The epidemiology of red cell transfusion.

Background And Objectives: Understanding of the clinical usage of red cells is limited despite its importance in transfusion practice improvement and planning for blood supply requirements. Previous studies have described red cell use based upon ICD and hospital discharge codes; however, such approaches are open to misclassification. This study addresses this limitation by undertaking an epidemiological analysis of red cell use using case note review.

Inhibition of Lck enhances glucocorticoid sensitivity and apoptosis in lymphoid cell lines and in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Glucocorticoids are used as part of front-line therapy to treat lymphoid malignancy because of their remarkable ability to induce apoptosis. Yet, in T cells, glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis is readily inhibited by lymphocyte activation and signaling. We have previously shown that the Src family kinase, Lck (lymphocyte cell-specific tyrosine kinase), which is predominantly expressed in T cells, interacts with IP3 receptors to facilitate calcium signaling.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the elderly.

The expansion of older population segments and the continuous increase in the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) makes this group of neoplasms an important and growing problem. Older NHL patients have increased risk of therapy-related toxicity as a result of age-related physiological changes and frequent co-morbidities. A functional assessment of the elderly patient is necessary to determine the likelihood of tolerating and responding to therapy.

Correlation between ZAP-70, phospho-ZAP-70, and phospho-Syk expression in leukemic cells from patients with CLL.

For patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), expression of ZAP-70 in the leukemic cells is an indicator of poor prognosis. However, the mechanism that accounts for this effect is not known. ZAP-70 expression has previously been associated with increased B cell antigen receptor signaling upon surface immunoglobulin ligation in vitro as shown by ZAP-70 and Syk phosphorylation.

Phase I trial of fludarabine, bortezomib and rituximab for relapsed and refractory indolent and mantle cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Based on the hypothesis that bortezomib may potentiate fludarabine activity by inhibiting DNA repair, we designed a phase I trial using this combination with rituximab in patients with relapsed and refractory indolent and mantle cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Twenty-four patients were enrolled. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes included 12 patients with follicular lymphoma, four with marginal zone lymphoma, three with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, three with mantle cell lymphoma and two with small lymphocytic/chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Phase II study of bryostatin 1 and vincristine for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma relapsing after an autologous stem cell transplant.

Bryostatin 1, isolated from a marine bryozoan, enhances the efficacy of cytotoxic agents through modulation of the protein kinase C pathway and is active in combination with vincristine for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Further, the apoptotic frequency of peripheral blood T lymphocytes as determined by flow cytometry may predict which patients will respond to this combination. We tested the efficacy and safety of bryostatin 1 50 microg/m(2) given over 24 hr and vincristine 1.

Follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma: long-term results of stem-cell transplantation.

Purpose Of Review: Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is an effective treatment option for follicular lymphoma. This review summarizes recent updates of the literature focusing on the available long-term follow-up of high-dose therapeutic approaches.

Recent Findings: Autologous transplantation can prolong overall survival in relapsed disease and can extend progression-free survival in first remission.

Targeting Bcl-2 based on the interaction of its BH4 domain with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor.

Bcl-2 is the founding member of a large family of apoptosis regulating proteins. Bcl-2 is a prime target for novel therapeutics because it is elevated in many forms of cancer and contributes to cancer progression and therapy resistance based on its ability to inhibit apoptosis. Bcl-2 interacts with proapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family to inhibit apoptosis and small molecules that disrupt this interaction have already entered the cancer therapy arena.

Problematic emotions and maternal grief.

The study was an empirical examination of the relation of personality proneness to "problematic social emotions"--envy (Dispositional Envy Scale), jealousy (Interpersonal Jealousy Scale), and shame and guilt (Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2)--to maternal grief (Perinatal Grief Scale-33) following miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or infant/child death. The 441 women who participated in the study were enrolled from the Website, e-mail contact lists, and parent support groups of an organization that offers information and support to bereaved parents. All four problematic emotions were positively correlated with maternal grief.

The role of bortezomib in the treatment of lymphoma.

