Dogs may carry Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major in their blood circulation: a molecular and hematological study.

BACKGROUND: Dogs may be infected with species of Leishmania parasites that are disseminated through blood circulation and invade the internal organs. In this study, we aim to detect the parasite in the blood of dogs using the PCR technique. The present work was performed from February 2022 to May 2023 in Fars Province, southern Iran, where the disease is endemic. RESULTS: In total, 7(5.1%) out of 135 blood samples, six were identified as Leishmania tropica and one as Leishmania major. We found no trace of Leishmania infantum, which is always known for visceral infection. In addition, no sign of cutaneous lesions or a significant disease was seen in the animals infected with both species. Of 48 dogs with anemia, two were Leishmania positive. The mean value of hematological parameters in the infected dogs was within the normal range except for a significant reduction in the platelet measures (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data revealed that both Leishmania species, tropica and major, may manifest as viscerotropic leishmaniasis. More investigations are needed to understand the conditions under which these species choose the type of infection. Moreover, our data emphasize the role of asymptomatic dogs in carrying these parasites, a crucial factor in spreading the disease.

Predictive value of hematologic parameters and clinicopathological features of poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) are rare, aggressive thyroid cancers with poor prognosis. At present, there are a limited number of research reports on PDTC and ATC. The study aimed to analysis the predictive value of hematologic parameters and clinicopathological features of PDTC and ATC. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 67 patients at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital from 2007 to 2019. We analyzed the clinicopathological features and survival outcomes of PDTC and ATC. RESULTS: This study showed that positive D-dimer, a high NLR, and a high PLR were more common in death patients. At the end of follow-up, 22 (32.8%) patients were alive at the time of study and 45 (67.2%) patients died from thyroid carcinoma. Disease-related death rates were 93.8% in ATC and 42.9% in the PDTC group. The median overall survival (OS) was 2.5 (0.3-84) months for patients with ATC, and 56 (3-113) months of PDTC patients. Univariate analysis showed that age at diagnosis and surgery were associations with OS in ATC patients, what's more, age at diagnosis, a high NLR, a high PLR, and positive D-dimer were associations with OS in PDTC patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that age at diagnosis was an independent association with OS in ATC patients. CONCLUSIONS: The hematologic parameters and clinicopathological features may provide predictive value of prognosis for patients with PTDC and ATC.

Key cytokines and hematological parameters in patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Hodeidah, Yemen.

Immunity to malaria has a major role in controlling disease and pathogenesis with cytokine production being involved in almost every phase of the immune response. The present study aimed to assess hematological variables and to measure plasma levels of TNFα, IFNγ and IL10, their ratios, and their relation to parasitemia among patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Hodeidah, Yemen. Forty patients with uncomplicated P. falciparum monoinfection and 40 healthy age and sex-matched controls were enrolled in the study. Parasitological diagnosis was confirmed, and parasite density was estimated. Plasma cytokine levels, hematologic parameters, and the presence of gametocytes were determined. Results revealed higher TNFα, IFNγ and IL10 in patients than in controls. A relatively higher IL10 production was demonstrated by the significantly lower TNFα/IL10 and IFNγ/IL10 ratios in patients than in controls. TNFα and IL10 correlated positively with parasite density. Lower Hb levels, RBC, lymphocyte and platelet counts, and higher neutrophil and reticulocyte counts were observed in patients compared to controls. Reticulocyte count was higher and IFNγ level was lower in the presence of gametocytes. Conclusively, uncomplicated falciparum malaria is associated with the ability to regulate the production of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. This mediates parasite clearance while simultaneously avoiding severe pathology.

