Improving Blood Donor Diversity Through Focused Recruitment Interventions

Study Design: Beginning in May 2016, the Jefferson Blood Donor Center began collecting donor self-identified race/ethnicity: White, Black or African American, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Multiracial, Other, Unknown (Figure 1). We retrospectively quantified the racial/ethnic groups represented in each month’s donor population. In January 2017,the following intervention strategies were implemented: Emailing donors who self-identified as part of a racial/ethnic minority group Contacting racially/ethnically-focused student groups to organize blood drives with the Jefferson Blood Donor Center Partnering with the Jefferson Medical Oncology Society MarrowthonDrive to encourage blood donations Presentation to the local chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses Interventions still to come Featuring the Jefferson Blood Donor Center in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Diversity Newsletter The quantification of racial/ethnic groups were stratified to pre-intervention months and post-intervention months. Poster presented at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Housestaff Quality Improvement and Patient Safety conference.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/patientsafetyposters/1038/thumbnail.jp

Promoting Physical Activity in Local Communities: Understanding Health, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Needs in Winooski, VT

Introduction: Since the Winooski YMCA opened in March 2008, enrollment has been much lower than expected, with only 200 members enrolled by September 2008. One goal of the YMCA is to promote the health of the community by increasing involvement in physical activity in Winooski. Regular exercise is associated with enhanced health and decreased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, as well as many cancers. In order to promote physical activity in the Winooski community, the YMCA set a goal to increase their enrollment to 500 members by December 2008.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1005/thumbnail.jp

Microscopic Examination of Findings Encountered during Cadaver Dissection: Malignant, Benign or Anatomic Variation?

Pathologic findings encountered during cadaver dissection provide an opportunity for integrating the preclinical basic sciences and encouraging critical thinking. The objective of this study was to determine whether it is possible to make a pathologic diagnosis of an unknown mass from an embalmed cadaver. Diagnoses would have to be based solely on gross and microscopic appearance of tissue, without clinical histories of the cadaveric donors. The tissue samples we removed from each mass were surprisingly well preserved and showed minimal autolysis. Indeed, some of the histological detail was as clear as may be found in any textbook. We were able to obtain a pathologic diagnosis for 6 cases that illustrate complications of malignant neoplasms arising in the colon, breast, ovary, and kidney. Our results emphasize the importance of integrating gross and microscopic anatomy with pathology to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of disease. This histopathology independent learning project could become an integral part of dissection-based anatomy courses, and stimulate students to become more inquisitive when they see something out of the ordinary in their cadaver

t(3;8)(q26;q24) with MYC Rearrangement in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report

Rearrangements of 3q26 have been described in 5% of de novo or therapy related acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and blast phase of chronic myeloid leukemia. The most common translocations involving 3q26 are t(3;12)(q26;p13), t(3;21)(q26;q22), t(3;3)(q21;q26), t(2;3)(p15∼23;q26∼27) and rarely t(3;7)(q26;q21). However, t(3;8)(q26;q24) with or without monosomy 7 is a rare phenomenon and has been reported in only 10 patients so far. Hereby, we describe a 58 year old patient who was diagnosed with refractory anemia with multilineage dysplasia. Cytogenetic studies revealed monosomy 7. He was then lost to follow-up. A year later he was found to have worsening cytopenias and circulating blasts. He was started on azacytidine. A month later, follow-up bone marrow biopsy showed progression to acute myeloid leukemia (76% blasts). The blasts showed following immunophenotypic profile: CD7+, CD10-, CD13+, CD14-, CD16-, CD33+, CD38+, CD56-, CD64-, CD117-, HLA-DR+, MPO-, cCD3-, cCD22-, cCD79- and TdT-. His karyotype showed evolution with additional finding of t(3;8) which involved MYC gene at 8q24 which was confirmed with metaphase FISH. The breakpoint on 3q26 is most likely the EVI1 fusing with MYC. Even though monosomy 7 has been frequently described to be associated with t(3;8), it is not described as a predecessor of t(3;8). Patient failed first induction chemotherapy. He is currently finishing up his re-induction chemotherapy. This case describes a case of AML arising from MDS with monosomy 7 and involving MYC gene as a partner for 3q26 (EVI1)

The utility of BRAF V600E mutation-specific antibody VE1 for the diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia.

OBJECTIVES: BRAF V600E mutation is characteristic of hairy cell leukemia (HCL). A V600E mutation-specific antibody, VE1, has been recently developed. We studied the diagnostic utility of this antibody in HCL and compared it with other B-cell neoplasms. METHODS: VE1 activity was assessed using immunohistochemistry in 90 mature B-cell neoplasms, including HCL (n = 17), HCL variant (n = 6), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (n = 20), and 47 other B-cell lymphomas. Most (87/90) specimens were formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded bone marrow (BM) biopsy specimens decalcified in either hydrochloric acid or formic acid. RESULTS: VE1 was positive in 15 (88%) cases of HCL and two (10%) cases of CLL and was negative in all other tumors assessed. The VE1-positive HCL cases showed uniform staining in all tumor cells, but intensity was variable. The two VE1-negative HCL cases had BRAF V600 mutations proven by molecular analysis. The two CLL cases positive with VE1 showed an atypical staining pattern with expression in a minority of lymphoma cells. Immunohistochemistry using the VE1 antibody had a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 97% for HCL. CONCLUSIONS: VE1 immunohistochemistry is a useful and convenient surrogate for detecting BRAF V600E mutation in BM biopsy specimens decalcified with hydrochloric or formic acid-based solutions