Publications by authors named "Debra Kessler"
Background: Monitoring genotypes of HIV infections in blood donors may provide insights into infection trends in the general population.
Methods: HIV RNA was extracted from plasma samples of blood donors confirmed as HIV positive by blood screening nucleic acid and antibody tests. HIV genome target regions were amplified using nested real time-polymerase chain reaction followed by next-generation sequencing.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzed changes in blood donor demographics and infectious diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using a large database of over 26 million donations.
- Findings revealed an increase in donations from females, older individuals, and repeat donors during the pandemic, while the overall frequency of donations also rose among these groups.
- The prevalence of HIV and HCV infections decreased during the pandemic, whereas HBV prevalence remained unchanged, prompting ongoing monitoring of infection rates in blood donors.
Serial blood and mucosal samples were characterized for 102 participants enrolled a median of 7.0 days after coronavirus disease 2019 diagnosis. Mucosal RNA was detectable for a median of 31.
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- Between October 2020 and September 2022, a study on the prevalence of syphilis among blood donors in the US found that syphilis rates increased significantly, particularly in the second year of the study.
- The overall syphilis prevalence was noted to be 28.4 cases per 100,000 donations, with specific demographic groups such as males, younger individuals, and Black donors showing higher infection rates.
- Additionally, the study revealed that donors positive for syphilis were substantially more likely to also be HIV positive, highlighting a concerning association between syphilis and HIV infections.
Article Synopsis
- In 2021, four organ transplant recipients in the USA developed encephalitis linked to a common donor, prompting an investigation into the cause.
- Researchers used various testing methods, including metagenomic next-generation sequencing, and discovered yellow fever virus in one recipient's cerebrospinal fluid, confirming recent infections in all recipients.
- The investigation highlighted the importance of waiting at least 2 weeks after receiving a yellow fever vaccine before donating blood to prevent transfusion-related infections.
Article Synopsis
- A study tested plasma samples from 1596 donors who reported COVID-19 symptoms after donating blood for SARS-CoV-2 RNA and specific antibodies.* -
- Results showed that having prior infection or vaccination provided protection against developing SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia and symptomatic infection.* -
- The rates of RNAemia remained consistent regardless of whether the samples were taken during the Delta or Omicron variant phases.*
Blood donation motivators and barriers reported by young, first-time whole blood donors: Examining the association of reported motivators and barriers with subsequent donation behavior and potential sex, race, and ethnic group differences.
Transfusion
December 2022
Background: A greater understanding of young, first-time donor motivators and barriers is needed to address the ongoing challenge of retaining these essential donors.
Study Design And Methods: Structured interviews conducted with 508 young, first-time whole blood donors [66.1% female; Mean Age = 19.
Article Synopsis
- Altruistic blood donors often suffer from iron deficiency due to blood donations, which can impact their health.
- A study with 79 adult iron-deficient donors tested whether intravenous iron repletion improved red cell transfusion quality or donor cognition after a blood donation.
- Results showed no significant difference in red cell storage quality or cognitive measures between donors who received iron repletion and those who received a placebo, indicating current donation guidelines protect donor health.
Article Synopsis
- * A study tested 2,250 blood donors who had possible COVID-19 symptoms after donation, finding that the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA peaked at 9%-15% in late 2020, dropping to about 4% after vaccinations were released.
- * Although RNA was detectable in some donors, no infectious virus was found in their plasma, indicating that blood transfusions are very unlikely to transmit SARS-CoV-2.
As Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread, characterization of its antibody epitopes, emerging strains, related coronaviruses, and even the human proteome in naturally infected patients can guide the development of effective vaccines and therapies. Since traditional epitope identification tools are dependent upon pre-defined peptide sequences, they are not readily adaptable to diverse viral proteomes. The Serum Epitope Repertoire Analysis (SERA) platform leverages a high diversity random bacterial display library to identify proteome-independent epitope binding specificities which are then analyzed in the context of organisms of interest.
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- - The study explored the health risks of iron deficiency for blood donors and aimed to inform them about potential low iron levels and strategies to mitigate those risks.
- - Donors were divided into control and intervention groups, with the control group only answering awareness questions, while the intervention group received education on iron depletion risks and opportunities to create action plans to improve their iron intake.
- - Results indicated that the intervention significantly raised awareness about iron loss due to donation and positively influenced donors to adopt healthier behaviors related to iron without negatively impacting their likelihood to return as donors.
Article Synopsis
- Elevated fear and anxiety about the donation process (like needles and blood) can lead to reduced recruitment and retention of blood donors.
- A study involving 1,479 first-time donors found that these fears contribute to lower confidence and negative attitudes about donating, which in turn result in fewer donation attempts.
- To improve retention of new blood donors, it's important to identify and address their fears and anxiety, helping to boost their confidence and positive attitudes toward donation.
Article Synopsis
- A study aimed to estimate how many people in the US have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies due to past infection or vaccination, revealing that both factors significantly reduce the risk of getting COVID-19 again.
- The research involved over 1.5 million blood samples collected from donors across all US states and territories between July 2020 and May 2021, providing a broad representation of the population.
