Assessing the suitability of Norway spruce wood as an environmental archive for sulphur.

The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of Norway spruces (Picea abies L. Karst.) as an environmental archive for sulphur.

Stability and reversibility of LiBH4.

LiBH4 is a complex hydride and exhibits a high gravimetric hydrogen density of 18.5 wt %. Therefore it is a promising hydrogen storage material for mobile applications.

Hematopoietic and endothelial progenitor cell trafficking in patients with myeloproliferative diseases.

Background And Objectives: The presence of circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells in patients with myeloproliferative diseases (MPD) has been described. However, the exact nature of such progenitor cells has not been specified until now. The aim of this work was to investigate the presence of endothelial precursor cells in the blood of patients with MPD and to assess the role of the endothelial cell lineage in the pathophysiology of this disease.

Progenitor cell recruitment during individualized high-flow, very-large-volume apheresis for autologous transplantation improves collection efficiency.

Background: Individual adaptation of processed patient's blood volume (PBV) should reduce number and/or duration of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collections.

Study Design And Methods: The durations of leukapheresis procedures were adapted by means of an interim analysis of harvested CD34+ cells to obtain the intended yield of CD34+ within as few and/or short as possible leukapheresis procedures. Absolute efficiency (AE; CD34+/kg body weight) and relative efficiency (RE; total CD34+ yield of single apheresis/total number of preapheresis CD34+) were calculated, assuming an intraapheresis recruitment if RE was greater than 1, and a yield prediction models for adults was generated.

cIAP-2 and survivin contribute to cytokine-mediated delayed eosinophil apoptosis.

The exact molecular mechanisms leading to delayed apoptosis, a phenomenon frequently observed in eosinophil inflammatory responses, remain largely unknown. Here, we show that cultured eosinophils purified from blood of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) patients exhibit delayed spontaneous death and relative resistance towards ceramide- but not CD95-mediated death. The subsequent investigation of members of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family revealed that HES but not normal eosinophils expressed high levels of cellular IAP-2 (cIAP-2) and survivin.

Trace metals in ambient air: Hourly size-segregated mass concentrations determined by synchrotron-XRF.

Trace metals are ubiquitous in urban ambient air, with mass concentrations in the range of a few microg/m3 down to less than 100 pg/m3. To measure such low concentrations represents a challenge for chemical and physical analysis. In this study, ambient aerosol was collected in Zürich (Switzerland) in 1-h intervals and three size fractions (aerodynamic diameters 0.

Progenitor cell trafficking in physiologic conditions and in myeloproliferative diseases: quantification of CD34+ cells by polymerase chain reaction.

Background And Objectives: Previous studies using flow cytometry have shown that CD34+ cell trafficking is increased in patients with chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis. Few data exist on physiologic CD34 + cell trafficking and the quantification of very low cell ranges requires reliable and sensitive measurement techniques. The aim of this study was to establish a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for studying CD34+ cell trafficking in physiologic conditions, and in patients with myeloproliferative diseases.

Implementation of the JACIE standards for a haematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation programme: a cost analysis.

The purpose of the present project was to analyse the costs incurred by the implementation of JACIE standards at a University Hospital with 1000 beds, performing some 40 autologous transplants per year. The cost analysis was performed on the basis of a prospective assessment of the time spent by all staff members involved with the implementation over a 14-month period of the quality management system (QMS) required by the JACIE standards. Two physicians worked on JACIE Section A (management=82 h), one physician and two nurses for section Ba (clinical unit adults=125.

Real-time process/quality control for HPC processing.

Background: JACIE Standards (FACT Standards in the USA) have been implemented in Europe since 1999. An on-site accreditation inspection took place at our center in January 2004. The purpose of this work was to develop a real-time process/quality control system meeting the JACIE Standards for HPC release.

Splenectomy in relapsing and plasma-refractory acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Background And Objectives: Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is often due to autoantibodies inhibiting ADAMTS-13 activity resulting in impaired processing of very large von Willebrand factor multimers. TTP usually presents with an acute onset and a fulminant, sometimes fatal course. With appropriate treatment including plasma exchange, and fresh frozen plasma replacement, often supplemented by immuno-suppressive therapy, the acute episode generally resolves within days to weeks.

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis during asparaginase treatment. Case 3.

A boy (age: 7 1/2 years) with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia developed thrombosis of the sinus sagitalis superior with secondary haemorrhagic infarction while on induction treatment with vincristine, prednisone, and asparaginase. Based on this report, the potential pathogenic mechanisms are discussed with respect to congenital prothrombotic defects as well as to the role of antileukaemic treatment. Current hypotheses on mechanisms for thromboembolism in children and proposed prophylactic strategies are briefly summarized.