Clinical value of circulating tumor cells and hematological parameters in 617 Chinese patients with colorectal cancer: retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been a non-invasive technique which allows investigation of tumor characteristics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between circulating tumor cells and colorectal cancer. METHODS: The clinical data of 617 patients with colorectal cancer from October 2019 to March 2022 were retrospectively collected to analyze the correlation between CTCs and clinicopathologic characteristics. RESULTS: The CTCs value increased with the progression of Tumor(T) stage,Metastasis(M) stage and Tumor Node Metastasis(TNM) stage (P < 0.05), but not with Node (N) stage (P > 0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that CTCs, CEA, CA125 and CA199 were independent risk factors for CRC metastasis. Compared with CTCs, CEA, CA125 and CA199, the Logistic model had the highest AUC (AUC = 0.778,95%CI: 0.732-0.824), and the specificity and sensitivity were 82.9% and 63.2%, respectively. After operation, chemo-radiotherapy and other treatment for CRC, CTCs and CEA were significantly decreased compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). In addition, Spearman Correlation showed significant correlation between CTCs and IgG (P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: CTCs, CEA, CA125 and CA199 were independent risk factors for CRC metastasis.CTCs can be used for the prediction of tumur metastasis, and the evaluation of therapeutic effect.

Association of arsenic exposure and clinical hematological changes during pregnancy: Findings from a prospective Wuhan birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Animal studies have reported arsenic-induced disturbed erythropoiesis parameters. However, the effects of exposure to arsenic on hematological parameters among pregnant women are unclear. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate trimester-specific associations between arsenic metabolites and erythropoietic parameters measured repeatedly during pregnancy. METHODS: A total of 1945 pregnant women from a birth cohort study were included. We detected arsenic species in urine sampled at each trimester and extracted erythropoietic parameters in different trimesters from the medical records. We used linear regressions with generalized estimating equations (GEEs) to examine the relationship between arsenic metabolites concentrations at different trimesters and erythropoietic parameters. We utilized GEEs to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for anemia during pregnancy. RESULTS: Adjusted trimester-specific analysis showed that higher monomethylated arsenic (MMA) and %MMA were related to remarkably reduced hemoglobin (Hb) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). Additionally, elevated urinary MMA concentration and %MMA in the early trimester were associated with an increased risk of microcytic anemias in the late trimester. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated a significant inverse relationship between gestational arsenic exposure and Hb and MCH. Notably, higher MMA and lower methylation capacity to metabolize inorganic arsenic (iAs) in early pregnancy might increase the likelihood of microcytic anemia among pregnant women in late pregnancy.

Petiveria alliacea Reduces Tumor Burden and Metastasis and Regulates the Peripheral Immune Response in a Murine Myeloid Leukemia Model.

The poor response, adverse effects and drug resistance to treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have led to searching for safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives. We previously demonstrated that the alcoholic extract of Petiveria alliacea (Esperanza) has a significant in vitro antitumor effect on other tumor cells and also the ability to regulate energy metabolism. We evaluated the effect of the Esperanza extract in vitro and in vivo in a murine model of AML with DA-3/ER-GM cells. First, a chemical characterization of the extract was conducted through liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. In vitro findings showed that the extract modulates tumor metabolism by decreasing glucose uptake and increasing reactive oxygen species, which leads to a reduction in cell proliferation. Then, to evaluate the effect of the extract in vivo, we standardized the mouse model by injecting DA-3/ER-GM cells intravenously. The animals treated with the extract showed a lower percentage of circulating blasts, higher values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets, less infiltration of blasts in the spleen, and greater production of cytokines compared to the control group. These results suggest that the antitumor activity of this extract on DA-3/ER-GM cells can be attributed to the decrease in glycolytic metabolism, its activity as a mitocan, and the possible immunomodulatory effect by reducing tumor proliferation and metastasis.

A Hematological and Histopathological Study on Diphenhydramine Nasal Nano-gel and Nano-emulgel for the Management of Allergic Rhinitis in Animal Model.

