Low transferrin levels predict heightened inflammation in patients with COVID-19: New insights.

Objectives: Mounting evidence links hyperinflammation in gravely ill patients to low serum iron levels and hyperferritinemia. However, little attention has been paid to other iron-associated markers such as transferrin. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of different iron parameters in severe COVID-19 and their relation to disease severity.

Effect of ethyl esterification of phenolic acids on low-density lipoprotein oxidation.

Inhibition of copper-induced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation by phenolic acids and their ethyl esters was investigated. LDL oxidation was evaluated by the hydroperoxide concentration and the chromatographic pattern of apoprotein fractions after fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). Antiradical properties against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical and 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane)dihydrochloride (AAPH) were also investigated, and lipophilicity determined by thin-layer chromatography.

Implication of apolipoprotein E and the L-arginine-nitric oxide system in preeclampsia.

Objective: During pregnancy, Apolipoprotein (Apo) E is synthesized in the placenta to facilitate the uptake of maternal lipoproteins. Preeclampsia is associated with an abnormal lipid profile. Apo E levels may affect the production of nitric oxide.

Oxidized-LDL induce apoptosis in HUVEC but not in the endothelial cell line EA.hy 926.

We studied the cytotoxic effect of copper-oxidized LDL in human primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and the immortalized EA.hy 926 cell line. Copper oxidized LDL (50-200 microg apoB/ml) induced concentration-dependent apoptotic cell death in HUVEC but did not induce apoptosis in EA.

Urinary cGMP concentrations in severe primary pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Prognostic evaluation of patients with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) requires right heart catheterisation. The development of accurate non-invasive methods for monitoring these patients remains an important task. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) is an indicator of the action of natriuretic peptides and nitric oxide on target cells.

[New automatic test for the study of platelet response to variations in osmotic pressure: application in the evaluation of the viability of platelet concentrates].

Studying the osmotic resistance or swelling of platelets has often been suggested as a global test to assess the viability of those cells. A number of authors have also analysed the behaviour of platelets in hypotonic media by a variety of complementary methods (cell count, morphology, determinations of substances released, photometric measurement of aggregation induced by aggregating agents, etc). Most studies are currently based on the so-called "osmotic shock response" test, which measures according to time the light transmitted through platelet-rich plasma (PRP) after dilution in distilled water.

Protective effects of the lipophilic redox conjugate tocopheryl succinyl-ethyl ferulate on HIV replication.

Previously, we demonstrated that ferulate ethyl and tocopherol reduced HIV replication. In this study, we investigate whether the conjugation of both compounds (O-tocopheryl succinyl O-ethyl ferulate) can increase HIV inhibition. We show here for the first time that O-tocopheryl succinyl O-ethyl ferulate inhibits 80% of HIV replication (HIV-1 acute infection and HIV transmission), inhibits cell lipoperoxidation and prevents cellular glutathione consumption.

Hemorheology and therapeutic hemapheresis.

Rheological parameters (plasma and blood viscosities, erythrocyte aggregation and deformability) are very relevant to a better understanding of the changes inflicted on the properties of blood in various hematological diseases (monoclonal gammopathies in particular). This study reports the measurement of rheological parameters (plasma and blood viscosity, RBC aggregation and deformability) in hematological disorders where abnormal blood properties have been described. All these diseases are treated by means of blood separators (therapeutic haemapheresis:plasma exchange, plasma processing, or erythrocyte exchange).

Comparison of oxidized low-density lipoprotein toxicity on EA.hy 926 cells and human vein endothelial cells: influence of antioxidant systems.

We compared the susceptibility to oxidized LDL cytotoxicity of primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and EA.hy 926 cells. EA.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein induces the production of interleukin-8 by endothelial cells.

The concentration of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and RANTES was measured in culture supernatants of human EA.hy 926 endothelial cells incubated with oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Oxidized LDL induced a 3-fold increase in IL-8 production (p < 0.

Immunocytochemical study of uptake of exogenous carrier-free copper-zinc superoxide dismutase by peripheral blood lymphocytes.

We recently demonstrated that exogenous copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD) reduced HIV replication in tumor necrosis factor alpha activated chronically HIV-infected promonocytic U1 cell line and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells coculture. However, whether exogenous SOD penetrates the cellular membrane or acts extracellularly has been remained controversial. SOD has been considered as not to penetrate the cellular membrane because of its high molecular weight, thus the main site of action is presumed to be extracellular.

A method for simultaneous determination of plasma and erythrocyte antioxidant status. Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of vitamin E in healthy volunteers.

1. Since oxygen free radicals are directly involved in a variety of pathologies such as atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, inflammation and/or when a deficit of defences of the organism against radicals occurs, we developed a suitable and simple method to determine both the erythrocyte sensitivity to an oxidative stress and plasma antioxidant protective capacity. 2.

The storage quality of apheresis platelets--analysis of results from seven different cell separators.

Apheresis platelet concentrates (CAP) have been available for more than 20 years. Now, as a result of the use of, and progress in, automatic blood separation techniques, the quality of platelets is continually being improved so that we currently have access to purified concentrates which are not contaminated by red cells and contain only very few white cells. In view of the wide experience available to us, it was useful to monitor a number of qualitative parameters indicating platelet activation during storage.

Treatment of graft versus host disease (GVHD) by photopheresis?

Graft versus host disease (GVHD), whether acute or chronic, is a frightening complication of bone marrow allografts-indeed in many cases it can be life threatening. In chronic GVHD, the symptoms are less serious, but they can nevertheless be alarming. The mechanism of this reaction is very complex and the pathogenesis of chronic GVHD seems to be slightly different from that of acute GVHD.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies in autoimmune liver and inflammatory bowel diseases.

Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies have been described in inflammatory bowel diseases and in primary sclerosing cholangitis. Because the data concerning their occurrence are conflicting, we have used indirect immunofluorescence on ethanol-fixed neutrophils to test the sera from a large population of 382 patients with various liver and digestive diseases: in particular, from 27 patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, 105 patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, 30 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and 124 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The prevalence of the perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies was 37% in ulcerative colitis and 15% in Crohn's disease.