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Background: The ABO blood group system has been previously discussed as a risk factor to develop, as well as a prognostic factor in non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Controversial findings have been reported in different populations of RCC patients with rather short follow-up periods. In this study, we aimed to clarify the distribution and prognostic role of ABO blood groups upon 15 years of median follow-up in non-metastatic RCC patients., Materials and Methods: We evaluated the distribution and prognostic significance of ABO blood group system in two independent cohorts (n = 405 and n = 1473) of non-metastatic RCC patients, who underwent curative (partial or total) nephrectomy between 1998 and 2012 at two tertiary academic centers. Cancer-specific survival, metastasis-free survival, as well as overall survival (OS) were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method, univariable- and multivariable Cox regression models were applied, respectively., Results: In the two cohorts, blood groups were not associated with any clinical endpoints (for cohort 2: Cancer-specific survival (HR = 1.233; 95%CI 0.998-1.523, P = 0.052), metastasis-free survival (HR = 1.161; 95%CI 0.952-1.416, P = 0.142) and OS (HR = 1.037; 95%CI 0.890-1.208, P = 0.641), respectively). Compared to 250.298 healthy blood-donors of the Styrian state, the distribution of blood groups was (624 (42.4%) versus 106.861 (42.7%) in group A, 191 (13%) vs. 34.164 (13.7%) in group B, 575 (39%) versus 93.579 (37.4%) in group O and 83 (5.6%) vs. 15.694 (6.3%), P = 0.467)., Conclusion: In this large study with the longest period of follow-up reported to date, the ABO blood group system could not be validated as a prognostic factor in predicting important clinical endpoints in non-metastatic RCC patients., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None of the contributing authors have any conflicts of interest, including specific financial interests and relationships and affiliations relevant to the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A photochemical treatment (PCT) process has been developed to inactivate pathogens and white blood cells (WBCs) in therapeutic plasma. Process validation studies were performed in three European blood centers under routine operating conditions., Study Design and Methods: Each center prepared 30 apheresis and 30 to 36 whole blood-derived plasma units for PCT. Each whole blood-derived plasma unit contained a mixture of two to three matched donations. After removal of pretreatment control samples (control fresh-frozen plasma [C-FFP]), 546 to 635 mL of plasma was treated with 15 mL of 6 mmol per L amotosalen, 3 J per cm(2) UVA treatment, and removal of residual amotosalen with a compound adsorption device. After processing, plasma samples (PCT-FFP) were withdrawn, frozen at -60 degrees C within 8 hours of collection, and assayed for coagulation factors and residual amotosalen., Results: A total of 186 units of plasma were processed. The mean prothrombin time (12.2 +/- 0.6 sec) and activated partial thromboplastin time (32.1 +/- 3.2 sec) of PCT-FFP were slightly prolonged compared to C-FFP. Fibrinogen and Factor (F)VIII were most sensitive to PCT (26% mean reduction). PCT-FFP, however, retained sufficient levels of fibrinogen (217 +/- 43 mg/dL) and FVIII (97 +/- 29 IU/dL) for therapeutic plasma. Mean levels of FII, FV, FVII, F IX, FX, FXI, and FXIII in PCT-FFP were comparable to C-FFP (81%-97% retention of activity). Antithrombotic proteins were not significantly affected by PCT with retention ranging between 83 and 97 percent. Mean residual amotosalen levels were 0.6 +/- 0.1 micromol per L., Conclusion: Process validation studies in three European centers demonstrated retention of coagulation factors in PCT-FFP within the required European and respective national standards for therapeutic plasma.

The determination of CD4 cells is of crucial clinical importance for patients with AIDS. However, the high costs involved represent limitations for CD4 cell counting in developing countries. In order to provide an affordable technique, we introduced a simplified volumetric counting (SVC) technique without sample manipulations and investigated it in a multicentre study. Blood samples from 434 healthy donors and immunodeficient patients were tested in eight hospital laboratories in Europe, Africa and Asia. CD4 cell counts were compared using in-house flow cytometric methods and the SVC technique. The SVC method was performed on a low-cost flow cytometer (CyFlow SL, Partec, Münster, Germany) after 15 min antibody incubation without pre-analytic manipulations, such as washing or erythrocyte lysing procedures. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a correlation of r=0.942 (Europe), r=0.952 (Africa) and r=0.989 (Asia) between the SVC technique and the in-house methods. Bland Altman plot analysis of all patient data showed a mean bias between the two methods of +26 CD4 cells in favour of the SVC technique (measured range: 6-1905 cells/microl; median CD4 cell count: 388/microl). Three centres used the FACS-count technique (Becton-Dickinson, San José, Calif., USA) as an in-house method dispensing with pre-analytic manipulations. The comparison of SVC and FACS-count method revealed a mean bias of +32 CD4 cells/microl (median CD4 cell count: 349/microl). The accuracy of the SVC was tested on standards with known CD4 cell counts (n=6) and was shown to be 95.2%. The low-cost device and the simplified no-lyse, no-wash test procedure reduces the costs per determination and facilitates the use of flow cytometry in developing countries.