Lu-PRRT Used More Intensively on Advanced Gastro-Entero-Pancreatic and Lung Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Preliminary Results on Toxicity from a Randomized Study.

Introduction: Lu-PRRT in neuroendocrine tumors is usually delivered with a total cumulative activity (TCA) of 29.6 GBq, divided into 4 cycles and with fixed interval between cycles (IBCs) of 8 weeks. Based on previous radiobiological studies, reducing IBC could improve efficacy without increasing toxicity.

Correlation of [Ga]Ga-PSMA PET/CT response and PSA decline in first-line enzalutamide for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

Purpose: to assess the utility of response monitoring to enzalutamide by using [Ga]Ga-PSMA PET in mCRPC patients treated with enzalutamide as first-line therapy.

Methods: patients underwent [Ga]Ga-PSMA PET less than 8 weeks before and 3 months after starting enzalutamide. On the basis of EAU/EANM criteria, patients were categorized as PSMA responders (PET-R) or PSMA non-responders (PET-NR), whilst, based on PSA, they were classified as biochemical responders (PSA-R) or non-responders (PSA-NR).

Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy in Advanced Refractory Meningiomas: Efficacy and Toxicity in a Long Follow-up.

Recurrence of meningiomas after surgery and radiotherapy deserves specific attention because of the lack of active third-line therapies. Somatostatin receptors are usually overexpressed on the cell membrane of meningiomas, and this has led the way to a radionuclide theranostic approach. Diagnoses with Ga-DOTA-octreotide and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with Y/Lu-DOTA-octreotide are currently possible options within experimental protocols or as compassionate use in small patient groups.

In vitro Hemostatic Functions of Cold-Stored Platelets.

Background: Transfusion of platelets is a life-saving medical strategy used worldwide to treat patients with thrombocytopenia as well as platelet function disorders.

Summary: Until the end of 1960s, platelets were stored in the cold because of their superior hemostatic functionality. Cold storage of platelets was then abandoned due to better posttransfusion recovery and survival of room temperature (RT)-stored platelets, demonstrated by radioactive labeling studies.

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.

Validation of a targeted gene panel sequencing for the diagnosis of hereditary chronic liver diseases.

The cause of chronic liver diseases (CLD) remains undiagnosed in up to 30% of adult patients. Whole-Exome Sequencing (WES) can improve the diagnostic rate of genetic conditions, but it is not yet widely available, due to the costs and the difficulties in results interpretation. Targeted panel sequencing (TS) represents an alternative more focused diagnostic approach.

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.

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.

Emotional dysregulation and linguistic patterns as a defining feature of patients in the acute phase of anorexia nervosa.

Purpose: This research aims to analyze the relationship between emotional regulation and the symbolic process in autobiographical narratives of a group of individuals diagnosed with restrictive anorexia nervosa (AN), compared to a non-clinical group. The study is framed within multiple code theory (MCT) (Bucci, 1997; 2021), which considers mind-body integration. The purposes of this study are to investigate whether participants of the AN group will show greater alexithymia and emotional dysregulation than the non-clinical group; and whether the specific linguistic and symbolic features, such as somato-sensory words, affect words, and difficulty in the symbolizing process will predict the AN group.

Treatment of drug-induced immune thrombocytopenias.

Several therapeutic agents can cause thrombocytopenia by either immune-mediated or non-immune-mediated mechanisms. Non-immune-mediated thrombocytopenia is due to direct toxicity of drug molecules to platelets or megakaryocytes. Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, on the other hand, involves the formation of antibodies that react to platelet-specific glycoprotein complexes, as in classic drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia (DITP), or to platelet factor 4, as in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) and vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT).

Clinical exome sequencing for diagnosing severe cryptogenic liver disease in adults: A case series.

Liver diseases remain unexplained in up to 30% of adult patients; genetic analysis could help establish the correct diagnosis. In six adult patients with cryptogenic liver disease, we performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) and evaluated the individual predisposition to progressive fatty liver disease by polygenic risk scores (PRS). In one patient, WES was allowed to diagnose the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome.

Theragnostic in neuroendocrine tumors.

In the last few decades, the incidence and prevalence of neuroendocrine tumors has been increasing. The theragnostic approach, that allows the diagnosis and treatment of different neoplasms with the same ligand, is a typical nuclear medicine tool. Applied for years, is also pivotal in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) where it has improved the diagnostic accuracy and the therapeutic efficacy with impact on patient's survival.

