SARS-CoV-2 Initiates Programmed Cell Death in Platelets.

[Figure: see text].

Yersinia pestis escapes entrapment in thrombi by targeting platelet function.

Background: Platelets are classically recognized for their role in hemostasis and thrombosis. Recent work has demonstrated that platelets can also execute a variety of immune functions. The dual prothrombotic and immunological roles of platelets suggest that they may pose a barrier to the replication or dissemination of extracellular bacteria.

The Dynamic Platelet Transcriptome in Obesity and Weight Loss.

Objective: Adiposity is associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and glucose intolerance. Previous data suggest that platelet gene expression is associated with key cardiometabolic phenotypes, including body mass index but stable in healthy individuals over time. However, modulation of gene expression in platelets in response to metabolic shifts (eg, weight reduction) is unknown and may be important to defining mechanism.

Circulating extracellular RNAs, myocardial remodeling, and heart failure in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Given high on-treatment mortality in heart failure (HF), identifying molecular pathways that underlie adverse cardiac remodeling may offer novel biomarkers and therapeutic avenues. Circulating extracellular RNAs (ex-RNAs) regulate important biological processes and are emerging as biomarkers of disease, but less is known about their role in the acute setting, particularly in the setting of HF.

Methods: We examined the ex-RNA profiles of 296 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) survivors enrolled in the Transitions, Risks, and Actions in Coronary Events Center for Outcomes Research and Education Cohort.

Pollen-derived RNAs Are Found in the Human Circulation.

The presence of nonhuman RNAs in man has been questioned and it is unclear if food-derived miRNAs cross into the circulation. In a large population study, we found nonhuman miRNAs in plasma by RNA sequencing and validated a small number of pine-pollen miRNAs by RT-qPCR in 2,776 people. The presence of these pine-pollen miRNAs associated with hay fever and not with overt cardiovascular or pulmonary disease.