- The results indicated that seroprevalence estimates were notably higher than reported COVID-19 case rates, suggesting many more people may have been infected than documented.
Background: This study aimed to promote competence, autonomy, and relatedness among first-time whole blood donors to enhance intrinsic motivation and increase retention.
Study Design And Methods: Using a full factorial design, first-time donors (N = 2002) were randomly assigned to a no-treatment control condition or to one of seven intervention conditions designed to promote donation competence, autonomy, relatedness, a combination of two (e.g.
Background: Understanding donor perception of the blood donation experience is central to maintaining an adequate blood supply. Studies that use questionnaires to assess barriers/facilitators to donation may be influenced by response bias. To address this, we conducted an innovative study integrating quantitative informatic techniques with qualitative data analysis of YouTube video content to explore donor experiences and barriers and facilitators to whole blood donation.
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- The study investigated the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in blood donors from six geographic areas in the U.S. during a period of high community transmission.
- Out of nearly 258,000 blood donations tested, only three samples showed reactive results for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, translating to an estimated prevalence of 1.16 cases per 100,000 donations, with detected viral loads being low.
- No signs of infectivity were observed in the positive samples, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia is rare and not a significant risk for blood donation safety, supporting existing guidelines not to require nucleic acid testing for donors.
Article Synopsis
- The study emphasizes the significance of minority RBC donors in meeting the transfusion needs of sickle cell disease patients and aims to validate a DNA-based screening method for sickle cell trait (SCT) instead of relying solely on a hemoglobin solubility assay.
- The researchers conducted a validation process using both the traditional solubility assay and the new DNA test (HEA-HbS), confirming initial results but also encountering some discrepancies that were resolved through gene sequencing and HPLC analysis.
- The conclusion highlights that the HEA-HbS DNA method correlates with HPLC results and presents a more efficient way to screen donors for SCT, facilitating better donor management and reducing the need for repeated testing.
Background: Convalescent plasma (CP) is an important initial treatment in pandemics and the New York (NY) metropolitan area is likely to remain a hotspot for collection and distribution of such units. This study reports characteristics of coronavirus disease 19 CP (CCP) donors and their donations to the New York Blood Center (NYBC).
Study Design And Methods: All CCP data from our first day of collection on March 26th through July 7th, 2020 are included in this retrospective analysis.
Background: In December 2015, the men who have sex with men (MSM) deferral was reduced to 12 months in the United States. We compared human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) incidence and residual risk before and after this policy change using data from >50% of the US blood supply.
Study Design And Methods: Three estimation intervals from the Transfusion-Transmissible Infections Monitoring System were compared: 15-months pre- and two consecutive, nonoverlapping 15-month post-MSM deferral implementation.
Background: With growing awareness of the prevalence of nonanemic iron deficiency among blood donors, there is a need to explore the extent of potential negative consequences. This study examined the relationship between various measures of iron status, blood donation history, and neuropsychological and psychosocial functioning in healthy young women.
Study Design And Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 160 female undergraduates completed neuropsychology tests and measures of sleep, fatigue, quality of life, and depression before providing a blood sample.
Article Synopsis
- The Transfusion-Transmissible Infections Monitoring System (TTIMS) tracks infectious disease markers in blood donations from major US organizations, covering about 60% of total donations to analyze trends and policy impacts.
- A study from October 2015 to September 2019 identified over 7,000 samples positive for HIV, HBV, and HCV, with the highest prevalence seen in first-time male donors and notable demographic differences across age and region.
- The study found no major changes in infection trends following a policy change for men who have sex with men (MSM), although there were slight increases in HIV prevalence and decreases in HCV prevalence, indicating continued need for monitoring.
Background: Monitoring of transfusion-transmissible infections in the blood supply is essential for blood safety, as the donor population is not static, and changes in policy, donor behavior, or other factors could increase the risk of recipient infection. We assessed patterns of recently acquired HIV infection in US blood donors, including before and after the implementation of the 12-month deferral for men who have sex with men (MSM).
Study Design And Methods: A large convenience sample of donations from donors testing HIV-1 nucleic acid testing (NAT) and serology-reactive were further tested with the Sedia HIV-1 Limiting Antigen enzyme immunoassay.
Unlabelled: Risk assessments of transfusion-transmitted emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are complicated by the fact that blood donors' demographics and behaviors can be different from the general population. Therefore, when assessing potential blood donor exposure to EIDs, the use of general population characteristics, such as U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration published revised guidance that recommended a change in blood donor deferral of men who have sex with men (MSM) from an indefinite to a 12-month deferral since the donor last had sex with a man. We assessed whether HIV incidence in first-time blood donors or associated transfusion risk increased. Donations in 4 major blood collection organizations were monitored for 15 months before and 2 years after implementation of the 12-month MSM deferral policy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntiretroviral therapy (ART) to treat and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection are effective tools to help end the HIV epidemic. However, their use could affect HIV transfusion-transmission risk. Three different ART/PrEP prevalence analyses in blood donors were conducted.
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