The study aims to determine histamine efficacy on hematologic values in experimental animal model, under physiological and pathological conditions after inducing diphenhydramine-formulated nasal nano-gel/nano-emulgel in comparison with conventional nasal spray regime. In this study, we conducted experiment on New Zealand white male rabbits to prove our hypothesis that nasal diphenhydramine nano-gel and nano-emulgel can penetrate the nasal mucosa faster to show drug response and subside histaminic symptoms than market nasal spray (as reference). Blood samples from 48 New Zealand white male rabbits, under both experimental conditions (physiological and pathological) divided into four groups for each (n = 6) were investigated after inducing each dosage form intranasally. Hematologic parameters (WBCs, RBCs, HGB, PLTs, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, granulocyte counts) were analyzed in whole blood samples, collected at different time intervals. ANOVA and completely randomized design (CRD) were applied for statistical analysis. Histopathologically, nasal tissues of all groups were analyzed to see intramucosal surface changes. Data of descriptive statistics of hematological parameters analyzed at confidence level 95% showed that under physiological condition, hematological parameters of all groups were lying in normal range, whereas under pathological condition, low values of all hematological parameters were observed in all groups due to allergenic condition. The groups B (allergenic rabbits treated with formulated diphenhydramine nasal nano-gel) and C (allergenic rabbits treated with formulated diphenhydramine nasal nano-emulgel) have shown good changes in the treatment of allergenic rabbits as compared to group D (allergenic rabbits treated with formulated diphenhydramine nasal spray). The completely randomized ANOVA and Tukey HSD all-pairwise comparison tests of hematological parameters were applied that showed all groups in both studies were significantly different from each other. It was observed after histopathological study of nasal membrane tissues that change in mucosa has occurred due to the passage of drug. In summary, hematological profile and histopathological study have demonstrated the comparable results with conventional diphenhydramine nasal spray and formulated diphenhydramine nasal nano-gel/nano-emulgel which can exhibit considerable drug delivery dosage forms in the management of allergic rhinitis in animal model.

IMPACT OF AIR TRANSPORT ON BLOOD SAMPLE QUALITY.

The aim of this study was to establish the impact of air transport on blood samples packaged with and without cooling elements and effect of outdoor temperature on sample quality. Venous samples from 38 blood donors in winter and 36 in summer were tested for hemolysis and complete blood count. One tube per subject was kept in controlled conditions at +4 °C. Two sets of tubes were sent by plane from Zagreb to Brussels, one with and one without cooling elements, and another two sets were sent to London following the same principle. Packages with cooling elements were stored in controlled warehousing conditions at airports (+2 °C to +8 °C), whereas packages without cooling elements were stored in ambient warehouse conditions. Data loggers were used for temperature monitoring. Our research revealed statistically significant differences in several hematologic parameters when comparing the samples stored in controlled laboratory conditions and those transported by plane. These differences were more pronounced in the samples transported during the summer. Transport conditions without cooling elements had additional negative impact on the sample quality. Transport of samples using cooling elements and controlled warehousing conditions at airports are sometimes not sufficient to maintain laboratory storage conditions.

Importance of hematological parameters for micro- and macrovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes: the Rio de Janeiro type 2 diabetes cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic importance of several hematological parameters has been scarcely investigated in type 2 diabetes. So, we aimed to evaluate their prognostic importance for development of complications in a cohort of type 2 diabetes. METHODS: In a prospective study, 689 individuals with type 2 diabetes had blood red cell, platelet and leukocyte parameters obtained at baseline. Multivariate Cox analyses examined the associations between several hematological parameters (including neutrophyl-to-lymphocyte, lymphocyte-to-monocyte, platelet-to-lymphocyte, and monocyte-to-HDL ratios) and the occurrence of microvascular (retina, renal and peripheral neuropathy) and cardiovascular complications (total cardiovascular events [CVEs], and major adverse CVEs [MACEs]), and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Improvements in risk discrimination were assessed by C-statistics and Integrated Discrimination Improvement (IDI) index. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 10.5 years, 212 patients had a CVE (174 MACEs), 264 patients died (131 cardiovascular deaths); 206 had a renal, 161 a retinopathy and 179 patients had a neuropathy outcome. In multivariate-adjusted analyses, the lymphocytes count and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio were protective (hazard ratios [HRs]: 0.77 and 0.72, respectively), whereas the neutrophyl-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios were associated with increased risks (HRs: 1.19 and 1.17) for all-cause mortality. For cardiovascular mortality, the monocytes count, the neutrophyl-to-lymphocyte and monocyte-to-HDL ratios were associated with increased risks and the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio was protective. Higher lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio was protective for renal failure outcome. However, none of them improved risk discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: Low lymphocytes count and leukocyte ratios that mainly included lymphocytes were predictors of macrovascular complications and mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes. However, they did not improve risk prediction over traditional risk factors.

