Publications by authors named "Ruth Achkar"

Background: Blood donation is a safe process though reactions may still occur. We describe a rare vascular complication in a frequent donor, with improvements in the collection process aimed at avoiding future events.

Methods: A 63-year-old woman presented with local pain and an apparent collection in the left arm 8 days after donation.

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(1) Background: We reviewed the logistics of the implementation of pathogen reduction (PR) using the INTERCEPT Blood System™ for platelets and the experience with routine use and clinical outcomes in the patient population at the Sírio-Libanês Hospital of São Paulo, Brazil. (2) Methods: Platelet concentrate (PC), including pathogen reduced (PR-PC) production, inventory management, discard rates, blood utilization, and clinical outcomes were analyzed over the 40 months before and after PR implementation. Age distribution and wastage rates were compared over the 10 months before and after approval for PR-PC to be stored for up to seven days.

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Background: COVID-19 high-titer CCP selection is a concern, because neutralizing antibody (nAb) testing requires sophisticated labs and methods. Surrogate tests are an alternative for measuring nAb levels in plasma bags, including those that are pathogen-reduced.

Study Design/methods: We studied a panel consisting of 191 samples from convalescent donors tested by nAb (CPE-VNT), obtained from 180 CCP donations (collection: March 20-January 21) and 11 negative controls, with a total of 80 and 111 serum and plasma samples (71 amotosalen/UV treated), with nAb titers ranging from negative to 10,240.

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Background: Current evidence regarding COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) transfusion practices is limited and heterogeneous. We aimed to determine the impact of the use of CCP transfusion in patients with previous circulating neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in COVID-19.

Methods: Prospective cohort including 102 patients with COVID-19 transfused with ABO compatible CCP on days 0-2 after enrollment.

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Background: Blood groups and anti-A isohemagglutinin may be involved in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively studied 268 COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors and 162 COVID-19 inpatients (total 430 subjects, confirmed by RT-PCR) and 2,212 healthy volunteer first-time blood donors as a control group. These were further divided into two groups: those with anti-A (blood types O and B) and those without it (types A and AB).

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Introduction: Little is known about the neutralizing (nAb) and binding antibody kinetics in COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors, especially during the first 100 days after disease onset.

Materials And Methods: A cohort of previously RT-PCR positive (detected by nasopharyngeal swab during the acute phase), male convalescent patients, all with mild symptoms, were enrolled in serial blood sample collection for a longitudinal nAb titers and anti-nucleocapsid (NP) antibodies (IgM, IgG and IgA) evaluation. NAbs were detected by a cytopathic effect-based virus neutralization test (CPE-based VNT), carried out with SARS-CoV-2 (GenBank: MT350282).

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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) collection began in two Brazilian hospitals for treatment of severe/critical patients.

Methods And Materials: Mild/moderate COVID-19 convalescents were selected as CCP donors after reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and absence of symptoms for ≥14 days plus (a) age (18-60 years), body weight greater than 55 kg; (b) immunohematological studies; (c) no infectious markers of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, human T-lymphotropic virus-1/2, Chagas and syphilis infection; (d) no HLA antibodies (multiparous); (e) second RT-PCR (nasopharyngeal swab and/or blood) negativity; (f) virus neutralization test (cytopathic effect-based virus neutralization test neutralizing antibody) and anti-nucleocapsid protein SARS-CoV-2 IgM, IgG, and IgA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results: Among 271 donors (41 females, 230 males), 250 presented with neutralizing antibodies.

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Background: Hemolysis may occur in 9% to 40% of patients after solid organ transplantation and be caused by the passenger lymphocyte syndrome (PLS).

Study Design And Methods: We have prospectively examined 217 kidney transplant recipients before (Day -1) and after (up to Days +10, +20, and +30) surgery. ABO-identical transplant was performed in 180 (82.

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Vascular occlusion is responsible for most of the severe complications of sickle cell anemia (SCA). The involvement of muscle and fascia is uncommon in SCA, but myonecrosis may occur in SCA crisis. The data accumulated in the literature is limited to only a few reports describing mainly adult patients presenting with severe muscular pain.

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