Fluoride bioavailability in saliva and plaque.

Background: Different fluoride formulations may have different effects on caries prevention. It was the aim of this clinical study to assess the fluoride content, provided by NaF compared to amine fluoride, in saliva and plaque.

Methods: Eight trained volunteers brushed their teeth in the morning for 3 minutes with either NaF or amine fluoride, and saliva and 3-day-plaque-regrowth was collected at 5 time intervals during 6 hours after tooth brushing.

Increasing the economic efficacy of peripheral blood progenitor cell collections by monitoring peripheral blood CD34+ concentrations.

Background: After mobilization, the collection of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) can either be started a fixed number of days after having passed the white blood cell nadir (fixed-day scheme) or be based on monitoring of CD34+ cells. This study was conducted to compare both approaches and to assess possible financial consequences.

Study Design And Methods: For 29 patients daily enumeration of CD34+ cells was used to guide leukapheresis timing.

The complement factor properdin induces formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates via leukocyte activation.

Both the complement system and platelet-leukocyte aggregates are involved in chronic and acute stages of atherosclerosis. Properdin, a positive regulator of the complement system, is secreted by leukocytes and endothelial cells. In the present study, the role of properdin in the formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates was investigated.

New trends in specific immunoadsorption.

Plasma exchange is widely accepted to remove pathogenic substances from patients' blood that cannot be eliminated otherwise like cholesterol in severe forms of familial hypercholesterolaemia or immunoglobulins and circulating immune complexes (CIC) in many autoimmune disorders. But dilution of other plasma proteins, as well as side effects and costs of substitution fluids, limit its efficiency. In immunoadsorption, the pathogen is bound specifically, generally no substitution fluids are needed and plasma can be conducted over the immunoadsorption columns as often as needed to achieve any reduction that one aims at, in some instances below the detection limit (e.

Influence of heparin coating of coronary stents and ex vivo efficacy of different doses of acetylsalicylic acid and ticlopidine in a pulsed floating model of recirculating human plasma.

Acute occlusion of stented coronary vessels still occurs in up to 3%. Activated platelets have been found to play a major role in the pathogenesis of these complications. We therefore analyzed the efficacy of a heparin coating of coronary stents and investigated the ex vivo efficacy of different antiplatelet drugs.

Binding of activated platelets to WBCs in vivo after transfusion.

Background: During preparation and storage of apheresis concentrates, platelets are being activated. One of the alterations that occur during this process is an increased expression of P-selectin (CD62p) on the cytoplasmic surface of platelets. This neoepitope represents a ligand for the binding of platelets to WBCs.

Platelet function testing in apheresis products: flow cytometric, resonance thrombographic (RTG) and rotational thrombelastographic (roTEG) analyses.

During storage of platelet concentrates, quality control of the units is mandatory. This includes the important testing of the hemostatic function of platelets. So far, mostly platelet aggregation analyses have been performed.

Th2 dominance of T helper cell response to preproinsulin in individuals with preclinical type 1 diabetes.

In human type 1 diabetes (T1D) autoantibodies to insulin precede clinical disease, while little is known about the contribution of insulin-specific T lymphocytes-in particular, T helper (Th) subsets. Here we have studied the in vivo primed cytokine response to preproinsulin in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and two major Th cell subsets-CD45RO+ memory cells and CD45RA+ naive/resting cells-in 35 individuals with HLA-DRB1*04, DQB1*0302 diabetes risk marker: 12 patients with T1D, 12 autoantibody-positive (Ab+) individuals, and 11 healthy controls. Cytokine secretion (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10) was measured in the supernatants of the cultures stimulated with 21 overlapping preproinsulin peptides as well as proinsulin and insulin.

Platelet hemostasis capacity in smokers. In vitro function analyses with 3.2% citrated whole blood.

Introduction: Platelet function may be influenced by cigarette smoking. We therefore examined the effect of smoking on platelet hemostasis capacity (PHC) with an in vitro analyzer (PFA-100).

Methods And Results: Healthy blood donors (n=54) were included in the study and divided into four groups: nonsmoking males (n=14), nonsmoking females (n=14), smoking males (n=12) and smoking females (n=14).

In vitro analyses of diamond-like carbon coated stents. Reduction of metal ion release, platelet activation, and thrombogenicity.

Coronary artery stents can induce platelet activation by shear forces, contact to the biomaterial, and release of metal ions. This activation is one important trigger for thrombosis. Coating of stents is a possible approach to prevent this side effect.

Flow cytometry: the standard for monitoring the onset of apheresis and for the evaluation of stem and progenitor cell graft quality.

Several high-quality protocols exist that describe the methodological and technical aspects of the flow cytometric analyses of stem and progenitor cells. In addition, recent advances in automation and quantitative analyses show promising results. For further improvement of the test quality and more objective control, internal as well as external quality control is mandatory.

Extracorporeal plateletpheresis induces the interaction of activated platelets with white blood cells.

Background And Objectives: In this study we investigated whether platelet activation during apheresis results in the binding of platelets to white blood cells.