Hematologic parameters as predictive markers in pediatric Bell's palsy.

PURPOSE: To analyze various hematological parameters in pediatric population with Bell's palsy (BP) and to determine the most valuable parameter as a prognostic marker. METHODS: Fifty-nine patients with BP under 18 years were enrolled, and patients were divided into three groups: recovery group (49 cases), non-recovery group (10 cases) and controls (65 healthy children). Age, white blood cell (WBC), hemoglobin (Hbg), mean platelet volume (MPV), red cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) were determined and compared between groups. Additionally, the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was carried out, and the most valuable marker to demonstrate the prognosis among these parameters was investigated. RESULTS: While mean age was found as 10.69 ± 5.76 years, 28 (47.5%) female and 31 (52.5%) male pediatric patients were determined to be followed up due to BP in our hospital. When such parameters age, mean Hbg, MPV and RDW were examined, no significant difference was detected between groups. However, compared controls with recovery and non-recovery groups, WBC, NLR, PLR and CAR were found to be significantly higher, respectively (p < 0.05). Median CAR and NLR values were found to be significantly higher in non-recovery group, compared to those in recovery group (p = 0.001, p = 0.012, respectively). However, when median WBC and PLR were examined between recovery and non-recovery groups, no significant difference was observed (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: High NLR and CAR values in pediatric BP may be related to poor prognosis in such patients. CAR, however, is a more valuable parameter than NLR in terms of indicating poor prognosis.

The effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields exposure at 1 mT on hemogram and blood biochemisgtry in rats.

The biological effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) exposure are not fully clarified. We conducted this investigation to explore the effects of ELF-EMF on hematologic and biochemical indexes in adult rats. Thirty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to ELF-EMF at 1 mT for 24 weeks, while another 30 SD rats were sham exposed. During the exposure, peripheral blood was collected every 4 weeks to analyze the hematologic parameters and biochemical indexes. The morphology of liver and kidney was detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining at the end of the experiment. Exposed to ELF-EMF at 1 mT did not exert any statistic difference on hematologic parameters including total white blood cell count, neutrophil ratio, lymphocyte ratio, red blood cells, hemoglobin concentration and platelets count, compared to the control group. Similarly, biochemical indexes, such as glucose, lipid profile, liver function and renal function, were not affected by ELF-EMF exposure. In addition, no morphological change was observed in the liver and kidney from the exposure group. The exposure to ELF-EMF at the intensity of 1 mT for 24 weeks did not affect hematologic and biochemical indexes in adult rats.

Influence of benzene exposure, fat content, and their interactions on erythroid-related hematologic parameters in petrochemical workers: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Ubiquitously distributed benzene is a known hematotoxin. Increasing evidence has suggested that erythroid-related hematologic parameters may be sensitive to benzene exposure. Fat content, which is also closely associated with erythroid-related hematologic parameters, may affect the distribution and/or metabolism of benzene, and eventually benzene-induced toxicity. METHODS: To explore the influence of benzene exposure, fat content, and their interactions on erythroid-related hematologic parameters, we recruited 1669 petrochemical workers and measured their urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA) concentration and erythroid-related hematological parameters. Indices for fat content included body fat percentage (BF%), plasma total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG), and occurrence of fatty liver. RESULTS: The dose-response curve revealed U-shaped nonlinear relationships of SPMA with hematocrit (HCT) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (P-overall < 0.001, and P-nonlinear < 0.015), as well as positive linear associations and r-shaped nonlinear relationships of continuous fat content indices with erythroid-related hematological parameters (P-overall ≤0.005). We also observed modification effects of fat content on the associations between benzene exposure and erythroid-related hematological parameters, with workers of lower or higher BF% and TG more sensitive to benzene-induced elevation of MCHC (Pinteraction = 0.021) and benzene-induced decrease of HCT (Pinteraction = 0.050), respectively. We also found that some erythroid-related hematologic parameters differed between subgroups of workers with different SPMA levels and fat content combination. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that benzene exposure, fat content, and their interactions may affect erythroid-related hematological parameters in petrochemical workers in a complex manner that are worthy of further investigation.

