Antifungal and Coagulation Properties of a Copper (I) Oxide Nanopowder Produced by Out-of-Phase Pulsed Sonoelectrochemistry.

Copper (I) oxide (cuprite) is a material widely used nowadays, and its versatility is further amplified when it is brought to the nanometric size. Among the possible applications of this nanomaterial, one of the most interesting is that in the medical field. This paper presents a cuprite nanopowder study with the aim of employing it in medical applications.

Dexamethasone Modulates the Cytokine Response but Not COVID-19-Induced Coagulopathy in Critically Ill.

Severe forms of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease are caused by an exaggerated systemic inflammatory response and subsequent inflammation-related coagulopathy. Anti-inflammatory treatment with low dose dexamethasone has been shown to reduce mortality in COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen therapy. However, the mechanisms of action of corticosteroids have not been extensively studied in critically ill patients in the context of COVID-19.

NETosis and Nucleosome Biomarkers in Septic Shock and Critical COVID-19 Patients: An Observational Study.

Background: Neutrophil extracellular traps’ (NETs’) formation is a mechanism of defense that neutrophils deploy as an alternative to phagocytosis, to constrain the spread of microorganisms. Aim: The aim was to evaluate biomarkers of NETs’ formation in a patient cohort admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) due to infection. Methods: Forty-six septic shock patients, 22 critical COVID-19 patients and 48 matched control subjects were recruited.

The edoxaban-M4 metabolite and measurement of edoxaban by chromogenic assays in human plasma.

Introduction: Edoxaban is the only anti-Xa inhibitor metabolized in pharmacologically active moiety that could interfere with chromogenic anti-Xa assays, especially in case of drug-drug interactions or physiological disorders.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated the contribution of the main metabolite of edoxaban, edoxaban-M4 (M4), in 79 plasma samples from patients taking edoxaban. The total anti-Xa activity was evaluated on three different chromogenic factor Xa-based assays.

Inflammation-Induced Coagulopathy Substantially Differs Between COVID-19 and Septic Shock: A Prospective Observational Study.

Critical COVID-19, like septic shock, is related to a dysregulated systemic inflammatory reaction and is associated with a high incidence of thrombosis and microthrombosis. Improving the understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of critical COVID-19 could help in finding new therapeutic targets already explored in the treatment of septic shock. The current study prospectively compared 48 patients with septic shock and 22 patients with critical COVID-19 regarding their clinical characteristics and outcomes, as well as key plasmatic soluble biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation, endothelial activation, platelet activation, and NETosis.

Combined Oral Contraceptives and Venous Thromboembolism: Review and Perspective to Mitigate the Risk.

Many factors must be considered and discussed with women when initiating a contraceptive method and the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of them. In this review, we discuss the numerous strategies that have been implemented to reduce the thrombotic risk associated with combined oral contraceptives (COCs) from their arrival on the market until today. Evidences suggesting that COCs were associated with an increased risk of VTE appeared rapidly after their marketing.

Interlaboratory variability of activated protein C resistance using the ETP-based APC resistance assay.

Background And Objective: Although the endogenous thrombin potential (ETP)-based activated protein C (APC) resistance is recommended for the development of steroid contraceptive agents, one of the main limitations of this technique was its lack of standardization, which hampered study-to-study comparison. A validated methodology that meets all the regulatory requirements in terms of analytical performances has been developed recently. To ensure a wide implementation of this test, the assessment of the interlaboratory variability was needed.

Clinical performance of the Panbio assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG in COVID-19 patients.

Following the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, numerous serological tests have been developed, including rapid diagnostic tests. This study aims at assessing the clinical performance of the Panbio immunoglobulin G (IgG)/IgM coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test (Abbott), a rapid lateral flow assay for the qualitative detection of IgG and IgM against SARS-CoV-2. One hundred and thirty-eight samples from 95 COVID-19 patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction were analyzed to assess the clinical sensitivity.

Assessment of acquired activated protein C resistance with the FibWave and comparison with the ETP-based APC resistance.

