Donor-Specific Cell-Free DNA qPCR Quantification as a Noninvasive Accurate Biomarker for Early Rejection Detection in Liver Transplantation.

(1) Background: Graft-cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the circulation of liver transplant recipients has been proposed as a noninvasive biomarker of organ rejection. The aim of this study was to detect donor-specific cfDNA (ds-cfDNA) in the recipient's serum after either liver damage or rejection using a qPCR-based method. (2) Methods: We proposed a qPCR method based on the amplification of 10 specific insertion-deletion (InDel) polymorphisms to detect donor-specific circulating DNA diluted in the recipient cfDNA.

Secondary infections in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19: An overlooked matter?

Objective: The susceptibility to infection probably increases in COVID-19 patients due to a combination of virusand drug-induced immunosuppression. The reported rate of secondary infections was quite low in previous studies. The objectives of our study were to investigate the rate of secondary infections, risk factors for secondary infections and risk factors for mortality in COVID-19 critically ill patients.

Temporal expression patterns of the melatoninergic system in the human thymus of children.

Objectives: To obtain greater knowledge of the extra-pineal sources of melatonin during development, the amount of indolamine and the expression levels of the last two enzymes involved in its biosynthesis, Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) and acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase (ASMT), were analyzed in the human thymus from children from three different age groups (from days to years). The melatonin membrane and nuclear receptor expression levels also were studied.

Methods: Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and western blot were performed to investigate the receptor and enzyme expression levels.

Donor-specific circulating cell free DNA as a noninvasive biomarker of graft injury in heart transplantation.

Background: Considerable effort has been exerted to develop noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers that might replace or reduce the need to perform endomyocardial biopsies. In this context, graft DNA circulating on transplant recipients has been proposed as a potential biomarker of organ rejection or cellular graft injury.

Methods: We propose a digital PCR (dPCR) method based on the amplification of ten specific InDels sufficiently sensitive to detect small amounts of specific donor circulating DNA diluted on the host cell free DNA (cfDNA).

Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis by cell-free DNA screening for fetomaternal HPA-1a platelet incompatibility.

Background: The development of new noninvasive approaches for the diagnosis of human platelet antigen (HPA)-1 fetomaternal incompatibility has become of great interest. These approaches allow determination of whether the fetus is incompatible or not with the mother and a decision on antenatal therapy to avoid fetal or neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT). The objective of this work was to perform rapid, noninvasive prenatal test for HPA-1ab fetal antigen detection after the detection of an HPA-1-homozygous mother by using plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA).