Effect of chronic erythropoietin administration on plasma iron in newborn lambs.

Erythropoietin, the primary stimulator of erythropoiesis, represents an important potential therapy for the anemia of prematurity. Enhancement of the therapeutic benefit of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEp) in very-low-birth-weight infants will require a better understanding of rhEp's pharmacodynamic effects including its interaction with iron in stimulating erythropoiesis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of chronic rhEp administration on plasma iron levels and hematopoiesis using a twin lamb model.

Analysis of megakaryocyte ploidy in fetal bone marrow biopsies using a new adaptation of the feulgen technique to measure DNA content and estimate megakaryocyte ploidy from biopsy specimens.

Platelet counts in newborns are similar to those of adults and children. However, newborn infants admitted to intensive care nurseries have a high prevalence of thrombocytopenia. The mechanisms responsible for the increased susceptibility to thrombocytopenia are not known.

Neuroblastoma-associated opsoclonus-myoclonus treated with intravenously administered immune globulin G.

An 18-month-old black girl had progressive truncal ataxia, opsoclonus, and multifocal myoclonus associated with a nonresectable abdominal ganglioneuroblastoma. Before chemotherapy, she received intravenously administered IgG, 1 gm/kg, for 2 days; within 48 hours of the first dose, there was significant improvement of the opsoclonus-myoclonus and ataxia. She required a 1 gm/kg maintenance dose every 4 to 6 weeks for a total of 12 doses, but is now free of symptomatic after 2 years with no therapy.

[Abdominal tuberculosis in childhood: the clinical manifestations].

The authors reviewed the histories of 133 patients with abdominal tuberculosis in Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño (Children's Hospital), Lima, Perú, between 1989 and 1991. We found morbidity higher in scholars (67.4%).

Pulmonary resection for fungal infection in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

Recipients of bone marrow transplants for hematologic malignancies are at risk for a variety of infectious complications. We have reviewed our experience with six patients 2 to 15 years of age who developed significant fungal infections of the lungs before or after bone marrow transplant. No patient was known to have active fungal or bacterial infection at the time bone marrow transplant was performed.

Effect of inclusion of beans in a mixed diet for the treatment of Peruvian children with acute watery diarrhea.

A double-masked clinical trial was conducted to assess the effects of inclusion of beans in a mixed diet for young Peruvian children with acute diarrhea. Dietary treatment consisted of either rice, beans, and vegetable oil (group RB, n = 25) or rice, soy-protein isolate, corn syrup solids, and vegetable oil (group RS, n = 21), each given in amounts up to 150 kcal/kg body weight per day immediately following rehydration therapy. The groups were generally similar at the time of admission, and there were no differences in the rates of treatment failure (8% in group RB, 14% in group RS; P = .

Clinical trial of home available, mixed diets versus a lactose-free, soy-protein formula for the dietary management of acute childhood diarrhea.

A randomized clinical trial was completed to study the severity, duration, and nutritional outcome of acute diarrhea in 85 Peruvian children between 5 and 24 months of age who received a soy-protein-isolate, lactose-free formula (group SF) or one of two mixtures of home-available foods, all in amounts up to 110 kcal/kg of body weight/day. The mixed diets contained either wheat flour, pea flour, carrot flour, sucrose, and vegetable oil (group WP) or potato flour, dried whole milk, carrot flour, sucrose, and oil (group PM). The characteristics of the children in each group were generally similar initially.

Thrombocytopenia and absent radii syndrome: defective megakaryocytopoiesis-thrombocytopoiesis.

Thrombocytopenia and absent radii (TAR) syndrome is a congenital defect with osseous abnormalities and thrombocytopenia. It is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, but the mechanism of thrombocytopenia in this disorder is not clear. We have had the opportunity to study the mechanism of thrombocytopenia in an infant with TAR syndrome.

Transient changes of mobile phase in the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of priority pollutant phenols.

A study of the effect of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide on the separation of the eleven priority pollutant phenols is presented. Transient changes in a CTAB mobile phase produced by a sodium laurylsulphate solution plug permit the elution of hydrophobic pentachlorophenol.

Degradation of IgA proteins by Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase.

Human colostral IgA and myeloma proteins of both IgA1 and IgA2 subclasses were susceptible to cleavage by Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase. Detailed analysis of the cleavage products of IgA myeloma proteins revealed complete degradation of Fab with no evidence of intact Fab fragments as intermediate cleavage products. In contrast, both IgA1 and IgA2 proteins were resistant to cleavage by alkaline protease from P.

Prostaglandin E1 bladder instillations to control severe hemorrhagic cystitis.

