Aerosol delivery and humidification with the Boussignac continuous positive airway pressure device.

Background: A simple method for effective bronchodilator aerosol delivery while administering continuing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) would be useful in patients with severe bronchial obstruction.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of bronchodilator aerosol delivery during CPAP generated by the Boussignac CPAP system and its optimal humidification system.

Methods: First we assessed the relationship between flow and pressure generated in the mask with the Boussignac CPAP system.

Diagnosis of thoracic splenosis by ferumoxides-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

We report on a 56-year-old woman with a history of splenectomy and surgery of the left hemidiaphragm, who presented with multiple pleural and mediastinal mass lesions. On the basis of the patient's history of splenectomy and missing Howell-Jolly bodies in peripheral blood smears, splenosis was suspected. To confirm the presumptive diagnosis, ferumoxides-enhanced magnetic resonance was performed.

Investigating the platelet-sparing mechanism of paclitaxel/carboplatin combination chemotherapy.

Paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy is reported to be a platelet-sparing drug combination. This study investigated potential mechanisms for this observation by studying the effects of paclitaxel and carboplatin on (1) normal donor and chemotherapy patient-derived erythroid (burst-forming units-erythroid [BFU-E]), myeloid (colony-forming units-granulocyte/macrophage [CFU-GM]), and megakaryocyte (CFU-Meg) progenitor cell growth; (2) P-glycoprotein (P-gp) protein and glutathione S-transferase (GST) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression; (3) serum thrombopoietin (Tpo), stem cell factor (SCF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-11, IL-1beta, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in patients treated with paclitaxel and carboplatin; and (4) stromal cell production of Tpo and SCF after paclitaxel and carboplatin exposure. CFU-Meg were more resistant to paclitaxel alone, or in combination with carboplatin, than CFU-GM and BFU-E.

A novel serum free system for cloning human megakaryocytic progenitors (CFU-Meg). The role of thrombopoietin and other cytokines on bone marrow and cord blood CFU-Meg growth under serum free conditions.

Human megakaryocytic progenitors (CFU-Megs) are usually cloned in plasma clot cultures. Since the medium employed to prepare plasma clot contains animal or human serum, there exists a potential risk that CFU-Megs growing in vitro could be exposed to the serum derived megakaryopoietic inhibitors. To address this issue, we aimed to establish a relatively simple "serum free" cloning model for these progenitors.

An improved serum free system for cloning human "pure" erythroid colonies. The role of different growth factors and cytokines on BFU-E formation by the bone marrow and cord blood CD34+ cells.

We have developed an efficient serum free culture model for cloning human erythroid progenitors. Accordingly, human bone marrow or cord blood CD34+ cells if plated in our serum free medium and stimulated with a mixture of EpO + KL, grow erythroid colonies exclusively. Cells isolated from these cultures express glycophorin-A (GPA-A), are CD33-, IIb/IIIa-, and finally all become hemoglobinized.