Plerixafor on demand in ten healthy family donors as a rescue strategy to achieve an adequate graft for stem cell transplantation.

Background: In allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation, the collection of an appropriate number of HSCs while maintaining a high level of safety for healthy donors is fundamental. Inadequate HSC mobilization can be seen with the standard use of granulocyte-colony-stimulating (G-CSF). Plerixafor (PL) is a chemokine receptor CXC Type 4-stromal-derived factor 1 inhibitor; its HSC-mobilizing properties are synergistic with G-CSF in poor mobilizing patients.

Chlamydophila psittaci is viable and infectious in the conjunctiva and peripheral blood of patients with ocular adnexal lymphoma: results of a single-center prospective case-control study.

Ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma (OAML) is linked to Chlamydophila psittaci (Cp) infection. Viability and infectivity of Cp, demonstrated by growth in culture, has not been yet investigated in these patients. We conducted a single-center prospective case-control study to assess the prevalence, viability and infectivity of Cp in 20 OAML patients and 42 blood donors registered in a 6-month period.

Life expectancy and prognostic factors for survival in patients with polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia.

Purpose: To assess life expectancy and prognostic factors for survival in patients with polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia.

Methods: The study sample consisted of 831 consecutive patients with polycythemia vera (n = 396; 4184 person-years of follow-up) or essential thrombocythemia (n = 435; 4304 person-years of follow-up). Mortality in each group was compared with the Italian population using the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) based on life expectancy data obtained from the Italian Institute of Statistics.

Clinical significance of neutrophil CD177 mRNA expression in Ph-negative chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

The PRV-1 gene has been proposed as a marker of polycythaemia vera (PV). PRV-1 and NB1 are alleles of the polymorphic gene CD177, which belongs to the Ly-6/uPAR superfamily, and their coding regions differ at only four nucleotides. We studied neutrophil CD177 mRNA levels in normal subjects and in 235 patients with Ph-negative chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMD), including PV, essential thrombocythaemia and myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia.

Clinical utility of the absolute number of circulating CD34-positive cells in patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

Background And Objectives: Flow cytometry enumeration of peripheral blood CD34-positive cells provides reliable measurements of circulating hematopoietic progenitors in humans. Since the absolute number of circulating CD34-positive cells has been previously found to be elevated in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM), we prospectively studied the clinical utility of this parameter in the work-up of patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

Design And Methods: Of the 248 consecutive patients enrolled in this study, 106 had polycythemia vera (PV), 90 essential thrombocythemia (ET), and 52 myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM).

Polycythemia vera in young patients: a study on the long-term risk of thrombosis, myelofibrosis and leukemia.

Background And Objectives: Polycythemia vera (PV) is unusual in young patients, so that little information is available on long-term clinical evolution in this particular group. The aim of this study was to define the long-term risk of thrombosis, acute leukemia (AL) and myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) in young PV patients.

Design And Methods: From 1975 to 2000, 70 PV patients aged less than 50 years were followed for a median time of 14 years (range 2-26).

Clinical and biological effects of treatment with amifostine in myelodysplastic syndromes.

We treated six patients with primary myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with amifostine (200 mg/m(2) i.v./three times a week for three consecutive weeks).

Pipobroman is safe and effective treatment for patients with essential thrombocythaemia at high risk of thrombosis.

Essential thrombocythaemia (ET) is a disease associated with an elevated risk of thrombosis. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of pipobroman (PB) in the long-term control of ET patients who had, at diagnosis, one or more of the following currently known risk factors for thrombosis or haemorrhage (high-risk patients): age > 60 years, history of thrombosis or haemorrhage, platelets >1000 x 10(9)/l. From 1978 to 2000, with a median follow-up of 10 years, 118 previously untreated high-risk ET patients (median age 62 years, range 25-82), were treated with PB at the starting dose of 0.