Antiphospholipid antibodies in convalescent plasma of donors recovered from mild COVID-19 infection.

Background And Objectives: Passive immunization by the infusion of convalescent plasma (CP) obtained from patients who have recently recovered from COVID-19, thus having antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is a potential strategy to reduce the severity of illness. A high prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) in patients with COVID-19 has been reported during the pandemic, raising a concern whether the use of CP could increase the risk of thrombosis in transfused patients. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of APLA in COVID-19 CP (CCP) in order to assess the potential prothrombotic influence of transfused CCP to COVID-19 patients.

Platelet distribution width: a novel prognostic marker in an internal medicine ward.

: Platelet distribution width (PDW) has demonstrated clinical significance in populations with specific disorders; its prognostic significance in internal medicine wards has not been investigated. : Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected prospectively for 1036 internal medicine inpatients. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality, secondary outcomes were: treatment with mechanical ventilation, prolonged hospital stay, in-hospital death, and all-cause mortality following discharge.

International Normalized Ratio as a Screening Test for Assessment of Anticoagulant Activity for Patients Treated With Rivaroxaban or Apixaban: A Pilot Study.

In patients treated with direct oral anti activated factor X (anti-FXa) anticoagulants such as apixaban and rivaroxaban, there are several emergency and non-emergency conditions in which anticoagulation activity should be measured. The validity of the common global clotting tests, prothrombin time and international normalized ratio (PT/INR) for determination of blood levels of these drugs, has been widely investigated. As the anticoagulation activity evaluation "calibrated anti-FXa" of these drugs is relatively more expensive and less available, we aimed to build a prediction model for anticoagulation activity assessment based on INR values.

The proliferation arrest of primary tumor cells out-of-niche is associated with widespread downregulation of mitotic and transcriptional genes.

In recording the changes acquired in gene expression profile during culture of fresh bone marrow samples from patients with multiple myeloma or acute myeloid leukemia, the most remarkable finding in both instances was widespread downregulation of mitotic and transcriptional genes (e.g. MKI67, CCNB1, ASPM, SGOL1, DLGAP5, CENPF, BUB1, KIF23, KIF18a, KIF11, KIF14, KIF4, NUF2, KIF1, AE2FB, TOP2A, NCAPG, TTK, CDC20, and AURKB), which could account for the ensuing proliferation arrest.

GPRC5D is a promising marker for monitoring the tumor load and to target multiple myeloma cells.

In a comparison of gene expression profile in unsorted bone marrow (BM) samples from patients with multiple myeloma (MM), acute leukemia, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma infiltrating the BM, the leading myeloma distinguishing gene was GPRC5D. This gene was highly expressed in BM samples from the 10 MM cases examined as opposed to minimal expression in samples from the eight cases with other hematological malignancies. Moreover, following antimyeloma treatment the expression of GPRC5D decreased several folds.

[Laboratory evaluation of lupus anticoagulant in Israel].

Lupus anticoagulants (LAC) are antibodies which are detected by a prolongation of phospholipid-dependent coagulation assays, and are associated with thrombotic events and pregnancy complications in patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome. The antiphospholipid syndrome is defined by arterial or venous thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity and by laboratory diagnosis of antiphospholipid antibodies. The laboratory diagnosis is based on LAC and/or anticardiolipin and/or anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibodies present in plasma, on two or more occasions at least 12 weeks apart.

Protein Z levels and central retinal vein or artery occlusion.

Objectives: Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) are common disorders associated with risk factors for atherosclerosis. Protein Z is a cofactor for the inactivation of activated factor X (Xa) by the protein Z dependent protease inhibitor. Protein Z deficiency was recently linked to increased risk of arterial thrombosis.