Reticulocyte Maturation Parameters Are Reliable Early Predictors of Hematopoietic Engraftment after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

AbstractEarly detection of donor-derived hematopoietic restoration after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is a crucial issue in the management of heavily immunocompromised patients. The aim of this prospective study was to validate our previously defined cutoff values for reticulocyte maturation parameters as early predictors of hematopoietic engraftment. Importantly, the effect of clinical variables in reticulocyte engraftment was also sought. For this purpose, we prospectively studied 136 consecutive patients undergoing allo-SCT from related (n = 89) or unrelated (n = 47) donors. High fluorescence reticulocytes (RETH), immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF), mean fluorescence index (MFI), and mean reticulocyte volume (MRV) were automatically measured in peripheral blood samples drawn on a daily basis. We previously defined reticulocyte engraftment when MFI ≥10, RETH ≥3%, IRF ≥10%, and MRV ≥110 fL. Median neutrophil engraftment was 18 days (range, 10-35 days); for reticulocyte parameters, the values were 14 days for IRF (range, 7-45 days), 14 days for MFI (range, 7-43 days), 15 days for RETH (range, 7-43 days), and 21 days for MRV (range, 9-74 days). These differences reached statistical significance for MFI and IRF when compared with standard neutrophil recovery, even when analyzing siblings or unrelated donors separately. In univariate analysis, donor-recipient ABO disparity adversely influenced erythroid engraftment (P = .04 for IRF, P = .03 for MFI), but the infusion of >2.9 × 106/kg of CD34+ cells was associated with a shorter time to reach erythroid engraftment (P = .02 for IRF and MFI). In Cox regression analysis, ≥100/μL neutrophils and IRF ≥10% were predictive parameters for standard neutrophil engraftment. Based on these findings, we suggest that serial measurement of IRF or MFI should be routinely used to trace hematopoietic restoration after allo-SCT because these preceded standard neutrophil recovery by a median of 4 days and are therefore very useful to make clinical decisions

Profundidade de instalação da linha de gotejadores em tomateiro para processamento industrial Drip line placement depth for processing tomatoes crop

Avaliou-se a resposta do tomateiro para processamento industrial, irrigado por gotejamento, a diferentes profundidades de instalação da linha lateral de gotejadores (0; 20 e 40 cm). Um tratamento irrigado por aspersão foi utilizado como controle. O experimento foi conduzido na Embrapa Hortaliças, nas condições edafoclimáticas da região de cerrados do Brasil Central. Maior crescimento vegetativo de plantas foi observado nos tratamentos irrigados por aspersão e gotejamento superficial, enquanto que menor crescimento ocorreu no gotejamento a 40 cm. A produtividade comercial do tratamento irrigado por gotejamento superficial (124 t.ha-1) foi 32% maior que no tratamento por gotejamento subterrâneo a 40 cm, 15% maior que no tratamento irrigado por aspersão, não diferindo (p>0,05) do tratamento por gotejamento a 20 cm. Incrementos de produtividade foram devidos, principalmente, ao maior número de frutos por planta, uma vez que o estande final e a massa média de frutos não foram afetados pelos tratamentos. A incidência de frutos podres na irrigação por aspersão foi 112 e 453% maior que nos tratamentos irrigados por gotejamento superficial e subterrâneo, respectivamente.<br>A field experiment was carried out at Embrapa Hortaliças under soil and climate conditions of Central Brazil "cerrado" region, aiming to evaluate the response of drip-irrigated processing tomatoes to different drip line placement depths (0; 20 and 40 cm). A control treatment was irrigated by sprinkle system. Larger plant vegetative growth was observed for the sprinkle and surface drip treatments, while smaller growth occurred for the 40 cm-depth drip treatment. Marketable yield of the surface drip irrigated treatment (124 t.ha-1) was 32% larger than the 40 cm-depth drip treatment, 15% larger than the sprinkle treatment, but did not differ (p>0,05) from the 20 cm-depth drip treatment. Yield increments were basically due to a larger number of fruits per plant, since final stand and mean fruit mass were not affected by treatments. Rotten fruit rate for the sprinkle treatment was 112 and 453% larger than for the treatments irrigated by surface and subsurface drip, respectively