Significance of anti-HBc only in blood donors: a serological and virological study after hepatitis B vaccination.

Background: Blood donors positive only for anti-HBc may have a resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, low grade chronic infection or infection with variant strains of HBV. We aimed to assess the significance of this serological pattern after hepatitis B vaccination in such cases.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four anti-HBc only blood donors were vaccinated with the Engerix HBV vaccine and a serological and virological evaluation was performed before HBV vaccination and 7-10 days after each dose.

[Infection rate and Streptococcus agalactiae serotypes in samples of infected neonates in the city of Campinas (São Paulo), Brazil].

Purpose: To describe the epidemiological cases and microbiological profile of Streptococcus agalactiae serotypes isolated from infected newborns of a Women's Health Reference Centre of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods: Cross-sectional laboratory survey conducted from January 2007 to December 2011. The newborns' strains, isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples, were screened by hemolysis on blood ágar plates, Gram stain, catalase test, CAMP test, hippurate hydrolysis or by microbiological automation: Vitek 2 BioMerieux®.

Bartonella henselae survives after the storage period of red blood cell units: is it transmissible by transfusion?

Bartonella henselae is the agent of cat scratch disease and bacillary angiomatosis. Blood donors can be asymptomatic carriers of B. henselae and the risk for transmission by transfusion should be considered.

From the donor's arm to blood product: a study on bacterial contamination of apheresis platelet concentrates.

Background: Transfusion-associated bacterial infections are a quite frequent collateral effect of administration of platelet concentrates (PC). We carried out a microbiological surveillance of bacterial contamination of apheresis platelet concentrates by studying microbial flora on donors' arms before and after skin disinfection, through blood cultures with the diversion volume and with the PC.

Materials And Methods: Platelet aphereses were carried out using two Haemonetics MCS+ instruments.

Assessment of in vitro platelet activation by Advia 120 platelet parameters.

The Advia 120 Hematology System provides new platelet parameters that have been proposed as useful markers of platelet activation. The aim of this study was to investigate platelet parameter variations after adenosine diphosphate (ADP) activation of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in vitro, with particular interest in the mean platelet component (MPC), which was compared with two well-known degranulation antigens. Changes in platelet parameters that were induced by the activation of PRP with different concentrations of ADP were examined first.

Field evaluation of a second-generation cytometer UF-100 in diagnosis of acute urinary tract infections in adult patients.

Aims: The authors evaluated the analytical performance of the Sysmex UF-100 cytometer vs. the diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI).

Methods: We considered 2010 subjects, aged between 18 and 78, 870 males and 1140 females.

[Foetal-maternal alloimmunizations in the South-East area of the Venice province].

Background: This study report the results obtained in a retrospective analysis of the foetal-maternal alloimmunizations observed from 1993 to 1999 in the South-East area of the Venice province.

Methods: The data concerning 17,000 pregnancy observed in this area from 1993-1999 have been collected. For each pregnancy data concerning maternal ABO, Rh, Kk and IAT as well as foetal ABO, Rh, Kk and DAT were available.

Platelet count and parameters determined by the Bayer ADVIA 120 in reference subjects and patients.

In order to study the behaviour of traditional and new platelet parameters determined by the ADVIA 120 Hematology System, five hundred samples from reference subjects, divided for sex and age, were processed. Significant variations on the basis of sex and age were found. Reference ranges as 95% confidence limits were therefore calculated for each age class, and platelet parameters proved to have specific variations during lifetime.