Radiation exposure in acute myeloid leukaemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma patients in the first year following diagnosis.

Purpose: Radiological examinations are critical in the evaluation of patients with haematological malignancies for diagnosis and treatment. Any dose of radiation has been shown in studies to be harmful. In this regard, we assessed the radiation exposure of 3 types of haematological malignancies (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [DLBCL], acute myeloid leukaemia [AML], and multiple myeloma [MM]) in our centre during the first year after diagnosis.

International Forum: The Turkish perspective on apheresis activity: The Turkish apheresis registry report.

Therapeutic apheresis is an extracorporeal treatment that selectively removes abnormal cells or harmful substances in the blood that are associated with or cause certain diseases. During the last decades the application of therapeutic apheresis has expanded to a broad spectrum of hematological and non-hematological diseases due to various studies on the clinical efficacy of this procedure. In this context there are more than 30 centers performing therapeutic apheresis and registered in the apheresis database in Turkey.

Pralatrexate experience in PTCL: A multicenter retrospective study from Turkey.

Purpose: Pralatrexate is a new generation antifolate treatment agent used for the treatment of relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphomas. This study aims to determine the general characteristics of the patients receiving pralatrexate therapy in Turkey, contributing to the literature on the effectiveness of pralatrexate therapy in peripheral T-cell lymphomas by determining the response levels of such patients to the therapy. The study also attempts to clinically examine the major side effects observed in patients during treatment with pralatrexate.

Efficacy and safety of plasmapheresis in symptomatic hyperviscosity and cast nephropathy: A Multicenter Experience in Turkey.

Background And Objectives: Cast nephropathy (CN) and hyperviscosity (HV), which we encounter in plasma cell diseases, are serious clinical manifestations that increase mortality and morbidity if not managed well in the early period. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) procedures based on the removal of patient plasma is a frequently preferred treatment modality. TPE is recommended at varying levels of evidence for the treatment of CN and HV in plasma cell disorders.

Nivolumab for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma: real-life experience.

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is considered a curable disease; however, in approximately one-third of the responding patients, the disease relapses following completion of therapy. One of the drugs that have been approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory cHL is nivolumab, an immune check point inhibitor that shows its effects by blocking the programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor. In this study, we present a retrospective "real-life" analysis of the usage of nivolumab in patients with relapsed/refractory cHL that have joined the named patient program (NPP) for nivolumab, reflecting 4 years of experience in the treatment of relapsed/refractory cHL.

Early Access Program Results From Turkey and a Literature Review on Daratumumab Monotherapy Among Heavily Pretreated Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Myeloma.

Background: In countries where frontline drug approval is limited to first-generation proteasome inhibitors or immunomodulatory drugs, relapses have been both more frequent and less durable. We investigated real world data on the efficacy and safety of daratumumab monotherapy among patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) from Turkey using a prospective early access program.

Patients And Methods: A total of 42 patients with RRMM after a minimum of 3 previous lines of proteasome inhibitor/immunomodulatory drug-based treatments were included from 25 centers across Turkey.

The Turkish experience with therapeutic plasma exchange: A national survey.

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is used to treat more than 60 diseases worldwide and has drawn growing interest. Little is known about the current situation of TPE activity in Turkey, so we developed a survey to obtain information about this timely topic. We collected data on TPE from 28 apheresis units throughout Turkey.

Efficacy of CLARA in recurrent/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia patients unresponsive to FLAG chemotherapy.

We hereby report our multicentre, retrospective experience with CLARA in patients with fludarabine/cytarabine/G-CSF (FLAG) refractory AML. The study included all consecutive R/R AML patients, who received CLARA salvage during October 2010-October 2015 period. All patients were unresponsive to FLAG salvage chemotherapy regimen and did not undergo previous allo-HCT.

Adult Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Daily Practice: A Multicenter Experience.

Background: The prognosis of Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(+) ALL) is generally poor. Currently, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is the only accepted therapy with curative potential.

Patients And Methods: Herein, we report our multicenter, retrospective experience with 46 (23 female; 23 male) Ph(+) ALL patients, who were treated off-study between 2005 and 2012.

Successful Treatment of Refractory Gastrointestinal Bleeding by Systemic (Oral) Ankaferd Blood Stopper in a Patient with Glanzmann Thrombasthenia.

Background: Glanzmann Thrombasthenia (GT) is a genetic platelet dysfunction and a life threatening disease. Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) is a topical hemostatic agent of herbal origin which has been recently made available for clinical use. Its hemostatic effect is independent from blood clotting factors and occurs as a result of the aggregation of focal red blood cells by an encapsulated protein web.

Therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a retrospective multicenter study.

Unlabelled: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a particular form of thrombotic microangiopathy typically characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, fever, neurological abnormalities, and renal dysfunction. TTP requires a rapid diagnosis and an adapted management in emergency. Daily sessions of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) remain the basis of management of TTP.

Endometriosis in two sisters with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia.

Objective: To present two cases of endometriosis in patients with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT) and discuss the underlying pathophysiology of endometriosis.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Gynecology practice in a university teaching hospital.

The effect of grape seed extract on radiation-induced oxidative stress in the rat liver.

Background/aims: The tolerance of the liver is considerably low when an effective radiation (RTx) dose needs to be delivered in patients in whom either their liver or whole body area has to be irradiated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effect of grape seed extract on liver toxicity induced by RTx in the rat liver.

Methods: We used four groups, each consisting of 12 healthy male Wistar rats.

Role of grape seed extract on methotrexate induced oxidative stress in rat liver.

Unlabelled: The efficacy of methotrexate (MTX), a widely used cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent, is often limited by its severe hepatotoxicity. Regarding the mechanisms of these adverse effects, several hypotheses have been put forward, among which oxidative stress is noticeable. The present study was undertaken to determine whether grape seed extract (GSE), a new natural free radical scavenger, could ameliorate the MTX-induced oxidative injury in the rat liver.

Effect of thrombocytapheresis on blood rheology in healthy donors: role of nitric oxide.

Platelet transfusions are increasingly being used to treat thrombocytopenic conditions. Because of anticoagulation, changes in blood composition and extracorporeal circulation, donor apheresis may cause alterations in hemorheology. This study aimed at investigating the effects of thrombocytapheresis on donor blood rheology.

Disturbance of pro-oxidative/antioxidative balance in allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

High dose chemotherapy causes increased free radical formation and depletion of tissue antioxidants. Whether allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has an effect on oxidative stress is uncertain. The aims of the study were to determine the effect of allogeneic HSCT on plasma concentrations of antioxidants and oxidative stress biomarkers, and to investigate their relationships with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), conditioning regimens, and transplant-related mortality (TRM) in patients with hematological malignancies.

Therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with neurologic diseases: retrospective multicenter study.

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is commonly used in many neurological disorders where an immune etiology was known or suspected. We report our experience with TPE performed for neuroimmunologic disorders at four university hospitals. The study was a retrospective review of the medical records of neurological patients (n=57) consecutively treated with TPE between April 2006 and May 2007.

Evaluation of febrile neutropenic attacks in a tertiary care medical center in Turkey.

Background: Infectious complications in febrile neutropenic patients are still major causes of morbidity and mortality despite significant advances in diagnostic techniques and antimicrobial therapy. In this study, we describe the characteristics of patients with hematological malignancies who were evaluated for suspected infection. This study was also conducted to assess the isolation rate of bacterial and fungal causative agents in febrile neutropenic attacks.