Comparing Outcomes with Bone Marrow or Peripheral Blood Stem Cells as Graft Source for Matched Sibling Transplants in Severe Aplastic Anemia across Different Economic Regions.

Bone marrow (BM) is the preferred graft source for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in severe aplastic anemia (SAA) compared with mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs). We hypothesized that this recommendation may not apply to those regions where patients present later in their disease course, with heavier transfusion load and with higher graft failure rates. Patients with SAA who received HSCT from an HLA-matched sibling donor from 1995 to 2009 and reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research or the Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation were analyzed.

Acute kidney injury induced by thrombotic microangiopathy in a patient with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a fatal clinical syndrome characterized by excessive immune activation and inflammation. It is frequently complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI) that often develops as acute tubular necrosis (ATN). Meanwhile, renal thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a rare pathologic finding that mostly occurs in hemolytic uremic syndrome or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Multicenter, prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of biweekly romiplostim administration in patients with immune thrombocytopenia.

Multicenter, prospective study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of biweekly romiplostim in maintaining platelet ≥ 30 × 10(9)/L for at least 4 weeks. Treatment was started with a weekly injection (1 mcg/kg), and the dose was escalated until a titrated dose was achieved that maintained a platelet 50-200 × 10(9)/L for four consecutive weeks. Patients were scheduled to a biweekly schedule, and returned to a weekly schedule if platelets fell to <30 × 10(9)/L.

Risk factors and outcomes of hepatitis B virus reactivation in hepatitis B surface antigen negative patients with hematological malignancies.

Aim: Current guidelines recommend all patients scheduled to receive chemotherapy should be screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to hepatitis B virus core antigen (anti-HBc) status. However, still, more research is needed to identify the risk factors for hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation. We retrospectively investigated the incidence, risk factors and outcome of HBV reactivation in HBsAg negative patients with hematological malignancies.

Clinical outcomes of venous thromboembolism with dalteparin therapy in multiple myeloma patients.

This study focused on the clinical outcomes in multiple myeloma (MM) patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) who received low-molecular-weight heparin (dalteparin) therapy. Changes in D-dimer levels before and after VTE were also evaluated. Among 549 patients treated with various chemotherapeutic agents, a total of 52 (9.

Distinct subgroups of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) with cytopenia: results from South Korean National PNH Registry.

We retrospectively assessed the clinical characteristics of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) according to severity of cytopenia. A total of 282 patients with hematological parameters assessed at the time of diagnosis of PNH were included. There were 24 patients with PNH/severe aplastic anemia (SAA) (at least two of the three criteria; hemoglobin ≤8 g/dL; absolute neutrophil count (ANC) <0.

Negative Impact of Unidirectional Host-versus-Graft Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor Ligand Mismatch on Transplantation Outcomes after Unmanipulated Haploidentical Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

This study explored the influence of mismatched inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) ligands on the outcome of haploidentical transplantation using T cell-replete, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral blood stem cells in adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Three groups were examined: unidirectional graft-versus-host KIR ligand mismatched (GVH-KIR-MM; n = 33), bidirectional KIR ligand matched (KIR-M; n = 41), and unidirectional host-versus-graft KIR ligand mismatched (HVG-KIR-MM; n = 26). All recipients were treated with the same conditioning regimen (800 cGy total body irradiation, fludarabine, busulfan, and antithymocyte globulin).

Two new species of Leptobatopsis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Banchinae) from South Korea and gynandromorphy in L. nigricapitis.

Four species of Leptobatopsis Ashmead are recorded for the first time from South Korea. Among them, L. koreana sp.

Newly designed delta neutrophil index-to-serum albumin ratio prognosis of early mortality in severe sepsis.

Purpose: We evaluated the ratio of delta neutrophil index (DNI) to albumin (A) in patients receiving early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) to determine the prognostic significance of the DNI/A ratio as a marker of early mortality in critically ill patients with suspected sepsis.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed records from a prospective EGDT registry in an emergency department (ED) and screened eligible adult patients who were admitted to the ED with severe sepsis and/or septic shock. The new DNI/A ratio was calculated as the DNI value on each hospital day divided by the initial albumin level on ED admission.

Clinical outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support in patients with hematologic malignancies.

Background/aims: The clinical outcomes of patients with hematologic malignancies who were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after the failu re of optimal conventional therapy were determined.

Methods: The medical records of all patients administered ECMO during their stay in a medical intensive care unit of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital between February 2010 and July 2013 were reviewed retrospectively.

Outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for cytogenetically normal AML and identification of high-risk subgroup using WT1 expression in association with NPM1 and FLT3-ITD mutations.

According to recent guidelines, cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN AML) is divided into four molecular subgroups based on nucleophosmin-1 (NPM1) and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3-internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) mutations. All subgroups except for isolated NPM1mut are associated with poor prognosis. We retrospectively analyzed 223 patients with CN AML, 156 of whom were treated with standard chemotherapy.

Long-term Outcome of Extranodal NK/T Cell Lymphoma Patients Treated With Postremission Therapy Using EBV LMP1 and LMP2a-specific CTLs.

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) is associated with latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and frequent relapse even after complete response (CR) to intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The expression of EBV proteins in the tumor provides targets for adoptive immunotherapy with antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL). To evaluate the efficacy and safety of EBV latent membrane protein (LMP)-1 and LMP-2a-specific CTLs (LMP1/2a CTLs) stimulated with LMP1/2a RNA-transferred dendritic cells, we treated 10 ENKTCL patients who showed complete response to induction therapy.