Association of long term exposure to outdoor volatile organic compounds (BTXS) with pro-inflammatory biomarkers and hematologic parameters in urban adults: A cross-sectional study in Tabriz, Iran.

This study aimed to compare the hematologic variables and pro-inflammatory biomarkers in urban adults living in Tabriz, Iran, facing various levels of outdoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Of all 219 people (212 male and 7 female), 71 were from the low traffic area and 148 were from high traffic and industrial areas. To validate the exposure levels, 93 air samples were taken to determine the target VOCs (benzene, toluene, xylenes, and styrene collectively called BTXS) concentrations in the studied areas. ANOVA and Tukey's tests were used for statistical analysis. Based on the results, significant differences were observed between the mean concentrations of BTXS with the following order of abundance: industrial > high traffic > low traffic. The Considerable decrease was observed in red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin, hematocrit, and eosinophils of 0.324 ( × 106/µL), 0.57 g/dL, 1.87%, and 0.17 ( × 103/µL), respectively in industrial area participants as compared to the low traffic area. However, a significant increase was observed in white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophils number, neutrophils percent, TNF-α and INF-γ of 0.88 ( × 103/µL), 0.80 ( × 103/µL), 3.53%, 34.2 ng/mL, and 40.06 ng/mL, respectively in the same groups. The comparison of low and high traffic areas showed significant differences in RBC (p = 0.034), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) (p < 0.001), and interferon gamma (INF-γ) (p < 0.001). On the contrary, no significant difference was observed in TNF-α and INF-γ among the high traffic and industrial areas. In conclusion, the results showed that the samples from high traffic and industrial areas were regularly exposed to higher values of BTXS due to traffic and industrial pollutants as compared to the samples residing in low traffic regions. Based on the results living in both high traffic and industrial regions can increase adverse effects on hematologic parameters and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Reference database of hematological parameters for growing and aging rats.

The normal hematological values in various phases of the rat life provide a valuable guide to researchers and could be useful for experimental works. However, database information available on the literature are incomplete. AIM: This study aimed to present normal hematological parameters of young and aged rats. METHODS: Male and female rats were distributed into seven experimental groups with 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Blood samples taken from the tails were analyzed. Normal hematological values were determined for each age group. RESULTS: Rats showed a progressive weight gain with advancing age, predominantly after 3 months of life. With advancing age, differences were found on hematological parameters: some of them showed a progressive rise with age and others did not. Hemoglobin levels and hematocrit did not change while the number of circulating red blood cells suffered slight increase. CONCLUSION: The present study determined the normal values for absolute and relative hematological parameters in Wistar rats from 2 to 24 months for male and female rats. The results can be used in studies of effects of aging, feeding, and medications on growing and aging rats.

Hematologic parameters as the predictors for metabolic syndrome in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women living in urban area: a preliminary report.

INTRODUCTION: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases drastically during menopausal transition. Chronic inflammation is proposed as the basic pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome (MetS). AIM OF THE STUDY: To compare mean white blood cell count between perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with and without MetS and find the prevalence of MetS in this patient group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 140 healthy perimenopausal and postmenopausal women were interviewed and underwent anthropometric measurements, biochemical investigations for MetS and hematologic parameters. MetS was defined according to the Joint Interim Statement 2009 criteria. The outcome measures were the hematologic parameters between women with and without MetS, correlation of hematologic parameters with MetS components and optimum cutoff for MetS prediction. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 50 years. 63.6% were perimenopausal and 36.4% were postmenopausal ones. The prevalence of MetS was 21.4% (95% CI: 15.0-27.9). The women with MetS had a significantly higher level of white blood cell (WBC) counts (7,466.7 and 6,514.6; p = 0.006) and total lymphocyte counts (2,572.0 and 2,207.7; p = 0.003). The optimum cutoff of WBC counts and total lymphocyte counts for prediction of metabolic syndrome was 6,750 cells/ml (sensitivity = 0.633; specificity = 0.591, p = 0.019) and 2,232 cells/ml (sensitivity = 0.667; specificity = 0.518, p = 0.016), respectively. CONCLUSION: White blood cell and total lymphocyte counts were higher in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with MetS. However, both hematologic parameters were poor predictors for MetS in peri- and postmenopausal women.

Development and validation of a model for predicting the risk of prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal hematologic parameters before patients undergoing prostate biopsy play a pivotal role in guiding the surgical management of prostate cancer (PCa) incidence. This study aims to establish the first nomogram for predicting PCa risk for better surgical management. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the data including basic information, preoperative hematologic parameters, and imaging examination of 540 consecutive patients who underwent transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy for elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in our medical center between 2017 and 2021. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for PCa occurrence, and the nomogram was constructed to predict PCa occurrence. Finally, the data including 121 consecutive patients in 2022 were prospectively collected to further verify the results. RESULTS: In retrospective analyses, univariate and multivariate logistic analyses identified that three variables including age, diabetes, and De Ritis ratio (aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase, AST/ALT) were determined to be significantly associated with PCa occurrence. A nomogram was constructed based on these variables for predicting the risk of PCa, and a satisfied predictive accuracy of the model was determined with a C-index of 0.765, supported by a prospective validation group with a C-index of 0.736. The Decision curve analysis showed promising clinical application. In addition, our results also showed that the De Ritis ratio was significantly correlated with the clinical stage of PCa patients, including T, N, and M stages, but insignificantly related to the Gleason score. CONCLUSIONS: The increased De Ritis ratio was significantly associated with the risk and clinical stage of PCa and this nomogram with good discrimination could effectively improve individualized surgical management for patient underdoing prostate biopsy.

Tracking bioaerosol exposure among municipal solid waste workers using hematological and inflammatory biomarkers.

High levels of bioaerosols may exist in the air of municipal solid waste (MSW) management facilities, constituting a significant occupational hazard for workers. In this study, we investigated the potential association between exposure to bioaerosols and inflammatory biomarkers among municipal solid waste workers (MSWWs) at both the landfill site and the municipal solid waste transfer station (MSWTS), in comparison to a control group without exposure. Air sampling was conducted at six points around the landfill, two points at the MSWTS, and one point in a public park (as a control area) during the spring and summer of 2019. The results of our study revealed that airborne pathogens were highly prevalent at the sampling points, especially in the active zone and leachate collection pond. Aspergillus species were the predominant fungal species detected in this study, with the highest occurrence observed for Aspergillus flavus (83.3%), Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus fumigatus (75.0%). Furthermore, Staphylococcus species accounted for over 75% of the total bacterial bioaerosols detected across all study areas. The blood test results of workers revealed a significant increase in platelets (PLT), immunoglobulin G (IgG), white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, basophils, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) compared to the control group. Conversely, platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) in the exposed subjects exhibited a decreasing trend compared to the control group. These findings suggest a potential association between exposure to bioaerosols, particularly in the vicinity of open dumpsites, and elevated levels of hematologic and inflammatory markers in circulation. Furthermore, the influence of smoking status and confounding factors appears to be significant in both the control and exposure groups.

The association of preoperative hematologic parameters with short-term clinical outcomes in rectal cancer: A feature importance analysis.

BACKGROUND: Various hematologic parameters have been proposed as prognostic factors in rectal cancer management, but data are conflicting and unclear. This study is designed to investigate the prognostic factor capability of preoperative hematologic parameters with postoperative morbidities and mortality in rectal cancer patients undergoing curative resection. METHODS: All 200 consecutive rectal cancer patients diagnosed at Ghaem University Hospital from 2017 to 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and machine learning (ML) algorithms of Random Forest, Recursive Feature Elimination, simulated annealing, Support Vector Machine, Decision Tree, and eXtreme Gradient Boosting were administered to investigate the role of preoperative hematologic parameters accompanied by baseline characteristics on three clinical outcomes including surgical infectious complications, recurrence, and death. RESULTS: The frequency of infectious complications was correlated with the surgical procedure, while tumor recurrence was significantly influenced by T stage and N stage. In terms of mortality, alongside T and N stage, the status of resection margin involvement was significantly correlated. Based on the ROC analysis, the NLR >2.69, MPV ≤9 fL, and PDW ≤10.5 fL were more classified patients to mortality status. Likewise, the PLT >220 109/L, MPV ≤9 fL, PDW ≤10.4 fL, and PLR >13.6 were correlated with recurrence. However, all factors examined in this study were not significant classifiers for the outcome of surgical infectious complications. The results of ML algorithms were also in line with ROC analysis. CONCLUSION: According to the results of both ROC analysis and ML models, preoperative hematologic parameters are considerable prognostic factors of postoperative outcomes in rectal cancer patients, and are recommended to be monitored by clinicians to prevent unfavorable outcomes.

CT-based radiomics combined with hematologic parameters for survival prediction in locally advanced esophageal cancer patients receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of radiomics in conjunction with hematological parameters in relation to the overall survival (OS) of individuals diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) following definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT). METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, a total of 122 patients with locally advanced ESCC were included. These patients were randomly assigned to either the training cohort (n = 85) or the validation cohort (n = 37). In the training group, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was utilized to choose the best radiomic features for calculating the Rad-score. To develop a nomogram model, both univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify the clinical factors and hematologic parameters that could predict the OS. The performance of the predictive model was evaluated using the C-index, while the accuracy was assessed through the calibration curve. RESULTS: The Rad-score was calculated by selecting 10 radiomic features through LASSO regression. OS was predicted independently by neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio (NMR) and Rad-score according to the results of multivariate analysis. Patients who had a Rad-score > 0.47 and an NMR > 9.76 were at a significant risk of mortality. A nomogram was constructed using the findings from the multivariate analysis. In the training cohort, the nomogram had a C-index of 0.619, while in the validation cohort, it was 0.573. The model's accuracy was demonstrated by the calibration curve, which was excellent. CONCLUSION: A prognostic model utilizing radiomics and hematologic parameters was developed, enabling the prediction of OS in patients with ESCC following dCRT. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Patients with esophageal cancer who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy may benefit from including CT radiomics in the nomogram model. KEY POINTS: • Predicting the prognosis of ESCC patients before treatment is particularly important. • Patients with a Rad-score > 0.47 and neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio > 9.76 had a high risk of mortality. • CT-based radiomics nomogram model could be used to predict the survival of patients.

Hematology and Serum Biochemistry of Coastal Seabirds Rehabilitated on the Southeastern and Southern Coast of Brazil.

Complete blood counts (n=566) and serum biochemistry (n=426) were assessed in seven coastal seabirds species that underwent rehabilitation along the southeastern and southern coast of Brazil from Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro State (22°56'16.44″S, 42°18'24.16″W) to Laguna, Santa Catarina State (28°29'43″S, 48°45'39.2″W), from August 2016 to August 2020. Blood samples were collected from four species of Charadriiformes, including Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus, n=136), South American Tern (Sterna hirundinacea, n=25), Cabot's Tern (Thalasseus acuflavidus, n=17), and Common Tern (Sterna hirundo, n=14) as well as three species of Suliformes, the Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster, n=212), Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens, n=104), and Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum, n=58). The individuals were sampled as part of the protocol required before their release into the wild when considered healthy. This work aimed to establish the normal hematologic and biochemical reference values of those seabird species and, when possible, to analyze variations among age class and sex and to compare those with the available data in the literature. In addition, we provide the first baseline data for the South American Tern, Cabot's Tern, and Neotropic Cormorant. Baseline hematologic data are crucial for assessing health status of individuals and to support management and conservation actions, including release of seabirds into the wild.