Impact of the Donor KIR Genotype on the Clinical Outcome of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Unrelated Transplants: A Single Center Experience

In recent years, the anti-leukemic potential of Natural Killer (NK) cells and their role in hematologic malignancies and in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants (HSCT) has attracted greater interest and a recent study by Cooley S. et al. showed a better clinical outcome when patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia received a transplant from unrelated Group B KIR haplotypes donors. As a consequence of these results, an algorithm called “KIR B-content score” was formulated. The aim of our research is a retrospective analysis of HSC unrelated transplants performed in our center to analyze the effect of the donor KIR B status on the clinical-outcome. Our results showed a better overall survival-rate in the AML recipients, HLA mismatched with the donor, when the donor KIR B content status is Best/Better (37% vs 18% at three years P=0,028). Moreover, we observed that AML recipients, whose Donors KIR B status was Best/Better, had more incidence of aGvHD grade I and II than patients whose Donors KIR B status was Neutral (70% vs 26%) and also a lower rate of relapse (36% vs 58%) and a better Disease Free Survival-rate (58% vs 38% at three years P=0,1) because of a better GvL effect

A test on Ellenberg indicator values in the Mediterranean evergreen woods (Quercetea ilicis)

The consistency and reliability of Ellenberg’s indicator values (Eiv) as ecological descriptors of the Mediterranean evergreen vegetation ascribed to the phytosociological class Quercetea ilicis have been checked on a set of 859 phytosociological relevés × 699 species. Diagnostic species were identified through a Twinspan analysis and their Eiv analyzed and related to the following independent variables: (1) annual mean temperatures, (2) annual rainfall. The results provided interesting insights to disentangle the current syntaxonomical framework at the alliance level demonstrating the usefulness of ecological indicator values to test the efficiency and predictivity of the phytosociological classification

In utero stem cells transplantation after a mild immunosuppression: evidence of paternal ABO cDNA in β β β β β-thalassaemia affected fetus

Background. In utero haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (IUHSCT) could represent an alternative option to therapeutic abortion after prenatal diagnosis of thalassaemia. However, although in immunodeficiency syndromes chimerism has been described, in thalassaemia poor clinical success has been reported. One of the reasons is probably the graft failure due to an immune response of the fetuses. Materials and methods. Therefore, we set up a clinical protocol by which two female fetuses affected by ß-thalassaemia at 20 and 21 weeks of gestation were prenatally treated with low-dose dexamethasone and then transplanted with paternal circulating haematopoietic progenitor cells. Results. Chimerism analysis performed after birth showed the presence, in both newborns, of Y cells in peripheral blood. Moreover, in one case an erythroid microchimerism was shown by the presence of paternal ABO allele A cDNA obtained from mononuclear peripheral blood cells at 2 months of age and by an unusual HbA value of 14.4%, thus indicating a slight transitory engraftment of infused paternal stem cells. However, because of both babies required transfusions before 12 months, these data confirm the difficulty for long-term successful with IUHSCT. Conclusions. To obtain safe and successful results for fetuses with β β β β β-thalassaemia will remain a challenge of the next years. Introduzione I rapidi progressi conseguiti nelle indagini genetiche e molecolari hanno consentito di individuare numerose malattie genetiche ereditarie in periodi precoci di gestazione, mediante il campionamento dei villi coriali (CVC) e l'analisi del DNA. Il trapianto in utero di cellule staminali ematopoietiche (In utero Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, IUHSCT) potrebbe rappresentare una opzione alternativa all'aborto terapeutico in alcune emopatie genetiche ereditarie, quali le emoglobinopatie, in quanto, potenzialmente, potrebbe consentire la nascita di un neonato sano. Tuttavia, attualmente, l'attecchimento dopo IUHSCT si è ottenuto soltanto in caso di feti affetti da disordini immunologici, quali la sindrome di Bare (sindrome dei linfociti "nudi") o l'immunodeficienza combinata grave (Severe Combined ImmunoDeficiency, SCID

Tertiary relict laurophyll vegetation in the Madonie mountains (Sicily)

Laurel woodlands in the Madonie mountains (Sicily) are characterized by the presence of Laurus nobilis, Rhamnus lojaconoi and Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris. The results of a phytosociological study are presented, and a new endemic association, Rhamno lojaconoi–Lauretum nobilis, is described. Present Mediterranean laurel communities are the result of an adaptive response by Tertiary laurel forest to the peculiar microclimatic conditions that characterize the refugia where they persist. These refugia have been recently considered as a priority habitat under the Directive 92/43/EEC, and their plant communities are very vulnerable. Protection measures of the studied laurel populations are necessary, with particular reference to the bulking up of R. lojaconoi through in situ and ex situ propagation. A multivariate analysis of 63 relevés from all the Sicilian laurel communities described so far and additional 65 relevés from all over southern Europe and the Mediterranean basin bears out the autonomy of the new association, showing at the same time some oristic afnities between Sicilian, southern Italian, Spanish and Iberian associations. Their syntaxonomic treatment is discussed