUT-X on the XE-series. Both parameters are used by clinicians to calculate the Granularity-Index (GI-Index), an important tool to detect hypo- or hypergranulated neutrophils occurring during myelodysplasia or inflammation.

Intensive Care Infection Score--A new approach to distinguish between infectious and noninfectious processes in intensive care and medicosurgical patients.

Objectives: Clinicians regularly encounter substantial time delays in diagnosing sepsis and administering appropriate antibiotic treatment. This study investigated the ability of the Intensive Care Infection Score (ICIS) to distinguish between infectious and noninfectious processes, and to assess the justified commencement of antibiotic therapy retrospectively, in line with hospital actual best practice and applied laboratory parameters.

Methods: Intensive-care unit (ICU) patients were enrolled in this retrospective, observational study.

Soluble CEACAM8 interacts with CEACAM1 inhibiting TLR2-triggered immune responses.

Lower respiratory tract bacterial infections are characterized by neutrophilic inflammation in the airways. The carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM) 8 is expressed in and released by human granulocytes. Our study demonstrates that human granulocytes release CEACAM8 in response to bacterial DNA in a TLR9-dependent manner.

Polymorphisms of the toll-like receptor 2 and 4 genes are associated with faster progression and a more severe course of sepsis in critically ill patients.

Objective: To determine whether the Arg753Gln polymorphism of the toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) gene and the Asp299Gly polymorphism of the TLR4 gene in critically ill patients affect their clinical outcomes.

Methods: Medical and surgical patients in three intensive care units (ICU) were enrolled in this prospective study. TLR2 and TLR4 gene polymorphisms were determined using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

Profiling of Endo H-released serum N-glycans using CE-LIF and MALDI-TOF-MS--application to rheumatoid arthritis.

High-mannose and hybrid-type N-glycans are present in human serum glycoproteins in low abundance but have recently been described to play an important role in immune responses. It is therefore important to find a strategy to selectively analyze their structures in the context of health and disease in order to understand their impact on disease mechanisms. We report here the characterization of high-mannose and hybrid-type N-glycans in total human serum.

Immature platelet count: a simple parameter for distinguishing thrombocytopenia in pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemia from immune thrombocytopenia.

Background: Platelet counts below normal values define thrombocytopenia. However, platelet counts alone do not reveal the underlying pathomechanism. New blood cell counters provide additional information on platelet size and volume, and enable the distinction of sub-populations.

Granularity Index of the SYSMEX XE-5000 hematology analyzer as a replacement for manual microscopy of toxic granulation neutrophils in patients with inflammatory diseases.

Background: When certain inflammatory processes occur, toxic granulation neutrophils (TGNs) appear in the blood showing prominent cytoplasmic granules. Currently, the granularity of TGNs is analyzed by manual microscopy of blood smears. The SYSMEX XE-5000 is an automated hematology analyzer, which can measure toxic granulation of TGNs by calculating the Granularity (GI) Index.

In vitro cytotoxicity of the novel antimyeloma agents perifosine, bortezomib and lenalidomide against different cell lines.

The novel AKT inhibitor perifosine, a synthetic alkylphospholipid, is currently being investigated in clinical trials for the treatment of different hematological and oncological malignancies. The in vitro cytotoxicity of perifosine, bortezomib and lenalidomide against 6 cell lines derived from hematological malignancies was investigated using trypan blue staining, flow cytometry-based detection of activated caspases, Annexin V assays, immunohistochemistry studies (KI-67 and caspase-3 staining) and the immature-myeloid-information (IMI) technique. Perifosine and bortezomib induced concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity in all cell lines tested.

Comparison of six immunohistochemical markers for the histologic diagnosis of neoplasia in Barrett's esophagus.

In esophageal neoplasms, the histopathologic differentiation between Barrett's esophagus with or without intraepithelial neoplasia and adenocarcinoma is often challenging. Immunohistochemistry might help to differentiate between these lesions. The expression of CDX2, LI-cadherin, mucin 2 (MUC2), blood group 8 (BG8, Lewis(y)), claudin-2, and villin was investigated in normal gastroesophageal (n = 23) and in Barrett's (n = 17) mucosa, in low-grade (n = 12) and high-grade (n = 9) intraepithelial neoplasia (IEN) as well as in esophageal adenocarcinoma (n = 16), using immunohistochemistry.

