Lymphocytic Myocarditis in Children with Parvovirus B19 Infection: Pathological and Molecular Insights.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the role of parvovirus B19 (B19V) in the pathogenesis of myocarditis in a paediatric population, including post-mortem samples from two children.

Methods: From 2004 to 2023, endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs) from children under 16 years of age were analyzed using histology, immunohistochemistry, and molecular pathology. A total of 306 children with acute and 1060 children with chronic lymphocytic myocarditis were identified.

Heparin-activated procoagulant platelet assay: a flow cytometry-based functional test for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Background: Functional platelet activation assays are required for the diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Due to their sophisticated methodology, they are only available in reference centers.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the flow cytometry-based heparin-activated procoagulant platelet (HAPP) assay in the laboratory diagnosis of HIT.

Inhibition of GPIb-α-mediated apoptosis signaling enables cold storage of platelets.

Cold storage of platelets has been suggested as an alternative approach to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination and to improve the cell quality as well as functionality compared to room temperature storage. However, cold-stored platelets (CSP) are rapidly cleared from the circulation. Among several possible mechanisms, apoptosis has been recently proposed to be responsible for the short half-life of refrigerated platelets.

Platelet phosphatidylserine is the critical mediator of thrombosis in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a severe immune-mediated prothrombotic disorder caused by antibodies (Ab) reactive to complexes of platelet factor 4 and heparin. Platelets (PLT) and their interaction with different immune cells contribute to prothrombotic conditions in HIT. However, the exact mechanisms and the role of different PLT subpopulations in this prothrombotic environment remain poorly understood.

Characterization of Shear Stress Mediated Platelet Dysfunction: Data from an Ex Vivo Model for Extracorporeal Circulation and a Prospective Clinical Study.

Extracorporeal circulation (ECC) is frequently used in intensive care patients with impaired lung or cardiac function. Despite being a life-saving therapeutic option, ECC is associated with increased risk for both bleeding and thrombosis. The management of bleeding and thromboembolic events in ECC patients is still challenging partly due to the lack of information on the pathophysiological changes in hemostasis and platelet function during the procedure.