Serena Valsami - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Serena Valsami

Precision Oncology: Circulating Microvesicles as New Biomarkers in a Very Early Stage of Colorectal Cancer

Cancers, May 20, 2024

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in blood donors in Greece

Vox Sanguinis, Jan 6, 2014

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, apart from its occurrence in endemic countries, has also drawn... more Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, apart from its occurrence in endemic countries, has also drawn attention the past years in industrialized countries. Sporadic cases of HEV in developed countries are linked to a history of travel in endemic regions or to consumption of undercooked pork and wild boar/deer products. Recent studies among healthy blood donors from European countries have reported rates of HEV seroprevalence ranging from 2 6% to 20 6%. In the literature, there are documented cases of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis E infection and the recipient’s predisposition, and immune status determines the clinical outcome [1]. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of HEV among blood donors in Greece, which is unknown. We analysed blood donor samples collected in the ‘Aretaieion’ Hospital’s Blood Bank, in Athens for the presence of anti-HEV IgG antibodies, using the HEV IgG Kit (EIAgen; Adaltis Inc, Milan, Italy). The study was approved by the hospital’s ethic committee. We tested 265 blood donors, with a mean age of 39 6 years (range 19–61), 216 men and 49 women. Anti-HEV IgG was found in 25 of 265 individuals (9 43%). The seroprevalence was 10 65% (23/216) in men and 4 08% (2/49) in women. The presence of anti-HEV IgG did not differ by age or gender (P > 0 05). All positive donors resided in urban areas, and none reported an occupation related to swineherds handling. Also, none of them had a recent history (past year) of travel in endemic areas, but the possibility that they had travelled outside Greece a long time ago and been exposed to HEV could not be excluded. All positive donors underwent a testing for ALT, AST and bilirubin, and 6/23 donors had abnormal AST values, thus a recent asymptomatic infection could not be excluded. This preliminary study shows that HEV seroprevalence among blood donors in Greece is similar to the one reported from UK (10%) [2], lower to that reported in Northwest France [3], but higher to the one reported from Scottish blood donors recently (5%) [4]. This could be explained either by differences in the sensitivity/specificity of commercial tests used for HEV detection and/or the selection of samples from an urban blood bank [5]. Moreover, practices in meat handling and preparation (well cooked vs. undercooked) vary among countries and this may have contributed to the different seroprevalence rates. Nevertheless, our results demonstrate that HEV circulates in the urban population of Greece. Data regarding HEV prevalence in Greek livestock are lacking and merit exploration. Further studies are necessary to define the clinical and epidemiologic importance of HEV infection in Greece, to identify sources and routes of transmission and assess the possible risk of transfusion-transmitted HEV by assessing HEV-RNA in sero-positive blood donors.

Effect of prolonged storage on quality characteristics of recovered plasma: Is there an expiration date?

Transfusion, Sep 19, 2022

Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Expression of the B- Cell Markers BCL-6, MUM1/IRF4, CD79A and Transcription Factors BOB.1 and OCT.2 in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

