Natural killer cells in first-episode psychosis: an innate immune signature?

Accumulating evidence majorly implicates immune dysfunction in the etiology of psychotic disorders. In particular, altered numbers and functions of natural killer (NK) cells have been described in psychosis, but interpretation has often been confounded by a number of biases, including treatment. Eighty-one first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients who subsequently received a diagnosis of either schizophrenia (SZ; n = 30) or bipolar disorder (BP; n = 31) over a five-year follow-up period were investigated for their NK cell phenotype and compared to 61 healthy controls (HCs).

Red blood cells free α-haemoglobin pool: a biomarker to monitor the β-thalassemia intermedia variability. The ALPHAPOOL study.

The severity of β-thalassaemia (β-thal) intermedia is mainly correlated to the degree of imbalanced α/non α-globin chain synthesis. The phenotypic diversity of β-thal depends on this imbalance and reflects all possible combinations of α- and β-globin genotypes, levels of fetal haemoglobin (HbF) and co-inheritance of other modulating factors. This study aimed to demonstrate the validity of a new surrogate of α/non α-globin biosynthetic ratio by measuring the soluble α-Hb pool in lysed red blood cells.

Impact of comorbidities on hospital-acquired infections in a geriatric rehabilitation unit: prospective study of 252 patients.

Objectives: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) remain a major source of morbidity and mortality in long-term care units, despite advances in antimicrobial therapy and preventive measures. Our aim was to investigate risk factors for HAIs, especially in the elderly, and to describe the relationship between comorbidities (number, severity, and specific diseases) and HAIs using a comprehensive inventory of comorbidities.

Design: Prospective cohort study

Setting: Geriatric rehabilitation unit in a university hospital in the Paris metropolitan area.