Reduced intensity conditioning prior to allogeneic stem cell transplantation in first complete remission is effective in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and an intermediate-risk karyotype

To evaluate the efficacy of reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) prior to allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission (CR1), we retrospectively analyzed the outcome of 93 consecutive patients transplanted at our institution either following RIC (n = 37) or standard myeloablative conditioning (MAC) (n = 56) between 1999 and 2007. Projected overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) for all patients at 1, 2, and 5 years was 78 or 70%, 65 or 57%, and 61 or 53% in the RIC group versus 73 or 70%, 68 or 62%, and 56 or 54% in the standard MAC group. In the subgroup of patients with an intermediate-risk karyotype projected OS at 1, 2, and 5 years was 86, 68, and 68% following RIC (n = 21) or 75, 69, and 66% following standard MAC (n = 36). Relapse or treatment-related mortality (TRM) was 15 or 17% (RIC group) and 26 or 14% (standard MAC group). Taken together, these data suggest that RIC-alloSCT may induce stable remissions in patients with AML transplanted in CR1. In particular, patients with an intermediate-risk karyotype ineligible to transplantation following standard MAC may benefit from RIC-alloSCT in CR1 at a low TRM.     

Model selection tests for nonlinear dynamic models

This paper generalizes 73 asymptotically normal tests for model selection in several important directions. First, it allows for incompletely parametrized models such as econometric models defined by moment conditions. Second, it allows for a broad class of estimation methods that includes most estimators currently used in practice. Third, it considers model selection criteria other than the models’ likelihoods such as the mean squared errors of prediction. Fourth, the proposed tests are applicable to possibly misspecified nonlinear dynamic models with weakly dependent heterogeneous data. Cases where the estimation methods optimize the model selection criteria are distinguished from cases where they do not. We also consider the estimation of the asymptotic variance of the difference between the competing models’ selection criteria, which is necessary to our tests. Finally, we discuss conditions under which our tests are valid. It is seen that the competing models must be essentially nonnested.     

Posttraumatic false aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery. Apropos of a case report and review of the medical literature

Traumatic false aneurysm of superficial temporal artery is infrequent. About 21 cases were published during these last fifty-three years (1932-1985) in medical literature. The authors report a case of traumatic false aneurysm in a 50 y. o. woman, having had a frontal trauma one month before. They discuss the physiopathologic mechanism of this rare lesion. False aneurysm is always secondary to an arterial wall rupture. This rupture may be complete in arterial wound or partial with disruption of intima and media in simple contusion. It depends not only on the nature and the intensity of the trauma but also on the particular topography of the artery which is prone to such a complication.     

Alternating chemotherapy and radiotherapy combination for bulky stage I and II intermediate and high grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma: an update

In 1980, based on experimental and clinical data, a protocol was developed at the Institut Gustave-Roussy (IGR), alternating eight monthly courses of chemotherapy (CHVP) and two, then three, radiotherapy sequences (15 Gy in 6 fractions and 10 days to the initially involved areas), for early stage unfavourable histology non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). The results are updated for 55 selected patients presenting with bulky stage I and II NHL, intermediate and high grade according to the Working Formulation. Five-year overall survival rate was 69% and freedom from progression was 68%. Early haematologic and digestive tolerance was satisfactory, probably because a 10-15-day interval was respected between chemotherapy and radiotherapy and vice versa. No late toxicity was detected in 39 patients who presented with head and neck localizations; xerostomia was found to be only mild and transient. All patients given mediastinal irradiation experienced radiological mediastinitis, but functional impairment was usually moderate. One of the 4 patients who received 3 x 15 Gy radiotherapy courses to part of the abdomen, died of small bowel obstruction and perforation. The study demonstrated the feasibility of an alternated schedule of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with satisfactory results in terms of long-term survival. However, the few late complications which were detected after irradiation of the abdomen or of the thorax led to an alteration of the initial scheme when these volumes are to be treated.     

