Lipegfilgrastim for prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in Dutch patients.

Background: Chemotherapy (CT)-induced neutropenia and febrile neutropenia (FN) can lead to changes in the treatment plan, potentially worsening the cancer outcome. This study evaluated the effect of the glycopegylated granulocyte-colony stimulating factor lipegfilgrastim, used as primary (PP) or secondary prophylaxis (SP), on treatment modifications in adult patients receiving cytotoxic CT with or without biological/targeted therapy (BT) for solid and haematological tumours.

Methods: This phase 4, prospective, observational study was conducted in eight centres in the Netherlands, in 2015-2017.

Bilateral breast implant associated chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL): A case report.

Introduction: An estimated 30.000 breast implants are placed in the Netherlands annually. An increasing amount of reports have linked implants to the rare anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL).

Azacitidine results in comparable outcome in newly diagnosed AML patients with more or less than 30% bone marrow blasts.

The efficacy of azacitidine has been demonstrated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with 20-30% bone marrow (BM) blasts, but limited data is available on patients with ≥30% blasts. We analyzed 55 newly diagnosed AML patients, treated with azacitidine. The overall response rate was 42%.

The natural course of hemodynamically stable pulmonary embolism: Clinical outcome and risk factors in a large prospective cohort study.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially fatal disease with risks of recurrent venous thrombotic events (venous thromboembolism [VTE]) and major bleeding from anticoagulant therapy. Identifying risk factors for recurrent VTE, bleeding, and mortality may guide clinical decision making.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of recurrent VTE, hemorrhagic complications, and mortality in patients with PE, and to identify risk factors and the time course of these events.

Frequent detection of respiratory viruses in adult recipients of stem cell transplants with the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction, compared with viral culture.

Background: Respiratory virus infections have been recognized as important causes of severe pneumonia in patients who have undergone stem cell transplantation (SCT). Reported incidences of respiratory virus infection in adult SCT recipients vary in the literature from 3.5% to 36% when determined by viral culture.

The occurrence of graft-versus-host disease is the major predictive factor for response to donor lymphocyte infusions in multiple myeloma.

The graft-versus-myeloma (GVM) effect of donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) is well established. We now report the outcome of DLI in 54 patients with relapsed myeloma following allogeneic transplantation. Twenty-eight patients (52%) responded, 19 patients (35%) with a partial response and 9 patients (17%) with a complete response.

Pro-poor health policies in poverty reduction strategies.

Since 1999, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank have required low-income countries soliciting for debt relief and financial support to prepare a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The objective of this study is to arrive at a systematic assessment of the extent to which the first batch of interim PRSPs actually addresses the health of the poor and vulnerable. A literature study was used to design and test a semi-quantitative approach to assess the pro-poor focus of health policies in national documents.

Prevention of interleukin-8-induced mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells in rhesus monkeys by inhibitory antibodies against the metalloproteinase gelatinase B (MMP-9).

Previously, we demonstrated that IL-8 induces rapid mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) from the bone marrow of rhesus monkeys. Because activation of neutrophils by IL-8 induces the release of gelatinase B (MMP-9), which is involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix molecules, we hypothesized that MMP-9 release might induce stem cell mobilization by cleaving matrix molecules to which stem cells are attached. Rhesus monkeys were treated with a single i.

The early phase of engraftment after murine blood cell transplantation is mediated by hematopoietic stem cells.

Blood cells transplantation is largely replacing bone marrow transplantation because engraftment is more rapid. This accelerated engraftment is thought to be mediated by relatively mature committed hematopoietic progenitor cells. Herein, we have used a modified rhodamine (Rho) staining procedure to identify and purify Rho+/++ (dull/bright) and Rho- (negative) subpopulations of hematopoietic progenitor cells in murine cytokine-mobilized blood.

Accelerated platelet reconstitution following transplantation of bone marrow cells derived from IL-6-treated donor mice.

