Retrospective single center analysis of outcome, risk factors and therapy in steroid refractory graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Acute and chronic graft-vs.-host disease (aGvHD and cGvHD) are major complications after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) leading to substantial morbidity and mortality. This retrospective single-center study analyzes incidence, therapy, and outcome of GvHD in n = 721 patients ≥18 years having received allogeneic HCT 2004-2013 with a special focus on steroid refractory GvHD.

Water diffusivity: comparison of primary CNS lymphoma and astrocytic tumor infiltrating the corpus callosum.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether lymphoma and astrocytic tumor infiltrating the corpus callosum can be reliably differentiated with measurement of water diffusivity.

Materials And Methods: Echo-planar diffusion-weighted MR images of 27 patients with glioblastoma multiforme, five patients with low-grade astrocytoma, five patients with gliomatosis cerebri, and nine patients with primary lymphoma infiltrating the corpus callosum were reviewed retrospectively. Regions of interest were drawn on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps inside the callosal tumor.

Activating mutation of the renal epithelial chloride channel ClC-Kb predisposing to hypertension.

The chloride channel ClC-Kb is expressed in the basolateral cell membrane of the distal nephron and participates in renal NaCl reabsorption. Loss-of-function mutations of ClC-Kb lead to classic Bartter syndrome, a rare salt-wasting disorder. Recently, we identified the ClC-Kb(T481S) polymorphism, which confers a strong gain-of-function effect on the ClC-Kb chloride channel.

Effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on tumor blood flow and hyperthermic treatment.

The impact of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rhTNF-alpha), given alone or in combination with local hyperthermia, on perfusion and growth of a moderately rhTNF-alpha-sensitive rat tumor (DS-carcinosarcoma) was investigated. DS-carcinosarcomas were implanted into the hind foot dorsum of Sprague-Dawley rats. Tumor blood flow (TBF) was measured with the krypton-85 clearance technique.