High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and N-terminal b-type natriuretic propeptide are associated with cardiac and all-cause mortality in older adults - A population-based ten-year follow-up study.

Background: Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and N-terminal B-type natriuretic propeptide (proBNP) are mainly used as biomarkers to diagnose specific conditions of the heart, but they also have predictive ability. Our aim was to study their associations with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in an older population in non-acute conditions.

Methods: A population-based study with a ten-year follow-up.

TTC7A missense variants in intestinal disease can be classified by molecular and cellular phenotypes.

Biallelic mutations in tetratricopeptide repeat domain 7A (TTC7A) give rise to intestinal and immune disorders. However, our understanding of the genotype-phenotype relationship is limited, because TTC7A variants are mostly compound heterozygous and the disease phenotypes are highly diverse. This study aims to clarify how different TTC7A variants impact the severity of intestinal epithelial disorders.

Postpartum maternal and infant haematological effects of second-trimester ferric carboxymaltose versus standard-of-care oral iron in Malawi: longitudinal follow-up of a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Anaemia is common in mothers and infants in the first year postpartum, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated whether treating anaemia in the second trimester of pregnancy with a single dose of intravenous iron, ferric carboxymaltose, compared with standard-of-care oral iron could alleviate anaemia in postpartum women and their infants.

Methods: REVAMP (ACTRN12618001268235), an open-label, individually randomised, controlled trial done across nine urban and five rural health centres in Malawi, recruited women if they were in the second trimester of singleton pregnancy, had a capillary haemoglobin concentration of less than 10·0 g/dL, and had a negative malaria rapid diagnostic test.

A PSA SNP associates with cellular function and clinical outcome in men with prostate cancer.

Genetic variation at the 19q13.3 KLK locus is linked with prostate cancer susceptibility in men. The non-synonymous KLK3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs17632542 (c.

Smooth muscle-specific deletion of cellular communication network factor 2 causes severe aorta malformation and atherosclerosis.

Aims: Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2) is a matricellular protein implicated in fibrotic diseases, with ongoing clinical trials evaluating anti-CCN2-based therapies. By uncovering CCN2 as abundantly expressed in non-diseased artery tissue, this study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that CCN2 plays a pivotal role in maintaining smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype and protection against atherosclerosis.

Methods And Results: Global- and SMC-specific Ccn2 knockout mouse models were employed to demonstrate that Ccn2 deficiency leads to SMC de-differentiation, medial thickening, and aorta elongation under normolipidaemic conditions.

Salivary polyreactive antibodies and are associated with respiratory infection severity in young children with recurrent respiratory infections.

Background: Recurrent respiratory tract infections (rRTIs) are a common reason for immunodiagnostic testing in children, which relies on serum antibody level measurements. However, because RTIs predominantly affect the respiratory mucosa, serum antibodies may inaccurately reflect local immune defences. We investigated antibody responses in saliva and their interplay with the respiratory microbiota in relation to RTI severity and burden in young children with rRTIs.

Defining Gestational Thyroid Dysfunction Through Modified Nonpregnancy Reference Intervals: An Individual Participant Meta-analysis.

Background: Establishing local trimester-specific reference intervals for gestational TSH and free T4 (FT4) is often not feasible, necessitating alternative strategies. We aimed to systematically quantify the diagnostic performance of standardized modifications of center-specific nonpregnancy reference intervals as compared to trimester-specific reference intervals.

Methods: We included prospective cohorts participating in the Consortium on Thyroid and Pregnancy.

Explorative study on the value of hepcidin in predicting iron non-responsiveness in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: In a considerable proportion of anaemic children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), haemoglobin (Hb) does not normalise after iron therapy. We evaluated the added value of novel iron markers (hepcidin and soluble transferrin receptor [sTfR]) as compared to traditional iron markers (ferritin and transferrin saturation [TSAT]) to determine the best strategy for the prediction of non-responsiveness to iron suppletion.

Methods: In this secondary analysis of prospectively collected data, we measured iron markers in anaemic children (Hb Z-score < -2.

Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Hemoglobinopathies Using Complete Blood Count Data.

Background: Hemoglobinopathies, the most common inherited blood disorder, are frequently underdiagnosed. Early identification of carriers is important for genetic counseling of couples at risk. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a novel machine learning model on a multicenter data set, covering a wide spectrum of hemoglobinopathies based on routine complete blood count (CBC) testing.

Associations of Serum Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Placental Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Early Pregnancy, Measured in the UPSIDE Study in Rochester, New York.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely detected in pregnant women and associated with adverse outcomes related to impaired placental function. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a dimeric glycoprotein hormone that can indicate placental toxicity.

