Pub Date : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100105
Laura Simons , Lina Alasfar , Muath Qadoura , Jule Buhl , Franziska Sunderer , Felix Korell , Ignatios Ikonomidis , Maximilian Dietrich , Silvia Seidlitz , Hans Vink , Lena Maier-Hein , Michael Schmitt , Richard F. Schlenk , Carsten Müller-Tidow , Peter Dreger , Thomas Luft
Abstract
Endothelial dysfunction contributes to mortality after cellular therapies, yet its clinical assessment remains challenging. In this prospective observational study, we evaluated 169 patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and 102 healthy controls to determine whether a comprehensive endothelial profile, including the endothelial activation and stress index (EASIX), glycocalyx thickness (via sublingual GlycoCheck microscopy), digital perfusion (Tivita hyperspectral imaging), endothelial serum markers (angiopoietin-2, soluble thrombomodulin [CD141], chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 8, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 9, interleukin-18, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays), and platelet aggregation (flow cytometry), correlates with clinical outcomes. We observed significant intercorrelations among EASIX, perfused boundary region (PBR), tissue perfusion, and endothelial serum markers. Importantly, elevated EASIX, angiopoietin-2, impaired PBR, and reduced digital perfusion were significantly associated with early sepsis, whereas EASIX also independently predicted nonrelapse mortality. These findings highlight the heterogeneity of endothelial responses to systemic insult and reinforce the need for multimodal assessment in a larger study. EASIX, as a simple and routinely available marker, emerges as a valuable tool to stratify endothelial risk and guide monitoring in patients undergoing cellular therapy. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT05502887.
{"title":"Comprehensive assessment of endothelial dysfunction before cellular therapy: EASIX, local imaging, and systemic biomarkers","authors":"Laura Simons , Lina Alasfar , Muath Qadoura , Jule Buhl , Franziska Sunderer , Felix Korell , Ignatios Ikonomidis , Maximilian Dietrich , Silvia Seidlitz , Hans Vink , Lena Maier-Hein , Michael Schmitt , Richard F. Schlenk , Carsten Müller-Tidow , Peter Dreger , Thomas Luft","doi":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Abstract</h3><div>Endothelial dysfunction contributes to mortality after cellular therapies, yet its clinical assessment remains challenging. In this prospective observational study, we evaluated 169 patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and 102 healthy controls to determine whether a comprehensive endothelial profile, including the endothelial activation and stress index (EASIX), glycocalyx thickness (via sublingual GlycoCheck microscopy), digital perfusion (Tivita hyperspectral imaging), endothelial serum markers (angiopoietin-2, soluble thrombomodulin [CD141], chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 8, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 9, interleukin-18, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays), and platelet aggregation (flow cytometry), correlates with clinical outcomes. We observed significant intercorrelations among EASIX, perfused boundary region (PBR), tissue perfusion, and endothelial serum markers. Importantly, elevated EASIX, angiopoietin-2, impaired PBR, and reduced digital perfusion were significantly associated with early sepsis, whereas EASIX also independently predicted nonrelapse mortality. These findings highlight the heterogeneity of endothelial responses to systemic insult and reinforce the need for multimodal assessment in a larger study. EASIX, as a simple and routinely available marker, emerges as a valuable tool to stratify endothelial risk and guide monitoring in patients undergoing cellular therapy. This trial was registered at <span><span>www.ClinicalTrials.gov</span><svg><path></path></svg></span> as #NCT05502887.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100190,"journal":{"name":"Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100105"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145571236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100108
Md. Omar Faruque , Irina D. Pokrovskaya , Kelly K. Ball , Michael W. Webb , Sung W. Rhee , Brian Storrie
Abstract
Knowing structural organization of a clot at the single-cell level could lead to the development of drugs targeting specific structural features. We tested this premise in a murine femoral artery occlusion model using a narrow ferric chloride (FeCl3) application strip to limit induction intensity. Under these conditions, occlusive clot formation was sensitive to the spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitor BI 1002494, an indication of normative platelet response. Samples perpendicular or longitudinal to blood flow were imaged by montaged electron microscopy. Platelets were the predominant cell type. Tightly packed platelets were anchored to FeCl3-induced damaged portions of the vessel wall, and aggregates of tightly packed platelets extended inward. Overall, the clots had a structure in which loosely packed platelets, often discoid in shape and rich in α-granules, filled pockets within the clot surrounded by zones of tightly adherent platelets. Red blood cells (RBCs), mainly entrapped, squeezed, and polyhedral in shape, were distributed in scattered patches. Based on platelet morphology, any effect of RBCs on platelet activation extended for a short distance, ∼5 μm. In Syk inhibitor–treated mice, structural formation of an occlusion was strongly inhibited; infill was impaired, resulting in a highly porous clot rich in dispersedly aggregated discoid shaped platelets. Blood flow was normal, and inhibitor had no apparent effect on the structure of a femoral puncture wound clot. We suggest that BI 1002494 produced a selective inhibition of thrombus structure by depressing intraplatelet signaling below a crucial threshold in the high flow occlusion model, but not in the lower flow puncture wound model.
