Technological Institute Education (T.E.I.) of Athens Faculty of Health and Caring Professors Department of Medical Laboratories Ag. Spiridonos & Dimitsanas, 12210 Aigaleo, Athens
Abstract: It has been suggested that red blood cell (RBC) senescence is accelerated under blood bank conditions, although neither protein profile of RBC aging nor the impact of additive solutions on it have been studied in detail.
Abstract: ABSTRACT
The Development of a Vaccination Programme of Health Care Workers
Maria Saridi,1 Aikaterini Toska,1 Ioannis Kyriazis,2 Anastasios Kriebardis,3 Anastasia Allonistioti,4 Maria Athanasopoulou,5
Kallistheni Farmaki6
1MSc, PhD(c), RN, Infection Control Nurse, General Hospital of Korinthos, Korinthos, 2Senior Resident in Internal Medicine, MD,
General Hospital of Korinthos, Korinthos, 3Medical Laboratory Technologist, MSc, PhD, 4Community Nurse, General Hospital of
Korinthos, Korinthos, 5MSc, PhD(c), RN, âElena Venizelouâ General Hospital-Obstetrics Clinic, Athens, 6Chief of Transfusion Medicine,
MD, General Hospital of Korinthos, Korinthos, Greece
Background: Health care staff, due to their direct contact with patients and various body fluids may be exposed
to and transmit vaccine-preventable diseases. Their immunization and regular screening, is an obligation for all
health care providers and are necessary for the promotion of their own health, as well as the health of their patients.
Aim: The aims of this study were to assess the immunization level among the staff in a Greek provincial hospital,
and their awareness, and to develop a targeting programme of vaccination coverage. Method: The study sample
consisted of 338 health care workers. The duration of the study was two years (June 2006-June 2008). A vaccination
programme was implemented, according to the individual immunization level of each worker, concerning hepatitis
B and tetanus vaccination. Statistical analysis was performed by the statistical package SPSS-13 and statistical significance
was placed at p ⤠0.05. Results: Overall, 60% of the participants were nurses, 7.4% doctors, 10% technicians and
workers and 7% were cleaning staff. Staff working in the surgical departments was more positive towards participation in the
study (44.0%), in contrast to those in medical wards and the intensive care unit (ICU) (17% and 10% respectively). Of the total
sample 59% was vaccinated against hepatitis B but only a small proportion was vaccinated against tetanus (15.4%). A Mantoux
test was performed for screening on 28% of the participants of which 28% were positive, but without any recent history of Tb
infection. The vaccination rates for hepatitis B and tetanus increased according to the educational level (p<0.001). An important
finding was that the 65% of all participants, had antibody titer <100 mIU/mL. Conclusions: The vaccination coverage of health
care staff in the provincial hospital was at an inadequate level. Given the fact that the educational level contributes positively to
the increase of vaccination rates, increased awareness, as well as education, are vital for the increase in participation of health
care workers in vaccination programmes. NOSILEFTIKI 2010, 49 (4): 387-397.
Abstract: Red cells (RBCs) lose membrane in vivo, under certain conditions in vitro, and during the ex vivo storage of whole blood, by releasing vesicles. The vesiculation of the RBCs is a part of the storage lesion. The protein composition of the vesicles generated during storage of banked RBCs has not been studied in detail.
Abstract: The elucidation of the storage lesion is important for the improvement of red blood cell (RBC) storage. Ex vivo storage is also a model system for studying cell-signaling events in the senescence and programmed cell death of RBCs. The membrane hosts critical steps in these mechanisms and undergoes widespread remodeling over the storage period.
Abstract: Red blood cell (RBC) membrane proteins undergo progressive pathological alterations during storage. In conditions of increased cellular stress, the cytoskeleton also sustains certain modifications. The hemoglobin (Hb) content and oxidative status of the RBC cytoskeletons as a function of the storage period remain unclear. The possible Hb content and oxidative alterations occurring in the cytoskeletons in the course of storage were monitored in six units, by means of electrophoresis, immunoblotting and protein carbonylation assays. A proportion of the ghost-bound Hb consists of non-reducible crosslinkings of probably oxidized(denatured Hb or hemichromes. The defective Hb-membrane association was strongly affected by the prolonged storage. A progressive accumulation of Hb monomers, multimers and high molecular weight aggregates to corresponding cytoskeletons were also evident. The oxidative index of the cytoskeletal proteins was found increased, signalizing oxidative modifications in spectrin and possibly other cytoskeletal proteins. The reported data corroborate the evidence for oxidative damage in membrane proteins with emphasis to the cytoskeletal components. They partially address the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the RBC storage lesion, add some new insight in the field of RBC storage as a hemoglobin- and cytoskeleton-associated pathology and suggest the possible use of antioxidants in the units intended for transfusion.
Abstract: Transfusion of allogeneic blood products is associated with adverse reactions and complications. Some of the negative effects of RBC transfusion are associated with the storage lesion. The importance of RBC oxidative damage in the storage lesion is not well documented. We monitored the storage-induced membrane protein oxidation in CPDA-preserved non-leukodepleted RBCs units from five blood donors in the course of the storage period, as assessed by protein carbonylation levels estimation. Carbonylated protein content was determined following 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatization and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis coupled with Western blotting. Immunoblotting with dinitrophenol-specific antibody revealed increased RBC membrane protein carbonyls with prolonged storage in CPDA units. This finding supports the idea of oxidation as a part of the storage lesion.