CDX2 and LI-cadherin expression in esophageal mucosa: use of both markers can facilitate the histologic diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus and carcinoma.

Background: Barrett's mucosa is a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma and should be detected at an early stage. CDX2 and liver-intestine (LI)-cadherin are intestine-specific markers. Aberrant CDX2 expression has been demonstrated in Barrett's metaplasia, esophagitis, and intestinal metaplasia of the stomach.

Cardiac troponin T release and inflammation demonstrated in marathon runners.

Background: As shown on the basis of highly sensitive assays, cardiac troponin release is now observed after physiological heart stress and in mild heart pathologies: both are [corrected] considered unrelated to the irreversible cardiac alteration that is typically the source of release. Transitory cardiac membrane leakage was suggested as the basis. In our view, mild inflammation may drive this type of cardiac troponin release.

Immature platelet values indicate impaired megakaryopoietic activity in neonatal early-onset thrombocytopenia.

Newly released platelets, referred to as immature platelets, can be reliably quantified based on their RNA content by flow cytometry in an automated blood analyser. The absolute number of immature platelets (IPF#) and the immature platelet fraction (IPF%) reflect megakaryopoietic activity. We aimed to analyse the implication of these parameters in analysing the pathomechanism of early-onset neonatal thrombocytopenia.

Is there a role for mannan-binding lectin in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease?

Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) activates the lectin-complement pathway as part of the innate immune defence by binding to the surface of microorganisms. Therefore, MBL2 presents an interesting candidate gene for the inflammatory bowel diseases, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). In our study, we evaluated the MBL serum concentrations and genotypes for diagnostic and classification purposes of patients with CD and UC.

Choice of plasmid preparation kit influences sequencing results.

Commercially available plasmid preparation kits are used in many laboratories to isolate plasmid DNA for subsequent dideoxy sequencing. We tested kits from seven different manufacturers for the purity of obtained plasmid preparations and compared the quality of sequencing results. The amount of RNA carry-over differed significantly (80-323 ng) and the usage of two kits led to protein remainders.

Boy with pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a caused by GNAS gene mutation (deltaN377), Crouzon-like craniosynostosis, and severe trauma-induced bleeding.

We report on a 6-month-old boy with craniosynostosis, pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a (PHP1A), and a GNAS gene mutation. He had synostoses of the coronal, frontal, and sagittal sutures, brachyturricephaly, and hydrocephaly. He also had congenital hypothyroidism, round face, full cheeks, shortness of limbs, mild developmental delay, and muscular hypotonia.

[Laboratory haematological changes in the field of intensive care medicine--the extended differential blood count].

One of the most frequently ordered tests by intensive care medical staff is the complete (CBC) and differential blood count for diagnosing anemia due to blood loss, characterizing thrombopenic conditions or finding proof for sepsis. Classically, the clinician relies on the quantification of single cell classes for substitutive therapy especially in emergency situations. Here, the authors discuss new possibilities offered by markers of the extended blood count from fully automatized haematology analyzers supplying valuable information for monitoring therapies in intensive care units.

Mayo risk score for primary biliary cirrhosis: a useful tool for the prediction of course after liver transplantation?

Background: Survival after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is excellent. In order to define the optimal time point for OLT, the Mayo risk score (MRS) was developed and a score of 7.8 was identified for transplantation.

Novel two-stage screening procedure leads to the identification of a new class of transfection enhancers.

Background: Non-viral gene transfer efficiency is low as compared to viral vector systems. Here we describe the discovery of new drugs that are capable of enhancing non-viral gene transfer into mammalian cells using a novel two-stage screening procedure.

Methods: First, potential candidates are preselected from a molecular library at various concentrations by a semi-automated yeast transfection screen (YTS).