Blood, Nov 16, 2005

INTRODUCTION: Classical hodgkin’s lymphoma can be considered in most cases as a B-cell lymphoma b... more INTRODUCTION: Classical hodgkin’s lymphoma can be considered in most cases as a B-cell lymphoma by the presence of potentially functional immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in Hodgkin/Reed Sternberg (H-RS) cells However the expression of B cell markers in classical Hodgkin lymphoma is rare and the light and heavy chain mRNA is lacking. The exact mechanism for this discrepancy is not known, and some studies have suggested a transcription machinery deficiency. The aim of our study was the detection of B cell markers like CD79a, bcl6 and MUM.1/IRF4 in relation to B cell transcription factors BOB.1 and OCT.2 in classical Hodgkin lymphoma in order to define subgroups with different histogenesis and prognosis. Patients and methods: The analysis included 107 cases of classical Hodgkin lymphoma 55 males and 52 females with a median age of 37 (13–79). They were staged as: 17 stage I, 55 stage II, 13 stage III and 22 stage IV. Advanced stage patients were risk stratified according to the IPI, and early according to EORTC. The histological subtype was: Nodular sclerosis 76, Mixed cellularity 19, Lymphocyte depleted 5 and lymphocyte rich 7 cases. Extranodal disease was present in 24/107 (22.4%) cases. Diagnostic biopsies were used for histochemical detection of bcl/6, CD79a, MUM-IRF4 and B cell transcription factors BOB.1, OCT.2. Expression was considered as low if detected in 1–25%, medium in 26–49% and high in &amp;gt; 50% of H/RS cells. RESULTS Bcl6 was expressed in 22/101 cases, MUM.1 in 81/107 cases, BOB.1 in 89/100, OCT.2 in 17/100 and CD79a in 6/101 cases. In positive cases, bcl6, CD79a and OCT.2 have shown low expression, while MUM.1 and BOB.1 had a high expression in the majority of cases. There was not any difference in the expression pattern between different histologic subtypes for all these markers. Bcl6, MUM.1, OCT.2 and CD79a expression were not significantly different for different risk group categories and did not influence overall survival, disease free survival or time to progression. Cases positive for MUM expression had a significantly lower Hb (p=0.03), lower albumin (p=0.02), and higher IgG value (p=0.01). BOB.1 was expressed in 25% of early favourable, in 35% of intermediate and 40% of unfavourable early stage disease (p=0.06).There was a positive correlation between B symptoms and BOB.1 expression (p=0.01). There was a positive correlation between the expression of bcl6 and OCT.2 and between OCT.2 and CD79a (p=0.05, p=0.01) respectively. CONCLUSION MUM is expressed in the majority of classical Hodgkin lymphoma cases confirming its histogenesis from a late centrocyte and post/germinal centre B cell. B cell markers and transcription factors were not significant for survival, disease free survival and time to progression and their expression pattern was not different between different histological subtypes and risk groups of classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

Biology

Neonatal sepsis is a life-threatening condition associated with significant morbidity and mortali... more Neonatal sepsis is a life-threatening condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Sepsis-induced coagulopathy is a well-recognized entity, signifying the strong cross-talk between inflammation and coagulation. The aim of the present study was to compare the coagulation profile between the acute phase of sepsis and recovery in term and preterm neonates. Additional comparisons to healthy neonates were undertaken. Levels of clotting, anti-clotting factors and ADAMTS-13 (A disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type-1 motives), the cleaving protein of von Willebrand factor (VWF), were measured in 16 term and preterm neonates in the acute phase of infection and following recovery, as well as in 18 healthy neonates. Clotting times were prolonged, while levels of particular clotting factors were lower in the acute phase of infection compared to controls and recovery. On the other hand, levels of fibrinogen, factor VIII (FVIII) and VWF were significantly high...

Genetic prediction of ICU hospitalization and mortality in COVID‐19 patients using artificial neural networks

Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 2022

There is an unmet need of models for early prediction of morbidity and mortality of Coronavirus d... more There is an unmet need of models for early prediction of morbidity and mortality of Coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19). We aimed to a) identify complement‐related genetic variants associated with the clinical outcomes of ICU hospitalization and death, b) develop an artificial neural network (ANN) predicting these outcomes and c) validate whether complement‐related variants are associated with an impaired complement phenotype. We prospectively recruited consecutive adult patients of Caucasian origin, hospitalized due to COVID‐19. Through targeted next‐generation sequencing, we identified variants in complement factor H/CFH, CFB, CFH‐related, CFD, CD55, C3, C5, CFI, CD46, thrombomodulin/THBD, and A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS13). Among 381 variants in 133 patients, we identified 5 critical variants associated with severe COVID‐19: rs2547438 (C3), rs2250656 (C3), rs1042580 (THBD), rs800292 (CFH) and rs414628 (CFHR1). Using age, gender and presenc...

