Copan WASPLab automation significantly reduces incubation times and allows earlier culture readings

ObjectiveThe aim was to evaluate whether laboratory automation (inoculation and automated incubation combined with timely defined high-resolution digital imaging) may help reduce the time required to obtain reliable culture analysis results.MethodsWe compared the results obtained by WASPLab automation against WASP-based automated inoculation coupled to conventional incubation and manual diagnostic on 1294 clinical samples (483 for the derivation set and 811 for the independent validation set) that included urine, genital tract and non-sterile site specimens, as well as ESwabs for screening of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). We used sequential routine specimens referred to the bacteriology laboratory at Geneva University Hospitals between October 2018 and March 2019.ResultsThe detection sensitivity of MRSA and MSSA at 18 hr on WASPLab was 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94.48–100.00%). The detection sensitivity of ESBL and CPE at 16 hr on WASPLab was 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94.87% to 100.00%). For urine specimens, the similarity was 79% (295/375) between 18 hr and 24 hr of incubation on WASPLab. For genital tract and non-sterile site specimens, the similarity between 16 hr and 28 hr of incubation on WASPLab were 26% (72/281) and 77% (123/159) respectively. Thus, 28 hr was defined as the final incubation time on WASPLab for genital tract and non-sterile site specimens.ConclusionsThe results of this study show that WASPLab automation enables a reduction of the culture reading time for all specimens tested without affecting performances. Implementing the established and duly validated incubation times will allow appropriate laboratory workflows for improved efficiency to be built.     

Current Practice in Vitamin D Management in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Survey by the Transplant Complications Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

Beyond its impact on bone health, numerous studies have investigated the immune-regulatory properties of vitamin D and shown how its deficiency can affect outcomes in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), particularly in acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease. This survey, carried out by the Transplant Complications Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), describes the current clinical practice discrepancies across the EBMT HSCT programs. We therefore recommend the development of evidence-based guidelines to standardize evaluation criteria and to harmonize the management of vitamin D deficiency in patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT.     

Effects of intermittent hypoxia training on leukocyte pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK-1) mRNA expression and blood insulin level in prediabetes patients

Purpose

Intermittent hypoxia training/treatment (IHT) is an emerging therapeutic approach to alleviate chronic diseases, such as diabetes. The present study investigated the effects of IHT on blood leucocyte pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK-1) mRNA expression and its relationship with the changes in blood insulin level.

Methods

Seven adult healthy volunteers and 11 prediabetic patients participated in this study. A 3-week course of IHT consisted of a 40-min session of 4 cycles of 5-min 12% O₂ and 5-min room air breathing per day, 3 sessions per week for 3 weeks (i.e., total 9 sessions of IHT). Plasma insulin levels and leukocyte PDK-1 mRNA expression were determined at various time points either under fasting condition or following oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Correlation between the IHT-induced changes in PDK-1 mRNA and insulin or glucose levels in the same serological samples was analyzed.

Results

At pre-IHT baseline, PDK-1 mRNA expression was two times higher in prediabetes than control subjects. IHT resulted in significant augmentation in PDK-1 mRNA expression (> twofold) in prediabetes at the end of 3-week IHT and remained elevated 1 month after IHT, which was correlated with a significantly reduced insulin release and lower blood glucose after glucose loading with OGTT.

Conclusion

IHT can trigger beneficial effects in normalizing blood insulin levels in prediabetic patients under oral glucose load, which were closely correlated with an enhanced mRNA expression of PDK-1 in leukocytes. Further clinical trials are warranted to validate the utility of IHT as a non-invasive complementary therapy against diabetes-associated pathologies.

     

Stereological examination of curcumin’s effects on hippocampal damage caused by the anti-epileptic drugs phenobarbital and valproic acid in the developing rat brain

The anti-epileptic drugs phenobarbital and valproic acid have an extremely strong negative effect on cognitive processes such as learning and memory in the developing brain. We examined whether or not curcumin has protective effects on neuronal injury caused by these drugs in the developing rat brain. Young male Wistar rats were studied in two groups, a 7 days old and a 14 days old group (35 rats in each). Both groups were then divided into 7 sub-groups as the control, curcumin, dimethylsulfoxide, phenobarbital, valproic acid, phenobarbital + curcumin, and valproic acid + curcumin groups (n = 5 in each group). At 24 h after the intraperitoneal injection of the compounds, the rats were sacrificed, and the hippocampal tissue was subjected to stereological analysis with the optical fractionation method. Total numbers of neurons in the hippocampus of the 7 days old and 14 days old rats were calculated. It was found that treatment with phenobarbital resulted in a loss of 43% of the neurons, and valproic acid induced a loss of 57% of the neurons in the 7 days old rats. Curcumin prevented this loss significantly with only 19% in the phenobarbital group and 41% in the valproic acid group. In the 14 days old rat groups, phenobarbital was found to reduce the number of neurons by 30%, and valproic acid reduced it by 38%. Curcumin treatment limited neuronal loss to 3% in the phenobarbital + curcumin group and 10% in the valproic acid + curcumin group. These data strongly indicate that curcumin is a protective agent and prevents hippocampal neuronal damage induced by phenobarbital and valproic acid treatment.