Significance
The myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of hematological malignancies characterized by increased numbers of myeloid blood cells, such as platelets, erythrocytes, and neutrophils. The main causes of illness and death in patients with MPNs are arterial and venous clotting and also, conversely, bleeding complications. However, the causes of these conditions are poorly understood. In this paper, we use a mouse model of MPNs to determine the cell types responsible for abnormal clotting in MPNs. We demonstrate that endothelial cells, the cell type that lines all blood vessels, have a significant role to play in MPN bleeding complications, potentially identifying a new cellular target for MPN therapies.
OBJECTIVES:
Four peer-reviewed publications have reported results from randomized controlled trials of convalescent plasma for coronavirus disease 2019 infection; none were conducted in the United States nor used standard plasma as a comparator. To determine if administration of convalescent plasma to patients with coronavirus disease 2019 increases antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and improves outcome.
DESIGN:
Double-blind randomized controlled trial.
SETTING:
Hospital in New York.
PATIENTS:
Patients with polymerase chain reaction documented coronavirus disease 2019 infection.
INTERVENTIONS:
Patients were randomized (4:1) to receive 2 U of convalescent plasma versus standard plasma. Antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 were measured in plasma units and in trial recipients.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:
Enrollment was terminated after emergency use authorization was granted for convalescent plasma. Seventy-four patients were randomized. At baseline, mean (sd) Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (23.4 [5.6] and 22.5 [6.6]), percent of patients intubated (19% and 20%), and median (interquartile range) days from symptom onset to randomization of 9 (6–18) and 9 (6–15), were similar in the convalescent plasma versus standard plasma arms, respectively. Convalescent plasma had high neutralizing activity (median [interquartile range] titer 1:526 [1:359–1:786]) and its administration increased antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by 14.4%, whereas standard plasma administration led to an 8.6% decrease (p = 0.005). No difference was observed for ventilator-free days through 28 days (primary study endpoint): median (interquartile range) of 28 (2–28) versus 28 (0–28; p = 0.86) for the convalescent plasma and standard plasma groups, respectively. A greater than or equal to 2 point improvement in the World Health Organization scale was achieved by 20% of subjects in both arms (p = 0.99). All-cause mortality through 90 days was numerically lower in the convalescent plasma versus standard plasma groups (27% vs 33%; p = 0.63) but did not achieve statistical significance. A key prespecified subgroup analysis of time to death in patients who were intubated at baseline was statistically significant; however, sample size numbers were small.
CONCLUSIONS:
Administration of convalescent plasma to hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 infection increased antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2 but was not associated with improved outcome.
Key Points
JAK2R564Q is the first germline JAK2 mutation found to contribute to a familial MPN that involves a residue other than V617. The kinase activity of JAK2R564Q and JAK2V617F are the same, but only V617F is able to escape regulation by SOCS3 and p27.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.