Expression of sPD-L1 levels in an ex vivo liver perfusion model.

The programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) acts as a central inhibitory immune checkpoint receptor. The soluble form of its primary ligand, sPD-L1, was found to be elevated in serum of patients with cancer, infectious diseases and chronic inflammation. So far, the hepatic origin of sPD-L1 has received relatively little attention and is therefore subject of this study in the context of normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) of liver grafts.

Anti-Thrombin IgA in a Patient with Multiple Myeloma Leading to In Vitro Interference in Multiple Coagulation Tests and Confounding Diagnosis.

Background:  We report the case of a 59-year-old multiple myeloma patient in whom an anti-human thrombin IgA antibody led to prolonged in vitro coagulation times, suggesting inhibitors to all intrinsic coagulation factors in the absence of spontaneous bleeding.

Methods:  Routine and extensive special coagulation tests, in vivo bleeding time, and specific antibody testing were performed.

Results:  Although the patient did not suffer from spontaneous bleeding and had a normal in vivo bleeding time, the anti-human thrombin IgA autoantibody affected all coagulation assays involving human thrombin in vitro, mimicking inhibitors to intrinsic coagulation factors.

Evaluation of two fully automated ADAMTS13 activity assays in comparison to manual FRET assay.

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare the validity and utility of two fully automated ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13) activity assays for clinical diagnostic decision-making and to compare their performance.

Methods: Two automated ADAMTS13 activity assays (Werfen HemosIL® AcuStar ADAMTS13 Activity, Technoclone Technofluor ADAMTS13 Activity) were compared with a manual FRET assay (BioMedica ACTIFLUOR ADAMTS13 Activity). The following samples were used: 13 acute phase TTP (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura) samples from 11 different patients, one sample from a patient with congenital ADAMTS13 deficiency, 16 samples from control patients, three follow-up samples from TTP patients in long-term remission and one sample from a patient with stem cell transplantation related thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA).

One-Year Follow-Up of COVID-19 Patients Indicates Substantial Assay-Dependent Differences in the Kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies.

Determination of antibody levels against the nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are used to estimate the humoral immune response after SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination. Differences in the design and specification of antibody assays challenge the interpretation of test results, and comparative studies are often limited to single time points per patient. We determined the longitudinal kinetics of antibody levels of 145 unvaccinated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients at four visits over 1 year upon convalescence using 8 commercial SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays (from Abbott, DiaSorin, Roche, Siemens, and Technoclone), as well as a virus neutralization test (VNT).

Major cardiac surgery with recombinant FIX Fc fusion protein replacement in hemophilia B: a case report.

The introduction of extended factor IX (FIX) products has significantly facilitated the treatment of hemophilia B patients. However, optimal perioperative management remains a topic of hot debate, particularly in surgeries with high bleeding risk. For the first time, we report here a patient with mild hemophilia B and degenerative aneurysms of aortic root and ascending aorta undergoing elective Bentall's operation with full cardiopulmonary bypass, who was successfully managed with eftrenonacog alfa (Alprolix), a recombinant FIX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc).

Borderline and weakly positive antibody levels against the S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 exhibit limited agreement with virus neutralization titres.

The presence of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in a large number of people is - besides cellular immunity - important to overcome the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. While determination of neutralizing antibodies via virus neutralization tests are laborious, assays to determine the antibody levels serologically are fully automated and widely available. Correlations between these methodologies were recently given by the manufacturers, however performance in samples close to the cut off value have not yet been fully validated.

Perfusate Enzymes and Platelets Indicate Early Allograft Dysfunction After Transplantation of Normothermically Preserved Livers.

Background: Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) has become a clinically established tool to preserve livers in a near-physiological environment. However, little is known about the predictive value of perfusate parameters toward the outcomes after transplantation.

Methods: Fifty-five consecutive NMP livers between 2018 and 2019 were included.

A comprehensive antigen production and characterisation study for easy-to-implement, specific and quantitative SARS-CoV-2 serotests.

Background: Antibody tests are essential tools to investigate humoral immunity following SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination. While first-generation antibody tests have primarily provided qualitative results, accurate seroprevalence studies and tracking of antibody levels over time require highly specific, sensitive and quantitative test setups.

Methods: We have developed two quantitative, easy-to-implement SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests, based on the spike receptor binding domain and the nucleocapsid protein.

Clinical validation of the Siemens quantitative SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG assay (sCOVG) reveals improved sensitivity and a good correlation with virus neutralization titers.

Objectives: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections cause coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and induce a specific antibody response. Serological assays detecting IgG against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) protein are useful to monitor the immune response after infection or vaccination. The objective of our study was to evaluate the clinical performance of the Siemens SARS-CoV-2 IgG (sCOVG) assay.

Evaluation of four commercial, fully automated SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests suggests a revision of the Siemens SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay.

Objectives: Serological tests detect antibodies against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the ongoing coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Independent external clinical validation of performance characteristics is of paramount importance.

Methods: Four fully automated assays, Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2, Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG, Siemens SARS-CoV-2 total (COV2T) and SARS-CoV-2 IgG (COV2G) were evaluated using 350 pre-pandemic samples and 700 samples from 245 COVID-19 patients (158 hospitalized, 87 outpatients).

A Prospective Pilot Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Argatroban (Argatra) in Critically Ill Patients with Heparin Resistance.

The current study aims to evaluate whether prophylactic anticoagulation using argatroban or an increased dose of unfractionated heparin (UFH) is effective in achieving the targeted activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) of more than 45 s in critically ill heparin-resistant (HR) patients. Patients were randomized either to continue receiving an increased dose of UFH, or to be treated with argatroban. The endpoints were defined as achieving an aPTT target of more than 45 s at 7 h and 24 h.

Allergenic Can f 1 and its human homologue Lcn-1 direct dendritic cells to induce divergent immune responses.

Why and when the immune system skews to Th2 mediated allergic immune responses is still poorly characterized. With two homologous lipocalins, the major respiratory dog allergen Can f 1 and the human endogenous, non-allergenic Lipocalin-1, we investigated their impact on human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC). The two lipocalins had differential effects on DC according to their allergenic potential.