Red Blood Cell Deformability and Distribution Width in Patients with Hematologic Neoplasms.

Background: Despite increasing evidence that red blood cell (RBC) deformability is impaired in pathologic conditions, little research has been done on RBC deformability in hematologic diseases. The authors measured RBC deformability in patients with various hematologic diseases, including hematologic malignancies.

Methods: A total of 568 patients who underwent bone marrow (BM) examination for initial diagnosis were enrolled.

Comparing SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Responses after Various COVID-19 Vaccinations in Healthcare Workers.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination began for healthcare workers in South Korea at the end of February 2021. This study investigated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody responses after various COVID-19 vaccinations in healthcare workers. Blood specimens of 497 vaccinated healthcare workers were collected.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody in 2,935 Healthcare Workers at 6 Major Hospitals, Daegu, Korea.

Background: In Korea, the first community outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Daegu on February 18, 2020. This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in healthcare workers (HCWs) at 6 major hospitals in Daegu.

Methods: Blood specimens of 2,935 HCWs at 6 major hospitals in Daegu from January 2021 to February 2021 were collected.

Characterization of the novel DQA1*01:01:09 allele by next-generation sequencing.

HLA-DQA1*01:01:09 differs from HLA-DQA1*01:01:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution in codon-12 in exon 1.

Erythrocyte Alloimmunity and Genetic Variance: Results from the Collaborative Study of Alloimmunity to Antigen Diversity in Asian Populations (All ADP).

As an East-Asian international study, we evaluated erythrocyte alloimmunity by gender and history of transfusion or pregnancy. In total, data from more than 1,826,000 patients were analyzed, from whom 26,170 irregular erythrocyte antibodies were detected in 22,653 cases. Antibody frequencies in these cases were as follows: anti-E, 26.

COVID-19 transmission and blood transfusion: A case report.

The recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been labelled as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Although person-to-person transmission of the etiologic agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been confirmed, it is not known whether COVID-19 may be transmitted by blood transfusion. Notwithstanding the urgent requirement of blood, it is critical to know whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be transmitted by blood transfusion because many individuals may be asymptomatic carriers and may donate blood.

Erythrocyte deformability reduction in various pediatric hematologic diseases.

Background: Previously, hemorheology studies using Rheoscan mainly focused on chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and endocrine disease in adults. The study using LORCA focused on erythrocyte disease. There were no studies using Rheoscan in children.

Favorable long-term survival using consolidation chemotherapy without allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia with wild-type without -ITD.

Background: The role of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) compared with consolidation chemotherapy alone in intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with wild-type nucleophosmin/negative or a low level of Fms related tyrosine kinase 3 internal tandem duplication ( /-ITD) has not yet been elucidated.

Methods: In this study, we retrospectively investigated 88 patients newly diagnosed with AML who received intensive induction chemotherapy at Kyungpook National University Hospital from March 2015 to July 2017. The selection criteria included the presence of results on genetic abnormalities including and -ITD.

Impact of Consolidation Cycles Before Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in First Complete Remission.

Background: The optimal number of high-dose cytarabine (HDAC) consolidation cycles before allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for acute myeloid leukemia is not fully standardized.

Patients And Methods: This study evaluated the impact of HDAC consolidation cycles before allogeneic HCT in 194 patients with acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission between 1998 and 2014. The patients were reclassified into 3 groups-no consolidation (C0, n = 20), 1 consolidation (C1, n = 115), and ≥ 2 consolidations (C2, n = 59)-by pre-HCT consolidation cycle.

Corrigendum: Hemorheologic Alterations in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Presented with an Acute Myocardial Infarction.

This corrects the article on p. 155 in vol. 42, PMID: 29676545.

Hemorheologic Alterations in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Presented with an Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Hemorheologic indices are known to be related to vascular complications in variable clinical settings. However, little is known about the associations between hemorheologic parameters and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the changes of hemorheologic environment inside of blood using hemorheologic parameters, especially the elongation index (EI) and critical shear stress (CSS) in diabetics with versus without AMI.

A Novel Flow Cytometric Method for the Simultaneous Detection of Antibodies Against Platelet, Lymphocyte, And Neutrophil.