Introduction: Activated protein C (APC) resistance is a major risk factor of venous thrombosis which may be acquired by hormonal therapy or other causes. The FibWave, a sensitive global clot-based assay design to analyze the coagulation kinetics in plasma, may be a good candidate to assess this prothrombotic state. This study aims to assess the suitability of the FibWave to differentiate the coagulation kinetics of women on oral contraceptives.

The Risk of Arterial Thrombosis in Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treated With Second and Third Generation BCR-ABL Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors May Be Explained by Their Impact on Endothelial Cells: An In-Vitro Study.

BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) revolutionized the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, inducing deep molecular responses, largely improving patient survival and rendering treatment-free remission possible. However, three of the five BCR-ABL TKIs, dasatinib, nilotinib, and ponatinib, increase the risk of developing arterial thrombosis. Prior investigations reported that nilotinib and ponatinib affect the endothelium, but the mechanisms by which they exert their toxic effects are still unclear.

Long-Term Survival, Vascular Occlusive Events and Efficacy Biomarkers of First-Line Treatment of CML: A Meta-Analysis.

Large randomized clinical trials and prior meta-analyses indicate that second-generation BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) improve surrogate biomarkers in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) without providing survival benefits. The objective is to evaluate the long-term efficacy and the occurrence of vascular occlusion with second-generation BCR-ABL TKIs compared with imatinib in patients with CML. Three scientific databases, a clinical registry and abstracts from congress were searched to identify all randomized controlled trials that compared a second-generation BCR-ABL TKI to imatinib in patients with CML.

Validation and standardization of the ETP-based activated protein C resistance test for the clinical investigation of steroid contraceptives in women: an unmet clinical and regulatory need.

Background Regulatory bodies recommend the use of an assay based on the assessment of the endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) for the investigation of the activated protein C resistance (APCr) in the development of steroid contraceptives in women. However, the assays described in the literature are home-made and not standardized regarding the method, the reagents, the reference plasma and the quality controls. In the absence of any commercially available method, we aimed at validating the ETP-based APCr assay.

Impact of functional inorganic nanotubes f-INTs-WS on hemolysis, platelet function and coagulation.

Inorganic transition metal dichalcogenide nanostructures are interesting for several biomedical applications such as coating for medical devices (e.g. endodontic files, catheter stents) and reinforcement of scaffolds for tissue engineering.

BCR-ABL Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: Which Mechanism(s) May Explain the Risk of Thrombosis?

Imatinib, the first-in-class BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), had been a revolution for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and had greatly enhanced patient survival. Second- (dasatinib, nilotinib, and bosutinib) and third-generation (ponatinib) TKIs have been developed to be effective against BCR-ABL mutations making imatinib less effective. However, these treatments have been associated with arterial occlusive events.

Procoagulant activity of extracellular vesicles as a potential biomarker for risk of thrombosis and DIC in patients with acute leukaemia.

Haemostatic complication is common for patients with hematologic malignancies. Recent studies suggest that the procoagulant activity (PCA) of extracellular vesicles (EV) may play a major role in venous thromboembolism and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in acute leukaemia. To study the impact of EVs from leukaemic patients on thrombin generation and to assess EV-PCA as a potential biomarker for thrombotic complications in patients with acute leukaemia.

Risk of arterial and venous occlusive events in chronic myeloid leukemia patients treated with new generation BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: A previous meta-analysis demonstrated that 3 of the new-generation BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) (dasatinib, nilotinib and ponatinib) are associated with an increased risk of vascular occlusive events in patients with Ph+ chronic myeloid leukemia compared with imatinib. This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials aims at assessing these risks separately.

Methods: The literature search was performed by two independent reviewers following the previous protocol (PROSPERO 2014:CRD42014014147).

Association Between BCR-ABL Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Cardiovascular Events, Major Molecular Response, and Overall Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: A phase 3 trial with ponatinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was interrupted due to an important increase of vascular occlusive events. A similar risk was also suspected with nilotinib, another BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used in patients with CML.

Objective: To assess the risk of vascular occlusive events in patients with CML treated by new generations of TKIs and provide an overall assessment of the clinical benefit.