{"title":"The Syk inhibitor BI 1002494 impairs thrombus infill in a murine femoral artery occlusion without affecting hemostasis","authors":"Md. Omar Faruque , Irina D. Pokrovskaya , Kelly K. Ball , Michael W. Webb , Sung W. Rhee , Brian Storrie","doi":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Abstract</h3><div>Knowing structural organization of a clot at the single-cell level could lead to the development of drugs targeting specific structural features. We tested this premise in a murine femoral artery occlusion model using a narrow ferric chloride (FeCl<sub>3</sub>) application strip to limit induction intensity. Under these conditions, occlusive clot formation was sensitive to the spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitor BI 1002494, an indication of normative platelet response. Samples perpendicular or longitudinal to blood flow were imaged by montaged electron microscopy. Platelets were the predominant cell type. Tightly packed platelets were anchored to FeCl<sub>3</sub>-induced damaged portions of the vessel wall, and aggregates of tightly packed platelets extended inward. Overall, the clots had a structure in which loosely packed platelets, often discoid in shape and rich in α-granules, filled pockets within the clot surrounded by zones of tightly adherent platelets. Red blood cells (RBCs), mainly entrapped, squeezed, and polyhedral in shape, were distributed in scattered patches. Based on platelet morphology, any effect of RBCs on platelet activation extended for a short distance, ∼5 μm. In Syk inhibitor–treated mice, structural formation of an occlusion was strongly inhibited; infill was impaired, resulting in a highly porous clot rich in dispersedly aggregated discoid shaped platelets. Blood flow was normal, and inhibitor had no apparent effect on the structure of a femoral puncture wound clot. We suggest that BI 1002494 produced a selective inhibition of thrombus structure by depressing intraplatelet signaling below a crucial threshold in the high flow occlusion model, but not in the lower flow puncture wound model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100190,"journal":{"name":"Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis","volume":"2 4","pages":"Article 100108"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145519764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Validation of plasmin-cleaved VWF as a biomarker for microthrombosis in Japanese patients with acute immune-mediated TTP","authors":"Hinde El Otmani , Claudia Tersteeg , Karen Vanhoorelbeke , Masanori Matsumoto , Kazuya Sakai","doi":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100126","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":100190,"journal":{"name":"Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis","volume":"3 1","pages":"Article 100126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-28DOI: 10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100125
Muataz Ali Hamad , Nancy Schanze , Krystin Krauel , Achim Lother , Stefanie Perez-Feliz , Pia Iaconianni , Mark Zurek , Lama Almushkab , Josef Madl , Marie A. Hollenhorst , Peter Kohl , Thomas G. Nührenberg , Daniel Duerschmied
Abstract
Reticulated platelets are newly formed, RNA-rich platelets with heightened reactivity. Although elevated levels are observed after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, their functional contributions to postischemic pathology remains poorly defined. We aimed to determine whether reticulated platelets actively contribute to inflammation and repair following myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, rather than serving solely as biomarkers of platelet turnover. We generated Pf4-Cre:RiboTag mice, in which hemagglutinin-tagged ribosomal proteins are selectively expressed in megakaryocytes and platelets. Using hemagglutinin-based flow cytometry, we identified reticulated platelets without relying on nucleic acid dyes. Surface marker expression and agonist responsiveness were evaluated ex vivo. Bulk RNA sequencing was performed on sorted reticulated and non-reticulated platelets 48 hours after ischemia/reperfusion injury. Hemagglutinin-based detection revealed a time-dependent increase in circulating reticulated platelets after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion, confirmed by conventional dye-based methods. These platelets exhibited higher baseline expression of glycoprotein Ibα and greater agonist-induced activation of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and P-selectin. Transcriptomic profiling demonstrated enrichment of genes associated with platelet activation, cytoskeletal reorganization, and wound healing. Ligand-receptor analysis suggested interactions between reticulated platelets and cardiac endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages. In conclusion, reticulated platelets constitute a transcriptionally distinct, hyperreactive platelet subset that may modulate post–ischemia/reperfusion inflammation and tissue remodeling. This genetic model provides a platform for mechanistic studies and may inform therapeutic strategies targeting platelet-mediated responses in cardiovascular disease.
{"title":"A transgenic mouse model for reticulated platelet detection reveals expansion after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion","authors":"Muataz Ali Hamad , Nancy Schanze , Krystin Krauel , Achim Lother , Stefanie Perez-Feliz , Pia Iaconianni , Mark Zurek , Lama Almushkab , Josef Madl , Marie A. Hollenhorst , Peter Kohl , Thomas G. Nührenberg , Daniel Duerschmied","doi":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100125","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100125","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Abstract</h3><div>Reticulated platelets are newly formed, RNA-rich platelets with heightened reactivity. Although elevated levels are observed after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, their functional contributions to postischemic pathology remains poorly defined. We aimed to determine whether reticulated platelets actively contribute to inflammation and repair following myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, rather than serving solely as biomarkers of platelet turnover. We generated <em>Pf4-</em>Cre:RiboTag mice, in which hemagglutinin-tagged ribosomal proteins are selectively expressed in megakaryocytes and platelets. Using hemagglutinin-based flow cytometry, we identified reticulated platelets without relying on nucleic acid dyes. Surface marker expression and agonist responsiveness were evaluated ex vivo. Bulk RNA sequencing was performed on sorted reticulated and non-reticulated platelets 48 hours after ischemia/reperfusion injury. Hemagglutinin-based detection revealed a time-dependent increase in circulating reticulated platelets after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion, confirmed by conventional dye-based methods. These platelets exhibited higher baseline expression of glycoprotein Ibα and greater agonist-induced activation of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and P-selectin. Transcriptomic profiling demonstrated enrichment of genes associated with platelet activation, cytoskeletal reorganization, and wound healing. Ligand-receptor analysis suggested interactions between reticulated platelets and cardiac endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages. In conclusion, reticulated platelets constitute a transcriptionally distinct, hyperreactive platelet subset that may modulate post–ischemia/reperfusion inflammation and tissue remodeling. This genetic model provides a platform for mechanistic studies and may inform therapeutic strategies targeting platelet-mediated responses in cardiovascular disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100190,"journal":{"name":"Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis","volume":"3 1","pages":"Article 100125"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-28DOI: 10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100123
Rahul Rajala
Abstract
Insulin is produced in the pancreas and regulates blood glucose levels by binding to the insulin receptor (IR) thereby stimulating glucose uptake into cells. Inadequate insulin production or dysregulated IR signaling leads to diabetes. Most research, to date, has focused on enhancing insulin production or correcting impaired IR signaling in tissues of nutrient exchange, for example, muscle or fat. However, the transendothelial trafficking of insulin to target tissues is also crucial in regulating organismal responses to insulin. In fact, this process has been established as the rate-limiting step for glucose disposal. Initially, it was believed that the transendothelial trafficking of insulin was dependent on endothelial IR. Unfortunately, subsequent studies have demonstrated that mice lacking endothelial IR possess minimal changes in insulin sensitivity. These studies have contributed to the widespread belief that endothelial IR does not regulate insulin trafficking and insulin sensitivity. However, recent genetic studies from our laboratory, and others, have shown that enhancing endothelial IR activity improves insulin sensitivity. These studies underscore the crucial role of endothelial IR in regulating insulin trafficking and metabolism. Now that researchers have conclusively demonstrated the presence and function of IR on endothelial cells (ECs) in vivo, it is essential to clarify why this receptor has been so controversial. Additionally, this timely review aims to encourage vascular biology researchers to explore how endothelial IR is regulated and identify new roles for this receptor on ECs.
