Rituximab maintenance versus observation alone in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia who respond to first-line or second-line rituximab-containing chemoimmunotherapy: final results of the AGMT CLL-8a Mabtenance randomised trial.

Background: In many patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia requiring treatment, induction therapy with rituximab plus chemotherapy improves outcomes compared with chemotherapy alone. In this study we aimed to investigate the potential of rituximab maintenance therapy to prolong disease control in patients who respond to rituximab-containing induction regimens.

Methods: In this randomised, international, multicentre, open-label, phase 3 clinical trial, we enrolled patients who had achieved a complete response (CR), CR with incomplete bone marrow recovery (CRi), or partial response (PR) to first-line or second-line rituximab-containing chemoimmunotherapy and randomly assigned them in a 1:1 ratio (central block randomisation in the electronic case report form system) to either intravenous rituximab 375 mg/m(2) every 3 months, or observation alone, for 2 years.

Pact with the devil: alemtuzumab therapy, immune suppression and infectious complications in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Infectious complications are an important cause of hospitalization in patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The pathogenesis of infection is complex, involving both disease-induced and treatment-related immune depression. During the last decade, the management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has been redefined by the approval of monoclonal antibody-based treatment, which resulted in improved therapeutic responses.

Flow cytometry-based quantification of cytokine levels in AML patients plasma and cell culture supernatants.

Aim: Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) have been found to support leukemic cell survival; however, the mechanisms responsible are far from being elucidated yet. The main aim of the current study is to identify particular cytokine/chemokine patterns of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, and, on a longer term, to correlate them with the patient outcome and response to therapy. Therefore, the influence of BMSCs on in vitro modulation of cytokine secretion (IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-10, IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-2) by AML cells as well as the AML cells supportive capacity of BMSCs-derived soluble factors was investigated.

Disseminated infection due to Candida guilliermondii in a patient with AML(M4). Case study.

Unlabelled: A 43-year-old patient admitted with acute myelogenous leukemia, developed bronchopneumonia and sepsis during profound neutropenia. Fever and pulmonary infiltrates did not improve by using empiric antibacterial therapy (Cefoperazona-Sulbactam, Trimethoprim-Sulphametoxazol). Blood and sputum culture were performed and patient received Voriconazol.

[Disseminated infections due to Scedosporium apiospermum in a patient with anaplastic large cell lymphoma. A case study].

A 42-year-old man was diagnosed with hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma in November 2003. Remission was incompletely achieved despite 10 courses of chemotherapy. He developed fever (38.