Infectivity of HBV DNA positive donations identified in look-back studies in Hyogo-Prefecture, Japan.

Aims/objectives: To clarify transfusion incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected blood negative for mini pool-nucleic acid amplification testing (MP-NAT).

Background: Japanese Red Cross (JRC) blood centres screen donated blood to avoid contamination with HBV. However, a low copy number of HBV may be overlooked.

Acute non-hemolytic transfusion reactions and HLA class I antibody: advantages of solid phase assay compared with conventional complement-dependent assay.

To evaluate the specific reactivity of HLA Class I antibodies (HLA-I Abs) in acute non-hemolytic transfusion reactions (ANHTRs) using solid phase assays (SPAs) and conventional complement-dependent lymphocyte cytotoxicity test (LCT). ANHTRs are major issues in transfusion medicine. Anti-leukocyte antibodies have been implicated as one of the causative agents of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) and febrile reaction.

A review of 331 rhabdomyosarcoma cases in patients treated between 1991 and 2002 in Japan.

Background: To prepare for a Japanese nationwide group study of patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), we examined the characteristics and outcomes of RMS patients treated recently in Japan.

Methods: We classified 331 RMS patients treated between 1991 and 2002 at 63 institutions according to the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study V (IRS-V) risk-group classification.

Results: Ten-year survival rates were 86.

Thoracic neuroblastoma: outcome of incomplete resection.

The prognosis for thoracic neuroblastoma has been documented as good, but the reasons have not been elucidated. We reviewed our experience of patients with thoracic neuroblastoma who were treated over the past decade. Among 102 patients treated for neuroblastoma at our hospital between December 1987 and June 1997, 20 patients had thoracic neuroblastoma (stage 1: nine, stage 2: five, stage 3: three, stage 4: three).