A radiolabeled antiglobulin test for crossmatching platelet transfusions

Despite the use of HLA-matched platelets for alloimmunized recipients, transfusion failures occur. In order to reduce these failures, we investigated the use of a radiolabeled antiglobulin technique for platelet crossmatching. The principle of the test is that of an indirect Coombs test using 125I labeled goat anti-human IgG. Incompatibility is determined by calculating a radioactivity antiglobulin test (RAGT) index. Using this technique, we performed 89 crossmatches on 19 leukemic or aplastic patients who were refractory to random donor platelets and receiving varying degrees of HLA-matched platelets. Effectiveness of the transfusion was assessed from the posttransfusion corrected platelet count increment (CCI) determined at 1 and 20 hr. When the RAGT index was 1.9 or less, the mean CCI at 1 lhr was 17,570 +/- 7003/cu mm, n = 55. When the RAGT index was 2.0 or greater, the mean CCI was 4237 +/- 4100/cu mm, n = 34. At 20 hr when the RAGT index was 1.9 or less, the mean CCI was 8722 +/- 3143/cu mm, n = 33, and when the index was 2.0 or greater, the mean CCI was 571 +/- 1286/cu mm, n = 23. Using this technique, one false negative resulted. Nine positive crossmatches with good increments at 1 hr were found; at 20 hr, however, the survival of these units was zero. These data suggest that this method is a useful adjunct in the selection of platelets in the refractory patient.     

Efficacy of ex vivo purging for autologous bone marrow transplantation in the treatment of acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia

We used an in vitro measure of drug activity to predict the efficacy of ex vivo purging of leukemic cells from autologous bone marrow grafts. We previously found that the myeloid progenitor cell (CFU-GM) content of the marrow grafts after ex vivo purging with 4- hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) correlates with time to hematologic recovery after autologous bone marrow transplantation in patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia. We observed that variable red blood cell concentration of the bone marrow incubation mixture results in differential cytotoxic activity of 4-HC. The CFU-GM content of the graft after the ex vivo treatment is a measure of this 4-HC activity. We analyzed the disease-free survival of 45 patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation with 4-HC purged grafts. Patients who relapsed after transplantation had 4.2 +/- 1.1% of graft CFU-GM surviving the ex vivo purge, compared with 1.1 +/- 0.4% for patients who achieved a sustained remission (P = .06). Twenty-three patients with a CFU-GM content after 4-HC purging of greater than 1% of the pretreatment value had an actuarial disease-free survival of 12%, compared to 36% for 22 patients with a less than or equal to 1% CFU-GM content after purging (P = .006). Therefore, percent CFU-GM survival as a measure of 4-HC cytotoxicity identified a group of patients with insufficient purging. Although no randomized clinical trials have documented the need for ex vivo purging, our results suggest that effective bone marrow purging is important for the optimal application of autologous transplantation in the treatment of acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia.     

Effectiveness of individualized physiotherapy on pain and functioning compared to a standard exercise protocol in patients presenting with clinical signs of subacromial impingement syndrome. A randomized controlled trial

Background  

Shoulder impingement syndrome is a common musculoskeletal complaint leading to significant reduction of health and disability. Physiotherapy is often the first choice of treatment although its effectiveness is still under debate. Systematic reviews in this field highlight the need for more high quality trials to investigate the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome.     

Interpretation of non-invasive breath tests using 13C-labeled substrates - a preliminary report with 13C-methacetin

Non-invasive breath tests can serve as valuable diagnostic tools in medicine as they can determine particular enzymatic and metabolic functions in vivo. However, methodological pitfalls have limited the actual clinical application of those tests till today. A major challenge of non-invasive breath tests has remained the provision of individually reliable test results. To overcome these limitations, a better understanding of breath kinetics during non-invasive breaths tests is essential. This analysis compares the breath recovery of a ¹³C-methacetin breath test with the actual serum kinetics of the substrate. It is shown, that breath and serum kinetics of the same test are significantly different over a period of 60 minutes. The recovery of the tracer ¹³CO₂ in breath seems to be significantly delayed due to intermediate storage in the bicarbonate pool. This has to be taken into account for the application of non-invasive breath test protocols. Otherwise, breath tests might display bicarbonate kinetics despite the metabolic capacity of the particular target enzyme.     

Serum levels of ghrelin, leptin, IGF-I, IGFBP-3, insulin, thyroid hormones and cortisol in prepubertal children with iron deficiency

The aim of the present study is to investigate possible alterations in ghrelin and other hormone levels related to appetite and somatic growth in children with iron deficiency anemia. Twenty-five patients and 25 healthy controls that were prepubertal and within normal limits regarding height and BMI standard deviation scores were recruited. Ghrelin, leptin, IGF-I, IGFBP-3, insulin, thyroid hormones and cortisol levels were studied. Ghrelin, insulin and IGF-I levels were significantly low in the study group (ghrelin 13.58 +/- 16.32 vs. 35.39 +/- 23.69 ng/ml, p<.001; insulin 3.41 +/- 2.42 vs. 5.67 +/- 1.09 mU/ml, p = .008 and IGF-I 126.94 +/- 92.82 vs. 203 +/- 105.1 ng/ml, p = .015). We concluded that low ghrelin and insulin levels might be causes of the appetite loss in iron deficiency and as a result of appetite loss and undernutrition as well as by direct effects they might be related with growth retardation, which could be also influenced by low IGF-I levels.     

Treatment of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/or low back pain after delivery design of a randomized clinical trial within a comprehensive prognostic cohort study [ISRCTN08477490]

Background  

Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/or low back pain is a controversial syndrome because insight in etiology and prognosis is lacking. The controversy relates to factors eliciting pain and some prognostic factors such as the interpretation of pain at the symphysis. Recent research about treatment strategies also reflects those various opinions, in fact suggesting there is professional uncertainty about the optimal approach. Currently, physiotherapists often prescribe a pain-contingent treatment regime of relative rest and avoiding several day-to-day activities. Additionally, treatment more often includes an exercise program to guide rectification of the muscle imbalance and alignment of the pelvic girdle. Effectiveness of those interventions is not proven and the majority of the studies are methodologically flawed. Investigators draw particular attention to biomedical factors but there is growing evidence that important prognostic issues such as biopsychosocial factors appear to be even more important as point of action in a treatment program.     

Endoxin antagonist lessens myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury

Endoxin antagonist lessens myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury@柯永胜$Department of Cardiology, Yijishan Hospital, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001 China @王德国$Department of Cardiology, Yijishan Hospital, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001 C     

Chronic bullous disease of childhood and a paecilomyces lung infection in chronic granulomatous disease

A 12 year old boy suffering from p67-phox deficient chronic granulomatous disease presented with a bullous skin disease and a lung infection with paecilomyces species. The histopathology of a bullous lesion showed subepidermal blister formation and microabcesses containing eosinophils in the dermal papillae. By direct immunofluorescence, linear staining of IgA at the dermal-epidermal junction was detected which confirmed the clinical diagnosis of chronic bullous disease of childhood (linear IgA dermatosis).