COVID-19 vaccination in patients with immune thrombocytopenia

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disorder characterized by low platelet count and increased bleeding risk. COVID-19 vaccination has been described as risk factor for de novo ITP, but the effects of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with ITP are unknown. Our aims were to investigate the effects of COVID-19 vaccination in ITP patients on platelet count, bleeding complications and ITP exacerbation (any of: ≥50% decline in platelet count; or nadir platelet count 20% decrease from baseline; or use of rescue therapy). Platelet counts of ITP patients and healthy controls were collected immediately before, 1 and 4 weeks after first and second vaccination. Linear mixed-effects modelling was applied to analyze platelet counts over time. We included 218 ITP patients (50.9% female, mean age 55 years and median platelet count of 106x109/L) and 200 healthy controls (60.0% female, mean age 58 years and median platelet count of 256x109/L). Platelet counts decreased by 6.3% after vaccination. We observed no difference in decrease between the groups. Thirty ITP patients (13.8%, 95%CI 9.5%-19.1%) had an exacerbation and 5 (2.2%, 95%CI 0.7%-5.3%) suffered from a bleeding event. Risk factors for ITP exacerbation were platelet count <50x109/L (OR 5.3, 95%CI 2.1-13.7), ITP treatment at time of vaccination (OR 3.4, 95%CI 1.5-8.0) and age (OR 0.96 per year, 95%CI 0.94-0.99). Our study highlights safety of COVID-19 vaccination in ITP patients and importance of close monitoring platelet counts in a subgroup of ITP patients. ITP patients with exacerbation responded well on therapy

Comparison of Fc N-Glycosylation of pharmaceutical products of intravenous immunoglobulin G

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) products from different pharmaceutical companies vary in composition, in part because of the selected blood donors and production process. N-glycosylation of the Fc-portion of IgG varies between blood donors and may influence both the side-effects and therapeutic effectiveness of IVIg. At present, the variation in Fc N-glycosylation between IVIg products has not been defined. Utilizing mass spectrometry, we performed relative quantitation of the Fc N-glycosylation of IgG, assessing a total of 154 unique lot numbers of IVIg. Seven products showed comparable Fc N-glycosylation, with only one product differing from the others in all glycosylation features (galactosylation, sialylation, fucosylation and bisecting N-acetylglucosamine). However, the mean difference did not exceed 3%. Within product variation was present to a minor degree, but largely indistinguishable from analytical variation. In conclusion, we expect that the minor variation in Fc N-glycosylation between IVIg products has a small effect, if any, on the biological activity

Overview of the IgG Fc <i>N</i>-glycosylation of seven different IVIg products.

<p>Data presented as mean, standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV), numbers in the first row are the seven different IVIg products, (C) denotes an IVIg batch triplicate, and (S) an internal IgG standard.</p><p>Overview of the IgG Fc <i>N</i>-glycosylation of seven different IVIg products.</p

Material properties of LPCVD processed n-type polysilicon passivating contacts and its application in PERPoly industrial bifacial solar cells

\u3cp\u3eWe present a detailed material study of n\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e-type polysilicon (polySi) and its application as a carrier selective rear contact in a bifacial n-type solar cell comprising fire-through screen-printed metallization and 6 Cz wafers. The cells were manufactured with low-cost industrial process steps yielding V\u3csub\u3eoc\u3c/sub\u3es from 676 to 683 mV and J\u3csub\u3esc\u3c/sub\u3es above 39.4 mA/cm\u3csup\u3e2\u3c/sup\u3e indicating an efficiency potential of 22%. The aim of this study is to understand which material properties determine the performance of POCl\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3e-diffused (n-type) polySi-based passivating contacts and to find routes to improve its use for industrial PERPoly (Passivated Emitter Rear PolySi) cells from the point of view of throughput, performance, and bifacial application. This paper reports on correlations between the parameters used for low pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD), annealing, and doping on optical, structural, and electronic properties of the polySi-based passivating contact and the subsequent influence on the solar cell parameters.\u3c/p\u3

A silicon carbide-based highly transparent passivating contact for crystalline silicon solar cells approaching efficiencies of 24%

A highly transparent passivating contact (TPC) as front contact for crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells could in principle combine high conductivity, excellent surface passivation and high optical transparency. However, the simultaneous optimization of these features remains challenging. Here, we present a TPC consisting of a silicon-oxide tunnel layer followed by two layers of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon carbide (nc-SiC:H(n)) deposited at different temperatures and a sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO) layer (c-Si(n)/SiO2/nc-SiC:H(n)/ITO). While the wide band gap of nc-SiC:H(n) ensures high optical transparency, the double layer design enables good passivation and high conductivity translating into an improved short-circuit current density (40.87 mA cm−2), fill factor (80.9%) and efficiency of 23.99 ± 0.29% (certified). Additionally, this contact avoids the need for additional hydrogenation or high-temperature postdeposition annealing steps. We investigate the passivation mechanism and working principle of the TPC and provide a loss analysis based on numerical simulations outlining pathways towards conversion efficiencies of 26%

Material properties of LPCVD processed n-type polysilicon passivating contacts and its application in PERPoly industrial bifacial solar cells

We present a detailed material study of n+-type polysilicon (polySi) and its application as a carrier selective rear contact in a bifacial n-type solar cell comprising fire-through screen-printed metallization and 6" Cz wafers. The cells were manufactured with low-cost industrial process steps yielding Vocs from 676 to 683 mV and Jscs above 39.4 mA/cm2 indicating an efficiency potential of 22%. The aim of this study is to understand which material properties determine the performance of POCl3-diffused (n-type) polySi-based passivating contacts and to find routes to improve its use for industrial PERPoly (Passivated Emitter Rear PolySi) cells from the point of view of throughput, performance, and bifacial application. This paper reports on correlations between the parameters used for low pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD), annealing, and doping on optical, structural, and electronic properties of the polySi-based passivating contact and the subsequent influence on the solar cell parameters.Photovoltaic Materials and Device

COVID-19 vaccination in patients with immune thrombocytopenia

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disorder that is characterized by low platelet count and increased bleeding risk. COVID-19 vaccination has been described as a risk factor for de novo ITP, but the effects of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with ITP are unknown. We aimed to investigate the effects of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with ITP on platelet count, bleeding complications, and ITP exacerbation (≥50% decline in platelet count, or nadir platelet count 20% decrease from baseline, or use of rescue therapy). Platelet counts in patients with ITP and healthy controls were collected immediately before and 1 and 4 weeks after the first and second vaccinations. Linear mixed-effects modeling was applied to analyze platelet counts over time. We included 218 patients with ITP (50.9% female; mean age, 55 years; and median platelet count, 106 × 109/L) and 200 healthy controls (60.0% female; mean age, 58 years; median platelet count, 256 × 109/L). Platelet counts decreased by 6.3% after vaccination. We did not observe any difference in decrease between the groups. Thirty patients with ITP (13.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.5-19.1) had an exacerbation and 5 (2.2%; 95% CI, 0.7-5.3) suffered from a bleeding event. Risk factors for ITP exacerbation were platelet count < 50 × 109/L (odds ratio [OR], 5.3; 95% CI, 2.1-13.7), ITP treatment at time of vaccination (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.5-8.0), and age (OR, 0.96 per year; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99). Our study highlights the safety of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with ITP and the importance of the close monitoring of platelet counts in a subgroup of patients with ITP. Patients with ITP with exacerbation responded well on therapy