{"title":"From oversight to insight: the curious case of the endothelial insulin receptor","authors":"Rahul Rajala","doi":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100123","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100123","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Abstract</h3><div>Insulin is produced in the pancreas and regulates blood glucose levels by binding to the insulin receptor (IR) thereby stimulating glucose uptake into cells. Inadequate insulin production or dysregulated IR signaling leads to diabetes. Most research, to date, has focused on enhancing insulin production or correcting impaired IR signaling in tissues of nutrient exchange, for example, muscle or fat. However, the transendothelial trafficking of insulin to target tissues is also crucial in regulating organismal responses to insulin. In fact, this process has been established as the rate-limiting step for glucose disposal. Initially, it was believed that the transendothelial trafficking of insulin was dependent on endothelial IR. Unfortunately, subsequent studies have demonstrated that mice lacking endothelial IR possess minimal changes in insulin sensitivity. These studies have contributed to the widespread belief that endothelial IR does not regulate insulin trafficking and insulin sensitivity. However, recent genetic studies from our laboratory, and others, have shown that enhancing endothelial IR activity improves insulin sensitivity. These studies underscore the crucial role of endothelial IR in regulating insulin trafficking and metabolism. Now that researchers have conclusively demonstrated the presence and function of IR on endothelial cells (ECs) in vivo, it is essential to clarify why this receptor has been so controversial. Additionally, this timely review aims to encourage vascular biology researchers to explore how endothelial IR is regulated and identify new roles for this receptor on ECs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100190,"journal":{"name":"Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis","volume":"3 1","pages":"Article 100123"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-28DOI: 10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100120
Tahsin Özpolat , Daire A. Byrne , S. Lawrence Bailey , Aastha Chauhan , Julie A. Reisz , Hannah J. Johnson , Jennifer Doan , Maria Ronquillo , Reheman Adili , Xiaoyun Fu , Angelo D’Alessandro , Moritz Stolla
Abstract
The impact of the stored platelet extracellular environment on function and the ability of platelets to change their function upon transfer into in vivo environments remain poorly understood. Human platelets were stored ex vivo at 20°C to 24°C (room temperature–stored platelets [RTPs]) or 1°C to 6°C (cold-stored platelets [CSPs]) and tested for function in the concomitant storage plasma or fresh plasma. In mice, we tested platelet function after ex vivo storage in concomitant plasma and after transfusion to mice ex vivo and in vivo. We also investigated stored platelet-rich plasma before and after transfusion to mice for metabolomics by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. In in vitro, human RTPs showed a greater ability than CSPs to improve αIIbβ3 integrin activation upon dilution with fresh frozen plasma. Mouse RTPs’ in vitro integrin activation improved more than that for CSPs after transfusion. Surprisingly, in mice, CSPs facilitated significantly greater platelet accumulation than RTPs in vivo. In contrast, fibrin generation was significantly more robust in RTPs than in CSPs during the early stages of hemostasis. In mouse RTPs, more metabolites changed significantly upon transfusion than in mouse CSPs. Transfusion decreased carnitine species, fatty acid metabolites, and amino acids only in RTPs, whereas polyamines decreased only in CSPs. The recovery from storage-induced oxidative stress was more complete in RTPs than in CSPs. Our findings highlight the severe limitations of in vitro testing of stored platelets. Platelet-rich plasma undergoes profound changes in metabolomic composition following transfusion. We further demonstrate the ability of platelets to undergo marked changes upon transfusion in RTPs more so than CSPs.
