0000000000230937
AUTHOR
Stefan Runkel
Prevalence of human parvovirus B19 in blood donors as determined by a haemagglutination assay and verified by the polymerase chain reaction
Background and Objectives Transmission of human parvovirus B19 (PV B19) by transfusion of blood and blood products is well documented. Although PV B19 infection is connected with severe complications in some recipients, donor screening is not yet mandatory. In this study the prevalence of PV B19, as detected by a haemagglutination assay (the Human PV B19 Antigen-Test), was assessed. In addition, the persistence of B19 DNA and the serological status of blood donors was also assessed. The specificity and utility of the Human PV B19 Antigen-Test for donor screening was investigated and compared with other screening strategies. Materials and Methods The prevalence of PV B19 viraemia was assesse…
The impact of whole blood processing and freezing conditions on the quality of therapeutic plasma prepared from whole blood
Background The quality of whole blood (WB)-derived plasma preparations has been the subject of several studies, but there has been a lack of robust, comparative data for the different methods of processing and freezing. Study Design and Methods Six WB-derived plasma units were pooled and split (n = 16) and frozen within either 8 or 24 hours after WB collection, stored at 4°C or at room temperature (RT), and then frozen either slowly at −20°C or rapidly to below −30°C. Plasma units were tested for fibrinogen, Factor (F)V, FVII, FVIII, FXI, and von Willebrand factor (VWF), protein C (PC), protein S (PS) activity and free PS, prothrombin time, and partial thromboplastin time. Results FVIII was…
SARS-CoV-2 genome surveillance in Mainz, Germany, reveals convergent origin of the N501Y spike mutation in a hospital setting
AbstractWhile establishing a regional SARS-Cov-2 variant surveillance by genome sequencing, we have identified three infected individuals in a clinical setting (two long-term hospitalized patients and a nurse) that shared the spike N501Y mutation within a genotype background distinct from the current viral variants of concern. We suggest that the adaptive N501Y mutation, known to increase SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility, arose by convergent evolution around December in Mainz, Germany. Hospitalized patients with a compromised immune system may be a potential source of novel viral variants, which calls for monitoring viral evolution by genome sequencing in clinical settings.
The quality of plasma collected by automated apheresis and of recovered plasma from leukodepleted whole blood.
Background There exists a current lack of information about the composition of the different types of plasma. No direct comparisons between apheresis plasma (AP) and recovered plasma (RP) derived from in-line-filtered whole blood (WB) have been published to date. Study design and methods Sixty AP units, 100 RP units from in-line-filtered WB held for 3 hours at 20 degrees C between donation and freezing, and an additional 100 RP units held for 15 hours at 20 degrees C before freezing were analyzed for coagulation factors and inhibitors, total protein, immunoglobulin G (IgG), and hemostasis and proteolysis activation markers. The influence of twice freezing and thawing on clotting factors V, …
Containment of a Large SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak Among Healthcare Workers in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Objective Healthcare workers (HCWs) are particularly exposed SARS-CoV-2 because they are critical in preventing viral transmission and treating COVID-19 patients. Within HCWs, personnel of intensive care units (ICUs) are at the forefront of treating patients with a severe course of COVID-19 infection and therefore represent an extremely vulnerable group. Thus, our objective is to contribute to establish means of infection control protecting HCWs in the frontline of the current pandemic. Design An outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 was detected and contained in a pediatric ICU (PICU). The first positive case was identified with a point-of-care diagnostic system on site. Real-time PCR-based testing syste…
The impact of two whole blood inline filters on markers of coagulation, complement and cell activation
Background and Objectives There exists a current lack of information about the impact of different inline filters, used for the leucoreduction of whole blood (WB), on the levels of clotting factors and markers of coagulation, complement and cell activation in plasma. Only a few small comparisons of different types of WB inline filters have been published to date. Materials and Methods This study compared two plasma types of 200 units each. Both study groups were derived from WB, inline-filtered and held for 2 h at 20° between donation and filtration. Then, 200 units (Group A) were filtered using a positively charged polyester filter (Baxter RZ2000) and the other 200 units (Group B) were f…
Comparison of intermittent- and continuous-flow cell separators for the collection of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells in patients with hematologic malignancies.
BACKGROUND: The transplantation of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) after high-dose chemotherapy is a valuable therapy for patients with hematologic and solid malignancies. Several methods are used for harvesting PBPCs. The efficiency of intermittent- and continuous-flow blood cell separators in collecting progenitor cells from the blood of patients undergoing myeloablative treatment for cancer was compared. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: PBPC components (n = 133) were obtained from 72 patients by leukapheresis with continuous-flow machines (Spectra, COBE; CS 3000 Plus, Baxter) and with an intermittent-flow machine (MCS 3P, Haemonetics). The data were analyzed retrospectively…
Reference interval determination for N-terminal-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP): A study in blood donors
We assessed reference values in a group of apparently healthy blood donors. A total of 1980 blood donors was recruited and tested for the presence of NT-proBNP using a newly developed electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) method. NT-proBNP clustered in all blood donors below the age of 50 years and an upper limit of normal (ULN) was found to be 84 pg/ml for males and 146 pg/ml for females. Mean NT-proBNP values increased with increasing age which was due to an increasing number of individuals exceeding the ULN. Age- and gender-appropriate NT-proBNP levels decreased with increasing hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin but not creatinine levels influenced the NT-proBNP concentration in this c…
COVID-19—Importance for Patients on the Waiting List and after Kidney Transplantation—A Single Center Evaluation in 2020–2021
(1) Background: Dialysis patients and recipients of a kidney allograft are at high risk for infection with SARS-CoV-2. It has been shown that the development of potent neutralizing humoral immunity against SARS CoV-2 leads to an increased probability of survival. However, the question of whether immunocompromised patients develop antibodies has not yet been sufficiently investigated; (2) Methods: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were examined in hemodialysis patients on the waiting list for kidney transplantation as well as patients after kidney transplantation. Patients were interviewed about symptoms and comorbidities, BMI, and smoking history; (3) Results: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were found in 16 out…
Routine HCV PCR screening of blood donations to identify early HCV infection in blood donors lacking antibodies to HCV
BACKGROUND: Detection of early hepatitis C infection of blood donors is still a major problem for blood transfusion. Common anti-HCV screening assays show differences in sensitivity and specificity. The often mild symptoms of acute hepatitis C also cause difficulties in the identification of early HCV infection. The feasibility and efficacy of routine screening of blood donations for HCV RNA were investigated. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood donations (n = 251,737) were screened for HCV RNA over 4 years. RNA extraction, amplification, and detection were done by two commercial HCV PCR kits (HCV Cobas Amplicor and HCV Cobas Amplicor 2.0, Roche Diagnostics). Screening was done by pool testing …