Catheter-associated fungemia due to Wangiella (Exophiala) dermatitidis.

We describe a case of catheter-associated Wangiella (Exophiala) dermatitidis fungemia in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected child who was successfully treated with antifungal therapy and catheter removal. Catheter-associated W. dermatitidis fungemia appears to be distinct from previously described cases of disseminated infection with organ involvement.     

Basophil activation test: Mechanisms and considerations for use in clinical trials and clinical practice

The basophil activation test (BAT) is a functional assay that measures the degree of degranulation following stimulation with allergen or controls by flow cytometry. It correlates directly with histamine release. From the dose-response curve resulting from BAT in allergic patients, basophil reactivity (%CD63⁺ basophils) and basophil sensitivity (EC₅₀ or similar) are the main outcomes of the test. BAT takes into account all characteristics of IgE and allergen and thus can be more specific than sensitization tests in the diagnosis of allergic disease. BAT reduces the need for in vivo procedures, such as intradermal tests and allergen challenges, which can cause allergic reactions of unpredictable severity. As it closely reflects the patients' phenotype in most cases, it may be used to support the diagnosis of food, venom and drug allergies and chronic urticaria, to monitor the natural resolution of food allergies and to predict and monitor clinical the response to immunomodulatory treatments, such as allergen-specific immunotherapy and biologicals. Clinical application of BAT requires analytical validation, clinical validation, standardization of procedures and quality assurance to ensure reproducibility and reliability of results. Currently, efforts are ongoing to establish a platform that could be used by laboratories in Europe and in the USA for quality assurance and certification.     

Importance of measuring pharmacologically active metabolites of edoxaban: development and validation of an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a tandem mass spectrometry method

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Although DOACs do not require regular measurements of their blood concentrations, clinical situations may require an assessment of their concentration....     

A novel mutation in TRIM37 is associated with mulibrey nanism in a Turkish boy

Mulibrey nanism is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by prenatal onset severe growth retardation and pericardial constriction associated with abnormalities of muscle, liver, brain and eye. More than 80% of previously reported patients are of Finnish origin in whom a founder mutation in the TRIM37 gene have been described. We report on a 7-year-old Turkish boy who presented with classical phenotypic features of mulibrey nanism. Mutation screening of the TRIM37 gene revealed that the proband had a homozygous two base pair deletion, c.1894_1895delGA, resulting in a frame-shift and a premature termination codon. Our proband is one of the rare examples of mulibrey nanism outside Finland and extends the mutation spectrum in this disorder.     

A comparison of six major platelet functional tests to assess the impact of carbon nanomaterials on platelet function: A practical guide

The study of the haemocompatibility of nanomaterials that could be in contact with blood (e.g. nanoparticle (NP)-based drug-delivery system) is of major importance. The primary objective of this study was to compare the ability of six platelet functional tests to assess the impact of NPs on platelet function. The secondary objective was to determine an accurate and reliable screening test to measure the potential impact of NPs on primary haemostasis whatever their physicochemical properties. Four types of carbon NPs (carbon black, fullerenes, single-walled carbon nanotubes and multi-walled carbon nanotubes) were investigated on six platelet function tests: light transmission aggregometry, whole-blood impedance aggregometry, platelet function analyser-100 (PFA-100®) and Cone-and-Plate(let) analyser (Impact-R®), transmission- and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM). We considered that Impact-R® supported by FEG-SEM is the reference method to investigate the potential impact of NPs on platelet function.     

Patent ductus arteriosus increases lung fluid filtration in preterm lambs.

Previous studies showed that increased pulmonary blood flow from a patent ductus arteriosus had little or no effect on the amount of fluid in the lungs of mechanically ventilated preterm lambs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a patent ductus arteriosus on lung vascular permeability and to see whether increased pulmonary lymph flow might compensate for the increased rate of fluid filtration. Using a model that allows mechanical control of ductus patency, we studied the effects of increased pulmonary blood flow on lung vascular pressures in six mechanically ventilated premature lambs at 136 +/- 2 d gestation (mean +/- SD) (term = 145 d). We measured lung lymph flow and protein concentrations in lymph and plasma to assess pulmonary vascular fluid filtration and protein permeability. We studied each lamb during sequential steady state periods, first with the ductus open and then with it closed. When the ductus was open, pulmonary blood flow was twice what it was when the ductus was closed. Mean pulmonary artery pressure and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure were greater with the ductus open [40 +/- 5 torr (5.3 +/- 0.7 kPa) and 8 +/- 3 torr (1.1 +/- 0.4 kPa), respectively] than when it was closed [24 +/- 3 torr (3.2 +/- 0.4 kPa) and 4 +/- 2 torr (0.5 +/- 0.3 kPa), respectively]. When the ductus was open, lymph flow was 68% greater and lymph protein concentration was 17% lower than when the ductus was closed. Lymph protein clearance (lymph flow x lymph protein concentration/plasma protein concentration) was 39% greater when the ductus was open.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)