{"title":"Transfusion-induced functional and metabolic shifts in stored platelets: limitations of in vitro assessment","authors":"Tahsin Özpolat , Daire A. Byrne , S. Lawrence Bailey , Aastha Chauhan , Julie A. Reisz , Hannah J. Johnson , Jennifer Doan , Maria Ronquillo , Reheman Adili , Xiaoyun Fu , Angelo D’Alessandro , Moritz Stolla","doi":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100120","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100120","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Abstract</h3><div>The impact of the stored platelet extracellular environment on function and the ability of platelets to change their function upon transfer into in vivo environments remain poorly understood. Human platelets were stored ex vivo at 20°C to 24°C (room temperature–stored platelets [RTPs]) or 1°C to 6°C (cold-stored platelets [CSPs]) and tested for function in the concomitant storage plasma or fresh plasma. In mice, we tested platelet function after ex vivo storage in concomitant plasma and after transfusion to mice ex vivo and in vivo. We also investigated stored platelet-rich plasma before and after transfusion to mice for metabolomics by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. In in vitro, human RTPs showed a greater ability than CSPs to improve α<sub>IIb</sub>β<sub>3</sub> integrin activation upon dilution with fresh frozen plasma. Mouse RTPs’ in vitro integrin activation improved more than that for CSPs after transfusion. Surprisingly, in mice, CSPs facilitated significantly greater platelet accumulation than RTPs in vivo. In contrast, fibrin generation was significantly more robust in RTPs than in CSPs during the early stages of hemostasis. In mouse RTPs, more metabolites changed significantly upon transfusion than in mouse CSPs. Transfusion decreased carnitine species, fatty acid metabolites, and amino acids only in RTPs, whereas polyamines decreased only in CSPs. The recovery from storage-induced oxidative stress was more complete in RTPs than in CSPs. Our findings highlight the severe limitations of in vitro testing of stored platelets. Platelet-rich plasma undergoes profound changes in metabolomic composition following transfusion. We further demonstrate the ability of platelets to undergo marked changes upon transfusion in RTPs more so than CSPs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100190,"journal":{"name":"Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis","volume":"3 1","pages":"Article 100120"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-28DOI: 10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100121
Olufunke Y. Martin , Rasa Borhan , Aliya U. Zaidi , Xiufeng Gao , Kaleab Ribbiso , Deepika S. Darbari , Patrick C. Hines , Andrew D. Campbell
{"title":"Acute pain in pediatric patients with SCD without chronic pain is associated with elevated VCAM-1 and P-selectin adhesion","authors":"Olufunke Y. Martin , Rasa Borhan , Aliya U. Zaidi , Xiufeng Gao , Kaleab Ribbiso , Deepika S. Darbari , Patrick C. Hines , Andrew D. Campbell","doi":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100121","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100121","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":100190,"journal":{"name":"Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis","volume":"3 1","pages":"Article 100121"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145836832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-28DOI: 10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100124
Fred Abala , Gordon Ogweno , Irene Nzamu , Eliud N. M. Njagi
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) remains a significant health care challenge associated with high burden or morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, often resulting from vaso-occlusion and ischemic stroke. In under-resourced communities, inaccessibility of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanning complicates screening; therefore, there is a need for hematological assays as accessible cost-effective alternatives to bridge the gap. This cross-sectional study involving 80 pediatric patients with SCD and 32 healthy controls focused on the von Willebrand factor (VWF)–a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) axis, considered to be involved in vaso-occlusion and ischemia in SCD. Using hematological assays, the study evaluated full blood count (FBC), VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), VWF activity (VWF:Act), and ADAMTS13 antigen levels in patients with SCD and healthy controls. The study revealed elevated neutrophil counts coupled with reduced red blood cell (RBC) counts, lower hemoglobin levels, elevated nucleated RBCs, and lower platelet counts in pediatric SCD phenotypes compared with those in healthy controls. VOC was associated with elevated VWF:Ag, normal VWF:Act, and normal ADAMTS13 antigen, whereas ischemic stroke cases showed no significant differences in VWF:Ag, VWF:Act, and ADAMTS13 antigen levels compared with those in the healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, patients with SCD in steady state had elevated ADAMTS13 antigen levels. These findings indicate chronic inflammation and hemolysis, likely sustained by neutrophil-linked proinflammatory mediators, might be involved in the dysregulation of the VWF-ADAMTS13 axis, increasing the risk of vaso-occlusion. Therefore, FBC, VWF:Ag, VWF:Act, and ADAMTS13 antigen may be used for risk stratification and the early diagnosis of pediatric SCD complications.
