ABSTRACT
The worldwide pandemic outbreak due to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has created unprecedented challenges for public health services. Lombardy, region of the Northern Italy, has been the first area in the Western world whose organs and tissues procurement programs have had to face the virus pandemic emergency. We retrospectively collected and analyzed data about cardiovascular tissues (CT) in 2019 and in 2020. We aimed to describe the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 regulation laws for tissue donor's selection and harvesting from February 2020 until January 2021. As expected the number of CT donors in 2020 was significantly lower than those of 2019 (66 vs. 99, p value 0.02). The total number of CT collected from donors have been 254 in 2019 and 206 in 2020 (p 0.28). Femoral arteries were the most required vascular tissues (55.5% in 2019 and 40% in 2020). Fifty-five and forty-eight pulmonary valves were implanted in 2019 and 2020, respectively. No differences were found for the types of CT requests between the 2 years. The median age of receivers of vascular tissues was 69.6 ± 14.6 years in the 2019 and 63.3 ± 14.9 years in 2020 (p < 0.01). The median age of receivers of pulmonary and aortic valves did not differ between the 2 years (9.32 ± 11.49 vs. 8.36 ± 10.66 and 48.67 ± 27.19 vs. 37.14 ± 31.97 respectively). Despite the dramatically reduction of donors, the number of CT collected has not decreased significantly and so far the CT distribution rate is comparable to those of 2019.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pandemics , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child, Preschool , Humans , Italy/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2 , Tissue Banks , United StatesABSTRACT
Microbiological contamination of retrieved tissues has become an issue of key importance and is a critical aspect of allograft safety, especially in the case of multi-tissue donations, which frequently become contaminated during retrieval and handling. We analysed contamination in 11,129 tissues with a longitudinal contamination profile for each individual tissue. Specifically, 10,035 musculoskeletal tissues and 1094 cardiovascular tissues were retrieved from a total of 763 multi-tissue donors, of whom 105 heart-beating organ donors and 658 deceased tissue donors. Of the 1955 tissues found to be contaminated after the first decontamination step, 1401 tissues (72%) were contaminated by the same species as the one(s) isolated at retrieval (Time1) and 554 (28%) by different species. Among the 113 tissues testing positive after the 2nd decontamination (Time3), 36 tissues (32%) were contaminated by the same species detected at Timel while the contaminating species differed from Time1 in 77 tissues (68%). The higher the number of contaminating species per tissue the higher the percentage of tissues in which contamination changed over time compared to Time1. The analysis revealed a 28% incidence of new species in tissues already testing positive after retrieval and of 3.5% of tissues becoming positive after admission to the tissue bank. Of these, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus accounted for over 70% of new contaminations.
Subject(s)
Allografts/microbiology , Tissue Donors , Bacteria/isolation & purification , Cardiovascular System/microbiology , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Musculoskeletal System/microbiology , Species Specificity , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using 16S rDNA is an alternative to conventional culture-based tests. The aim of this study was to compare the conventional culture method with qPCR using 16S rDNA in a model of cardiac tissue contamination. Samples of cardiac tissue for artificial contamination with Escherichia coli and control samples were submitted for DNA extraction, which was conducted by selective and alkaline lysis and purification steps. A standard curve for 16S rDNA was constructed to determine the efficiency and analytical sensitivity of the assay in concentrations from 106 to 102 c.f.u. ml-1 using TaqMan Master Mix. 16S rDNA was detected in all contaminated samples; however, it was not detected in the the final washing step solution of the sample with a bioburden of 102 c.f.u. ml-1. Using qPCR is a potential alternative to conventional culture for microbiological safety testing of allograft tissues for biobanking, reducing the time and labour input required.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Infections/prevention & control , Bacteriological Techniques/methods , DNA, Ribosomal/genetics , Escherichia coli/isolation & purification , Heart/microbiology , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Bacterial Infections/microbiology , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , Escherichia coli/genetics , Escherichia coli/growth & development , Heart Transplantation , Humans , Myocardium/chemistry , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Sensitivity and Specificity , Tissue BanksABSTRACT
Introducción: Los efectos de la intoxicación con Arsénico (As) como enfermedades cardiovasculares (CV), pigmentaciones y oclusiones arteriales coronarias están asociados con la ingestión de As inorgánico a través del agua de bebida y a exposiciones ambientales. La unión del As (III) a proteínas y la metilación del As podría ser una primera etapa en el mecanismo de detoxificación. Objetivo: Evaluar la unión de As a proteínas en aurícula derecha y vena safena (VS) en sujetos expuestos de la Región de Antofagasta. Métodos: Se estudió la asociación As-proteína en el citosol de AD y VS de 6 pacientes con enfermedad coronaria grave de la Región de Antofagasta. Para el fraccionamiento del citosol se utilizaron columnas de exclusión molecular de tres diferentes rangos de masas. El perfil del As se detectó por Espectrometría de Masas Inductivamente Acoplado (ICP-MS) y por Espectrosco-pía Ultra Violeta - Visible de las fracciones moleculares (enlaces As- tiolatos de proteínas). Resultados: En todos los casos el As estuvo ampliamente distribuido en todo el intervalo de fracciones para AUD y VS. Los porcentajes de As colectado en las fracciones de las diferentes columnas usadas fueron 10, 25 y 50 por ciento. En la especiación de As en el citosol, por Cromatografía Líquida de Alta Resolución acoplada a la Espectrometría de Masas (IC-HPLC-ICP-MS), solamente se encontró As(III) y As(V) con una distribución Gaussiana para ambas especies, siendo la relación As(III)/As(V) constante para AUD y VS. Conclusión: En los tejidos CV existe asociación As - proteína lo cual podría implicar que el As está unido a biocompuestos de diferente peso molecular a través de grupos sulfhidrilos vecinales. Es probable que el As en AUD y VS se una a fracciones proteicas de masa molecular superior a 80 kDA y a subunidades de la estructura cuaternaria de la proteína nativa.
