Post-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Outcomes in Patients With AML Transplanted Prior to Achieving Platelet Recovery

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The in vivo effect of some medicinal plant extracts on Cryptosporidium parasite.

Cryptosporidium is known as a parasite of humans especially children of both those who are immunodeficient and immunocompetent. The effect of prolonged diarrhea and dehydration can be dangerous, especially for young and immunodeficient persons. This study was designed to find out the watery and alcoholic effect of some medicinal plant extracts against the parasite. No significant differences between the watery and alcoholic extracts of the three medicinal plant used (Corindrum sativum, Curcuma longa, Viscum album) were noted. All the plants were dose related, Curcuma longa had the highest effect on Cryptosporidium oocysts shedding in laboratory infected Balb/c mice. With rate of 100% on the 7th day of treatment at 750 mg/kg and on the 5th day at 1000mg/kg in the watery extracts. And a rate of 100% on the 4th day at 1000mg/kg in alcoholic extracts, followed by Viscum album with rate of 48, 54% on the 7th day at 750, 1000mg/kg respectively for watery extract and 73, 76% on the 7th day at 750, 1000mg/kg respectively for alcoholic extract. The Coriondrum sativum had the lowest effect at all concentrations used in both watery and alcoholic extracts. No significant differences were seen with folic acid and potassium chloride adding to the watery and alcoholic plant extracts. Except with the antibiotic (azithromycin) in which its activity was increased to 100% on the 4th day of treatment whereas its effect was only 68% without the

Lymphocyte Phenotype during Therapy for Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease: A Brief Report from BMT-CTN 0302

AbstractAlthough significant strides have been made in understanding the biology of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and its prevention over the last 4 decades, little is known about the different populations of lymphocytes and the changes in response to treatment for this condition. BMT-CTN 0302 was a randomized phase II clinical trial in the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network that assessed the efficacy of combination therapy with steroids plus pentostatin, mycophenolate mofetil, etanercept, or denileukin diftitox in patients with acute GVHD. Patients enrolled in the study underwent blood analysis by flow cytometry on days 0, 14, and 28 of therapy to enumerate the number of total lymphocytes, T cells, B cells, and lymphocytes expressing activation markers. Baseline total lymphocyte counts and subpopulations were similar in the 4 treatment arms. Responding patients had a smaller decrease in total CD45+ cell count (P = .005) compared with nonresponding patients at day 28. On univariate analysis, those who developed chronic GVHD had significantly higher CD8+ cell counts at day 14 compared with those without it (P = .005). There was no significant association between baseline lymphocyte count and survival. On univariate analysis, among the patients with higher lymphocyte counts at days 14 and 28, there was a trend toward better survival at day 180, although this trend did not reach the predetermined threshold for significance. We found no significant differences in lymphocyte total or subpopulation counts among the 4 treatment arms, and no notable influence on outcomes

Characteristics Of TiO2-Cu Thin Films Deposited Via Using Electrospray Technique

In this current research, TiO2 thin films were deposited on the cleaning glass substrates via using Electrospray technique. Various deposition Electric potentials were utilized within the scope of 0-5 KV. To understand potential factors affecting TiO2-Cu thin films, the structural, morphological, optical characteristics and the surface chemical composition were explored. The x-ray diffraction peaks showed that all TiO2-Cu samples composed of an anatase phase with average crystallite size of 46 nm. TiO2-Cu films were uniform surface and particle structures such as a spherical size with a thickness of approximately 260 nm. PL spectroscopy was used to analyze the optical properties in order to confirm optical absorption in the visible light field. We provided nanoparticles insights into the enhanced properties of TiO2-Cu thin films under different electric potential. The thin film offers a good performance for use as a biosensor

Comparison of survival in patients with T cell lymphoma after autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation as a frontline strategy or in relapsed disease.

We studied the roles of autologous (A) and allogeneic (allo) stem cell transplantation (SCT) in the treatment of 134 patients with T cell lymphoma (TCL) at our center. For frontline SCT, 58 patients were studied. The 4-year overall survival (OS) rates for ASCT (n = 47; median age, 49 years) and alloSCT (n = 11; median age, 55 years) groups were 76% and 54%, respectively (P \u3e .05). The 4-year OS rates for first complete remission (CR1) patients were 84% and 83%, respectively. For SCT for relapsed disease, 76 patients were studied (41 with ASCT and 35 with alloSCT). The 4-year OS rates were 50% and 36% for ASCT and alloSCT patients with chemosensitive disease, respectively (P \u3e .05). Those who were in CR2 and CR3 had 4-year OS rates of 59% and 53%, respectively. Similar results were also observed in patients with refractory disease (29% and 35%, respectively). These data suggest that a pre-SCT CR is associated with improved outcomes in TCL patients after SCT. Considering the 84% 4-year OS rates in CR1 patients and the unpredictable responses in patients with relapsed disease, we favor the use of ASCT as consolidation therapy after CR1. AlloSCT did not result in a superior outcome compared with ASCT

Arsenic Trioxide with Ascorbic Acid and High-Dose Melphalan: Results of a Phase II Randomized Trial

AbstractArsenic trioxide (ATO) is synergistic with ascorbic acid (AA) and melphalan against myeloma both in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this randomized phase II trial was to determine the safety and efficacy of a combination of ATO, melphalan, and AA as preparative regimen in 48 patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for multiple myeloma (MM). Forty-eight patients received melphalan 200 mg/m2 i.v. over 2 days and AA 1000 mg i.v. over 7 days in 3 treatment arms: no ATO (arm 1), ATO 0.15 mg/kg i.v. × 7 days (arm 2), and ATO 0.25 mg/kg i.v. × 7 days (arm 3). No dose-limiting toxicity, engraftment failure, or nonrelapse mortality (NRM) was seen in the first 100 days post-ASCT. Complete responses (CR) were seen in 12 of 48 patients (25%), with an overall response rate (ORR = CR + PR) of 85%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 25 months; median overall survival (OS) has not yet been reached. There was no significant difference in CR, PFS, or OS among the 3 treatment arms, and no adverse effect of ATO on melphalan pharmacokinetics. Addition of ATO + AA to high-dose melphalan is safe and well tolerated as a preparative regimen for MM

Evidence for B cell exhaustion in chronic graft-versus-host disease

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) remains a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). A number of studies support a role for B cells in the pathogenesis of cGvHD. In this study, we report the presence of an expanded population of CD19+CD21− B cells with features of exhaustion in the peripheral blood of patients with cGvHD. CD21− B cells were significantly increased in patients with active cGvHD compared to patients without cGvHD and healthy controls (median 12.2 versus 2.12 versus 3%, respectively; p < 0.01). Compared with naïve (CD27−CD21+) and classical memory (CD27+CD21+) B cells, CD19+CD21− B cells in cGvHD were CD10 negative, CD27 negative and CD20hi, and exhibited features of exhaustion, including increased expression of multiple inhibitory receptors such as FCRL4, CD22, CD85J, and altered expression of chemokine and adhesion molecules such as CD11c, CXCR3, CCR7, and CD62L. Moreover, CD21− B cells in cGvHD patients were functionally exhausted and displayed poor proliferative response and calcium mobilization in response to B-cell receptor triggering and CD40 ligation. Finally, the frequencies of circulating CD21− B cells correlated with cGvHD severity in patients after HSCT. Our study further characterizes B cells in chronic cGVHD and supports the use of CD21−CD27−CD10− B cell frequencies as a biomarker of disease severity