Sex-related aspects of the red blood cell storage lesion

Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue, 2020

BACKGROUND Several factors contribute to the manifestation of red blood cell (RBC) storage lesion... more BACKGROUND Several factors contribute to the manifestation of red blood cell (RBC) storage lesions, with one of the most interesting being the "donor variation effect". Since many haematological characteristics of blood donors are sex-dependent, sex hormones and their age-dependent variation may affect the storage profile of RBCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fresh blood from 200 healthy male and female donors underwent haematological, biochemical and physiological analysis. Three selected groups of donors (men, n=8; pre-menopausal women, n=8; and post-menopausal women, n=4) exhibiting as similar as possible baseline values were recruited for blood donation in leukoreduced CPD/SAGM units. RBC indices, haemolysis and propensity for haemolysis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and plasma antioxidant capacity were measured bi-weekly. RESULTS Female blood was characterised by lower plasma antioxidant capacity and free haemoglobin (Hb) levels in vivo, in spite of the higher RBC osmotic f...

Transfusion Medicine, 2013

SUMMARYAim/ObjectivesTo access the incidence and specificity of maternal red blood cells alloimmu... more SUMMARYAim/ObjectivesTo access the incidence and specificity of maternal red blood cells alloimmunisation and its relevant clinical impact in Greece.BackgroundThe rate of alloimmunisation in pregnant women in Greece is unknown.Materials/MethodsWe performed a 4‐year study in two tertiary hospitals in Greece. Demographics, transfusion and obstetric history were analysed. Maternal alloimmunisation was detected with indirect anti‐globulin test.ResultsWe investigated 4368 pregnant women. Of which 3292 (75·37%) were Greek and 1076 (24·63%) were migrants. In 39 alloimmunised women, 41 alloantibodies were detected (0·89%). The incidence of alloimmunisation was 0·66% (22/3292) in Greeks and 1·76% (17/1076) in migrants (P = 0·01). Anti‐D was the most frequent alloantibody (0·18%). Anti‐D was more frequent in migrants; 5·76% compared to 0·56% in Greek RhD negative women (P = 0·002).Other antibody specificities in declining frequency rank were anti‐K, anti‐E, anti‐Lea, anti‐M, anti‐c, anti‐Ce, ...

Diagnostics, Jan 12, 2024

Background: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with hemorrhagic and thrombotic ... more Background: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications during the perinatal period. Thrombocytopenia, platelet dysfunction, and prolonged standard coagulation tests are observed in this population. The aim of this study is to examine the hemostatic profile of IUGR neonates with the use of a non-activated assay (NATEM) in cord blood samples. Methods: During an 18 month period, a NATEM ROTEM assay was performed on cord blood samples of 101 IUGR neonates. A total of 189 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates were used as a control group. The NATEM variables recorded include the following: clotting time (CT); clot formation time (CFT); clot amplitude at 5, 10, and 20 min (A5, A10, A20); α-angle (a • ); maximum clot firmness (MCF); lysis index at 30 and 60 min (LI30, LI60); and maximum clot elasticity (MCE). Results: IUGR neonates demonstrate a hypocoagulable state, with lower A5, A10, A2, MCF, and MCE values when compared to AGA. Using multiple linear regression, we determined IUGR as an independent factor influencing all NATEM parameters (except CT and LI30) exhibiting a hypocoagulable and hypofibrinolytic profile. Platelet count was positively correlated with A5, A10, A20, MCF, alpha angle, and MCE, and negatively correlated with CFT. Conclusion: IUGR neonates appear with lower clot strength and elasticity and prolonged clot kinetics, as illustrated by ROTEM variables.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences, 2018

