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Background: Immune checkpoints are involved in mechanisms by which tumours escape from the host immune system. Our aim was to evaluate acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients to determine expression levels of checkpoint molecules according to diagnosis and treatments, and to identify optimal candidates for checkpoint blockade. Methods: Bone marrow (BM) samples were obtained from 279 AML patients at different disease status and from 23 controls. Flow cytometric analyses of PD-1 and PD-L1/PD-L2 expression were performed. Results: Programmed death-1 (PD-1) expression levels on CD8+ T-cells at AML diagnosis were increased compared to controls. PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression levels on leukaemic cells at diagnosis were significantly higher in secondary AML than in de novo AML. PD-1 levels on CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells after allo-SCT were significantly higher than those at diagnosis and after CTx. PD-1 expression on CD8+ T-cells increased in the acute GVHD group than in the non-GVHD group. The overall survival of patients with high PD-1 expression on CD8+ T-cells was significantly shorter than that of patients with low PD-1 expression. Conclusions: In conclusion, patients who underwent allo-SCT exhibited high PD-1 expression, suggesting that allo-SCT increases PD-1 expression on T-cells, and the patients with high PD-1 expression on CD8+ T-cells after allo-SCT showed the poor prognosis. For these patients, PD-1 blockade could be an immunotherapeutic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 45 years, the discovery of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), which enhances the Raman scattering of molecules absorbed on or near nanostructured metal surfaces, has brought significant potential as a powerful spectroscopic and analytical technique for various fields of ultrasensitive sensing applications. In preference to rigid substrates, recent advances in the development of flexible SERS sensors have enabled the fulfillment of practical on-site sensing and diagnostic applications with rapid and efficient sampling approaches. In this review, we summarize and discuss the most recent developments in flexible SERS substrates for on-site sensing and diagnosis over the past 4 years. We highlight the three main categories of flexible SERS sensors based on their sampling methods, including drop-and-dry, collection/swabbing, and wearable/attachable approaches. The use of substrate materials and the design of sensing platforms for sampling regarding various targets are reviewed. Finally, we discuss the challenges and perspectives of flexible SERS sensors for future developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of polycythemia vera (PV) is important. The presence of JAK2 mutations is important in the diagnosis of PV, and serum levels of erythropoietin (EPO) also play a supporting role. However, serum EPO levels show some limitations. The neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are a readily available marker of inflammation. Thus, we examined whether NLR & PLR might diagnose PV in erythrocytosis patients. We compared NLR & PLR and EPO diagnostic values. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical and laboratory data from two referral hospitals. Two hundred and eighty‐five patients with erythrocytosis who underwent a test for the JAK2 mutation were included. It wac classified as the PV group and the secondary polycythemia (SP) group. Results: The median NLR & PLR in the PV group (n = 70) was significantly higher than that in the SP group (n = 170) (NLR: 6.04 vs. 1.77, PLR: 283.18 vs. 101.56, respectively, p < 0.001). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve of NLR & PLR was significantly higher than that of serum EPO (NLR vs EPO: 0.921 vs. 0.827, p = 0.003; PLR vs EPO: 0.917 vs 0.827, p = 0.003). Conclusion: In conclusion, NLR & PLR were higher in PV than in SP and showed better diagnostic value than serum EPO level, highlighting their potential as minor diagnostic criteria in patients with PV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]