The high prevalence of Torque teno virus DNA in blood donors and haemodialysis patients in southern Brazil

This study investigates the frequency of Torque teno virus (TTV) infection in 150 blood donors and 77 patients requiring haemodialysis in southern Brazil. Plasma samples were screened for TTV DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The prevalences of TTV among blood donors and patients requiring haemodialysis were 73.3% and 68.8%, respectively. The presence of TTV was correlated with age in the blood donors (p = 0.024). In haemodialysis patients, no association was found between TTV infection and the demographic parameters (age, sex and education), the duration of haemodialysis or a history of blood transfusion. This study is the first to evaluate the prevalence of TTV infection in Brazilian patients requiring haemodialysis

Linfoma não-Hodgkin de cordão espermático

Non-Hodgkin´s lymphoma of the spermatic cord are rare. There is the registration of 14 (fourteen) cases of spermatic cord lymphoma in the literature, all treated with radical orchiectomy with or without radiotherapy. The adjuvant chemotherapy still is not a consensus, therefore the therapy must be individualized and applied according to the stage of the disease. The present study report a new case of primary non-Hodgkin´s lymphoma of the spermatic cord treated with radical orchiectomy through inguinal via with precocious ligature of the spermatic cord and adjuvant chemotherapy. Presently found with 2 and a half years of follow-up without recidivation clinical evidence, as the image exams show to be normal

Primary Cutaneous Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (pcALCL) in the Elderly and the Importance of Sport Activity Training

Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pcALCL) is part of a spectrum of cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative disease that also includes lymphomatoid papulosis. It often occurs in elderly patients, presenting at a median age of 60 years, although it may occur at any age. It is a CD30+ T-cell neoplasm composed of large cells with anaplastic, pleomorphic, or immunoblastic morphology, with exclusively cutaneous onset and localization. The clinical course of pcALCL is predominantly indolent. Most elderly patients with lymphoma tend to have a sedentary lifestyle, which has a negative effect on their quality of life (QoL) and survival. Several studies indicate that exercise has a positive impact on QoL because it reduces peak oxygen consumption, improves physical capacity, increases self-esteem, reduces accumulated stress, and promotes relaxation. Therefore, particularly in indolent lymphomas, it is necessary to indicate a program of physical activity to be practiced systematically. Complete surgical excision and local radiotherapy are the first line gold standard in pcALCL with a solitary lesion

South Brazilian Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Profile Patients: How We Treat and Our Results

Abstract CML is a well characterized disease with a known chromosomal abnormality. The inhibition of BCR-ABL protein tyrose kinase activity represented an advance in the treatment of this disease. Imatinib is effective in chronic, accelerated and blastic phase disease, and is the CML first line treatment around the world. In Brazil, this drug is provided by the State since 2003. The drug is available for second line treatment in chronic phase and for accelerated and blastic phase as the first line therapy. In chronic phase, the patients are treated first with interferon. If this treatment is too toxic or not effective, the choice therapy is imatinib 400 mg and the dose can be escalated up 600 mg. In accelerated and blastic phases the treatment is imatinib 600 mg. Mutational studies are not routinely performed and the failing patients are encourage to participate in bone marrow transplantation programs or clinical research centers. The present data are obtained from public health hospital database and included 400 CML Ph+ patients from Rio Grande do Sul, south of Brazil. 232 patients are male and 158 female and around 70% were Caucasian. The median age at diagnosis was 46, 79 y (median 49, 28). The mean laboratory values at diagnosis were: hematocrit 33 (median 34, 8), hemoglobin 11, 08 (median 11, 40), white blood cells 158.594 (median 110.000) and platelets 466.000 (median 380.000). From the 400 patients, 300 pts were diagnosed in chronic phase, 52 pts in accelerated phase and 20 pts in blastic phase. In 28 patients the disease phase was unknown. In the majority of patients Imatinib was started because interferon treatment was not tolerated (121 patients) or ineffective (123 patients). Of these patients 285 were in chronic, 59 pts in accelerated and 17 pts in blastic phases. The cytogenetic response evaluated at 12 months of treatment was available in 231 patients: 164 complete responses, 20 major responses, 15 minor responses and 32 patients demonstrated none or minimal response to therapy. In 169 patients the response is unknown. The progression free survival for the chronic phase patients in 80 months of observation is 90% and the event free survival for the entire group is 60% in the same period. The progression from chronic to accelerated or blastic phase was more common in the first year of imatinib treatment and decreased progressively until the fifth year of therapy. This data demonstrate the epidemiologic profile and the treatment results of CML patients in south of Brazil. Imatinib is available in public health system as a second line treatment and the survival rate is quite good. Since last July this drug has been available as first line treatment, even in chronic phase. A longer follow up and a uniform database registry are needed to study the impact of imatinib treatment in this population

South brazilian chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) profile patients : how we treat and our results

Abstract CML is a well characterized disease with a known chromosomal abnormality. The inhibition of BCR-ABL protein tyrose kinase activity represented an advance in the treatment of this disease. Imatinib is effective in chronic, accelerated and blastic phase disease, and is the CML first line treatment around the world. In Brazil, this drug is provided by the State since 2003. The drug is available for second line treatment in chronic phase and for accelerated and blastic phase as the first line therapy. In chronic phase, the patients are treated first with interferon. If this treatment is too toxic or not effective, the choice therapy is imatinib 400 mg and the dose can be escalated up 600 mg. In accelerated and blastic phases the treatment is imatinib 600 mg. Mutational studies are not routinely performed and the failing patients are encourage to participate in bone marrow transplantation programs or clinical research centers. The present data are obtained from public health hospital database and included 400 CML Ph+ patients from Rio Grande do Sul, south of Brazil. 232 patients are male and 158 female and around 70% were Caucasian. The median age at diagnosis was 46, 79 y (median 49, 28). The mean laboratory values at diagnosis were: hematocrit 33 (median 34, 8), hemoglobin 11, 08 (median 11, 40), white blood cells 158.594 (median 110.000) and platelets 466.000 (median 380.000). From the 400 patients, 300 pts were diagnosed in chronic phase, 52 pts in accelerated phase and 20 pts in blastic phase. In 28 patients the disease phase was unknown. In the majority of patients Imatinib was started because interferon treatment was not tolerated (121 patients) or ineffective (123 patients). Of these patients 285 were in chronic, 59 pts in accelerated and 17 pts in blastic phases. The cytogenetic response evaluated at 12 months of treatment was available in 231 patients: 164 complete responses, 20 major responses, 15 minor responses and 32 patients demonstrated none or minimal response to therapy. In 169 patients the response is unknown. The progression free survival for the chronic phase patients in 80 months of observation is 90% and the event free survival for the entire group is 60% in the same period. The progression from chronic to accelerated or blastic phase was more common in the first year of imatinib treatment and decreased progressively until the fifth year of therapy. This data demonstrate the epidemiologic profile and the treatment results of CML patients in south of Brazil. Imatinib is available in public health system as a second line treatment and the survival rate is quite good. Since last July this drug has been available as first line treatment, even in chronic phase. A longer follow up and a uniform database registry are needed to study the impact of imatinib treatment in this population