Necrotizing pancreatitis, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia following the second dose of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine.

Implementing vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a major asset in slowing down the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. For mRNA vaccines, the main severe adverse events reported in pharmacovigilance systems and post-authorization studies were anaphylaxis and myocarditis. Pancreatitis after Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination has been reported only in 10 patients.

Anticoagulated de novo atrial flutter complicated by transitory ischemic attack in fatal COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2 may not only manifest as pneumonia (COVID-19) but also in other organs, including the brain (neuro-COVID). One of the cerebral complications of SARS-CoV-2 is ischemic stroke. Transitory ischemic attack (TIA) in a SARS-CoV-2 positive has not been reported.

African-European differences in the capacity of T-cell cytokine production.

Regional differences in immune responsiveness have been studied by comparing the frequency of cytokine producing T cells in healthy African children and adults and their age-matched European counterparts. By use of flow cytometry for the intracellular detection of cytokines an overall expansion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells producing the Type 1 cytokines interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-gamma was observed in adults when compared with children, giving credit to the cumulative effect of contacts with environmental antigens. The CD4+ cells expressing the Type 2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13, however, increased only in Africans, probably reflecting continuously present challenges with antigens that preferentially drive Type 2 responses.

Prostaglandin E(1) does not influence plasmatic coagulation, hepatic synthesis, or postoperative blood loss in patients after coronary-artery bypass grafting.

Study Objective: To assess whether postoperatively administered prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) might prevent bleeding in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Design: Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting: University-affiliated hospital.

Relation of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and the production of nitric oxide in patients receiving high-dose immunotherapy with interleukin-2.

Immunotherapy with intravenous recombinant human interleukin-2 (rh IL-2) may be accompanied by hypotension and the emergence of capillary leak syndrome. Nitric oxide (NO) is supposed to be responsible for both side effects. The aim of the current investigation was to elucidate the relationship between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and the production of NO in eight tumor patients receiving intravenous rh IL-2 continuously over a time period of 120 hours.

Transient increase in mitogen-induced lymphoproliferative responses in patients with testicular cancer after BEP chemotherapy.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of polychemotherapy on cellular immunity in patients with testicular cancer.

Methods: Lymphocyte subpopulations, lymphoproliferative responses to mitogenic stimulation, and mitogen-induced release of soluble interleukin-2 receptor from peripheral blood mononuclear cells were investigated in 15 patients with testicular germ cell tumors a median of 61 months (range 7 to 73) after polychemotherapy with bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP).

Results: The numbers of peripheral blood T cells (CD3+), CD4+ and CD8+ subsets, and lymphoproliferative responses to pokeweed mitogen, phytohemagglutinin, and concanavalin A in patients were comparable to those of healthy control subjects.

Outcome and prognostic factors in critically ill cancer patients admitted to the intensive care unit.

Objective: To assess survival in cancer patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with respect to the nature of malignancy, cause of ICU admittance, and course during ICU stay as well as to evaluate the prognostic value of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III score.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: ICU at a university cancer referral center.

High prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in critically ill patients.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia is increased in critically ill patients and correlates with disease severity and mortality in these patients.

Design: A prospective study.

Setting: Three medical intensive care units at the University of vienna Medical School serving both medical and surgical patients.

Experiences with severe P. falciparum malaria in the intensive care unit.

Objective: To review the clinical profiles and therapies instituted for patients with severe malaria admitted to an ICU.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Internal ICU of a tertiary care centre.

Comparison of conventional surgical versus Seldinger technique emergency cricothyrotomy performed by inexperienced clinicians.

Background: Cricothyrotomy is the ultimate option for a patient with a life-threatening airway problem.

Methods: The authors compared the first-time performance of surgical (group 1) versus Seldinger technique (group 2) cricothyrotomy in cadavers. Intensive care unit physicians (n = 20) performed each procedure on two adult human cadavers.

Homocysteine and laminin are not prognostic markers in patients with septic inflammatory response syndrome.

The aim of this study was to measure plasma homocysteine and laminin concentrations in patients with nonbacteremic systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and to compare them with those of a healthy control group. Concerning laminin, significant increased concentrations could be observed in the SIRS group compared to the control group, but for homocysteine, no significance could be observed. In summary, homocysteine and laminin levels are not useful in the prediction of a patient's outcome.

Time course of immunological markers in patients with the systemic inflammatory response syndrome: evaluation of sCD14, sVCAM-1, sELAM-1, MIP-1 alpha and TGF-beta 2.

Background: The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is viewed as a system-wide inflammatory response. Up until now, no parameter has been available for predicting the development of septic shock. In the present study, we evaluated the usefulness of serum levels of CD14, vascular cells adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), endothelial leucocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM-1), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP) 1 alpha and transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF-beta 2) as early markers of outcome in patients with SIRS.

