Length of storage and in vitro immunomodulation induced by prestorage leukoreduced red blood cells.

Background: The relationship between length of storage of red blood cell (RBC) units and biochemical changes has been well studied, but little is known about the progression of cellular immunomodulative properties in blood recipients. This study aims to quantify in vitro T-cell activation and cytokine release by white blood cells, after incubation with supernatants from leukoreduced RBCs.

Study Design And Methods: Whole blood cultures were incubated with supernatant from five leukoreduced RBC units stored for 1, 6, 10, 15, 24, and 42 days.

Transfusion strategies for patients in pediatric intensive care units.

Background: The optimal hemoglobin threshold for erythrocyte transfusions in critically ill children is unknown. We hypothesized that a restrictive transfusion strategy of using packed red cells that were leukocyte-reduced before storage would be as safe as a liberal transfusion strategy, as judged by the outcome of multiple-organ dysfunction.

Methods: In this noninferiority trial, we enrolled 637 stable, critically ill children who had hemoglobin concentrations below 9.

Induction of apoptosis by herpes simplex virus-1 in neonatal, but not adult, neutrophils.

We report a study on the effect of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection on apoptosis of neutrophils from both adults and neonates and present evidence showing that HSV-1 enhances apoptosis in neonatal, but not adult, neutrophils. HSV-1 enhanced the expression of both Fas and Fas ligand on the surface of neonatal neutrophils. Treatments with anti-Fas antibody and a Fas ligand inhibitor significantly reduced the induction of apoptosis by HSV-1.

Airway eicosanoids in acute severe respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis.

We prospectively studied the levels of eicosanoids in intubated patients with severe bronchiolitis and compared them to electively intubated non-infected infants. LeukotrieneE(4) (LTE(4)), leukotrieneB(4) (LTB(4)), and prostaglandinE(2) (PGE(2)) levels were significantly increased (P <.01) from endotracheal (ET) aspirates of infants with bronchiolitis compared with controls, as were urinary LTE(4) levels (P <.

Survey on transfusion practices of pediatric intensivists.

Objective: To describe the red blood cell transfusion practices of pediatric intensivists.

Design: Cross-sectional self-administered survey.

Setting: Pediatric intensive care units.