The role of convalescent plasma and hyperimmune immunoglobulins in the COVID-19 pandemic, including implications for future preparedness.

Introduction: When Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) struck the world in December 2019, initiatives started to investigate the efficacy of convalescent plasma, a readily available source of passive antibodies, collected from recovered patients as a therapeutic option. This was based on historical observational data from previous virus outbreaks.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted on the efficacy and safety of convalescent plasma and hyperimmune immunoglobulins for COVID-19 treatment.

Loss of RAB25 Cooperates with Oncogenes in the Transformation of Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMECs) to Give Rise to Claudin-Low Tumors.

The loss of RAB25 expression-RAS superfamily of GTPase characteristic of numerous breast cancers-corresponds with H-RAS point mutations, particularly in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), a subtype associated with a poor prognosis. To address the poorly understood factors dictating the progression of TNBC tumors, we examine the cooperative effects that loss of RAB25 expression in human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) lines with H-RAS mutations confers in tumorigenesis. HMECs were immortalized by transduction with LXSN CDK4 R24C, a mutant form of cyclin-dependent kinase, followed by transduction with hTERT, a catalytic subunit of the telomerase enzyme.

Rural-Urban Disparities in Telemedicine Use Among U.S. Adults with Cancer.

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Factors associated with HPV-associated sexual risk behaviors among sexually active college students.

High-risk sexual behavior is the primary risk factor for the acquisition and persistence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the development of HPV-associated diseases including cancer. Incidence of HPV infection is high among individuals in their late teens and early 20s. Thus, college students represent a historically high-risk group for HPV infection yet are also a group with the ability to independently access HPV vaccination for HPV prevention.

The relationship of cancer history and chronic disease status to colorectal cancer screening: A cross-sectional analysis of 2020-2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Purpose: We examined whether having a history of cancer and chronic diseases was associated with guideline-concordant colorectal cancer (CRC) screening utilization.

Methods: Self-reported data from the 2020 and 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in Oregon and West Virginia were used. Guideline-concordant CRC screening was the outcome of interest.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Convalescent Plasma Utilization in the United States: Data From the National Inpatient Sample.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) use between October and December 2020 was characterized using the National Inpatient Sample database. CCP was administered in 18.0% of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations and was strongly associated with older age and increased disease severity.

Comparing the Epidemiology and Health Burden of Lyme Disease and Babesiosis Hospitalizations in the United States.

Background: Lyme disease (LD) and babesiosis are increasing in the United States. We sought to characterize and compare their epidemiology and health burden using a nationally representative sample of hospitalizations.

Methods: Data were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) pertaining to LD and babesiosis for 2018 and 2019.

Response Time Distributions and the Accumulation of Visual Evidence in Freely Moving Mice.

Response time (RT) distributions are histograms of the observed RTs for discriminative choices, comprising a rich source of empirical information to study perceptual processes. The drift-diffusion model (DDM), a mathematical formulation predicting decision tasks, reproduces the RT distributions, contributing to our understanding of these processes from a theoretical perspective. Notably, although the mouse is a popular model system for studying brain function and behavior, little is known about mouse perceptual RT distributions, and their description from an information-accumulation perspective.

Therapeutic plasma exchange for the treatment of refractory necrotizing autoimmune myopathy.

Introduction: Necrotizing autoimmune myopathy (NAM) is strongly associated with pathognomonic autoantibodies targeting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) or signal recognition particle (SRP), whose levels in turn are correlated with serum creatine kinase (CK) and necrosis. Thus, NAM may be amenable to therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) to remove pathogenic antibodies and improve patient symptoms.

Methods: A retrospective case series and literature review of patients presenting with NAM and undergoing treatment with TPE was performed.

Profile and Management of Toxicity of Selinexor and Belantamab Mafodotin for the Treatment of Triple Class Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

Treatment options are limited for multiple myeloma patients who have developed four/five drug-refractory disease. Selinexor (Sel) and belantamab mafodotin (belamaf) were recently approved by the US FDA for treatment of RRMM. The toxicity profile of these drugs is a concern since these agents are used in patients who have already undergone multiple lines of treatment.

Phase I trial of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin combined with intravenous pembrolizumab in recurrent or persistent high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer after previous Bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment.

Objectives: We conducted the first phase I dose-escalation trial (NCT02324582) of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in combination with systemic pembrolizumab in patients with high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (HGNMIBC) who had persistent or recurrent disease after prior intravesical therapy with BCG. The primary endpoint was the safety of this combination. The secondary endpoint was clinical activity at three months following BCG treatment.

Variation in Neonatal Transfusion Practice.

Objective: To estimate the incidence of blood product transfusion, including red blood cells, platelets, and plasma, and characterize pretransfusion hematologic values for infants during their initial hospitalization after birth.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study using data from 7 geographically diverse US academic and community hospitals that participated in the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study-III (REDS-III) from 2013 to 2016. Pretransfusion hematologic values were evaluated closest to each transfusion and no more than 24 hours beforehand.

Deletion of Nrip1 delays skin aging by reducing adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) senescence, and maintaining ADMSCs quiescence.

Our previous studies found that deletion of nuclear receptor interacting protein 1 (Nrip1) extended longevity in female mice and delayed cell senescence. The current study investigates the role of NRIP1 in regulating functions of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) and explores the mechanisms of NRIP1 in skin aging. We first verified the skin aging phenotypes in young (6 months) and old (20 months) C57BL/6J (B6) mice and found deletion of Nrip1 can delay skin aging phenotypes, including reduced thickness of dermis and subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT), as well as the accumulation of senescent cells in sWAT.

