Serum anti-Spike immunoglobulin G levels in random blood donors in Italy: High-titre convalescent plasma is easier than ever to procure.

Background And Objectives: COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) has retained potency and clinical efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and is currently of utmost value for seronegative immunocompromised patients. Since most of the effect is due to the vaccine boost of infection-elicited antibodies, there is a theoretical concern that the frequency of suitable donors is declining.

Materials And Methods: In this single-institution serosurvey, we screened 599 consecutive donors attending our area in two different seasons (300 in November 2022 and 299 in February 2023) using the Abbott Alinity® anti-Spike immunoglobulin G assay.

Developmental variations of plasma gamma-glutamyltransferase fractions in humans and in laboratory mammalians.

Plasma samples from human cord blood, and fetuses, newborns, and adults of different mammalians species were analyzed by gel-filtration chromatography, to ascertain whether gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) fractions reflect liver maturation. Human cord blood plasma showed higher b-, m-, and s-GGT fraction as compared to adult women. In rat and mouse fetuses and in newborns, b-GGT was the most abundant fraction.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles as selective killers of proliferating cells.

Background: It has recently been demonstrated that zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) induce death of cancerous cells whilst having no cytotoxic effect on normal cells. However, there are several issues which need to be resolved before translation of zinc oxide nanoparticles into medical use, including lack of suitable biocompatible dispersion protocols and a better understanding being needed of the mechanism of their selective cytotoxic action.

Methods: Nanoparticle dose affecting cell viability was evaluated in a model of proliferating cells both experimentally and mathematically.

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells in women with gestational alterations of glucose tolerance.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a role in angiogenesis during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate circulating EPCs in pregnant women with gestational alterations of glucose tolerance. Glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and β-cell function were derived from oral glucose tolerance tests in 23 women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), 18 with gestational impaired glucose tolerance (GIGT) and 24 with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

High level of messenger RNA for BRMS1 in primary breast carcinomas is associated with poor prognosis.

BRMS1 is regarded as a metastasis suppressor gene for its ability to reduce metastatic potential of human and murine breast cancer cells as well as human melanoma cells. However, BRMS1 association to human tumor progression is not clearly understood. In the present study we analyzed BRMS1 mRNA expression in tumor progression and its potential prognostic value for breast carcinoma.