Desensitization Strategies for Donor-Specific Antibodies in HLA-Mismatched Stem Cell Transplantation Recipients: What We Know and What We Do Not Know.

In human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched allogeneic stem cell transplantation settings, donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSAs) can independently lead to graft failure, including both primary graft rejection and primary poor graft function. Although several strategies, such as plasma exchange, intravenous immunoglobulin, rituximab, and bortezomib, have been used for DSA desensitization, the effectiveness of desensitization and transplantation outcomes in some patients remain unsatisfactory. In this review, we summarized recent research on the prevalence of anti-HLA antibodies and the underlying mechanism of DSAs in the pathogenesis of graft failure.

Challenges facing minimal residual disease testing for acute myeloid leukemia and promising strategies to overcome them.

Introduction: Minimal residual disease (MRD) has been an important biomarker for relapse prediction and treatment choice in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). False-positive or false-negative MRD results due to the low specificity and sensitivity of techniques such as multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and next-generation sequencing, as well as the biological characteristics of residual leukemia cells, including antigen shift, clone involution, heterogeneous genome of the blast cells, and lack of specific targets, all restrict the clinical use of MRD.

Areas Covered: We summarized the challenges of the techniques for MRD detection, and their application in the clinical setting.

Comparison between linear and nonlinear machine-learning algorithms for the classification of thyroid nodules.

Background: A key challenge in thyroid carcinoma is preoperatively diagnosing malignant thyroid nodules. The purpose of this study was to compare the classification performance of linear and nonlinear machine-learning algorithms for the evaluation of thyroid nodules using pathological reports as reference standard.

Methods: Ethical approval was obtained for this retrospective analysis, and the informed consent requirement was waived.

A nomogram for individual prediction of vascular invasion in primary breast cancer.

Objectives: To explore the feasibility of preoperative prediction of vascular invasion (VI) in breast cancer patients using nomogram based on multiparametric MRI and pathological reports.

Methods: We retrospectively collected 200 patients with confirmed breast cancer between January 2016 and January 2018. All patients underwent MRI examinations before the surgery.

Development and validation of an ultrasound-based nomogram to improve the diagnostic accuracy for malignant thyroid nodules.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop an ultrasound-based nomogram to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the identification of malignant thyroid nodules.

Methods: A total of 1675 histologically proven thyroid nodules (1169 benign, 506 malignant) were included in this study. The nodules were grouped into the training dataset (n = 700), internal validation dataset (n = 479), or external validation dataset (n = 496).

Development of a preprocedure nomogram for predicting contrast-induced acute kidney injury after coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention.

Most of the risk models for predicting contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) are available for postcontrast exposure prediction, thus have limited values in practice. We aimed to develop a novel nomogram based on preprocedural features for early prediction of CI-AKI in patients after coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 245 patients were retrospectively reviewed from January 2015 to January 2017.

Beneficial effect of tripterine on systemic lupus erythematosus induced by active chromatin in BALB/c mice.

The aim of this study was to determine whether tripterine, isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hoog f. in China, had beneficial effects on experimental systemic lupus erythematosus induced by active chromatin in BALB/c mice. BALB/c mice were immunized with active chromatin isolated from concanavalin A-activated syngenetic spleno-lymphocytes on day 0.

Induction of systemic lupus erythematosus syndrome in BALB/c mice by immunization with active chromatin.

Aim: To establish an animal model for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like syndrome in mice.

Methods: BALB/c mice were immunized with active chromatin isolated from ConA-activated syngeneic spleno-lymphocytes. Plasma samples of mice were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for the presence of IgG anti-dsDNA, -ssDNA, and anti-histone antibodies.