Compared with COMP therapy, WB did not reduce transfusion volumes in severely injured patients predicted to receive massive transfusion. However, in the sensitivity analysis (patients without severe brain injuries), use of mWB significantly reduced transfusion volumes, achieving the prespecified endpoint of this initial pilot study.

Objective. To investigate the clinical and genetic variables at initial presentation that predict survival in the Genetics versus Environment in Scleroderma Outcome Study (GENISOS) cohort. Methods. GENISOS is a prospective, observational study of a multiethnic early systemic sclerosis (SSc) cohort. To date, a total of 250 patients have been enrolled. In addition to clinical and laboratory data, electrocardiograms (EKGs), chest radiographs, and pulmonary function tests have been obtained from each patient. A modified Rodnan skin thickness score, HLA class II genotyping, and a Medsger Damage Index also have been collected. We performed multivariable analyses utilizing the Cox regression following a purposeful model building strategy. Results. The study analyzed 122 white, 47 African American, and 71 Hispanic SSc patients with an average disease duration of 2.6 years at enrollment. At the time of analysis, 52 (20.8%) of the 250 patients had died. In the final multivariable model excluding HLA genes, 7 variables emerged as significant predictors of mortality: age >65 years at enrollment, forced vital capacity <50% predicted, clinically significant arrhythmia on EKG, absence of anticentromere antibodies, hypertension, chest radiograph suggestive of pulmonary fibrosis, and low body mass index (BMI). In separate modeling that included HLA genes, HLA alleles DRB1*0802 and DQA1*0501 were significant predictors of mortality in addition to the predictors mentioned above. Conclusion. A limited number of variables collected at presentation, including BMI, are able to predict mortality in patients with early SSc. In addition, some of the HLA genes associated with SSc susceptibility are useful for predicting SSc outcome.

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Objective. To examine the predictive role of HLA genetic markers in scleroderma renal crisis (SRC), beyond the known clinical correlates, in a large population of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).Methods. SSc patients from the Scleroderma Family Registry and DNA Repository, the Genetics versus Environment in Scleroderma Outcomes Study, and the rheumatology division registry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston were included in the study. Relevant clinical data were obtained by chart review, and autoantibodies were detected utilizing commercially available kits. HLA class II genotyping was performed on extracted and purified genomic DNA.Results. Overall, 1,519 SSc patients were included in the study, of whom 90 (6%) had developed SRC.