Role of frontline autologous stem cell transplantation in young, high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients.

Background/aims: Several studies have demonstrated the effect of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) as a salvage treatment for patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, the role of auto-HSCT as a frontline treatment has not been fully investigated in the rituximab era. We validated the age-adjusted International Prognostic Index (aaIPI) score for high-risk DLBCL patients and identified a possible role for frontline auto-HSCT.

Feasibility of high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy for acute respiratory failure in patients with hematologic malignancies: A retrospective single-center study.

Purpose: This study investigated the feasibility of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy for acute respiratory failure in adult patients with hematologic malignancies.

Materials And Methods: We identified 45 acute respiratory failure patients with hematologic malignancies who received HFNC therapy between March 2012 and June 2014 at Seoul St Mary's Hospital. Their medical records were reviewed retrospectively to identify useful prognostic factors for successful treatment.

SOCS1 and SOCS3 are expressed in mononuclear cells in human cytomegalovirus viremia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Background: The expression of the SOCS genes in cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains largely unexplored.

Methods: Using quantitative RT-PCR of mononuclear cells, we conducted pairwise comparison of SOCS1 and SOCS3 expression levels among a healthy donor group (N=55), a pre-HSCT group (N=17), and the recipient subgroup (N=107), which were divided according to the occurrence of CMV viremia and acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD).

Results: Compared to that in the healthy donor group, SOCS1 expression was higher in the CMV+ subgroup, especially in the CMV+GVHD- group, but decreased in the other subgroups.

Delta neutrophil index as a promising prognostic marker in out of hospital cardiac arrest.

Background: The post-resuscitation phase after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is characterised by a systemic inflammatory response (e.g., severe sepsis), for which the immature granulocyte count is a diagnostic marker.

Microenvironmental remodeling as a parameter and prognostic factor of heterogeneous leukemogenesis in acute myelogenous leukemia.

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by clonal proliferation of stem cell-like blasts in bone marrow (BM); however, their unique cellular interaction within the BM microenvironment and its functional significance remain unclear. Here, we assessed the BM microenvironment of AML patients and demonstrate that the leukemia stem cells induce a change in the transcriptional programming of the normal mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC). The modified leukemic niche alters the expressions of cross-talk molecules (i.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation using lymphoablative rather than myeloablative conditioning regimen for relapsed or refractory lymphomas.

In relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) provides graft-versus-lymphoma activity resulting in fewer incidences of relapse. However, therapy-related mortality (TRM) remains an important challenge. We attempted to introduce our reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen.

A new species of the genus Seticornuta Morley (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Metopiinae) from South Korea.

Old World species of the genus Seticornuta Morley are reviewed. Seven species of this genus were recorded worldwide, but only one species, Seticornutaalbopilosa (Cameron), was known from the Old World. Here, we report one new species, Seticornutakoreana sp.

A novel marker for screening paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria using routine complete blood count and cell population data.

Background: Final diagnosis of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) may take years demanding a quick diagnosis measure. We used the facts that PNH cells are damaged in acid, and reagents for measuring reticulocytes in Coulter DxH800 (Beckman Coulter, USA) are weakly acidic and hypotonic, to create a new PNH screening marker.

Methods: We analyzed 979 complete blood counts (CBC) data from 963 patients including 57 data from 44 PNH patients.

A new Orussus species from South Korea, and a key to the East Asian Orussidae (Hymenoptera).

Orussus melanosoma Lee & Wei, sp. nov. from South Korea is described and illustrated.

CD161(+) T cells as predictive markers for acute graft-versus-host disease.

CD161 is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein with characteristics of the C-type lectin superfamily, which has recently been shown to promote T cell expansion. In this study, the role of T cells expressing CD161 as a predictor for the occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) was investigated. Sixty-one patients who underwent first allogeneic SCT were enrolled.

Wilms tumor gene 1 expression as a predictive marker for relapse and survival after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for myelodysplastic syndromes.

Relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a major concern in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), but the role of Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1) as a predictive marker for post-HSCT relapse remains to be validated. We measured WT1 transcript levels by real-time quantitative PCR from marrow samples of 82 MDS patients who underwent transplantation between 2009 and 2013. Pre-HSCT WT1 expression weakly correlated with marrow blast counts or International Prognostic Scoring System scores and failed to predict post-transplantation relapse.

Feasible outcomes of T cell-replete haploidentical stem cell transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.

Even with the recent optimization of haploidentical stem cell transplantation (SCT), its role for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia evolving from MDS (sAML) should be validated. We analyzed the outcomes of consecutive 60 patients with MDS or sAML who received T cell-replete haploidentical SCT after reduced-intensity conditioning with fludarabine, busulfan, and rabbit antithymocyte globuline ± 800 cGy total body irradiation. Patients achieved a rapid neutrophil engraftment after a median of 12 days (range, 8 to 23) and an early immune reconstitution without high incidences of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) II to IV and chronic GVHD (36.

Comparison of the thickness of the lamina cribrosa and vascular factors in early normal-tension glaucoma with low and high intraocular pressures.

Purpose: To compare the thickness of the lamina cribrosa (LC) and vascular factors of early normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients with high and low intraocular pressure (IOP) that are expected to be associated with the development of glaucoma.

Methods: Seventy-one Korean NTG patients with low IOP (the highest IOP <15 mmHg, 40 patients) and high IOP (the lowest IOP >15 mmHg, 31 patients) were included in this study. The thickness of LC and vascular factors were compared.