Compound heterozygosity induces a rare Gerbich-negative phenotype in an immunized blood donor.

Background: Antibodies to Gerbich blood group antigens are exceedingly rare and can cause moderate transfusion reactions. Several deletional variants of the GE-gene, that harbors long sequence repeats, enable alloimmunization and formation of naturally occurring antibodies.

Subject And Methods: A female blood donor and soldier of the German Army without history of pregnancy or transfusion showed an antibody reactive with all test cells except for GE:-2-3 RBC.

World human neutrophil antigens investigation survey.

Background And Objectives: Human neutrophil antigens (HNAs) are categorized into five systems: HNA-1 to HNA-5. Given the importance of neutrophils in immunity, we sought to create awareness of the role of HNA diagnostic services in managing immune neutropenia and transfusion-related acute lung injury. To provide health communities all around the world with access to these services, we conducted a survey to create a directory of these HNA diagnostic services.

Occurrence of Rare Deletional Yus and Gerbich Alleles in Syria and Neighbouring Countries.

Background: Gerbich-negative phenotypes of the Gerbich Blood Group System (ISBT 020) are very rare (with the exception of Papua New Guinea). The Gerbich-negative phenotypes Yus and Gerbich are negative for the antigens Ge2, and Ge2 and Ge3, respectively. In antigen-negative individuals, anti-Ge2 and anti-Ge3 antibodies can be naturally occurring, or are triggered during pregnancies and after transfusions.

Major depressive episode in hospital workers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil.

Objectives: To estimate prevalence and factors associated with major depressive episode (MDE), emphasizing occupational aspects, in workers of a public teaching hospital that is a reference for Covid-19 treatment.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between October and December 2020, after the first peak of the pandemic, interviewing 1,155 workers. The prevalence of MDE was estimated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) algorithm.

Influence of road salt thawing peaks on the inflow composition and activated sludge properties in municipal wastewater treatment.

Operational data over 2 years from three large Austrian wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with design capacities of 4 million, 950,000 and 110,000 population equivalent (PE) were examined. Salt peaks, due to thawing road salt were detected and quantified by electrical conductivity, temperature and chloride measurement in the inflow of the WWTPs. Daily NaCl inflow loads up to 1,147 t/d and PE-specific loads of 0.

Characterization of the novel HLA-DPB1*1219:01 allele by next-generation sequencing.

The new allele differs from DPB1*296:01 by a c.292G>A substitution in exon 2.

Major depressive episode externalizing symptoms among university students.

Introduction: Depression affects 32% of university students and Major Depressive Episode (MDE) externalizing symptoms indicate the severity of the case. This study assessed MDE externalizing symptom prevalence and associated factors among university students, with emphasis on aspects related to the academic environment, including interpersonal relationships and study area chosen by students.

Methods: A census was performed on new students in the first semester of 2017 at a university in Southern Brazil.

Association of the length of time using computers and mobile devices with low back, neck and mid-back pains: findings from a birth cohort.

Objectives: Neck and low back pains are the leading causes of years lived with disability, and using computers or mobile devices in excess could be risk factors for back pain. Our aim was to evaluate the association of the length of time using computers and mobile devices with neck, mid-back and low back pains and the number of regions with pain.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study nested in the 1993 Pelotas birth cohort with young adults aged 22 years.

Platelet CD36 deficiency is present in 2.6% of Arabian individuals and can cause NAIT and platelet refractoriness.

Background: CD36 isoantibodies are capable of inducing neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT) and platelet refractoriness. As to now the CD36 type I deficiency has been reported in East Asian and African individuals. However, it is virtually unknown in Caucasians.

Molecular Blood Group Screening in Donors from Arabian Countries and Iran Using High-Throughput MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry and PCR-SSP.

Background And Aims: Only little is known about blood groups other than ABO blood groups and Rhesus factors in Arabian countries and Iran. During the last years, increased migration to Central Europe has put a focus on the question how to guarantee blood supply for patients from these countries, particularly because hemoglobinopathies with the need of regular blood support are more frequent in patients from that region. Therefore, blood group allele frequencies should be determined in individuals from Arabian countries and Iran by molecular typing and compared to a German rare donor panel.

Multicenter Study on Differential Human Neutrophil Antigen 2 Expression and Underlying Molecular Mechanisms.

Background: The human neutrophil antigen 2 (HNA-2), which is expressed on CD177, is undetectable in 3-5% of the normal population. Exposure of these HNA-2 individuals to HNA-2-positive cells can cause immunization and pro-duction of HNA-2 antibodies, which can induce immune neutropenia and transfusion-related acute lung injury. In HNA-2-positive individuals, neutrophils are divided into a CD177 and a CD177 subpopulation.

Illicit drug use among students of a university in Southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE To describe drug consumption and the co-occurrence use of more than one illegal drug as well as associated factors in freshmen at a public university in Southern Brazil. METHODS Cross-sectional study with census of students entering undergraduate courses in 2017. A total of 1,788 university students answered questions about illicit drug use.

Major depressive episode among university students in Southern Brazil.

Introduction: Depression is the leading cause of disability around the world, and it has been increasingly affecting young people. This study evaluates the prevalence and factors associated with major depression in university students, with emphasis on the influence of the academic field, chosen study area and the environment they are inserted.

Methods: A census of students who entered the university in the first semester of 2017 was held at a university in Southern Brazil.

Sex Alters the MHC Class I HLA-A Association With Polyglandular Autoimmunity.

Context: The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) strongly contributes to the development of polyglandular autoimmunity (PGA).

Objective: To evaluate the impact of sex on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association with PGA for the first time.

Design: Cross-sectional immunogenetic study.

Molecular Genetics of the Human Neutrophil Antigens.

Background And Objective: Antibodies to human neutrophil antigens (HNAs) have been implicated in transfusion-related acute lung injury and allo- and autoimmune neutropenia. To date, five HNA systems are assigned, and during the last decades enormous efforts have been undertaken to identify the underlying genes and to characterize the antigens. This review of the literature will provide the current genetic, molecular and functional information on HNAs.

Tumor antigen-specific T cells for immune monitoring of dendritic cell-treated glioblastoma patients.

Background Aims: CD8(+) T cells are part of the adaptive immune system and, as such, are responsible for the elimination of tumor cells. Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells (APC) that activate CD8(+) T cells. Effector CD8(+) T cells in turn mediate the active immunotherapeutic response of DC vaccination against the aggressive glioblastoma (GBM).

HLA Class II Differentiates Between Thyroid and Polyglandular Autoimmunity.

The HLA class II genes are susceptibility genes for autoimmune endocrine diseases; however, scarce data are available pertaining to the determinants of genetic susceptibility to polyglandular autoimmunity (PGA). A total of 300 consecutive and unselected patients with either PGA or monoglandular autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and 100 healthy control subjects were genotyped for the HLA class II DRB1, -DQA1, and -DQB1 alleles. Compared to patients with AITD and controls, the HLA-DRB1*03 (pc =0.

The AQP1 mutation c.601delG causes the Co-negative phenotype in four patients belonging to the Romani (Gypsy) ethnic group.

Background: The Colton blood group antigens Co(a), Co(b) and Co3 are encoded by the AQP1 gene which produces a water channel forming integral protein. The extremely rare Co-deficiency enables immunisation against the Co3 isoantigen.

Materials And Methods: Four patients from different regions of Europe who belong to the ethnic minority of Romani (Gypsy) presented with irregular antibodies against a high frequency red blood cell antigen.