Antibody-mediated procoagulant platelet formation in COVID-19 is AKT dependent.

Background: Thromboembolic events are frequently reported in patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2. Recently, we observed that platelets from patients with severe COVID-19 infection express procoagulant phenotype. The molecular mechanisms that induce the generation of procoagulant platelets in COVID-19 patients are not completely understood.

Dynamic C-Methionine PET-CT: Prognostic Factors for Disease Progression and Survival in Patients with Suspected Glioma Recurrence.

Purpose: The prognostic evaluation of glioma recurrence patients is important in the therapeutic management. We investigated the prognostic value of C-methionine PET-CT (MET-PET) dynamic and semiquantitative parameters in patients with suspected glioma recurrence.

Methods: Sixty-seven consecutive patients who underwent MET-PET for suspected glioma recurrence at MR were retrospectively included.

Antibody-induced procoagulant platelets in severe COVID-19 infection.

The pathophysiology of COVID-19-associated thrombosis seems to be multifactorial. We hypothesized that COVID-19 is accompanied by procoagulant platelets with subsequent alteration of the coagulation system. We investigated depolarization of mitochondrial inner transmembrane potential (ΔΨm), cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) concentration, and phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization.

Flow Cytometric Assessment of AKT Signaling in Platelet Activation: An Alternative Diagnostic Tool for Small Volumes of Blood.

Introduction:  The diagnosis of platelet function disorder in children is challenging. Light transmission aggregometry is the gold standard for platelet function disorders. However, large blood volumes are required.

Feasibility of precise and reliable glucose quantification in human whole blood samples by 1 tesla benchtop NMR.

The standard procedure for blood glucose measurements is enzymatic testing. This method is cheap, but requires small samples of open blood with direct contact to the test medium. In principle, NMR provides non-contact analysis of body fluids, but high-field spectrometers are expensive and cannot be easily utilized under clinical conditions.

Dosimetry and safety of Lu PSMA-617 along with polyglutamate parotid gland protector: preliminary results in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

Purpose: Radioligand therapy (RLT) with Lu-PSMA-617 is a promising option for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The present study was designed to define the safety and initial response to a minimal effective injected activity/cycle of Lu-PSMA-617 in mCRPC patients. New protective agents for salivary glands and kidney were co-administered and dosimetry was carried out.

Autoantibody-mediated desialylation impairs human thrombopoiesis and platelet lifespan.

Immune thrombocytopenia is a common bleeding disease caused by autoantibody-mediated accelerated platelet clearance and impaired thrombopoiesis. Accumulating evidence suggests that desialylation affects platelet life span in immune thrombocytopenia. Herein, we report on novel effector functions of autoantibodies from immune thrombocytopenic patients which might interfere with the clinical picture of the disease.

Blood donor-derived buffy coat to produce platelets in vitro.

Background And Objectives: Platelet transfusion is a standard medical therapy used to treat several bleeding disorders. However, a critical drawback is the dependency on donor-derived platelets, which leads to concerns like insufficient availability and immunological complications. In vitro platelet production from hematopoietic progenitor cells (CD34) may represent a reasonable solution.

Evaluation of a flow cytometer-based functional assay using platelet-rich plasma in the diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Background: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is caused by platelet-activating antibodies that recognize platelet factor 4/heparin (PF4/hep)-complexes. The in vitro demonstration of PF4/hep antibodies using functional assays is essential for an optimal management of patients suspected to have HIT. However, conventional functional assays are technically challenging and limited to specialized laboratories.

Glycoprotein V is a relevant immune target in patients with immune thrombocytopenia.

Platelet autoantibody-induced platelet clearance represents a major pathomechanism in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). There is growing evidence for clinical differences between anti-glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and anti-glycoprotein Ib/IX mediated ITP. Glycoprotein V is a well characterized target antigen in Varicella-associated and drug-induced thrombocytopenia.

Pathophysiology of Autoimmune Thrombocytopenia: Current Insight with a Focus on Thrombopoiesis.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by a significant reduction in the number of circulating platelets which is frequently associated with bleeding. The total count of platelets in the body is finely regulated by the balance between platelet production and destruction. Although the pathogenesis of ITP is still not completely elucidated, it is largely recognized that the low platelet count observed in ITP patients is due to alterations of both mechanisms.