{"title":"Elevated VWF with normal ADAMTS13 in pediatric sickle cell disease: links to crises and ischemic stroke","authors":"Fred Abala , Gordon Ogweno , Irene Nzamu , Eliud N. M. Njagi","doi":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100124","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100124","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Abstract</h3><div>Sickle cell disease (SCD) remains a significant health care challenge associated with high burden or morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, often resulting from vaso-occlusion and ischemic stroke. In under-resourced communities, inaccessibility of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanning complicates screening; therefore, there is a need for hematological assays as accessible cost-effective alternatives to bridge the gap. This cross-sectional study involving 80 pediatric patients with SCD and 32 healthy controls focused on the von Willebrand factor (VWF)–a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) axis, considered to be involved in vaso-occlusion and ischemia in SCD. Using hematological assays, the study evaluated full blood count (FBC), VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), VWF activity (VWF:Act), and ADAMTS13 antigen levels in patients with SCD and healthy controls. The study revealed elevated neutrophil counts coupled with reduced red blood cell (RBC) counts, lower hemoglobin levels, elevated nucleated RBCs, and lower platelet counts in pediatric SCD phenotypes compared with those in healthy controls. VOC was associated with elevated VWF:Ag, normal VWF:Act, and normal ADAMTS13 antigen, whereas ischemic stroke cases showed no significant differences in VWF:Ag, VWF:Act, and ADAMTS13 antigen levels compared with those in the healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, patients with SCD in steady state had elevated ADAMTS13 antigen levels. These findings indicate chronic inflammation and hemolysis, likely sustained by neutrophil-linked proinflammatory mediators, might be involved in the dysregulation of the VWF-ADAMTS13 axis, increasing the risk of vaso-occlusion. Therefore, FBC, VWF:Ag, VWF:Act, and ADAMTS13 antigen may be used for risk stratification and the early diagnosis of pediatric SCD complications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100190,"journal":{"name":"Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis","volume":"3 1","pages":"Article 100124"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-28DOI: 10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100122
Naveen Subramanian , Hector Garcia Pleitez , Daniel Nguyen , Denái R. Milton , Partow Kebriaei , Elizabeth Shpall , Lee Cheng , Jing Lu , Shida Jin , Carol C. Wu , Rahul A. Sheth , Alessandra Ferrajoli , Katy M. Toale , Michael H. Kroll , Cristhiam M. Rojas-Hernandez
Abstract
The annual incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) may be 50-fold increased after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Such incidence data, as well as data that establish clinical variables resulting in this enhanced risk, have generally required manual chart review. This cumbersome process can be improved by natural language processing (NLP) algorithms designed to detect VTE in electronic medical record systems. We describe the development of an institutional NLP algorithm for VTE detection, and our evaluation of its performance in detecting VTE in patients who recently underwent HSCT. We retrospectively reviewed adult patients between 2016 and 2020. NLP assessed patient records for acute VTE within 100 days of HSCT, and manual chart review was performed for comparison. NLP sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. A total of 1300 electronic health records were analyzed. The 100-day VTE incidence rate as determined via manual chart review and NLP was 10.3% and 8.8%, respectively. NLP’s specificity, sensitivity, PPV, and NPV were >0.85. Of the 19 events not identified by NLP, all were found in radiology or vascular laboratory reports overlooked by NLP. These results demonstrate excellent performance of NLP for identifying VTE in HSCT patients. Future refinement of NLP, and its combination with other detection methods should provide better detection of VTE in this and other at-risk cohorts.
