The risk of infections in hematologic patients treated with rituximab is not influenced by cumulative rituximab dosage - a single center experience.

Background: Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody directed against CD20, is approved for the treatment of CD20-positive B-cell Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and rheumatologic disorders. Due to its potent activity in depleting CD20-positive lymphocytes, the influence on opportunistic infections is still under discussion. Thus, we analyzed the impact of rituximab either as monotherapy or in combination with other chemotherapeutic regimens to elucidate its role in contributing to infectious complications.

A rare case of fever of unknown origin: inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the liver. Case report and review of the literature.

We present the case of a rare cause of fever of unknown origin (FUO). FUO is challenging for patients as well as for physicians as there are more than 200 differential diagnoses of FUO (1,2). Pointing out a diagnosis often requires numerous noninvasive and invasive procedures that sometimes even fail to explain the fever.

Efficacy and safety of capecitabine in combination with docetaxel and mitomycin C in patients with pre-treated pancreatic, gallbladder, and bile duct carcinoma.

Purpose: Preclinical data indicate the improvement of the antitumor activity of capecitabine by mitomycin C and docetaxel through upregulation of thymidine phosphorylase activity. Therefore, we have established a combination regimen of these drugs (DocMitoCape), which demonstrated preliminary activity especially in bile duct and pancreatic carcinoma.

Methods: Here we report the safety and efficacy of the DocMitoCape regimen in pre-treated patients with gallbladder, bile duct, or pancreatic carcinoma.

Clonal expansions of CD4+ B helper T cells in autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

The weakness in myasthenia gravis (MG) is mediated by T helper cell (Th)-dependent autoantibodies against neuromuscular epitopes. So far, analyzing Th phenotypes or antigen specificities has yielded very few clues to pathogenesis. Here we adopt an alternative antigen-independent approach, analyzing T cell receptor (TCR) Vbeta usage/expansions in blood from 118 MG patients.