Severe hemorrhagic cystitis developed in 6 children after marrow transplantation, 3 of whom had a viral etiology. All 6 patients received instillations of prostaglandin E1 directly into the bladder and 5 of the 6 had complete resolution of hematuria. This finding contrasts with our previous experience with severe hemorrhagic cystitis, particularly the type due to a viral infection, persisting in the face of numerous bladder manipulations.

Bone marrow transplantation improves survival for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in relapse: a preliminary report.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia of childhood is the most common malignant disease in children greater than 1 year of age. Chemotherapy has improved the survival of children with this disorder. More than 95% of children will achieve a remission with chemotherapy.

Hb Iowa or alpha 2 beta 2(119)(GH2)Gly----Ala.

Hb Iowa with a Gly----Ala mutation at position beta 119(GH2) was observed in a Black infant and her mother. The baby was also heterozygous for Hb S; Hb Iowa was confused with Hb F at birth because its electrophoretic mobility was similar to that of Hb F1. The beta chain of Hb Iowa could be readily separated from the beta A, alpha, and gamma chains by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography.

[Intestinal malacoplakia in pediatrics: report of a case and review of the literature].

We are presenting the case of a 13 year-old male child who was hospitalized at INSN, with generalized edema, chronic diarrhea and hematoquezia. Biopsy studies of the intestine established the diagnosis of Malacoplakia. Despite of the treatment the clinical evolution didn't improve.

Hb Davenport or alpha 2(78)(EF7)Asn----His beta 2.

Hb Davenport is a new, stable alpha chain variant, that was detected in two members of a Caucasian family living in Iowa. Hematological data were within normal limits. It is characterized by an Asn----His replacement at position alpha 78.

Alpha-interferon therapy for lymphoproliferative disorders developing in two children following bone marrow transplants.

Two children developed lymphoproliferative processes following marrow transplantation. One of the two lymphoproliferative processes was documented to be Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated. Both children received an extended course of alpha-interferon and gammaglobulin and responded with the disappearance of the lymphoproliferative process.

Acute megakaryocytic leukemia (M7) in children.

We analyzed the clinical and laboratory features of eight children (median age, 20 months; range, 13 months to 11 years) with acute megakaryocytic leukemia (M7) and compared the findings with those reported in the literature. The diagnosis was supported by ultrastructural examination for platelet peroxidase or immunophenotyping for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa or the von Willebrand factor protein. Two patients had Down's syndrome.

Megakaryocytopoiesis in the human fetus.

After immunohistochemical staining the size and maturational stage of fetal megakaryocytes from 20 human fetuses of 12 to 21 weeks' gestation were compared with those from normal adults. The mean diameter of fetal megakaryocytes was 14.0 microns when stained with antiglycoprotein IIb (Tab) and 15.

Megakaryocyte colony-stimulating factor (Mk-CSF): its physiologic significance.

Megakaryocyte colony-stimulating activity (Mk-CSA) is required for in vitro megakaryocyte colony formation. Its in vivo significance in megakaryocytopoiesis is unknown. We studied 12 patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) at our institution.

Parvovirus B19 infection in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy: the expanding spectrum of disease.

Initial reports have suggested that human parvovirus B19 infection in immune-compromised individuals may cause prolonged or chronic bone marrow suppression. We report four children receiving cancer chemotherapy who developed atypical patterns of cutaneous and hematologic disease associated with parvoviral infection. B19 infection was demonstrated by specific serologies.

Miliary pulmonary neuroblastoma. A risk of autologous bone marrow transplantation?

A case of miliary pulmonary neuroblastoma is described which occurred 8 months after autologous bone marrow transplantation for Stage IV neuroblastoma. The patient, a 4-year-old boy had pulmonary symptoms at this time. Disseminated metastatic disease was found, but there was no tumor at the primary site.

Pattern of response of megakaryocyte colony-stimulating activity in the serum of patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

Bone marrow transplantation has become an accepted form of therapy for several malignant, hematologic, and genetic disorders. Platelet recovery is delayed after bone marrow transplantation. To better understand the mechanisms involved in platelet recovery we studied 23 patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation for the presence of megakaryocyte colony-stimulating activity (Mk-CSA) in their serum.

Aspergillus coronary embolization causing acute myocardial infarction.

An increased frequency of disseminated aspergillosis has been observed in the last decade, mostly occurring in immunocompromised patients including the bone marrow transplant population. Cardiac involvement by Aspergillus remains rare. We report the clinical and postmortem findings of an unusual case of Aspergillus pancarditis in a 7-year-old bone marrow transplant patient with Aspergillus embolization to the coronary arteries leading to a massive acute myocardial infarction.