Current applications of multiparameter flow cytometry in plasma cell disorders

Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) has become standard in the management of patients with plasma cell (PC) dyscrasias, and could be considered mandatory in specific areas of routine clinical practice. It plays a significant role during the differential diagnostic work-up because of its fast and conclusive readout of PC clonality, and simultaneously provides prognostic information in most monoclonal gammopathies. Recent advances in the treatment and outcomes of multiple myeloma led to the implementation of new response criteria, including minimal residual disease (MRD) status as one of the most relevant clinical endpoints with the potential to act as surrogate for survival. Recent technical progress led to the development of next-generation flow (NGF) cytometry that represents a validated, highly sensitive, cost-effective and widely available technique for standardized MRD evaluation, which also could be used for the detection of circulating tumor cells. Here we review current applications of MFC and NGF in most PC disorders including the less frequent solitary plasmocytoma, light-chain amyloidosis or Waldenström macroglobulinemia

Acute mountain sickness.

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a clinical syndrome occurring in otherwise healthy normal individuals who ascend rapidly to high altitude. Symptoms develop over a period ofa few hours or days. The usual symptoms include headache, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, unsteadiness of gait, undue dyspnoea on moderate exertion and interrupted sleep. AMS is unrelated to physical fitness, sex or age except that young children over two years of age are unduly susceptible. One of the striking features ofAMS is the wide variation in individual susceptibility which is to some extent consistent. Some subjects never experience symptoms at any altitude while others have repeated attacks on ascending to quite modest altitudes. Rapid ascent to altitudes of 2500 to 3000m will produce symptoms in some subjects while after ascent over 23 days to 5000m most subjects will be affected, some to a marked degree. In general, the more rapid the ascent, the higher the altitude reached and the greater the physical exertion involved, the more severe AMS will be. Ifthe subjects stay at the altitude reached there is a tendency for acclimatization to occur and symptoms to remit over 1-7 days

Pathomorphological study on gastroduodenal ulceration in horses: Localisation of lesions

Gastroduodenal ulceration is a prevalent disease in foals and adult horses. Decreased performance as well as fatal complications relate to this syndrome. The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of gastric ulceration in a mixed population of horses by postmortem examination and to evaluate a possible association between equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) and sex or age of the examined horses, to evaluate the localisation of lesions in the proximal part of the gastrointestinal tract and to determine the occurrence of gastric parasites. Post-mortem examinations were performed on 71 horses over a period of 24 months. Gastric ulcers were found in 52 horses (73.2%). There was no significant association between age or sex and occurrence of gastric ulcers. In all horses the squamous mucosa lesions were localised near the margo plicatus (100% of the cases), whereas in 23 horses the lesions were near the margo plicatus and lesser curvature and in 7 horses at the greater curvature. In 18 horses the mucosa was affected in the whole extent of the margo plicatus and in 1 horse diffuse lesions of the squamous mucosa were noted. Lesions of the glandular mucosa were localised in 11 horses at the fundic area, in 1 horse they occurred in the pylorus, and in 10 horses diffuse lesions of the glandular mucosa were recorded. A low prevalence of Gasterophilus intestinalis infection was detected (1 horse, 1.4%). We have confirmed that gastric ulcers are a common problem in horses and duodenal or oesophageal ulceration is rare (not a single case of the latter was found in this study). Lesions in the glandular mucosa of the stomach are more frequent in suckling foals than in older animals. Lesions of the glandular mucosa are also common in adult horses, and a complete gastroscopic examination including examination of the pylorus is advisable to evaluate this syndrome

Anticorrelation between whistler occurrence and MLR and QP emissions

International audienceWe investigate a possible influence of lightning-generated whistlers on the occurrence of selected whistler mode emissions in the inner magnetosphere. Specifically, we focus on Magnetospheric Line Radiation (MLR) and Quasiperiodic (QP) emissions, i.e., electromagnetic waves at frequencies of a few kHz with a clear frequency/time modulation of the wave intensity. We use the data from the low altitude satellite DEMETER (2004-2010) to demonstrate that the occurrence of both these emissions exhibits a clear seasonal dependence, with a minimum during the northern summer. We argue that this dependence follows the global distribution of lighting-generated whistlers. Further, we use the whistler occurrence rate data obtained by the neural network on board DEMETER to directly compare whistler occurrence in the presence and in the absence of MLR/QP emissions. It is shown that the whistler occurrence rate as detected by the neural network is significantly lower in the presence of MLR/QP emissions than normally. We discuss whether this is due to a lower efficiency of whistler identification in the presence of MLR/QP emissions or whether this is a real effect suggesting a possible controlling role of whistlers for the occurrence of other electromagnetic emissions

Anticorrelation between whistler occurrence and MLR and QP emissions

International audienceWe investigate a possible influence of lightning-generated whistlers on the occurrence of selected whistler mode emissions in the inner magnetosphere. Specifically, we focus on Magnetospheric Line Radiation (MLR) and Quasiperiodic (QP) emissions, i.e., electromagnetic waves at frequencies of a few kHz with a clear frequency/time modulation of the wave intensity. We use the data from the low altitude satellite DEMETER (2004-2010) to demonstrate that the occurrence of both these emissions exhibits a clear seasonal dependence, with a minimum during the northern summer. We argue that this dependence follows the global distribution of lighting-generated whistlers. Further, we use the whistler occurrence rate data obtained by the neural network on board DEMETER to directly compare whistler occurrence in the presence and in the absence of MLR/QP emissions. It is shown that the whistler occurrence rate as detected by the neural network is significantly lower in the presence of MLR/QP emissions than normally. We discuss whether this is due to a lower efficiency of whistler identification in the presence of MLR/QP emissions or whether this is a real effect suggesting a possible controlling role of whistlers for the occurrence of other electromagnetic emissions

Current applications of multiparameter flow cytometry in plasma cell disorders

Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) has become standard in the management of patients with plasma cell (PC) dyscrasias, and could be considered mandatory in specific areas of routine clinical practice. It plays a significant role during the differential diagnostic work-up because of its fast and conclusive readout of PC clonality, and simultaneously provides prognostic information in most monoclonal gammopathies. Recent advances in the treatment and outcomes of multiple myeloma led to the implementation of new response criteria, including minimal residual disease (MRD) status as one of the most relevant clinical endpoints with the potential to act as surrogate for survival. Recent technical progress led to the development of next-generation flow (NGF) cytometry that represents a validated, highly sensitive, cost-effective and widely available technique for standardized MRD evaluation, which also could be used for the detection of circulating tumor cells. Here we review current applications of MFC and NGF in most PC disorders including the less frequent solitary plasmocytoma, light-chain amyloidosis or Waldenström macroglobulinemia