Evaluation of the systemic and therapeutic repercussions caused by drug interactions in oncology patients.

Introduction: Drug interaction is an important cause of global morbidity. It is of particular importance in cancer patients since they are often in use of polypharmacy, related to interactions between the drugs and the chemotherapeutics used.

Objective: To evaluate the drug interaction between chemotherapy and other drugs in cancer patients.

Human CD34+ hematopoietic cells transduced by retrovirus-mediated interferon alpha gene maintains regeneration capacity and engraftment in NOD/SCID mice.

To achieve long-term expression of human interferon alpha-5 (IFNalpha) gene in the bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic microenvironment, replication-deficient retroviral vector LSN-IFNalpha was used to deliver the IFNalpha gene into human BM CD34+ cells. After fibronectin-facilitated transduction, a fraction of CD34+ cells was plated in methylcellulose medium with or without G418 to assess transduction efficiency and the effect of IFNalpha gene transfer on colony formation. Colony-forming assay in the presence of G418 (400 microg/mL) revealed that 41% CFU-GM colonies are G418 resistant after infection with LSN-IFNalpha retrovirus.

Acid phosphatase activity in senile plaques and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

The origin of the various components of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD) continues to be a focus of intense research scrutiny. Lysosomal enzyme activity within the plaques is of particular interest because of its possible relevance to a presumed abnormal processing of precursor molecules that may lead to the formation of plaque amyloid. Histochemical evidence of acid phosphatase (ACP), a lysosomal hydrolase, activity in senile plaques has been documented long before many of the current biochemical data regarding plaque pathogenesis became available.

Long-term bone marrow stromal and hemopoietic toxicity to AZT: protective role of heme and IL-1.

We studied the immediate and long-term effects of azidothymidine (AZT) and heme on murine hemopoietic and stromal progenitor cells in vivo and in vitro. Treatment of mice for 37 days with AZT produced anemia and leukopenia, whereas combined treatment with heme abrogated some of the toxic effects which were apparent even 2 weeks after cessation of treatment. Quantitation of spleen (CFU-S), erythroid (BFU-E) and myeloid (CFU-GM) colony formation from AZT-exposed animals revealed reductions in these progenitors, and this was partially reversed after heme treatment, especially when mice were allowed a 2-week recovery period.

Hemopoietic stem cell processing: comparison of progenitor cell recovery using the Cobe 2991 cell washer and the Haemonetics V50 apheresis system.

Using 24 bone marrow (BM) harvests intended for cryopreservation and transplantation, we compared the use of the Cobe 2991 cell washer (2991) and the Haemonetics V50 apheresis system (HV50) for automated BM processing. Our in vitro data indicate that while the mononuclear cell (MNC) concentration of the HV50 product was significantly greater than that of the 2991, the overall MNC recovery of the two products was equivalent. In addition, although the concentration of CFU-GM and BFU-E in the products was equivalent, recovery of these progenitors in the 2991 product was significantly greater than those of the HV50 product.

Absence of infectious human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in "natural" eccrine sweat.

Although human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has been found in numerous body fluids, there are no reports of attempts to demonstrate this virus in eccrine sweat, a fluid frequently encountered during person-to-person interactions. "Natural" eccrine sweat samples and blood from 50 HIV-1-seropositive patients and 2 HIV-1-seronegative controls were cultured for HIV-1 by a cocultivation method. Polymerase chain reaction for HIV-1 RNA and proviral DNA was done on 40 sweat samples (39 patients, 1 control).