[Clinical effect of umbilical cord blood transplantation in 37 pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies: a single-center experience].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) in children with hematologic malignancies.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 37 pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies that consisted of 14 cases of acute lymphocyte leukemia, 9 cases of acute myeloid leukemia, 5 cases of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, 3 cases of chronic myeloid leukemia, 2 cases of acute mixed leukemia, 3 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome, and 1 case of lymphosarcomatous leukemia. Thirty-seven children with hematologic malignancies received UCBT from unrelated donors (34 cases) and related donors (3 cases).

Inhibition of the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway mediates the antidepressant effects of ketamine in rats in the forced swimming test.

Converging evidence shows that the acute administration of a sub-anaesthetic dose ketamine produces fast-acting and robust antidepressant properties in patients suffering from major depressive disorder. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the role of the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway in the antidepressant effects of ketamine in rats performing the forced swimming test (FST).

Effectiveness of human mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow cryopreserved for 23-25 years.

Objective: To evaluate long-term cryopreserved human bone marrow cells (BMCs) as a source of functional mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

Methods: Samples of human BMCs that were cryopreserved for 23-25 years (n=20) were thawed to obtain an initial culture and a primary culture (P(0)) that was propagated through five passages (P(1)-P(5)) to obtain MSCs. Freshly collected human bone marrow samples (n=20) were used as controls for comparison of efficiency of recovery and growth characteristics of MSCs.

Evidence for positive selection on the leptin gene in Cetacea and Pinnipedia.

The leptin gene has received intensive attention and scientific investigation for its importance in energy homeostasis and reproductive regulation in mammals. Furthermore, study of the leptin gene is of crucial importance for public health, particularly for its role in obesity, as well as for other numerous physiological roles that it plays in mammals. In the present work, we report the identification of novel leptin genes in 4 species of Cetacea, and a comparison with 55 publicly available leptin sequences from mammalian genome assemblies and previous studies.

Total body irradiation plus cyclophosphamide versus busulphan with cyclophosphamide as conditioning regimen for patients with leukemia undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a meta-analysis.

The aim of the study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of total body irradiation (TBI)/cyclophosphamide (CY) versus BU/CY as conditioning regimen for leukemia. We electronically searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Embase, CIBMTR and critically appraised all relevant articles (1990.01-2009.

Sequence polymorphism and evolution of three cetacean MHC genes.

Sequence variability at three major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes (DQB, DRA, and MHC-I) of cetaceans was investigated in order to get an overall understanding of cetacean MHC evolution. Little sequence variation was detected at the DRA locus, while extensive and considerable variability were found at the MHC-I and DQB loci. Phylogenetic reconstruction and sequence comparison revealed extensive sharing of identical MHC alleles among different species at the three MHC loci examined.

Meta-analysis of HLA matching and the outcome of unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation (CBT).

Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare the HLA disparities and the outcome of UCBT, i.e. the disease-free survival (DFS), engraftment, graft-versus-host disease, (GVHD), and transplantation related mortality (TRM).

Unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation and unrelated bone marrow transplantation in children with hematological disease: a meta-analysis.

UCB has been used as an alternative source of HSC. Both unrelated donor BM and UCB are available as potential options for transplantation. However, there have been limited comparisons of the outcomes of unrelated donor UCBT vs.

[Unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation as a treatment for children with malignant leukemia].

Objective: Unrelated umbilical cord blood has the clear benefits of rapid availability and a reduced stringency of requirement for HLA match. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) in the treatment of malignant leukemia in children.

Methods: Six children with malignant leukemia, including three cases of acute lymphocyte leukemia [two high-risk patients and one standard-risk patient in complete remission (CR)], two juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (one in CR and one in the accelerating stage), and one acute myeloblastic leukaemia (in CR), received a UCBT.

[Early diagnosis of Kawasaki disease complicated by coronary artery lesions].

Objective: To explore the possibility of early diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD) complicated by coronary artery lesions (CAL).

Methods: Medical records of 84 children with KD (2 months to 8 years of age) were reviewed retrospectively. Diagnosis of KD was based on current diagnostic criteria of KD.