Convalescent or standard plasma versus standard of care in the treatment of COVID-19 patients with respiratory impairment: short and long-term effects. A three-arm randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: The efficacy of early treatment with convalescent plasma in patients with COVID-19 is debated. Nothing is known about the potential effect of other plasma components other than anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Methods: To determine whether convalescent or standard plasma would improve outcomes for adults in early phase of Covid19 respiratory impairment we designed this randomized, three-arms, clinical trial (PLACO COVID) blinded on interventional arms that was conducted from June 2020 to August 2021.

Identifying phenotypes of patients with antiphospholipid antibodies: results from a cluster analysis in a large cohort of patients.

Objectives: To identify the aggregation of patients with aPL into different subgroups sharing common features in terms of clinical and laboratory phenotypes.

Methods: We applied a hierarchical cluster analysis from the multiple correspondence analysis to determine subgroups of patients according to clinical and laboratory characteristics in a cohort of subjects with confirmed aPL positivity who presented to our outpatient clinics from 2006 to 2018.

Results: A total of 486 patients [403 women; age 41.

Lab-on-a-chip: emerging analytical platforms for immune-mediated diseases.

Miniaturization of analytical procedures has a significant impact on diagnostic testing since it provides several advantages such as: reduced sample and reagent consumption, shorter analysis time and less sample handling. Lab-on-a-chip (LoC), usually silicon, glass, or silicon-glass, or polymer disposable cartridges, which are produced using techniques inherited from the microelectronics industry, could perform and integrate the operations needed to carry out biochemical analysis through the mechanical realization of a dedicated instrument. Analytical devices based on miniaturized platforms like LoC may provide an important contribution to the diagnosis of high prevalence and rare diseases.

Prevention of thrombosis relapse in antiphospholipid syndrome patients refractory to conventional therapy using intravenous immunoglobulin.

Objectives: To investigate the long-term effects of megadoses of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in a small cohort of patients with relapsing primary APS resistant to conventional treatments.

Methods: Five primary APS patients, 4 women, mean age 45.1 years (range 31-76 years), were considered eligible for IVIG therapy due to relapsing thrombotic events (4 recurrent venous thromboses, 2 ischaemic cerebral strokes, 2 pulmonary thromboembolisms, 1 thrombotic event on the vena cava filter), despite conventional therapy with anticoagulants.