Prognostic value of MIP-1 alpha, TGF-beta 2, sELAM-1, and sVCAM-1 in patients with gram-positive sepsis.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential prognostic value of MIP-1 alpha, TGF-beta 2, sELAM-1, and sVCAM-1 in patients with gram-positive sepsis. Twenty-eight patients with gram-positive sepsis were compared to 11 patients with gram-negative sepsis and 15 healthy volunteers. Sepsis was defined by the criteria of Bone et al.

Is there a place for 2-CDA in the treatment of B-CLL?

There is no doubt about 2-CDA being a very potent lymphotoxic agent that displays high efficacy in the treatment of CLL. It interferes with the intranuclear machinery of DNA regulation, and causes death to proliferative active, as well as resting lymphocytes. Interruption of crucial pathways that are evident for cell survival translates into high clinical response rates in CLL.

Activated naive CD4+ peripheral blood T cells in autoimmune thyroid disease.

To better understand the clinical significance of changes in lymphocytes in thyroid disease this study analyzed the proportion of CD19+, CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ cells among circulating lymphocytes in Graves' disease (GD, n = 34) and autoimmune hypothyroidism (AH, n = 28) vs healthy subjects (n = 15). In addition, the expression of CD25 and CD45 isoforms on CD4+ T cells as well as their modulation by methimazole in patients with GD was measured using three color flow cytometry. It was observed that, irrespective of age, both patients with GD (17.

Effects of type I-interferons on human thyroid epithelial cells derived from normal and tumour tissue.

Long term interferon (IFN) therapy is frequently associated with side effects which affect the thyroid gland such as hypothyroidism and thyroiditis. We have therefore tested the ability of type I-IFNs to exert direct effects on primary cultures of human thyroid epithelial cells: (i) Type I-IFNs (IFN-alpha 2b and IFN-omega) inhibit cell proliferation as determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation with a half-maximal effect at approximately 1 ng/ml (50 pM). Inhibition of cell growth is observed in cells derived from normal thyroid as well as neoplastic tissue (autonomous and non-secreting adenoma; follicular, papillary and anaplastic carcinoma).

[Chronic lymphatic leukemia].

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia of the B-cell type (B-CLL) is the most common type of leukemia. The diagnosis is based on the demonstration of sustained lymphocytosis, bone marrow lymphocytosis and the presence of CD 19/CD5 positive cells. The most important prognostic factor is the stage of the disease (according to RAI or BINET) and the lymphocyte doubling time.

T-T cell interactions in patients with endocrine autoimmunity. Definition of antiergotypic T lymphocytes.

T-T cell interactions are known to be of importance in the generation of immune responses and have been postulated to play a role in autoimmunity. Antiergotypic T lymphocytes are cells, which react with other activated T cells, which they may consecutively neutralize. Antiergotypic T cells have been described to play a role in animal models of autoimmunity and have been found in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Monocytes do not make mast cells when cultured in the presence of SCF. Characterization of the circulating mast cell progenitor as a c-kit+, CD34+, Ly-, CD14-, CD17-, colony-forming cell.

Mast cells (MC3) belong to the hemopoietic system and arise from hemopoietic precursor cells. Human MC progenitors can be detected in the bone marrow as well as in the peripheral blood (pb) and are responsive to the mast cell growth factor SCF, the ligand of the c-kit tyrosine kinase receptor. However, little is known about the subsets of cells that become committed to and differentiate into mature human MC.

Stimulation of human thyroid growth via the inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding (G) protein Gi: constitutive expression of the G-protein alpha subunit Gi alpha-1 in autonomous adenoma.

The alpha subunits of the stimulatory and inhibitory G proteins, Gs alpha and Gi alpha, activate transmembrane-signaling systems involved in the control of cell proliferation. We have investigated the pattern of expression of Gi alpha subtypes and Gi alpha-mediated proliferative responses in the human thyroid. Human thyroid membranes contain two subtypes of Gi alpha, Gi alpha-1 and Gi alpha-2, as assessed by using specific antibodies.

Suramin affects human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro: inhibition of T cell growth and modulation of cytokine secretion.

Suramin, a polyanionic compound, which has been in clinical use for the treatment of African trypanosomiasis for several decades, has recently been introduced in clinical oncology. Its effects on the immune system seemed therefore of interest. In the present study we tried to elucidate in vitro how suramin affected different functions of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).

Suramin affects differentiated and undifferentiated human thyroid epithelial cells in vitro.

In the last decade, suramin has become known for its antiproliferative, differentiation-inducing effects on cells and has been successfully used in the therapy of cancer patients. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of suramin on normal human thyroid cells in primary monolayer culture and to analyse whether it also affected cells from thyroid carcinomas. The results show that suramin, at concentrations similar to serum levels obtainable during therapy, inhibited the proliferation of thyroid cells as well as the secretion of thyroglobulin.