Decreased threshold of aggregation to low-dose epinephrine is evidence of platelet hyperaggregability in patients with thrombosis

Sticky platelet syndrome has been described as a hereditary thrombophilic condition. The aim of this study is to identify the presence of platelet hyperaggregability in patients who have experienced thrombosis. Light-transmittance platelet aggregometry was used to assess for spontaneous platelet aggregation, aggregation in response to full and low-dose (LD) epinephrine (Epi) and adenosine diphosphate, as well as arachidonic acid, and identify a distinct pattern of platelet hyperaggregability. Light-transmittance platelet aggregometry results were correlated with PFA-100® (Dade-Behring, Marburg, Germany) results, when available. An exaggerated response to LD Epi was found in 68% of patients with thrombosis compared to only 36% of healthy controls (P=0.034). Patients with thrombosis, either arterial or venous, demonstrated an exaggerated response to LD Epi nearly twice as frequently as healthy controls, even without significant family history of thrombophilia or other known risk factors for thrombosis. This suggests that platelet hyperaggregability may be multifactorial in nature and not necessarily hereditary

Lack of PRAME Expression in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are rare tumors with no established markers that can reliably distinguish between benign and malignant lesions. Preferentially Expressed Antigen in Melanoma (PRAME) is a cancer/testis antigen that is found in many solid and hematologic malignancies. PRAME overexpression typically portends a poor prognosis and lower chemotherapeutic response. To date, no studies have established a role for PRAME in CTCL. An analysis was performed on 47 cases definitively diagnosed as CTCL: 25 cases of mycosis fungoides, 2 of Sezary syndrome, 5 of CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder, 7 of primary cutaneous anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma, 3 of primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder, 1 of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma, and 4 of angiocentric T-cell lymphoma. PRAME immunohistochemistry was completely negative in all cases. PRAME expression was not found in any CTCL subtypes, suggesting that the pathogenesis of CTCL is not mediated by PRAME. Further study is required to identify biomarkers that might aid in the diagnosis and prognostication of CTCLs

Serum CD64 as a Marker for Chronic Periprosthetic Joint Infection

Background: Serum cluster of differentiation 64 (CD64) has emerged as a diagnostic test for musculoskeletal infections. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of serum CD64 in diagnosing periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) compared to conventional markers like white blood count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Methods: A prospective case-control study on patients undergoing revision hip or knee arthroplasty surgery >6 weeks after their index surgery was performed at a single institution. Whole blood samples were drawn within 24 hours prior to revision surgery for white blood count, ESR, CRP, IL-6, and CD64. Intraoperative cultures were obtained during the revision, and PJI was defined using the major criteria from the 2018 Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria. Two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Fisher’s exact test were used to determine if there were significant differences in serum laboratory values between patients with and without infection. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value, and accuracy of each test were calculated. Results: With an average age of 67 years, 39 patients with 15 revision THAs and 24 TKAs, were included. 19 patients (48.7%) were determined to have PJI. Patients with PJI had significantly higher CD64 (P = .036), CRP (P = .016), and ESR (P = .045). CD64 had the highest specificity (100%) and PPV (100%), moderate accuracy (69.2%), but low sensitivity (37.0%) and negative predictive value (62.5%). Conclusions: Given the high specificity, PPV, and accuracy, CD64 may be an excellent confirmatory test to help diagnose PJI