Mesenchymal stromal cells for treatment of steroid-refractory GvHD: a review of the literature and two pediatric cases.

Severe acute graft versus host disease (GvHD) is a life-threatening complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) play an important role in endogenous tissue repair and possess strong immune-modulatory properties making them a promising tool for the treatment of steroid-refractory GvHD. To date, a few reports exist on the use of MSCs in treatment of GvHD in children indicating that children tend to respond better than adults, albeit with heterogeneous results.

Is there a role for surgery in stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer?

The role of surgery in stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. Most important prognostic factors are mediastinal downstaging and complete surgical resection. Different restaging techniques exist to evaluate response after induction therapy and these are subdivided into non-invasive, invasive and alternative or minimally invasive techniques.

Comparison of perinatal outcome in fetuses with reverse or absent enddiastolic flow in the umbilical artery and/or fetal descending aorta.

Objectives: To examine the differences of perinatal outcome in fetuses with absent and reversed enddiastolic flow velocity waveforms of the umbilical artery or fetal descending aorta.

Design: In a retrospective study, 30 pregnant women with reversed enddiastolic flow in the umbilical artery or fetal aorta (group I) were compared with 30 cases of absent enddiastolic flow (group II). Patients were included in the groups according to the last Doppler finding before delivery.

Nucleated red blood cells in cord blood of singleton term and post-term neonates.

Objective: This study aims to determine if nucleated red blood cells are elevated in pregnancies that continue beyond 289 days of gestation.

Study Design: Cord blood was prospectively collected from term and post-term singleton gestations from August 1 to December 31, 1998. Umbilical artery nucleated red blood cells were counted per 100 white blood cells.

Maternal and neonatal outcome of twin pregnancies complicated by single fetal death.

Objective: To study the maternal and neonatal outcome of twin pregnancies complicated by the intrauterine death of one fetus after 20 weeks of gestation.

Design: Retrospective, observational study of 7 twin pregnancies out of 185 twin pregnancies with the diagnosis of a single intrauterine death over a 5-years period in a university hospital.

Results: The incidence of single fetal death in twin gestation after 20 weeks was 3.