OBJECTIVE Endometrial cancer is increasingly prevalent in western societies and affects mainly po... more OBJECTIVE Endometrial cancer is increasingly prevalent in western societies and affects mainly postmenopausal women; notably incidence rates have been rising by 1.9% per year on average since 2005. Although the early-stage endometrial cancer can be effectively managed with surgery, more advanced stages of the disease require multimodality treatment with varying results. In recent years, endometrial cancer has been extensively studied at the molecular level in an attempt to develop effective therapies. Recently, a family of compounds that alter epigenetic expression, namely histone deacetylase inhibitors, have shown promise as possible therapeutic agents in endometrial cancer. The present review aims to discuss the therapeutic potential of these agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS This literature review was performed using the MEDLINE database; the search terms histone, deacetylase, inhibitors, endometrial, targeted therapies for endometrial cancer were employed to identify relevant studie...

Pharmacoepigenetics of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors in Cancer

Pharmacoepigenetics, 2019

Abstract Histone modification, which occurs through the process of acetylation, plays a key role ... more Abstract Histone modification, which occurs through the process of acetylation, plays a key role in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. The balance between histone deacetylases (HDACs) and histone acetyltransferases controls this process. HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) can induce cancer cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and cell death, reduce angiogenesis, and modulate immune response. Therefore, HDACi represent a group of enzymes that can be used for the development of pharmaceutical agents against a variety of malignant neoplastic diseases. The mechanisms behind HDACi anticancer effects depend on many factors. The HDACi vorinostat, romidepsin, and belinostat have been approved for some T cell lymphomas and panobinostat for multiple myeloma. Other HDACi are in clinical trials for the treatment of hematological and solid malignancies. The results of such studies are promising but further studies on a greater scale are needed.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors as a new anticancer option: How far can we go with expectations? delivery systems

Journal of B.U.ON. : official journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology, 2018

Histone modification that occurs through the process of acetylation plays a key role in the epige... more Histone modification that occurs through the process of acetylation plays a key role in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. The balance between histone deacetylases (HDACs) and histone acetyltransferases controls this process. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) can induce cancer cell cycle arrest, differentiation and cell death, reduce angiogenesis and modulate immune response. Therefore, HDAIs represent a group of enzymes that can be used for the development of pharmaceutical agents against a variety of malignant diseases. The mechanisms of their anticancer effect depend on many factors. HDACIs vorinostat, romidepsin and belinostat have been approved for some T-cell lymphomas and panobinostat for multiple myeloma. Other HDACIs are tested in clinical trials for the treatment of hematological and solid malignancies. The results of such studies are promising but further larger studies are needed.

AntiCancer Research, 2020

Metastasis is a process which is characterized by the existence of tumor cells in the bloodstream... more Metastasis is a process which is characterized by the existence of tumor cells in the bloodstream. This is a necessary situation in order for the malignant cells to be transported to other organs. Thus, the importance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the study of carcinogenesis is widely accepted. These tumor cells are nowadays a topic of intensive research all over the world. CTCs are expressed from tumor cells and the clinical analysis of this expression may help the recognition of a tumor in an earlier stage and also there is an effort to monitor the tumor burden according to these cells. Although a plethora of clinical studies has been conducted, it is still unclear whether the use in clinical aspect will prove to be beneficial in the near future. Few animal models with neoplasia have been studied concerning the circulating tumor cells and it is likely that CTCs may have a predictive, diagnostic or therapeutic value. Herein, the authors review all studies in which human CTCs...