We transplanted bone marrow cells derived from normal donor mice treated with IL-6 to study the effect on the hematopoietic recovery of lethally irradiated (8.5 Gy) recipients. Male Balb/C mice were treated for 7 days by continuous infusion of IL-6 (10 micrograms/day).

Improved survival of lethally irradiated recipient mice transplanted with circulating progenitor cells mobilized by IL-8 after pretreatment with stem cell factor.

We have demonstrated previously that a single bolus-injection of interleukin (IL)-8 induces instant mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) in mice and primates. To further improve the mobilization of HPC, we treated mice with hematopoietic growth factors (HGF) before IL-8-administration. The mobilized HPC were transplanted into lethally irradiated recipient mice to study the effects on survival.

Rapid mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells in rhesus monkeys by a single intravenous injection of interleukin-8.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a chemoattractant cytokine involved in chemotaxis and activation of neutrophils. Because in vivo administration of IL-8 induces mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells in mice, we assessed the mobilizing properties of IL-8 in rhesus monkeys. Recombinant human IL-8 was administered as a single intravenous injection at doses of 10, 30, and 100 micrograms/kg to rhesus monkeys (age, 2 to 3 years; weight, 2.

Accelerated reconstitution of platelets and erythrocytes after syngeneic transplantation of bone marrow cells derived from thrombopoietin pretreated donor mice.

The recent cloning of the ligand of the c-Mpl hematopoietin receptor has indicated a major role for this cytokine in the development of megakaryocytes. In this study we have applied c-Mpl ligand (thrombopoietin [TPO]) in the setting of syngeneic transplantation in an attempt to accelerate the reconstitution of platelets. Donor mice were treated with 20 kilounits (kU)/d TPO intraperitoneally (ip) for 5 days.

Interleukin-8 induces rapid mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells with radioprotective capacity and long-term myelolymphoid repopulating ability.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) belongs to a family of chemoattractant cytokines involved in chemotaxis and activation of neutrophils. As in vivo administration of IL-8 induces granulocytosis and the release of immature white blood cells into the circulation, we assessed a possible mobilizing effect of IL-8 on myeloid progenitor cells. IL-8 was administered at intraperitoneal doses ranging from 0.

Continuous infusion of interleukin-6 in sublethally irradiated mice accelerates platelet reconstitution and the recovery of myeloid but not of megakaryocytic progenitor cells in bone marrow.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine that enhances the maturation of megakaryocytes. In mice, in vivo treatment with IL-6 results in elevated platelet counts both in untreated animals and after myelosuppressive therapy. In this study, we assessed the effect of continuous infusion of IL-6 in sublethally irradiated (7 Gy) mice on peripheral blood cell counts and progenitor cells in bone marrow and spleen.

Sustained engraftment of mice transplanted with IL-1-primed blood-derived stem cells.

IL-1 is considered the primary mediator of the acute phase response. One of the characteristic manifestations of this response is early neutrophilia that is probably caused by release of mature neutrophils from the bone marrow into the peripheral blood. In the present study, we assessed whether IL-1 had a similar releasing effect on the number of circulating progenitor cells and stem cells.

A simple method for determination of corneal epithelial permeability in humans.

A simple method for the determination of human corneal epithelial permeability to fluorescein is presented. The method consists of applying a 1% sodium fluorescein solution to the cornea for 8 minutes by means of an eye bath, rinsing the eye, and measuring corneal fluorescence by fluorophotometry. The permeability value is calculated from the corneal fluorescein concentration immediately after the bathing period.

Blood aqueous barrier permeability versus age by fluorophotometry.

Values of the diffusion coefficient into the anterior chamber and the blood aqueous barrier permeability as a function of age were determined by fluorophotometry in 58 healthy volunteers. The diffusion coefficient was calculated from aqueous fluorescein concentration and the time integral of non-protein bound fluorescein concentration in plasma. Blood-aqueous barrier permeability was calculated using diffusion coefficient values, the area of fluorescein inflow into the anterior chamber and anterior chamber volume.