Deputy Editor Guy Orchard provides a brief glimpse of the articles on offer in the first issue of 2022.
Following on from the journal’s productive 2021 publications, we see a number of changes in 2022. These include a new publisher in Frontiers, and the fact that the journal has now transferred entirely online. We have also seen the appointment of Anthony Rhodes as the new Editor of the journal. So there are lots of changes ahead as we steer into the new world of online journal publications.
COVID-19
In Issue 1 of 2022 let’s begin with COVID-19 infections. COVID-19 has produced a universal crisis, devastating health organisations across the globe. Genetic risk factors may be related to the infectivity and severity of the SARS-CoV-2 contagion. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE 2) and host transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS2) play a key role in viral cell entrance and priming. Assessing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on 147 health controls and 299 COVID-positive patients, Abdelsattar et al. concluded that ACE2 rs 2285666 and TMPRSS2 rs 12329760 SNPs, in addition to lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimers, ferritin and patient hypertension, are predictors of COVID-19 disease severity.
Andrology
Semen analysis and the use of andrology techniques is a growing area of laboratory investigations. In this issue the Long and Kensworthy paper provides a guide for laboratories and clinicians in its use. Rounds cells in seminal fluid are defined as either lymphocytes or immature germ cells. Although publications exist that discuss the possible clinical relevance of these cells in infertility, the methods employed to differentiate between these two cell populations can be difficult for some diagnostic laboratories. The paper provides guidance on how to assess such cell populations to aid in their identification and interpretation. Keeping with a cytology background, Zhai et al. discuss the impact of thyroid tissue status on the cut-off value of lymph node fine needle aspiration (FNA) thyroglobulin measurements in papillary thyroid cancer. Studying a reasonably large cohort, it was concluded that the influential factors of FNA-Tg were still controversial and the optimal cut-off value of FNA-Tg can be based on the presence or absence of thyroid tissue.
Please click here to read the full article.
Image credit | Shutterstock