Background: The effects of arsenic (As) toxi-city - cardiovascular disease, pigmentation, coronary artery occlusion- come from ingestion of contaminated drinking water and environmental exposure. Protein linkage or As(III) and As methylation may be a first step in detoxification. The aim of this study is to evaluate protein linkage of As in the right atrium (RA) and saphenous vein (SV) of As exposed subjects from Antofagasta, Chile Method: As-protein linkage was studied in the cytosol of AD and SV obtained from 6 patients operated on for coronary artery disease. Molecular exclusion columns of 3 different mass ranges were used to obtain the cytosol fraction. As species were detected by induction coupled mass spectrometry and visible ultraviolet spectrometry (links of As and protein thyolates). Results: As was widely distributed in AD and SV in all subjects. As collected in the 3 different columns used were 10 per cent, 25 per cent and 50 per cent. Only As(III) and As(V) were obtained through the method used (IC-HPLC-ICP-MS); a normal distribution was evident for both As species. The relation As(III)/As(V) was similar in AD and SV. Conclusion: A linkage of As and proteins through neighbor sulphidryl groups is present in cardiovascular tissues of exposed subjects. It is likely that As is linked to >80 kDA protein fractions and to quaternary subu-nits or the native protein.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adult , Middle Aged , Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology , Cardiovascular Diseases/chemically induced , Arsenic Poisoning/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Introducción: La población de la Región de Antofagasta se encuentra expuesta a contaminación ambiental por metales pesados (MP). Los elementos traza (ET) podrían actuar con As como agonistas o antagonistas. El presente estudio detalla la determinación de las concentraciones totales (CT) de V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Se y Boro en aurícula derecha (AD), arteria mamaria izquierda (AMI), vena safena (VS) y tejido adiposo (TA) de personas que padecen patologías cardiovasculares (CV) y han requerido cirugía cardíaca. Métodos: Se analizaron AMI, VS, AUD, y TA en un grupo de 50 pacientes con cardiopatía coronaria de la Región de Antofagasta que han sido sometidos a cirugía cardíaca (grupo expuesto, E), y en un grupo de 20 pacientes control sometidos a cirugía cardíaca en el mismo período en Santiago (grupo no expuesto, NE). Las determinaciones de ET y MP se realizaron mediante Técnicas Ópticas y Atómicas. Resultados: En el grupo de pacientes E residentes en la Región de Antofagasta Boro presenta correlaciones interelementales significativas (p=0,05), que no se presentan o son escasas en el grupo NE. El rango de CT de B en AD fue de 24,721 - 932,032 μg/g, niveles muy superiores a los encontrados en el resto de los elementos en estudio. El rango de CT de B encontrada para AD fue de 25,205 - 56,873 μg/g. Conclusión: Individualmente, el elemento más enriquecido en todos los tipos de tejidos del grupo E de la Región de Antofagasta es B, le siguen As y Mn. Cu está empobrecido en el grupo NE, en particular en AD y AMI.
The Antofagasta population is exposed to environmental contamination with heavy metals (HM). Trace elements (TE) might interact with As either as agonists or antagonists. The total concentracions of V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Se and B in the right atrium (RA), left internal mammary artery (LIMA), saphenous vein (SV) and adipose tissue (AT) from patients undergoing cardiac surgery are reported. Methods: LIMA, SV, RA and AT from 50 patients with myocardial infarction submitted to revascularization surgery in Antofagasta (exposed group, E) or Santiago (non exposed group NE, 20 patients) were analyzed. Optical and atomic techniques were used for analysis of HM and TE. Results: Significant inter elemental correlations were observed for B in group E, (p<0.05), which are not present in group NE. The RA concentrarion of B in group A ranged from 24.72 to 932.03 ug/g, substancially higher than concentracion of the other elements under study. Corresponding concentra-rions of B in the NE group were 25.21 to 56. 87 ug/g. Conclusion: B was the most enriched element in the exposed group, followed by As and Mn. Cu content was significantly lower in RA and LIMA from patients in the non exposed group.