Bortezomib is the first of the proteasome inhibitors to be used clinically. Among the various cancers susceptible to proteasome inhibition are the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Mantle cell lymphoma appears to be particularly sensitive, leading to the FDA approval of bortezomib in patients who have received at least one prior therapy.

Antiangiogenic activity of thalidomide in combination with fludarabine, carboplatin, and topotecan for high-risk acute myelogenous leukemia.

Forty-two patients with poor prognosis AML were enrolled in a phase II study combining fludarabine, carboplatin, and topotecan (FCT) with thalidomide. Laboratory correlates included serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels (VEGF) and bone marrow microvascular density (MVD). Ten of 42 (24%) patients achieved a complete remission (CR or CRp).

Relationship of neonatologists' end-of-life decisions to their personal fear of death.

Objective: To study the relationship of Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) neonatologists' personal fear of death to their forgoing life-sustaining treatment and hastening death in newborns destined for severe disability and newborns for whom further treatment is considered non-beneficial or overly burdensome.

Design: A self-report questionnaire survey of ANZ neonatologists.

Setting: Neonatologists registered in the 2004 ANZ Directory of Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Inhaled recombinant alpha 1-antitrypsin ameliorates cigarette smoke-induced emphysema in the mouse.

In alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency in humans, inadequately regulated activity of serine protease activity is responsible for the chronic lung tissue degeneration and irreversible loss of pulmonary function seen in those individuals with emphysema. Typically, disease symptoms in this patient population are exacerbated by cigarette smoke. Here we show that inhaled recombinant alpha 1-antitrypsin (rAAT) can provide significant protection against the development of emphysema in cigarette smoke-treated mice.

An inhaled matrix metalloprotease inhibitor prevents cigarette smoke-induced emphysema in the mouse.

Inadequately regulated proteolytic activity is responsible for the chronic lung tissue degeneration and irreversible loss of pulmonary function that define emphysema. In this study, we show that an inhaled broad-spectrum matrix metalloprotease inhibitor, ilomastat, can provide protection against the development of emphysema in cigarette smoke-treated mice. Control animals were exposed to daily cigarette smoke for 6 months.

Observed smoking in cars: a method and differences by socioeconomic area.

Objectives: To establish a reproducible method to estimate he point prevalence of smoking and second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in cars, and to compare this prevalence between two areas of contrasting socioeconomic status.

Method: A method involving two teams of observers was developed and evaluated. It involved observing 16,055 cars in Wellington, New Zealand.

Transporting newborn infants with suspected duct dependent congenital heart disease on low-dose prostaglandin E1 without routine mechanical ventilation.

Aim: To evaluate the safety of transporting newborn infants with suspected duct dependent congenital heart disease (CHD) treated with prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) without routine mechanical ventilation.

Methods: A retrospective population-based audit of newborn infants with suspected CHD transported on PGE1 by the New South Wales newborn and paediatric Transport Service from 1995 through 2005.

Results: Mechanical ventilation was not used prior to treatment with PGE1 in 94 (31%) of the 300 infants.

Alpha1-antitrypsin single dose adjuvant therapy for acute otitis media.

Objectives: Proteases have been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of otitis media. Inhibition of these proteases can improve treatment outcomes in certain conditions. The goal of this study was to determine if intratympanic administration of a single dose of the protease inhibitor, recombinant alpha 1-antitrypsin (rAAT), can facilitate resolution of acute otitis media (AOM) in the chinchilla.

Relation between grief and subsequent pregnancy status 13 months after perinatal bereavement.

Aims: The present longitudinal study sought to explore the relationship between parental grief following perinatal bereavement and subsequent pregnancy, according to the particular facets of grief and pregnancy state being considered.

Method: The study participants were 63 couples who had been bereaved by stillbirth (n = 31) or neonatal death (n = 32). The relationship of self-reported grief (Perinatal Grief Scale-33 Active Grief, Difficulty Coping and Despair) 1 month and 13 months after the loss to subsequent pregnancy status (Pregnant, n = 20, Live Baby, n = 10, Trying, n = 11, Not Trying, n = 22) at 13 months was investigated with repeated measures analysis of variance.