Defective T-cell response to COVID-19 vaccination in acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

Limited data exist on COVID-19 vaccination efficacy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplasia with excess blasts (AML/MDS-EB2). We report results from a prospective study, PACE (Patients with AML and COVID-19 Epidemiology). 93 patients provided samples post-vaccine 2 or 3 (PV2, PV3). Antibodies against SARS-COV-2 spike antigen were detectable in all samples. Neutralization of the omicron variant was poorer than ancestral variants but improved PV3. In contrast, adequate T-cell reactivity to SARS-COV-2 spike protein was seen in only 16/47 (34%) patients PV2 and 23/52 (44%) PV3. Using regression models, disease response (not in CR/Cri), and increasing age predicted poor T cell response.

Hyperinflammation with COVID-19: The key to patient deterioration?

BACKGROUND: The potential risk of cytokine storm in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been described [1]; we write to share our experience treating a 17-year-old male with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) secondary to COVID-19 infection. CASE REPORT: This patient presented with cough, sore throat, anorexia and pyrexia. On examination, he had gross cervical lymphadenopathy and palpable splenomegaly. Nose and throat swab for SARS-CoV-2 was positive and blood tests revealed pancytopaenia with very high ferritin, triglyceride and d-dimer levels. The patient's H-Score [2] was calculated at 220, suggesting probability of HLH of 93-96%. Considering Russell and colleagues' [3] comments about potential harm of corticosteroid use in patients with COVID-19 infection, the patient was commenced on treatment with the selective IL-1 receptor antagonist drug, Anakinra, and a two-day course of intravenous immunoglobulin. RESULTS: The patient responded rapidly to treatment, becoming apyrexial after 24 h. His lymph nodes and spleen began to normalise after the first 48 h, at which time point the ferritin also started to decrease. He was discharged after 11 days feeling fit and well. CONCLUSION: This case certainly illustrates the importance of hyperinflammation syndromes in COVID-19. It also raises the question - is the severe pneumonitis seen in patients with COVID-19 an immunological phenomenon? We know that the viral load of patients with COVID-19 seems to peak in the early stages of illness [4,5]; however, patients deteriorate later in the disease course, at around days 10-14. This patient, who had risk factors for deterioration (male, pancytopaenic), did not develop an oxygen requirement and clinically and biochemically improved rapidly on Anakinra with no adverse events. We might suggest Anakinra to the scientific community as a treatment option in COVID-19 infection.

Dynamic simulation and Doppler Ultrasonography validation of blood flow behavior in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Criteria for rupture prediction of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) are based only on the diameter of AAA. This method does not consider complex hemodynamic forces exerted on AAA wall. The methodology used in our study combines Computer-Aided Design (CAD) with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Three-dimensional vascular structures reconstructions were based on Computed Tomography (CT) images and CAD. CFD theory was used for mathematical modeling and simulations. In this way, dynamic behavior of blood flow in bounded three-dimensional space was described. Doppler Ultrasonography (US) was used for model results validation. All simulations were based on medical investigation of 4 patients (male older than 65years) with diagnosed AAA. Good correspondence between computed velocities in AAA and measured values with Doppler US (Patient 1 0.60m·s-1 versus 0.61m·s-1, Patient 2 0.80m·s-1 versus 0.80m·s-1, Patient 3 0.75m·s-1 versus 0.78m·s-1, Patient 4 0.50m·s-1 versus 0.49m·s-1) was noticed. The good agreement between measured and simulated velocities validates our methodology and the other data available from simulations (eg. von Misses stress) could be used to provide useful information about the possibility of AAA rupture.

The influence of implant body and thread design of mini dental implants on the loading of surrounding bone: a finite element analysis.

Mini dental implants (MDI) were once thought of as transitional implants for treatment in selected clinical situations. Their reduced diameter makes them a very attractive option for patients with poor tolerance to maxillary and mandibular prostheses. Using the method of finite element analysis, a series of different designed MDI prototypes have been investigated. The prototypes differed in the geometry of implant body and/or design of implant head. The load transfer of the implant prototypes to the idealised alveolar bone has been regarded and the prototypes have been compared to each other and to a number of standard commercial implants. The prototype models have been virtually placed in the idealised bone with a cortical thickness of 1.5 mm and loaded laterally 30° from the implant's long axis. The condition of immediate loading was assumed for the numerical analyses through defining a contact interface between the implant and bone bed. The numerical analysis in this study showed that the design of the investigated prototype MDI of group 3 (mini-ball head) is the most advantageous design.

3-d brownian motion simulator for high-sensitivity nanobiotechnological applications.

A wide variety of nanobiotechnologic applications are being developed for nanoparticle based in vitro diagnostic and imaging systems. Some of these systems make possible highly sensitive detection of molecular biomarkers. Frequently, the very low concentration of the biomarkers makes impossible the classical, partial differential equation-based mathematical simulation of the motion of the nanoparticles involved. We present a three-dimensional Brownian motion simulation tool for the prediction of the movement of nanoparticles in various thermal, viscosity, and geometric settings in a rectangular cuvette. For nonprofit users the server is freely available at the site http://brownian.pitgroup.org.