Monitoring of kinetics and exhaustion markers of circulating CAR-T cells as early predictive factors in patients with B-cell malignancies.

Purpose: CAR-T cell therapy has proven to be a disruptive treatment in the hematology field, however, less than 50% of patients maintain long-term response and early predictors of outcome are still inconsistently defined. Here, we aimed to optimize the detection of CD19 CAR-T cells in blood and to identify phenotypic features as early biomarkers associated with toxicity and outcomes. Experimental design: In this study, monitoring by flow cytometry and digital PCR (dPCR), and immunophenotypic characterization of circulating CAR-T cells from 48 patients treated with Tisa-cel or Axi-cel was performed. Results: Validation of the flow cytometry reagent for the detection of CAR-T cells in blood revealed CD19 protein conjugated with streptavidin as the optimal detection method. Kinetics of CAR-T cell expansion in blood confirmed median day of peak expansion at seven days post-infusion by both flow cytometry and digital PCR. Circulating CAR-T cells showed an activated, proliferative, and exhausted phenotype at the time of peak expansion. Patients with increased expansion showed more severe CRS and ICANs. Immunophenotypic characterization of CAR-T cells at the peak expansion identified the increased expression of co-inhibitory molecules PD1 and LAG3 and reduced levels of the cytotoxicity marker CD107a as predictors of a better long-term disease control. Conclusions: These data show the importance of CAR-T cells in vivo monitoring and identify the expression of PD1LAG3 and CD107a as early biomarkers of long-term disease control after CAR-T cell therapy.

Use of Microwave Maceration in Red Winemaking: Effect on Fermentation and Chemical Composition of Red Wines.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of microwave treatment of crushed grapes on the yeast population of the must and on the development of alcoholic fermentation, as well as on the extraction of different compounds from the grapes such as polysaccharides and amino acids that can affect the organoleptic quality and stability of the wine. This study demonstrated for the first time the effect of the microwave treatment of grapes on native yeast species and their diversity, producing an increase in fermentation kinetics and a decrease in the lag phase. The microwave treatment produced a positive effect on the extraction of amino acids and polysaccharides from the grapes, resulting in significantly higher amounts of the main amino acids of the must and some major volatile compounds in the treated samples. The polysaccharides most affected by the microwave treatment were the PRAGs, the main polysaccharides liberated from grapes during the maceration.

Variants in autoinflammatory diseases-related genes in a family with cold-induced autoinflammatory syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To characterise what immunogenetic alterations are present in a Spanish family having several members with a familial cold-induced autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS), a kind of autoinflammatory disease (AID). METHODS: We present the case of two sisters (cases 1 and 2) with a similar clinical picture since their childhood. The symptoms start after exposure to cold and consist of recurrent fever, papules or urticaria, and oedema in hands and fingers. The mother had similar symptomatology as her daughters, which remitted after her first pregnancy, whereas the father is healthy. Patients and their parents were genotyped in a panel of 14 candidate genes using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). Real-time PCR was used to quantify IL1ß mRNA levels from LPS-stimulated monocytes. ELISA was used to measure the IL1ß and IL18 concentrations in supernatants and sCD25 levels in sera. IL1ß, IL4, IL6, IL8, IL10, IL17A, IL18 and TNF-α serum levels were assessed using xMAP® Technology. RESULTS: All the genetic variants found in this family are benign with two exceptions: NLRC4 p.Leu339Pro (present in both cases and their mother) and PSTPIP1 p.Gln219His (present in Case 1 and her father). The monocytes stimulated of the individuals with the NLRC4 variant produce higher levels of IL1ß (protein and mRNA). Levels of TNF-α, IL4, and IL6 were higher in Case 1 than in the age-matched controls. CONCLUSIONS: The familial segregation and the clinical picture compatible with FCAS suggest that NLRC4 p.Leu339Pro causes the AIDs syndrome diagnosed in several family members.

Effect of Microwave Maceration and SO2 Free Vinification on Volatile Composition of Red Wines.

This study evaluates the effect of microwave treatment in grape maceration at laboratory scale on the content of free and glycosidically bound varietal compounds of must and wines and on the overall aroma of wines produced with and without SO2. The volatile compounds were extracted by solid phase extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, carrying out a sensory evaluation of wines by quantitative descriptive analysis. Microwave treatment significantly increased the free and bound fraction of most varietal compounds in the must. Wines from microwave maceration showed faster fermentation kinetics and shorter lag phase, resulting in an increase in some volatile compounds of sensory relevance. The absence of SO2 caused a decrease in concentration of some volatile compounds, mainly fatty acids and esters. The sensory assessment of wines from microwave treatment was higher than the control wine, especially in wines without SO2, which had higher scores in the "red berry" and "floral" odor attributes and a more intense aroma. This indicates that the pre-fermentative treatment of grapes with microwaves could be used to increase the wine aroma and to reduce the occurrence of SO2.

Characterization of a novel HLA-DRB1*03 allele, DRB1*03:171.

DRB1*03:171 was described in a Caucasian Spanish family.