Combination of sepsis biomarkers may indicate an invasive fungal infection in haematological patients.

Invasive fungal infections are a major threat to a large cohort of immunocompromised patients, including patients with chemotherapy-associated neutropenia. Early differential diagnosis with bacterial infections is often complicated, which leads to a delay in empirical antifungal therapy and increases risk for adverse outcome. Accessibility and performance of specific fungal antigen and PCR-tests are still limited, while sepsis biomarkers are more broadly used in most settings currently.

Mesenchymal stem cells transplantation in hematological patients with acute graft-versus-host disease: characteristics and risk factors for infectious complications.

The role of MSCs in infection prevention and treatment is still discussed in transplant and hematological patients. The spectrum and risk factors for infections after MSCs transplantation in patients with acute GVHD have not been studied before. To determine the risk factors and spectrum of infectious complications in patients received mesenchymal stem cell transplantation as a treatment for acute GVHD.

Diagnostic value of sepsis biomarkers in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients in a condition of high prevalence of gram-negative pathogens.

Objective/background: A decision about the need for antimicrobial therapy in a patient with febrile neutropenia after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is often complicated because of the low frequency of culture isolation and reduced clinical manifestation of infection. Usefulness and choice of sepsis biomarkers to distinguish bloodstream infection (BSI) from other causes of febrile episode is still argued in HSCT recipients in modern epidemiological situations characterized by the emergence of highly resistant gram-negative microorganisms. In this study a comparative analysis of diagnostic values of presepsin, procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) was performed as sepsis biomarkers in adult patients after HSCT in a condition of high prevalence of gram-negative pathogens.

Risk factors for mortality in patients with bloodstream infections during the pre-engraftment period after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Background: Bloodstream infections (BSI) remain a frequent complication during the pre-engraftment period after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), resulting in high mortality rates. This study evaluated risk factors for mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients with BSI in the pre-engraftment period.

Methods: This prospective case control study was performed at the Center of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation in Minsk, Republic of Belarus.

Total protein concentration and total bacterial load as measures of residual interproximal plaque in comparative clinical trials.

Aim: Establish total protein concentration and total bacterial load as quantitative measures of residual interproximal plaque (IPP) in a clinical model designed to evaluate oral hygiene interventions.

Material And Methods: This clinical model was a randomized, examiner and laboratory technician-blinded, parallel-design study whereby levels of residual IPP were compared for subjects using a manual toothbrush or a toothbrush+floss. Differences between interventions were compared after 7 and 21 days of use.

Clinical models that objectively evaluate interproximal plaque based on total protein concentration.

Aim: To establish clinical models that accurately and objectively assess the levels of interproximal plaque (IPP) by measuring the total protein concentration.

Material And Methods: The multiple treatment (MTM) and single-treatment models (STM) were designed as randomized, double-blinded, crossover studies whereby IPP was collected using floss. The total protein concentration in the plaque was then measured using a fluorescence microplate assay.

[Role of high-dose BEAM-chemotherapy and autologous hemopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of drug-resistant Hodgkin disease].

In 1995-1999, 67 patients with relapsed Hodgkin's disease or refractory to chemotherapy (group A--first relapse, B--primary refractory disease, and C--repeated relapse) received cytoreductive (dexaBEAM, DHAP) therapy followed by high-dose BEAM chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow or blood cell transplantation. Early postoperative transplant-related mortality rate was 4.5%.

[Experience in the use of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in severe forms of aplastic anemia at the Byelorussian hematological center].

Aim: Investigation of the response to antilymphocytic globulin (ALG) and transplantation of allogenic bone marrow (TABM) in patients with a severe form of aplastic anemia (AA).

Materials And Methods: 15 patients were treated for severe AA in 1995-1997. 8 patients of group 1 were given ALG/cyclophosphamide with subsequent TABM from HLA-identical sib donor.

Aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate in MCF-10F, human breast epithelial cells: a hole burning study.

Laser-induced holes are burned in the absorption spectrum of aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (APT) in MCF-10F, human breast epithelial cells. The hole burning mechanism is shown to be nonphotochemical. The fluorescence excitation spectra and hole spectra are compared with those of APT in hyperquenched glassy films of water, ethanol, and methanol.

[Superhigh-dosage chemotherapy with the transplantation of autologous hemopoietic precursor cells in patients with a prognostically unfavorable relapse and resistant course of lymphogranulomatosis].

Eighteen patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's disease (HD) have been treated with high-dose chemotherapy (BEAM regimen) followed by autologous peripheral stem cells and/or bone marrow rescue. There were no treatment-related deaths. Overall response rate was 82%.

The Chernobyl governmental program: two years of experience at the Belarusian Bone Marrow Transplant Centre.

The Bone Marrow Transplantation Program in Belarus was founded in 1992, and in 1993, a Bone Marrow Transplantation Centre was created in Minsk. From February 1994 to April 1996, 19 allogeneic bone marrow, 16 autologous bone marrow and 10 autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantations were performed. Reasons for transplantation included chronic myeloid leukemia, multiple myeloma, severe aplastic anemia, acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, progressive myelofibrosis, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and neuroblastoma.

[Hemopoietic stem cell transplantation in lymphogranulomatosis].

Twenty patients with resistant and relapsed Hodgkin's disease were included into this investigation. The treatment effectiveness and regimen-related toxicity of BEAM-protocol were evaluated. Stem cell transplantation (SCT) was carried out either as bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in 11 patients or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) in 9 patients.

[Toxic complications of high-dose polychemotherapy in the transplantation of bone marrow and of peripheral blood stem cells].

The authors propose their own system of assessment of high-dose polychemotherapy toxicity. The system was applied to toxic complications of high-dose polychemotherapy in 31 patients with hematological malignancies subjected to allogenic, autologous bone marrow transplantation and transplantation of stem cells from peripheral blood within the scope of different protocols of high-dose polychemotherapy in conditioning regimen. A special scale developed in the Belarus Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation basing on the above system provides prediction of survival in early post-transplantation period.

[The prevention of hemorrhagic cystitis during the performance of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in the hematologic cancer clinic].

Investigators from Belarus Center for bone marrow transplantation examined the efficacy of preventing hemorrhagic cystitis induced by high-dose cyclophosphamide in preparation for hemopoiesis precursor transplantation in 22 patients with hematological diseases. The proposed preventive method implied administration of mesna (2-merkaptoetan-sulphonate) and alkaline forced diuresis. Its effectiveness was found high.

[First results of bone marrow transplantation in acute and chronic leukemia at the Byelarus Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation].

The first 10 bone marrow transplantations (BMT), 6 of the allogenic (allo-BMT) and 4 autologous (auto-BMT) were performed from February to June 1994 in Byelarus Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation. Two of the patients were experiencing the first complete remission of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), one of them - the first ALL recurrence, three patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia had the first complete remission, four patients had a chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia. In auto-BMT bone marrow (BM) was stored in liquid hydrogen after programmed freezer.