Search results for " blood donors"

Assessment of prevalence and load of torquetenovirus viraemia in a large cohort of healthy blood donors.

2020

OBJECTIVES: Torquetenovirus (TTV) is an emerging marker of functional immune competence with the potential to predict transplant-related adverse events. A large-scale epidemiological study was performed to understand how basal values vary in healthy individuals according to age and gender.; METHODS: We tested plasma from 1017 healthy blood donors aged 18-69years. The presence and load of TTV were determined by a real-time PCR assay. A sub-cohort of 384 donors was tested for anti-cytomegalovirus IgG antibodies, and 100 participants were also tested for TTV viraemia on a paired whole blood sample.; RESULTS: The overall prevalence of TTV was 65% (657/1017) with a mean (±SD) growth of 5±4% ever…

Definition of the upper reference limit of glycated albumin in blood donors from Italy.

2017

Abstract Background: Glycated Albumin (GA) has been proposed as a short-term indicator of glycemic homeostasis. The aim of this study is to describe the distribution of GA in a large sample of blood donors from Italy to evaluate whether demographic features, namely age and sex, could influence GA levels and define specific reference limits. Methods: The study included 1334 Italian blood donors. GA was measured using an enzymatic method (quantILab Glycated Albumin, IL Werfen, Germany). The upper reference limit (URL) was calculated using the non-parametric percentile method. Results: A modest, although significant, increase of GA was observed in relation to age (p<0.001), especially in ma…

Asymptomatic Leishmania infantum/chagasi infection in blood donors of western Sicily.

2007

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the risk of transfusion-transmitted visceral leishmaniasis was present in an area of western Sicily where the incidence of the disease is higher than the regional average. From May to December 2005, 1449 blood donors from Agrigento district (Sicily, Italy) were screened for the presence of anti-Leishmania antibodies by an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Blood samples from IFAT-positive donors were examined by PCR to detect Leishmania DNA. Anti-Leishmania antibodies were found in 11 (0.75%) cases, among which Leishmania DNA was detected from four (36.4%). Particular techniques to inactivate different pathogens would be consid…

Establishing the upper reference limit of Galectin-3 in healthy blood donors

2017

Introduction Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is an independent predictor of poor outcomes and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). Thus, it has been proposed as a reliable prognostic biomarker for HF. The definition of reference intervals is mandatory for interpreting the findings of experimental studies and encouraging the routine use of biomarkers in clinical practice. To date, no study assessed the reference intervals of Gal-3 and identified the biological variables that affect its concentration in a well-defined healthy population. The aim of this study was to determine the upper reference limit (URL) of Gal-3 in a highly reliable population of healthy subjects. Materials and methods We re…

Prevalence of antibodies anti-bartonella henselae in western sicily: children, blood donors, and cats.

2012

Transfusion transmitted leishmaniasis. What to do with blood donors from endemic areas?

2014

Summary Leishmaniasis clinical spectrum ranges from cryptic infection to fatal visceral leishmaniasis. Cryptic infection can be found in blood donors from areas endemic for leishmaniasis all over the world. Although leishmaniasis is a classic vector-borne disease, cases of transfusion transmitted leishmaniasis have been reported especially in nonendemic areas. Most of these cases regarded infants or children. This paper reviews the literature on this specific feature and the impact of leishmaniasis on transfusion medicine. Relevant literature was found through PubMed. The reference lists of selected articles identified further sources. Conclusions: Blood donations by emigrants or travelers f…