{"title":"Automated natural language processing to identify venous thromboembolism from diagnostic imaging reports","authors":"Naveen Subramanian , Hector Garcia Pleitez , Daniel Nguyen , Denái R. Milton , Partow Kebriaei , Elizabeth Shpall , Lee Cheng , Jing Lu , Shida Jin , Carol C. Wu , Rahul A. Sheth , Alessandra Ferrajoli , Katy M. Toale , Michael H. Kroll , Cristhiam M. Rojas-Hernandez","doi":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Abstract</h3><div>The annual incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) may be 50-fold increased after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Such incidence data, as well as data that establish clinical variables resulting in this enhanced risk, have generally required manual chart review. This cumbersome process can be improved by natural language processing (NLP) algorithms designed to detect VTE in electronic medical record systems. We describe the development of an institutional NLP algorithm for VTE detection, and our evaluation of its performance in detecting VTE in patients who recently underwent HSCT. We retrospectively reviewed adult patients between 2016 and 2020. NLP assessed patient records for acute VTE within 100 days of HSCT, and manual chart review was performed for comparison. NLP sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. A total of 1300 electronic health records were analyzed. The 100-day VTE incidence rate as determined via manual chart review and NLP was 10.3% and 8.8%, respectively. NLP’s specificity, sensitivity, PPV, and NPV were >0.85. Of the 19 events not identified by NLP, all were found in radiology or vascular laboratory reports overlooked by NLP. These results demonstrate excellent performance of NLP for identifying VTE in HSCT patients. Future refinement of NLP, and its combination with other detection methods should provide better detection of VTE in this and other at-risk cohorts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100190,"journal":{"name":"Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis","volume":"3 1","pages":"Article 100122"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100119
Cameron W. Rementer ∗ , Chong Li ∗ , Timothy C. Nichols , Xiaohe Cai , Julia Joo , Xuefeng Wang , Mark Kloos , Nneka George , Ting-Yen Chao , Yuanyi Xu , Mortimer Poncz , Hans D. Ochs , David J. Rawlings , Carol H. Miao
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HemA) is a genetic disease resulting from a factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. Traditional protein infusions to treat HemA are costly and inconvenient and require repeated dosing. We demonstrated previously that intraosseous (IO) gene therapy via delivery of lentiviral vectors (LVs) into bone marrow targeting FVIII expression in platelets successfully treated HemA mice. To facilitate the translation of this novel strategy to clinical application, we investigated the treatment of HemA dogs using IO gene therapy. The vesicular stomatitis virus–pseudotyped G-cF8-LV incorporating a platelet-specific promoter, Gp1bα, and canine F8 gene was injected into the tibia or iliac bones of 4 HemA dogs. All dogs recovered well from the procedure and had blood chemistry values within normal ranges. Canine FVIII can be detected in platelets with the highest expression ∼40 to 50 days after the procedure, and the expression persisted for the experimental duration in all treated dogs. Copy numbers of the transgene were persistently detected from the genomic DNA isolated from peripheral mononuclear blood cells. The shortened whole-blood clotting time and improved parameters evaluated through thromboelastography testing at multiple time points indicated improved hemostasis after gene therapy. Furthermore, the IO gene therapy was well tolerated and did not produce any toxicity in the treated dogs. Most significantly, the treated dogs experienced fewer bleeding events per year after gene therapy than before. Our study demonstrated a potentially safe and effective in vivo gene therapy strategy for treating people with HemA.
{"title":"Treatment of canine hemophilia A via intraosseous delivery of a platelet-specific factor VIII–lentiviral vector","authors":"Cameron W. Rementer ∗ , Chong Li ∗ , Timothy C. Nichols , Xiaohe Cai , Julia Joo , Xuefeng Wang , Mark Kloos , Nneka George , Ting-Yen Chao , Yuanyi Xu , Mortimer Poncz , Hans D. Ochs , David J. Rawlings , Carol H. Miao","doi":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100119","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bvth.2025.100119","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Abstract</h3><div>Hemophilia A (HemA) is a genetic disease resulting from a factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. Traditional protein infusions to treat HemA are costly and inconvenient and require repeated dosing. We demonstrated previously that intraosseous (IO) gene therapy via delivery of lentiviral vectors (LVs) into bone marrow targeting FVIII expression in platelets successfully treated HemA mice. To facilitate the translation of this novel strategy to clinical application, we investigated the treatment of HemA dogs using IO gene therapy. The vesicular stomatitis virus–pseudotyped G-cF8-LV incorporating a platelet-specific promoter, Gp1bα, and canine <em>F8</em> gene was injected into the tibia or iliac bones of 4 HemA dogs. All dogs recovered well from the procedure and had blood chemistry values within normal ranges. Canine FVIII can be detected in platelets with the highest expression ∼40 to 50 days after the procedure, and the expression persisted for the experimental duration in all treated dogs. Copy numbers of the transgene were persistently detected from the genomic DNA isolated from peripheral mononuclear blood cells. The shortened whole-blood clotting time and improved parameters evaluated through thromboelastography testing at multiple time points indicated improved hemostasis after gene therapy. Furthermore, the IO gene therapy was well tolerated and did not produce any toxicity in the treated dogs. Most significantly, the treated dogs experienced fewer bleeding events per year after gene therapy than before. Our study demonstrated a potentially safe and effective in vivo gene therapy strategy for treating people with HemA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100190,"journal":{"name":"Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis","volume":"3 1","pages":"Article 100119"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}