Mesenchymal Stem Cells from the Wharton's Jelly of the Human Umbilical Cord: Biological Properties and Therapeutic Potential.

Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) are a class of stem cells with high differentiative potential, an immuno-privileged status and easy access for collection, which raise no legal or ethical issues. WJ-MSCs exhibit several features of embryonic stem cells, both in the phenotypic and genetic aspects, with only a few differences, such as a shorter doubling time and a more extensive ex vivo expansion capacity. WJ-MSCs have immunomodulatory properties, involving both innate and adaptive immune responses.

Efficacy and safety of splenectomy in adult autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare hematologic disease, primarily affecting adults or children with immunodeficiency disease. First-line therapy consists of long course of steroids administration, with an early complete response rate (CRr) of 75-80%, but up to 20-30% of patients requires a second-line therapy. Rituximab is the first choice in refractory old AIHA patients, because of its safety and efficacy (early CRr at 80-90% and at 68% at 2-3 years).

Role of Laparoscopic Splenectomy in Elderly Immune Thrombocytopenia.

The management of older patients with chronic primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is still very challenging because of the fragility of older patients who frequently have severe comorbidities and/or disabilities. Corticosteroid-based first-line therapies fail in most of the cases and patients require a second-line treatment, choosing between rituximab, thrombopoietin-receptor agonists and splenectomy. The choice of the best treatment in elderly patients is a compromise between effectiveness and safety and laparoscopic splenectomy may be a good option with a complete remission rate of 67% at 60 months.

Reproductive issues in patients undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: an update.

In 1963 George Mathé announced to the world that he had cured a patient of leukaemia by means of a bone-marrow transplant. Since than much progress has been made and nowadays Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is considered the most effective treatment of numerous severe haematological diseases. Gynaecological complications in HSCT women represent a serious concern for these patients, but often underestimated by clinicians in the view of Overall Survival.

Fine needle aspiration biopsy of intraparotid spindle cell lipoma: a case report.

Intraparotid spindle cell lipoma (SCL) of the salivary gland is a rare entity. Review of the literature revealed only two previous reports describing its cytological features. We report a case of a 44-year-old man who complained for a slowly growing, asymptomatic mass in the left parotid gland that since 12 months.