A suspension composition for a hematology analysis control particularly useful for preserving relevant detectable characteristics of blood cells for a prolong stability period. The suspension may include at least one polysaccharide, which may include or derive from chitosan and/or chitin, as a stabilizing agent.

The invention relates to a method for detecting a dengue infection in a patient blood sample, comprising the steps: a) Performing an analysis of prespecified parameters of blood platelets and prespecified types of blood cells in the sample and determining parameter values for the prespecified parameters of the platelets and the prespecified types of cells; b) Obtaining sample parameters from the values determined in step a); and c) Evaluating the sample parameters in relation to a prespecified criterion, wherein, if the criterion is fulfilled, a dengue infection is present.

Disclosed is a new class of conjugated virus-like particles (VLPs). These conjugated VLPs bind a wide variety of tumors and comprise epitopes recognized by a prior T cell immune response already existing in a host. These epitopes are derived from pathogens or previous vaccinations (such as early childhood vaccines). This provokes the body's pre-existing cytotoxic immunity obtained through previous infection or previous childhood vaccination to be redirected to the tumor cells for the elimination of cancer, and form long-term anti-tumor immunity. The described conjugated VLPs are useful for tailoring a broad range of tumors towards a response from existing immunity circumventing the need to identify tumor antigens or generate tumor-specific immune responses. Importantly, the compositions and methods described herein broadens opportunities for treatment for all cancer types in subjects who previously had un-targetable cancers due to various technological and biological limitations of currently available immuno-therapeutic drugs.

A column-based device and method for retrieving cells of interest were enclosed. The said device comprises a column comprising (i) an inner wall defining an inner chamber with inlet and outlet openings, (ii) a perforated plug disposed adjacent to the outlet opening, (iii) a sleeve insert with a channel and disposed within the chamber and adjacent to the perforated plug, and (iv) a filtering means housed within sleeve insert sandwiched between two sealing means. In particular, Tumor-derived endothelial cell clusters (TECCs) as characterized multiple nuclei, expression of endothelial markers (PECAM1, VWF and CDH5), and non-expression of leukocyte, megakaryocyte and platelets markers, may be retrieved using the disclosed device. Also encompassed are methods, reagents and kits for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancers by detecting for the presence of TECCs isolated from blood samples using the claimed device.

The invention relates to the use in vitro of a kit for diagnostics, more particularly therapy-accompanying diagnostics, relating to a transplant and/or for diagnostics, more particularly therapy-accompanying diagnostics, relating to an autoimmune disease and/or for diagnostics, more particularly therapy-accompanying diagnostics, relating to a tumor disease and/or for diagnostics, more particularly therapy-accompanying diagnostics, relating to a vaccination, wherein the kit has the following components: a blood collection container, a blood collection set or blood collection system including a blood collection container, a nutrient medium for blood, and at least one activator for activating blood cells, more particularly immune cells, and/or at least one inhibitor for inhibiting blood cells, more particularly immune cells, and/or at least one modulator for modulating blood cells, more particularly immune cells.

The invention further relates to the use in vitro of a method for diagnostics in transplants and/or autoimmune diseases and/or tumor diseases and/or vaccinations, to a messenger-substance-containing supernatant for use in vitro in diagnostics in transplants and/or autoimmune diseases and/or tumor diseases and/or vaccinations, and to a combination for use in diagnostics in transplants and/or autoimmune diseases and/or tumor diseases and/or vaccinations.

A stool resuspension solution comprising a hemoglobin stabilization reagent is provided. In some embodiments, the hemoglobin stabilization reagent may be an osmolyte, a polyvalent cation, a sugar or polysaccharide and, optionally, a polyvalent cation, a protoporphyrin, or an HRP stabilization component and, optionally, a polyvalent cation. A method of stabilizing hemoglobin in a stool sample in the solution is also provided, as well as a sample collection device containing the solution.

A method for matching a three-dimensional first image of at least one discrete entity with a three-dimensional second image of the at least one discrete entity is provided. The at least one discrete entity includes a biological sample and a plurality of constituent parts of a marker. The method includes: generating a first representation of the marker from the first image; generating a second representation of the marker from the second image; and based upon the representations matching, matching the first image with the second image; or based upon the representations not matching, rejecting the match. Generating the representations includes determining vectors from at least one reference item to at least some of the constituent parts of the marker, determining for the vectors at least one value of a property, and generating the representations of the marker based on a frequency of the at least one value of the property.

A system or method for detecting an immune system activation state in a patient can include a sample preparation system configured to isolate white blood cells from a sample of the patient, a cytometry module configured to determine biophysical properties of the white blood cells of the sample, and an analysis module configured to analyze the biophysical properties.

A method and/or system can include processing a blood sample of a patient by degrading red blood cells of the blood sample using a lysing solution, quenching the degradation of the red blood cells after a threshold lysing time, centrifuging and aspirating the quenched solution to remove degraded red blood cell debris and concentrate white blood cells of the blood sample, and suspending the concentrated white blood cells in a buffer solution; within a threshold transfer time, deforming white blood cells, of the suspended white blood cells, within a microfluidic chip; and determining a probability that the patient is in an immune activation state based on images of the white blood cells acquired while deforming the white blood cells.

This invention provides methods to evaluate therapeutic efficacy of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.