Investigation of a Candida guilliermondii Pseudo-outbreak Reveals a Novel Source of Laboratory Contamination.

was isolated from sterile specimens with increasing frequency over a several-month period despite a paucity of clinical evidence suggesting true infections. However, a health care-associated outbreak was strongly considered due to growth patterns in the microbiology laboratory that were more consistent with true infection than environmental contamination. Therefore, an extensive investigation was performed to identify its cause.

Sustaining improvement in surgical infection prevention measures for hysterectomy.

Studies have shown that administering prophylactic antibiotics within 60 minutes of a surgical incision decreases the chance of postoperative infection. A large women's hospital that performs 8,000 surgical procedures per year committed to preventing infection by participating in a study. The study participants were patients who had undergone an abdominal hysterectomy.

Rigidity and/or flexibility of calixarenes. effect of the p-sulfonatocalix[n]arenes (n = 4, 6, and 8) on the electron transfer process [Ru(NH3)5pz]2+ + Co(C2O4)3(3-).

The reaction [Ru(NH3)5pz]2+ + Co(C2O4)33- has been studied in aqueous solutions of p-sulfonatocalix[n]arene (n = 4, 6, and 8). The results are interpreted by using the pseudophase model. Results show that the rigidity and/or flexibility of the assembled rings have a great effect on the thermodynamics of inclusion of the guest into the host and, therefore, on the kinetics of the electron transfer processes that take place in these media.

[Bone marrow transplantation for severe aplastic anemia].

Severe aplastic anemia is a hematological disease with a high mortality rate, for which bone marrow transplantation is the treatment of choice, specially in children and young adults. The number of transfusions undergone before the transplant is the most important factor to predict the possibility of graft failure. Twenty patients with severe aplastic anemia, most of them already multiple transfused, were transplanted utilizing cyclophosphamide combined with antilymphocyte globulin as a conditioning regiment.

Transient myeloproliferative disorder associated with trisomy 21, a wide range syndrome: report of two cases with trisomy 21 mosaicism.

Transient myeloproliferative disorder (TMD) is an uncommon syndrome strongly associated with abnormalities of chromosome 21. Blast transient proliferation appears most frequently at neonatal age and usually resolves spontaneously in two or three months. Two patients, a girl and a boy, with neonatal onset of TMD are reported.

Prognostic-significance of p53 mutations in small non-cleaved cell lymphomas.

We have assessed the prognostic significance of mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene in patients with small non-cleaved cell lymphomas. In this retrospective pilot study we have, been able to evaluate the response to therapy of 21 previously untreated patients. Seven of these patients (33%) had tumors which contained a p53 mutation at presentation.

Randomized trial of chemotherapy versus chemotherapy plus radiotherapy for stage III-IV A & B Hodgkin's disease.

A total of 151 patients with previously untreated Hodgkin's disease, clinical stages III-IV A & B, were randomized to receive CVPP for 6 cycles, or CVPP plus RT 3000 cGy to previously involved areas between the 3rd and 4th cycles. CVPP consists of cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2/i.v.

Increased expression of 5q31 fragile site in a Bloom syndrome family.

In this work, we report spontaneous chromosomal breakpoints and fragile site expression induced by 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd) and FdUrd plus caffeine in a family with Bloom's syndrome (BS) and 2 healthy donors. Standard and G-banded metaphases from each individual and each treatment were analyzed. Among the 59 common fragile sites (c-fra) identified in this work, only the frequency of 5q31 was significantly increased in the BS family with respect to healthy donors (P less than 0.

Molecular epidemiology of Burkitt's lymphoma from South America: differences in breakpoint location and Epstein-Barr virus association from tumors in other world regions.

We have previously shown that the endemic (African) and sporadic (North American) forms of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) differ at a molecular level. We have now extended our studies to the molecular epidemiology of BL in South America, specifically to two climatic regions: temperate (Argentina and Chile) and tropical (Brazil). We have examined the patterns of chromosomal breakpoint locations in 39 tumors with respect to geography and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) association.

Randomized trial of chemotherapy versus chemotherapy plus radiotherapy for stage I-II Hodgkin's disease.

A total of 277 patients with untreated Hodgkin's disease, clinical stages I-II, were randomized to cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, procarbazine, and prednisone (CVPP) alone for 6 monthly cycles or to CVPP plus radiation therapy (RT), 3,000 rad, to involved areas (CVPP plus RT). One or more of the following factors were considered as unfavorable prognosis: age greater than 45 years, more than two lymph node areas involved, or bulky disease. In the favorable group, disease-free survival (77% vs.

Treatment of retinoblastoma. Results obtained from a prospective study of 51 patients.

During 4 years, 51 patients with retinoblastoma were studied (unilateral 32, and bilateral 19). Treatment consisted of enucleation of those eyes which showed massive involvement followed by radiotherapy when there was optic nerve and/or orbit involvement. Systemic chemotherapy was administered to all patients who underwent nonsurgical treatment and when the histologic examination showed choroidal optic nerve head and/or optic nerve involvement or residual tumor after enucleation.

Evaluation of gonadal function following long-term treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in girls.

Twenty-four girls were studied following long-term treatment (mean: 50 months) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia; 14 were prepubertal and 10 pubertal. Follow-up during endocrine studies ranged from 2 months to 6.7 years (mean: 2.

Paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma in children.

The clinicopathological features of 10 children with paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma treated between 1965 and 1984 are reviewed. Of the patients 9 had embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma and 1 was pleomorphic. Median age was 4 years (range 2 to 11 years).

Comparison of central nervous system prophylaxis with cranial radiation and intrathecal methotrexate versus intrathecal methotrexate alone in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis with cranial irradiation plus 5 doses of intrathecal methotrexate (i.t. MTX) reduces the incidence of CNS relapse to 7%-15%.

Daunorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone for remission induction in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in relapse.

Patients with recurrent acute lymphoblastic leukemia were treated with daunorubicin (40 mg/m2/week X 4), vincristine (1.5 mg/m2/week X 4), and prednisone (40 mg/m2/day x 28). All of the patients had been treated with the same combination during the first induction treatment.

Chemoimmunotherapy with levamisole in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were in two consecutive protocols and in complete remission (CR) with maintenance therapy, were randomized to receive or not receive levamisole. A total of 15 of 55 low-risk patients of protocol 10-LLA-72 with levamisole had relapses, compared with 25 of 54 not receiving levamisole; 67 and 49%, respectively, remain in CR at 48 months (P less than 0.025).

Chemoimmunotherapy with Corynebacterium parvum in acute myelocytic leukemia.

The purpose of this study is to see if immunotherapy with C. parvum and prevention of central nervous system relapse with intrathecal methotrexate can prolong duration of complete remission and survival as well as avoid central nervous system relapse. For induction, three weekly I.

Epidemiology of hemopoietic system neoplasms in Argentina.

The mortality caused by blood neoplasms in Argentina shows great irregularity. This was found to be caused in certain ways by (a) differences in the sexes and ages of the populations studied; (b) differences in available health services; and (c) environmental factors. Thus high rates and clusters of lymphomas and multiple mylomas were observed in zones with arsenical water, for example.

Long-term survival in acute leukemia in Argentina: a study of 78 cases.

A total of 78 patients with acute leukemia [69 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 9 acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML)] survived more than 4 years. In the years between 1958 and 1967 the number of patients with ALL in Argentina who survived 4 years was 1%. This increased to 21% in the years between 1967 and 1972.