Secondary alveolar echinococcosis in lymphotoxin-α and tumour necrosis factor-α deficient mice: exacerbation of Echinococcus multilocularis larval growth is associated with cellular changes in the periparasitic granuloma

The availability of mice carrying a deletion of LT-alpha and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha genes enabled us to investigate the role of the TNF during alveolar echinococcosis. We compared the growth rate of Echinococcus multilocularis in LT-alphaTNF-alpha +/+ mice to that of mice having either no or only one LT-alphaTNF-alpha functionnal allele. LT-alphaTNF-alpha -/- mice harboured a significantly higher parasite burden than did the other two populations at 5, 10, and 15 weeks of infection, and they did not survive thereafter. Liver metacestodes removed from these mice were alive and the dehydrogenase activities of peritoneal metacestodes were decreased. Liver lesions regressed in most wild-type mice. Indeed, dead parasites were cordoned by granulomas containing numerous macrophages and lymphocytes leading to focal liver fibrosis at an early stage of infection. In contrast, most of LT-alphaTNF-alpha -/- mice harboured metacestodes interspersed with leucocytes, realising purulent abscesses with secondary extensive irregular fibrosis at a late stage of infection. Heterozygous mice had behavioural characteristics intermediate between homozygous mutants and wild-type mice. Levels of E. multilocularis-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity and serum antibodies were slightly decreased in LT-alphaTNF-alpha -/- mice. This study shows that TNF-alpha and/or LT-alpha genes play an essential role in the immune protection mechanisms against E. multilocularis at the site of infection.     

2 trichostrongyloid nematode parasites in an African murid. IV. Migration in the vertebrate

For the species both oral and skin penetrations are possible. The ingested infective larvae pass through the excretory pore of a stomachal gland, leave the bottom of the gland through a blood capillary at H8, cross the liver (portal vein, sinusoids, sus-hepatic vein), the right heart and reach the lung around H12; they dwell in the pulmonary alveoli from H12 to D3, in the bronchi from D3 to D4, ascend the trachea, are swallowed by the host and reach the intestine on D4 and 5.     

Confirmation of hepatitis C infection: a comparison of five immunoblot assays

BACKGROUND: Recently, new immunoblot assays for the detection of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) became available. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The performance of five confirmatory anti-HCV immunoblot assays was studied with samples with known HCV antibody and HCV RNA status. The assays were a third-generation strip recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA-3, Chiron Corp., Emeryville, CA), a second-generation HCV blot (DB-2 blot, Diagnostic Biotechnology, Singapore), the Wellcozyme HCV Western blot (Murex blot, Murex Diagnostics, Dartford, UK), an immunodot HCV assay (Matrix, Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, IL), and the third-generation HCV line immunoassay (Liatek-III, Organon Teknika, Boxtel, The Netherlands). RESULTS: Sensitivity on samples from 48 HCV RNA-positive, second-generation RIBA (RIBA-2)-positive persons and specificity on samples from 31 low-risk donors was 96 percent or better for all assays. The sensitivity on 31 HCV RNA-positive, RIBA-2- indeterminate samples was as follows: Liatek-III, 94 percent; RIBA-3, 90 percent; Murex blot, 61 percent; Matrix, 55 percent; and DB-2 blot, 39 percent. In testing 39 HCV RNA-negative, RIBA-2-indeterminate donor samples, the percentage found to be negative was Liatek-III, 77 percent; RIBA-3, 67 percent; Murex blot, 49 percent; DB-2 blot, 33 percent; and Matrix, 15 percent. The order of sensitivity on four HCV seroconversion series was (from high to low): RIBA-3, Liatek-III, DB-2 blot, Murex blot, and Matrix; the differences were small. CONCLUSION: Detection of HCV antibodies was not refined by the addition of new HCV antigens (NS5, E2/NS1), but by improved classical antigens (core, NS3, NS4). Replacement of the commonly used RIBA-2 will resolve the status of a high proportion of RIBA-2-indeterminate samples.