Bone marrow reinvestigation leading to the diagnosis of VEXAS syndrome.

A 46-year-old male patient presented with inflammatory diseases over more than 3 years. The patient suffered from recurrent pleuritis, polychondritis, orbital phlegmon, fever, and skin lesions. A bone marrow puncture added myelodysplastic syndrome to the patient's history.

Differential diagnoses and the mutational landscape of myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm with neutrophilia: A case report.

Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm with neutrophilia (MDS/MPN-N; previously referred to as atypical chronic myeloid leukemia) is a type of myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm. A molecular genetic precondition for diagnosis is negativity; further diagnostic criteria include clinicopathological assessments, such as peripheral blood leukocyte counts, the number of neutrophils and their precursors, and the presence of dysgranulopoiesis. The present case report highlights the importance of differential diagnoses with a stringent diagnostic workup according to the 5th Edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Hematolymphoid Tumors.

Alternative detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by a new assay based on mass spectrometry.

Objectives: Accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA is essential to stopping the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the recently introduced MassARRAY SARS-CoV-2 Panel and to compare it to the cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test.

Methods: The MassARRAY SARS-CoV-2 Panel consists of five assays targeting different sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 genome.

Effect of cachexia on bone turnover in cancer patients: a case-control study.

Background: Increased bone turnover is frequently observed in advanced cancer and predominantly related to bone metastases or therapy. Cachexia represents an important cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Key features are weight loss, muscle wasting and chronic inflammation, which induce profound metabolic changes in several organs, including the bone.

Sensitivity and specificity of cerebrospinal fluid CXCL13 for diagnosing Lyme neuroborreliosis - a study on 1410 patients and review of the literature.

Introduction: The B-cell chemoattractant CXCL13 has been suggested as a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker for Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB). Our aim was to substantiate the value of CXCL13 in a large unselected cohort and determine a practical cut-off value to diagnose LNB.

Methods: We retrospectively studied clinical and CSF data of consecutive patients who underwent CSF CXCL13 testing over a period of three years (February 2015 to January 2018) at our academic teaching hospital.

Diagnostic and therapeutic approach in adult patients with traumatic brain injury receiving oral anticoagulant therapy: an Austrian interdisciplinary consensus statement.

There is a high degree of uncertainty regarding optimum care of patients with potential or known intake of oral anticoagulants and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Anticoagulation therapy aggravates the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage but, on the other hand, patients take anticoagulants because of an underlying prothrombotic risk, and this could be increased following trauma. Treatment decisions must be taken with due consideration of both these risks.

Combined testing of copeptin and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T at presentation in comparison to other algorithms for rapid rule-out of acute myocardial infarction.

Background: We aimed to directly compare the diagnostic and prognostic performance of a dual maker strategy (DMS) with combined testing of copeptin and high-sensitivity (hs) cardiac troponin T (cTnT) at time of presentation with other algorithms for rapid rule-out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: 922 patients presenting to the emergency department with suspected AMI and available baseline copeptin measurements qualified for the present TRAPID-AMI substudy. Diagnostic measures using the DMS (copeptin <10, <14 or < 20 pmol/L and hs-cTnT≤14 ng/L), the 1 h-algorithm (hs-cTnT<12 ng/L and change <3 ng/L at 1 h), as well as the hs-cTnT limit-of-blank (LoB, <3 ng/L) and -detection (LoD, <5 ng/L) were compared.

Ultra-endurance exercise induces stress and inflammation and affects circulating hematopoietic progenitor cell function.

Although amateur sports have become increasingly competitive within recent decades, there are as yet few studies on the possible health risks for athletes. This study aims to determine the impact of ultra-endurance exercise-induced stress on the number and function of circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells (CPCs) and hematological, inflammatory, clinical, metabolic, and stress parameters in moderately trained amateur athletes. Following ultra-endurance exercise, there were significant increases in leukocytes, platelets, interleukin-6, fibrinogen, tissue enzymes, blood lactate, serum cortisol, and matrix metalloproteinase-9.

Interference of the new oral anticoagulant dabigatran with frequently used coagulation tests.

Background: Dabigatran etexilate is a new oral anticoagulant for the therapy and prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism and stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. To investigate the extent of interactions of this new anticoagulant with frequently used coagulation assays, we completed a multicenter in vitro trial with Conformité Européenne(CE)-labeled dabigatran-spiked plasma samples.

Methods: Lyophilized plasma samples with dabigatran concentrations ranging from 0.

Performance evaluation of the Sysmex XE-5000 hematology analyzer for white blood cell analysis in cerebrospinal fluid.

Context: The newest generation hematology analyzer, Sysmex XE-5000 (Sysmex Corporation, Kobe, Japan) is equipped with an improved body fluid analysis mode.

Objective: To evaluate the applicability of the XE-5000 analyzer to white blood cell (WBC) analysis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Design: A total of 425 routinely collected, consecutive CSF samples were included in the study.

Correlation of serum procalcitonin with the severity of skin and skin structure infections - a pilot study.

Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a specific biomarker for early detection of bacterial infections. While the usefulness of procalcitonin in severe conditions such as sepsis is well established, its relevance in the diagnosis and prognosis of localized cutaneous bacterial infections is unknown. Our aim was to initially evaluate if PCT is a useful parameter for predicting the severity of skin and skin structure infections (SSSI).

[The importance of preanalytics for the coagulation laboratory].

Due to their complex preanalytics coagulation tests show a higher rate of rejected samples due to insufficient quality and a higher intra- and inter-individual test variability. In the last years several guidelines addressed this issue in an effort to standardize preanalytic procedures. However, in daily laboratory work, these guidelines frequently cannot be fully executed, due to technical limitations or sample transport logistics.