We evaluated a novel alemtuzumab-based conditioning regimen in HSCT for acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA). In a multicenter retrospective study, 50 patients received transplants from matched sibling donors (MSD; n ‫؍‬ 21) and unrelated donors (UD; n ‫؍‬ 29), using fludarabine 30 mg/m 2 for 4 days, cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m 2 for 4 days, and alemtuzumab median total dose of 60 mg (range:40-100 mg). Median age was 35 years (range 8-62). Overall survival at 2 years was 95% ؎ 5% for MSD and 83% for UD HSCT (p 0.34). Cumulative incidence of graft failure was 9.5% for MSD and 14.5% for UD HSCT. Full-donor chimerism (FDC) in unfractionated peripheral blood was 42%; no patient achieved CD3 FDC. Acute GVHD was observed in only 13.5% patients (all grade I-II) and only 2 patients (4%) developed chronic GVHD. A low incidence of viral infections was seen. Factors influencing overall survival were HSCT comorbidity 2-year index (92% with score 0-1 vs 42% with score > 2, P < .001) and age (92% for age < 50 years vs 71% > 50 years, P < .001). Our data suggest that the use of an alemtuzumabbased HSCT regimen for SAA results in durable engraftment with a low incidence of chronic GVHD. (Blood. 2011;118(8): 2351-2357) IntroductionAllogeneic HSCT offers the chance of long-term cure for patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA), 1-5 but chronic GVHD represents a current major challenge that impacts on quality of life as well as survival. 6 The ideal conditioning regimen for SAA is one that results in sustained engraftment, minimal regimen-related toxicity, and absence of both acute and chronic GVHD. There is no advantage for any degree of chronic GVHD in AA, in contrast to the beneficial impact of GVL effect on HSCT for myeloid malignancies.Over the past few decades, survival after HSCT for acquired SAA has improved greatly. HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD) HSCT results in long-term survival in at least 80% of patients. 1,2,4,5,7,8 The standard of care conditioning for young patients undergoing MSD BM transplantation (BMT) for AA is high-dose cyclophosphamide (CY) 200 mg/kg and ATG, with cyclosporin (CSA) and methotrexate (MTX) as post-graft immunosuppression. Long-term survival occurs in 80%-90% of patients, although this is age-dependent, with only 50% survival above the age of 40-50 years. 3,9,10 Graft rejection occurs in 5%-10%, and acute GVHD in 12%-30%. Notably, chronic GVHD remains a major problem for 30%-40% of patients. In addition, incremental impact of increasing age is observed on the cumulative incidence of acute and chronic GVHD. 3 Unrelated donor (UD) HSCT had previously been reserved for those patients who fail to respond to 2 courses of immunosuppressive therapy (IST), but outcomes after UD HSCT have improved significantly during the past decade. 11-15 A prospective pediatric study from Japan comparing repeat course of IST with UD HSCT showed benefit in favor of early UD HSCT in AA. 16 UD HSCT is now considered after failing 1 course of IST. [17][18] Improved outcomes are likely because of improved HLA-matching ...

Ulmer u. a.: Untersuchungen zur Ursache der Atemwegsobseruktion und des überenipfindlichen Bronchialsystems

The precise effects of CD34 þ cell dose on the outcome of allogeneic transplantation for aplastic anaemia (AA) are not known. Previous studies have used the total mononuclear cell count to quantify stem cell dose. We evaluated the effects of CD34 þ cell dose on the clinical and haematological end points of transplantation. The transplant variables and outcome parameters on 46 patients with acquired AA were assessed by comparing low vs high CD34 þ cell doses. Infusion of less than 2 Â 10 6 /kg of CD34 þ cells was associated with an increased incidence of graft failures (P ¼ 0.03), higher incidence of bacterial infections (P ¼ 0.006) and a delay in the engraftment of neutrophils (P ¼ 0.046). The latter was found to be an effect of stem cell source (non-PBSC) rather than the CD34 þ count. Other parameters, such as plt engraftment (P ¼ 0.63), red cell (P ¼ 0.94) and plt (P ¼ 0.31) transfusion independence, chimerism, acute and chronic GVHD (P ¼ 1.0) and OS (P ¼ 0.57), were not significantly influenced by the CD34 þ cell dose. These findings are different to the published studies on the relevance of CD34 þ cell dose in allogeneic transplantation for haematological cancers.

Postoperative hypocalcaemia is the most frequent and common complication after total thyroidectomy. It is necessary to diagnose or to predict hypocalcaemia immediately after total thyroidectomy for minimizing complications. A prospective observational study was carried out in the Department of Clinical Pathology in collaboration with Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Department of Otolaryngology, Dhaka Medical College & Hospital (DMC&H), Dhaka, during the period of September 2010 to August 2011 to evaluate intraoperative (20 minutes after total thyroidectomy) parathyroid hormone (PTH) measurement as a predictor of post thyroidectomy hypocalcaemia. Total 65 patients were enrolled in this study those came for total thyroidectomy. Postoperative hypocalcaemia developed in 25 cases. Intraoperative PTH was assessed and significant correlation was found between intraoperative PTH level and development of hypocalcaemia. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of intraoperative serum PTH for prediction of post total thyroidectomy hypocalcaemia were 84.0%, 85.0%, 84.6%, 77.8%, and 89.5% respectively. Because of the high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of intraoperative serum PTH of this study, the early prediction of hypocalcaemia could be made by single assay of intraoperative serum PTH level at 20 minutes after total thyroidectomy.

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