Identification of an unrelated HLA allele-matched hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) donor is a costly and time-consuming procedure. To improve search logistics, we have limited the search period to 6 months and have introduced a probability estimate of the chances of identifying a 10/10 HLA allele-matched donor. Probabilities were classified as high (>95%), intermediate (50%) and low (<5% chance) based on allele and haplotype frequencies. By analyzing 350 consecutive searches between 2002 and 2005 (1719 donors tested), the probability estimates turned out to be correct for 96% (high), 88% (low) and 56% (intermediate) patients. For searches with a high probability of success, at least one of the 10 most frequent haplotypes in Caucasoids was found in 69% of the patients, but in only 11% of the patients with a low-probability estimate (P<0.00001). Survival probability at 3 years was significantly higher for HSCT patients classified with a high-probability estimate when compared to patients in the intermediate/low-probability groups (74 vs 51 and 54% respectively, P=0.01). The same difference in survival probabilities was observed when only 10/10 matched unrelated HSCT patients were analyzed. In the intermediate-/low-probability groups, patients with alternative (haploidentical, autologous) or mismatched unrelated donors had similar survival estimates. Probability prediction is therefore feasible in the search process for unrelated donors and can guide the therapeutic strategy

<b><i>Background: </i></b>Over the last 2 decades, cord blood (CB) has become an important source of blood stem cells. Clinical experience has shown that CB is a viable source for blood stem cells in the field of unrelated hematopoietic blood stem cell transplantation. <b><i>Methods: </i></b>Studies of CB units (CBUs) stored and ordered from the US (National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and Swiss (Swiss Blood Stem Cells (SBSC)) CB registries were conducted to assess whether these CBUs met the needs of transplantation patients, as evidenced by units being selected for transplantation. These data were compared to international banking and selection data (Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW), World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA)). Further analysis was conducted on whether current CB banking practices were economically viable given the units being selected from the registries for transplant. It should be mentioned that our analysis focused on usage, deliberately omitting any information about clinical outcomes of CB transplantation. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A disproportionate number of units with high total nucleated cell (TNC) counts are selected, compared to the distribution of units by TNC available. Therefore, the decision to use a low threshold for banking purposes cannot be supported by economic analysis and may limit the economic viability of future public CB banking. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> We suggest significantly raising the TNC level used to determine a bankable unit. A level of 125 × 10⁷ TNCs, maybe even 150 × 10⁷ TNCs, might be a viable banking threshold. This would improve the return on inventory investments while meeting transplantation needs based on current selection criteria.

Fluoroquinolones can cause tendinitis and tendon rupture. However, toxicological as well as clinical information on quinolone-induced tendopathy is scarce. We performed extensive electron microscopic studies with Achilles tendon specimens from ofloxacin-treated rats. The drug was given at a dose of 1,200 mg/kg (body weight) orally. Juvenile Wistar rats received one or three oral doses each of 1,200 mg of ofloxacin/kg (body weight)/day. Three days after treatment, the tenocytes of their Achilles tendons showed degenerative alterations, such as multiple vacuoles and vesicles in the cytoplasm that had developed due to swellings and dilatations of cell organelles. Other indications of cell degradation were the occurrence of cell debris and cell detachment from the extracellular matrix accompanied by a loss of cell-matrix interaction. The tenocytes of juvenile Wistar rats that had been treated at day 36 with a single oral dose of 1,200 mg of ofloxacin/kg (body weight) and sacrificed either 3 or 6 months later exhibited similar degenerative alterations. The number of degenerative alterations of tenocytes after ofloxacin treatment was considerably higher in rats that had received a magnesium-deficient diet than in rats with normal magnesium status. Of the adult rats that had been treated once, 5 times, and 10 times with ofloxacin and killed 1 day later, only those with the 10-times treatment showed a significantly increased number of degeneratively altered tenocytes. In summary, effects observed in tendons show similar pathological features as described earlier in cartilage, indicating that quinolone-induced arthropathy and quinolone-induced tendopathy probably are different clinical manifestations of the same toxic effect on cellular components of connective tissue structures.Musculoskeletal adverse effects represent a small but significant fraction of the adverse effects observed during therapy with fluoroquinolones (0.5 to 2%). Besides arthralgia and myalgia, cases of tendinitis and tendon ruptures have also been described. As with quinolone-induced arthropathy, most cases of tendon disorders have occurred with pefloxacin. Tendinitis associated with other drugs such as ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, and enoxacin has been reported, but the incidence appears to be much lower. In trying to estimate the overall clinical significance of this effect, it should be kept in mind that probably quite a number of unidentified cases exist (2,3,22).Clinical information on quinolone-induced tendopathy is scarce. Selective clinical studies regarding this adverse effect have not been published, and toxicological data are very limited. Some studies in rats that have been published so far do not seem to reflect the clinical situation because the alterations are detectable in juvenile rats only and are preventable by dexamethasone (8-10).We performed extensive electron microscopic studies with Achilles tendon specimens from ofloxacin-treated rats. Our experiments were designed to answer several questions. First, are multiple do...

