Massive circulating metastatic cells: A case of carcinocythemia.

Importance of careful differential diagnosis to make the distinction between carcinocythemia and acute leukemia or lymphoma.

Exacerbation of thromboinflammation by JAK2V617F mutation worsens the prognosis of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

ABSTRACT: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is an uncommon venous thromboembolic event accounting for <1% of strokes resulting in brain parenchymal injuries. JAK2V617F mutation, the most frequent driving mutation of myeloproliferative neoplasms, has been reported to be associated with worse clinical outcomes in patients with CVST. We investigated whether hematopoietic JAK2V617F expression predisposes to specific pathophysiological processes and/or worse prognosis after CVST. Using an in vivo mouse model of CVST, we analyzed clinical, biological, and imaging outcomes in mice with hematopoietic-restricted Jak2V617F expression, compared with wild-type Jak2 mice. In parallel, we studied a human cohort of JAK2V617F-positive or -negative CVST. Early after CVST, mice with hematopoietic Jak2V617F expression had increased adhesion of platelets and neutrophils in cerebral veins located in the vicinity of CVST. On day 1, Jak2V617F mice had a worse outcome characterized by significantly more frequent and severe intracranial hemorrhages (ICHs) and higher mortality rates. Peripheral neutrophil activation was enhanced, as indicated by higher circulating platelet-neutrophil aggregates, upregulated CD11b expression, and higher myeloperoxydase plasma level. Concurrently, immunohistological and brain homogenate analysis showed higher neutrophil infiltration and increased blood-brain barrier disruption. Similarly, patients with JAK2V617F-positive CVST tended to present higher thrombotic burden and had significantly higher systemic immune-inflammation index, a systemic thromboinflammatory marker, than patients who were JAK2V617F-negative. In mice with CVST, our study corroborates that Jak2V617F mutation leads to a specific pattern including increased thrombotic burden, ICH, and mortality. The exacerbated thromboinflammatory response, observed both in mice and patients positive for JAK2V617F, could contribute to hemorrhagic complications.

Autoantibodies against IFNα in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and susceptibility for infection: a retrospective case-control study.

IFNα and anti-IFNα autoantibodies have been implicated in susceptibility both for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and viral infection. We aimed to analyze the SLE disease phenotype and risk for infection associated with anti-IFN-α IgG autoantibodies in SLE patients In this multidisciplinary retrospective single referral center study, all consecutive patients with SLE admitted between January 1st and November 30th 2020 were considered. All subjects fulfilled the ACR/EULAR 2019 criteria for SLE. Anti-IFNα IgG autoantibodies were quantified at admission by ELISA. Demographic, medical history, laboratory, treatment, and outcome data were extracted from electronic medical records using a standardized data collection form. 180 patients [female 87.2%, median age of 44.4 (34-54.2) years] were included. The median disease duration was 10 years [4-20] with a median SLEDAI score of 2 [0-4] at study time. Fifty-four (30%) patients had a past-history of lupus nephritis. One hundred and forty-four (80%) had received long-term glucocorticoids and 99 (55%) immunosuppressive drugs. Overall, 127 infections-mostly bacterial and viral-were reported in 95 (52.8%) patients. Twenty SLE patients (11.1%) had positive anti-IFNα IgG autoantibodies with a titer ranging from 10 to 103 UA/mL. Age, sex, SLE phenotype and treatment did not significantly differ between SLE patients with or without anti-IFNα. Infection rate was similar in both groups except for tuberculosis which was more frequent in patients with anti-IFNα (20% vs. 3.1%, p = 0.01). The prevalence of autoantibodies against IFNα is high in SLE and associated with a higher frequency of tuberculosis.

A Diagnostic Solution for Lupus Anticoagulant Testing in Patients Taking Direct Oral FXa Inhibitors Using DOAC Filter.

Background: Direct oral factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors interfere with lupus anticoagulant (LA) assays challenging antiphospholipid syndrome diagnosis in treated patients. We evaluated a new device, called DOAC Filter, and its usefulness in this setting. It is a single-use filtration cartridge in which FXa inhibitor compounds are trapped by non-covalent binding while plasma is filtered through a solid phase. Patient samples were analyzed before and after filtration: 38 rivaroxaban, 41 apixaban, and 68 none. Anticoagulant plasma concentrations were measured using specific anti-Xa assays and HPLC-MS/MS. LA testing was performed using dilute Russell Viper Venom Time (dRVVT) and Silica Clotting Time (SCT). Baseline median [min-max] concentrations were 64.8 [17.6; 311.4] for rivaroxaban and 92.1 ng/mL [37.1; 390.7] for apixaban (HPLC-MS/MS). They were significantly correlated with anti-Xa assay results (r = 0.98 and r = 0.94, respectively). dRVVT was positive in 92% rivaroxaban and 72% apixaban and SCT in 28 and 41% of samples, respectively. Post-filtration, median % of neutralization was 100% with rivaroxaban and apixaban concentrations of, respectively, <2 [<2-2.4] and <2 ng/mL [<2-9.6] using HPLC-MS/MS. No significant effect of DOAC Filter was observed on LA testing in controls (n = 31) and LA-positive (n = 37) non-anticoagulated samples. dRVVT and SCT remained positive in, respectively, 16 and 8% of rivaroxaban and 41 and 18% of apixaban samples. DOAC Filter would be an easy-to-use device allowing FXa inhibitor removal from plasma samples, limiting their interference with LA testing in treated patients.