Objectives: Our aim was to quantify the association of serum PFAS with placental hCG, measured as an intact molecule (hCG), as free alpha-() and beta-subunits (), and as a hyperglycosylated form (h-hCG), and evaluate effect measure modification by social determinants and by fetal sex.

Pulmonary embolism in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: Short- and long-term clinical outcomes.

Introduction: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a frequent complication in COVID-19. However, the influence of PE on the prognosis of COVID-19 remains unclear as previous studies were affected by misclassification bias. Therefore, we evaluated a cohort of COVID-19 patients whom all underwent systematic screening for PE (thereby avoiding misclassification) and compared clinical outcomes between patients with and without PE.

Biologically Informed Polygenic Scores for Brain Insulin Receptor Network Are Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Markers and Diabetes in Women.

Backgruound: To investigate associations between variations in the co-expression-based brain insulin receptor polygenic score and cardiometabolic risk factors and diabetes mellitus.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,573 participants from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. Biologically informed expression-based polygenic risk scores for the insulin receptor gene network were calculated for the hippocampal (hePRS-IR) and the mesocorticolimbic (mePRS-IR) regions.

A magnetic separation method for isolating and characterizing the biomolecular corona of lipid nanoparticles.

Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations are a proven method for the delivery of nucleic acids for gene therapy as exemplified by the worldwide rollout of LNP-based RNAi therapeutics and mRNA vaccines. However, targeting specific tissues or cells is still a major challenge. After LNP administration, LNPs interact with biological fluids (i.

Transfusion of ever-pregnant donor red blood cells and mortality of male patients.

Previous studies found exposure to red blood cell transfusions from female donors who have been pregnant reduces survival in male patients compared to exposure to male donor products, but evidence is not consistent. We postulate the previously observed association is modified by offspring sex, with an expected increased mortality risk for male patients receiving units from female donors with sons. Here, marginal structural models were used to assess the association between exposure to units from ever-pregnant donors, ever-pregnant donors with sons and ever-pregnant donors with daughters, and mortality.

Association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure and thyroid function biomarkers among females attending a fertility clinic.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure was associated with changes in thyroid function in pregnant mothers and the general population. Limited such evidence exists in other susceptible populations such as females with fertility problems. This cross-sectional study included 287 females seeking medically assisted reproduction at a fertility clinic in Massachusetts, United States, between 2005 and 2019.

Paraneoplastic anti-TIF1-gamma-positive dermatomyositis as expression of cervical squamous cell carcinoma recurrence.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are neuromuscular disorders characterised by muscle weakness and histologically inflammation within the muscle. Dermatomyositis and polymyositis are highly associated with a wide range of cancers, especially in antitranscriptional intermediary factor-1 (TIF1)-gamma-positive myositis. We present a case of paraneoplastic dermatomyositis in a patient with a medical history of a FIGO stage 1B1 cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Are the latest point-of-care D-dimer devices ready for use in general practice? A prospective clinical evaluation of five test systems with a capillary blood feature for suspected venous thromboembolism.

Introduction: We evaluated clinical performance of five novel point-of-care (POC) D-dimer devices with a capillary finger stick feature for predicting venous thromboembolism (VTE) in general practice: Exdia TRF Plus (E), AFIAS-1® (A), Standard F200® (S), LumiraDx™ (L) and Hipro AFS/1® (H).

Materials And Methods: Primary care patients with a low suspicion of a VTE were asked to consent to (i) draw additional venous blood samples, (ii) perform a capillary POC D-dimer test, (iii) approach their general practitioner afterwards for clinical outcomes. Venous plasma samples were processed on all POC devices and a laboratory-based assay (STA-Liatest®D-Di PLUS assay).

Donor pregnancies and transfusion recipient mortality: A role for red blood cell storage?

Background And Objectives: Donor characteristics have been implicated in transfusion-related adverse events. Uncertainty remains about whether sex, and specifically pregnancy history of the blood donor, could affect patient outcomes. Whether storage duration of the blood product could be important for patient outcomes has also been investigated, and a small detrimental effect of fresh products remains a possibility.

Open ADAMTS-13 conformation index predicts earlier relapse in immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Background: ADAMTS-13 adopts an open conformation in patients with immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) in acute phase while being closed in healthy donors. We reported that a substantial number of patients with iTTP in remission with restored ADAMTS-13 activity (>50%) still had an open ADAMTS-13 conformation, although a closed conformation is expected given the extent of remission.

Objectives: To investigate whether open ADAMTS-13, represented by a conformation index >0.