Transfusion Medicine, Aug 16, 2019

Dear Sir, The high immunogenicity of the Rh blood group accounts for its implication in transfusi... more Dear Sir, The high immunogenicity of the Rh blood group accounts for its implication in transfusion medicine and renders it second in importance only to the ABO group. Several RHD alleles have been described and are classically classified under three broad categories: weak D, partial D and DEL. These phenotypes frequently arise from various single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the RHD gene (Flegel, 2011). The molecular basis lies on at least 493 alleles identified so far that result in 98 RHD alleles as classified by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). The genetic diversity caused by these mutations leads to qualitative and/or quantitative changes in the expression of the D antigen. Weak D types 1, 2 and 3 are associated with quantitative changes of presentation of a complete D-epitope, whereas in weak D type 4•2 (DAR), 11, 15 and 21, qualitative differences in D-epitope presentation, typically associated with partial D phenotypes, are apparent, and cases of allo-anti-D production have been reported (Daniels, 2005). RHD alleles differ by ethnicity with weak D frequently encountered in Caucasians, partial D in African Blacks and DEL in Asians (Flegel, 2011). Approximately 90% of weak Ds in Caucasians are weak D type 1, 2 or 3, with distributions varying among different ethnic populations (Ansart-Pirenne et al., 2004). When D antigen discrepancies arise, clinicians are faced with assigning the appropriate D antigen status so that the appropriate (RhD-or RhD+) blood products can be administered. The clinical relevance of identifying subtypes is that weak D subjects belonging to weak types 1, 2 and 3 can be treated as RhD-positive and be transfused with RhD-positive red blood cells, whereas subjects with weak D type 4•2-11 and 15 should be treated as RhD-negative (Flegel, 2011). In terms of proper donor characterisation, blood donors with weak phenotypic expression of the D antigen should be typed as RhD-positive as administration of their blood can stimulate alloimunisation when transfused in RhD-negative patients. Routine serological RhD typing cannot distinguish between weak and partial D types, but detection and classification of these

Osmotic hemolysis is a donor‐specific feature of red blood cells under various storage conditions and genetic backgrounds

Transfusion, Jun 19, 2021

BackgroundTransfusion research has recently focused on the discovery of red blood cell (RBC) stor... more BackgroundTransfusion research has recently focused on the discovery of red blood cell (RBC) storage capacity biomarkers and the elucidation of donor variation effects. This shift of focus can further strengthen personalization of transfusion therapy, by revealing probable links between donor biology, RBC storage lesion profile, and posttransfusion performance.Study design and methodsWe performed a paired correlation analysis of osmotic fragility in freshly drawn RBCs and during cold storage in different preservative solutions at weekly intervals until unit's expiration date (n = 231), or following 24 h reconstitution in allogeneic plasma (n = 32) from healthy controls or transfusion‐dependent beta‐thalassemia patients.ResultsWe observed exceptional correlation profiles (r > 0.700, p < 10−5 in most cases) of RBC osmotic fragility in the ensemble of samples, as well as in subgroups characterized by distinct genetic backgrounds (sex, beta‐thalassemia traits, glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency) and storage strategies (additive solutions, whole blood, RBC concentrates). The mean corpuscular fragility (MCF) of fresh and stored RBCs at each storage time significantly correlated with the MCF of stored RBCs measured at all subsequent time points of the storage period (e.g., MCF values of storage day 21 correlated with those of storage days 28, 35 and 42). A similar correlation profile was also observed between the osmotic hemolysis of fresh/stored RBCs before and following in vitro reconstitution in plasma from healthy controls or beta‐thalassemia patients.ConclusionOur findings highlighted the potential of osmotic fragility to serve as a donor‐signature on RBCs at every step of any individual transfusion chain (donor, blood product, and probably, recipient).

Monoclonal gammopathies in B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas

Leukemia Research, Jun 1, 2003

The association of monoclonal gammopathy (MG) with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) i... more The association of monoclonal gammopathy (MG) with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) is a well known phenomenon. The aim of the present work was to study the incidence, type of monoclonal component and prognostic significance of MG in a population of 255 cases with B-cell NHL. Among 255 evaluable patients with B-cell NHL, 145 were males and 110 females with a median age of 58 years (range 18-85). There were 166 patients with the various subtypes of aggressive (intermediate/high grade) NHL and 89 with the various subtypes of low risk. MG was detected in 44 patients (17.2%) with a median age of 61 years (range 23-79). There were 22 cases (8.6%) with IgG type (IgG/(k) 15, IgG/(lambda) 7), 4 cases (1.6%) with (IgA/(k) 3, IgA/(lambda) 1) and 18 cases (7.0%) with IgM (IgM/(k) 12 IgM/(lambda) 6). MG was found in 15.6% of the patients with aggressive NHL, while in low risk NHL the incidence was 20.2% (N.S.). The type of MG according to histological classification was as follows: Aggressive NHL: IgG 17 cases, IgA 2 cases, IgM 7 cases: low risk NHL: IgG 5 cases, IgA 2 cases, IgM 11 cases. The distribution of MG according to stage of the disease was as follows: stage I (4.5%), stage II (18%), stage III (6.8%) and stage IV (70.4%). The median survival of patients with aggressive NHL with MG was 17 months compared to 40 months of those without (P=0.22). Similarly the median survival of patients with low risk NHL and MG was 51.5 months compared to 38.5 months of those without (P=0.90). In conclusion MG was detected in 17.2% of cases with B-cell NHL. IgG-MG was more frequent in cases with aggressive NHL, while IgM in cases with low risk NHL. MG was mostly associated with advanced stage and had not any prognostic significance on survival.

Simultaneous presentation of acute myeloid leukaemia and multiple myeloma: A rare case with poor prognosis

TE); Pathology Department

haematologica/the hematology journal | 2007; 92(10) | 1343 | A clinicopathological study of B-cel... more haematologica/the hematology journal | 2007; 92(10) | 1343 | A clinicopathological study of B-cell differentiation markers and transcription factors in classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma: a potential prognostic role of MUM1/IRF4

Journal of Biomedicine, 2019

The IgG immunoglobulins are the main immunoglobulins in human beings. They have the longest half ... more The IgG immunoglobulins are the main immunoglobulins in human beings. They have the longest half time and are the most studied of all. After the Ag binding, there is a signaling through the Fc region. The post translational modification of the immunoglobulin mainly includes the N-Glycosylation and mostly the IgG one. The IgGs represent the antibodies, which are the mediators of the immunity, against extracellular bacteria and toxins. The Fcγ receptors exist in all hemopeitic cells. The extracellular parts of the receptors show high grade of homology in their amino acid sequences. Monoclonal antibodies can distinguish them. In addition to nucleic acids, proteins and lipids, sugars are also fundamental components of animal systems. Compared with advances in genomics and proteomics, the study of glycoscience is under investigation. Changes in glycosylation may be used as biological markers for screening in relation to healthy subjects. It may help in the discovery of patients in early stages of the disease and thus be used as a biological marker to select patients with better prognosis and therefore to use as chemotherapy chemotherapeutic agents with lower toxicity.

Red Blood Cell Abnormalities as the Mirror of SARS-CoV-2 Disease Severity: A Pilot Study

Frontiers in Physiology

Graphical SARS-CoV-2 infection has significant effects on red blood cells that seems to be associ... more Graphical SARS-CoV-2 infection has significant effects on red blood cells that seems to be associated with disease severity in these patients. (A) Non-Intensive care unit hospitalized patients due to severe COVID-19 disease were included in this study (n = 36). (B) The control group included healthy subjects without renal or hepatic impairment, no diagnosis of anemia or myeloid malignancy, and no blood transfusion over the past 3 months (n = 18). (C) Demographic data, clinical, laboratory and chest Computed Tomography (CT) findings at time of admission were recorded. Hematological tests, standard biochemical analysis of serum components were performed both in the patient and in the control group and coagulation analysis were evaluated in the patient group. A peripheral blood smear examination was also performed in all patients and control samples. (D) Plasma free hemoglobin and red blood cell (RBC) osmotic fragility and free hemoglobin (Free-Hb) after mechanical stress (MECH) by mec...