The Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 and Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody assays: Differentiating between vaccination and infection, and assessing long-term performance.

Introduction: Serological surveillance is useful for assessing SARS-CoV-2 immunity in populations. To effectively study the presence and persistence of antibodies, it is necessary to distinguish between persons with past infection, and persons who only received vaccination. Knowledge of the duration of antibody persistence is essential for correct interpretation of surveillance results.

Blood safety markers in Dutch donors after relaxation of deferral for men who have sex with men: re-emergence of syphilis and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis use.

Background: Less discriminatory donor selection policies for men who have sex with men (MSM) may impact transfusion safety in terms of higher residual risks for known transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs), increased vulnerability toward new TTIs that are also transmitted via sex, and HIV infections masked by pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Study Design And Methods: TTI trends in Dutch donors were studied over a 13-year period (2011-2023), characterized by successive relaxations of MSM deferral criteria. Structured posttest counseling was performed to determine risk factors in TTI-positive donors.

Clinical Relevance of Rapid FOXF1-Targeted Sequencing in Patients Suspected of Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia With Misalignment of Pulmonary Veins.

Alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (ACDMPV) is a lethal congenital lung disorder that presents shortly after birth with respiratory failure and therapy-resistant pulmonary hypertension. It is associated with heterozygous point mutations and genomic deletions that involve the FOXF1 gene or its upstream regulatory region. Patients are unresponsive to the intensive treatment regimens and suffer unnecessarily because ACDMPV is not always timely recognized and histologic diagnosis is invasive and time consuming.

Booster vaccinations and Omicron: the effects on SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Dutch blood donors.

Introduction: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) booster vaccination campaign and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants impact the prevalence and levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the Netherlands. In this study we determined antibody levels across age groups, the impact of Omicron variant infections, and the effect of booster vaccinations on antibody levels.

Methods: In September and December 2021 and in February 2022, over 2000 Dutch blood donors were tested for presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

THRONCAT: metabolic labeling of newly synthesized proteins using a bioorthogonal threonine analog.

Profiling the nascent cellular proteome and capturing early proteomic changes in response to external stimuli provides valuable insights into cellular physiology. Existing metabolic protein labeling approaches based on bioorthogonal methionine- or puromycin analogs allow for the selective visualization and enrichment of newly synthesized proteins. However, their applications are limited as they often require methionine-free conditions, auxotrophic cells and/or are toxic to cells.

Humanized MISTRG as a preclinical model to study human neutrophil-mediated immune processes.

Introduction: MISTRG mice have been genetically modified to allow development of a human myeloid compartment from engrafted human CD34+ haemopoietic stem cells, making them particularly suited to study the human innate immune system . Here, we characterized the human neutrophil population in these mice to establish a model that can be used to study the biology and contribution in immune processes of these cells .

Methods And Results: We could isolate human bone marrow neutrophils from humanized MISTRG mice and confirmed that all neutrophil maturation stages from promyelocytes (CD11b-CD16-) to end-stage segmented cells (CD11b+CD16+) were present.

Cerebrospinal fluid leakage after intradural spinal surgery in children.

Purpose: This study aimed to establish the incidence of CSF leakage in children and associated complications after intradural spinal surgery in three tertiary neurosurgical referral centers and to describe the treatment strategies applied.

Methods: Patients of 18 years or younger who underwent intradural spinal surgery between 2015 and 2021 in three tertiary neurosurgical referral centers were included. Patients who died or were lost to follow-up within six weeks after surgery were excluded.

Incisional CSF leakage after intradural cranial surgery in children: incidence, risk factors, and complications.

Objective: The risk of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage after cranial surgery and its associated complications in children are unclear because of variable definitions and the lack of multicenter studies. In this study, the authors aimed to establish the incidence of CSF leakage after intradural cranial surgery in the pediatric population. In addition, they evaluated potential risk factors and complications related to CSF leakage in the pediatric population.

Risk Factors and Management of Incisional Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage After Craniotomy: A Retrospective International Multicenter Study.

Background: Incisional cerebrospinal fluid (iCSF) leakage is a serious complication after intradural cranial surgery.

Objective: To determine the incidence and risk factors of iCSF leakage after craniotomy. Secondarily, the complications after iCSF leakage and the success rate of iCSF leakage treatment was studied.

Ex vivo and in vivo evaluation of transsphenoidal Liqoseal application to prevent cerebrospinal fluid leakage.

Background: Despite improvements in closure techniques by using a vital nasoseptal flap, the use of sealing materials, and improved neurosurgical techniques, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak after transsphenoidal surgery still is a clinically relevant problem. Liqoseal® (Polyganics bv, Groningen, The Netherlands) is a CE-approved bioresorbable sealant patch for use as an adjunct to standard methods of cranial dural closure to prevent CSF leakage. This study aims to evaluate the application of Liqoseal in transsphenoidal surgery ex vivo and in vivo.

Histological and magnetic resonance imaging assessment of Liqoseal in a spinal in vivo pig model.

Background: Liqoseal (Polyganics, B.V.) is a dural sealant patch for preventing postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage.

Unsupervised Deep Learning for Stroke Lesion Segmentation on Follow-up CT Based on Generative Adversarial Networks.

