Carcinoma‐associated fibroblasts,its implication in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a mini review

The communication between tumor stromal and parenchymal cells provides an insight to tumor progression. One of the main elements of the stroma, a major contributor to the extracellular environment of tumors, is carcinoma‐associated fibroblasts. They can originate from either normal fibroblasts in the immediate vicinity of the tumor or from circulating bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells. These myofibroblasts can arise locally from an endothelial–mesenchymal transformation at the invasive edge of the cancer and are physically associated with carcinoma cells, that is, in the development of high‐grade malignancies and poor prognosis. These carcinoma‐associated fibroblasts feed the epithelial tumor cells in a host–parasite relationship establishing its role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma progression.     

Progressive platelet activation with storage: evidence for shortened survival of activated platelets after transfusion

Platelets are known to become activated during storage, but it is unclear whether such activation affects recovery or survival after platelet concentrate (PC) transfusion. With the use of flow cytometry to determine the percentage of platelets expressing the alpha-granule membrane protein 140 (GMP-140), a known adhesive ligand appearing on the platelet surface after activation, several studies were conducted. These investigations evaluated 1) the occurrence of significant platelet activation over time in PCs (n = 46) stored under standard blood bank conditions; 2) the correlation between platelet activation and platelet recovery in normal subjects after PC storage (n = 12), as assessed by the recovery of Indium-labeled platelets; and 3) the recovery of activated and unactivated platelets in thrombocytopenic cancer patients transfused with standard PCs (n = 11). It was determined 1) that an increasing duration of storage of PC was associated with increasing platelet activation as measured by the percentage of platelets expressing GMP-140, progressing from a mean of 4 +/- 2 percent (SD) on the day of collection to a mean of 25 +/- 8 percent by 5 days of storage: 2) that, in normal subjects, posttransfusion recovery of autologous platelets stored for 2 to 4 days and then labeled with In111 was inversely correlated with the percentage of activated platelets in the transfused PC (r = -0.55, p = 0.05); and 3) that, when thrombocytopenic patients were transfused with standard PCs, the recovery of the activated platelets in the transfused PCs averaged only 38 +/- 15 percent of the number predicted by the absolute platelet increment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Moderate and severe reactions in blood donors

During the period April 1985 to March 1986, 217 blood donors were found to have moderate (syncopal) to severe (convulsive) reactions. This population was compared to 5630 randomly selected donors who did not have reactions. An examination of demographic, physical, and societal/emotional factors was conducted to determine if any were predictive of reactions in donors. The results of the research supported the hypothesis that first-time donors have a higher frequency of reactions (1.7%) than do repeat donors (0.19%). A review of the above predictive factors documented that, with regard to demographic factors, 1) the number of prior donations was inversely proportional to the risk of reaction; 2) the gender of the donor was not predictive; and 3) youth was a predictor of reactions. An analysis of the physical factors revealed that donors who reacted were of lower weight (mean, 153.7 lb) than those who did not (mean, 166.4 lb) and that systolic blood pressure was slightly lower in the group with reactions. Although the difference was significant (3 torr), it was not thought to be significant clinically. In a comparison of a group with systolic blood pressure ranging from 80 to 100 torr and a group with systolic blood pressure ranging from 120 to 140 torr, the first group had a 70-percent higher risk of reaction. Finally, with regard to the last category of societal or emotional factors, the research demonstrates 1) that the ingestion of caffeinated beverages was associated with a reduced risk of reactions; 2) that the food intake of donors who reacred was significantly different from that of those who had no reaction, but this difference was not thought to be clinically significant; and 3) that the duration between registration and the onset of phlebotomy was directly predictive of reaction status. The research indicates that first-time donor status and several specific demographic, physical, and societal or emotional factors are predictors of donor reactions.