Material And Methods: Analysis of platelet-leukocyte interaction was performed using multiparameter, three-color flow cytometry.

Results: Over the duration of the procedure, there was an increase in the surface expression of CD62p (P-selectin) and CD63 (p<0.

Semi-automated flow cytometric analysis of CD34-expressing hematopoietic cells in peripheral blood progenitor cell apheresis products.

Background: The measurement of CD34+ cells is the most important step in the quality control of peripheral blood progenitor cell apheresis products. For this purpose, flow cytometry is applied. Recently, a new test kit has been introduced for the enumeration of CD34-expressing cells, in combination with software support for semi-automation of data acquisition and analysis.

Annexin V and platelet antigen expression is not altered during storage of platelet concentrates obtained with the AMICUS cell separator.

During storage of platelet concentrate the so-called "storage lesion" occurs. During this time, platelets loose their morphological and functional capacities that are necessary for proper in vivo efficacy following transfusion. Annexin V represents a marker for apoptosis.

Biocompatibility of a new cell separator studied by flow cytometry: analyses of platelet antigens during apheresis and storage.

Background: Alterations of platelet antigens are known to occur during cytapheresis and storage. These changes have been shown to be dependent on the biomaterials, techniques, and devices used. In this study, the influence of a new cell separator (AMICUS) and storage container (PL-2410) on platelet glycoproteins was analyzed.

The influence of different erythrocyte lysing procedures on flow cytometric determination of CD34+ cells in umbilical cord blood transplants.

Since the correct determination of CD34+ cells is of great clinical importance for successful transplantation with haematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) from cord blood, we investigated the influence of different erythrocyte lysing techniques on the quantification of CD34+ cells in umbilical cord blood. Flow cytometric determinations of CD34+ cells were performed from 20 cord blood samples, using three different erythrocyte lysing procedures and two monoclonal CD34 antibodies (n = 360). Flow cytometric analysis showed characteristic patterns of the forward (FSC) and side (SSC) scatter light properties for the leucocyte subsets for each of the investigated erythrocyte lysing procedures, indicating that these reagents cause different morphological changes on leucocytes.

Identification of HLA-DR and -DQ alleles conferring susceptibility to pollen allergy and pollen associated food allergy.

Background: Allergenic crossreactivity of pollen and foods due to the antigeneic similarity of oligopeptides is a well established clinical phenomenon.

Objective: To determine the immunopathological relevance of antigen presentation, we analysed the HLA class-II genotype of patients with either pollen allergy or pollen associated food allergy.

Methods: One hundred and twenty patients with pollen allergy and 80 patients with pollen associated food allergy were evaluated by skin- prick tests, RAST, and HLA class-II genotyping.

The role of flow cytometry in improving biocompatibility in transfusion medicine.

In transfusion medicine, blood and blood components, donors and patients are increasingly confronted with biomaterials. The need to understand the response of human blood to contact with these artificial surfaces has led to multiple studies on the biocompatibility of biomaterials. Up to this time, these investigations have predominantly been performed using physical, immunological and biochemical methods.

Alteration of platelet-associated membrane glycoproteins during extracorporeal apheresis of peripheral blood progenitor cells.

In extracorporeal circulation, blood is affected by artificial biomaterials and shear forces. We investigated the effects of peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) apheresis on the kinetics and level of platelet membrane antigen expression in 11 breast cancer and 13 testicular cancer patients. After mobilization with rhG-CSF, continuous-flow apheresis was performed.

Flow cytometric analysis of platelet membrane antigens during and after continuous-flow plateletpheresis.

Background: The influence, extent, and duration of changes in platelet antigen expression caused by blood-biomaterial interaction in plateletpheresis were assessed.

Study Design And Methods: Twenty-two apheresis donors were studied by using two automated continuous-flow apheresis devices. Blood samples were taken before, during, and for 4 days after extracorporeal circulation.

Flow cytometric analysis of coronary stent-induced alterations of platelet antigens in an in vitro model.

One of the limitations of coronary stenting is the subacute thrombotic occlusion. In an in vitro model, we examined the effects of tantalum wire stents (n = 12) on platelet antigens. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was circulated in PVC tubing systems.

Effect of storage conditions on the CD34+ counts in flow cytometric analysis after anticoagulation of samples with EDTA.

The transplantation of peripheral blood precursor cells (PBPC) is becoming of interest for autografting patients with a wide variety of haematological and other malignancies. For rapid quality control of PBPC apheresis products, flow cytometry is applied to quantify the number of CD34+ events. We studied the effect of different storage conditions on the number of CD34+ counts in EDTA-anticoagulated aliquots of PBPC grafts.

Modification of activation-dependent platelet antigens CD62p and CD63 during haemodialysis.

In particular, activated platelets are thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of thrombotic occlusions of vessels. In this study, we evaluated activation-dependent changes in platelet antigens during extracorporeal haemodialysis treatment. Flow cytometry was used in combination with monoclonal antibodies that bind to platelet glycoproteins CD62p (GMP-140) and CD63 (GP53).