Background And Purpose: Supervised deep learning is the state-of-the-art method for stroke lesion segmentation on NCCT. Supervised methods require manual lesion annotations for model development, while unsupervised deep learning methods such as generative adversarial networks do not. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a generative adversarial network to segment infarct and hemorrhagic stroke lesions on follow-up NCCT scans.

Evaluate the safety and efficacy of dura sealant patch in reducing cerebrospinal fluid leakage following elective cranial surgery (ENCASE II): study protocol for a randomized, two-arm, multicenter trial.

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage is a frequent and challenging complication in neurosurgery, especially in the posterior fossa, with a prevalence of 8%. It is associated with substantial morbidity and increased healthcare costs. A novel dural sealant patch (LIQOSEAL) was developed for watertight dural closure.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak after Transsphenoidal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

 Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is widely recognized as a challenging and commonly occurring postoperative complication of transsphenoidal surgery (TSS). The primary objective of this study is to benchmark the current prevalence of CSF leak after TSS in the adult population.  The authors followed the PRISMA guidelines.

Spinal fixation after laminectomy in pigs prevents postoperative spinal cord injury.

Background: A safe, effective, and ethically sound animal model is essential for preclinical research to investigate spinal medical devices. We report the initial failure of a porcine spinal survival model and a potential solution by fixating the spine.

Methods: Eleven female Dutch Landrace pigs underwent a spinal lumbar interlaminar decompression with durotomy and were randomized for implantation of a medical device or control group.

Bone Marrow Harbors a Unique Population of Dendritic Cells with the Potential to Boost Neutrophil Formation upon Exposure to Fungal Antigen.

Apart from controlling hematopoiesis, the bone marrow (BM) also serves as a secondary lymphoid organ, as it can induce naïve T cell priming by resident dendritic cells (DC). When analyzing DCs in murine BM, we uncovered that they are localized around sinusoids, can (cross)-present antigens, become activated upon intravenous LPS-injection, and for the most part belong to the cDC2 subtype which is associated with Th2/Th17 immunity. Gene-expression profiling revealed that BM-resident DCs are enriched for several c-type lectins, including Dectin-1, which can bind beta-glucans expressed on fungi and yeast.

Cerebrospinal fluid leakage costs after craniotomy and health economic assessment of incidence reduction from a hospital perspective in the Netherlands.

Objectives: We aim to quantify the cost difference between patients with incisional cerebrospinal fluid (iCSF) leakage and those without after intradural cranial surgery. Second, the potential cost savings per patient when a decrease in iCSF leakage rate would be achieved with and without added costs for preventative measures of various price and efficacy are modelled.

Design: Health economic assessment from a hospital perspective based on a retrospective cohort study.

Lower Incidence of Parvovirus-B19 Infections in Dutch Blood Donors during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several studies reported a lower incidence of respiratory infections other than COVID-19 compared to previous years, but bias due to changes in uptake and capacity of non-COVID care cannot be excluded. The routine screening of Dutch blood donors remained unchanged during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and showed a significant reduction of silent parvovirus B19 (B19V) infections from 4.0/100,000 donations in 2013 to 2019 to 0.

Genome wide DNA methylation analysis of alveolar capillary dysplasia lung tissue reveals aberrant methylation of genes involved in development including the FOXF1 locus.

Background: Alveolar capillary dysplasia with or without misalignment of the pulmonary veins (ACD/MPV) is a lethal congenital lung disorder associated with a variety of heterozygous genomic alterations in the FOXF1 gene or its 60 kb enhancer. Cases without a genomic alteration in the FOXF1 locus have been described as well. The mechanisms responsible for FOXF1 haploinsufficiency and the cause of ACD/MPV in patients without a genomic FOXF1 variant are poorly understood, complicating the search for potential therapeutic targets for ACD/MPV.

Low awareness of past SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthy plasma donors.

Awareness of infection with SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for the effectiveness of COVID-19 control measures. Here, we investigate awareness of infection and symptoms in relation to antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in healthy plasma donors. We asked individuals donating plasma across the Netherlands between May 11 and 18 2020 to report COVID-19-related symptoms, and we tested for antibodies indicative of a past infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Fetal Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings Predict Neurodevelopment in Children with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

Objective: To correlate fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings with epilepsy characteristics and neurodevelopment at 2 years of age in children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) to improve prenatal counseling.

Study Design: This retrospective cohort study was performed in a collaboration between centers of the EPISTOP consortium. We included children with definite TSC, fetal MRIs, and available follow-up data at 2 years of age.

Cerebrospinal fluid leakage after cranial surgery in the pediatric population-a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage is a common complication after neurosurgical intervention. It is associated with substantial morbidity and increased healthcare costs. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aim to quantify the incidence of cerebrospinal fluid leakage in the pediatric population and identify its risk factors.

How donor selection criteria can be evaluated with limited scientific evidence: lessons learned from the TRANSPOSE project.

Background And Objective: Donor selection criteria (DSC) are a vital link in the chain of supply of Substances of Human Origin (SoHO) but are also subject to controversy and differences of opinion. Traditionally, DSC have been based on application of the precautionary principle.

Materials And Methods: From 2017 to 2020, TRANSPOSE (TRANSfusion and transplantation PrOtection and SElection of donors), a European research project, aimed to identify discrepancies between current DSC by proposing a standardized risk assessment method for all SoHO (solid organs excluded) and all levels of evidence.