Search results for "Blood donor"

Identifying SARS‐CoV‐2 ‘memory’ NK cells from COVID‐19 convalescent donors for adoptive cell therapy

2021

Abstract COVID‐19 disease is the manifestation of syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection, which is causing a worldwide pandemic. This disease can lead to multiple and different symptoms, being lymphopenia associated with severity one of the most persistent. Natural killer cells (NK cells) are part of the innate immune system, being fighting against virus‐infected cells one of their key roles. In this study, we determined the phenotype of NK cells after COVID‐19 and the main characteristic of SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific‐like NK population in the blood of convalescent donors. CD57+ NKG2C+ phenotype in SARS‐CoV‐2 convalescent donors indicates the presence of ‘memory’/activated NK cells as it ha…

Alpha-1-antitrypsin-induced inhibition of complement-dependent phagocytosis.

1981

Abstract In a previous investigation, inhibition of complement-dependent rosette formation by alpha1-antitrypsin (α1-AT) was observed, and it was demonstrated that α1-AT interacts through its carbohydrate portion with C3 and its fragments. In the present study, the effect of α1-AT on the complement-receptor-mediated phagocytosis by human peripheral blood monocytes was examined. Purified α1-AT inhibited in a dose-dependent manner phagocytosis of C3-carrying yeast particles. Inhibition was selective, concerned only C3-receptor-mediated phagocytosis, neither Fc-receptor-mediated phagocytosis nor uptake of untreated yeast particles was blocked by α1-AT. It was demonstrated that α1-AT exerted it…

Serologic and molecular characterization of weak D type 29

2017

Enzyme polymorphisms and haemoglobin variants in Greeks

1975

Several enzyme polymorphisms and hemoglobin variants were typed in a sample of n = 219 non-related Greek blood-donors. The following gene frequencies were observed: pa = 0.201, pb = 0.701, pc = 0.098;PGDA = 0.985, PGDc = 0.015; AK1 = 0.942, AK2 = 0.058; HbA = 0.988, HbS = 0.012. No polymorphic variation was seen in LDH, s-MDH, PHI, or SOD. The population genetical aspects of these results are discussed.

Ochratoxin A levels in the plasma of healthy blood donors from Valencia and estimation of exposure degree: comparison with previous national Spanish …

2010

Blood plasma levels of ochratoxin A, a toxic secondary metabolite of several fungal species belonging to the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium, were determined in 168 blood donors from the population of Valencia (Spain) using LC-FLD. In conjunction with blood collection, detailed information on diet was obtained by using a questionnaire that encompassed a wide range of products potentially contaminated with the toxin. The investigation revealed a detection frequency of 100%. Mean level was 1.09 microg OTA/l of plasma and concentrations ranged between 0.15 and 5.71 microg OTA/l of plasma. Men's levels were slightly higher than levels observed in women. Results were analysed by Spearman rank…

Transfusion‐transmitted malaria of plasmodium malariae in palermo, sicily

2021

Transfusion-transmitted malaria (TTM) is a rare occurrence with serious consequences for the recipient. In non-endemic areas, the incidence of transmission of malaria by transfusion is very low. We report a clinical case of transfusion-transmitted malaria due to Plasmodium malariae, which happened in a patient with acute hemorrhagic gastropathy. Case presentation: In April 2019, a 70-year-old Italian man with recurrent spiking fever for four days was diagnosed with a P. malariae infection, as confirmed using microscopy and real-time PCR. The patient had never been abroad, but about two months before, he had received a red blood cell transfusion for anemia. Regarding the donor, we revealed t…

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Different Testing Strategies that Use Antibody Levels to Detect Chronic Hepatitis C in Blood Donors.

2016

Aim. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of seven hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing strategies in blood donors. Methods. Three of the seven strategies were based on HCV diagnosis and reporting guidelines in Mexico and four were from previous and current recommendations outlined by the CDC. The strategies that were evaluated determine antibody levels according to the signal-to-cut-off (S/CO) ratio and use reflex Immunoblot (IMB) or HCV RNA tests to confirm true positive (TP) cases of chronic HCV infection. Costs were calculated from the perspective of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). A decision tree model was developed to estimate the expected number of true positive cas…

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

2012

Improving mRNA-Based Therapeutic Gene Delivery by Expression-Augmenting 3' UTRs Identified by Cellular Library Screening.

2019

Synthetic mRNA has emerged as a powerful tool for the transfer of genetic information, and it is being explored for a variety of therapeutic applications. Many of these applications require prolonged intracellular persistence of mRNA to improve bioavailability of the encoded protein. mRNA molecules are intrinsically unstable and their intracellular kinetics depend on the UTRs embracing the coding sequence, in particular the 3′ UTR elements. We describe here a novel and generally applicable cell-based selection process for the identification of 3′ UTRs that augment the expression of proteins encoded by synthetic mRNA. Moreover, we show, for two applications of mRNA therapeutics, namely, (1) …

Diagnostic follow-up of blood donors with indeterminate results to Western Blot for HIV infection in Palermo, Sicily

2002

27,343 blood donors, were tested for HIV infection at the Poli- clinico of Palermo in the period 1999-2001 by using a com- mercial ELISA as screening test and a commercial Western Blot (WB) as confirmatory test. HIV infection was detected in two subjects, whereas five individuals reacted faintly at the screening and tested indeterminate at the confirmatory test showing the presence of only one band for gp41 (four cases) or p24 (one case). A one year follow-up was performed in these patients. All donors but one, spontaneously seroreverted during the follow-up; the only one who persisted as WB inde- terminate, tested also negative for HIV RNA by PCR assay at the end of follow-up. In conclusio…