Incorporating the entity of under-transfusion into hemovigilance monitoring: Documenting cases due to lack of inventory.

Background: Under-transfusion is an underreported entity within most hospitals and hemovigilance systems. While critical blood shortages are being reported more frequently, without incident codes to document instances of under-transfusion due to lack of inventory, estimating its impact on patient care as it relates to hemotherapy (HT) has hampered our ability to assess and inform strategic initiatives to combat inventory issues as well as prepare for future blood supply threats.

Study Design And Method: An 11-member working group of the AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies) Hemovigilance Committee was formed in October 2020 to study the topic of under-transfusion including its potential causes and clinical expressions.

High Levels of Common Cold Coronavirus Antibodies in Convalescent Plasma Are Associated With Improved Survival in COVID-19 Patients.

Background: COVID-19 Convalescent plasma (CCP) is safe and effective, particularly if given at an early stage of the disease. Our study aimed to identify an association between survival and specific antibodies found in CCP.

Patients And Methods: Patients ≥18 years of age who were hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19 infection and received CCP at the MD Anderson Cancer Center between 4/30/2020 and 8/20/2020 were included in the study.

High levels of common cold coronavirus antibodies in convalescent plasma are associated with improved survival in COVID-19 patients.

Background: COVID-19 Convalescent plasma (CCP) is safe and effective, particularly if given at an early stage of the disease. Our study aimed to identify an association between survival and specific antibodies found in CCP.

Patients And Methods: Patients ≥18 years of age who were hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19 infection and received CCP at the MD Anderson Cancer Center between 4/30/2020 and 8/20/2020 were included in the study.

Maternal inheritance of an inactive type III deiodinase gene allele affects mouse pancreatic β-cells and disrupts glucose homeostasis.

Dio3 is the most distal gene of the imprinted Dlk1-Dio3 gene locus and is expressed according to parental origin. Dio3 encodes the type 3 deiodinase (D3), a thioredoxin-fold like containing selenoenzyme that inactivates thyroid hormone and dampens thyroid hormone signaling. Here we used heterozygous animals with disruption of the Dio3 gene to study the allelic expression pattern of Dio3 in pancreatic β-cells and the metabolic phenotype resulting from its inactivation.

Induction of specific microRNAs inhibits cutaneous wound healing.

Chronic nonhealing wounds, such as venous ulcers (VUs), are a widespread and serious medical problem with high morbidity and mortality. The molecular pathology of VUs remains poorly understood, impeding the development of effective treatment strategies. Using mRNA expression profiling of VUs biopsies and computational analysis, we identified a candidate set of microRNAs with lowered target gene expression.

The thyroid hormone-inactivating type III deiodinase is expressed in mouse and human beta-cells and its targeted inactivation impairs insulin secretion.

Deiodinases are selenoproteins that activate or inactivate thyroid hormone. During vertebrate development, these pathways control thyroid hormone action in a cell-specific fashion explaining how systemic thyroid hormone can affect local control of tissue embryogenesis. Here we investigated the role of the thyroid hormone-inactivating deiodinase (D3) in pancreatic islet function and glucose homeostasis.

Distinct regulation of IRS proteins in adipose tissue from obese aged and dexamethasone-treated rats.

In the present study, we investigated the protein levels and phosphorylation status of the insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrates (IRS-1, IRS-2, and IRS-3) as well as their association with PI(3)-kinase in the rat adipose tissue of two models of insulin resistance: dexamethasone treatment and aging. AKT and atypical PKC phosphorylation detection were also performed. Both models showed decreased insulin-induced IRS-1 and IRS-2 tyrosine phosphorylation, accompanied by reduced protein levels of IRS-1 and IRS-2.

ERK3 associates with MAP2 and is involved in glucose-induced insulin secretion.

The adaptation of pancreatic islets to pregnancy includes increased beta cell proliferation, expansion of islet mass, and increased insulin synthesis and secretion. Most of these adaptations are induced by prolactin (PRL). We have previously described that in vitro PRL treatment increases ERK3 expression in isolated rat pancreatic islets.

Dehydroepiandrosterone increases beta-cell mass and improves the glucose-induced insulin secretion by pancreatic islets from aged rats.

The effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on pancreatic islet function of aged rats, an animal model with impaired glucose-induced insulin secretion, was investigated. The following parameters were examined: morphological analysis of endocrine pancreata by immunohistochemistry; protein levels of insulin receptor, IRS-1, IRS-2, PI 3-kinase, Akt-1, and Akt-2; and static insulin secretion in isolated pancreatic islets. Pancreatic islets from DHEA-treated rats showed an increased beta-cell mass accompanied by increased Akt-1 protein level but reduced IR, IRS-1, and IRS-2 protein levels and enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.