Preclinical investigations with grepafloxacin showed that its toxicological profile is similar to that of other fluoroquinolones. The photosensitizing effect of grepafloxacin was relatively weak and similar to that of ciprofloxacin. Grepafloxacin did not cause convulsions in mice when administered in conjunction with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug fenbufen. Intravenous injection of grepafloxacin caused transient dysrhythmias in rabbits at a dosage of 10 mg/kg and ventricular tachycardia at 30 mg/kg iv. Joint cartilage lesions were found in juvenile dogs after iv treatment with 100 mg/kg daily. Plasma concentrations (19-24 mg/L) under these conditions were approximately ten times above a therapeutic level. Data derived from patients who had been treated with grepafloxacin in phase II and phase III multiple-dose studies (400 mg, n = 1069; 600 mg, n = 925) were available for an analysis of the patients' tolerance of the drug. The most common adverse events observed for the 400 mg and 600 mg treatments during these studies were gastrointestinal reactions, such as nausea (11% and 15%, respectively), vomiting (1% and 6%) and diarrhoea (3% and 4%). In both groups a considerable number of patients (9% and 17%) reported an unpleasant taste; this was less common in the pooled controls (1%) after treatment with drugs such as doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, amoxycillin or cefixime. Headache occurred in 4% (400 mg) and 5% (600 mg) and insomnia in 1% (400 mg) or 2% (600 mg) of the patients. Similar incidences were found for photosensitivity (1% and 2%, respectively) and for rash (1% and 2%) in the 400 mg and 600 mg groups. So far, tolerance of the new compound seems to be similar to that of other fluoroquinolones. However, incidences of nausea, vomiting and unpleasant taste were rather high during the first clinical trials, particularly after treatment with 600 mg daily. Further data are necessary for a sound evaluation of the tolerance of grepafloxacin.

The systemic effects of ciprofloxacin in immature Beagles were studied. Dogs of 10-11 weeks were dosed orally for 5 days with 0 (n=3), 30 (n=5) and 200 (n=5) mg ciprofloxacin/kg body wt. Plasma concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) 1 h after dosing (assuming to be peak concentrations). In view of the high doses used, the plasma concentrations were rather low and declined during the study period. For example, plasma concentrations in the high dose group were 6.6 +/- 0.9 mg/l (day 1), 3.9 +/- 1.4 mg/l (day 3), and 2.6 +/- 1.6 mg/l (day 5). In control dogs and in dogs treated with the low dose of ciprofloxacin no pathological changes were seen by light microscopy. However, cleft formation and erosions were observed in joint cartilage from two of five dogs treated with 200 mg/kg. It is noteworthy that despite the high dose used cartilage lesions were not detectable in all five dogs of this group by light microscopy. Using antibodies against cell membrane receptors (e.g. the alpha(5)beta(1)-integrin) or matrix components (fibronectin, collagen II) the articular cartilage effects were studied in detail by immunohistochemistry. The most sensitive alteration was an increase in fibronectin which was detectable in the vicinity of the lesions in cartilage samples from the group of dogs administered the high dose. No clear-cut changes were seen with the use of antibodies against other matrix components. Electron microscopy revealed typical alterations in chondrocytes from dogs treated with ciprofloxacin: e.g., swollen mitochondria and enlarged rough endoplasmic reticulum. These changes were much more pronounced in dogs from the high dose group than in dogs from the low dose group. Our main conclusion is that after oral administration ciprofloxacin exhibits rather low chondrotoxicity, even in the most sensitive species known to date. This correlates with the findings in humans that ciprofloxacin seems to be less chondrotoxic than pefloxacin or other quinolones.