The predictive value of clonogenic stem cell assays for the diagnosis of polycythaemia vera.

Spontaneous growth of erythroid progenitor cells is one of the hallmarks of polycythaemia vera (PV). In vitro clonogenic assays can be used to support the diagnosis of PV. However, clonogenic assays are difficult to standardize, and their diagnostic value is accepted as a minor criteria for PV only in the case of positive results.

Preparation and analysis of fetal liver extracts.

The aim of this work is to describe the techniques that have been used for preparation and analysis of whole fetal liver extracts destined for in utero transplantation. Nine fetal livers between 12 and 17 weeks of gestation were prepared: cell counts and assessment of the hematopoietic cell viability were performed on cell suspensions. Hepatocytes represented 40 to 80% of the whole cell population.

[Autologous transplantation of peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cells in the treatment of hematological malignancies. I: patients].

61 autologous transplantations for haematological malignancies have been performed with peripheral blood stem cells in 60 patients. 26 grafts were performed for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (18 patients were transplanted in first remission, 8 patients after progression or relapse), 13 for multiple myeloma, 7 for Hodgkin's disease and 10 for acute myeloid leukaemia. One patient died from thrombosis of the portal vein.

[Autologous transplantation of peripheral blood stem cells in the framework of treatment for hematologic neoplasms. II. Determination of CD34+ cells and progenitor colonies].

119 collections of peripheral blood stem cells were performed in 60 patients suffering from various haematological malignancies. One patient was transplanted twice. Peripheral blood stem cell mobilisation was performed using various regimens.

[Prevention of post-transfusion cytomegalovirus infection: recommendations for clinical practice].

Based on a review of the literature, guidelines for the clinical use of cytomegalovirus (CMV) seronegative cellular blood products are presented. The clinical fields of application include obstetrics and foetal, neonatal, and transplantation medicine. Seronegative blood products are indicated for the transfusion of pregnant women, foetuses, and neonates until the 3rd month of life.

Eradication of polymerase chain reaction detectable immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is associated with decreased relapse after autologous bone marrow transplantation.

In B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), as in other B-cell malignancies, clonal rearrangement of the third complementarity determining region (CDR III) of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IgH) provides a useful marker for the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) after treatment. To determine the clinical utility of IgH polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we analyzed peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) samples from 25 patients with NHL with no PCR detectable chromosomal rearrangement who have undergone autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). Patients with histologic bone marrow infiltration at the time of bone marrow harvest were selected for study since this provided us with diagnostic tissue samples.

Eradication of polymerase chain reaction-detectable chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells is associated with improved outcome after bone marrow transplantation.

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), clonal rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IgH) provides a useful marker for the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) after treatment. At the time of initial presentation, DNA from patients with CLL was polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified using consensus Variable (VH) and Joining (JH) region primers using complementarity determining region III consensus region primers or a panel of VH family-specific framework region 1 (FR1) primers. The clonal product was directly sequenced and patient-specific probes constructed using N region nucleotide sequences.

Tumor-antigen-specific humoral immune response of animals to anti-idiotypic antibodies and comparative serological analysis of patients with small-cell lung carcinoma.

We have previously developed 3 monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies (Ab2) of LOU rat origin directed against the binding site of the murine monoclonal IgM LAM8, which recognizes the small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC)-associated sialoglycoprotein antigen sGP 90-135. The aim of this study was to compare the efficiencies of these 3 Ab2, designated LY8-229, LX8-531 and LX8-632, to induce antigen-specific immunity in different animal species without prior exposure of the recipients to the nominal antigen, and thereby possibly select an Ab2 candidate for active immunotherapy against SCLC in patients. The feasibility of this approach was further evaluated by a serological analysis of patients with SCLC compared with healthy individuals, in whom the spontaneous antibody reactivities against SCLC cell lines and Ab2 were tested.

Polyclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies mimicking the small cell lung carcinoma antigen cluster-5A interact with a panel of antibodies and induce specific immune response in animals.

Polyclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies (ab2) were generated by immunising goats with the murine IgG2a monoclonal antibody SWA20 which recognises the SCLC antigen cluster-5A, a tumour-associated sialoglycoprotein. Ab2 was shown to bind specifically to antibody SWA20, but not to isotype matched control antibodies. Pre-incubation with ab2 completely inhibited target cell binding of antibody SWA20 and of four other antibodies to cluster-5A antigen, while no effect was seen with antibodies to cluster-1 and cluster-w4 antigen.