Bloodstream Infections and Colonization in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients at a South African Center: A Retrospective Analysis.

Bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a serious complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), especially when caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. However, data on BSIs post-HSCT from centers in sub-Saharan Africa are limited. This study aims to describe the incidence, etiology, and outcomes of BSIs, including those caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), in both autologous and allogenic HSCT recipients in South Africa.

The International Prognostic Score and HIV status predict red cell concentrate transfusion needs in Hodgkin lymphoma.

Despite the burden of anemia among Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients, data evaluating red cell concentrate transfusion are limited. We retrospectively studied 285 newly diagnosed HL patients who received first-line adriamycin, bleomycin sulfate, vinblastine sulfate, and dacarbazine (ABVD) treatment at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town. HIV prevalence in the cohort was 39.

Predictors of poor haematopoietic stem cell mobilisation in patients with haematological malignancies at a South African centre.

Background: Autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is an established consolidation strategy in the treatment of haematological malignancies, however poor mobilisation (PM) can contribute to patient morbidity and high resource utilisation. Identifying the incidence, risk factors for PM and engraftment outcomes are important goals in our resource limited setting.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with haematological malignancies that consecutively underwent ASCT at Groote Schuur hospital, Cape Town, South Africa from January 2013 to January 2019.

Conditioning with purine analogs leads to good engraftment rates of immunodepleted grafts for aplastic anemia.

Immunodepletion with alemtuzumab is an effective strategy for preventing graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT), but it may be associated with graft failure. We tested the effectiveness of a purine analog-based reduced-intensity conditioning combination in patients undergoing allogeneic SCT for bone marrow aplasia. Patients with severe marrow aplasia who had a tissue-compatible sibling donor were conditioned with fludarabine 30 mg/m(2) for 5 days and cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg.

Is there a role for autologous stem cell transplantation for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia? A retrospective analysis.

For patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who are unable to secure an acceptable HLA donor, the role of autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) has remained controversial. Its effectiveness remains unclear as, when analyzed on intention-to-treat strategies, a significant number do not undergo the procedure, whereas others seem to fail therapy from pretransplant recurrences. To improve our counseling to our patients on these 2 therapeutic options, we compared the outcome of patients in first remission of AML who actually underwent autologous or allogeneic transplantation.

Combined submyeloablative and myeloablative dose intense melphalan results in satisfactory responses with acceptable toxicity in patients with multiple myeloma.

We studied in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and toxicity of a strategy of submyeloablative doses of Mel and stem cell support in the ambulatory setting, followed by a standard myeloablative dose transplant. Patients with recently diagnosed symptomatic MM received dexamethazone to induce clinical response. Cytokine mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) were split into 2 aliquots and cryopreserved.

In stem cell transplantation, by limiting the morbidity of graft-versus-host disease tolerance to myeloablative conditioning is improved.

Myeloablative conditioning followed by T-cell depletion of grafts and reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) has both been shown to decrease treatment related mortality (TRM). However in RIC the incidence of graft vs. host disease (GvHD) is high and patients with aggressive diseases tend to relapse.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in patients with retroviral infection is highly responsive to plasma infusion therapy.

We prospectively studied presentation biological differences and the response to therapy in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) associated with, or unrelated to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. TTP patients underwent standard evaluations and were treated with prednisone 1 mg/kg in addition to infusions of fresh frozen plasma (FFP; 30 ml/kg/d) until normalization of the platelet count. Unresponsive patients were referred for plasma exchange.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura after allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a survey of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT).

A survey was carried out among the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) centres to determine the incidence, risk factors, treatment and outcome of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) following allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. TTP was defined as the simultaneous occurrence of red cell fragmentation, laboratory findings of haemolysis, red cell transfusion requirement and de novo or persistent thrombocytopenia caused by consumption, in the absence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Forty-five centres reported all patients (n = 406) transplanted between July and December 1996.