Survey of newborn direct antiglobulin testing practice in United States and Canadian transfusion services.

Background: We hypothesized that variability in practice exists for newborn immunohematology testing due to lack of consensus guidelines. We report the results of a survey assessing that variability at hospitals in the United States and Canada.

Study Design And Methods: An AABB Pediatric Subsection working party developed and validated a survey of newborn immunohematology testing practice.

Current advances in transfusion medicine: a 2019 review of selected topics from the AABB Clinical Transfusion Medicine Committee.

Background: The AABB Clinical Transfusion Medicine Committee (CTMC) compiles an annual synopsis of the published literature covering important developments in the field of transfusion medicine (TM) for the board of director's review. This synopsis is now made available as a manuscript published in TRANSFUSION.

Study Design And Methods: CTMC committee members review original manuscripts including TM-related topics published in different journals between late 2018 and 2019.

Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on cost-related medication underuse in nonelderly adult cancer survivors.

Background: Cost-related medication underuse (CRMU), a measure of access to care and financial burden, is prevalent among cancer survivors. The authors quantified the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) on CRMU in nonelderly cancer survivors.

Methods: Using National Health Interview Survey data (2011-2017) for cancer survivors aged 18 to 74 years, the authors estimated changes in CRMU (defined as taking medication less than prescribed due to costs) before (2011-2013) to after (2015-2017) implementation of the ACA.

Assessment of acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT-1) role in ovarian cancer progression-An in vitro study.

Abnormal accumulation of acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) mediated cholesterol ester has been shown to contribute to cancer progression in various cancers including leukemia, glioma, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers. However, the significance of ACAT-1 and cholesterol esters (CE) is relatively understudied in ovarian cancer. In this in vitro study, we assessed the expression and contribution of ACAT-1 in ovarian cancer progression.

Compensatory upregulation of aldo-keto reductase 1B10 to protect hepatocytes against oxidative stress during hepatocarcinogenesis.

Aldo-keto reductase 1B10 (AKR1B10), a member of aldo-keto reductase superfamily, contributes to detoxification of xenobiotics and metabolization of physiological substrates. Although increased expression of AKR1B10 was found in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the role of AKR1B10 in the development of HCC remains unclear. This study aims to illustrate the role of AKR1B10 in hepatocarcinogenesis based on its intrinsic oxidoreduction abilities.

Red blood cells donated by smokers: A pilot investigation of recipient transfusion outcomes.

Background: Current regulations do not require blood collection facilities to ask donors about cigarette smoking, and the prevalence of nicotine and its metabolites in blood products is not well established. Although smokers have higher hemoglobin (Hb) levels, smoking may adversely affect the quality of donated red blood cells through higher carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) content and premature hemolysis.

Study Design And Methods: Red blood cell (RBC) unit segments from 100 unique donors were tested for nicotine and its metabolite cotinine by mass spectrometry and for COHb spectrophotometrically.

Patient Blood Management Program Improves Blood Use and Clinical Outcomes in Orthopedic Surgery.

What We Already Know About This Topic: WHAT THIS ARTICLE TELLS US THAT IS NEW: BACKGROUND:: Although randomized trials show that patients do well when given less blood, there remains a persistent impression that orthopedic surgery patients require a higher hemoglobin transfusion threshold than other patient populations (8 g/dl vs. 7 g/dl). The authors tested the hypothesis in orthopedic patients that implementation of a patient blood management program encouraging a hemoglobin threshold less than 7 g/dl results in decreased blood use with no change in clinical outcomes.

Characterization of immortalized human mammary epithelial cell line HMEC 2.6.

Primary human mammary epithelial cells have a limited life span which makes it difficult to study them in vitro for most purposes. To overcome this problem, we have developed a cell line that was immortalized using defined genetic elements, and we have characterized this immortalized non-tumorigenic human mammary epithelial cell line to establish it as a potential model system. human mammary epithelial cells were obtained from a healthy individual undergoing reduction mammoplasty at SIU School of Medicine.

Systemic Mastocytosis in Association with Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma.

BACKGROUND Systemic mastocytosis with an associated hematologic non-mast cell lineage disease is a rare entity, and the majority of systemic mastocytosis cases are associated with myeloid neoplasm. Lymphoproliferative disorders are less commonly associated with systemic mastocytosis and a few cases of systemic mastocytosis associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia have been described in the literature. CASE REPORT We present a case of indolent systemic mastocytosis associated with small lymphocytic lymphoma.

Non-Seminomatous Germ Cell Tumor Presenting with Superior Vena Cava Syndrome.

BACKGROUND Primary mediastinal non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCTs) are aggressive and carry a poor five-year disease free survival rate even with aggressive treatment. We describe a young adult male with primary mediastinal NSGCT presenting with airway obstruction and superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS). CASE REPORT The patient presented with four weeks of nonproductive cough, weight loss, and right-sided pleuritic chest pain.

Selective neck dissection as an early salvage intervention for clinically persistent nodal disease following chemoradiation.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of selective neck dissection (SND) performed for persistent nodal disease after chemoradiation.

Methods: Patients treated with definitive chemoradiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who subsequently underwent SND for early salvage of clinically persistent nodal disease were evaluated. The primary outcome measure was regional disease control.