Background: Platelet or neutrophil antibodies (Ab) detected by an indirect method need to be further investigated to confirm that they are HLA (lymphocyte)-specific. This can only be determined by the assessment of lymphocytes from the same donor. We have developed an improved flow cytometric method for the simultaneous detection of Abs against three distinct cell types (platelets, lymphocytes, and neutrophils) in a single suspension.

Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cell Injection Therapy for Postprostatectomy Incontinence: A Phase I Clinical Study.

Purpose: We report our initial experience with transurethral injection of autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) for the treatment of urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy.

Materials And Methods: After providing written informed consent, six men with persistent urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy were enrolled in the study. Under general anesthesia, about 50 mL of adipose tissue was obtained from the patients by liposuction.

POEMS Syndrome with IgG-λ/IgA-κ Biclonal Gammopathy and Abnormal Serum Free Light Chain Ratio: a Case Report.

Background: POEMS syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic disorder with atypical plasma cell proliferation. Cases of POEMS syndrome presented with either biclonal gammopathy or an abnormal serum free light chain ratio are considered uncommon. The present authors encountered a case of POEMS syndrome with IgG-λ/IgA-κ biclonal gammopathy with dominant κ free light chain and abnormal serum free light chain ratio.

Highly sensitive and novel point-of-care system, aQcare Chlamydia TRF kit for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis by using europium (Eu) (III) chelated nanoparticles.

Background: The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the leading causes of sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Since no simple and effective tool exists to diagnose C. trachomatis infections, we evaluated a novel point-of-care (POC) test, aQcare Chlamydia TRF kit, which uses europium-chelated nanoparticles and a time-resolved fluorescence reader.

Benefits of fresh-frozen plasma as a replacement fluid to neutralize ABO antibodies.

Background: ABO-incompatible organ transplantation requires pre-transplant conditioning to reduce ABO antibody levels in the recipients. With respect to replacement fluids used in plasma exchange, we intended to verify whether fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) containing soluble ABO substance (SAS) is more effective than albumin solution in reducing ABO IgG antibody levels.

Methods: Apheresis data were retrospectively studied for in vivo effects, and in vitro plasma mixing studies were prospectively performed.

Outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia patients with monosomal karyotypes.

This study investigated the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with monosomal karyotypes (MK). A total of 114 AML patients who received allo-HCT were retrospectively analyzed. At the time of diagnosis, 13 patients were categorized with a favorable cytogenetic risk, 78 with an intermediate risk, and 23 with an adverse risk.

Analysis of the Ten-Eleven Translocation 2 (TET2) gene mutation in myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Loss-of-function mutations in the putative tumor suppressor gene, Ten-Eleven Ttranslocation 2(TET2), have been identified recently in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). The present study analyzed the TET2 gene in 99 MPNs patients. The overall TET2 mutational frequency was 12.

Feasibility of non-TBI conditioning with busulfan and fludarabine for allogeneic stem cell transplantation in lymphoid malignancy.

Background/aims: This retrospective study evaluated the transplantation outcomes of patients with adult lymphoid malignancies who received chemotherapy-based conditioning with busulfan and fludarabine (BuFlu) and busulfan and cyclophosphamide (BuCy2).

Methods: Thirty-eight patients (34 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 4 with lymphoblastic lymphoma) were included in the current study. The conditioning regimen was BuCy2 for 14 patients and BuFlu for the remaining 24 patients.

Novel ELANE gene mutation in a Korean girl with severe congenital neutropenia.

Severe congenital neutropenia is a heterozygous group of bone marrow failure syndromes that cause lifelong infections. Mutation of the ELANE gene encoding human neutrophil elastase is the most common genetic alteration. A Korean female pediatric patient was admitted because of recurrent cervical lymphadenitis without abscess formation.

Pilot study on combination of azacitidine and low-dose cytarabine for patients with refractory anemia with excess blast.

This study analyzed the outcomes of the combination of azacitidine and low-dose cytarabine in patients newly diagnosed with refractory anemia with excess blast (RAEB). Patients were treated with azacitidine 75 mg/m(2) for 7 days subcutaneously and cytarabine 20 mg/m(2) intravenously for 7 days every 28 days. The assigned regimen was repeated for two cycles, then the patients treated with azacytidine alone until progression or allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT).