Search

Data for COVID-19 vaccine response in patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are very limited. In a study of 28 patients with ITP, anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike antibody titres were measured after vaccination. The seroconversion rate for ITP patients was 91.3%, comparable to that in healthy controls (HCs). However, the antibody titre in ITP patients was significantly lower than that in HCs and declined with ageing. Furthermore, the antibody titre in ITP patients who received a minimum prednisolone dose of at least 5 mg/day at any time-point at or after initial vaccination was lower than that in other patients., (© 2022 The Authors. British Journal of Haematology published by British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Data on the response to the COVID-19 vaccine in patients with myeloid malignancy, who are at severe risk in case of infection, have not emerged. In a study of 69 patients with myeloid malignancies, including 46 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and 23 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 antibody titres were measured 3 months after the second mRNA-based vaccination. Seroconversion rates for AML and MDS were 94.7% and 100% respectively, with no significant difference from healthy controls (HCs). Patients with MDS showed a significantly lower antibody titre than that in HCs or AML patients. In AML patients, the antibody titres were comparable to those in HCs when treatment was completed, but lower in patients under maintenance therapy. The response to COVID-19 vaccine appears to be related to disease and treatment status. Patients with myeloid malignancies may be more responsive to vaccines than patients with lymphoid malignancies., (© 2022 The Authors. British Journal of Haematology published by British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The effect of methoxamine, an alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist, on ischemic neuronal damage was studied in the gerbil. The animals were subjected to 5 min of ischemia by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion. Morphological changes and calcium accumulation were evaluated in the CA1 sector of the hippocampus after 7 days of survival. The degree of ischemic neuronal damage and calcium accumulation in the methoxamine-treated groups were significantly attenuated compared with the saline-treated ischemic group. The results suggest that alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation prevents ischemic neuronal damage.

The CA 1 neurons in the gerbil hippocampus exhibiting necrosis with delayed onset following 5 min ischemia were reduced markedly by the systemic administration of dihydroergotoxine mesylate (Hydergine; HYG). Immediately after 5 min of forebrain ischemia, the animals were injected intraperitoneally with HYG. Seven days after ischemia, perfusion-fixed brains were processed by conventional histology. The number of neurons per millimeter in the CA 1 pyramidal cell layer were calculated and they were labelled neuronal density. In the control group, the neuronal density was 66.03 +/- 7.37 (mean +/- SEM), in the vehicle group, it was 11.25 +/- 4.93. The neuronal density in the HYG group was 69.19 +/- 6.49. The difference in the neuronal density between the HYG group and the control group was not statistically significant. These data indicate that HYG protects on the CA 1 neurons, and this suggest that the suppression of adrenoceptors by this drugs may be the main mechanism of action. This morphologic outcome may explain the functional amelioration of mental impairment by HYG.