Risk factors for hemorrhagic cystitis in pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

Background: Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) results in significant morbidity among hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Several potential causes for HC have been postulated, including viral infection, but definitive evidence is lacking, particularly in pediatric HSCT patients.

Methods: Ninety pediatric HSCT recipients were prospectively tested on a weekly basis for adenovirus (ADV) and BK virus (BKV) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in blood and urine samples.

Detection of respiratory viruses in asymptomatic children undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Detection of respiratory viruses by molecular methods, in children without respiratory symptoms undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), has not been well described. A prospective study of 33 asymptomatic children detected respiratory viruses in 8 of 33 (24%) patients before HCT. Human rhinovirus (HRV) was detected in five patients, and human adenovirus (hADV) in three patients.

Isolation and characterization of an age-related antigen present on senescent human red blood cells.

Autologous membrane-bound IgG was isolated from a subpopulation of human red blood cells (RBC) with specific density greater than 1.110, by affinity chromatography of purified RBC membrane glycoprotein preparations using immobilized wheat germ agglutinin and immobilized anti-human immunoglobulin (Ig) as immunoabsorbents. The Ig-containing population thus obtained, when further separated by chromatography on Sephadex G-200 in the presence of chaotropic agents, yielded four peaks (Ia, Ib, II, and III).

Binding of immunoglobulin classes to subpopulations of human red blood cells separated by density-gradient centrifugation.

Human erythrocytes (RBC) from whole blood were separated according to their specific densities by centrifugation on a polyvinyl-pyrrolidine-coated colloidal silica matrix (Percoll) into four major subpopulations. By indirect immunofluorescence assay, the most dense RBC subpopulation, with specific density greater than 1.110 g/ml (3%-5% of total RBC), was positive for membrane-bound immunoglobulin; the remaining, less dense subpopulations were negative.