Clinical utility of a cytomegalovirus-specific T cell assay in assessing the risk of post-prophylaxis cytomegalovirus infection and post-treatment relapse.

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) causes significant morbidity in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR). Measuring cell-mediated immunity (CMI) may inform the risk of CMV infection after antiviral prophylaxis and predict relapse after CMV treatment.

Methods: We serially assessed CMV CMI using the QuantiFERON-CMV assay (QF-CMV; Qiagen, Germantown, MD) in two cohorts of SOTRs: during valganciclovir prophylaxis and during treatment of CMV viremia.

Disseminated Tuberculosis With an Atypical Cutaneous Manifestation in a Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Patient in the Early Posttransplant Period: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

We describe an unusual case of posttransplant tuberculosis reactivation in a man who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant. Concomitant with disseminated adenovirus infection, reactivation of tuberculosis manifested as disseminated, nonfollicular pustules on day +49. Skin biopsy was obtained on day +50.

High-value laboratory testing for hospitalized COVID-19 patients: a review.

We present here an evidence-based review of the utility, timing, and indications for laboratory test use in the domains of inflammation, cardiology, hematology, nephrology and co-infection for clinicians managing the care of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Levels of IL-6, CRP, absolute lymphocyte count, neutrophils and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio obtained upon admission may help predict the severity of COVID-19. Elevated LDH, ferritin, AST, and d-dimer are associated with severe illness and mortality.

Interleukin-18 and tumor necrosis factor-α are elevated in solid organ transplant recipients with possible cytomegalovirus end-organ disease.

End-organ cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease can be life threatening to solid organ transplant recipients. Diagnosis is often complicated by variation in amount of CMV DNA in plasma and the need for an invasive procedure to obtain a biopsy of the suspected affected organ, which can delay recognition and treatment. Several inflammatory cytokines are elevated in CMV disease, and the purpose of this study was to determine if they could be used to distinguish solid organ transplant recipients with CMV DNAemia alone from those with possible end-organ CMV disease.

Cryptococcus neoformans infections in patients with lymphoproliferative neoplasms.

Cryptococcosis is a rare opportunistic infection increasingly associated with lymphoproliferative disorders. The clinical course and outcomes in these patients have not been extensively studied. We retrospectively reviewed charts of adult patients with lymphoproliferative disorders diagnosed with cryptococcal infections.

Infectious complications in patients on treatment with Ruxolitinib: case report and review of the literature.

Background: Primary myelofibrosis is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm that may cause debilitating symptoms, which can be improved with the use of Ruxolitinib, a Janus kinase 2 inhibitor. However, this agent has significant immunomodulatory effects which may increase the risk for infections.

Methods: We searched the literature and our institutional electronic medical record for reported cases of infections in adult patients on ruxolitinib treatment.

Clinical utility of cytomegalovirus viral load in solid organ transplant recipients.

Purpose Of Review: Quantitative nucleic acid testing (QNAT) to measure viral load has become a mainstay in the management of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and disease in solid organ transplant recipients. In this article, we review the clinical applications of CMV QNAT in the management of solid organ transplant recipients.

Recent Findings: Because several platforms were available for CMV QNAT, there was a wide inter-assay variability in the viral load reporting, and this limited the generation of widely applicable viral load thresholds that can be used for various clinical applications.

Dipyridamole-associated shock and pulmonary edema.

Objective: To report a case of fulminant shock and noncardiogenic pulmonary edema induced by intravenously administered dipyridamole.

Case Summary: A 73-year-old woman presented to the office of her cardiologist for dipyridamole myocardial scintigraphy. Several minutes after administration of intravenous dipyridamole 0.