Secondary Malignancies After Autologous Stem Cell Transplantations in Patients With Malignant Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma.

Background: Secondary malignancies are potential complications after high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Information on the detailed course of such events is scarce, yet may be essential to minimize the impact of these sequelae.

Patients And Methods: We regularly monitored 877 patients for up to 31 years after ASCT in our outpatient department.

Herpes zoster prophylaxis with low-dose acyclovir in patients with malignant lymphoma and multiple myeloma treated with autologous stem cell transplantation.

Background: Herpes zoster (HZ) is a frequent complication after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The option of zoster prophylaxis with an antiviral drug is described in the literature, but there is no consensus on the drug and the dosage.

Patients And Methods: We analyzed the records of 310 patients treated with ASCT who were controlled regularly regarding HZ inter alia for at least 24 months following ASCT.

Long-term remissions in patients with early relapse of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma following high-dose chemotherapy, autologous stem cell transplantation, and radiotherapy of residual disease.

Purpose: The prognosis of an early relapse of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) appears to be poor following autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The aim of this study is to contribute data to the open question on whether additional radiotherapy can improve the outcome.

Patients And Methods: Forty-eight patients with an early relapse (median 4 months after the end of initial immunochemotherapy, range 1-11) of DLBCL have been treated in our institution with high-dose therapy (usually the BEAM protocol) and ASCT since 2008 (median age 61 years, range 28-73).

Long-term outcome in patients with follicular lymphoma following high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation.

Objective: To contribute data on long-term outcome and potential curative impact of ASCT in FL, especially following HDT with the BEAM protocol (BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan), given very limited data on this topic in the literature.

Patients And Methods: Patients with FL (n = 76) were treated in our institution with HDT and ASCT. In the case of long-term remission (≥8 years), peripheral blood was tested for minimal residual disease by t(14;18)- and IGH-PCR, including the last follow-up.

Efficacy of UVC-treated, pathogen-reduced platelets versus untreated platelets: a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial.

Pathogen reduction (PR) technologies for blood components have been established to reduce the residual risk of known and emerging infectious agents. THERAFLEX UVPlatelets, a novel UVC light-based PR technology for platelet concentrates, works without photoactive substances. This randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter, noninferiority trial was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of UVC-treated platelets to that of untreated platelets in thrombocytopenic patients with hematologic-oncologic diseases.

Platelet engraftment after allogenic stem cell transplantation is monitored by digital polymerase chain reaction without interference by platelet support.

Platelet engraftment after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is conventionally monitored by daily platelet counts. Platelet transfusions are frequently required and obscure the detection of platelet engraftment. Digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) of mitochondrial DNA isolated from platelets reliably quantifies circulating platelets derived from the stem cell graft and allows us to distinguish them from transfused single-donor apheresis platelets.

The Glass Slide Extraction System Snap Card Improves Non-Invasive Prenatal Genotyping in Pregnancies with Antibodies.

Background: Determination of fetal blood groups in maternal plasma samples critically depends on adequate pre-analytical steps for optimal amplification of fetal DNA. We compared the extraction of cell-free DNA by binding on a glass surface (BCSI SNAP™ Card) with an automated system based on bead technology (MagnaPure compact™).

Methods: Maternal blood samples from 281 pregnancies (7th-39th week of gestation) with known antibodies were evaluated in this study.

Platelet recovery and survival measured in patients by quantitative polymerase chain reaction of mitochondrial DNA.

Background: Mitochondrial (mt) DNA markers have been identified as potential targets for the quantification of endogenous and allogeneic platelets (PLTs) in the blood of individuals who received transfusions. Our goal was to develop a routine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for ex vivo monitoring of PLT survival in patients after transfusion.

Study Design And Methods: Targets were selected for real-time (RT)-PCR of mt DNA based on the frequency distribution of nucleotide polymorphisms and assay sensitivity in vitro.

Evaluation of single-nucleotide polymorphisms as internal controls in prenatal diagnosis of fetal blood groups.

Background: Determination of fetal blood groups in maternal plasma samples critically depends on adequate amplification of fetal DNA. We evaluated the routine inclusion of 52 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as internal reference in our polymerase chain reaction (PCR) settings to obtain a positive internal control for fetal DNA.

Study Design And Methods: DNA from 223 plasma samples of pregnant women was screened for RHD Exons 3, 4, 5, and 7 in a multiplex PCR including 52 SNPs divided into four primer pools.

RHCE alleles detected after weak and/or discrepant results in automated Rh blood grouping of blood donors in Northern Germany.

Background: More than 170 weak or partial RHD alleles are currently known. A similar heterogeneity of RHCE alleles may be anticipated, but a large-scale systematic analysis of the molecular bases of altered C, c, E, and e antigenicity in European blood donors was lacking.

Study Design And Methods: Between November 2004 and October 2006, samples collected from 567,105 blood donors in the northwest of Germany were surveyed for weakened and/or discrepant serologic reaction patterns of the C, c, E, or e antigens in automated testing.

Cost-efficient sequence-specific priming-polymerase chain reaction screening for blood donors with rare phenotypes.

Background: Transfusion support for patients with irregular antibodies to red blood cell (RBC) antigens of high frequency may be hampered by lack of appropriate antigen-negative RBC units. Often, this perceived lack is due to the low number of typed donors. We developed a simple multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to screen for donors with rare blood group phenotypes.

In-frame triplet deletions in RHD alter the D antigen phenotype.

Background: The deletion of three adjacent nucleotides in an exon may cause the lack of a single amino acid, while the protein sequence remains otherwise unchanged. Only one such in-frame deletion is known in the two RH genes, represented by the RHCE allele ceBP expressing a "very weak e antigen."

Study Design And Methods: Blood donor samples were recognized because of discrepant results of D phenotyping.

Weak D type 1.1 exemplifies another complexity in weak D genotyping.

Background: Weak D expression is caused by a large number of RHD alleles. Increasingly recommendations for D+ or D- transfusions are based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) identification of certain RHD alleles. Possible sources of error are rare D variants that are inadvertently carrying known polymorphisms of frequent weak D types.

Presence of RHD in serologically D-, C/E+ individuals: a European multicenter study.

Background: RHD blood group alleles with reduced or absent antigen expression are a clinically significant and heterogeneous group.

Study Design And Methods: To detail population genetics data on apparently D- individuals in central Europe, a six-center study was performed with participants from Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Russia. A total of 1700 serologically D- samples, positive for C and/or E, were investigated.

Early minimal residual disease (MRD) analysis during treatment of Philadelphia chromosome/Bcr-Abl-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia with the Abl-tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib (STI571).

The Abl kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate (STI571) has significant and rapid antileukemic activity in Philadelphia chromosome/Bcr-Abl-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(+) ALL) but such activity is usually of short duration except for a small proportion of patients. To determine the prognostic significance of early Bcr-Abl levels and changes in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM), serial samples of 56 patients with relapsed or refractory Ph(+) ALL treated in phase 2 trials of imatinib were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Imatinib induced a complete hematologic response (CHR) or complete marrow response (marrow-CR) in 40 patients (good responders) and a partial (n = 2) or no (n = 14) remission in the remaining patients (poor responders).