Telemedicine pre-screening for blood donor.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had an important impact on blood bank services. The onset of the pandemic led to a decrease in the number of blood donors. A remote interview would avoid deferred donors from having to travel to the blood bank.

Infectious diseases and the impact on transfusion medicine: A historical review and lessons for the future.

Blood transfusion saves millions of lives each year. It is a well-established treatment, and many procedures are applied to avoid transmitted infections. However, throughout the history of transfusion medicine, many infectious diseases arose or were recognised, bringing up an impact on the blood supply, as the difficulties in diagnosing new diseases, the decrease in blood donors, the challenges for the medical team, the risks for the receptor and the related costs.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), transfusion requirements and clinical outcomes in orthotopic liver transplantation.

Inflammatory phenomena have a direct impact on the prognosis of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) contribute to OLT inflammation and hemostasis imbalance in OLT. The association between NETosis, clinical outcomes and transfusion requirements is not determined.

Nucleated red blood cell: a feasible quality parameter of cord blood units.

Introduction: Umbilical cord blood is an alternative source of hematopoietic progenitor cells for bone marrow transplantation; however, it is associated with a higher graft failure rate. The presence of a high rate of nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) seems to be related to a greater capacity for engraftment, although is also associated with fetal distress conditions. We analyzed the correlation of the NRBC with quality parameters and its association with the utilization score of a cord blood unit.

A common variant close to the "tripwire" linker region of NLRP1 contributes to severe COVID-19.

Objective And Design: The heterogeneity of response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is directly linked to the individual genetic background. Genetic variants of inflammasome-related genes have been pointed as risk factors for several inflammatory sterile and infectious disease. In the group of inflammasome receptors, NLRP1 stands out as a good novel candidate as severity factor for COVID-19 disease.

Relation between red blood cell distribution width and acute kidney injury in patients with sepsis.

Objective: The objective of the present study is to evaluate the association of red blood cell distribution width with acute kidney injury in sepsis.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 849 critically ill patients with sepsis in intensive care unit. Demographic data, renal function, inflammation, complete blood count, and acid-base parameters were compared between acute kidney injury and non-acute kidney injury groups.

COVID-19 convalescent plasma cohort study: Evaluation of the association between both donor and recipient neutralizing antibody titers and patient outcomes.

Background: Current evidence regarding COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) transfusion practices is limited and heterogeneous. We aimed to determine the impact of the use of CCP transfusion in patients with previous circulating neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in COVID-19.

Methods: Prospective cohort including 102 patients with COVID-19 transfused with ABO compatible CCP on days 0-2 after enrollment.

Zika virus RNA detection in blood donors in São Paulo, Brazil.

Introduction: The Zika Virus (ZIKV) is a single-stranded RNA genome virus, belonging to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus. Outbreaks around the world have demonstrated that the presence of asymptomatic viremic blood donors provides an increase in the risk of transfusion transmission (TT) and nucleic acid test (NAT) screening has been proposed to ensure the blood safety. This study implemented an "in-house" method to detect ZIKV RNA in blood sample donations.

Anti-A and SARS-CoV-2: an intriguing association.

Background: Blood groups and anti-A isohemagglutinin may be involved in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively studied 268 COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors and 162 COVID-19 inpatients (total 430 subjects, confirmed by RT-PCR) and 2,212 healthy volunteer first-time blood donors as a control group. These were further divided into two groups: those with anti-A (blood types O and B) and those without it (types A and AB).

Predictive factors for the development of anemia after hematopoietic stem cell donation.

Background: Although Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSC) donation through bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) are usually safe procedures, adverse events are expected. One of the most common events especially among BM donors (BMD) is the development of anemia. To protect the BMD and preserve the hemoglobin levels, many centers collect autologous pre-procedure blood, but the actual benefits of this procedure is controversial.

Screening for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in convalescent plasma in Brazil: Preliminary lessons from a voluntary convalescent donor program.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) collection began in two Brazilian hospitals for treatment of severe/critical patients.

Methods And Materials: Mild/moderate COVID-19 convalescents were selected as CCP donors after reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and absence of symptoms for ≥14 days plus (a) age (18-60 years), body weight greater than 55 kg; (b) immunohematological studies; (c) no infectious markers of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, human T-lymphotropic virus-1/2, Chagas and syphilis infection; (d) no HLA antibodies (multiparous); (e) second RT-PCR (nasopharyngeal swab and/or blood) negativity; (f) virus neutralization test (cytopathic effect-based virus neutralization test neutralizing antibody) and anti-nucleocapsid protein SARS-CoV-2 IgM, IgG, and IgA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results: Among 271 donors (41 females, 230 males), 250 presented with neutralizing antibodies.

Risk Factors for Transfusion after Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.

Background: Transfusion of blood products during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Although risk factors associated with intraoperative transfusion requirements have been widely assessed, published data on the prediction of postoperative transfusion requirements are sparse.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors for postoperative allogeneic transfusion requirements in OLT.

The impact of preapheresis white blood cell count on autologous peripheral blood stem cell collection efficiency and HSC infusion side effect rate.

Background: Autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell (PBSC) collection efficiency (CE) is reportedly affected by the patient's blood properties; however, studies to identify factors correlated with CE have shown inconsistent results. Additionally, variables such as stem cell graft granulocyte content and patient age, sex, and underlying disease, may be associated with hematopietic stem cell (HSC) infusion-related adverse reactions. In this study, we evaluated the correlation of preleukapheresis PB granulocyte count and PBSC harvest variables with CD34 collection yield and efficiency, and thawed HSC infusion side effect occurrence.

Peripheral blood stem cell yield calculated using preapheresis absolute CD34+ cell count, peripheral blood volume processed, and donor body weight accurately predicts actual yield at multiple centers.

Background: Accurate prediction of stem cell yield is important for planning leukapheresis procedures. A formula has been published (Pierelli et al., Vox Sang 2006;91:126-34) to estimate the CD34+ dose collected on the first day of leukapheresis that was based on the preapheresis peripheral blood (PB) CD34+ counts, the blood volume processed, and the donor's weight.

Factors affecting autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell collections by large-volume leukapheresis: a single center experience.

Objective: To evaluate factors affecting peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell yield in patients undergoing large-volume leukapheresis for autologous peripheral blood stem cell collection.

Methods: Data from 304 consecutive autologous peripheral blood stem cell donors mobilized with hematopoietic growth factor (usually G-CSF), associated or not with chemotherapy, at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein between February 1999 and June 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The objective was to obtain at least 2 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg of body weight.